Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 1095 - 60: Cleansing

Chapter 1095: Chapter 60: Cleansing

After a whole day on the move, Tang Zheng had washed off his police uniform, which hadn’t dried completely, so he was now wearing a suit. With his stern expression, he didn’t resemble a policeman but rather looked like a gang enforcer causing trouble.

Several bodyguards watching the scene had already set their eyes on Tang Zheng’s group, but they held back because Sha Ou had handed over a stack of US dollars. Considering Pang Meiqin and Yu Manli were wearing police uniforms, they decided not to act. However, they stayed close by, watching them to see if another opportunity to make money would arise.

Looking at the old man in a suit leisurely drinking, Pang Meiqin bristled like a frightened cat, her sweat glands standing on edge, ready to fight. She hadn’t forgotten the scene where the old fellow turned a drifter into a demon puppet.

When the old man saw Tang Zheng, he picked up a classical cup filled with golden whiskey and gestured a toast to him from afar, with no intention of starting a fight.

"Hey, stop causing trouble here, or get out," the bartender, wearing a white shirt and a pale green waistcoat, glanced sideways at Tang Zheng and his group with an unfriendly look. He was holding a paper towel, wiping clean a cocktail bottle.

"Play it by ear," Tang Zheng said casually, walking over to the old man and sitting down next to him, "Give me a beer."

Li Xinlan and Yu Manli, worried about Tang Zheng’s safety, followed him. Dantai chose to sit on the other side of the old man.

The old fellow had a head full of white hair, clean and meticulously combed back like silver threads, wearing a dark blue suit with a pen in the pocket and a vivid rose that didn’t lose a drop of water. However, the rose was so brightly red that it seemed to be soaked with blood.

"Young man, you’re not very steady in your actions!" the old man’s face, lined with wrinkles as if etched by years of weather and a myriad of human emotions, his pale lips parted to chastise Tang Zheng.

"If you’re so enlightened, why don’t you become a priest?" Tang Zheng took the beer, opened the bottle cap with his teeth, and took a gulp. He had never indulged himself; this was merely to numb the old man. He had already exchanged a look with Dantai, pondering over the plan to take him down.

"Get out of here and stay somewhere else. I don’t like the smell of blood on you; it will cause my flowers to wither. And you lot, get lost," the old man’s gaze swept over Li Xinlan and Sha Ou, then fixed on Dantai, his tone full of disgust.

"Old man, talking rubbish can be costly," Dantai wouldn’t be scared off by such tricks, ignoring the old man, he grabbed the whisky and gulped down a mouthful.

"Ha, admirable guts. It’s been a long time since someone dared to speak to me like this," the old man looked mockingly at Dantai’s glass and scoffed, "Aren’t you worried someone might drop a demon pill in there?"

"The one thing I’m sure of is that you’ll die before I do," Dantai’s expression remained unchanged, as cold as a block of ice.

"You have a good partner, come on, cheers!" The old man turned to Tang Zheng, touched his glass against Tang Zheng’s, and downed it in one.

"Have you seen others like us before?" Tang Zheng inquired indirectly. This guy seemed to be the first boss he could communicate with on equal terms; he needed information.

"Many, but they’re all dead," the old man didn’t hide it. "This is the City of God; every sinner here will get their punishment."

"You don’t plan to tell me who you are?" Although Tang Zheng was cautious, once the old man showed hostility, he didn’t intend to let him go. However, he wanted to squeeze out the value, "Do you know what Trojan is?"

"Tang Zheng!" Li Xinlan was startled. Revealing information to a character within the game could get Tang Zheng deleted. Even Dantai seemed to blame him; the Group Leader was too impulsive.

"Trojan? Is that your leader? Hmph, a bunch of invaders. Tell him the City of God isn’t anyone’s toy!" The old man suddenly got angry and slammed his glass on the table.

The two Group Leaders frowned; they thought the game scenarios they had experienced were all created by Trojan with advanced technology. But based on the old man’s words, it seemed that this place already existed?

"We are here to kill demons," Tang Zheng found another way to phrase it. "What’s outside the City of God?"

Tang Zheng had considered venturing out of the city to explore, but Trojan had warned him.

"Hmph, can you really tell the difference between humans and demons?" the old man mocked, "This is the City of the Dying, the City of Decay. Once you’re here, what’s outside?"

"Old man, stop playing with words. That’s what monks are for. Give a serious answer to our Group Leader’s question." Teng Yuangxiang found an excuse to join in, squeezing next to Tang Zheng.

Even in her police uniform, Pang Meiqin still suffered harassment. Two young men, rather full of themselves, approached her with an air of camaraderie. After being rejected, their hands started to misbehave.

One man reached for Pang Meiqin’s buttocks wrapped in her police skirt, and the other was heading toward her thigh. Unfortunately, before they could take advantage, they received a vicious counterattack.

"Scum!" Pang Meiqin swung her arm, smashing the glass into one man’s eye socket. The glass shattered, shards piercing his eyeball, with blood splashing down his cheeks.

The man next to him was shocked, instinctively retracting his hand and stepping back, but it was too late. Pang Meiqin’s knee rose sharply, hitting the man’s groin. The sound of eggs cracking resonated due to the force; the man’s lower parts turned into mush, with blood seeping through, soaking his pants instantly.

"I told you, make trouble and get out. Did you think I was just farting?" the bartender became furious, suddenly pulling out a shotgun from under the bar, grabbed the tactical handguard, cocked it with a click, and aimed it at Tang Zheng’s head.

"Do you want to die?" This was a rare opportunity to show off, Teng Yuangxiang drew a handgun and aimed it at the bartender.

"Boss." A group of black-suited bodyguards rushed in, saluting the bartender respectfully and then drew their guns, pointing them at Tang Zheng and Pang Meiqin. It was clear that the bartender held a high status.

"Break the legs of the men, grab the women, train them for a few days, then arrange for them to entertain customers." The bar was smug, waving his hand at his subordinates; after that, seeing Tang Zheng and his party’s expressions unchanged, still sitting steady as if fishing, his face was covered with rage—he felt ignored, "You have no strength, what big garlic do you think you’re acting like? Kneel down!"

"I hate having guns pointed at me."

"What did you say?" The bartender dug at his ear, roaring at Tang Zheng, "Are you crazy? Do you think I won’t shoot you dead?"

"Your spit’s coming this way." Tang Zheng leaned back, avoiding the saliva.

"Go to hell!" The bartender felt ignored and saw his subordinates snickering. Feeling like he’d lost face, he was utterly enraged. Just as he was about to shoot, Yu Manli sprang out like a leopardess, snatched the muzzle of the gun, and pulled it into her hands.

The bartender stumbled, yanked off-balance; his head was then forcibly brought down onto the bar by Yu Manli with a ferocious smash.

Bang, the bartender nearly passed out, blood spurting from his forehead.

A group of lackeys held back, not daring to attack.

"Do you know who I am?" The bartender began to make threats; unfortunately, Tang Zheng completely ignored him, tossed a bottle, reversed it, and then shoved it into his mouth.

The bottle shattered his teeth and lodged in his throat, silencing the bartender’s screams entirely.

"I said, I don’t like having guns pointed at me." Tang Zheng applied pressure with his right hand, pushing the bottle deeper, causing the bartender to be covered in sweat beads the size of soybeans from the pain.

"Kill him." Tang Zheng let go.

Upon hearing this cold command, the bartender wanted to beg for mercy, but couldn’t speak. His minions hadn’t reacted yet when they saw Yu Manli had already pressed the shotgun’s muzzle to the boss’s head.

Bang, the bartender’s head burst open like a rotten watermelon, and his brain pulp, blood, and broken flesh scattered out in a fan shape.

Teng Yuangxiang, who had been eager to fight, immediately drew a Thompson submachine gun and started shooting at the gang members around her, knocking down a bunch of them—those guys dared not approach, shooting wildly while dodging.

The bar patrons, witnessing the gunfight, panicked, screaming as they tried to flee—yet before they could make it out the door, they were blocked by a sea of incoming policemen.

"Everybody down, stay quiet!" The team leader fired two shots at the ceiling and bellowed loudly.

Seeing the old man wouldn’t say anything further, Tang Zheng and Dantai moved to apprehend him. But the guy dispersed like a cloud of smoke, vanishing without a trace, leaving just the rose that had fallen on the bar to rapidly wither. The red on its petals spread instantly, resembling thick blood.

"Inspector, I am..." The leading policeman walked up to Tang Zheng, about to make an acquaintance, but his expression changed, because the headless bartender who had been shot dead was suddenly standing up, reaching for Yu Manli.

Yu Manli backed off and opened fire, turning him into mincemeat.

"Take everyone back to the station, then shut this bar down." Tang Zheng had just issued the order when he saw the policeman’s face contort, as if he were suffocating, clutching at his throat. Then his body suddenly swelled, bursting through his uniform, dark, soul-like flakes growing out.

This demonized monster lunged at him, but Tang Zheng had just drawn his Devil Flame Pistol, aimed at its head, and blew it away with a shot.

Besides the survivors, everyone in the bar had demonized and began their attack.

"Form up." Dantai shouted. Thankfully they hadn’t brought a newbie along this time. Except for Tao Tao and Teng Yuangxiang, most were well-trained.

Sha Ou’s telekinetic power shot out, sending all the debris flying and crashing onto the monsters.

"This is a warning to all of you—if you dare to kill again, I will act in place of God to reap your lives, to purify your sinful souls." The old man’s voice echoed throughout the bar, filling the air with the scent of death.

"You should go discuss these problems with the Americans and Japanese." Teng Yuangxiang showed no mercy, taking the opportunity to kill monsters and earn points.

"Xinlan, Fei Fei, wipe them out, then evacuate." Tang Zheng fired at the fire suppression system; water poured down, and the two area attackers immediately released their abilities.

Frost Gun Stab spread, Lightning Jungle wreaked havoc, and the monsters didn’t even stir up a ripple before being blown to bits.

Tang Zheng walked towards the main entrance of the bar; several monsters pounced at him, but before they could get close, they were gunned down.

As the party left the bar, they heard the thunderous roar of engines howling, drawing closer, a slash through the night— the Ghost Rider HAD appeared! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)