Chapter 23: Am I Even Human?!

The largest nightclub on Black Cloud Street is called "Le Tu," situated on the east side of Riverside Park.

At 9:00 PM, a black sedan pulled into the surface parking lot of "Le Tu." Three men in black suits stepped out. Two stood guard on either side of the vehicle, while the third opened the front passenger door, ushering out a tall, thin man with a slicked-back hairstyle and a black shirt. Judging by their positioning, the man with the slicked-back hair was the boss, and the other three were his underlings.

This was indeed the case. The man was He Kang, the target of Cao Yu.

On the way to the main entrance of "Le Tu," He Kang asked, "Any news on Yang Jiao?"

"Boss, I think Yang Jiao has skipped town," the underling who had opened the door replied. "We've been 'looking after' that pathetic little company of his for months, smashing plenty of things, but that turtle hasn't even dared to show his face, let alone make a sound. It's highly likely he's run off."

"That Yang Jiao really doesn't know his place!" He Kang’s face twisted with anger. "His sister is a rare gem, and I wasn't just looking for a fling—I even promised to marry her properly. By the way, where is she?"

"Still at the same old place. She hasn't returned," the underling replied.

"Then Yang Jiao hasn't run away," He Kang sneered. "I know him. If he were going to run, he wouldn't leave his family behind."

"Boss, some player invitations have been leaking on the black market lately. If Yang Jiao hasn't run..." the underling sounded worried, "could he have become a player?"

"Then he’s looking for death!" He Kang dismissed the idea with contempt. "Yang Jiao is an illiterate who didn't even finish middle school; he’s an idiot! A brute who only knows how to brawl—what does he have to make it as a player? Without a brain, he wouldn't even pass the first dungeon!"

The underling didn't expect to encounter academic elitism among street thugs, but he immediately flattered, "You’re the smart one, Boss. You’re not far from becoming a D-rank player yourself."

After pondering for ten seconds, He Kang said, "Yang Jiao has a younger brother, I remember his name is Yang Jian. Send some men to grab him and keep him under control."

"Boss, this... although Yang Jiao runs a company, he used to be a street guy too. Grabbing his family goes against the underworld code. If word gets out, it might not look good..."

*Slap!* He Kang struck the underling across the face. "My rules are the rules!"

"I... I understand, Boss." The underling quickly conceded.

Just then, He Kang’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out and answered, and a frantic voice came through: "Something’s happened! Several of our shops have been smashed. Mr. Lang wants everyone to return for a meeting."

He Kang was surprised. The Zuoshan Association might only be a mid-sized gang in the Charm District, but it had a long history and deep-rooted connections. The larger gangs generally didn't bother with their small pickings. Could someone have caused trouble?

"Let’s go," he told his underling. "To the hotpot restaurant."

"Boss, we’re not hanging out tonight?" the underling asked regretfully.

"Hang out your mother!" He Kang snapped. "Drive, now!"

...

At 9:30 PM, He Kang arrived at a hotpot restaurant operated by the Zuoshan Association. The staff were clearing the place, driving the customers away. As a restaurant that only pretended to do business in its spare time while serving other purposes, they didn't care about the patrons' feelings.

One customer, who was in the middle of cooking his meal, complained when someone told him to move: "Brother, someone is sitting here."

"Am I not a person? Is the person I’m with not a person?"

Seeing the two arguing, He Kang told his underling, "Hurry up and clear them all out." The underlings moved immediately. He Kang walked toward the stairs, headed to the second floor, and entered the gathering place for the gang leaders.

In the center of the second-floor hall stood a large round table, where six people were already seated. At the head of the table, facing the door, sat Lang Jingcheng, the big boss of the Zuoshan Association.

Lang Jingcheng was a burly, middle-aged man with a square face and a slicked-back hairstyle; his tailored suit could not hide his fierce temperament. He was a D-rank player, a ruthless man who had risen to power by eliminating his own predecessor. Seeing He Kang arrive and take his seat, Lang Jingcheng nodded. "Since everyone is here, let’s talk. Who has been stirring up trouble lately?"

"Mr. Lang, I definitely haven't caused any trouble," He Kang was the first to guarantee. "I absolutely haven't provoked anyone who shouldn't be offended."

"Mr. Lang, I’ve been busy with the factory lately, staying there every day. Where would I have the opportunity to cause trouble?" The second person to speak was Lai Ran, a bald man and one of only three players in the Zuoshan Association.

Including Lang Jingcheng, there were seven leaders in the Zuoshan Association, but only three were players. Lang Jingcheng had ambitions to make the association bigger and stronger, and he had personally groomed He Kang and Lai Ran, both of whom were now senior E-rank players and his right-hand men. Thus, he didn't doubt them much.

His cold, sinister gaze fell upon the other four leaders. Stunned by his presence, the four hurriedly explained their recent movements, swearing they hadn't caused any trouble.

Seeing this, Lang Jingcheng said, "I called you all here today to tell you that no matter who caused this, I will take responsibility for it. So don't be afraid; tell me everything. If I find out that anyone is hiding something, lying, or harming their brothers... I’ll say it now: I will kill their entire family! Now, I’ll give you one chance to reorganize your words."

"…Mr. Lang, you might have heard of Yang Jiao? I’ve been targeting him recently. I took a liking to his sister, but Yang Jiao wouldn't give me the time of day, so I smashed his little company." He Kang had no choice but to be honest. "I investigated, and Yang Jiao doesn't know any players, and his pathetic company is weak... I thought it was a small matter, so I didn't mention it earlier."

"Very good. He Kang, I’m glad you told the truth. But I don't like that you hid it from me earlier." Lang Jingcheng reprimanded He Kang with a warning look. "Next time, you know the consequences."

He Kang nodded repeatedly. The others quickly repeated their previous claims of innocence.

"Since the only conflict we’ve had recently is with Yang Jiao..." Lang Jingcheng’s eyes turned vicious. "Go and bring me Yang Jiao’s family, and his family’s family. I want to interrogate them myself. I want to see exactly who dares to provoke me..."

*BOOM—!!*

A deafening explosion interrupted him. All seven turned toward the sound and saw that the wall facing the street had been blasted open. A figure charged through the hole, fast as the wind and quick as lightning, leaping toward the center table in a single bound.

Of the seven seated at the table, only Lang Jingcheng reacted, quickly rising and stepping back. He Kang and Lai Ran barely realized someone was approaching. The remaining four ordinary men didn't even have time to react.

By the time they realized what was happening, the figure had already grabbed He Kang by the throat with his left hand, lifting him into the air. His right hand’s sharp, elongated nails slashed out like blades, severing He Kang’s limbs.

"AH...!!!"

He Kang emitted a scream like a pig being slaughtered. *Thud...* His severed hands and feet hit the floor, blood splattering everywhere.

"What a beautiful sound..." The intruder grinned wildly, listening to He Kang’s wails with a look of pure intoxication.

The others finally saw the appearance of the intruder.

He had long, flowing hair, scarlet eyes, a cold, grim face, and stood over 1.9 meters tall. His hands were tipped with sharp, ten-centimeter-long claws...

Was this a human? Or a monster?

The intruder was none other than Cao Yu.

After using the E-rank item "Sanguine Undying Bone," Cao Yu had completed his zombie transformation. Not only had his height surged by ten centimeters, but his hair now reached his waist, his eyes glowed blood-red, and he possessed lethal claws. Even his face had taken on a sinister, frightening quality.

Lang Jingcheng realized instantly that this wasn't a monster, but a player. Just as he was about to demand to know who the intruder was... *BOOM!* The walls on all sides shattered simultaneously, revealing four more holes. Four figures charged in, all wearing black leather and motorcycle helmets, their faces obscured.

This sight stunned Lang Jingcheng. *There are more experts!*

Little did he know, Cao Yu, who was still holding He Kang, was also stunned. *Huh? I have backup?*

*The situation has changed!*

Cao Yu stopped reveling in the pleasure of revenge... or rather, strictly speaking, it wasn't quite revenge yet. In any case, he prepared to finish things quickly.

He Kang was still wailing, his face contorted in agony. Having lost all four limbs, he had become a human stump and lost any ability to fight back. Cao Yu wasn't surprised. The gap between E-rank players wasn't large and could be easily leveled by items. Plus, with "Seven-Kill Soldier Lord" at his side, he dared to take on even a D-rank player head-on.

He tossed He Kang into the air, plunged his claws into his back, and with a burst of strength, performed a visceral execution. He Kang’s intestines and organs spilled onto the floor. His severed body parts hit the ground, twitched twice, and went silent.

Cao Yu then charged at Lang Jingcheng.

"Hah!" Lang Jingcheng let out a bitter laugh. As a D-rank Immortal-class player, his strength lay in his superior physical stats, the high-level martial arts he performed using the *Qi* within his body, and the soul damage he could inflict through physical contact. At the D-rank stage, even the most physically powerful demi-human players were reluctant to engage an Immortal-class player in pure melee combat.

*The man is simply courting death!*

He charged straight at Cao Yu, intending to kill this reckless beast on the spot. But Cao Yu just grinned.

*This guy fell for it!*

Don't be fooled by his physical, melee-heavy appearance. In truth, he was playing a "mechanic." And the "first-strike" effect was incredibly powerful!

At that moment, the "Immortal-Slaying Curse" enveloped him. He swiped his claws at Lang Jingcheng, the air screaming as it tore. Lang Jingcheng, relying on the reaction speed granted by his powerful physical stats, easily saw through Cao Yu’s attack trajectory as if watching slow-motion footage. He leaped, easily dodging the claw swipe, pivoted in mid-air, and used the momentum to lash out with a whip kick aimed at Cao Yu’s head.

Cao Yu didn't dodge or block, taking the blow with his head. But the sound of flesh-on-flesh impact he expected never came. Because Lang Jingcheng’s lower leg, upon touching Cao Yu’s head, shattered and snapped right in the middle.

Lang Jingcheng’s movements were disrupted by the sudden, intense pain. He fell from the air to the ground, screaming as the agony of his broken leg took hold.