Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 648 Alas... I'm innocent!

"If there weren't so many of these man-eating vines, perhaps I would have some other options."

Hu Ming lit a cigarette and shrugged.

While man-eating vines are rare, they are not impossible to obtain.

The problem is that there are just too many man-eating vines here!
The man-eating vines covered an entire football field, their sheer number enough to make anyone's scalp tingle!
Even with Hu Ming's many extraordinary methods, getting through here unscathed...

Disaster!!

Even the slightest carelessness can lead to disastrous consequences.

"..."

Seeing that Hu Ming's expression seemed genuine, Zhang Yueshan said with a headache, "This is really troublesome. No matter what, we have to get our hands on that thing left by the Buddha..."

"Fire? What about burning it? With enough accelerants, is it possible to burn down the entire patch of man-eating vines?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Rishan tentatively offered his suggestion.

"That's impossible. These man-eating vines are far more than any other plant; they possess a simple collective will."

"These things can easily extinguish any fire source; it would be very difficult for it to start!"

Hu Ming shook his head and rejected Zhang Yueshan's suggestion.

Returning to the outside world via the same route, Hu Ming squinted at the blinding midday sun, already having an idea in mind.

The appearance of these man-eating vines was indeed unexpected by Hu Ming, and it would be difficult to find an efficient way to deal with them in the short term.

but…

As the saying goes, there's always a way out.

While in the underground space, Hu Ming had already analyzed the internal spatial structure using his method of "distinguishing mountains and dragons".

After thinking for a moment, Hu Ming took out the map he had prepared in advance from his pocket and carefully compared it with the three-dimensional structure diagram in his mind.

A moment later, Hu Ming pointed heavily to a certain point on the map.

"This is it, follow me!"

Having made up his mind, Hu Ming determined the direction and strode towards the point on the map!
"You found another entrance? A perfect bypass to the entrance of the man-eating vines?"

Seeing this, Zhang Yueshan followed Hu Ming's footsteps and spoke his guess with a confident tone.

"Yes, that's right, a very safe road."

Hu Ming nodded in agreement.

Zhang Rishan was, after all, Zhang Dafoye's adjutant; what kind of situation hadn't he seen? Hu Ming wasn't surprised at all that Zhang Rishan could guess his thoughts so quickly.

It would be strange if it didn't reach that level.

It is worth mentioning that along the way, Zhang Yueshan keenly sensed an increasingly strong smell of blood.

Even now, a few fresh corpses can be seen sporadically along the roadside.

With just a quick glance, Zhang Yueshan could clearly tell that all of these people had been shot in vital areas.

In a few cases, you can even see the carotid artery in the neck being cut open.

In short, the people who carried out the attack were extremely professional, abandoning all fancy moves, all for the sake of efficient killing.

Faintly, the sound of gunfire could still be heard from afar.

However, as the two drew closer, the frequency of the gunshots gradually decreased until the neighborhood fell into complete silence.

Apart from the strong smell of blood, there was no other movement in the area.

Zhang Yueshan had already figured it out: the road Hu Ming led led to a stronghold or branch of the Chen family here. And some of the dead people—Zhang Yueshan had seen them that morning; they were all members of the Chen family.

Scattered among the corpses on the ground were some bodies of Westerners.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that there were people of all races, all wearing camouflage uniforms; these were obviously professional mercenaries.

Zhang Yueshan remained silent, knowing the whole story.

“It was done by the mercenaries I’ve been training over the years. That’s right, it was on my orders, and Aning led the team.”

"When we were in the underground palace, she led the team to begin the final operation to wipe out the remaining forces of the Chen family."

Seemingly noticing Zhang Yueshan's gaze behind him, Hu Ming spoke in an indifferent tone without turning his head.

"As expected of you, Hu Ming, you're as ruthless as ever. Once you decide to kill, you strike decisively, eradicating the enemy without hesitation, leaving them no chance whatsoever!"

"The gunfire has stopped, which means the battle is over, right?"

"Is the Chen family all dead?"

Zhang Yueshan remained silent. As the president of the Nine Gates Association, he should have tried his best to avoid such things, but Hu Ming was too special!
So special that even though Hu Ming did some excessive things, completely uprooting the Chen family, one of the Nine Gates, he still had no way to deal with it.

We can only let it happen.

The identity of the Second Master of the Hong Family of the Nine Gates cannot restrain this guy in front of him at all! After all, Hu Ming was forced to take over the Hong Family back then. If it weren't for Er Yuehong's wife, he wouldn't have bothered to get involved in the affairs of the Nine Gates so early!
Zhang Yueshan was well aware of this...

"I wouldn't say they're all dead, so I had Luo Que leave a few men behind. After all, our Celestial Empire has a fine tradition: waste is shameful!"

Hu Ming suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at Zhang Yueshan, a grin spreading across his face, his peripheral vision glancing at the dense forest to the side.

"Guess, is it looking for you or me?"

"Ha, is that even a question? I was just watching the show; you're the mastermind. They're definitely after you, okay? I was too hasty!"

Zhang Rishan smiled, stepped back a few paces to clear enough space, however...

"Die, Zhang Rishan, Hu Ming! It was you, it must have been you who orchestrated this operation against my Chen family!"

"Dead, dead, all dead!! Father, wife, children, uncles and aunts, everyone is dead!"

"I will kill you all to avenge everyone!!!"

A desperate roar, filled with hatred and rage, rang out, and a flash of cold light shot straight toward Zhang Yueshan.

Clearly, the lucky survivor who escaped the mercenaries' encirclement targeted Zhang Yueshan as his first objective.

Aside from a few discerning individuals, most of the middle and lower-level members of the Nine Gates believed that Zhang Yueshan was the one who had the final say in the Nine Gates!
So... a strange misunderstanding occurred.

The burly man in front of him, whose eyes were bloodshot, believed that Zhang Yueshan was the culprit.

"I'm truly innocent!"

Zhang Rishan was humiliated and his face darkened instantly. He let out a slight sigh.

He stepped back, tilting his upper body slightly upward, narrowly avoiding the oncoming cold light.

With a powerful stomp of his right foot, he drew strength from the ground, transmitting the force layer by layer from his feet, calves, thighs, and hips to his waist.

With a twist of the waist, all the force is transferred to the right arm, which is then clenched into a fist and swung horizontally!
Bang!!!
The immense force traveled from Zhang Yueshan's fist to the burly man's face. Visibly, the man's face instantly caved in, accompanied by a chilling sound of bones cracking.

A large mouthful of blood gushed from the burly man's mouth in an instant. Before he could even scream, the force had already reached his brain, turning it into a complete mess.

The next moment, the burly man's body flew out and fell into the dense forest, where he was never heard from again.

Zhang Yueshan's set of actions was concise, brutal, and exceptionally efficient, befitting a man who had spent the first half of his life fighting on the battlefield.

However, seeing Zhang Yueshan's clean and efficient movements, Hu Ming frowned deeply.