Chapter 20: Are You Satisfied Now?

With a thunderous roar, the remaining bearman charged at them.

Without a second thought, Wu Qingsong thrust the foxman in front of himself as a shield. Although the bearman managed to pull back his swipe at the last moment, his claws still left a long, bloody gash on the foxman’s body.

“Milo! Are you out of your mind?” the foxman shrieked.

“He killed my brother,” bellowed the bearman.

Wu Qingsong tightened his hold on the shortsword he had behind the foxman, causing him to scream out, “Get out of the way, damn it! Move or I swear I’ll slaughter your entire family.”

The bearman’s eyes were aflame with rage as he clenched his fists. Staring intently at Wu Qingsong, who was strategically positioned behind the foxman, he finally stepped back.

“It’s our fault this time,” the foxman quickly regained his composure and began to smooth-talk. “I apologize. We were wrong, I misjudged you. I’m willing to make amends for your losses. Release me, and I guarantee you won’t hear from us again. I have connections with many commanders in the City Guard. If you need any favors, I can pull some strings for you.”

“Let them inside the house,” Wu Qingsong cut him off.

“Didn’t you hear the man?” the foxman blurted immediately. “Get in the house, now!”

He then hurriedly added, “There’s no need to let this escalate beyond control. Umber is a small town, if this blows up, none of us will come out unscathed.”

Wu Qingsong wasn’t buying any of it, nor did he heed the veiled threats. He suspected that these local thugs probably did have ties with the City Guard, given their brazen acts. However, it was for this very reason that he knew letting the foxman go would only invite further trouble for himself.

The palpable fury emanating from the bearman seemed as if it could engulf Wu Qingsong in flames. Had the foxman not been his hostage, the bearman would have already lunged forward.

“Get them moving,” Wu Qingsong instructed.

“Quick, hurry up!” the foxman shouted in response.

The beastman who had deceived Wu Qingsong along with another henchman were the first to step into the warehouse. The bearman hesitated angrily at the entrance but ultimately, with a guttural roar, relented and walked inside.

“See, we’ve done exactly as you requested,” the foxman began cautiously. “You can trust me, Noel always keeps his—”

Sharp pain erupted in his abdomen. The foxman looked down in disbelief, his eyes locking onto Wu Qingsong’s sword buried in his gut. Snarling, he bit down hard on Wu Qingsong’s sword-wielding hand while his other hand grasped Wu’s arm, attempting to disarm him. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Qingsong switched the sword to his left hand and drove it ruthlessly through the foxman’s chest.

“How could you… you…”

The foxman was in complete disbelief. He had already drawn his concealed dagger from his sleeve, but it was too late.

There was no time to waste. Wu Qingsong shoved the foxman’s lifeless body aside, picked up the hidden dagger, and sprinted toward the warehouse door, flinging the dagger with all his might through the open entrance.

The bearman had no choice but to dodge the projectile, letting out an enraged growl. By this point, Wu Qingsong had slammed the warehouse door shut and bolted it.

With a resounding crash, the bearman threw himself against the door. The feeble bolt wouldn’t hold him for long. Wu Qingsong wedged his shortsword into the bolt for added reinforcement, then frantically began searching for anything else that might be useful.

“I will find you and kill you! We know where you live! I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the Earth if I have to!” roared the bearman, pounding violently on the door. His threats only served to solidify Wu Qingsong’s resolve.

Off to the side of the warehouse was an empty shed, probably where the warehouse keeper resided. Wu Qingsong darted in, hastily dragging chairs and cabinets to block the door, buying himself precious time. Then, he discovered an oil lamp and a canister that was half-filled with lamp oil.

The door’s bolt had already given way, and his shortsword was twisted and compromised. The only thing now holding the door shut was the makeshift barricade of furniture he’d assembled. After finding a flint and steel, Wu Qingsong grabbed the oil lamp and the canister and rushed back to the barricade.

The bearman had already managed to extend an arm through a gap in the door, trying to dismantle the blockade. Without a moment’s hesitation, Wu Qingsong splashed half of the lamp oil onto the protruding arm, then took his deformed shortsword and stabbed twice, forcing the bearman to recoil with a furious roar.

“What is that smell?!” The voice of the beastman who had lured him here suddenly rang out, tinged with horror. “Oh God, please, no! I have two kids! They’re still young! They can’t be without me! Please, I beg you, don’t do this!”

Just as his pleading face appeared in the gap, the bearman hurled himself against the door once more, causing the backrest of one of the barricading chairs to emit a mournful creak as though on the brink of splintering.

Seeing no other option, Wu Qingsong struck his flint and steel to light the oil lamp. He then poured the remaining oil through the gap and hurled the now-burning lamp into the mix.

The timing was impeccable. The enraged bearman lunged forward just as the flames caught the oil, which quickly engulfed his thickly furred body. Letting out a blood-curdling scream, he crashed against the door like a living torch, finally shattering the makeshift barricade and bursting through.

Frantic, he dropped to the ground and rolled, attempting to smother the consuming flames. Wu Qingsong took advantage of this desperate moment to quietly approach, when the timing was just right, he thrust his sword through the bearman’s skull.

The last two beastmen bolted from the warehouse, now engulfed in flames, only to stumble upon the ghastly scene before them. In that instant, their will to fight was utterly snuffed out.

The beastman who had deceived Wu Qingsong into coming here sank to his knees, his eyes filled with desperation as he pleaded. Seizing the moment, the other beastman scrambled over a side wall and vanished into the night.

Wu Qingsong sprinted forward to seize the kneeling beastman.

“I beg of you, have mercy!” he implored.

Although physically more imposing than Wu Qingsong, his will to resist had been shattered. Wu Qingsong had just killed the two strongest bearmen in their gang, not to mention their leader, Noel, extinguishing any remaining courage.

“My whole family depends on me. I had no choice… please, have mercy!”

“Do you know where the one who ran lives? Is he aware of my identity?” Wu Qingsong interrogated, his sword hovering dangerously close to the beastman’s throat.

“I can lead you to him!” exclaimed the beastman, a glimmer of hope flashing across his face. “It was all Noel’s idea. He instructed me to shadow you from the city gates and find an opportune moment to lure you here. I swear, I was just carrying out orders. I’m a mere pawn, a lackey. Please, let me go, I’ll keep my mouth shut!”

“His address. Now!” Wu Qingsong applied slight pressure with his blade, prompting a terrified scream from the beastman, who quickly blurted out an address and the name and alias of the beastman who had escaped.

Could a man so eager to betray his own comrades be trusted to keep a secret?

Wu Qingsong shook his head. This was no longer the world he once knew, he reminded himself.

And with that thought, he drove the shortsword deep, ending the matter once and for all.