"Why is this world still such a mess?"
Hila frowned and asked.
Zhang Chen smiled, shook his head, picked a direction at random, stepped on the blood-soaked ground, and said indifferently:
"Anyway, I'm already on my last legs. This world's fate has nothing to do with me anymore."
"Everyone dies eventually. What's the point of fighting and struggling?"
Hila nodded, quickened her steps, and walked alongside Zhang Chen.
They had only walked a hundred meters when two rust-eaten pickup trucks drove from a distance and stopped in front of them.
Several men and women were sitting in the cars, staring at Hila and Zhang Chen with ill intentions.
The cars' stereos blared with energetic music.
In the back of the pickup trucks, more than a dozen ragged survivors were being transported. They were slumped together, their spirits and gazes dim.
"Hey, pretty girl, let me give you a ride? Hahaha!"
A survivor stepped out from the passenger seat.
Following him, three or four more members alighted from the other car.
They all held cleavers, their faces twisted into wicked grins, directly blocking Hila and Zhang Chen's path.
"They don't have rings, but judging by their appearance, they shouldn't be natives,"
Hila analyzed with a frown.
The reason she hadn't attacked immediately was that she didn't want to provoke another Zhang Chen.
If these people were his subordinates, she would have to hold back.
"After so long, whether they are轮回者 (reincarnators) or natives, I'm afraid they've become the same kind of people!"
"Besides... in the end, everyone was always the same, there's no real difference."
Zhang Chen spoke as he continued walking forward.
Less than ten meters ahead of him stood the leader of the survivors.
"What are you saying? Putting on airs!"
"The old man can go, but the woman stays. I'm only saying this once!"
The survivor leader brandished his saber, blocking Zhang Chen's path.
"Do you know Zhang Chen?"
Hila quickly asked.
"Zhang Chen? Ha, that's ancient history. Don't tell me you're his woman?! Hahaha!"
Upon hearing their leader's words, the others burst into raucous laughter.
Hiss... Swoosh!
Invisible threads, which had begun to float with the wind when Hila asked her question, now coiled around the necks of the men.
With a sudden tightening, the heads of the men present were instantly severed, rolling on the ground several times before coming to rest.
"Anyone not bearing a green ring and claiming to be Zhang Chen's person dares to talk nonsense here!"
Hila said with a cold face.
"Don't... don't kill me!"
The survivor leader, terrified, fell to the ground, begging for mercy.
The moment Hila made her move, the Zhang Chen with the golden ring had severed the spider silk attacking this man.
"Tell me, why is he considered ancient history?"
Zhang Chen used him as a proxy for his name, as saying his own name felt strange.
Logically, the third generation of 轮回者 (reincarnators) should have been very young. Due to the temporal flow of the apocalypse, they would be significantly younger than the first generation.
The first generation Zhang Chen was still alive, so there was no reason for a more powerful and younger Zhang Chen to be dead.
"He... they all disappeared!"
The man, flustered, gestured as he spoke.
"They?"
Hila's sensitive ears caught the keyword in the man's words.
"Yes, the strongest individuals of the Great Tang Dynasty, they all vanished. Overnight!"
"Of course, I wasn't there, I only heard it from others."
"My uncle has an orchard on the outskirts of the Great Tang Dynasty and regularly delivers fruit to the city."
"But the day he entered the city, he felt something was off. The entire city felt like something was missing. Later, he found out that all the strong individuals had disappeared overnight."
"However, please don't misunderstand, I didn't do it, I didn't kill them!"
The man quickly explained.
This explanation earned Hila an eye-roll.
"Disappeared overnight? Zhang Chen, what are you up to?"
Zhang Chen muttered softly.
"Do you need me to investigate?"
Hila asked.
"No need. Their fate has nothing to do with us anyway. Besides... there's no end to the troubles in this world, you can't manage it all!"
Zhang Chen smiled helplessly, stroking Hila's hair from behind.
The two of them continued to walk forward slowly...