Chapter 1193: Delay
When Qian Wu released his grip, he and Zhuque fell slowly in opposite directions like two felled trees.
The smoke from seared flesh and the intense heat made it impossible for Qian Wu to breathe. He felt as if his throat had completely rotted away, and a piercing pain radiated from his chest cavity.
The few remaining members of the "Cat" squad hurried over, reaching out their hands to grab hold of Qian Wu.
In the chaos, Qian Wu didn't know whose hand he grasped. He tried to copy their body, but failed several times.
He didn't know what his face had become. He only felt an icy coldness in his nostrils, ears, and eyes, followed by a heart-wrenching pain that shattered his resolve in an instant. All he could think about was survival.
"Fifth Brother!"
The cries of his comrades gradually sounded in his ears. It seemed his hearing had returned, but every word sent a sharp pain through his ears.
But if he thought about it... was Zhuque dead?
Everyone was gathered around him. Zhuque must be dead, right?
If Zhuque was dead, then there was no reason for him to keep living either.
"Fifth Brother! It's me!" Song Qi's voice came through slowly. "I'm here!"
"Seventh Brother..."
Qian Wu slowly opened his eyes, but all he saw was a sea of red. He reached out a hand, groping toward the direction of Song Qi's voice.
"Fifth Brother..." Song Qi seemed to know what Qian Wu was thinking. He whispered in his ear, "You can't die now!"
"Seventh Brother... you..."
"We still need you," Song Qi said again.
Qian Wu froze for a moment, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He forced himself to stay alert and activated "Twin Flowers." This time, it finally worked.
In a very short time, he felt his throat begin to ease, and his senses started to return.
When he could finally see clearly, the only remaining survivors of the "Cat" squad were all standing around him.
"Ugh..." Qian Wu slowly got up from the ground. He was now the same build as Song Qi. He reached out and scratched the old burn scars on his chest and said, "Seventh Brother, your scars are this itchy?"
"My scars have always been like this, Fifth Brother," Song Qi replied.
"Now... what's the situation?" Qian Wu slowly turned his head and saw Zhuque lying on his back on the ground.
His entire body was covered in wounds. He should have been dead long ago. Now, black liquid was flowing from his seven orifices, a truly horrific sight.
The squad members felt less like they had killed some "sacred beast" and more like they had slain a demon.
Yun Shijiu lay beside Zhuque, seemingly completely unconscious.
"Did we win...?" Qian Wu asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.
Song Qi gave Qian Wu a heavy look, then nodded.
"Yes, we won."
Qian Wu felt that Song Qi's expression was a bit strange, but he turned to look at the other "Cats." Everyone seemed relieved.
It really looked like Zhuque couldn't move anymore. The eyes in his throat and mouth should have been completely burned away by this attack. No matter how many schemes he had, he would never have anticipated someone shoving a flare into his mouth to burn him, trying to take him down with them.
"I feel like a lot of people were helping us," Qian Wu said, recalling the earlier events. "We weren't fighting alone."
"Yes," Song Qi nodded in agreement. "There were indeed many people helping us."
"Tch, damn it..." Zhou Mo walked over and kicked Song Qi in the thigh. "Where the hell were you just now? Did you run here from Antarctica or something?"
"I got held up by something on the way," Song Qi said with an embarrassed, bitter smile. "But it's resolved now."
"Tch! Resolved my ass... Tell me, what's more important than killing Zhuque?" Zhou Mo kicked him again. "What's more damn important than your brothers' lives?"
Ning Shiba, "Overgrowth," and Bai Jiu, "Liquefaction," quickly stepped in to hold Zhou Mo back. She was genuinely furious.
Perhaps, deep down, she trusted Song Qi more than anyone else. She believed that if he had arrived earlier, more of them might have survived.
But now, the "Cat" squad was littered with bodies, with only seven or eight members remaining.
"Sixth Sister... calm down..." Bai Jiu said from the side. "Seventh Brother must have encountered something very important..."
Song Qi listened to their conversation, his lips pressed tightly together, offering no explanation.
Qian Wu frowned slightly, then turned to look at Ma Shi'er, who had arrived with Song Qi.
His expression was equally grim. Based on his understanding of these two, whatever they had encountered on the way was probably more important than the lives of their brothers.
"Forget it," Qian Wu said. "Since Seventh Brother doesn't want to talk about it, we don't have to ask."
"Thank you, Fifth Brother..." Song Qi said.
"Go check on Nineteen... Our mission is complete..." Qian Wu said.
Song Qi opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he looked down at his watch. Seeming to have some other concern, he swallowed his words.
Seeing Song Qi's demeanor, Ma Shi'er seemed to understand something. He gave Liu Ershiyi a signal, and they both headed towards Yun Shijiu, who was lying beside Zhuque.
The "Cats," after all, had extensive combat experience. As they moved forward, everyone kept their eyes fixed on Zhuque, because no one could be certain he was truly dead.
The two reached Yun Shijiu's side. Liu Ershiyi checked his breathing and found he was still alive. He quickly joined forces with Ma Shi'er to lift him up, draping him over their shoulders as they slowly moved away from Zhuque.
At that moment, Ma Shi'er looked up at Song Qi, his lips moving slightly, forming what seemed to be two words—
"Goodbye."
Song Qi nodded, then began to mobilize his conviction.
Who... is it?
Ma Shi'er and Liu Ershiyi were supporting Yun Shijiu between them as they walked toward the group. So it could only be one of the three of them.
Just now it was Zhuque. Now it's Yun Shijiu. Who will be next?
Zhuque was placing his bets. He was choosing the most suitable "Echo."
Song Qi knew he didn't have many opportunities, but the hope of killing Zhuque could only be staked on this single attack.
The next second, Ma Shi'er's eyes suddenly went blank, and then a sinister smile twisted across his face.
He opened his mouth slightly, and a chilling gaze emanated from the depths of his throat.
"A pity..." Song Qi slowly furrowed his brow. "It's exactly as planned."
Before anyone could react, Ma Shi'er instantly released his exquisite "Teleportation." With a wave of his hands, Yun Shijiu and Liu Ershiyi beside him floated into the air, then shot toward the group like bullets.
Song Qi and Qian Wu stood shoulder to shoulder, letting their two comrades fly past them, crashing into the people behind. The sounds of cracking bones and screams erupted everywhere, but neither of them turned to look.
No one could block an attack at that speed. Even if they had been the targets, they could only have waited for death.
But fortunately, Zhuque liked to think of himself as a cat, always toying with mice. He wouldn't kill the leaders first. That would be his fatal flaw.
"Seventh Brother," Qian Wu murmured. "Was this what you went to deal with earlier?"
"More or less," Song Qi nodded.