Apocalyptic Flood: Sexy Beauty Neighbor's Midnight Plea for Food Chapter 1217 - 555: Conflict

Liang Yuan offered a comforting pat on his shoulder.

Han Tao's crying resembled that of a child, his heart brimming with pent-up grievances.

He never feared death, nor did he flinch from shedding blood, nor from engaging in desperate combat with those soldier thugs.

What he did fear, however, was bringing trouble upon Yangshan, and worse, implicating Captain Zhao Kai and Captain Li Qinghua.

It was patently clear that he had arrived first to queue, and his brother desperately required some immediate sunlight.

Yet, these soldier thugs brazenly pushed their way forward, intent on bullying him.

He felt utterly wronged!

At this juncture, the buzz-cut soldier thug turned his head, his gaze landing on Liang Yuan, and a slight frown creased his brow.

While he didn't recognize Liang Yuan, he did recognize several individuals positioned behind him, including Ding Yan.

The soldier thug's eyes flickered towards Ding Yan, a glint of avarice surfacing, particularly drawn to the pronounced curve of her chest.

Only then did he speak, "Captain Ding, who is this fellow?"

Ding Yan shot him a frigid look. "Zhao Liang, you'd best keep your mouth shut now, or no one will be able to save you."

The buzz-cut soldier thug, whose name was indeed Zhao Liang, felt a surge of anger ignite within his heart upon hearing her words.

Had anyone else uttered such a statement, he might have dismissed it with indifference.

However, coming from the lips of the woman he had long desired, it struck him as a profound humiliation.

Zhao Liang immediately shifted his aggressive focus to Liang Yuan, a sneer twisting his lips. "Kid, it seems you've gotten cozy with Captain Ding, eh? Daring to speak to us in such a manner?"

"Have you all forgotten who has defended Yangshan for you? Who rescued you from the clutches of the Three Great Sects?"

"Your leader, that Li Qinghua, stood outside our military encampment in the pouring rain, waiting forlornly for over two hours. It was only after I submitted my report that he was granted an audience with our district general."

"Are you now planning to turn against those who provide for you? Hahaha, is this not a bit premature?"

"Do you truly believe that if we were to withdraw from Yangshan this instant, the Three Great Sects wouldn't annihilate you by tomorrow?"

Liang Yuan assisted Han Tao to his feet, his expression remaining impassive as he surveyed the scene.

Ding Yan let out a laugh tinged with anger, finding the situation too beneath her to even bother arguing.

Beside them, Zhang Peng turned to Liang Yuan. "Mr. Liang, shall I handle this?"

Liang Yuan gave a slight nod. "Make it grand."

A wave of astonishment rippled through the onlookers, but then Zhang Peng's eyes suddenly blazed with fervor, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Understood!"

"You, what do you intend to do?" Zhao Liang's expression shifted drastically as he observed Zhang Peng's sinister grin.

Instinctively, he raised the advanced firearm in his hand, aiming it squarely at Zhang Peng, issuing a stern ultimatum. "Halt! Do not compel me to fire!"

"Are you not concerned that initiating hostilities will lead to our immediate military withdrawal?"

The soldiers accompanying Zhao Liang also chimed in with threatening remarks.

Zhang Peng responded with a sinister chuckle. "Haha, by all means, withdraw immediately! I've long grown weary of your self-important posturing."

Boom!

Suddenly, his entire presence surged, scales erupted across his body, and even his face contorted into a ferocious visage, revealing sharp teeth!

A Merfolk transformation!

In mere moments, Zhang Peng assumed his most formidable form.

This sudden display sent shockwaves through the soldiers clad in military uniforms before them.

Without a second's hesitation, Zhao Liang unhesitatingly pulled the trigger, bellowing, "Damn it, fire!"

Bang!

He unleashed a fierce blast from his firearm, aimed directly at Zhang Peng.

Instantly, a beam of concentrated energy erupted forth.

However, Zhang Peng, almost simultaneously, clenched his arms, his entire scaled body shimmering as he brazenly met the laser beam head-on with a defiant punch!

A guttural roar erupted as overlapping waves of air pulsed outwards, thundering and exploding.

The potent qi force surged, causing the laser beam to be nearly deflected by the sheer impact of the punch.

In an instant, Zhao Liang and his subordinates were sent hurtling backward by the residual force of the laser discharge.

Zhang Peng, not ceasing his momentum, lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant and seizing Zhao Liang by the neck with a single hand.

The next moment, Zhang Peng hoisted his right arm high and brought it down with ferocious power.

"Slap—slap—slap!"

Three forceful slaps landed with brutal impact upon Zhao Liang's face.

The scaled armor on his palm even managed to scrape off a layer of skin from Zhao Liang's cheek!

"Ah—damn you, you dare to strike me!"

Zhao Liang screamed, spewing enraged curses, clearly oblivious to the gravity of his predicament.

Zhang Peng clasped his jaw, a sneer playing on his lips. "Keep cursing. If you dare to utter another word, I'll rip out your tongue and see if you can still scold then?"

As he spoke, he forcibly pried Zhao Liang's mouth open.

Zhao Liang's face instantly contorted with fear and a trace of disbelief.

"Ugh—you, you wouldn't dare!"

Phuh!

Then, Zhang Peng's fingers, sharp as nails, clamped down directly on his tongue.

Before Zhao Liang could even register the sensation, his mouth was filled with searing agony.

His tongue had been forcibly ripped out by Zhang Peng's razor-sharp claws!

A searing pain shot through his brain as his mouth flooded with blood in an instant.

"Ugh—ah—"

Zhao Liang erupted with the most agonizing scream imaginable.

The two soldiers in camouflage uniforms, lying prone on the ground, were already petrified.

They had never conceived that the residents of Yangshan Shelter, who had been subservient for over a month, would suddenly muster the courage to retaliate.

Zhang Peng did not pause; he lifted his head and bellowed, "Han Tao, get over here!"

A young man with eyes flushed red rushed over with palpable excitement. "Captain Zhang! I’m right here!"

"Go, strip him bare and hang him at the sunroom's entrance. Damn it, does he fancy sunbathing? Let him soak up the sun to his heart’s content!"

Han Tao's face instantly lit up with eagerness. "Leave it to me, Captain Zhang!"

Thrilled, Han Tao immediately procured ropes to bind Zhao Liang.

Before everyone's eyes, Zhao Liang was divested of his clothes and hoisted up.

Witnessing this spectacle, every eye widened in astonishment.

The people of Yangshan seemed to expel a long-suppressed burden, as if exhaling a powerful gust of relief.

Each face brightened, and many turned their fervent gazes toward Liang Yuan.

Whispers of discussion began to circulate rapidly.

"I knew it! As soon as Mr. Liang returned, we would undoubtedly be liberated!"

"Blast it all, I've been utterly fed up with this band of military brutes for ages."

"Damn these guys in their camouflage, acting all respectable. Who truly knows if they were ever genuine soldiers?"

"I heard that after the Great Flood, the Guangfu Military indiscriminately enlisted many people; these ruffians weren't actual soldiers beforehand."

"That's utterly preposterous. Before the Great Flood, enlisting in the army was incredibly difficult; even with connections, securing a spot was a gamble."

"To hell with them! Using their military status to oppress us, pah, they don't deserve it a bit!"

"Mr. Liang is truly remarkable. I had a feeling, with Mr. Liang's return, he wouldn't stand idly by!"

"I wonder how Mr. Liang plans to handle this if they've truly fallen out with these soldiers."

"Forget it, we have nothing to fear. Mr. Liang is incredibly capable. Even when the Three Great Sects unleashed their virus upon us, we didn't falter! Now that Mr. Liang is back, why should we harbor any fear?"

"Damn it, the worst that can happen is we fight to the bitter end!"

"Precisely!"

...

The very Essence, Qi, and Spirit of the Yangshan Shelter's inhabitants seemed to have fully rekindled in this moment.

Everyone was infused with renewed vitality, their eyes sparkling with exhilaration.

They understood, this was merely the dawn of a new era!

With Mr. Liang's reappearance, the landscape of Yangshan was destined for a monumental transformation.

The two camouflaged soldiers on the ground, witnessing this turn of events, grew visibly pale and couldn't help but exclaim, "You, you... how dare you!"

"Just you wait, mark my words, I'm reporting this to our captain immediately!"

The pair scrambled to their feet in haste and bolted towards the bamboo grove.

Zhang Peng let out a sneer, glancing at Liang Yuan, his eyes inquiring if they should be intercepted.

Liang Yuan responded with utter nonchalance, "Pay them no mind. If the military dares, they can come to the Leader’s Mansion to find me."

With that, he directly took Ding Yan’s arm and proceeded towards the Leader’s Mansion.

Along their path, numerous Yangshan residents who caught sight of Liang Yuan immediately displayed expressions of utter surprise and unbridled joy.

"Mr. Liang!"

"Greetings, Mr. Liang!"

"Mr. Liang has returned!"

Instantly, the news of Liang Yuan’s arrival swept through Yangshan like an uncontrollable wildfire.

The entirety of Yangshan was astir, and every soul within the Yangshan Shelter experienced wild elation.

Leader’s Mansion.

Yang Shenmin, Han Xiangman, Tu Long, and other key figures were all convened.

"The military's transgressions are becoming increasingly brazen," Tu Long declared, his face darkening with displeasure.

"In this morning alone, there have been three recorded instances of military personnel flagrantly disregarding our Yangshan regulations."

"Our law enforcement unit attempted to apprehend the individuals involved, but they sought refuge within the military compound, refusing to emerge. Our officers were denied entry."

Following Tu Long's pronouncement, Han Xiangman, her expression as impassive as still water, stated, "Zhang Dazhi's contingent visited the navy fleet today, demanding a rotational handover of duties."

"Their ultimate objective is transparent to all. The naval fleet's vessels contain classified technological secrets vital to our research department. Should they gain control, these secrets would inevitably be compromised."

"The defense network system, meticulously developed by Professor Li, has already been extorted from us. Now, they relentlessly pursue even more of our proprietary technology!"

Shi Haizhu also interjected with profound gravity, "Dr. Yang, the military's behavior has escalated alarmingly of late. Their common soldiers are exhibiting progressively more arrogance and high-handedness. We cannot permit this situation to persist unresolved."

At this point, Old Ma, who had remained silent, could not help but lament, "Sigh, partnering with the military felt like welcoming wolves into our home from the very beginning, and indeed, it has come to pass."

Yang Shenmin shook his head with a sigh, stating, "You were all aware of the situation back then."

"Qinghua possesses the Mirage Snake Space, but unless we completely abandon Yangshan and relocate entirely into the Mirage Snake Space, any attempt to preserve Yangshan will inevitably lead to conflict with the Three Great Sects."

"During that time, securing external aid was no simple feat, and we couldn't foresee the consequences that far ahead."

"Currently, a significant portion of our crucial departments have been relocated to the Mirage Snake Space. The remaining objective is to exert all possible efforts to safeguard Yangshan's sovereignty."

"Those soldiers are likely acting upon subtle directives from Zhang Dazhi and other higher-ranking officials, intentionally probing the extent of our resilience."

Tu Long's brow furrowed, and he couldn't refrain from exclaiming, "Damn it, if this continues, I fear our people's morale will utterly crumble."

Old Ma also let out a sigh, concurring, "At present, there is no alternative; we can only endure."

"We require a greater number of high-level Genetic Species users among us to bolster our overall strength."

"Otherwise, we will possess no power to stand against the military."

Han Xiangman sighed as well, adding, "If only Mr. Liang were present..."

Upon hearing this, a collective sigh swept through the group.

Without Mr. Liang's guidance, Yangshan was undeniably struggling to progress.

Ultimately, the core issue was their inadequate rate of improvement.

This was true even though, among those present, Tu Long, Old Ma, Han Xiangman, Shi Haizhu, and others had already achieved breakthroughs to become Superpower Users.

However, as newly awakened Genetic Species Superpower Users, their Main Attribute progression was not advancing swiftly enough.

Their Genetic Species originated from the initial batch acquired through a transaction between Liang Yuan and Wang Ling’Er.

Whether derived from the Mirage Snake Space or the Ice Attribute Blood Crystal that Liang Yuan retrieved from Mist City, only space-type and ice attribute Genetic Species could be refined from them.

Throughout Yangshan, there was only a single Space Ability User: Li Qinghua.

As for the ice attribute, aside from Zhao Kai, a few recently awakened Superpower Users existed, but their awakening occurred too late, and they had not achieved any notable accomplishments, nor had they reached the stage of Genetic Species Awakening.

In essence, Yangshan still suffered from a deficit of advanced Genetic Species users, which was the root cause of their current predicament.

A palpable sense of worry settled upon everyone, plunging the Leader’s Mansion into a profound silence.

Just then, a commotion arose from outside, its clamor even penetrating the confines of the Leader’s Mansion.

Yang Shenmin couldn't help but frown, inquiring, "What is happening outside?"

"Damn it, could it be the military causing trouble again?" Tu Long grumbled.

"I shall go and investigate," Old Ma announced, rising to his feet and preparing to exit.

Suddenly, a group of individuals entered through the doorway, and upon the first glimpse, Old Ma's eyes widened with sheer elation.

"Liang Yuan!"

This exclamation instantly drew the attention of the anxious Yang Shenmin and the others, who looked up sharply.

In that very instant, excitement and overwhelming joy illuminated every face present.

"Mr. Liang!" Yang Shenmin exclaimed with immense delight.

Shi Haizhu, equally overjoyed, called out, "Mr. Liang, is that truly you?"

Tu Long gaped in astonishment, shouting, "Mr. Liang, you have returned!"

Han Xiangman's eyes appeared to glisten as she gazed upon Liang Yuan, her lips parting slightly, her countenance radiating pure joy.

She took a couple of steps forward but then seemed to recall something, compelling herself to temper her emotions, and simply managed to cry out, "Liang... Mr. Liang!"

Liang Yuan regarded everyone with a smile, his voice warm as he said, "Everyone, it has been a long time."