Chapter 20: In This Life, No One Can Hurt You!

Ao Xin did not even look back. With a slight sidestep, he raised his baseball bat and shattered Old Wang’s skull.

"Order has collapsed. If someone bullies or humiliates you, you must teach them a lesson in blood."

Ao Xin turned to face the workers rushing toward them, offering earnest instruction to Ao Chen as he did so.

"I..."

Ao Chen was at a loss for words. She was brave enough to kill zombies, but she still couldn't bring herself to kill a human.

"If you want to survive in the apocalypse, you must discard all compassion. I do not offend those who do not offend me; if anyone offends me, I will hunt them down even if they are at the ends of the earth!"

As he finished speaking, Ao Xin exhaled a blast of scorching heat. A torrent of flame sprayed over ten meters, burning all the charging workers into ash.

"Ah! He’s a Devil Fruit user!"

At this moment, how could the others not realize that Ao Xin possessed supernatural abilities? Old Zhang, their leader, retreated in terror, but how could Ao Xin possibly let him escape?

He immediately transformed into his dragon form and quickly closed the distance. Two sweeps of his breath incinerated every worker who had chased them into the cafeteria.

Returning to Ao Chen’s side, the young girl was still visibly shaken. The women huddled in the corner, and when they saw his gaze shift toward them, their psychological defenses instantly crumbled.

"Big brother! Please, don't kill me!"

"I'm sorry! Don't kill me!"

Snot and tears streamed down their faces, their wailing echoing through the cafeteria and drawing more people toward them.

"Xiao Chen, kill them."

Ao Xin pointed coldly at the women.

The rule of the apocalypse: pull out the weeds by the roots. Since the seeds of hatred had been sown, one must eliminate any future trouble. Many people had invited their own destruction through momentary mercy.

Ao Chen gripped his sleeve tightly. "I, I..."

She was, after all, only a sixteen-year-old girl; she could not yet shift her mindset from a civilized society to the apocalypse.

"Brother, the people who insulted you are already dead. They are innocent—just let them go."

Ao Xin unleashed another blast of heat.

The ground was covered in charred remains.

"Xiao Chen, this is the apocalypse. Even the smallest conflict can trigger a fight, and every fight must end with the death or injury of one side."

He sighed, his eyes filled with memories. In his previous life, he had once believed that simply killing those who crossed him was enough. He had thought himself cold-blooded enough, yet he had lost his life precisely because of a moment of saintly hesitation.

Some had advised him that killing the enemies was enough, that there was no need to implicate their families. But later, after that man’s child grew strong, he began a frantic quest for revenge. Through the machinations of that pair of wretches, he had successfully died at the hands of that boy.

In this life, he would rather be branded a devil than ever show a shred of mercy again.

They arrived at the location Ao Chen had sensed. It was the factory cafeteria’s food storage warehouse. With a violent strike of his bat, he forced it open and found the Devil Fruit, which had been wedged beneath a crate of fruit.

It was still a type he did not recognize. He handed it to Ao Chen to store in her treasure space, and the two left the factory.

However, just as they reached the factory gates, they saw someone driving away in their car! Although Ao Chen had removed the keys, there were always skilled lock-pickers among the common folk.

He instantly transformed into a Azure Dragon, carrying Ao Chen into the sky, and soon spotted their vehicle. The Azure Dragon dove, flipping the car with a single collision.

Transforming back into human form, Ao Xin retrieved the keys to open the door and dragged the worker out from inside.

"Boss, don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"

The man was so terrified he lost control of his bowels. A foul stench wafted out, and Ao Xin frowned, hurling him against a large tree by the roadside.

In an instant, the man’s skull cracked, and he was dead beyond any doubt.

Back in the car, a subdued Ao Chen remained silent for the rest of the journey. She had truly been frightened by Ao Xin’s ruthless and decisive methods today. It was as if he were no longer her brother.

A long time later, she spoke up cautiously: "Brother, you were so scary earlier."

Ao Xin sighed. "Xiao Chen, remember: this is the apocalypse now. Aside from our family, there is no one in this world who cannot be killed!"

Suddenly, Ao Chen blurted out: "Brother, did you... are you reborn?"

Ao Xin: ???

What the hell? Did I show a flaw? Why would this girl suddenly say something like that?

Seeing his surprise, Ao Chen became even more convinced of her guess: "Before the apocalypse started, you were hoarding supplies like crazy. When I asked where you got the money, you wouldn't say. I bet you maxed out those shady online loans!"

"I was puzzled before, but after the apocalypse descended, I suspected that you must have known it was coming, which is why you did all that! You insisted that Mom take leave and that you must bring me home—you were so determined. You must have known."

"And ever since you came home, you’ve felt so unfamiliar, as if you were a different person. You are completely different from the Ao Xin I knew before. The old Ao Xin would never have killed so decisively."

"I’ve read a lot of web novels. I think there are only two reasons for this: either you were reborn, or you’ve been possessed."

By the end of her sentence, Ao Chen’s voice had grown faint. She dared not look at Ao Xin, terrified that her brother might not be the same person anymore.

Ao Xin was astonished. He had done so many things that defied logic, and since Xiao Chen was always clever, it was no surprise she had guessed this much.

He smiled. "What if I had been possessed?"

Ao Chen gathered her courage and stared at him. "If you were possessed, you would surely kill me now that I know your secret! But I still wanted to know the truth. Even if you kill me, Mom and Dad don't know anything. For the sake of you using my brother’s body, could you be good to them?"

"Also, if you were possessed, is my brother dead now? Will I ever see him again?"

Ao Xin was moved. The little girl hadn't been pampered in vain; even knowing that asking such a question was risky and could lead to her death, she still wanted to know about her brother’s safety and kept her parents in mind.

His heart warmed, and his tone softened involuntarily. "Don't worry, your brother is still your brother. I was reborn."

"Really?" Ao Chen was still skeptical.

Ao Xin was speechless, reaching out to flick her forehead. "Really!"

"Ouch! You jerk!"

But after receiving such a familiar flick, she was finally convinced that the person before her was indeed her brother and not someone who had possessed him. Once she realized this, the tension and anxiety in her heart vanished, and she suddenly asked excitedly:

"Brother, how did you die in your past life? Was I cool in your past life? And Mom and Dad, are they okay?"

Mentioning his past life, Ao Xin’s mood turned heavy. "You all died."

Ao Chen fell silent; it was truly a tragic story.

Ao Xin said with a solemn expression: "But in this life, I will never let you suffer any harm again! In this world, no matter who they are, if they dare to hurt you, I will wipe out their entire clan! Xiao Chen, we will definitely survive until the end!"