Chapter 105: "I’ll Come Find You Next Time":

---

"Ah, they’ve actually lost contact," Shangguan Jun gently stroked Wu Youai’s cheek. "So, how does your own flesh taste?"

Wu Youai’s gaze was a bit dazed. "A bit tough. As expected, tangyuan (sweet rice balls) taste better."

"Here’s some good news: the entire team that went to bomb the villa has gone missing. The people in that villa sure aren’t simple. Alright, I need to go now. Should I kill you?" Shangguan Jun hesitated for a moment. "Forget it. You’re the first one who hasn’t spilled any information under my hands. I hope you can hold on until rescue comes. I’ll come find you next time."

...

If it wasn’t for the floral-patterned dress and the pockmarked face of the middle-aged woman, Jing Shu would have never imagined this was the same person who had asked for water the first time they met.

All the hostages had a common fate: they were tortured to death without exception! And the methods varied, clearly showing the person’s obsession with torturing in different ways.

So, what about Wu Youai? What fate awaited her? Since she had a connection to the villa, would she be treated differently?

The sound of "thud, thud" came closer. Jing Shu clenched her fists. At this moment, even Yang Yang dared not speak, afraid to anger this strange, strong woman.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the neighboring house. Jing Shu left Zhang Qiang and darted over, her heart racing. The person tied to the table, muttering to themselves—wasn’t that Wu Youai?

In the darkness, Wu Youai didn’t seem to have suffered brutal torture; at least Jing Shu didn’t see any blood. However, there was a distinct burnt smell in the air.

"She’s still breathing!" Jing Shu quickly used a knife from her space to cut the ropes. Wu Youai gasped, "It hurts..."

"Where does it hurt?" Jing Shu's heart sank. Could it be some invisible torture, like injecting water under the skin?

Wang Dazhao arrived with a flashlight, followed by Yang Yang and five or six armed police officers. The others were tasked with searching the entire building for any survivors and guarding the exits.

As soon as the flashlight beam fell on Wu Youai, Jing Shu finally saw her legs, which were charred black. The skin was wrinkled, and three large patches of flesh were missing, exposing the bone beneath. The burnt smell, the wax dripping on the ground—it all pointed to the horrifying possibility that she had been burned with candles.

Yang Yang remarked, "Shangguan Jun probably didn’t have time to kill her since he hadn’t gotten any information out of her, so he ran off."

Jing Shu’s heart warmed. Maybe Wu Youai had truly saved herself by refusing to speak.

Wang Dazhao’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the flashlight. He had thought killing a dozen people had made him tough in this post-apocalyptic world, but now he realized there were even more terrifying people out there.

Yang Yang raised an eyebrow. "Most of the flesh on her legs is necrotic. She’ll have to have them amputated. If not, the infection will spread, and she’ll die anyway. In these conditions, such a surgery is nearly impossible."

Yang Yang’s meaning was clear: she wouldn’t survive. Even before the apocalypse, such injuries would have required amputation, let alone now.

"Moreover, as time passes, the necrotic flesh will increase, rot... the burn area will expand. The pain from these burns will torture her for 26 more days; she’ll wish for death."

"Do you have anesthetic?" Jing Shu’s voice was eerily calm.

"I know a local anesthetist who still has some, but you’ll need to pay him with scarce food. Do you want to give her a mercy killing, or...?" Yang Yang advised against attempting surgery or using anesthesia to ease her suffering for a few more days, as the city lacked the necessary medical facilities.

"Fine. Call him now. If he gets here in five minutes, he gets half a pig. If he’s here in ten, just the leg. More than twenty minutes, don’t bother coming. I’ll go get some tools from the car." Jing Shu handed Wu Youai to Wang Dazhao and left.

Yang Yang rolled his eyes but made the call. This woman, who had been acting cute and clueless, had suddenly revealed her true, ruthless nature. It was a complete change in demeanor. Now, she seemed like someone who could destroy the world if she wasn’t obeyed.

The anesthetist arrived in eight minutes, happy with just the pig leg. "This is Jing Shu."

"And this is anesthetist Alan," Yang Yang introduced them.

Alan, flamboyant with his ponytail and mannerisms, teased, "Do you need more anesthetic? I’ll trade it all for more pig legs."

"Deal. Give me everything," Jing Shu took the anesthetic, learned how to use it, then gave Wu Youai some spiritual spring water and regular water to clean her wounds. Under Alan’s guidance, she administered the anesthetic, and Wu Youai soon fell into a deep sleep.

Everyone was curious about what Jing Shu would do next.

Alan examined the wound and clicked his tongue. "The burn area is too severe. You’ll have to amputate."

Before he could finish, Jing Shu had already begun cutting away the necrotic flesh. Soon, Wu Youai’s legs had lost a considerable amount of muscle and skin. Some of the younger officers vomited on the spot, while Yang Yang watched with interest, even pointing out areas that needed more cleaning.

Wu Youai would probably lose a few pounds from this alone.

"Are you saving her or killing her? Without post-op care, she’ll die anyway," Alan protested.

"Shangguan Jun wasn’t thorough enough in removing the necrotic tissue. She’s going to die anyway, so I’m treating her like a lost cause," Jing Shu replied coldly. She then pulled out various medicines and tools she had prepared, not from the car but from her space.

The surrounding people looked at Jing Shu strangely. Wang Dazhao spoke up, "She saved my life the same way when my neck was slashed." This seemed to clear Jing Shu’s reputation somewhat.

During the procedure, Jing Shu applied spiritual spring water to Wu Youai’s wounds. As long as she survived, losing some flesh was better than losing limbs. But whether Wu Youai would ever walk again was uncertain.

Once everything was done, Jing Shu bandaged her legs and sighed in relief.

"She’ll sleep for a few hours. When the anesthetic wears off, the pain will be unbearable," Alan warned.

Jing Shu’s task was finally complete. Shangguan Jun had escaped this time, along with his mysterious superior, whom Jing Shu would have to deal with sooner or later. She didn’t like wolves hiding in the dark and planned to take them down.

Jing Shu exchanged all of Alan’s remaining anesthetic for four pig legs. As thanks for getting information on the enemy’s movements, Yang Yang arranged for a patrol car to guard Jing Shu’s villa around the clock. In exchange, Jing Shu gave him the remaining four pig legs.

---

*Author’s note*: Thanks to Sime Again and Yun Shan You for the tips!