Chapter Eleven: The Entire Family
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the news broadcast from the television remaining.
“The term ‘Insect Master’ is what the ignorant use. For those of us who share the bloodline on the path of evolution, the proper title is ‘All-Father.’ The omniscient, omnipotent, supreme authority—the All-Father.”
After speaking, the man raised his hand to his temple—a stone had shattered his sunken temple, and from the massive wound oozed not blood, but a pale viscous fluid.
Bloodline on the path of evolution? Could he be referring to those infected by the Insect Master?
There were many such people, enough to form secret societies steeped in religious superstition?
Li Sheng’s mind raced. He spoke in a low voice, “All-Father? It’s already the twenty-first century, how can there still be such feudal, paternalistic titles? It makes me tremble with anger, sweat cold despite the heat, and tears flow uncontrollably. This society is filled with oppression against the infected. When will they truly rise?”
???
The black-clad man’s sudden, inexplicable outburst froze the atmosphere in the living room.
“You have not yet freed your mind; you cannot hear the call within your bloodline.”
The man slowly stood up; the chair scraped the floor with a creak as he moved it back. “It’s alright, you just need a little help...”
The moment he uttered “help,” the man suddenly opened his wide, bloodshot mouth and lunged forward, simultaneously extending his left arm like a whip in a sweeping strike.
Li Sheng neither dodged nor evaded; he planted his left foot firmly, stepped forward, and with his right hand clenched into a fist, struck the man’s chest like a cannonball.
Crack, crack—
The sound of ribs breaking was as loud as popcorn popping. Li Sheng transformed his fist into an open palm, pushing diagonally upward. His palm gripped the man’s neck, thumb hooking under the jaw, controlling his head and slamming it heavily against the edge of the wooden dining table.
Bang!
The man’s jaw shattered, teeth flying in all directions. His masseter muscle snapped instantly, dislocating the entire lower jaw, which hung loosely downward.
But that was not all. Li Sheng’s left arm suddenly extended a mantis-arm bone blade, sweeping upward from below like fishing for the moon, slicing toward the woman’s long, serpentine neck.
The bone blade was razor-sharp. Even as the woman tried to evade, it left a long, narrow cut, spraying out a copious amount of viscous fluid.
The tangled long neck loosened, and the two siblings who had been strangled and gasping for breath were finally freed from suffocation, panting heavily.
Li Sheng’s eyes and hands moved swiftly; he grabbed the two by their necks, dragged them out, and threw them toward the parents’ bedroom, lowering his voice to order, “Close the door properly.”
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The words thundered in Xiao An’s mind. Ignoring the pain from falling, he scrambled to his feet, half stumbling, and slammed the bedroom door shut, locking it securely. Then, he pulled his sister under the bed to hide.
Seeing the “hostages” escape, the woman let out a piercing scream. She stretched her neck and swung her head like a flail, striking toward Li Sheng.
Snap!
Li Sheng grabbed her hair and twisted it, yanking her head back and smashing it onto the table.
The battered wooden dining table couldn’t withstand the assault any longer; two legs snapped instantly.
As the tabletop tilted, all the porcelain plates and bowls crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Suddenly—
The man’s right arm, limp on the ground moments ago, abruptly sprang up and jabbed toward Li Sheng.
Both being infected by the Insect Master, the man’s vitality was especially tenacious. Even with a shattered jaw, his combat capability remained unaffected.
Li Sheng hastily released his right hand and stepped back to evade.
The man, finally breaking free, quickly regained his footing and extended his left leg like before, hooking Li Sheng’s right ankle. Then, with a strong pull, he flung him toward the right wall of the living room.
Li Sheng’s back struck the wall hard, pain shooting straight to his brain. Adrenaline surged, speeding up his breathing, heartbeat, and blood flow. His pupils dilated involuntarily.
Just like that night when his throat was cut, teetering on the edge of life and death didn’t terrify Li Sheng. Instead, it seemed to flip a switch inside him.
His mind was calm, detached, quietly gathering information, assessing the situation, devising plans, and calculating feasibility.
In the depths of his being, a realization dawned.
Everyone has their strengths—some are naturally gifted swimmers or athletes, some excel at reading people, others at composing music.
Li Sheng’s gift might be his ability to remain calm and clear-headed in moments like this.
He shifted his center of gravity forward, bent his thighs, compressed his tendons, and readied the mantis-arm bone blade.
He pushed off the wall, launching forward like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, slashing toward the man’s neck.
The man hurriedly tilted his head back and raised an arm to block. Yet, empowered by both weight and speed, Li Sheng’s bone blade pierced through like a hot knife through butter, severing the man’s entire left arm along with the scapula.
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At the brink of death, the man summoned all his strength. His left leg extended and swung like a python, hurling Li Sheng far away toward the balcony.
The sensation of weightlessness returned. Li Sheng quickly adapted, stabbing his right arm bone blade into the sofa, tearing into the foam to slow his momentum.
Simultaneously, he slapped the ground with his left palm, using the rebound to somersault upright. Then, with the right arm bone blade, he slashed and severed the bindings on his injured leg.
Freed from all constraints, Li Sheng surged forward, accelerating. A knee strike crashed into the man’s chest, sending him crashing hard into the wall, dislodging a landscape painting hanging there.
The man’s jaw hung completely detached. His eyes widened to the limit as he used his only right arm to fiercely clutch Li Sheng’s neck and right hand, contracting with brutal force.
Li Sheng’s eyes involuntarily bloodshot. He planted his feet firmly, expressionless, retracted his left fist, then unleashed it with a thunderous blow.
Fueled by the muscle power granted by the Grassland Ant gene, his punch shattered the man’s nose bridge and penetrated the skull. The immense impact caused both eyeballs to burst simultaneously.
The long arms strangling his neck suddenly lost their strength.
Li Sheng silently withdrew his fist. Through his bloodshot vision, he saw three red blood pearls fall from the cracked skull.
“Ah—”
Behind him, the woman let out a chilling scream, stretching her neck and slamming her head like a meteor hammer.
Li Sheng barely managed to turn his body sideways, raising his arm to brace for impact.
Thud!
He was slammed heavily into the wall, the wallpaper tearing to reveal the white paint beneath.
The scream continued relentlessly. The woman, frenzied, swung her head again, but Li Sheng had recovered.
He raised both arms, two bone blades angling downward. As her head came crashing down, he plunged the blades into either side of her neck and pulled hard, detaching her head.
Her twisted, ferocious head tumbled across the floor, rolling through a patch of dust and spilled braised pork sauce. Three blood pearls also fell from the severed neck.
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