Chapter 9: Even a Starving Camel Is Bigger Than a Horse!

“Hey, what do you mean by that, kid?”

“Looking for a fight? Or do you really not want to live anymore?”

“I haven’t killed anyone yet, just the right chance to practice on you!”

Luo Shan cursed under his breath, trying to sound intimidating.

But Jiang Yi knew he was all bark and no bite.

He glanced sideways at Luo Shan with a calm expression.

Casually, he muttered, “Literally.”

Then, with a knowing look, he tapped the collection of phantom powder butterfly carcasses and bloodthirsty gu worms he had gathered.

Luo Shan, initially annoyed by Jiang Yi’s attitude, suddenly had a realization and asked again, “What exactly do you mean?”

Jiang Yi lifted his chin and said, “Let’s talk in your room.”

Luo Shan quickly led him inside.

Once the door was shut, he lowered his voice, sneaky and suspicious: “You’re not collecting these butterflies and bugs to eat, are you?!”

Jiang Yi didn’t answer directly.

Instead, carefully removing the phantom powder butterfly carcasses one by one, he asked slowly, “You hang around those longevity parasites all day, boasting and chatting. You must have heard of Chang Jiaoe, right?”

Luo Shan’s eyes narrowed, ready to mock Jiang Yi with that name.

But then he noticed something—

Whether collecting the phantom powder butterflies earlier or handling them now, Jiang Yi’s technique was unusual.

The phantom powder butterflies looked much like ordinary butterflies but with slightly larger, wider wings.

When alive, they emitted a fragrance with hallucinogenic effects.

Besides that, the phosphorus powder on their wings caused paralysis.

Though the paralysis was mild, touching too much phosphorus powder at once would numb the entire hand and turn it bluish!

But Jiang Yi, who had gathered so many phantom powder butterfly carcasses—

His hands showed no sign of numbness or discoloration at all!

Luo Shan observed how Jiang Yi always pinched the barely visible antennae atop the butterflies’ heads with precision.

His movements seemed natural, yet his hands stayed completely free from phosphorus powder contamination!

At that moment, Luo Shan finally realized—

This seemingly half-dead guy, with only a month left to live—

Was probably not so simple!

He quickly swallowed his mockery and nodded. “Of course I’ve heard of her! Chang Jiaoe is currently the only expert in Jiang City capable of forging the Elixir of Immortality!”

Jiang Yi inwardly sneered at the claim but said nothing more.

Instead, continuing his careful work, he spoke slowly, “Do you know which school Chang Jiaoe attended before the Apocalypse?”

Luo Shan blurted out, “Hanjiang University.”

Jiang Yi asked again, “Have you heard about the beast tide at Hanjiang University on the seventh day of the Apocalypse?”

Luo Shan nodded. “I heard a student triggered it by drawing from the blue wheel!”

“At that time, on the seventh day of the Apocalypse, most people’s strength was about the same as ours, those longevity parasites…”

“The beast tide from the blue wheel was utterly devastating to all players!”

“I heard the teachers and students at Hanjiang University were almost wiped out by that disaster!”

“Luckily, a team managed to lead hundreds of students through the beast tide, barely escaping with their lives…”

“They say among those survivors was an invincible top-tier powerhouse!”

“But his name never spread widely.”

“And afterward, no further news about him ever emerged.”

“Rumor even has it that the strongman likely died!”

Heh… Jiang Yi chuckled softly.

He pulled out a small knife and a bottle cap and began scraping the phosphorus powder from the phantom powder butterfly wings into the cap.

Nonchalantly, he said, “That strongman’s power came from the lottery on the wheel, which boosted his attributes.”

Luo Shan nodded. “Of course! Anyone who could lead people out of that beast tide must have drawn some incredible ability from the wheel to change their fate!”

But Jiang Yi shook his head lightly and said casually, “He didn’t change his fate.”

“Because the ability he drew wasn’t permanent.”

“It had a time limit.”

“So, seven days later, he vanished without a trace, blending into the crowd with no further news.”

“I see now!” Luo Shan suddenly understood. “Right! A time-limited ability! I remember seeing options for time-limited powers on the green wheel too!”

“That guy was so unlucky!”

“Finally drawing a power, only to have it expire! No wonder he faded into obscurity!”

“If only he could have drawn something better within that time limit or found a way to keep enhancing himself… maybe he really could have defied fate!”

“Such a pity!”

Luo Shan loved stories about defying destiny.

Hearing one about failure stirred a mixture of sympathy and regret.

But then—

He frowned and looked at Jiang Yi. “You seem to know a lot about that strongman?”

“Oh, right!” His eyes widened. “You and Chang Jiaoe were classmates! So you went to Hanjiang University too!”

“Which means you were one of the survivors saved by that strongman from the terrifying beast tide!”

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow. “Yes. And no.”

Luo Shan frowned. “What do you mean? How is that not true?”

Jiang Yi stopped what he was doing and looked at Luo Shan calmly. “I am that nameless strongman.”

???

Σ(⊙▽⊙"a

For a moment, Luo Shan’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’.

After a long pause, he finally recovered. “R-really? Are you serious? You’re not just bragging, right…”

Jiang Yi said nothing further but calmly remarked, “Let me tell you this—”

“A camel that’s starved may be thin, but it’s still bigger than a horse.”

“Though the ability I drew had a time limit, I once shined brilliantly.”

“So let me ask you again—”

“Do you still want to defy fate?”

Luo Shan straightened up in an instant. “Yes! Damn right I do!!”

Jiang Yi carefully placed the bottle cap filled with phosphorus powder on the table, then took out a jar containing the bloodthirsty gu worms.

The worms inside were still alive, wriggling together, making the jar look like it contained a vial of tainted blood.

After showing these to Luo Shan, he raised an eyebrow and said lightly, “If you want to, then first go get me a bag of fireflies.”

“What? Fireflies?” Luo Shan looked baffled. “Bro, I’ve got nothing. Where the hell am I supposed to find those bugs?!”