Chapter Six: The Transformation of Human Nature

It wasn't until Mu Chen swung his arm to make a gesture that Sade finally snapped out of it, shakily pushing him as they moved around to the side.

"Relax, don't be nervous, let's keep moving forward."

They'd barely taken a few steps before an Eight Immortals table blocked their path.

"Acquired [Wood] *9, transferred to backpack."

A sharp crash of shattering glass echoed through the restaurant. Because they'd both been keeping their heads down, neither had noticed the tableware on top. Now, with the table gone, the dishes crashed to the floor.

"A miscalculation!" Cold sweat beaded on Mu Chen's forehead. Sade stood motionless behind him; both seemed petrified where they stood.

Crunch... crunch...

The sound of footsteps on glass fragments reverberated through the room.

"Sade, close your eyes!"

With that quiet command, Mu Chen already had his eyes closed, sitting as still as a meditating monk, completely ignoring the sounds at his ears.

One minute...

Crunch... another footstep.

Two minutes...

Dead silence engulfed the restaurant.

Sweat dripped from his chin onto his chest, but Mu Chen, seated in his wheelchair, still dared not open his eyes.

He couldn't risk it. Since the last footstep, the "Bashful One" had not moved at all. It must be right nearby.

A slow breath...

"Don't open your eyes. Keep pushing me forward!"

Staying put any longer was clearly not an option. Mu Chen steeled himself; the only way was to break the tension.

"Master... There's something in front of us, I can't push forward."

!!!

"Back up, then go around from the side."

Regaining his composure, Mu Chen gave a new instruction.

Feeling the slow turn of the wheelchair's tires, he finally allowed himself to relax a little.

Once he'd sensed they'd moved a good distance, he slowly opened his eyes from where he'd buried his head against his chest.

Unknowingly, they'd reached the cashier's counter.

Though the counter was wooden, he didn't dismantle it this time—God only knew if there might be glassware on top.

Behind the counter, shelves full of liquor and beverages caught his eye.

"Sade, you can open your eyes now. Push me to the drinks cabinet in front."

Working together with careful coordination, they soon emptied the liquor shelves.

"Acquired [Wood] *12, transferred to backpack."

With a quiet breath, he reminded himself not to forget the original purpose of coming to the restaurant... the kitchen!

It was less than ten meters from the counter to the kitchen, and the essentials they needed to survive should be inside.

Mu Chen waved his hand, signaling Sade to head for the kitchen.

This time, nothing went wrong.

Inside, a dazzling array of ingredients greeted them.

"A bag of carrots, two bags of potatoes, assorted vegetables, rice, flour, cooking oil, all entered into the backpack," he noted.

Opening the freezer, he found blocks of frozen meat that made his eyes curve with delight—there was enough food here for a week.

"Master, Sade has heeded your teachings and found some tools that could serve as weapons," Sade whispered, presenting three knives.

Two were ordinary kitchen knives, the third a butcher's knife—about three centimeters longer than the others, with a sharp tip and a slippery handle, as if telling the story of its popularity in this restaurant.

After storing the knives, Mu Chen looked down at his backpack—it was already full.

"Filled up so quickly..." he murmured. In the apocalypse, no one could guarantee that any item was truly useless.

There were still two large pots he hadn’t packed.

He took out two tomatoes, tossing one to Sade and eating the other himself, smacking his lips. Sade simply tucked his tomato into his shirt.

Once the pots were stored, their collection was complete. Now, he had to consider how to get out of the restaurant.

Before he could come up with a plan, his friends-and-family channel flashed in his mind.

"Brother, a group of people just arrived outside. Two men are in charge. They said they wanted to team up with us, but as they got closer, they threatened me with knives and forced me to hand over what's in my backpack. Lillian tried to stop them—they've got her now..."

Fury surged on Mu Chen's face. He’d relied on his sister Mu Jiu'er since childhood, and even after entering society, he’d never made enemies. There was just one rule—no one touches his sister.

At university, Mu Chen was known as the gentlest of men, but no one ever knew what an orphanage child had truly endured.

Suppressing his rage, he realized that with his own injuries and only Sade at his side, they couldn't hope to win in a fight.

He quickly sent a reply.

"Tell them the servant belongs to me, and all the supplies are with me. If they want them, they'll have to come inside themselves."

"And Jiu'er, you and Lillian must remember: if you're forced to enter the restaurant, keep your heads down and don't look around. Best to find a corner, close your eyes, and stay put. Anyone who sees the monster's face in the main hall will die. Remember—don't look at the face!"

Mu Chen handed the butcher knife to Sade.

"There may be a fight ahead. Take the knife, leave the kitchen first, and remember to keep your head down."

When master and servant exited the kitchen, they could just make out a massive figure squatting with its head in its hands, right in front of the restaurant entrance.

Seeing its posture, Mu Chen finally relaxed a little. He began to consider how to deal with the incoming threat.

"Sade, don't go forward. Wait here for my orders."

Soon after, a sleazy voice came from outside the restaurant, sounding like a man in his forties.

"If you're lying, your uncles will make you feel so good you'll die. Look at that little face—bet you're still a virgin, huh?"

"Keep your voice down, idiot! Don't you know loud noises can get you killed? Make the servant send those two women in first to scout!" another, sharper voice snapped.

Their conversation was painfully clear in the silent restaurant.

Crash...

The massive figure seemed startled by the noise, slowly rising from the shards of broken glass...

Mu Chen's expression darkened; things were taking a turn he hadn't foreseen, but he had no way to stop it now.

Sure enough, a woman's scream shattered the silence.

A woman stood frozen in the hallway, shielding a girl of about five or six. Behind them was a male servant.

Her face was swollen, her right hand wrapped in a bloody cloth—a clear sign of recent abuse.

A heart-wrenching wail came from the monstrous figure, which then began to thrash wildly.

The "Bashful One" had gone berserk!

Seeing this, the male servant abandoned the mother and daughter, fleeing at a run.

Mu Chen's face turned glacial. He hadn't expected the people outside to be so cautious and malicious.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" The little girl was so terrified she could barely speak at first, but then she burst into tears.

"Don't cry, sweetheart, it's alright, mommy's here... it's alright, don't be scared..." the woman whispered, bending to embrace her daughter, gently stroking her back. Her swollen face pressed against the girl's, and though her choked words betrayed her fear, they still comforted the child.

Mother and daughter clung to each other, while the maddened figure nearby remained terrifying.

"Sweetheart, close your eyes. Let mommy hold you. Soon it won't hurt anymore."

"Forgive mommy for being too weak, forgive mommy..."

Their grief-stricken cries still echoed in the restaurant.

A dozen seconds later, the massive figure suddenly vanished.

Two brilliant sprays of blood bloomed where mother and daughter stood, intertwining in the air—a sign that they would never be parted again.

Mu Chen sighed.

Outside the restaurant—

"What the hell is that?!" the second man's voice quavered with panic.

Smack! A loud slap rang out.

"Bitch! You dare cross us! Second, run!!"

"Big brother! Drag this woman along—I want to kill her myself!"

"This isn't the time! Leave her to slow them down, we have to go!"

The two men and their servant fled from the restaurant at top speed.

[You realize the unlucky ones trying to escape won't last long. Among them, one lucky man hasn't seen its face. The 'Bashful One' will return in one minute; it has clearly claimed this place as 'home.']

"Sade, now's our chance—let's get out!"

For the first time since the Red Mist outbreak, Mu Chen spoke out loud. Time was short; the situation left no room for whispers.

After leaving the restaurant, he was relieved to spot Mu Jiu'er crouched in the corner.

"Brother..."

She threw herself into his arms.

Her stained clothes contrasted with her pale face, and the handprint on her cheek made his heart ache.

That handprint was branded on Mu Chen's heart as well.

Three years of ordinary life had dulled his sense of danger.

"Jiu'er, those men will all die. Don't cry."

"Remember what I always told you? Always protect yourself and never trust strangers."

Bear in mind: If someone takes a grain from me, I will seize three bushels from them.

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes and gently wiped his sister’s tears away.