This position was incredibly comfortable. If he kicked, Xiao Wu was absolutely confident he could knock this overbearing guy unconscious. To avoid killing him, Xiao Wu deliberately held back a little. After all, he had a criminal record; if he kicked someone to death, the police probably wouldn't believe him so easily.
What's even more unfortunate is that he didn't manage to kick it.
Since Zhang Lei deliberately gave him this opportunity, he certainly wouldn't let his foot touch him. Zhang Lei doesn't have the ability to take a beating right now, and even if he did, he wouldn't be so shameless.
Zhang the Great Bandit only slightly shifted his body, and Xiao Wuzi's kick missed completely. Although he could easily have kicked Zhang Lei from that position, the stair railing beside him restricted his angle. Zhang Lei dodged to the side, and unless his knee could bend backward, there was no way he could have hit Zhang Lei. Zhang Lei left this position for him not just to lure him in.
Xiao Wuzi's kick missed, and his face immediately changed. However, it was too late to say anything at this point. His only option was to shout loudly and rush towards Zhang Lei. Moreover, he had to turn a corner before he could reach Zhang Lei, so his momentum was naturally much weaker.
Zhang Lei didn't give him time to back down, finally provoking him to the point of bloodlust. He should have enough reasons to kill him, and it should be believable, right? Zhang Lei reached back and pulled the knife out from his waist, stabbing him in the side of his waist.
Although it wasn't his first time killing someone, the last time was an instinctive reaction in a dangerous situation, which is very different from this intentional act. Zhang Lei thought he wouldn't have any problems, but when the moment came, his hand still slipped.
With this misalignment, the sharp knife that was supposed to pierce through the middle of Xiao Wuzi's kidneys grazed past the side of his kidneys, turning what should have been a fatal wound into a minor injury. And most importantly, Xiao Wuzi did not completely lose his ability to resist because of this.
This is a kitchen knife, and there's no blood groove on it. The huge pressure difference inside the human body firmly sucked the knife into Xiao Wuzi's body. But that's fine, it saves Zhang Lei from being sprayed with blood all over his body and face. Although Zhang Lei was prepared, he still felt a little uncomfortable thinking about that scene.
Xiao Wu let out a miserable cry, forcefully turning his body around. The knife followed his hand, and as they say, there are so many counterfeit goods these days; with such little force, the blade was twisted. Since the knife couldn't be pulled out anytime soon, Zhang Lei simply let go, looking at Xiao Wu's completely distorted face with a hint of mockery.
Xiao Wuzi pulled out a long wrench from behind his back. His torso swayed slightly, but he still gripped it tightly. It seemed that his efforts up there hadn't been in vain; at least he had brought a wrench with him.
"You guys go quickly, I'll hold him off!" Xiao Wuzi probably didn't have any illusions at this point. It was indeed time for a man to make a sacrifice, but his courage came a little too late. He was forced into a corner by Zhang Lei before he could act, and all the conditions that were in his favor had disappeared.
"Leave? Not so easy. I've already shown you my face. Do you think I'll let you go so you can identify me?" Zhang Lei dodged and blocked the doorway. Xiao Wuzi didn't even have time to react. Of course, Zhang Lei didn't forget to remind them to look at his current appearance clearly, so that if the police asked, they wouldn't just cry and not be able to make a clear picture. That would be a waste of Zhang Lei's efforts.
In terms of instantaneous sprint speed, Zhang Lei was already among the best when he first started practicing internal energy cultivation, and now, after his muscles have been thickened and strengthened, he is even more so. However, after the nerve enhancement, Zhang Lei has some doubts about this approach. This is because although these newly formed muscle tissues can provide greater strength and speed, their compatibility with the nervous system is significantly lower.
"I'll fight you to the death!" Xiao Wu shouted, raising the wrench high and smashing it down at Zhang Lei.
Unfortunately, this saying always applies to the weak, the weak who cannot control their own destiny.
Xiao Wuzi couldn't control his own destiny either. From the moment Zhang Lei entered, his fate was already in Zhang Lei's hands. He had the chance to leave through the upstairs door, but what good would it do? Zhang Lei could send his entire family to another world downstairs. He would be left all alone, knowing that his escape had led to the deaths of his mother, wife, and daughter. He probably felt worse off alive than dead.
Perhaps the thought of revenge will sustain him, but even if he finds the real culprit, what ability will he have to take revenge, unless he also has that one-in-a-million chance to become a darling of the world? Unfortunately, his physical development period has passed, and in the foreseeable future of self-destructive decadence, he is even less likely to improve his physical abilities. In other words, he won't even have that one-in-a-million chance.
Xiao Wu raised the wrench, which was an unnecessary movement. A wrench is already quite powerful, and hitting someone is far more important than raising it high to increase the impact. Besides, such a long wrench is simply not usable in this tiny space.
If it were Zhang Lei, he would either choose a smaller wrench, or if he didn't have one, he wouldn't grip the end of the wrench like he does. Although that would give him more force, it would also make him less controllable.
More importantly, it doesn't need to be raised; it can simply swing its hand from where it is. As long as it hits, the power of the wrench is enough to render most people unable to resist for at least a second. What can't you do in that second?
Moreover, he also had a back injury, which naturally affected his ability to raise his hands. In other words, in Zhang Lei's eyes, Xiao Wuzi's current movements made him a sitting duck.
Zhang Lei stepped forward and, before the wrench could come down, kicked him in the shinbone. Zhang Lei was wearing his grandfather's old leather shoes, which were quite hard. Zhang Lei estimated that even his specially reinforced skin and bones couldn't withstand such a blow, let alone this little Wu Zi in front of him.
Xiao Wuzi immediately lost his balance. He had managed to endure the pain without much screaming when the knife went in, but now tears streamed down his face. However, he was no newcomer; after all, he had been to the palace before. He didn't stop wielding the wrench, and using the momentum of his fall, he swung it down at Zhang Lei.
However, the distance was no longer what he had initially anticipated. With such a swing, not only would he not be able to hit Zhang Lei, but even if he could, he would only make a mid-range contact, not to mention the extent of the impact.
Zhang Lei raised his left hand and gripped it on his right hand, which was near the front of the wrench. Guided by self-examination, he instantly released a tiny bit of his inner energy—just a tiny bit, about one-tenth of the amount he used when he fought the thugs last time.
That's enough. In an instant, Xiao Wu's left hand was blown to pieces, leaving only five bare finger bones. However, it wasn't very clean, with a few unbroken strips of flesh and skin still on it. Perhaps there were some remnants in his palm as well.
Bloodstains mixed with debris burst into a ball, forming a blood clot centered on the hand—quite a sight! It looked like one of those red balloons sold in parks, the kind with lots of decorative dots. If you're ever short on money for a balloon, you could consider making one like this. Those who don't want to vote or save it can call Zhang Lei for a free service.
Zhang Lei was not fooled by the beautiful scenery before him. He pushed forward with his right hand, causing Xiao Wuzi's slightly forward-leaning body to fall backward. Under the repeated blows, Xiao Wuzi had lost the ability to react and could only fall backward along with Zhang Lei's hand.
Zhang Lei's left hand wasn't idle either; he grabbed it and gripped the wrench through several finger bones, which resembled the grooves on the wrench, increasing friction. With a twist of his wrist, the other end of the wrench flipped over.
Although Xiao Wuzi's left hand was still on the wrench, he didn't have much strength left. In fact, even if he had strength, he wouldn't be able to stop Zhang Lei. Not to mention that Zhang Lei's body, which was instantly strengthened by his internal energy, was much stronger than his own, the lever arm of the wrench alone was very disadvantageous to him. Under these many factors, Zhang Lei's wrist could probably rotate even more easily than if his hand were gone.
Nevertheless, Xiao Wu's hand instinctively tried to stop Zhang Lei's force. Just then, the robber Zhang swung his arm diagonally upwards, and the wrench drew a beautiful arc as it struck Xiao Wu directly from below his ear. Xiao Wu's little bit of strength seemed to be cheering Zhang Lei on. I wonder if this could be considered a form of suicide.
If the wrench had consciousness, it would surely choose Zhang Lei's method, which allows it to fully unleash its power. Even a weapon used temporarily has dignity.
The wrench slammed into Xiao Wuzi's head from behind his ear, diagonally upwards. In storytelling terms, it was like a slap across the mouth, and with a "pfft," his head looked like a rotten watermelon, a large portion of it smashed away. Brain matter mixed with blood splattered out from under the skull, instantly obliterating the beautiful red balloon from before.
Red, white, yellow, green? A kaleidoscope of colors was scattered all over the floor, making it a riot of hues. It seemed his family didn't sweep often; the floor quickly turned into a muddy mess. 'What a pity, it would be perfect for hot pot!' The thought suddenly popped into Zhang Lei's head.
Zhang Lei originally thought that these things spraying on him would make him feel extremely disgusted, and he was prepared to hold back from vomiting. He was pretending to be an expert, and he couldn't be so embarrassed. Besides, the vomit might become evidence for someone else.
However, when these beautiful dyes were actually sprayed on his face and body, Zhang Lei felt a sense of pleasure and stimulation. Although it wasn't a wave of pleasure, it was at least a wave. Zhang Lei even had a desire to scrape some off his body and lick it to taste what it was like. He barely managed to restrain that impulse; it was just too perverted.
"Dad!" The little girl's cries came down the stairs. The ugly girl broke free from her grandmother's weak hands and rushed down the stairs, seemingly wanting to kneel before her father and weep bitterly. As for her grandmother, she was also swaying unsteadily. Perhaps they had mentally prepared themselves as they ran upstairs, but that was completely different from witnessing their son and father die so tragically. It's like the difference between news and being there in person. Seeing a news report about a fire that killed so many people is a completely different feeling from seeing charred corpses in person. Old Ghost's readers are all smart people; no further explanation is needed.
Zhang Lei casually brushed off a piece of what appeared to be a brain fragment hanging on his body. He could even see the intricate details of human brain tissue on it; look at those mysterious grooves—creation is truly amazing.
As Zhang Lei walked along, cleaning the clutter off his clothes, he moved unhurriedly. Just as he passed the little girl, he swung the wrench in his hand and struck Xiao Wuzi's eldest daughter on the back of the head. Judging from the degree of indentation, she was clearly dead.
Zhang Lei's hand was positioned about one-third of the way down the wrench, making the wrench movement much easier and allowing for a significantly faster speed.
However, Zhang Lei did do a good thing for Xiao Wuzi. At least he proved that the eldest daughter and Xiao Wuzi were definitely related. Isn't there a blood test to prove kinship? It's said that the blood of a daughter or son will inevitably mix with the blood of the father. The blood of the father and daughter at the end of the wrench fused very well. Not to mention blood, even their brains didn't mix at all. Doesn't that prove anything?
Seeing this, Xiao Wu's mother could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground down the stairs. It's understandable, as the elderly cannot withstand too much stimulation.
Zhang Lei didn't try to finish her off. To be honest, although he didn't hesitate at all when he acted, he felt really uncomfortable afterward. Even knowing that guilt is a pointless emotion, one can't completely control their emotions, not even through self-examination. He had snapped this flower in its bud stage. Even if it wouldn't bloom into a beautiful flower, it was still a bud. At this point, Zhang Lei should have described the bud as "ravaged," but looking at her like that, he really had no interest in offering that kind of "pleasure."
However, judging from Xiao Wuzi's mother's appearance, she doesn't seem to be able to hold on much longer. This can be considered as fulfilling Zhang Lei's original wish. Although Zhang Lei didn't have the ability to use his words to attack her and cause her to have a relapse, it seems that performance art is more impactful. She doesn't seem like a grandmother; she didn't originally have a heart condition.
Xiao Wuzi's wife is currently dragging the little girl that Zhang Lei has his eye on upstairs. The critical situation has not inspired their extraordinary burst of energy. In their haste and panic, their hands and feet are in tangles. It's a small miracle that they haven't tumbled down the stairs yet!
Zhang Lei deliberately slowed his pace and tidied himself up. He still had a lot of random things hanging on his body, which was troublesome. Even if he burned them, they would produce a strong smell of roasted meat. If the neighbors smelled it, and considering the tragedy that had happened here, it would be strange if they didn't become suspicious.
Although the little girl wasn't Xiao Wuzi's biological daughter, she was definitely Xiao Wuzi's wife's. Xiao Wuzi's wife's legs went weak, but she desperately pushed her daughter up, and she herself couldn't stand up for a long time.
Fortunately, Zhang Lei is deliberately giving them time to escape. To be honest, Zhang Lei hasn't made up his mind yet whether to keep one or two alive. It shouldn't have a big impact, right? Would it be better to keep two alive? After all, a single piece of evidence won't easily trap the police completely.
Everyone knows that it's quite dangerous for someone like Zhang Lei to be indecisive on the spot, but this is Zhang Lei's first time, so some mistakes are inevitable.