Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

"Welcome home!" Brother Tiger boomed.

At his words and actions, Sun Aotian was dumbfounded on the spot. He had assumed a fierce fight was about to break out, but this was it?

Brother Tiger had already released Sun Aotian and was now approaching Wen Yu.

"Brother Wen Yu, I heard about you from Brother Fei long ago. Now, seeing you in person, you are indeed outstanding! If only my good-for-nothing son were half as strong as you, I wouldn't have to worry so much," Brother Tiger exclaimed to Wen Yu, his eyes filled with sincerity and earnestness.

His way of addressing Wen Yu also naturally shifted from "Brother Wen Yu" to a more familiar, less formal "Brother Wen Yu."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Wenhu. Welcome home, brother!" Zhang Wenhu extended his right hand toward Wen Yu with a hearty smile.

Wen Yu looked Zhang Wenhu up and down. Frankly, such an action was quite rude and carried a strong suggestion of provocation.

However, Zhang Wenhu's expression remained unchanged; if anything, the humility in his smile only grew more pronounced.

Wen Yu slowly extended his right hand, took Zhang Wenhu's, which had been held up for nearly ten seconds, and gave it a gentle shake.

"I'll be staying here briefly for a few days. I hope Brother Tiger will extend his hospitality."

"Of course, of course!" Brother Tiger said cheerfully.

This interaction further raised Wen Yu's assessment of Zhang Wenhu. This Brother Tiger… he's truly a smiling tiger!

"Lin Zi," Brother Tiger called out, turning his head toward a brawny man not far away, "have the kitchen prepare a meal and open a couple of good bottles of wine. Today is a joyous day with the return of Brother Wen Yu and Brother Aotian." Having given the order, he gestured respectfully for Wen Yu to proceed and promptly led everyone into the camp.

It was as if this Brother Tiger had been the boss of the camp all along.

Yet, Wen Yu and Sun Ruixing couldn't find anything amiss.

"What a talent, truly a talent!" Sun Ruixing sighed, shaking his head.

By now, the three of them understood what had happened. Brother Tiger and the man called Lin Zi were outsiders who, after arriving at the camp, had naturally staged a power grab. Regardless of the means they used, the result was clear: Zang Pengfei had submitted, and the camp had a new leader. That was the outcome.

No matter the method, it was evident that this so-called Brother Tiger far surpassed Zang Pengfei in both cunning and strength.

"Indeed, he is a talent. But what has it got to do with us?" Wen Yu asked impassively after hearing Sun Ruixing's words.

Sun Ruixing pondered this for a long moment before shaking his head. "You're right, it doesn't really matter much. Whoever becomes the boss, they'll have to treat you with the utmost respect."

This was the reality. Given Wen Yu's strength, anyone would lavish him with fine wine and food. Even if Wen Yu were to declare, "I want the leadership of this assembly point!" given Brother Tiger's earlier behavior, he would almost certainly not oppose it.

"By the way, I'll rest here for a couple of days before returning to Mudanjiang City. Are you coming?" Wen Yu said without turning his head, his voice loud enough for several people nearby to hear clearly.

"Yes, I'll go with you!"

The speaker was, naturally, Sun Ruixing. Among these people, Sun Ruixing was the only one Wen Yu would consider taking along. After everything they had been through, Wen Yu had come to acknowledge Sun Ruixing. He was a comrade who could be trusted and a reasonably competent teammate. After all, Wen Yu had high standards; finding someone like Sun Ruixing made him consider the possibility of forming a team.

Upon hearing Wen Yu's words, Zhang Wenhu's eyes flickered with relief and understanding. He had been worried that Wen Yu would seize power; given Zhang Wenhu's nature, he never underestimated anyone. From his first glance at Wen Yu, Zhang Wenhu knew that Wen Yu's strength far exceeded his expectations. He was simply too strong to oppose! And, the information revealed by Wen Yu's words definitely isn't just limited to this!

They were once again dining in the small restaurant initially reserved for high-ranking members, but this time, the seating arrangement had changed. The center seat, which had originally belonged to Zang Pengfei, was respectfully offered to Wen Yu by Zhang Wenhu. Sun Ruixing sat to Wen Yu's left, while Zhang Wenhu occupied the place to his right.

Wen Yu glanced around. Not many of Zang Pengfei's former confidants were missing. In truth, even if some had been absent, Wen Yu wouldn't have paid much mind, as he had never bothered to remember their faces.

Apart from Zang Pengfei's original group, two new faces were present: Lin Zi and a pale-faced young man who looked to be about Sun Aotian's age.

"Allow me to introduce them. This is my good brother, Li Shanlin. And this is my wretched son, Zhang Lifei," Zhang Wenhu said, then added with a joking smile, "Ah, Lifei is roughly the same age as Brother Aotian, but the disparity in their strengths is immense!"

"Since it's such a joyous day, come, let's drink! As the elder brother here, I'll drink first as a sign of respect!" Zhang Wenhu declared, raising his glass of white liquor and downing it in one go.

Wen Yu took a small, token sip. "Hmm, the liquor isn't bad." He could discern its quality.

"Of course! I'm not just bragging, brother. This liquor is something I brought back from the countryside; I've stored it for a good twenty years!" Zhang Wenhu said after finishing his drink.

Meanwhile, Li Shanlin kept toasting Sun Ruixing. Thanks to the efforts of these two, the atmosphere grew quite enthusiastic.

"By the way, Lifei, come and propose a toast to your Uncle Wen Yu!" Zhang Wenhu said to Zhang Lifei after two rounds of drinks.

"Uncle Wen Yu, I've heard so much about you! This humble nephew toasts you!" Upon hearing his father, Zhang Lifei immediately stood up, respectfully poured wine for Wen Yu, and then tilted his head back and drank it all.

Wen Yu, not wanting to slight these "smiling men," took another sip of wine.

Then, Wen Yu raised his head and glanced at Zang Pengfei beside him. "Brother Fei, what's going on here? Care to explain? Your little brother here is still rather confused."

As Wen Yu spoke, the once-lively table instantly fell silent.

"Let me explain," Zhang Wenhu said, immediately putting down his wine glass upon hearing Wen Yu.

Wen Yu looked at Zang Pengfei, whose head was lowered, then at Zhang Wenhu, who was waiting for his signal to speak, and nodded.

"This is what happened. My son, Lin Zi, and I were originally from a rural area near Chaihe Town. When the apocalypse struck, I was lucky enough to obtain something... um, this."

With that, Zhang Wenhu took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Wen Yu.

As Wen Yu took the parchment, a system notification sounded.