He believed it was his responsibility to prevent a conflict between the two groups at this critical moment.

From the outside, Shi Wuhua seemed like a carefree and indifferent young man. In reality, beneath this optimistic and cheerful exterior, he harbored a rich and surprisingly sensitive heart.

The leader of those three seems a little unhinged, the tall guy is a bit violent, and the high school kid is timid, but they're not so... Ugh... I'll just have to put up with them. It'll pass.

Shi Wuhua silently swallowed these thoughts, not letting a hint of them show.

As for how he discerned Chen Pingchuan's status as the leader, it hardly required any guessing. A single glance at the three of them made it obvious.

Just as Shi Wuhua finished his brief explanation of their identities, a cool, somewhat immature male voice drifted into their ears.

"Alright! Enough nonsense. They're about to run, so get your people ready. I don't need to teach you how to kick a man when he's down, do I?"

The one speaking was Chen Pingchuan. His tone was rather stiff, even faintly exuding a condescending attitude, as if he were superior to everyone else.

A flash of anger crossed Li Huainan's face, but the thought that this person had indirectly saved his brothers' lives made him suppress the fury in his heart. He forced a smile and said softly, "You're certainly a straightforward one, young man. Thank you for your righteous assistance."

Seeing the impatience written all over Chen Pingchuan's face, Li Huainan feared he was about to say something utterly humiliating. He flashed away, speeding toward the battlefield like an arrow loosed from a bow.

After watching Li Huainan leave, Chen Pingchuan leaped off the missile vehicle and whispered a command to Liu Haofeng. "Bring me water."

At that moment, Chen Pingchuan's hands felt unbearably sticky. The sensation was as repulsive as maggots boring into his very bones.

At the command, Liu Haofeng immediately slung two leather bags over his back and hurried to the car. Reaching the trunk, he forcefully stuffed one of the bags inside. There was only room for one, so he had no choice but to drop the other onto the ground before rummaging inside the vehicle for two bottles of water.

He was beginning to understand Chen Pingchuan's way of thinking. For Chen Pingchuan, his own needs were paramount; everything else could be set aside.

He then hurried back to Chen Pingchuan's side in a few brisk strides. Twisting open a bottle cap, he got ready to pour the water and wash his boss's hands.

Chen Pingchuan slowly extended his hands. As the water streamed over them, it felt as though it possessed a mystical power, capable of washing away all defilement as it slowly rinsed the grime from his skin. His expression was solemn and reverent, as if he were participating in a sacred ritual to cleanse the world of all its sins.

In the blink of an eye, the bottle was empty. Just as Liu Haofeng was about to open the second one, Chen Pingchuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait."

While the water had washed away the surface filth, the grease from the creature's innards was stubborn, still clinging tightly to his skin. Water alone wasn't enough to get his hands completely clean.

After a simple rinse, the description of a skill suddenly flashed through Chen Pingchuan's mind.

**[Skill: Bloodthirsty Plunder]**

**Active Effect:** Enhances appearance. Insanely cool, blood-red flames ignite on the user's skin. The damage effect is low, but the cool factor is maxed out. For a villain, looking good is everything.

**Power Increase:** Upon killing an enemy, absorb their total energy to restore your stamina.

**Passive Effect...**

So this fire is for more than just looking cool. It should complement Swift Hands perfectly.

At this thought, Chen Pingchuan's lips moved slightly again, his voice a whisper only he could hear. "Bloodthirsty Plunder, activate!"

As he spoke, a torrent of crimson flame erupted and engulfed him. The fire writhed menacingly like a demon's breath, forcing the others to take an involuntary step back. Yet, surprisingly, the seemingly terrifying flames didn't even singe his clothes.

Full of curiosity, Chen Pingchuan raised his hands. Under the intense heat of the flames, the grease on his palms began to coagulate into countless tiny black pellets, which then quickly flaked off and fell to the ground.

"Dismiss."

With Chen Pingchuan's low command, the flames vanished as swiftly as they had appeared, leaving no trace behind.

This time, while the three onlookers were still awestruck by his incredible abilities, they were starting to grow accustomed to his extraordinary nature. After all, Chen Pingchuan had displayed so many inhuman traits that it would be insane to still think of him as an ordinary young man.

A thought suddenly struck Liu Haofeng: he had made the absolute right choice. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Boss, if you'd just shown me how powerful you were from the start, did you really need to threaten me? I would have gladly become your follower, you know! Why'd you have to scare me like that? My poor, fragile heart can't take it.

Liu Haofeng had been educated from a young age to study hard, grow strong, and become a capable Genetic Warrior. His ultimate goal was to find a reliable faction to serve. He would then devote the rest of his life to that faction until the day he died. To use a saying from a past life: learn the arts of scholar and warrior to sell your service to the imperial family.

Thus, pledging allegiance to Chen Pingchuan now seemed to Liu Haofeng like a natural step.

As Liu Haofeng's acceptance of Chen Pingchuan grew stronger in his heart, the parasitic seed inside him suddenly vanished, fusing completely with his being. The fusion speed of the Parasitic Flesh Puppet was intrinsically linked to the host's state of mind. The more the host resisted, the slower the fusion. Conversely, the more sincere their acceptance, the faster it would complete.

What Liu Haofeng didn't know was that at this moment, the fusion was so complete that even a high-tech, full-body scan would never find a trace of the parasitic seed. His own subconscious would now automatically ignore the anomaly within him.

Just as Liu Haofeng completely fused with the purple parasitic seed, Chen Pingchuan received a notification from the system.

**[Ding! Purple Parasitic Seed fusion successful. Fusion rate: 100%.]**

**[Host: Liu Haofeng]**

**[Character Card Level: Yellow (upgraded from Blue)]**

**[Background: Illegitimate son of the great noble Liu Lingxia from the City of No Night. Possesses strong learning abilities, good growth potential, and is quite knowledgeable.]**

**[Growth Potential: To be unearthed.]**

**[Life Highlight: Meeting you.]**

**[Current Mental State: Blind worship.]**

"Oh?"

Chen Pingchuan's gaze met Liu Haofeng's. In that instant, he saw an intense adoration burning in the young man's eyes. The pure, fiery admiration in that gaze was so palpable it made Chen Pingchuan's heart tremble.

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