PCJ – Chapter 574 Ambush

“Alright then, I’ll go talk to Teacher Shen myself today.” Zhang Jiaohua thought Shen Honggang was a decent person, so he decided to go over.

The basketball court was a bit far from the teaching building, and he had to pass through a small grove on the way. As soon as Zhang Jiaohua stepped into the grove, he sensed something was off—it was too quiet. Normally, there would be a few students hanging out here, chatting intimately. But today, not a single soul was in sight. Even the usual chirping birds were gone. Stepping into the grove was like entering a soundless vacuum.

Zhang Jiaohua let out a cold smile. He could already tell someone had set up an ambush here.

He was skilled and fearless. Now that he was nearing the Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation stage, how could he be intimidated by a couple of amateurs dabbling in dark arts?

Two tall men with their heads covered by hats and jackets blocked his way. Both stood over 1.8 meters tall, clearly taller than Zhang Jiaohua.

“What do you want?” Zhang Jiaohua decided to play along and feigned fear.

“Come with us. Someone wants to talk to you.” One of them deliberately lowered his voice to make it sound gruff. As he spoke, he slightly lifted his head—he wore sunglasses and his face was mostly obscured by the hat. But even without the disguise, Zhang Jiaohua wouldn’t have recognized him.

“I’m busy right now. My teacher is waiting for me,” Zhang Jiaohua said, pretending to try and slip away.

The two men immediately lunged at him. But the moment they got close, Zhang Jiaohua moved like lightning. His right hand shot out, grabbing the nearest man and yanking him forward. The man flew off balance, and Zhang Jiaohua followed with a powerful kick.

Bang!

His foot struck the man squarely, sending him flying into the second attacker, knocking them both into a tree with a loud crash. They slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Zhang Jiaohua ignored the two small fries and turned his gaze to a dense bush nearby.

Clap clap clap.

A man emerged from the bush, applauding slowly.

“Impressive. Zhang Jiaohua, I’ve heard you’re good. That’s why I sent those two fools first to see if your reputation was deserved. Seems like if I hadn’t shown up myself, no one could’ve stopped you.”

The speaker was a well-dressed man. His skin was pale as paper, his eyes deep and dark, and his shoulder-length hair smooth and draping gently over his shoulders.

“Who are you?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Your guide. There are many paths in this world, but only one leads to the embrace of the Holy Lord and eternal life,” the man replied cryptically.

“Sorry, I’m not interested in your Falun Gong nonsense,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

The man wasn’t offended; he smiled calmly.

“You’ve got it wrong. We’re not Falun Gong. I have no interest in such fraudulent tricks. I am a guide for the Holy Lord—the holiest, wisest being in this world. He leads us toward the true path. He grants eternal life to his purest followers. Zhang Jiaohua, don’t you wish to live forever?”

“Has Zheng Wendong been brainwashed by you people too?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“No. Zheng Wendong willingly devoted himself to the Holy Lord and received His blessing. Believe me, Zhang Jiaohua, if you also join the Holy Sect, you’ll receive even greater blessings. The Holy Lord has decreed that you are one of His most cherished. I’m here today to bring you into the fold.”

“What’s your name?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

The man gave a sinister smile. “I gave up my name when I joined the Holy Sect and began serving the Holy Lord. From that moment on, everything I had belonged to the Holy Sect. I am now His apostle.”

“I don’t care what creepy cult you’re with. If you don’t mess with me, maybe I wouldn’t even bother with you. But since you’re begging for death, don’t blame me!”

As he finished speaking, Zhang Jiaohua suddenly vanished. The apostle stared in shock. This wasn’t some cheap invisibility trick using light refraction—this was true invisibility.

The apostle roared: “All of you, attack!”

Suddenly, the surrounding bushes rustled as a large group of people emerged, completely surrounding the grove and slowly closing in on the center. They thought Zhang Jiaohua had simply gone invisible, and wanted to flush him out.

But Zhang Jiaohua made his move. In the middle of the grove, a silver-white orb of light appeared, crackling with bolts of lightning.

The orb landed right in the center of the group. The apostle and his followers stared wide-eyed, not knowing what it was.

Then the apostle caught a whiff of something—danger.

Boom!

A blinding flash of white erupted, and bolts of silver lightning snaked out in all directions, striking the cult members.

Each bolt of lightning hit like a snake of thunder. Once struck, a person would go stiff, convulse violently, then collapse limp to the ground.

When the last bolt disappeared, everyone in the apostle’s group lay unconscious. The black aura that had surrounded them vanished completely.

Hidden behind a bush, another pair of eyes had been watching in fear. When Zhang Jiaohua turned and glanced his way, the man panicked and tried to run.

It was Zheng Wendong.

He had come to witness Zhang Jiaohua’s defeat, but instead saw the apostle get utterly overpowered.

Then the lightning orb pulsed again.

With a crack, another bolt of thunder shot out—this time straight at Zheng Wendong. How could he outrun lightning? In the blink of an eye, it struck him.

“Aaaah!”

Zheng Wendong screamed, convulsing violently before collapsing to the ground. His body twitched slightly, but the dark energy inside him was completely cleansed.

“I’ll spare your life since you haven’t yet committed true evil. But if you persist in this path, don’t blame me for what comes next!” Zhang Jiaohua waved his hand, and the apostle and his entire group vanished without a trace.

Unlike Zheng Wendong, they had already taken lives—they weren’t innocent. Zhang Jiaohua had no intention of letting them go. He sent them on their final journey with ease.