Chapter 120: The Bounty

It was already evening when the two arrived in Japan. They disembarked at the renowned Nankaido.

Once off the plane, Zhao Feng took out his phone and dialed Zhai Xiangyu directly. Zhai’s respectful voice came through the line: "Fellow Daoist, please wait for me! I will be there immediately!"

Zhao Feng gave a faint "mm" and hung up. He and Hong Chang sat on a bench to wait. Summer was fast approaching, and because Japan lies on a seismic belt, rain was frequent. Zhao Feng looked up at the gloomy sky and held out a hand. "It’s going to rain."

No sooner had he spoken than a thunderous crack echoed, and heavy, bean-sized raindrops began to fall. Zhao Feng slowly closed his eyes. "A dark and windy night, perfect for killing."

"What do you mean?" Before Hong Chang could react, a flurry of blades and shadows descended upon them.

*Boom!*

A flash of steel led the charge. The blade was long and slender, illuminating the darkness. The wielder was a figure in black—dressed in traditional night-walking gear, face obscured by a mask. It was clearly a ninja.

"Hmph!" Zhao Feng snorted, his leg snapping out in a kick that struck the man’s wrist.

"Ya!" The man let out a cry of pain as his ninja sword clattered to the ground.

The torrential downpour intensified, yet a whirlwind of combat raged amidst the storm.

"My turn!" Hong Chang let out a fierce grunt and sprang into the air. With a powerful, lithe kick, she struck a ninja in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground unconscious. Wearing a red dress, she leaped high again, her fair legs flashing as she delivered another kick, knocking out a hidden attacker. In truth, Hong Chang was being merciful; though her strikes were precise, she held back her strength, choosing not to kill them.

*Boom! Crack!*

Thunder roared. Lightning flashed, wind howled, and rain lashed down.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the darkness, momentarily brightening the scene. Zhao Feng’s expression was icy. "These ninjas are merely ordinary martial artists. Who on earth would send them to intercept me? It couldn't be Zhai Xiangyu; he knows I am a cultivator, so he wouldn't send common fighters. So, who could it be? This is interesting."

Zhao Feng spun around suddenly and threw a punch. *Bang!* A dark shadow fell from the void. The man looked at Zhao Feng in terror. "You..." He only managed to utter the single word before looking down to see his chest pierced by Zhao Feng’s fist. He breathed his last.

Zhao Feng smiled cruelly. "That’s the fourth one I’ve killed."

Hong Chang, watching from a distance, was shocked. "Zhao Feng, stop killing!"

Zhao Feng, however, slowly withdrew his fist, ignoring her. He swept his leg out again, knocking another figure from the air. The man’s head shattered like a melon. *Thud!* He hit the ground, blood and brain matter staining the earth.

"The fifth!"

Hong Chang was now both shocked and furious. She lunged to Zhao Feng’s side. "Zhao Feng, these are just ordinary people! Does slaughtering them give you some kind of pleasure?"

Zhao Feng froze for a moment. *That’s right. Why am I butchering ordinary people? If I’m going to kill, it should be those scoundrels from the Immortal Sects!*

He took a deep breath, his mind clearing. The skirmish continued, with waves of blades attacking. This time, Zhao Feng held back significantly. A quarter of an hour later, dozens of ninjas lay on the ground.

Zhao Feng stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the groaning men. "Speak! Who sent you?"

The ninjas remained tight-lipped, clenching their teeth in silence.

"Hmph!" Zhao Feng snorted. "Don't think that because I’ve held back, I’m being kind." He stepped forward, looming over one of them. He bared his teeth in a cruel grin. "Sometimes, not killing someone doesn't mean I’m not being ruthless."

He raised his right leg high and stomped down hard on the man’s knee. *Crack!*

"Ah!" The man shrieked in agony. "My leg! My leg!" he wailed in broken Chinese.

Zhao Feng smiled coldly. "Do you still think I’m being merciful? Sometimes, leaving someone alive is not the same as being kind."

The ninjas on the ground scrambled backward, staring at Zhao Feng with a mix of shock and terror. "He’s too cruel!" they whispered.

Zhao Feng grinned, revealing a row of white, predatory teeth. He looked at one of them. "Speak! Who sent you?"

The man gulped, took a deep breath, and stammered in broken Chinese, "We don't know who! We are just a mercenary organization. We saw your name on a bounty notice—a reward of one hundred million US dollars!"

Zhao Feng frowned. "A mercenary organization? A bounty? One hundred million dollars?"

"Yes!"

Zhao Feng rubbed his chin. "How did this happen? Why am I being hunted? And who put the bounty on me?" He was filled with confusion. He looked at Hong Chang, who understood immediately. She raised her fair hand, formed a seal, and a red light manifested.

The light enveloped the group, and the ninjas’ eyes glazed over. By the time they blinked, they had forgotten everything that had just occurred.

Zhao Feng and Hong Chang had already moved away, finding themselves in Zhai Xiangyu’s car. Zhai was driving personally. He glanced into the rearview mirror. "My friends, as you are new here, I am your host! As the saying goes, 'How happy we are to have friends visit from afar!' There is a gathering tonight; may I take you both to attend?"

Zhao Feng shook his head. "I won't be attending. I need to rest."

Zhai Xiangyu seemed to know Zhao Feng’s temperament. He smiled. "It is a gathering for cultivators, and it serves as a small-scale trading fair where items can be exchanged."

Zhao Feng shook his head again. "I’m really not interested."

Zhai Xiangyu touched his nose. "Very well, then."

"Mm."

Just as the matter seemed settled, Hong Chang, who had been silent, spoke up. "What time does the trading fair start?"

Zhai Xiangyu paused, then beamed with joy. "Your Majesty, Empress Jiaohong, you wish to go?"

Hong Chang chuckled. "I have nothing better to do. Let's go take a look."

Zhao Feng rolled his eyes and sent a secret message: "Hong Chang, what are you doing?"

Hong Chang mentally rolled her eyes back: "None of your business!"

Zhao Feng: "..."