Chapter 018: The Mountain Behind

Zhao Jun lunged fiercely at William, his arms locking tightly around William’s neck in a death grip. William’s face flushed a deep red; veins bulged on his neck as he struggled to breathe, but not a gasp could pass through his throat.

“Cough!”
“Cough!”
“Let—let go of me!”

Zhao Jun paid him no heed.

Jace, standing nearby, was starting to panic. He lashed out with a furious kick, but Zhao Jun’s hold remained unyielding, refusing to loosen no matter what.

“Damn you!” Jace cursed savagely. “If that’s how it is, then die!”

He raised his dagger high and stabbed toward Zhao Jun’s head. Unarmed and with only his two arms to rely on, Zhao Jun suddenly reached out with his broad palm and gripped William’s throat even tighter.

There was a sickening sound as Jace’s dagger plunged into Zhao Jun’s back.

“Aaagh!” Zhao Jun cried out in pain.

But even then, Zhao Jun’s right hand dug ruthlessly into William’s neck. With his bare nails, Zhao Jun strangled William to death, displaying a terrifying strength.

Slowly, Zhao Jun withdrew his right hand. Five bloody punctures marked William’s neck.

Jace was utterly terrified.

“Devil! You’re a devil!” he stammered, collapsing to the ground in horror. “I want to get out of here! I want to get away from you!”

He scrambled desperately to flee, but at that moment, a voice rang out:

“Do you think you can leave?”

A tall, slender figure blocked Jace’s escape.

Jace recoiled in shock and stammered, “Wh-who are you?!”

“Hmph! I’m the one who’s going to kill you!”

With that, Zhao Feng extended his right hand, seized Jace by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly into the air. Jace’s face turned red and his limbs flailed helplessly as he struggled to breathe.

Zhao Feng’s expression was grim as he surveyed the carnage. It was clear Zhao Jun had just fought a desperate battle for his life.

Zhao Jun lay on the ground, blood streaming from his leg, a dagger still embedded in his back. His breathing was faint, testifying to the brutality of the fight.

Seeing this, Zhao Feng was beside himself with rage. His voice was cold and merciless as he declared, “I don’t care who you are. Today, you die. And those behind you will die too.”

As he spoke, Zhao Feng began to twist Jace’s neck.

“Wait!” Zhao Jun’s voice rang out suddenly.

Zhao Feng frowned. “What is it, Dad?”

Struggling, Zhao Jun forced himself to stand and staggered step by step toward Zhao Feng. He managed to come to his son’s side and, with a faint smile, said, “Xiaofeng, I’m so glad you’re back, that I can see you again. But…”

“But what?” Zhao Feng pressed.

Zhao Jun smiled ruefully, then suddenly wrenched the dagger from his own back and plunged it into Jace’s spine. “But I don’t want my son to become a murderer!”

“Dad!” Zhao Feng shouted, his voice raw with anguish.

Zhao Jun slumped to the ground. “Son, call the police. I’m the one who killed him!”

“But, but—” Zhao Feng stuttered.

Zhao Jun smiled. “A man must have the courage to take responsibility for his actions. No ‘buts’.”

Zhao Feng’s face was stormy. “Dad, we could just destroy the bodies!”

“Nonsense!” Zhao Jun’s voice rang out sternly. “Don’t forget what your father used to do!”

Zhao Feng pursed his lips, saying nothing.

Zhao Jun produced his old phone and tossed it to Zhao Feng, who caught it. Under his father’s strict gaze, Zhao Feng finally dialed the number.

After the call, Zhao Feng fell silent, lost in memories.

He thought of his days in the Immortal Sect. Since returning, he had often felt the urge to kill, a darkness he couldn’t vent, for the Medicine Extremity Sect had been annihilated—his home left in ruins and corpses the day he returned from his punishment of meditating in the rear mountains.

A shrill police siren cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

He gazed at his father, who sat on the ground, at a loss for words.

Several police officers entered the room, handcuffed Zhao Jun, and helped him to his feet. As Zhao Jun passed Zhao Feng, he whispered, “Xiaofeng, I don’t know what you’ve been through this past year, but I can sense the violence within you is too great.”

“Maybe your father has done wrong, maybe not. But no matter what, the laws and rules of this world will judge.”

“But what if there were no system, no rules?” Zhao Feng blurted out.

For a moment, Zhao Jun was speechless. Then, after a pause, he said, “Then everything would descend into chaos.”

Zhao Feng nodded.

Zhao Jun was led away, and Zhao Feng’s home was sealed off as a crime scene.

Now, Zhao Feng stood outside the two-story house, gazing up at the sky. He had only been back two days, and so much had already happened. Was he truly a bringer of misfortune?

It was already noon. Zhao Feng’s phone had no SIM card, so he couldn’t contact Chen Lan.

With nowhere else to go, Zhao Feng wandered aimlessly. Before he knew it, he looked up to find himself in an unfamiliar place.

He blinked. “How did I end up at the back hill?”

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he decided that since he had nowhere to go, he might as well lie down in the grass. He closed his eyes and basked in the afternoon sun.

In truth, Zhao Feng was not overly concerned for his father. If it came down to it, he could always use his martial strength to break Zhao Jun out. There was an unspoken rule that practitioners should not meddle in the mundane world, but if push came to shove, he was confident in his abilities.

Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a rustling sound.

His eyes snapped open and he sat up, stunned.

The source of the sound was none other than Wang Xiaoyun.

She blinked at him, and he blinked back. They blinked at each other in surprise.

“Sister Xiaoyun? What are you doing here?” Zhao Feng asked.

She looked a little embarrassed and rubbed her nose. “The power’s out in the village, it was too hot at home, so I came to the back hill to cool off.”

“Oh,” Zhao Feng replied, rubbing his nose awkwardly.

He dared not look directly at her, for she was clad only in a thin nightgown, revealing more than a little skin.

Wang Xiaoyun blinked again. “Weren’t you going to the county to get a new SIM card?”

Zhao Feng turned away. “Something came up, so I came back early.”

She sat down beside him, and Zhao Feng immediately felt on edge—the scent from her was intoxicating, reminiscent of lavender.