Chapter 7: Seeking One's Own Demise

Xu Feng remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the state of their relationship. He stifled a yawn, preparing to return to his room to rest; he had nothing to do for now, as long as he maintained his disguise as a useless, live-in son-in-law.

This scene happened to be witnessed by Feng Yumian nearby.

"Hey!"

"For the sake of you applying medicine to me, I will spare you this once. Next time, without my permission, you are not allowed to touch me with your dirty hands."

Xu Feng turned his head, looking completely bewildered. Seeing Feng Yumian’s fierce, claw-waving demeanor, he was suddenly struck by the urge to tease her.

"Do you still need me to change your dressing? If you don't, the wound on your back will fester, rot in large patches, and eventually spread to your face and your entire body."

Xu Feng’s words made Feng Yumian shudder. If she were to end up like that, she would rather be dead. Seeing her frozen in place, Xu Feng knew she had been frightened by his words. This girl was always blustering, but in reality, she was just a paper tiger. A little teasing was enough to scare her silly.

"You are allowed to approach me when changing the dressing, but you are not to touch me at any other time."

Seeming to feel that she had lost face in front of Xu Feng, Feng Yumian felt too embarrassed to stay any longer, turned around, and trotted out of the courtyard.

"Master, the Eldest Miss left with Zuo Jincheng. Won't something happen?"

Xu Feng naturally understood what Dong'er meant. He had never really cared about this marriage contract; he was only using it as a place to hide. Who Feng Yuzhi chose to be close to had nothing to do with him.

"Don't worry about them."

"Then I’ll go out for supplies. The rice jar in the room is empty; I need to buy some more."

Despite her small size, Dong'er handled all the affairs of the courtyard. She never let Xu Feng go hungry for his three daily meals. By comparison, the two of them felt more like family, huddling together for warmth.

"Be careful, and come back early."

...

According to Xu Feng’s plan, as long as he stayed inside and kept a low profile, no matter how Zuo Jincheng stirred up trouble, he wouldn't be able to find any leverage or get to him. However, his thinking had been a bit too simple. He didn't want to invite trouble, but trouble had not stayed away from him.

When Dong'er returned, it was later than usual, and contrary to her usual habits, she did not come to greet Xu Feng. This made Xu Feng immediately realize that something was wrong.

"Dong'er, when did you get back? Why didn't you say hello?"

When Xu Feng found Dong'er, she kept avoiding him, and she wouldn't speak when he asked her questions.

"Look up and let me see. Did someone bully you?"

Xu Feng gently lifted Dong'er’s chin, only to see a clear slap mark on the little girl’s face, with tear tracks still lingering on her cheeks. She had clearly been crying in her room for a long time.

"Who did this?"

"Master, please don't be impulsive. I'm fine. I just need to rest for a while."

Xu Feng could tolerate others bullying him; he could endure it to keep his identity hidden, but he could not tolerate others abusing those close to him.

"Tell me, who did it?"

Seeing that she couldn't hide it, Dong'er had no choice but to tell the truth. It turned out that Feng Yuzhi had arranged for people from Jianfeng Mountain to stay in the estate, and Dong'er had accidentally bumped into one of them when she returned from shopping.

"There is a road to heaven, yet you chose not to take it; there is no gate to hell, yet you broke in yourself."

"If you are seeking death, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Xu Feng hadn't intended to take action, but now he had a reason he could not ignore. He knew Dong'er; the girl was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the suffering of others, which was why she felt empathy for him, a lowly son-in-law. If those people from Jianfeng Mountain could lay a hand on someone so gentle, it was clear they were no good.

"Rest well in your room. I'm going out for a while."

Seeming afraid that Dong'er would worry, he added as he left, "I'm going to buy you some medicine."

After leaving the Feng estate, Xu Feng donned a mask. He casually tossed a letter into the arms of a beggar on the roadside, instructing him to deliver it to the Feng estate. It was a challenge to Zuo Jincheng.

Courtesy demands reciprocity; he was going to avenge Dong'er. He specifically left an address in the letter, and if he wasn't mistaken, the other side would certainly set up an ambush in advance. He chose a spot favorable for an ambush—a place where he wouldn't be easily surrounded, flanked by narrow alleys that ensured he could retreat calmly.

"Now, it is time to lure the prey into the trap."

Xu Feng’s voice vanished into the darkness of the night.

"Young Master Zuo, are you really going? What if the Ghost-Faced Man has already set an ambush?"

"No matter. My Jianfeng Mountain has many experts; why should I fear a single Ghost-Faced Man? I only fear that he wrote this letter to trick me and won't dare to show his face when we arrive."

Zuo Jincheng was full of confidence. Seeing this, Feng Yuzhi stopped trying to persuade him and just told him to be careful with his arrangements, saying she would wait at the estate to welcome them back.

"Senior Brother, you’ve got quite the romantic fortune down the mountain, to have such a beauty waiting on you."

"A pity she’s a married woman."

"What’s the difficulty in that? Just find an opportunity to get rid of the husband. Can a woman targeted by Senior Brother Zuo ever escape his grasp?"

...

Feng Yuzhi’s beauty was well-known in Gusu; a fair lady is a match for a gentleman. The group spoke with reckless abandon, soon arriving at the address mentioned in the letter.

"Seventh Junior Brother, take a few outer disciples and enter from the left side. Eighth Junior Brother, take the disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall and enter from the right. We will surround him from both sides and eliminate the Ghost-Faced Man to avenge my younger brother."

Although Zuo Jincheng had spoken lightly before leaving, he was actually very cautious in his actions. He knew the strength of his younger brother, which was proof enough of the Ghost-Faced Man’s power.

"The hunt begins."

A figure lurked in the darkness. Under the cover of night, the entire alley looked like a beast with its black maw wide open. Xu Feng did not intend to clash head-on with Zuo Jincheng; the man’s strength was superior to his own, so he would have to use the Human Emperor Banner to tangle with him.

He first set his sights on the group on the left, silently circling behind them. Wisps of black energy dispersed from the shadows, coalescing into ghostly apparitions beside Xu Feng. Ordinary people could hardly perceive these ghosts in the night, making them perfect for a sneak attack.

"Who’s there? Get out here!"

The people from Jianfeng Mountain were quite skilled, living up to their reputation as a famous sect. Even hidden in the shadows, Xu Feng could not entirely avoid their detection, but it didn't matter; they had only discovered him, not the ghosts behind them.

"Die!"

Before Zuo Jincheng’s Seventh Junior Brother could even draw his long sword, a dagger had already pierced his abdomen. Upon his death, his soul was gathered into the Human Emperor Banner, transforming into a ghost servant.

"Hmph, you can consider this a fitting end. My Human Emperor Banner only collects the wicked; this lot from Jianfeng Mountain are truly no good."

With this, Xu Feng killed without any hesitation. With the cover of the Human Emperor Banner, no one could evade his sneak attacks. Zuo Jincheng splitting his forces into two had instead given Xu Feng the perfect opportunity. Everything was exactly as he had foreseen.

Under the cover of night, Xu Feng reaped life after life. The disciples led by the Seventh Junior Brother had all died by his hand, without putting up the slightest resistance. Xu Feng’s own power increased significantly, leaving him only a step away from the Martial Artist realm. And this, a mere half a month after he had first touched the martial arts, would be nothing short of terrifying if news of it were to spread.