Chapter Ninety-Three: Ruthless and Ferocious!

Chapter Ninety-Three: Utter Ruthlessness!

Tang Zhong lay sprawled on the ground, his limbs stretched out in the shape of the character “too,” gasping for breath. At this moment, if Tang Zhong had brush and ink in hand, he would have inscribed a banner for himself. The couplet would read: “Getting into trouble with thugs at school, falling into the hands of killers while traveling,” with the horizontal inscription: “Who has it worse than me?”

Who else could be so unlucky as to encounter such a formidable assassin while simply taking a girl up a mountain to visit a temple? His misfortune surpassed even that of the protagonists in the classic road thriller “The Hitcher.”

Tang Zhong was no stranger to death. His bearded father had once taken him to witness executions—some convicts, afraid a single bullet wouldn’t be enough, insisted on being shot in the head. The sight of brain matter and blood spraying everywhere haunted his nightmares for years. His father, a surprisingly compassionate man, was deeply concerned about his son’s condition and sought to cure him right away. Indeed, Tang Zhong quickly “recovered”—after three months of witnessing firing squads. He was only nine years old at the time.

But this was the first time Tang Zhong had killed someone himself.

Watching others die was a mix of anger, pity, helplessness, and a deep reverence for life. This was also why Tang Zhong so often fought back against those who tried to harm him; he understood the value of life. He had only one, and if someone took it from him, he’d have nothing left. When you lose your life, what else is there to care about?

To kill with his own hands—it was a feeling beyond words. He couldn’t think of any phrase or sentence to describe his emotions at this moment. Thankfully, his nerves were strong; an ordinary person would likely have broken down by now. Of course, if he had been ordinary, he wouldn’t have had the chance to collapse—he’d already be dead at the hands of the evil priest.

“Are you alright?” Tang Zhong asked.

Qiu Yihan did not reply. She sat on the ground, eyes vacant, her body trembling violently. She was truly terrified. Protected all her life by family, she had barely witnessed the slaughter of a chicken, let alone a person.

Tang Zhong struggled to his feet, walked to her side, and gently embraced her shaking form, soothing her in a soft voice. “It’s alright. It’s over now.”

“I—I—” Qiu Yihan tried to speak, but after uttering “I,” no other words would come out.

“No need to talk. Don’t say anything. Just rest a bit, you’re exhausted. You did very well just now. You saved my life,” Tang Zhong said, gently stroking her back with a smile.

It was Qiu Yihan who had struck the priest with a stone, opening his skull. Her surprise attack had thrown the assassin off balance and allowed Tang Zhong to stab him in the eye. He had no idea how she’d found the strength to stand, let alone the courage to act. This ordeal had pushed her to her limits.

Qiu Yihan slowly closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttering, and a crystal tear slipped down her cheek to the corner of her mouth. Whether from exhaustion or nerves, she soon fell asleep in Tang Zhong’s arms.

Tang Zhong sighed softly.

The evil priest was dead, and for now, they were safe. But this was only the prelude to a larger drama. What should they do next?

“Run?”

Tang Zhong shook his head. The priest’s body, fallen down the mountain, would soon be found. The police would launch a massive manhunt. Where could he possibly escape to?

If he didn’t run, and the priest’s identity as a killer was revealed, he could plead self-defense. If he fled, the murder charge would all but be confirmed—why run if it was self-defense?

Besides, many people saw him go up the mountain with Qiu Yihan; even if he wanted to deny it, it would be impossible. Surely, people like Zhou Wei wouldn’t hesitate to stab him in the back under these circumstances. The blood and fingerprints on the priest’s body all pointed to him.

With Qiu Yihan in his arms, Tang Zhong’s mind raced, considering every possibility and response. After all his deliberations, there was only one path left.

“Well, they owe me this much,” Tang Zhong laughed bitterly. “This is a terrible feeling—so spineless. The Bearded One must have known this day would come. Why else would he have gone out of his way to speak up for Bai Su, even forcing me to agree to such an absurd request?”

He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialed a speed number, and said, “Hello, is this the police? I’d like to report a crime—at Tianyi Temple on Jade Maiden Peak…”

After hanging up, Tang Zhong felt utterly drained. The mountain wind cut like a knife, and he felt chilled to the bone. The only warmth left to him was Qiu Yihan’s body. He held her tightly, as if she were his sun.

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Hua Ming lounged lazily in the grass, chewing sweet stalks and saying, “Why hasn’t our second brother come down yet? Should we go up and check?”

“How could he come down so quickly?” Liang Tao replied, smoking nearby and grinning. “You take the trouble to bring a pretty girl up a mountain—you won’t let her go until you’ve taken full advantage. Let’s not go up. No one likes a third wheel…”

Suddenly, his face twisted with lewdness. He leaned close to Hua Ming’s ear and whispered, “Do you think they’ll do it right up there on the peak? Tsk, that must feel like flying. To conquer a woman is to conquer the world. Someday, I’ll bring my girlfriend up here too.”

“Impossible,” Hua Ming replied.

“Why not?” Liang Tao countered.

“Our second brother isn’t that kind of person. Unless Qiu Yihan forced herself on him and he couldn’t resist—”

“Do you have any shame?” Liang Tao said, speechless.

“Do you?” Hua Ming retorted angrily. “You don’t trust our second brother, who won’t even share a bed, but you trust the character of a beautiful woman? Can you trust a woman’s character? Are you stupid?”

It wasn’t just Hua Ming and Liang Tao who stayed behind; Zhou Wei and his group of classmates didn’t continue up the mountain either. Zhou Wei still had energy, but when he saw Qiu Yihan holding Tang Zhong’s hand as they walked upward, his interest and motivation evaporated. Why follow? To watch them flirt and kiss? That would be humiliating.

Thankfully, his philosophy was “plenty more fish in the sea.” No need to pine for one flower. Now he was flirting with a girl who liked him, making her laugh so hard she nearly fell into his arms.

Zhou Wei checked the time and called to Hua Ming and Liang Tao, “Hey, when’s your roommate coming down? If he doesn’t hurry, we’re heading off. There are still several sights we haven’t seen.”

“You go ahead,” Liang Tao replied. “We’ll wait here.”

“Alright, see you,” Zhou Wei said. He gathered his group and started down the mountain. As for why Tang Zhong and Qiu Yihan hadn’t come down—he didn’t want to dwell on that awkward question.

As Zhou Wei’s group descended halfway, they were suddenly met by five or six fully armed police officers running up the mountain. They were all surprised—what could have happened up there? Had a fugitive been discovered?

“Stop right there,” a black-faced officer barked. “Where are you coming from?”

“The first ridge,” Chen Xuebing replied honestly. “We couldn’t make it past the first ridge.”

“Did anyone go to Tianyi Temple?” the officer asked.

Zhou Wei’s mind raced. “Two classmates went up, not sure if they reached the temple. Officer, what happened?”

The officer whispered a few words to a young colleague, then said loudly, “Your two classmates are suspected of murder. We’re heading up to investigate. Until we have answers, none of you are to leave the mountain.”

“What?”

Everyone gasped in shock.

Murder? That couldn’t be real, could it?

Murder—who was killed? Could it be Tang Zhong killed Qiu Yihan? The thought brought Zhou Wei a fleeting moment of satisfaction, quickly replaced by anger. Damn it, even if you don’t want her, you can’t just kill her!

He called out, “Officer, that’s impossible! We’re all students at Southern University. My classmate—he’s not a killer! Tang Zhong…he likes to fight, but he wouldn’t kill anyone!”

Hearing Zhou Wei say “Tang Zhong likes to fight,” the officer’s face grew even darker.

“We’ve found a body. How could it not be murder?” the officer said coldly. They were with the Jade Maiden Mountain train station police, responsible for the safety of the station and surrounding scenic areas. After receiving the murder report, he’d assembled every available officer. Upon learning a body had fallen from Tianyi Temple, he’d sent two men to recover it. Halfway up, he’d already gotten their report—the corpse was found, and the scene was ghastly.

If two veteran officers described the body as “too gruesome to look at,” it truly must have been horrific. The killer was clearly ruthless, and the police had to take it seriously.

“I said none of you can leave until the matter is resolved.” The officer pointed at Zhou Wei. “You say you’re classmates. Come up with us and help identify them.”

“But officer, I don’t know him that well! His three roommates are right here—why not ask them?” Zhou Wei protested.

“Shut up!” the officer roared. “Do as I say and obey orders.”

(P.S. I’ve noticed something odd. Old Liu used to be able to cast only seven red votes a day. Suddenly today, he can cast eight.)