Late at night.
In the abandoned courtyard adjacent to the Quadrangle Courtyard, a figure flickered under the dim moonlight. The night was silent, save for the sound of a cool breeze rustling through the treetops. Had anyone seen this figure appear so abruptly, they would surely have been terrified. Fortunately, no one was around to haunt this derelict place at such an hour. Who would be bored enough in the middle of the night to come here looking for trouble?
*Clack, clack...*
With a light footfall, the figure emerged from the shadows. The moonlight was dim, yet not enough to shroud everything in total darkness. As the mottled light fell, it revealed the face of Chen Feng.
That’s right. It was Chen Feng, who had appeared here using spatial coordinates.
It was desolate and deserted; all he had to do was climb over the low courtyard wall to easily enter the Rear Courtyard of the Quadrangle Courtyard. There was no better spot than this. Although Chen Feng was certain no one would come here at this hour, he had learned his lesson from what happened earlier that day. Upon appearing, he immediately scanned his surroundings, his powerful senses allowing him to clearly perceive the breathing and heartbeats of every living creature within a radius of ten meters.
Ensuring no one was nearby, Chen Feng quickly changed into the clothes, mask, and gloves he had prepared in advance, wrapping himself up tightly to ensure not a shred of evidence would be left behind.
"Liu Haizhong, your grandfather has arrived!"
A cold smile played on Chen Feng’s lips as he vaulted over the wall with a light leap. Before this morning, he hadn't decided on a target, but as luck would have it, Liu Haizhong had practically thrown himself into the line of fire, solving Chen Feng's indecision. Otherwise, he would still be looking for a mark.
Moving through the darkness, Chen Feng arrived at the entrance of Liu Haizhong’s home without alerting a soul. He gave the door a light push, but it didn't budge.
*Hmph!*
"So much for 'no need to bolt doors at night' and being a 'civilized courtyard.' Turns out you lock your door too, you hypocrite!"
Chen Feng snorted coldly. He took out a small knife, inserted it into the door crack, and nudged the old-fashioned bolt until it clicked open. Retracting his presence, he pushed the door open and slipped into the house.
Liu Haizhong’s home was not small, consisting of three rooms. The middle one served as a living room and dining room, with bedrooms on either side. His three sons occupied the west room, while Liu Haizhong and his wife lived in the east.
Lifting the curtain to the east room, Chen Feng’s sharp eyesight allowed him to clearly see Liu Haizhong’s chubby, bloated face despite the pitch-black interior.
*Hmph!*
"Caught you."
Stepping forward, Chen Feng lightly touched Liu Haizhong’s shoulder, and with a single thought, the man’s heavy frame vanished from the bed into the Spatial Farm. Since he could raise livestock, he could certainly keep a beast.
Glancing at the oblivious Second Aunt Liu, Chen Feng’s eyes flickered. He withdrew his hands and turned to leave the Liu residence.
Once he returned to the abandoned courtyard, he instantly entered the Spatial Farm. Looking down at the still-slumbering Liu Haizhong, Chen Feng gave a cold laugh, pulled out a pre-prepared iron rod, and brought it down heavily onto Liu Haizhong’s thigh.
*Crack...*
"Aaaargh!"
With the sound of snapping bone, Liu Haizhong, still deep in sleep, suddenly jolted awake. He instinctively clutched his thigh and let out a piercing scream.
Unfortunately, no matter how loud his screams were, they remained trapped within the Spatial Farm; not a sound could escape to the outside world.
*Damn!*
The sudden, pig-like squealing caused Chen Feng’s eyes to turn bloodshot, the intent to kill rising in his heart like crashing waves. Fortunately, his master-level Hong Quan gave him a powerful will, allowing him to forcibly suppress the urge to slaughter Liu Haizhong right there.
However, a death sentence might be averted, but his suffering was just beginning. Watching Liu Haizhong wail, Chen Feng swung the rod again, slamming it into the man’s other leg.
*Crack...*
The violent force shattered Liu Haizhong’s lower leg bone instantly.
"Ah!"
Struck again, Liu Haizhong finally realized what was happening. He lifted his head in disbelief, looking at the masked man standing before him, and felt as if he were going insane.
"Argh... Who... who are you? I have no grievances with you, why are you doing this to me?"
"No grievances?"
Chen Feng sneered. He had a strong urge to pull off his mask and let Liu Haizhong see exactly who he was. He wanted to ask him if he really thought the words "no grievances" were so easily spoken. But for the sake of his future plans—and because he didn't want Liu Haizhong to die so easily—he held back. He wanted Liu Haizhong to know what true despair felt like.
"You... who exactly are you?"
Seeing Chen Feng remain silent, Liu Haizhong assumed the man was intimidated, and his arrogance flared up again.
"I don't care who you are! Let me go right now, or I swear I won't let you off! When the police arrive, you’ll definitely face the full force of the law. If you let me go now, maybe I'll show some mercy and spare you. But you’ll have to pay my medical bills—I don't want much, just a thousand or so!"
Though the agony in his legs made Liu Haizhong want to kill the intruder, if he could get a large sum of money, he didn't mind stringing the man along.
*Heh.*
His words were met only with the intruder's mocking laughter.
"Liu Haizhong, what kind of pipe dream are you having? 'Let you go'? 'Pay your medical bills'? Who the hell do you think you are, demanding money from me? I’ll show you what happens when you ask for money!"
Liu Haizhong’s arrogance and self-righteousness fueled the fire in Chen Feng’s heart. The iron rod fell like rain, hammering into Liu Haizhong’s body.
*Thud, thud, thud...*
The heavy blows made it clear to Liu Haizhong exactly what it meant for the rod to hit flesh.
"Aaaargh!"
The intense pain was driving him mad.
"You... how dare you hit me! I’m telling you, you're finished! I’ll report you to the police, I won't let you get away with this!"
But the more arrogant Liu Haizhong became, the more ruthless Chen Feng’s strikes grew. The iron rod showed no mercy. The soul-shattering pain finally made Liu Haizhong realize true fear.
"Help! Help me! Someone's trying to kill me! Come quick, save me!"
Chen Feng’s cruelty had finally broken him. He stopped cursing and started shouting at the top of his lungs, hoping to draw someone’s attention. Yet, no matter how he screamed, the surroundings remained silent. Other than the whistling wind from Chen Feng’s iron rod, there was not a sound. Not a person, not even a bird.
*This!*
Liu Haizhong was stunned. How could this be? Even in this state, why was no one coming to his rescue? Where was his wife? Where were his three sons?
While Liu Haizhong stared in shock, Chen Feng grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him up as if he were nothing more than a slab of fat.
"You bloated pig, still trying to call for help? Scream then! Go on, scream! Even if you scream until your throat bleeds, no one is coming to save you."
Chen Feng patted Liu Haizhong’s greasy face, his eyes full of mockery.
"Aaargh... No... please, don't hit me anymore. I beg you, let me go. I won't scream anymore, I..."
The man’s hand, like an iron vice, made Liu Haizhong feel the true threat of death. As the sensation of suffocation took hold, Liu Haizhong finally collapsed. The look in his eyes as he stared at Chen Feng was a mixture of terror, supplication, and utter despair. At that moment, he truly felt death hovering right before his eyes.