Counter-kill

Jin Feng had actually woken up when Tang Dongdong opened the door to go out for water. Hearing it was her, he simply rolled over and went back to sleep. But in his drowsy state, he heard faint voices in the courtyard—clearly male voices. Peeking out the window, he saw Xie Guang and the bald man tying up Tang Dongdong.

His first instinct was to grab his crossbow. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected Xie Guang to dare return to the village, so the crossbow was left in the workshop. Left with no other option, he grabbed a stool and hid behind the door. Luck was on his side—he knocked Xie Guang out cold with a single swing.

With only the bald man left, Jin Feng thought he could hold his ground for a while. If he could just hold out until the villagers arrived, the bald man would be finished. But the bald man was too cunning and decisive. Seeing the situation turn against him, he immediately took Tang Dongdong hostage.

This was the first time in both his lives that Jin Feng had faced such a situation. Forcing himself to stay calm, he began to negotiate softly with the bald man:

"Brother, let's talk this through! Don't hurt my friend. Whatever you want, I can give it to you!"

"I know you've got over twenty taels of silver. Hand it over!" the bald man demanded, not even glancing at Xie Guang.

"Fine!" Jin Feng immediately pulled two silver ingots from his pocket and tossed them about half a meter in front of the bald man. "Let my friend go, and the money's yours!"

If the bald man went to pick up the money, Jin Feng might have a chance to strike. But the bald man wasn't fooled. "Throw your knife away and come pick it up for me!" he ordered coldly.

Jin Feng was willing to give up the silver without hesitation. Even if the bald man took the money and ran, he wouldn't care. But throwing away his knife? If the bald man decided to stab him, what then? Jin Feng hesitated.

"Hurry up!" The bald man pressed the blade slightly, and a thin line of blood appeared on Tang Dongdong's neck.

Jin Feng's pupils contracted. It wasn't just the blood on Tang Dongdong's neck—he also noticed a figure sneaking into the courtyard behind the bald man. It was too dark to see clearly, but from the way the person moved, it seemed to be a woman, likely not with the bald man.

At this point, Jin Feng had no choice but to gamble.

"Brother, you can take the money, but if you hurt my friend, I'll scream. Neither of us will get out of here alive!" Jin Feng threw his knife aside and slowly walked forward, trying to keep the bald man's attention.

"Don't worry. I'm just here for the money," the bald man said, though he had already decided to kill Jin Feng as soon as he got close.

One step,

Two steps,

Three steps…

Just a couple more steps, and Jin Feng would be within reach of the silver.

The bald man tightened his grip on the machete, ready to strike.

The atmosphere was tense and oppressive.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from the main room, shattering the silence of the night.

Guan Xiaorou had woken up and seen the bloodied figure on the ground…

"You bastard, you tricked me!" the bald man roared, raising his machete to stab Tang Dongdong.

At that moment, the figure behind the bald man lunged forward, slamming into his back.

Jin Feng finally saw who it was—Xie Guang's wife, Runiang!

"Why is she here?" The thought flashed through Jin Feng's mind, but he pushed it aside. Now wasn't the time for questions. He focused and charged at the bald man.

The bald man kicked Runiang away, sending her tumbling, and then swung the machete back toward Tang Dongdong.

Though Runiang's strength was minimal, her push had bought Jin Feng just enough time. As the machete was about to pierce Tang Dongdong's neck, Jin Feng reached out and grabbed the blade, yanking it off course.

*Thud!*

The machete missed Tang Dongdong's neck and embedded itself in the doorframe.

Ignoring the searing pain in his hand, Jin Feng kicked the bald man between the legs. The bald man let out a howl, his face turning red as he doubled over in agony. Jin Feng followed up with a knee to the bald man's face.

*Crack!*

The bald man's nose shattered, and his mind went blank. His grip on the machete loosened, and Jin Feng seized the weapon, plunging it into the bald man's chest.

Blood gushed out.

The bald man collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Though it felt like an eternity, the entire sequence—from Runiang's push to Jin Feng's counterattack—took only a few seconds.

But Jin Feng felt as if all his strength had been drained. He leaned against the doorframe, gasping for air, his right hand trembling as it still clutched the machete.

Killing someone wasn't a pleasant experience, especially in close combat. Jin Feng's mind was flooded with the sensation of the blade piercing the bald man's chest and the sound it made.

"I killed someone… I killed someone…" The thought echoed in his mind.

"Husband!" Guan Xiaorou rushed out, clutching a broom, and began frantically bandaging Jin Feng's injured hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Help! Help!" Runiang scrambled to her feet, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Xiao'e, finally awakened by the commotion, began wailing in fear.

The small courtyard was suddenly alive with noise.

Jin Feng, shaken back to reality by the women's cries, used the machete to cut the ropes binding Tang Dongdong. Her legs gave out, and she slid to the ground, clutching Jin Feng's leg and sobbing even louder than Xiao'e. She had been truly terrified.

Soon, torches appeared in the village. By the time Zhang Liang, who lived farther away, arrived with his machete, the village chief had already taken control of the situation.

Seeing the blood in the courtyard and the bald man's lifeless body, Zhang Liang's heart tightened. But when he spotted Jin Feng standing unharmed among the crowd, he breathed a sigh of relief. He grabbed the hunter, Chen Liu, and asked, "Old Liu, what happened?"

"Xie Guang brought someone to rob Jin Feng's house again. They ran into Tang Dongdong, and a fight broke out."

"That scoundrel Xie Guang again!" Zhang Liang gritted his teeth. "Where is he?"

"Over there," Chen Liu pointed to Xie Guang, who was now tied up.

"That's Xie Guang?" Zhang Liang squinted. It wasn't that his eyesight was poor—Jin Feng had hit Xie Guang so hard that his nose was flattened, and his face was covered in blood. It was hard to recognize him.

"If we've caught the bastard, why keep him alive?" In the village, thieves were usually beaten to death on the spot, let alone in a situation like this.

"The village chief said to send him to the authorities," Chen Liu whispered. "I guess the chief can't bring himself to do it. After all, Xie Guang's father served in the army with him."

"If he can't do it, I will!" Jin Feng might not have killed anyone before, but Zhang Liang was a veteran of the battlefield. Killing someone was no different from slaughtering a chicken to him—no, actually, killing a chicken would excite him more because it meant there'd be meat to eat.

"Don't!" Chen Liu grabbed Zhang Liang. "That scoundrel's as good as dead anyway. Why dirty your hands and upset the village chief?"

"How do you know he's as good as dead?"