Chapter 7: So It Was You

Ever since seeing Sun Xingmei's corpse, Sun Xingye had been in a daze. I was anxious to report to the police as soon as possible, so I pulled him along toward where we had parked the car. But before we had walked far, I suddenly heard footsteps ahead! I looked up and saw a middle-aged man covered in mud approaching us, carrying a machete used for cutting bamboo! But when I got a good look at his face, my heart sank. I never expected to run into him… "What are you doing here? Why are you in my bamboo grove?" the man asked gruffly. Sun Xingye was still lost in grief and seemed confused. I quickly put on a smile and said, "Brother, we were just exploring and got lost when it got dark! Do you know which way we should go to get out of here?" The man gave me a suspicious look, then pointed south with his hand. "Just keep walking that way, and you'll get out." I nodded in thanks and pulled Sun Xingye along quickly in the direction he pointed. But after just a few steps, I heard the man's cold voice from behind us: "You came from the west?" The sudden change in his tone caught me off guard. Before I could even warn Sun Xingye that this man was his sister's murderer, I felt a gust of wind rushing toward the back of my head! That was the first time in my life I faced such danger. Of course, compared to what I would later experience, this was nothing. But at that moment, I truly thought I was going to die in this desolate bamboo forest, far from civilization. Clang! A sharp metallic sound rang in my ears, so loud that it left my eardrums buzzing. I turned around and saw that the man's machete had been knocked to the ground by something unknown. My first instinct was that Sun Xingye had done it, but when I looked at him, he was still standing there in confusion… "Run! He's the one who killed your sister!" I shouted. Hearing this, Sun Xingye finally snapped out of his daze. He froze for a moment before suddenly lunging at the man, and the two of them immediately started grappling. I had always lived by the principle of "a gentleman uses words, not fists," and I had never been in a fight before. But at a time like this, I had no choice! I picked up a rock from the ground but hesitated, unsure of where to strike. Meanwhile, Sun Xingye was beginning to lose the fight, barely able to hold on! I anxiously checked my phone—still no signal. Screw it! If I killed him, it would just be self-defense! Determined, I ran forward, only to be met with a powerful kick straight to my chest… A wave of darkness flooded my vision as I tasted something metallic in my throat. My stomach churned violently. To be honest, I was never cut out for physical fights. This man was clearly used to hard labor and had immense strength—both Sun Xingye and I together were no match for him. I lay on the ground for a long moment before struggling to get back up. But by then, Sun Xingye was already lying motionless on the ground. The man had somehow retrieved his fallen machete, and he was raising it to strike him down! "Stop!" I shouted. Surprisingly, the man actually froze. Slowly, he turned his cold eyes toward me. A chill ran down my spine. I'm next! "B-brother… let's talk this out, alright? You just want money, right? No need to kill, right?" I stammered as I backed away. But the middle-aged man sneered. "Drop the act. You came from the west—don't tell me you don't know what's over there? Kid, you're just unlucky today. Don't blame me…" Halfway through his sentence, the man suddenly stopped. His eyes were locked onto something behind me, filled with terror. "Who's there?!" he exclaimed. The moment he spoke, I, too, felt an eerie gaze piercing toward me from behind. A sense of déjà vu hit me… Panicking, I turned around and saw a dark figure standing behind several bamboo stalks not far away. His back was to the moon, his silhouette sharp against the light. He looked like a messenger from the underworld, and for a moment, I couldn't tell if he was human or ghost. But his eyes were strikingly bright, like two luminous pearls in the darkness. He stared at me intensely, as if he could see straight through me… Suddenly, I remembered what happened last night. So it was him—he's been watching me all along! Was he an ally or an enemy? I had no idea. But one thing was certain—the man standing before me wanted me dead. "You're finally here! How much longer until the police arrive? I think we can catch this murderer red-handed today!" I bluffed, pretending I knew the shadowy figure. The middle-aged man hesitated, his body tensing up. His eyes darted around, calculating whether he should finish the job or flee. Just as I thought my trick had worked, I saw the glint of his machete coming right at me… This is it. I hadn't even gotten married or had kids yet! I couldn't believe I was going to die here before I could truly use my talents. I wasn't ready! I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for pain. But after waiting for what felt like forever, nothing happened. "Why are you still standing there with your eyes closed?" a cold voice rang beside me. The voice was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar at the same time. I had squeezed my eyes shut so tightly that when I finally opened them, my vision was blurry. I blinked hard and finally saw the person standing before me… He was tall—at least 1.9 meters. His features were sharp, and he seemed to be around my age. Dressed entirely in black, his clothing accentuated his lean, powerful frame. No wonder I hadn't noticed him before—he had been blending into the shadows all along. I turned to look at the murderer and saw that he was already lying face-down on the ground, unconscious. Still sitting on the ground, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe from the man in black. Even though his presence was commanding, I refused to back down. Tilting my chin up at a proud 45-degree angle, I asked: "Who are you?" "I saw you last night," he replied indifferently, ignoring my question. I snorted and said, "I know. You've been following me since last night. Just tell me—what do you want?" "I'd advise you to call the police while you still can," he said emotionlessly. "That man is only temporarily unconscious. Given his strength, I doubt he'll stay down for long." I knew he was right. Right now, my priority was securing the murderer—I couldn't let Sun Xingmei's death be in vain. I had to make sure this beast was brought to justice.