Chapter 56: Chapter 27: Annihilation
Gao Tong’s chest was pierced through, the blade buried to the hilt. His body’s momentum carried him forward, and he slammed hard into Zhou Changlin, sending them both tumbling.
THUD!
The two of them didn’t stop rolling until they hit the wall.
Zhou Changlin was pinned underneath. Gao Tong lay on top of him, eyes bulging. He could no longer speak, only gurgle as he coughed up blood that stained his clothes.
"Brother Gao?!"
Zhou Changlin finally saw the face of the man on top of him and cried out in alarm. Though his heart filled with self-reproach and panic, he didn’t forget the crisis at hand.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!
At that moment, Fang Rui was already upon them.
In this situation, Zhou Changlin had no time to pull the blade from Gao Tong’s body. His rich combat experience led him to plant his left hand on the ground and sweep out with his right leg.
His plan was sound: force Fang Rui back, execute a ground roll, and pull out the blade in one smooth motion. With the saber in hand, it would still be anyone’s fight.
However.
Fang Rui neither dodged nor evaded, simply catching Zhou Changlin’s right leg with a backhand grip.
Normally, an arm is no match for a leg, let alone powerful enough to stop such a swift kick. Yet Fang Rui not only caught it, but gripped it so tightly that Zhou Changlin couldn’t move an inch.
’This strength... it’s impossible for an Eighth Grade! Could he be... a Seventh Grade?!’
Zhou Changlin’s heart leaped.
Even though he couldn’t believe it, the facts were right in front of him, and there was no other explanation.
His face filled with incredulous terror. ’You son of a bitch, if you’d just said something! Even if I had nerves of steel, how could I have dared to ambush a Seventh Grade Martial Artist?!’
What was even more frustrating was that Fang Rui was clearly this strong—strong enough to dominate in a direct confrontation—yet he still resorted to a sneak attack. He had no martial honor whatsoever!
CRACK!
Fang Rui twisted with force, directly snapping Zhou Changlin’s right leg.
"Aargh!"
Zhou Changlin let out a blood-curdling scream. "Spar... spare me..."
But Fang Rui ignored him completely. The moment his opponent’s face twisted in pain, he took a step forward, grabbed Zhou Changlin by the hair, and slammed his head into the nearby wall.
BANG!
Blood splattered. A perfectly good head was instantly misshapen.
And the world fell silent.
"Villains die because they talk too much. I won’t make that mistake."
Fang Rui muttered, wiping his blood-stained hand on Zhou Changlin’s clothes before getting to his feet with crisp efficiency.
The entire fight, from start to finish, was a completely one-sided slaughter. It was over in the space of a few dozen breaths.
However, behind this victory...
Fang Rui had walked this path countless times, scouting the area over and over. He made a point to be extra vigilant whenever he passed through this section.
He had run countless simulations in his mind: how to launch a sneak attack on this route and from which position would be best; or, if he were the one being pursued, which escape routes to take and where he could set up an ambush.
One minute of performance is backed by ten years of training. In other words, Fang Rui’s effortless victory, like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, was the fruit of countless hours spent on meticulous planning and simulation.
’I don’t usually make a move, but when I do, I make sure it’s a complete rout!’
Fang Rui’s eyes flashed. He walked over and pulled the saber from Gao Tong’s corpse.
"Second Uncle, I’m here! I..."
Zhou Chu arrived just then, panting heavily. And then he saw them: the not-yet-cold corpses of Gao Tong and Zhou Changlin, and Fang Rui, who turned to stare at him like a Demon God.
"Elder Gao... Second Uncle... You... you..."
His voice trembled, and he couldn’t help but swallow hard. His legs felt weak.
"Ah, so one slipped through the net."
Just then, Fang Rui lifted Gao Tong’s corpse and hurled it at him.
THUD!
Zhou Chu was knocked to the ground by the impact. A dagger fell from his clothes, clattering.
Fang Rui strode forward, saber in hand. He severed the tendons in Zhou Chu’s wrists and ankles, and as the man screamed in agony, he placed the blade against his neck.
"Who else was part of this ambush besides you and these two?" he asked coldly.
"Sp-spare me... Spare me, and I’ll tell you..." Zhou Chu stammered. He felt a warm sensation in his lower body and realized he had wet his pants.
Fang Rui didn’t say a word. He moved the tip of the blade from Zhou Chu’s neck and plunged it into a spot on his back.
He was a Physician. He knew many parts of the human body that, when injured, would cause extreme pain without being fatal. If this man wanted to be stubborn, he was more than happy to play along.
"Aaargh!" Zhou Chu screamed. His face turned pale with pain, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
"Who else?" Fang Rui asked again.
"N-no one. There’s no one else." Zhou Chu immediately became cooperative.
Fang Rui didn’t let him off the hook. He began firing off other questions at a rapid pace, giving Zhou Chu no time to think. He even repeated some questions every so often...
After a round of questioning, he had the information he wanted.
Then, with a flash of the blade, a red line appeared on Zhou Chu’s neck.
"Zhou Changlin, Gao Tong..."
Fang Rui’s gaze flickered.
According to Zhou Chu, those two had friends, but they were mostly fair-weather friends who would never stick their necks out for them.
’That makes sense. What kind of true friends could a couple of gang thugs have? Even if they had close relatives or sworn brothers, it’s unlikely any of them would come seeking revenge against me.’
’In novels, killing one person is like kicking a hornet’s nest, with a whole string of people lining up to get themselves killed. But that’s just for dramatic effect!’
This was the real world, not a novel. People were far more realistic.
Even their closest friends and family would almost never risk their lives fighting a powerful enemy for a dead man’s sake. Instead, the chances of them fighting over the inheritance, preying on a family with no heir, or even following the old adage of "I’ll take good care of your wife for you," were far, far greater.
’The loyal and righteous heroes passed down in stories are celebrated and looked up to precisely because they are so incredibly rare!’
