Without a word, Lin Feng opened fire. His appearance was too sudden, and after only a brief exchange with Li Xiangdong, the four guards behind hadn’t yet realized what was happening when Li Xiangdong was already dead, his body like scattered flesh on the ground. The four guards finally snapped out of their shock, drawing their guns and firing at the young man. Bang, bang, bang… Bullets flew wildly, but the young man seemed still stunned from his anger, standing motionless. “Move! Get out of the way!” Wang Xiaoyun tried to scream, but bound tightly, she could only produce muffled cries. Bullets hit the young man who had suddenly appeared. Seeing their easy victory, the four guards were in disbelief, rushing forward to check while still shooting at the young man.
The heavy wooden cross binding Wang Xiaoyun lost its balance, pulling her forward to fall. The makeshift cross was made from roughly cut wood, still with its bark and thorns, clumsy and heavy. Even a strong man tied to it would find it hard to move, let alone a delicate girl like Wang Xiaoyun, who would likely be half-dead if she fell. In her desperation, she turned her face away, eyes tightly shut in fear, hoping for a miracle. Just then, she felt a resistance; she was hanging awkwardly in mid-air. At the same time, a familiar voice sounded in her ear again, “All of you, go to hell!” The submachine guns sang a cheerful tune, and before the four guards could understand what was happening, bullets from behind pierced through them. In moments, they too were turned into sieves, lying in pools of blood.
“Xiaoyun, I’m here to save you!” The young man swiftly drew a sharp knife and cut the ropes binding Wang Xiaoyun, gently peeling off the tape covering her mouth. “Is that you, Fengzi? … Really … is it … you …” Wang Xiaoyun collapsed into Lin Feng’s arms, nearly at the brink of mental collapse after enduring a day and night of torment. Especially when she was being carried out by those four burly men, she thought her feared moment had arrived. “It’s me! It’s me! Xiaoyun, you’ve suffered!” “Feng…” Wang Xiaoyun’s skin was marked with many bright red scars, some even with flesh turned inside out, clearly from struggling against her bonds, her skin chafed raw by the rough ropes. Her clothes were in tatters; she had left in a hurry that day, dressed lightly, and having been confined in such a damp, cold place, one could only imagine how she managed to survive. The inhumane treatment she had endured over these past days must have felt like descending into the deepest hell. She had been constantly thinking about how to escape, the physical pain being secondary; the critical issue was to stay alert to prevent any assault by the bandits, ready to use her secret techniques to take them down with her if necessary. This continuous state of high mental tension, without a moment’s relaxation, was the most unbearable part for her. Thus, upon hearing Lin Feng’s voice, her already strained spirit immediately collapsed. Before she could finish her sentence, Wang Xiaoyun slumped into Lin Feng’s embrace. “These bastards! Scoundrels!” “Feng… Zi… save Tingting and the others…” Wang Xiaoyun managed to say with effort before she could speak no more. “Hmm—” Seeing Wang Xiaoyun so emaciated and pale, Lin Feng’s heart ached. He cursed the bandits led by Li Xiangdong, frustrated at his own tardiness. At that moment, Lin Feng wished he could charge out, slaughter all the bandits on Jade Plate Mountain, his eyes blazing with fury. The enemies in the cave were already dealt with, but with gunshots, other bandits from elsewhere were surely converging here, especially that terrifying old witch. If they were cornered here, things would go from bad to worse. Now was not the time for lamentation. Lin Feng suppressed his impulse, took off his jacket to wrap around Wang Xiaoyun, and without another word, hoisted her onto his shoulder, dashing out. This time, Wang Xiaoyun didn’t resist due to the embarrassment of the position; she was too exhausted, actually falling asleep on Lin Feng’s shoulder. Having not eaten, drunk, or slept for days, confined in a cold cave, and needing to stay alert, even an iron man would not hold up.
Meanwhile, the other bandits, alerted by the gunfire, were rapidly gathering towards the back mountain. The mountain paths were treacherous, and the bandits were numerous, occupying strategic positions, making it nearly impossible to advance. Lin Feng was still concerned about the other six girls who were also captured. He had promised Xiaoyun to save them, and even if she hadn’t asked, he had the intention, though not with much urgency. He knew it would be nearly impossible for him alone to safely rescue all six girls. To put it bluntly, if he decided to save them, he might end up like a meat bun hitting a dog – gone without a trace. What should he do, save them or not? If he did, what about Xiaoyun now? Could he really manage to carry seven girls through a battlefield? Lin Feng told himself not to be delusional, but thinking of that girl who had turned to ashes in an instant, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. The sounds of people were getting closer…
P: Here comes the big push, if the collection grows quickly, I’ll try to have a big update today, maybe adding one or two chapters…
Chapter 117: Intent to Kill (3)
“Xiaoyun, the other six innocent girls, they were also lured here by Li Xiangdong, including Zhu Tingting, Li Qianqian, Zhou Weiwei from our class… Should we go save them? I really want to save them, but alone, I can’t possibly get all six of them out…” Lin Feng said as he ran, torn by indecision. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be in two places at once, and even calling the police now wouldn’t help in time given the remote location.
“Save… we must save them… Fengzi… I believe you can save them… you definitely can… you have powers… you can definitely save them…” Wang Xiaoyun was still half-asleep but had unwavering faith in Lin Feng.
Lin Feng shook his head with a bitter smile, thinking, silly girl, you haven’t seen the terrifying methods of that old witch. Do you really think my powers make me invincible? The bandits themselves aren’t too much of a concern, just more numerous, but if that old witch catches up, forget saving those six; our lives would be in immediate danger. However, with Wang Xiaoyun’s encouragement, his fear of the mysterious old witch lessened.
Fine, I won’t act rashly. For now, I’ll save one by one. First, I need to find a safe place to hide this silly girl. I must stay calm and not panic. That old witch is formidable, but I have a gun, and I’m fast; what’s there to fear? Giving himself a pep talk, Lin Feng sprinted towards the valley, hoping to use the terrain and trees for cover to evade the bandits.
“Xiaoyun, are you feeling any better?” After running for an unknown length of time without hearing the bandits’ pursuit, Lin Feng slowed down. Ahead, a ridge was covered in dense vegetation. Lin Feng reached the top, looked around, and thought this place offered a clear view, with the valley floor having plenty of rocks and a water source. If someone needed to hide temporarily, even if chased by bandits, they could easily escape elsewhere. Wang Xiaoyun on his back was completely asleep.
