Chapter Nine: The Time for Revenge

Feng Qichuan was furious beyond measure. In the next instant, he leapt up with an unstoppable force, slashing his blade toward the two figures on the rooftop.

Startled, the pair hastily dodged in different directions, narrowly escaping the gleaming arc of the blade.

But Feng Qichuan was relentless; he swung again, shattering the tiles beneath their feet and sending shards flying in all directions.

In his eyes, they were already dead men.

He would not only kill them; he would make the entire Moruo Sect pay with their lives, to appease the spirits of his wife and child.

Even if he could not shake the Moruo Sect to its core, he would at least make them suffer.

As long as he lived, this vengeance would never end.

“This one’s tough—let’s retreat for now and come up with a new plan.” The two men grew more agitated as they fought. They had thought Feng Qichuan was a nobody, but who could have guessed he had been hiding his strength all along? Provoking a martial artist of the Postnatal realm was sheer folly.

Damn it!

If you’d only revealed your true strength earlier, things wouldn’t have come to this. Was pretending to be a second-rate fighter so amusing?

Their abilities, at best, could be called half a step into the Postnatal level. Even two against one, they gained no advantage.

The gulf between Postnatal and First-class fighters could not be bridged by numbers.

The two scrambled desperately along the eaves, Feng Qichuan hot on their heels.

At last, when he was about to catch up, the two exchanged a glance and split, each fleeing in a different direction.

Frowning, Feng Qichuan could only choose one to pursue.

The gap between them narrowed rapidly. Seeing Feng Qichuan closing in, despair spread across the fugitive’s face.

There was no escape!

Just as he prepared for a desperate struggle, Feng Qichuan’s blade was quicker. With a single stroke, he pierced the man’s spine; blood gushed forth.

“Murder!” The people below shouted.

Soon, someone recognized Feng Qichuan, and the crowd was abuzz with speculation.

Feng Qichuan said nothing, merely casting a glance in the direction the other man had fled.

But alas, the man had already vanished.

So he suppressed his urge to chase further.

Killing a man in the street had already caused an uproar.

The city guards arrived swiftly, sealing off the entire district tight as a drum.

“Feng Qichuan, surrender! You won’t get away—who gave you the audacity to kill in broad daylight?” The captain’s gaze was piercing; this act had dire consequences, a flagrant disregard for the law.

“Commander Sun, I only killed those who deserved it. They were fiends of the Moruo Sect. My wife and child died at their hands—tell me, where is my fault?” Had it been anyone else, Feng Qichuan might not have bothered to explain, but before him stood Sun Xin, a man he respected.

Sun Xin was upright and incorruptible, well regarded in Yingchuan, one of the rare good officials in the region.

“Right or wrong, come to the yamen and explain yourself. The fact remains: you killed in public. As for their identity, we must investigate,” Sun Xin’s expression softened slightly but he did not relent.

Feng Qichuan nodded as expected. “I know you are just, but my business is unfinished. Forgive me, I cannot comply.”

Staring at the hundreds of trained soldiers below, Feng Qichuan felt no fear. What if he’d been recognized? What did it matter if he was cursed by all?

He did not care.

Perhaps from the moment his wife and child died, his heart had died with them.

The man who remained was but a shell, driven only by revenge.

No one could stop him.

Even if it cost his life, he would not hesitate.

“Stubborn to the end—form ranks, don’t let him escape!” At Sun Xin’s command, the soldiers swiftly assembled in formation.

Feng Qichuan frowned. Though these were ordinary men, the formation was clever. Each breach he made was instantly filled; if he stayed, they could wear him down.

After a moment’s thought, he vaulted through the air, stepping lightly across the soldiers’ heads, clearing their formation. With a few more leaps, he vanished from Sun Xin’s sight.

A heavy silence fell. At last, Sun Xin, flushed with frustration, barked, “Damn it! Seal the city gates! Even if you have to dig up the earth, find him!”

Then, he instructed his lieutenant, “Warn everyone—this man is extremely dangerous. If you spot him, do not act rashly. Wait for my arrival before making a move.”

Though only a First-class fighter himself, Sun Xin could tell that Feng Qichuan’s display was the work of a true Postnatal master.

If they tried to apprehend him directly, it would only lead to needless bloodshed.

Their only hope lay in numbers and the advantage of formation.

…

Not long after his escape, Feng Qichuan ran into Yi An, who had been watching nearby.

Yi An had followed him from the moment he gave chase, always lurking in the shadows.

“Come with me.”

Without hesitation, Feng Qichuan followed.

There was no longer any safe haven for him in Yingchuan. Soon, his likeness would be posted in every alley and street.

In truth, the only person he could trust now was this new acquaintance before him.

Friend and mentor both—without Yi An, he would never have had his chance for vengeance.

The two moved stealthily, choosing deserted alleys, until they reached the place Yi An had chosen.

“Why bring me to the City Lord’s residence?” Feng Qichuan asked in astonishment, eyeing the vast compound before him.

Yi An replied, “Haven’t you heard? The most dangerous place is the safest.”

Yingchuan was a small place. If someone truly wished to find a man, there was nowhere to hide.

They could only devise a new plan, hiding where no one would think to look.

The City Lord’s residence was huge. Though bustling with servants, it was easy enough to find a secluded spot.

They slipped into an abandoned storeroom, its furnishings long neglected—surely a place few would notice.

Yi An spoke. “Actually, besides being a good hiding place, there’s another reason.”

“Earlier, when you chased one of those men, I followed the other. The last place he vanished was near the City Lord’s mansion.”

Though Yi An’s own cultivation was not impressive, tracking a man was well within his abilities.