Chapter 13: How Could This Happen

Actually, Chu Tianfeng was hiding nearby.

The other two groups moved too quickly; carrying the spirit herbs on his back and the pill furnace in his hand, Chu Tianfeng couldn’t catch up, nor did he want to waste the effort. Meanwhile, Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an, complaining all the way, walked much slower and were easily overtaken by Chu Tianfeng.

Zheng Haorui’s guess was correct—the two attacks had indeed come from Chu Tianfeng. Still wounded, Chu Tianfeng had no desire to confront the pair directly. Both times, he tried to knock out their flashlight first to take advantage of the moment, but unfortunately, both attacks missed their mark. The first stone struck a tree branch; the second hit Yu Zheng’an.

He was both amused and annoyed, tempted to abandon his plan, but Yu Zheng’an’s filthy mouth provoked him deeply. So, he continued to hide in the bushes, stones at the ready for another assault.

Meanwhile, Wei Neng and Wei Gong were searching not far away. Yu Zheng’an’s curses thundered through the forest like drums, loud enough for the Wei brothers to hear.

“Whose voice is that? It’s awful,” Wei Neng remarked.

Wei Gong listened quietly for a while but couldn’t make anything out, so he shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s too far—can’t hear clearly.”

“Should we check it out?” Wei Neng suggested. “Maybe something’s happening over there.”

“Let’s go!” Wei Gong seldom spoke much, but his words were always concise.

They immediately turned toward the source of the noise. Soon, cresting a small hill, the voice grew clearer—it was unmistakably Yu Zheng’an cursing. But as they approached, Yu Zheng’an, perhaps exhausted, ceased his tirade, leaving the Wei brothers clueless as to their whereabouts.

“Yu Zheng’an, where are you?” Wei Neng called loudly.

In the deep night, his voice echoed through the woods.

“We’re over here!” Yu Zheng’an’s voice replied from several dozen meters ahead.

The Wei brothers walked toward him, and Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an quickly climbed down from the trees.

“Did you find Chu Tianfeng?” Wei Neng asked.

Zheng Haorui casually pointed to a patch of grass nearby. “He was there not long ago. That kid's lurking in the shadows and ambushing us. Zheng’an got hit with a stone.”

The story, half truth and half fabrication, was convincing enough for the Wei brothers.

“Oh, did you actually see him?” Wei Neng pressed.

Zheng Haorui continued improvising, “We did, but he dodged quickly. We chased him about a hundred meters and then lost sight of him.”

“We’re not far from where we met earlier. That kid’s got guts,” Wei Gong interjected.

He suspected Zheng Haorui was lying, but lacking evidence, he could only probe indirectly.

“He might still be nearby,” Wei Neng said, catching the hint in Wei Gong’s words. He shook his flashlight. “Should we split up and search again?”

Their relationship with Peng Yongliang was little more than that of drinking companions, and they knew Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an were the same. No one felt obliged to be earnest for anyone else.

“Alright, I’ll go left with Zheng’an,” Zheng Haorui replied. He had no wish to act with the Wei brothers, and he understood Wei Gong’s subtext, though he pretended otherwise.

“Good. We’ll head right. Don’t go too far—keep within a hundred meters,” Wei Neng said.

And so, the groups split up once more.

Perhaps luck was against Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an tonight.

Chu Tianfeng quietly followed them again, this time staying much closer and with a bigger stone in hand.

A sudden bang!

Yu Zheng’an, holding the flashlight, let out a miserable scream and collapsed to the ground.

One must admit, Zheng Haorui was shrewd. He knew they were exposed while Chu Tianfeng was hidden. If Chu Tianfeng were to ambush, he’d surely target the one holding the flashlight first. So, he “kindly” handed it to Yu Zheng’an, who was timid and needed its light for courage.

Holding a flashlight in the darkness was like painting a bullseye on oneself. Thus, Yu Zheng’an became Chu Tianfeng’s target—and Zheng Haorui’s bait.

As Yu Zheng’an fell, Zheng Haorui swiftly lunged toward the bush from which the stone had flown. He was confident in his own skills; even one-on-one, he believed he could handle Chu Tianfeng. Moreover, the Wei brothers were nearby and likely heard Yu Zheng’an’s scream—they’d soon arrive to help. Even if he couldn’t take down Chu Tianfeng, holding him off would count as a win.

Besides, Chu Tianfeng was probably still armed with stones. If Zheng Haorui didn’t rush him for close combat, he might end up just like Yu Zheng’an.

He moved quickly, but so did Chu Tianfeng.

Ambushing from the shadows was a habit Chu Tianfeng had cultivated over a thousand years in his previous life.

Without hesitation, two stones flew out in quick succession.

“Chu Tianfeng, damn you!” Yu Zheng’an cursed from the ground, gritting his teeth against the pain, trying to get up and help Zheng Haorui fight Chu Tianfeng.

Meanwhile, the Wei brothers, hearing the commotion, realized Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an had encountered Chu Tianfeng and hurried toward them.

Zheng Haorui knew Chu Tianfeng would throw stones at him, so as he charged forward, he raised his right arm to shield his head. Though the forest was dark, the flashlight on the ground provided some residual light.

He saw the stones coming and managed to dodge one, but the other struck his outstretched right arm with a loud bang.

Biting back the pain, Zheng Haorui lunged into the bush.

With the fight coming to him, Chu Tianfeng had no reason to refuse. He rose from the bush, pill furnace in hand, ready to meet Zheng Haorui.

The first glimpse of Chu Tianfeng filled Zheng Haorui with elation—surely this time the boy wouldn’t escape. But the second glance caught sight of the pill furnace raised high in Chu Tianfeng’s hands, and terror surged through him, a thousand curses flooding his mind.

He stopped abruptly and dodged to the left as the pill furnace came crashing down.

But Chu Tianfeng’s attack was a feint, meant to mask his movement below. His right leg lashed out at Zheng Haorui’s waist.

A loud thud!

Zheng Haorui staggered.

As he tried to regain his footing, Chu Tianfeng swung the pill furnace again, this time for real, and with astonishing speed.

Instinctively, Zheng Haorui raised his arm to block.

Boom!

Zheng Haorui let out a muffled groan and was knocked to the ground.

Chu Tianfeng was about to land another blow when he saw two figures approaching quickly from a distance.

At that moment, Yu Zheng’an managed to get up and, with a roar, hurled his flashlight at Chu Tianfeng.

Chu Tianfeng blocked it with the pill furnace.

Clang!

The sound was deafening.

The flashlight went out—likely shattered by the impact.

Chu Tianfeng wanted to rush Yu Zheng’an with the pill furnace, but seeing the two figures racing toward him, he abandoned the thought.

He leapt back into the bushes and slipped away.

When the Wei brothers arrived, they were nearly stunned by the scene.

Yu Zheng’an’s head was bloodied, his T-shirt soaked with crimson. Zheng Haorui clutched his right arm, his face twisted in pain. Both glared ferociously toward a nearby bush.

“What happened?” Wei Neng exclaimed in shock.

Two against one—they might lose, but not so miserably. He couldn’t fathom it.

“That kid ambushed us. He hit Zheng’an with another stone, and when I went to fight him, he came at me with a metal furnace. My right arm might be broken,” Zheng Haorui growled.

“What now, Brother Neng?” Wei Gong’s eyes flashed with fear.

If it were just helping beat Chu Tianfeng, he wouldn’t mind spending his strength. But now, it seemed Chu Tianfeng was the one beating them—and beating them badly. He couldn’t accept it.

“Let’s do this. Both of them are injured. We’ll take them to the hospital in town first,” Wei Neng suggested, clearly uneasy and seeking a graceful exit.

“What do you think?” Wei Neng asked Zheng Yu and Yu Zheng’an.

It was a clever excuse, hard to refuse.

“Ah, I suppose we have no choice,” Zheng Haorui replied, though unwilling. He knew tonight was a loss and would have to reclaim his pride another day.

“Alright, I’ll call Brother Liang,” Wei Neng said, taking out his phone and dialing Peng Yongliang. He put it on speaker for everyone to hear.

“Hello!” Peng Yongliang answered, sounding pleased, thinking they had found Chu Tianfeng.

“Brother Liang, Haorui and Zheng’an were ambushed by Chu Tianfeng—they’re badly hurt,” Wei Neng admitted.

“What?” The plot twist caught Peng Yongliang completely off guard.

“Haorui and Zheng’an are seriously injured. We have to take them to the hospital,” Wei Neng repeated loudly.

“How is that possible?” Peng Yongliang still couldn’t believe it.

Wei Neng frowned and handed the phone to Zheng Haorui. “Let Haorui explain.”

“That kid ambushed us. He hit Zheng’an with stones twice—Zheng’an’s bleeding badly, and I was tricked by him, my right arm might be broken,” Zheng Haorui reported succinctly.

“Damn, how did this happen?” Peng Yongliang exclaimed.

Zheng Haorui noticed Peng Yongliang didn’t offer a word of comfort, only pressing for details, which left him irritated. He gave no further explanation and walked away.

“Brother Liang, my cousin and I will take them to the hospital now,” Wei Neng said.

Peng Yongliang paused, then reluctantly agreed. “Alright, go ahead. We’ll be there soon.”

After the call, Wei Neng breathed easier.

“Brother Liang agreed. He told us to head to the hospital first,” Wei Neng looked at Zheng Haorui. “Do you have any money? We came in a hurry and didn’t bring much.”

Wei Neng’s words were half honest—while they did rush, they actually had plenty of money. But he saw no need to front the cost. From what he knew of Peng Yongliang and Zheng Haorui, any money loaned would likely never return.

“I’ve got just over two thousand,” Zheng Haorui replied, knowing Wei Neng was lying and feeling annoyed. His own statement was just as diluted—he had a card with over twenty thousand, but he wasn’t about to reveal his full fortune.

After all, he was doing this for Peng Yongliang; why should he pay out of pocket? What kind of world would demand blood, sweat, and money for someone else?

“I… I only have a few hundred,” Yu Zheng’an mumbled, embarrassed. He was hiding the truth as well; he had a card with just over three thousand.

Wei Neng thought for a moment. “Tonight, we’ll just go to the town hospital. My cousin and I have a few hundred, so together we have around two or three thousand. That should be enough. Tomorrow we’ll transfer to Jianmen Hospital and let Brother Liang cover it.”

“Damn it, Chu Tianfeng actually got away,” Wei Gong, sensing the mood shifting, changed the subject.

But the new topic was hardly better.

Zheng Haorui glared at Wei Gong without responding. He cursed inwardly—if you’re so eager, why not chase him yourself? Don’t think I don’t know what you and your brother are thinking. And still have the nerve to say you’re taking us to the hospital!

He dared not say this aloud. If he did, the Wei brothers would surely turn and leave without another word.

Chu Tianfeng was likely still lurking nearby; if they split up, he might launch another attack. Both he and Yu Zheng’an were already injured—at that point, they’d be at his mercy.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating. A whole day wasted for this,” Yu Zheng’an said, oblivious and still grateful to the Wei brothers.