Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 26 Relentless Pursuit and Throat-Cutting (A thrilling chapter, please read on!!!)

puff!
A surge of hot blood shot into the sky.

In the instant blood splattered, Cheng Zhiwei also pulled the trigger hard.

The figure seemed to sway slightly the instant the crossbow bolt left the bowstring, making it impossible for her to determine whether she had hit the target.

All she saw was Li Chunfeng's head fly into the air, roll to the ground, and then his headless body swayed twice before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

After delivering this earth-shattering kill, the dark figure didn't linger for a moment, turning and rushing into the darkness in the distance.

At the same time, Cheng Ming could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily to the ground. Blood gushed from his throat like a spring, and his cloudy eyes stared in the direction of his granddaughter. He seemed to want to say something, but could only make a "hoarse" sound.

Cheng Zhiwei's eyes turned completely red.

She and Cheng Ming had been each other's only family since childhood. Cheng Ming was not only her grandfather, but also her master and her only relative in the world.

But now this loved one has died right in front of her.

The excruciating pain and overwhelming hatred instantly consumed all her reason.

She didn't even go to see her grandfather one last time; instead, she chased after the figure in the direction it had disappeared, disregarding everything else.

Cheng Zhiwei was equally fast, making the most of everything she had learned since childhood.

Because she knew better than anyone that once she lost track of him, it would be almost impossible to find him again in the vast capital city.

But that figure was too fast and too slippery.

Several times Cheng Zhiwei thought she was going to lose him, but just when she was in despair, the figure would flash past not far ahead, as if deliberately keeping her on the run.

Anger and hatred made her temporarily ignore the strangeness of the situation, and she just kept her head down and chased after them.

The two, one in front and one behind, quickly chased after the burning Duke Anguo's mansion, crossed the bustling streets, and headed south.

The surrounding landscape grew increasingly desolate, with grand mansions replaced by low-rise dwellings. Eventually, even the large residential areas disappeared, replaced by haphazardly constructed shantytowns resembling giant sores.

This is the most barren corner of the capital, without even a decent lantern, only an impenetrable, dense darkness.

When Cheng Zhiwei caught up with him to this desolate place, the figure that had been faintly visible in front of him finally disappeared completely.

She stopped abruptly, leaning against a dilapidated mud wall, her chest heaving as she greedily inhaled the cold air.

There was a deathly silence all around, with only her long, rapid breathing echoing in the darkness.

Cheng Zhiwei quickly realized that she had fallen into a trap.

The other party must have deliberately lured me, which is why they gradually led me from the Duke's mansion to this desolate place.

But she showed no fear. Instead, she suddenly spoke up: "Since you have the ability to kill, why don't you dare to show yourself?"

The sound echoed through the empty shantytown, but there was no response.

Cheng Zhiwei was not discouraged, because she knew that the other party must be nearby, so she continued, "Everyone in the martial arts world says that you, the Moon-Treading Bandit, are a great hero who robs the rich to help the poor and acts on behalf of heaven, but in my opinion..."

She sneered, "You're just a bloodthirsty executioner, a coward who doesn't even dare to show his face!"

She channeled all her anger and grief into vicious words, screaming them one after another.

Only after her voice became hoarse from cursing did a very faint, cold laugh finally break out in the deathly silence of the darkness.

The laughter seemed to come from close to the ground, drifting and elusive, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location.

Are you very angry?

A slightly hoarse, yet unusually calm voice rang out.

Cheng Zhiwei was stunned.

"The person who died, was it your grandfather?" The voice continued from the darkness, devoid of any emotion.

"Is he very important to you? Is that why you're so angry?"

Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Cheng Zhiwei's heart hard.

"That's right!" She gritted her teeth, the taste of blood filling her mouth. "You killed my grandfather with your own hands. I, Cheng Zhiwei, swear to heaven that I will bring you to justice!"

"Ha ha……"

Another soft laugh came from the darkness. The other person did not directly respond to her threat, but instead asked a question.

"Since you're angry about the loss of your loved ones, then let me ask you, shouldn't the families of the maids who were tortured to death by Li Chunfeng, the passersby he ran over and killed with his horse, and the women he forcibly took from them, feel even more angry?" This…

Cheng Zhiwei never expected the other party to say that, and was speechless for a moment.

But she reacted quickly, and her conviction immediately gave her a reason to refute: "That's different. Even if Li Chunfeng has committed heinous crimes, it's not your place to judge him. His crimes will be determined by the law!"

"Wang Fa?"

The voice in the darkness chuckled, filled with undisguised mockery and disdain.

"That sounds very high-sounding, but I bet even you don't believe it yourself."

"Miss Cheng, do you think you're exceptionally righteous? A defender of justice and truth, while I'm a thug who uses force to break the law?"

“In your heart, you may have a sliver of sympathy for the plight of those at the bottom of society, but that is all there is to it. Deep down, you still look down on them, don’t you? That’s why you use a so-called ‘law’ to appease and bind them, forcing them to learn to be submissive after being bullied and humiliated!”

These words, like sharp knives, pierced precisely into the deepest part of Cheng Zhiwei's heart.

She was deeply shaken and even felt a moment of disorientation.

But the image of his grandfather's tragic death immediately flashed before his eyes, completely crushing any lingering doubts.

She would never let this person go, no matter what!

"That sounds reasonable." Cheng Zhiwei deliberately softened her tone, as if she had been persuaded. "But why can't we sit down and talk things out? Why does it have to come to this?"

At the same time, she quietly adjusted her breathing, focused her mind, and tried to discern the direction from which the sound came. She had already quietly raised the crossbow in her hand and aimed it at a general location.

Soon!

She felt she was about to pinpoint the location of the sound!
"Sit down and talk things out?" The voice in the darkness carried a hint of amusement. "Now that Li Chunfeng is dead, and your grandfather is dead too, you know it's time to sit down and talk things out."

"But what about before? Where were you so-called defenders of morality when those innocent people died tragically?"

"I don't know why you think that way." Cheng Zhiwei's voice suddenly became firm and loud, as if to conceal her intention to pull the trigger.

"But rules are rules, and the law is the law, and no one is allowed to question them! If everyone were like you, deciding life and death based on their own likes and dislikes, wouldn't the world descend into chaos?"

Do you think the world isn't chaotic enough right now?

The voice in the darkness paused, as if it were sighing.

"That's true. After all, you people have been born into high positions, living in luxury. How could you possibly see the countless bones beneath this peaceful and prosperous world, or hear the blood and tears amidst this singing and dancing?"

"So, Miss Cheng..."

"Put away your condescending sympathy."

"You're not upholding the law, you're just... aiding and abetting evil!"

It's now!

Cheng Zhiwei finally located the other party's position, in the shadow of the dilapidated house to her left and front.

Without the slightest hesitation, she was about to pull the trigger!

But just then, she heard a faint breathing sound behind her.

Cheng Zhiwei's hair stood on end instantly, and she instinctively turned to retaliate, but it was too late.

In an instant, she felt a sharp chill on her neck, and then all the strength in her body seemed to be drained away.

The repeating crossbow in her hand clattered to the ground. With her last bit of strength, she clutched the tiny but fatal wound on her neck and turned around with difficulty.

Then she saw him.

He was an extremely young man with a handsome face and eyes as cold as autumn water.

In his hand, he held a small knife as thin as a cicada's wing.

A drop of blood slowly trickled down the tip of the knife, eventually falling into the dust.

This was the first time she had seen the true face of the Moon-Treading Thief.

This is also... the last time.

　Actually, this part of the story should have been left unfinished, but after thinking about it, I decided against it to give everyone a better reading experience. The chapters I've written recently have exceeded the word limit, which is actually quite disadvantageous during the initial book release period, but there's nothing I can do about it. For the sake of your enjoyment, I have no choice but to do this. Therefore, I humbly request everyone's continued reading and support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)