Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

"Director Wang is dead. The police say it was Chen Feng who did it!"

When Yan Bugui rushed into the courtyard, his face was deathly pale, and he didn't even bother to straighten his glasses, which were askew. He had just returned from the neighborhood committee office, and his legs had been weak the whole way. The scene described by Officer Li kept replaying in his mind—a corpse in a pool of blood, wide-open eyes, and a deep knife wound on its neck.

The three middle-aged women who were hanging clothes to dry in the yard suddenly trembled, and the wet clothes fell to the ground: "What did you say? Director Wang is dead?"

"He's dead! Last night, his throat was slit!" Yan Bugui's voice trembled. "The neighborhood committee is in complete chaos, even the police have gone there, they say it was Chen Feng who did it!"

As the sound spread, the doors of each household in the courtyard opened one after another, and people came out one after another.

"Impossible!" Liu Haizhong, heavily pregnant, came out of the house, his face full of disbelief. "Director Wang is the head of the neighborhood committee. Would Chen Feng dare to kill her?"

"Absolutely true!" Yan Bugui stamped his feet anxiously. "I saw the police officers coming and going with my own eyes. Officer Li said the scene was horrific, with blood everywhere!"

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Everyone felt a chill run from their feet to their heads. Qin Huairu had been hacked to death, Yi Zhonghai had lost an arm, and now it was Director Wang. Who would be next?

Everyone's eyes turned to the Jia family without prior arrangement.

A mourning tent was still erected in front of the Jia family's house, its white cloth curtains fluttering in the cold wind, with Qin Huairu's coffin placed in the middle. An ever-burning lamp was lit in front of the coffin, its flickering flame casting a pale white light inside the mourning tent.

Sitting by the mourning tent, Jia Zhangshi was sewing shoe soles when she heard Yan Bugui's words, and the needle in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter." She looked up, and for the first time, real fear appeared in her triangular eyes.

"He...he really killed Director Wang?" Jia Zhangshi's voice trembled.

"How could it be fake?" Yan Bugui said. "The whole neighborhood knows now! The police said they're going to conduct a city-wide manhunt, and they've told everyone in our compound to be careful, lock their doors and windows at night, and report any suspicious activity immediately!"

A commotion arose in the crowd.

"What...what should we do?"

"Has Chen Feng gone mad?"

"Will we be next?"

Xu Damao shrank back and whispered to Liu Guangtian beside him, "Guangtian, do you think... Chen Feng might come looking for us? We were all..."

"Shut up!" Liu Guangtian's face turned pale. "Don't say another word!"

But he was also feeling uneasy. That night, he joined Xu Damao in accusing Chen Feng, giving a very detailed account, as if he had personally witnessed Chen Feng harassing Qin Huairu. In reality, he hadn't seen anything; it was just that Xu Damao pulled him along, saying, "Many hands make light work, let's get rid of Chen Feng together."

At the time, he didn't think much of it; Chen Feng was just an ordinary worker with no family connections, so getting rid of him was no big deal. Who could have imagined that Chen Feng would turn out like this—a ruthless avenger who kills without blinking an eye.

Sha Zhu emerged from the Jia family's house, half a cornbread in his hand. He'd overheard the conversation outside and frowned deeply: "What are you afraid of! If he dares to come, I'll kill him! A fugitive's death is pointless!"

Despite saying that, his hand holding the cornbread trembled slightly. He thought of the wounds on Qin Huairu's corpse, and Yi Zhonghai's severed hand. Chen Feng had been too ruthless, leaving no room for mercy.

"Zhu Zi is right!" Jia Dongxu also came out of the house, his face haggard and his eyes bloodshot. "We can't be afraid! The more afraid we are, the more arrogant he'll become! Starting tonight, all the young men will take turns keeping watch. If they see Chen Feng, they'll attack him immediately!"

He paused, then said, "The police said Chen Feng is a fugitive, a murderer. If we kill him, it's self-defense, and we're not breaking the law!"

These words gave everyone some confidence. Yes, Chen Feng is a murderer now, killing him is doing the people a favor.

But Yan Bugui shook his head: "Dongxu, that's true, but Chen Feng is in the shadows, while we're in the open. We don't know when he'll arrive or where he'll come from. We can't possibly stay up 24 hours a day, can we?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jia Dongxu glared at Yan Bugui.

"If you ask me..." Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, "we need to find a way to get the police to catch him as soon as possible. We'll provide clues and cooperate with the investigation."

"What clue?" Liu Haizhong asked.

Yan Bugui glanced around and lowered his voice, "I think... Chen Feng is definitely still in the city. He escaped from prison and killed so many people, he couldn't have gone far. We need to think about where he might be hiding."

"Abandoned factory? Underpass? Dilapidated temple?" Xu Damao counted on his fingers.

"Anything is possible," Yan Bugui said. "But the police have definitely searched all those places. I think... he might be hiding somewhere we wouldn't expect."

"Where?"

Yan Bugui didn't speak, but his gaze fell on the Chen family's house in the middle courtyard—the two south-facing rooms where the Jia family now lived.

Jia Dongxu's expression changed: "Third Uncle, what do you mean?"

"I didn't mean anything by it," Yan Bugui quickly said. "I just feel that... the most dangerous place is the safest place. Chen Feng knows our compound well, and he might sneak in any night."

These words sent chills down everyone's spines.

Yes, Chen Feng has lived in this courtyard for twenty years. He knows better than anyone which wall he can climb over and which corner he can hide in. If he really wants to get in, can we stop him?

"How about..." the third aunt said cautiously, "how about the Jia family moves out first? If Chen Feng sees them living in the Chen family's house, he'll surely..."

"Why should I!" Madam Jia stood up abruptly. "This house belongs to the Jia family! Who said it belongs to the Chen family? The Chen family is all dead, so the house naturally belongs to the government! We moved in with the consent of the neighborhood committee!"

"But Director Wang is dead now..." the third aunt whispered.

"So what if we're dead!" Madam Jia, hands on her hips, declared. "We've already moved in, so the house is ours! Nobody's going to make us move out!"

Jia Dongxu's face darkened as well: "Third Aunt, that's not right. Someone in our family just died, and you're telling us to move out? Isn't that incredibly inhumane?"

The three women were speechless after being rebuked and awkwardly retreated to the side.

Yan Bugui sighed and remained silent. He knew the Jia family wouldn't move, and no one in the courtyard dared to force them to. But in the current situation, the Jia family living in the Chen family's house was like holding a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

"Alright, everyone, you can all go home." Liu Haizhong waved his hand. "Go do what you were doing. Have the night watchmen been arranged?"

"It's all arranged," Sha Zhu said. "Dongxu and I will be in one group, Guangtian and Jie will be in another, and Damao and Jiefang will be in the third. The three groups will take turns, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

"Okay." Liu Haizhong nodded. "Everyone be careful, and call for help immediately if there's any noise."

The crowd gradually dispersed, but a sense of panic had already spread. As everyone went home, they subconsciously looked back at the gate and checked the latches on the windows, as if Chen Feng might jump out from any corner at any moment.

Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Dongxu closed the door and leaned against it, panting heavily.

"Mom, do you think Chen Feng really killed Director Wang?" he asked.

Jia Zhangshi sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), sewing shoe soles, but the needle and thread kept trembling: "It's probably true. Although Yan Laoxi is cunning, he wouldn't dare to speak carelessly about such an important matter."

"Then his next one..." Jia Dongxu didn't dare to continue.

"You're next." Madam Jia raised her head, a ruthless glint in her triangular eyes. "Dongxu, you have to find a way to prevent Chen Feng from coming after you."

"What can I do?" Jia Dongxu asked with a bitter face. "Even the police can't catch him, what can I do?"

She pulled a small cloth bag from under the kang mat, opened it, and inside was a thick wad of money: "This is what I've saved over the years, plus the money I received as gifts for funerals, it adds up to more than two hundred yuan. Take this and go hide for a while."

"Hide? Where to hide?" Jia Dongxu asked.

"I'm going back to my hometown," Jia Zhangshi said. "I'll stay with a distant relative in Fangshan for a while. I'll come back when things calm down."

Jia Dongxu hesitated: "But the police said they won't let me leave Beijing..."

"Who cares!" Jia Zhangshi said. "Is your life more important than what the police say? You hide first, and come back when Chen Feng is arrested or dead. Then just say you went out for a walk to clear your head. The police can't possibly execute you, can they?"

Jia Dongxu looked at the stack of money, his heart stirred. Yes, hide, wait for Chen Feng to be caught. As long as Chen Feng is dead, everything will be over.

"But it's a sticky joke..."

"I'll take the stick with me," Jia Zhangshi said. "If you travel alone, you'll be less conspicuous and less likely to be discovered. Leave first thing tomorrow morning, before dawn."

Jia Dongxu thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to Mom."

Madam Jia finally breathed a sigh of relief and stuffed the money into her son's hand: "Dongxu, remember, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. As long as you live, our Jia family has hope."

Jia Dongxu gripped the money tightly, his eyes hardening.

Yes, to be alive. As long as you're alive, there's hope.

Late at night, the courtyard was completely silent.

Sha Zhu and Yan Jiecheng, who were on night watch, patrolled the courtyard, each carrying a stick and their eyes scanning every corner warily. The wind was biting cold, and although they wrapped their cotton-padded coats tightly, they still shivered from the cold.

"Jiecheng, do you think Chen Feng will come tonight?" Shazhu asked in a low voice.

"Who knows?" Yan Jiecheng exhaled white breath. "If he wants to come, no one can stop him."

The two walked to the central courtyard and looked at Yi Zhonghai's house. The windows were dark. Yi Zhonghai had been staying at home since returning from the hospital, accompanied by an older woman, and rarely showed his face.

"Uncle Yi's life is over." Sha Zhu sighed. "He's an eighth-level fitter, his hands are ruined, and he's lost his job."

"Who told him..." Yan Jiecheng stopped mid-sentence.

Both men knew what Yi Zhonghai had done. He accepted bribes from the Jia family, tacitly approved Jia Dongxu's arson, and helped cover up the truth. Now he's suffering retribution; though pitiful, it's not unjust.

"You tell me," Sha Zhu suddenly asked, "did Jia Dongxu really set the fire?"

Yan Jiecheng looked around and lowered his voice: "It's most likely true. Otherwise, why would Chen Feng keep targeting him? Why did he kill Qin Huairu, injure Uncle Yi, and now kill Director Wang?"

"Then we..." Sha Zhu hesitated, "If we help Jia Dongxu, wouldn't that be aiding and abetting evil?"

"What's the use of saying all this now?" Yan Jiecheng smiled bitterly. "We all testified against Chen Feng that night. In his eyes, we are all enemies. Now we can only go down this dark path and hope that Chen Feng will be arrested soon."

Sha Zhu fell silent. He knew in his heart that they had wronged Chen Feng that night. But given the circumstances, everyone in the courtyard said the same thing, so he just went along with it. Who could have imagined the consequences would be so severe?

The two continued their patrol, and when they reached the backyard, they suddenly heard a "crash" sound, like a tile falling to the ground.

"Who!" Sha Zhu immediately raised his stick.

The two rushed over and found a pile of broken tiles in the corner, which must have fallen down due to years of disrepair. It was a false alarm.

"That scared me to death." Yan Jiecheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Sha Zhu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Let's go, continue patrolling."

The two turned to leave, unaware that a pair of eyes were silently watching them from the shadows not far behind them.

Chen Feng crouched in the darkness of the corner, like a stone statue. He had been observing here for an hour, figuring out the pattern and route of the night watch.

Is Jia Dongxu leaving first thing tomorrow morning? Going back to his hometown in Fangshan?

A cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Feng's lips. Trying to run? Not so easy.

He quietly retreated and climbed over the wall to leave the courtyard. He wouldn't make a move tonight; he would wait until Jia Dongxu left the courtyard before taking action on the road.

That would be safer and more satisfying.

Chen Feng disappeared into the night, like a black shadow, blending into the darkness of the city.

Panic continues to spread, and the revenge continues.

The night is still long, and death is still approaching.