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

Yongkang Clinic is located in an inconspicuous alley in the east of the city. The storefront is small, the white paint is peeling and faded, and the four characters "Yongkang Clinic" on the sign are blurred. At eight o'clock in the morning, the clinic has not yet opened, and the alley is quiet, with only a few stray cats rummaging for food in the garbage.

Chen Feng waited at the alley entrance for an hour. He changed into a reasonably presentable outfit—dark blue overalls, faded from washing, but clean and tidy. He smeared some dust on his face and wore a worn-out hat, the brim pulled low. He looked like an ordinary worker, here to see a doctor.

At 8:30, the clinic door opened. A man in his fifties came out, wearing a white coat and glasses, his hair neatly combed. He opened the door, hung up the "Open for Business" sign, and then turned and went back inside.

Chen Feng waited for a while, making sure no one was paying attention, before walking over and pushing the door open.

The clinic was small, with only one consultation room and one pharmacy. The consultation room contained a table, two chairs, and a medicine cabinet. Li Jianguo sat behind the table, organizing medical records.

"Where do you feel unwell?" Li Jianguo asked without looking up.

Chen Feng didn't say anything, walked to the table, and sat down.

Li Jianguo then raised his head and looked him over: "Comrade, you..."

His words trailed off. He had finally seen Chen Feng's face clearly—though his hat was pulled low, he recognized those eyes. Cold, hateful, like two knives.

Li Jianguo's face turned deathly pale instantly. He recognized the face—from the wanted poster, from people's discussions. Chen Feng, the fugitive who had killed seven or eight people.

"You...you are..." Li Jianguo's voice trembled.

"Dr. Li Jianguo," Chen Feng said in a low voice, "I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Wh...what is it?" Li Jianguo tried to stand up, but his legs were too weak to stand.

"A few months ago, Jia Dongxu came to see you," Chen Feng said. "He wanted to buy a drug, a drug that could make people sleep very soundly. You sold it to him, didn't you?"

Li Jianguo's face turned even paler, and his lips trembled as he stammered, "I...I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't know?" Chen Feng stared at him, took out a dagger from his pocket, and placed it on the table. The blade was sharp, gleaming coldly.

Li Jianguo shrank back in fright, and the chair creaked.

"Since you don't know," Chen Feng picked up the knife, "then you're useless."

"No! Don't kill me!" Li Jianguo hurriedly waved his hands. "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Chen Feng put down the knife and waited.

"It was...it was Jia Dongxu..." Li Jianguo said breathlessly, "He came to me...saying he wanted to buy sleeping pills...a large dose...I told him they were prescription drugs and couldn't be sold casually...and he...gave me fifty yuan..."

"You sold it?"

"Sold...sold..." Li Jianguo lowered his head. "I...I need money...my son is getting married, and we don't have enough for the bride price..."

"Where did the medicine come from?"

"I...I prepared it myself..." Li Jianguo said. "I've studied medicine preparation...I know how to increase the dosage..."

Chen Feng felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. His parents had taken this very drug and were burned to death in their sleep.

"What else did Jia Dongxu say?" he asked.

"He...he also asked...if there was any medicine...that could make someone...never wake up again..." Li Jianguo's voice trailed off, "I said no...that kind of medicine is poison...I dare not..."

Chen Feng stared at him: "Besides you, who else knows about this?"

"No...that's all..." Li Jianguo shook his head, "Just me and Jia Dongxu..."

"Really?" Chen Feng sneered. "Wang Mazi said that you also introduced an old man who drives a cart to Jia Dongxu."

Li Jianguo's expression changed completely. He hadn't expected Chen Feng to have even found Wang Mazi.

"That old man..." Li Jianguo said, trembling, "He...he worked for Jia Dongxu..."

"What do you need me for?"

"I don't know the specifics... I only heard that Jia Dongxu asked him... asked him to transport some things..." Li Jianguo said.

"What are you transporting?"

"I...I really don't know..." Li Jianguo was on the verge of tears. "I only know...that old man's surname was Sun...everyone called him Old Sun...he had his own mule cart with rubber wheels, and he usually drove it to deliver goods..."

Chen Feng nodded: "I hope what you're saying is true."

Li Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Chen Feng would let him go. But the next second, Chen Feng had already raised the knife in his hand.

"You...you said you wouldn't kill me!" Li Jianguo exclaimed in shock.

"For someone like you," Chen Feng shook his head, "do you need to keep your word? What a joke."

The blade fell, severing Li Jianguo's throat. Blood gushed out, splattering all over Chen Feng. Li Jianguo's eyes widened, his hands clutching his neck, trying to scream, but only managing muffled "hoarse" sounds. He collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and lay still.

Chen Feng stood there, staring at Li Jianguo's corpse. This doctor, who sold medicine for fifty yuan, indirectly caused the deaths of his parents. He deserved to die.

But he didn't have time for sentimentality. He needed to find that old man, Sun.

He rummaged through the clinic and found some money, medicine, and an address book. Turning to the page with the character "Sun," he found a name named "Sun Dafu," followed by an address: Chengbei Chemadian (Northern City Carriage and Horse Shop).

Chen Feng carefully put away the contact list, along with the money and valuable medicines. Then he left the clinic, gently closing the door behind him.

There was still no one in the alley. He quickly left and headed north of the city.

The inn in the north of the city was a dilapidated courtyard with several horse-drawn carriages and mule carts parked inside. The courtyard was piled with hay and miscellaneous items, and the air was filled with the smell of animal dung mixed with hay.

When Chen Feng entered the courtyard, an old man was feeding a mule. The old man was over sixty years old, with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles, but he was very strong and looked like someone who had done manual labor for many years.

"Who are you looking for?" The old man looked up and sized up Chen Feng.

"Old Sun?" Chen Feng asked.

"It's me," the old man nodded. "And you are?"

"Jia Dongxu introduced him," Chen Feng said. "He has some goods to transport."

Old Sun's eyes flickered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure: "Jia Dongxu? Haven't seen him in a long time. What goods are he transporting?"

"A little something personal," Chen Feng said, "I can't say. The price is negotiable."

Old Sun looked around and lowered his voice: "Let's talk inside."

He led Chen Feng into a small hut next door. The hut was very simple, with a bed, a table, and a chair. A riding whip and reins hung on the wall.

"Sit down," said Old Sun. "Why didn't Jia Dongxu do it himself?"

"He has something to attend to," Chen Feng said. "He asked me to talk to you."

Old Sun stared at Chen Feng for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "You're not one of Jia Dongxu's men."

Chen Feng was startled, but remained calm: "Why do you say that?"

"Jia Dongxu is dead," Old Sun said. "Chen Feng killed him. The whole town knows. You say you were introduced by Jia Dongxu? You're kidding me!"

Chen Feng knew he couldn't hide it anymore. He pulled a dagger from his pocket and gripped it tightly. "Since you know, I won't waste any more words. What did Jia Dongxu ask you to transport?"

Old Sun saw the knife, but he didn't panic. He sighed and sat on the bed: "I knew this would come knocking sooner or later."

"explain."

"A few months ago, Jia Dongxu came to me," Old Sun said, "saying he had a batch of 'goods' to be transported out of the city. I asked what kind of goods they were, but he wouldn't say, only that they were 'special goods.' He gave me fifty yuan and told me not to ask any more questions."

"What kind of goods?" Chen Feng pressed.

"A sack," Old Sun said, "not big, but quite heavy. Jia Dongxu said it contains... it contains..."

"What is it?"

"It's a person," Old Sun said, bowing his head, "a young girl."

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat. A little girl? Xiao Yu?

"Is she...is she still alive?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Alive," Old Sun said, "I was still alive then. I heard movement inside the sack, like people moving around."

"and then?"

"Jia Dongxu told me to transport the sack to the mass grave outside the city," Old Sun said. "He said... he said just throw the sack there. I... I asked him what was inside, and he said... he said it was a little girl who was disobedient and had to be disposed of."

Chen Feng gripped the knife tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palm.

"Did you transport it?"

"I did transport it," said Old Sun, "but... but I didn't do as he said."

Chen Feng looked up: "What do you mean?"

"I...I had a soft heart," Old Sun said. "When we got to the mass grave, I untied the sack, and inside was a little girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, her mouth gagged and her hands and feet bound. She looked at me, her eyes full of tears."

"How...how is she?"

"She's still alive, but injured," Old Sun said. "She has a wound on her head that's bleeding. I asked her what her name was, and she said... she said her name was Chen Xiaoyu."

Chen Feng almost burst into tears. It was light rain, really light rain.

"And then?" he pressed.

"I...I let her go," Old Sun said. "I can't hurt a child. I untied the rope, took out the gag, and told her to run, run as far as possible."

Where did she go?

"I don't know," Old Sun shook his head. "She ran into the woods and disappeared in a moment. When I got back to the city, I told Jia Dongxu that the goods had been sold. He didn't ask any more questions and gave me the money."

Chen Feng stared at Old Sun, trying to discern the truth from his expression. Old Sun's eyes were frank, not like he was lying.

"Is everything you said true?" Chen Feng asked.

"Really," Old Sun said, "I swear to God. That little girl... I remember her very clearly, thin, with big eyes, and a mole on her neck."

Chen Xiaoyu did indeed have a mole on her neck, on the left side, small but noticeable. Chen Feng's heart raced. Old Sun was telling the truth; Xiaoyu had indeed been captured by Jia Dongxu, but Old Sun had released her.

She is still alive.

They might still be alive.

"Where is the mass grave?" Chen Feng asked.

"In the west of the city, not far from the local temple," Old Sun said, "there's a small grove of trees. Just walk in there."

Chen Feng made a note of it. He stood up and looked at Old Sun.

Old Sun looked at him too: "You... what are you to Chen Xiaoyu?"

"Her brother."

Old Sun was stunned, then sighed, "What a tragedy... that beast Jia Dongxu..."

Chen Feng remained silent. He wondered, if Xiaoyu were still alive, where would she be? Near the mass grave? Or had she run far away? How had she survived these past few months?

"Thank you," Chen Feng suddenly said, "thank you for letting her go."

Old Sun shook his head: "I just did what I was supposed to do. That child... is so pitiful."

Chen Feng turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something and turned back: "Who else knows about this?"

"Just me and Jia Dongxu," Old Sun said, "Jia Dongxu is dead, and now only I know that."

Chen Feng nodded. He walked to the door and stopped: "Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

"I know," said Old Sun, "but I won't tell anyone."

Chen Feng left the inn and walked down the street, his mind in turmoil. Xiao Yu might still be alive—that was good news. But where was she? How had she spent the past few months? How much suffering had she endured?

He needed to find her. Go to the mass grave, go to that grove of trees, look for any possible clues.

But not now. It's daytime, too dangerous. He needs to wait until night.

He returned to the restaurant, to a small room. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep. His mind was filled with Xiaoyu's face, how she looked as a child, her eyes curving into crescents when she smiled.

"Xiaoyu," he whispered, "are you still alive? Where are you? Wait for your brother, your brother will come find you."

Tears finally streamed down, sliding from the corners of her eyes and dripping onto the pillow.

This was the first time he had shed tears since his escape. Not for himself, but for his sister.

He thought his sister was dead, that he would never see her again. Now that he knew she might still be alive, the hope of finding her again was like a knife, yet also like a ray of light, piercing his heart and illuminating his soul.

He must find her.

Before that, he needs to finish the rest of the work.

Yi Zhonghai is dead, Li Jianguo is dead, and Old Sun isn't the murderer, so he can be let go. But there are still Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiefang, Jia Zhangshi…

These people deserve to die too.

But Xiaoyu might still be alive. If he continues to kill, and if he gets caught or dies, he'll never see Xiaoyu again.

Chen Feng hesitated. It was the first time he had ever hesitated.

Revenge is important, but finding my sister is even more important.

He needs to make a choice.

He lay in bed, thinking for a long time. Finally, he made a decision.

First, take care of the rest of them, then go find Xiaoyu. Once you find Xiaoyu, take her far away, away from this city, away from this place filled with hatred and death.

Yes, that's it.

Chen Feng sat up and wiped away his tears. He pulled out a gun and a knife from a crack in the wall and began to examine them.

Tonight, he's going to the courtyard house. He'll take care of the rest of them all at once.

Then, I went to find Xiaoyu.

Not a single one will be left.

Then, start over.