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

The water ghost nodded at him and said something in a very low voice, seemingly in a dialect, which Chen Feng couldn't understand.

The man glanced at Chen Feng and Xiao Yu again, especially at Chen Feng's conspicuous tool bag, then turned back, fully opened the hatch, and gestured for them to get in.

The water ghost steadied the sampan and whispered to Chen Feng, "Get on. Someone will take you somewhere. Remember, once you're on board, don't come out until we reach shore. Food and drink will be provided. Don't cause trouble."

Chen Feng nodded, first letting Xiao Yu grab the handrail by the cabin door and climb up, then he picked up his heavy tool bag and climbed up as well.

The cabin was dimly lit and filled with a strong smell of engine oil, rust, and an indescribable, stuffy odor typical of ocean-going cargo holds.

The man who opened the door glanced at them expressionlessly, said nothing, and simply pointed to a narrow, steep iron ladder leading downwards to the side.

Chen Feng, protecting Xiao Yu, began to climb down.

The iron ladder was cold and damp, covered in grease.

It was even darker down below, with only a faint light filtering through the hatch overhead.

After descending two floors, we arrived at a relatively spacious but extremely oppressive space—the cargo hold.

The place was piled high with all sorts of goods wrapped in canvas or burlap sacks, stacked rather haphazardly, leaving some narrow and winding passageways.

The air was stale and stuffy, mixed with the strange smells emanating from the goods (possibly leather, rubber, and cheap spices), as well as a musty, sour smell that belonged to a confined space.

In the corner, there were several makeshift "beds" made of broken planks and waste oil drums, covered with dirty mattresses and blankets of indeterminate color.

There were already three or four people sitting or lying there. When they heard the noise, they all looked up and their eyes were fixed on the two newcomers.

In those gazes, there was numbness, vigilance, curiosity, and also a barely perceptible... scrutiny as if it were a form of fratricide.

They were all illegal immigrants, each with their own origins and stories, stuffed into this dark, tin can, heading together toward an unknown fate.

The man who led the way guided Chen Feng and Xiao Yu to a relatively isolated corner with some empty sacks piled up, indicating that this was their "location." He then turned and left, climbing back up the iron ladder. The hatch cover was closed again, the only light source disappeared, and the cargo hold was plunged into almost complete darkness, with only a faint airflow and negligible light possibly seeping in from a distant vent.

The eyes need time to adjust to this extreme darkness.

My ears were filled with the deep rumble of the cargo ship's main engine, the creaking of the ship's metal structure under pressure, and the suppressed coughs and turning over of the stowaways next to me.

Chen Feng fumbled around and placed the tool bag in a corner, covering it slightly with a few empty burlap sacks.

Then, pulling Xiaoyu along, we sat down on the cold, dusty ground, leaning against a pile of goods.

Xiaoyu leaned against him, her body still trembling slightly, whether from the cold or fear, it was hard to tell.

Chen Feng took off his work jacket and draped it over her shoulders, then pulled her closer to him.

"It's alright, Xiaoyu," he whispered in her ear, his voice gentler than ever before. "We're on the boat. We'll be leaving here soon."

Xiaoyu nodded, buried her face in his chest, and gripped his shirt tightly with her little hands.

Chen Feng hugged his sister, leaned against the cold, hard pile of goods, closed his eyes, and exhaled a long, silent breath.

The ship swayed gently with the waves, like a mother's cradle, yet it also carried a kind of cold, steely stiffness.

Finally... we're safe for now.

At least, they've left the land and escaped the tight net of the Tianjin Port Public Security Bureau.

But ahead lies still the vast ocean, the unknown Hong Kong Island, and an unpredictable future.

And then there's... that unfinished list etched into our very bones.

In the darkness, Chen Feng slowly opened his eyes, which held no joy at surviving the ordeal, but only a bottomless coldness and unwavering determination.

He gently patted Xiaoyu's back, feeling his sister's breathing and body temperature gradually stabilize.

Take a rest, Little Rain.

My brother is here.

Debts can be collected slowly.

The road is walked step by step.

Not a single one can be left alive.

---

The Public Security Bureau of Beijing.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was even more somber and oppressive than the late autumn night outside the window.

The huge city map on the wall was still covered with red circles, but at this moment, everyone's attention was focused on an urgent case report from the Tianjin Port Public Security Bureau that had just been delivered.

The paper was gripped tightly in the hand of Deputy Director Li Weiguo, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His face was ashen, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and his eyes were filled with shock, anger, and a hint of... indescribable chill.

"Twenty-eight lives! Twenty-eight again!"

Li Weiguo's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, "Fat Three, a black market hideout, more than twenty armed desperados... wiped out overnight! The on-site investigation indicates that there were most likely only one or two attackers! The methods... extremely professional, extremely brutal! Explosions, gunfights, close combat... clean and efficient!"

He slammed the report on the table, making the teacup jump: "And this timing! This method! This target selection! Tell me, who does this resemble?!"

The conference room was deathly silent.

All the attendees—criminal investigation experts and heads of various branches—looked extremely grim.

Without Li Weiguo saying it outright, a name had already surfaced in everyone's mind.

Chen Feng.

The name that haunted them like a nightmare ever since their prison break in Beijing, the name that committed a series of shocking murders yet remained at large.

"According to preliminary assessments from Tianjin Port, the attackers used homemade ammonium nitrate explosives, were highly accurate with dual pistols, possessed exceptional close-combat skills, and had extraordinary mental fortitude... Moreover, their target was clearly the black market smuggler Fatty San and his network of influence."

Captain Wang of the Criminal Investigation Division added in a hoarse voice, "This closely matches Chen Feng's modus operandi in the later stages of his crimes in Beijing... especially his use of explosives and his precise elimination of specific targets."

"What was he doing in Jin Port?" a branch chief couldn't help but ask. "Could it be...?"

"Run away."

Li Weiguo coldly uttered two words, "He brought his sister Chen Xiaoyu. Jin Port is an important seaport, and people like Fatty San specialize in this kind of dirty work of 'sending people out to sea.' Chen Feng found him either to buy a boat ticket, or... to double-cross him, or both."

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

Chen Feng... actually went to Tianjin Port?

And what's more, what kind of commotion did they cause over there?

Twenty-eight people were killed?

Did they wipe out a well-established local black market operation?

Is this guy even human?

This must be the King of Hell, the one who takes lives!

"What's the situation in Tianjin Port right now?" Li Weiguo asked.

"Martial law is in effect throughout the city, key controls are in place at the port, and all departing vessels are subject to strict inspections."

Captain Wang reported, "But... according to our colleagues in Tianjin Port, Fat Three's network is extremely well-hidden. They had only just gotten a glimpse of it and hadn't even had a chance to act when someone preemptively 'cleaned up' them. No direct evidence pointing to the killer was left at the scene, only some shell casings and explosive remnants. And..."

He paused, his expression growing even more grim: "Furthermore, some unconfirmed reports from dockworkers suggest that they heard unusual water sounds and saw unidentified small boats near berth number 9 around midnight last night. Considering Fat Three's 'business'... Chen Feng and his sister may very well have already... boarded the ship."

We're on board!

These three words were like three heavy hammers, striking hard into everyone's heart.

If Chen Feng has really left the mainland and gone to sea by boat... then trying to catch him is like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Especially in this era, the difficulties and limitations of cross-border pursuit...

"check!"

Li Weiguo practically roared, "Immediately contact all coastal port cities! Report the case! Request assistance! Especially for ships bound for Hong Kong Island, Macau Island, and Southeast Asia! Also, report to higher authorities! Request Interpol's assistance! I refuse to believe he can fly away!"

The order was issued swiftly.

The entire public security system was once again stretched to its limit.

But the atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly heavy.

Everyone knew that once Chen Feng successfully left the country, this manhunt, which had lasted for months, resulted in heavy casualties, and had a terrible impact, would likely come to a temporary end in an extremely frustrating and unsuccessful manner.

The murderer, whose hands were stained with blood and who committed heinous crimes, may have simply vanished into the vast ocean.

The lingering stench of blood in Beijing, the broken families, the unresolved hatred... all seemed to have become somewhat... adrift as the murderer fled.

Li Weiguo rubbed his temples wearily, his gaze falling once again on the report from Tianjin Port.

Chen Feng...

What kind of person are you, exactly?

To find your sister, you can kill anyone who stands in your way.

To protect your sister, you can massacre an entire city's den of iniquity.

So what about those "enemies" who are still alive and scattered in different places?

Will you let them go?

A cold voice echoed in Li Weiguo's mind:

will not.

As long as he is alive, as long as he has the ability.

Not a single one can be left alive.

This is not just a slogan, but a vow etched into the soul of the man who crawled back from hell.

The sea breeze howls as the cargo ship cuts through the waves.

In the dark hold, Chen Feng, holding the sleeping Xiao Yu, leaned against the cold cargo pile and slowly opened his eyes.

The old city of Beijing, Tianjin Port... have all been temporarily left behind.

But the road ahead is not smooth.

And that list, those names, were like a brand, slowly burning in his heart.

He gently moved his somewhat numb arm, his fingertips touching the sturdy little book wrapped in oilcloth in his arms.

Rest is only temporary.

Debts must always be repaid.

No matter where you are in the world.

Not a single one can be left alive.