From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Zhu Hong naturally ignored Jiang Feng's pleas for mercy.

Even more sinister is...

He stood amidst a pool of blood, and then proceeded to put on an "artistic" display.

The knife falls.

The force must be steady, and the angle must be tricky.

Too deep and it's too long; too shallow and it's too short. It has to be just right to avoid going too far and ruining the life of a hypocrite.

I once heard Jin Mo say something like this:

"The essence of things is always revealed when they are gone."

Although Zhu Hong disagreed with the madman who claimed that all art was the work of madmen, he was willing to apply this "art" to Jiang Feng and savor it inch by inch.

The elegance of this strike is like the stroke of a master calligrapher.

Horizontal lines are straight and vertical lines are upright.

Without the slightest hesitation at the turning point, the blade traced a perfect semicircle along the ribs, tearing open the flesh and drawing a trickle of blood.

Jiang Feng was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

But Zhu Hong's next strike always landed just before his consciousness was about to sink into darkness, as precise as peeling skin with the second on the line, neither too early nor too late, just enough to pull him back from the brink of death.

This process was repeated over and over.

I was constantly tossing and turning, feeling as if I had fallen into an endless sea of ​​suffering, unable to live or die.

At first, Jiang Feng wept uncontrollably and pleaded:

"My dad gave me the money."

"No, Zhu Hong..."

Spare my dog's life.

Later, he didn't even have the strength to shout anymore. He just lay on the ground, panting heavily, like a fish that had been thrown ashore. His mouth opened and closed, and his cheeks bulged desperately, but he could never return to the pond.

That appearance.

It's more accurate to describe it as a piece of flesh that can still breathe than a living person.

Zhu Hong's knife never stopped.

As he was sliced ​​to pieces, the blood flowed more and more, pooling into a small puddle that slowly spread to the side. The stench grew stronger, mingling with the musty, decaying smell of the dark prison, making one want to vomit.

About half an hour later.

Jiang Feng had lost his mind. He felt his body getting colder and colder. He tried his best to gather the last bit of clarity, but... he was powerless to do so.

At last.

They were completely plunged into darkness.

"Ho...ho..." Only the lingering sound remained in his throat.

Zhu Hong stood up, wiped the knife clean on Jiang Feng's clothes, and sheathed it. "I have fulfilled my duties in life. Take care on your journey to the underworld. Do not delude yourself into thinking we will meet again. Rather," he lowered his gaze to the slightly twitching body, a slight smile playing on his lips, his voice soft:

"Can't even be a wandering ghost."

Having said that, he tucked the knife into his waistband, turned around, and left.

The clatter of boots faded into the distance along the long, dark prison corridor. With this matter settled, Zhu Hong's long-cherished wish was fulfilled, and the pent-up resentment in his heart dissipated, leaving him feeling light and at ease. He felt a surge of pride, knowing that even if future storms and perilous situations arose, he might not be able to control the situation, but he was filled with high spirits.

He made up his mind.

"From now on, I will only do things according to my original intention."

Zhu Hong stood on the threshold outside the prison, looked up and saw the sun high in the sky, and took a deep breath.

Follow your original intention.

It's easier said than done.

Just like on the White Dragon Boat that day, did he truly care about Bai Xiuying's life or death? No, it seems not. He and she were complete strangers, only having exchanged a few words.

So why?

After thinking about it for a long time, he finally understood.

Without calculation, without concealment, without considering the consequences, and without weighing the pros and cons.

That was Zhu Hong's most primal first thought.

At the time, I was overwhelmed by reason, blinded by the mess of "pros and cons" and "Jiang family," and even when I guessed what would happen to Bai Xiuying, I made excuses for what I wanted to do.

It's not that I necessarily have to save people.

Just as he doesn't consider himself a good person, nor does he intend to be one, and if a person doesn't even have the ability to speak, he should go with the flow.

However, by then, my original aspirations had already been formed.

He could hardly bring himself to crumple it up and throw it away, especially after seeing the gruesome state of the corpse; the feeling in his heart was too much to bear.

"call……"

Once you understand that, you'll feel better.

A faint smile appeared on Zhu Hong's lips. "Next, it's time to bring down the entire threat posed by the Jiang family."

……

Back in the classroom.

The sun had already climbed over the eaves.

Six squads of yamen runners, who had come to get the first scoop on the news, gathered in the courtyard. Some whispered among themselves, "What exactly is going to happen?" Others were too lazy to care; they were adults, and even if the sky fell, it wasn't their business.

And so.

The one who was dragged along, "Too Lazy to Care," was leaning against a pillar, resting and relaxing.

"Hey, here it comes!"

Someone shouted.

Lin Jizhi looked up at the courtyard gate, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly ran over and whispered, "Zhu Hong, all the constables are here and waiting inside."

"Yes, today has been troublesome."

Zhu Hong nodded and continued walking as usual.

Inside, Wei Jinqing, Bai Song, and the others were already sitting upright, each with their own thoughts and calculations. "At this time of year, who knows what kind of trouble will arise?"

"Greetings, constables."

As soon as Zhu Hongfang entered, he bowed to each of the head constables, performing all the proper courtesies.

"Hey, we're all family, no need for formalities."

Song Jiwen waved his hand, smiled, and then changed the subject, asking, "You sent someone to summon everyone early this morning, is there some major case?"

Zhu Hong sat down in the main seat and said calmly:

"Exactly."

The constables looked at each other, some with furrowed brows, others with their heads down, holding their tea and remaining silent.

"But there's been some new activity at the Jiang residence."

Jin Buhuan lightly twirled his fingers, and his voice echoed as the iron gall bladder in his palm slowly rotated.

"Things have been very complicated these past few days."

Zhu Hong glanced at everyone before slowly saying, "The Jiang family has been putting pressure on the yamen (government office), and even the registrar has been summoned to see the prefect." He paused, his voice neither loud nor soft:

"The Prefect has spoken."

Jiang, you must shut up, the sooner the better.

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback and immediately listened attentively to what followed.

"even if."

Zhu Hong's eyes narrowed: "Uproot the Jiang family completely and remove them from Jinyang."

"What?!"

Bai Ri Mang suddenly stood up, his chair leg slamming backward with a sharp thud. His eyes widened in disbelief: "Is that really true?" he asked in quick succession.

"Did the Prefect really say that?"

Zhu Hong replied calmly, "It was personally ordered by the registrar; how could I dare to fabricate such a thing?"

"I can corroborate that."

Wang Zhenshan immediately chimed in.

"This..." Those who had initially harbored doubts were now largely convinced after Wang Zhenshan's explanation. Bai Ri Mang even muttered, "Damn it, this is going to be a complete upheaval!" Then, as if remembering something, he quickly asked:

"Did the official in charge of the document mention a time limit?"

Furthermore, will the constables and the others all be involved? Otherwise, how can the Sixth Squad alone possibly subdue the Jiang family?

Zhu Hong shook his head and said:

"Captain, Lord Zhangbo, neither of them will make a move." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, and slowly said, "Those who acted against the Jiang family before will be the same people next."

"What?!"

Song Jiwen and Bai Rimang were both dumbfounded.

"You're not kidding, are you?"

Song Jiwen slammed his teacup on the table, his voice trembling: "You mean, the head constable and the others aren't showing up, and it's just the six of us carrying the load?"