Chapter 20: Vengeance
Chen Xue Wen kept his eyes locked on the two men while cautiously picking up his shoe from the ground. Earlier, one of the bodyguards had grabbed his leg, yanking his shoe off in the struggle.
Taking a few steps back, he bent down as if to put his shoe back on.
Seeing this as an opportunity, the two bodyguards immediately lunged at him, swinging their long blades with deadly intent.
Just as they were about to reach him, Chen Xue Wen suddenly straightened up. Instead of putting on his shoe, he pulled off his sock. With a swift motion, he swung it towards the charging bodyguards.
Unknown to them, Chen Xue Wen had hidden a plastic bag filled with lime powder inside his sock. The act of pretending to put on his shoe was nothing but a setup to lure the two into attacking.
As soon as he swung the sock, the plastic bag tore open, releasing a cloud of white dust into the air.
The two bodyguards immediately realized something was wrong, but by the time they attempted to retreat, it was too late.
They frantically swung their long blades in an attempt to ward off Chen Xue Wen, all the while wiping at their eyes, trying to rid themselves of the stinging lime powder.
Gritting his teeth, Chen Xue Wen charged forward. One of the blades slashed across his leather jacket, slicing through it. The other blade struck his shoulder, the force behind it enough to sever the limb had it not been for the cowhide underneath. Even so, the blade cut through, leaving a deep wound.
Ignoring the pain, Chen Xue Wen pressed forward and drove his bone-cutting knives into their throats, slicing them open in one brutal motion.
The two bodyguards collapsed into a growing pool of blood.
Pulling the long blade out of his shoulder, Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath, his gaze now fixed on Zhou Wan Cheng and Zhou Hao, both of whom stood frozen in terror.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said, voice laced with murderous intent.
The father and son duo were petrified.
Never in their wildest nightmares had they imagined Chen Xue Wen would single-handedly take down all fifteen of their bodyguards.
Though his methods were underhanded, they were undeniably effective.
Sharing a glance, they simultaneously turned and attempted to flee.
But Li Er Yong and Wu Li Hong had been waiting for this. With a desperate push, they intercepted the escape, forcing Zhou Wan Cheng and Zhou Hao to stumble backward.
Wielding his bone-cutting knife, Chen Xue Wen stepped forward.
Zhou Wan Cheng quickly raised his hands. “Brother, listen to me! I—”
Before he could finish, Chen Xue Wen drove his blade into the older man’s cheek.
Blood gushed from his mouth as he let out a shriek of agony.
Without hesitation, Chen Xue Wen delivered another slash, this time across his throat.
Zhou Wan Cheng dropped to the ground, convulsing in the spreading pool of his own blood, his body twitching until it finally fell still.
Nearby, Zhou Hao watched his father’s brutal execution and broke down completely. His body trembled violently as fear took full control.
When Chen Xue Wen turned to him, he collapsed onto his knees with a loud thud.
“Brother Wen, please! I was wrong! I know I was wrong!” Zhou Hao pleaded, his voice trembling.
“I beg you! Please spare me!” He kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead striking the ground hard enough to bleed.
Chen Xue Wen remained silent, crouching in front of him, his cold gaze devoid of emotion.
Seeing the beast-like glint in Chen Xue Wen’s eyes, Zhou Hao began shaking even harder.
“Brother Wen, please! Spare my life, and I’ll help clear your name!”
“I can also give you money! As much as you want!”
“With my father gone, I control all of the family’s wealth! Just name your price, and it’s yours!”
“Please! I’ll do whatever you say! Just let me live!”
Still, Chen Xue Wen said nothing. He merely lifted his bone-cutting knife slowly.
Realizing that his words had no effect, Zhou Hao felt his bladder release in fear. “Brother Wen, I swear it’s true!”
“There’s a safe upstairs! If you don’t believe me, I’ll open it right now! All the cash inside is yours!”
“Think about it! If you kill me, you won’t make it out alive either! The law enforcement team won’t let you go!”
At this, Chen Xue Wen finally spoke, his voice like ice.
“You think I fear death?”
“My parents are already dead. I had no intention of surviving anyway.”
“By killing both you and your father, I’ve already fulfilled my duty to them.”
“Following you to hell sounds just about right.”
Zhou Hao’s face turned ghostly pale as he stammered, “Y-You might not be afraid of dying… b-but what about your brothers?”
“He helped you go against us, that makes him an accomplice!”
“So many people are dead. You think an accomplice like him won’t be doing time?”
That statement made Chen Xue Wen pause mid-action. He turned to Li Er Yong.
Yeah, he wasn’t afraid to die, but with so many bodies lying around, Li Er Yong might be in deep trouble too. Earlier, Li Er Yong fought Zhou Wan Cheng, and if the Law Enforcement Team started digging into it, there was a good chance they’d brand Li Er Yong as an accomplice.
Seeing Chen Xue Wen looking his way, Li Er Yong immediately barked, “Wen Zi, don’t listen to him!”
“I’m not afraid!”
Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath, eyes dark with thought. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “How much cash is in the safe upstairs?”
Zhou Hao, thinking he had a chance to live, quickly answered, “Should be a few hundred thousand at least!”
“But if you need more, I can get it from elsewhere.”
“How about five million? No? I can make it ten!”
Chen Xue Wen calculated silently before coldly replying, “Go. Open the safe.”
Not daring to hesitate, Zhou Hao led Chen Xue Wen upstairs.
The study had a safe, just as expected. When Zhou Hao opened it, a stash of cash was inside. There were also gold bars and jewelry.
A rough count: over three hundred thousand in cash, ten gold bars, and assorted jewelry. If pawned, the haul could be worth four to five hundred thousand.
Enough for Li Er Yong to support his family, right?
Zhou Hao forced a smile and said, “Brother Wen, I’ll send you ten million tomorrow.”
“And tonight, I’ll smooth things over for you. You’ll be safe in Peaceful City, I swear, no one will trouble you.”
“From now on, I’m your man! You say east, I won’t dare go west.”
Chen Xue Wen turned to Zhou Hao, eyes cold as steel. “My parents’ lives aren’t something money can buy.”
“I said your family dies. And I keep my word.”
“If I don’t, how can I face my parents in the afterlife?”
With that, Chen Xue Wen drove his bone-cutting knife into Zhou Hao’s throat, killing him instantly.
Eyes wide with disbelief, Zhou Hao collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.
With this, the last of his enemies was gone.
Finally, Chen Xue Wen let out a long breath.
He retrieved his bone-cutting knives, then gathered the cash, gold bars, and jewelry into a bag. This money, he planned to leave for Li Er Yong—a way to help him build a future.
He hesitated, then pulled five gold bars from the stash.
These, he set aside for Wu Li Hong.
She had been forced into this mess, and she had helped by secretly sending his father the first autopsy report. That counted as a favor.
After making sure everything was ready, Chen Xue Wen took one last look at the safe, double-checking for anything he might’ve missed.
That’s when he noticed something odd.
The upper section of the safe had a slight bulge—something was off.
Frowning, he ran his fingers over it and found a hidden compartment.
Inside was a thick notebook.
Chen Xue Wen was puzzled. The cash and gold bars weren’t hidden here—so why was this notebook?
Could it be… this notebook was more valuable than the gold and cash?
Flipping it open, Chen Xue Wen skimmed the pages.
His expression changed instantly.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation