Rain Falls

The middle-aged man wore a rueful expression as he spoke.

When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves; creatures of the same kind mourn one another.

Hearing something like that, it was hard not to imagine oneself in their place.

Even Chu Qing was shocked to hear it.

"How could anyone be so utterly depraved? But what does this have to do with what's happening now?"

"Well, they say truth is stranger than fiction."

The middle-aged man folded his arms.

"That young man over there is no ordinary person. He's the young hall master of Luoyu Hall in Heavenly Dance City.

"His family's business is enormous.

"They have businesses in a lot of the towns around here.

"Ten Mile Town is one of them... and as it happened, Young Hall Master Tang was in Ten Mile Town when that girl died.

"Somehow, Er Gou insisted that Young Hall Master Tang had killed his fiancée and went out of his way to try to kill him.

"Young Hall Master Tang couldn't defend himself, and he felt sorry for Er Gou's plight. He didn't want to hold it against him, so as soon as he'd finished taking care of business in Ten Mile Town, he hurried back to Heavenly Dance City.

"Who would've thought Er Gou would follow him all the way there?

"The matter even reached the City Lord's Mansion. City Lord Wu investigated it personally, but still came up empty.

"Er Gou spent every day blocking the entrance to Luoyu Hall and causing trouble again and again. The people there caught him plenty of times, but Young Hall Master Tang let him go every single time.

"Later, Luoyu Hall wouldn't let him hang around the entrance anymore. Whenever they saw him, they chased him off... but he always found a chance to try and assassinate Young Hall Master Tang. This month, this is already the third time."

The middle-aged man spoke with effortless fluency, as if recounting every last detail.

Clearly, this was old news in Heavenly Dance City.

Chu Qing put on an expression of utter astonishment and said, "Young Hall Master Tang really is a good man."

"Isn't he just?"

The middle-aged man chatted with Chu Qing a little longer. By then, Tang Xi had already left with his men, and Er Gou had been dumped at the side of the road.

With the show over, the crowd quickly dispersed.

Er Gou stood dazedly by the roadside for a while before picking up his knife and walking into a nearby alley.

He stumbled along, looking utterly lost.

All he did was mutter things like, "I'm sorry," and, "I'm so useless."

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, a flash of bloodlust flickering in them.

He flipped the knife around and thrust it toward his own throat.

Hidden in the shadows, Chu Qing's heart jumped. He had followed Er Gou because he had his suspicions about Tang Xi and wanted to see if he could uncover anything.

And given Er Gou's situation, this might even have helped him make a deal.

He hadn't expected the man to be so resolute—to try and kill himself just like that.

Chu Qing was about to intervene when the sound of something slicing through the air rang out.

A small stone shot through the air and knocked the short knife from Er Gou's hand with a sharp crack.

Chu Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and held his breath, not moving a muscle. A figure came racing from the end of the alley, as elusive as a ghost.

His form flickered in and out of sight. With each flicker, he moved several feet closer.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing before Er Gou. His face came into view—it was Tang Xi!

The sight of Tang Xi made Er Gou's eyes turn even redder.

"You mangy bastard!"

Tang Xi grinned.

"Seeing you full of spirit puts my mind at ease.

"But from where I'm standing, it looked like you were trying to kill yourself just now.

"Don't tell me you've already given up?"

A crimson glint flashed in Er Gou's eyes. He turned the short knife around and drove it viciously toward Tang Xi.

But just as the blade reached him, Tang Xi flicked his hand, and the knife went flying.

Then Tang Xi kicked him. Er Gou flew backward and slammed into the wall. He slid down it, blood spilling from his mouth.

Earlier that day, Xin Youhen had kicked him, leaving him barely alive. Even at the entrance to the medical clinic, he'd been deathly pale.

But now he moved nimbly and spoke with plenty of force. He didn't look weak in the slightest.

"Actually, you've got every reason to despair.

"After all, the man who killed your fiancée is right in front of you. But no matter who you tell, nobody will believe you.

"Did you hear what they were saying today?

"'The young hall master is such a good man... so kindhearted. Anyone else would've killed Er Gou god knows how many times by now.'

"Hahaha! Isn't that amusing?"

Tang Xi planted a foot on Er Gou's shoulder and slowly leaned closer.

"I'm the one who killed her, yet nobody's willing to believe you.

"Luoyu Hall is powerful, with a huge business and deep connections. Even the City Lord's Mansion can't do anything to me without evidence.

"What are you going to do?

"I almost feel sorry for you... but trying to die is where you're wrong.

"I love watching you suffer in despair. If you died, I'd be so bored."

As he spoke, he lifted his foot from Er Gou and turned around with a faint, mocking smile.

"Come to think of it, every time I see you, I'm reminded of her.

"She was so young, but so adorable.

"When she was scared, she cried like a pear blossom in the rain, pitiful enough to melt anyone's heart.

"She just wouldn't stop fighting back... I had no choice. I steeled myself and chopped off her arm. But don't worry, I used the best Golden Wound Medicine on her right afterward.

"After that, she couldn't push me away anymore, but she still tried to run.

"So I chopped off her leg too. Then she couldn't escape... Too bad she seemed to go numb after that. She couldn't even make a sound. No matter how I tormented her, she was like a dead pig. I got bored in no time.

"You know, I strangled her to death. Poor thing was still calling for her Er Gou-ge before she died."

"AAAH!!!"

Those words pierced Er Gou like poisoned needles, driving him into a frenzy.

The veins on his face bulged one after another, as if black blood were coursing through them.

Tang Xi whipped around. As he looked at Er Gou, delight glittered in his eyes.

"Almost... almost..."

Watching from behind a rooftop wall, Chu Qing's pupils contracted slightly.

"What is this...?"

At the same time, Er Gou seemed to use up every last bit of strength he had. His eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

The delight vanished from Tang Xi's face. He gave a cold snort.

"Useless."

With that, he swept his sleeve and turned to leave.

Chu Qing furrowed his brow, lost in thought.

Silence settled over the alley.

Chu Qing cautiously checked the area around him. Only after making sure no one was there did he slowly approach Er Gou.

He opened the front of Er Gou's clothes and saw countless black threads of blood clustered around his heart. They were slowly fading away.

Chu Qing's expression darkened.

"Just as I thought!"

He pondered for a moment. Rather than touch Er Gou, he leaped back onto the rooftop and waited in silence.

The sky gradually darkened. By evening, thunder suddenly rumbled across what had been a clear sky. Moments later, rain came pouring down.

The unconscious Er Gou slowly opened his eyes.

He glanced around in confusion. Once his memories had returned, he climbed to his feet with a gloomy expression.

He picked up the short knife from the ground and walked into the alley without a word.

But he'd barely taken two steps when a voice suddenly came from overhead.

"I can help you kill him."