Kill Your Whole Family, You Should Be Able to Understand, Right?

Fang Hong returned to the village by the afternoon of the next day.

A few old women cooling off under the big tree at the village entrance saw Fang Hong coming back from the mountains after several days.

Not only had he returned empty-handed, but he was also covered in injuries, so they all teased him a bit.

Fang Hong laughed it off and didn't take their jabs to heart.

On his way home, though, he ran into Grandpa Liu Er, who had been worried about him earlier.

"Hong boy, ah, I told you this trip into the mountains was too hasty. Look at all those injuries you've got."

Seeing the wounds on Fang Hong, Grandpa Liu Er sighed with concern.

"It's nothing, Grandpa Liu Er. These injuries aren't serious."

"Didn't bag any game this time, but there's always next time."

Fang Hong replied with a smile.

"What nonsense are you talking, boy? All these wounds, and you say they're not serious?"

"Next time, don't go into the mountains alone. It's way too dangerous."

"If you have to go again, go with Chen Lao San. He's an old hunter—you'll be much safer with him."

Grandpa Liu Er said worriedly, then turned to look at the middle-aged man beside him.

"Chen Lao San, next time you head into the mountains, take Hong boy with you. Teach him a thing or two, so he doesn't run into danger later."

The middle-aged man, Chen Lao San, nodded at that.

"Alright, got it."

But at that moment, Chen Lao San's eyes, fixed on Fang Hong, carried a heavy wariness and confusion.

And beneath that wariness and confusion, there was even a faint trace of unease.

Unlike the others, as an old hunter, Chen Lao San, who spent years hunting in the mountains, often dealt with fierce beasts.

So his ability to sense danger far surpassed everyone else's.

Though Fang Hong was covered in injuries right now, the feeling he gave Chen Lao San was exceptionally dangerous.

No less than the wild beasts in the mountains.

In fact, the feeling Fang Hong gave him was even a bit more dangerous.

As a hunter with decades of experience, Chen Lao San firmly trusted his instincts.

Because this ability had saved his life countless times over his years of hunting.

And this time, he still didn't doubt his gut feeling.

That was exactly why his unease only grew stronger.

But he just couldn't figure out how, in just a few short days, Fang Hong had changed so much and felt so dangerous.

Gulp~

Swallowing quietly, the uneasy Chen Lao San forced a strained smile.

"Grandpa Liu Er, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

"My wife's still waiting for me at home."

Hearing this, Grandpa Liu Er waved his hand. "Alright, go on then."

Chen Lao San nodded at Fang Hong and then left directly.

Fang Hong, watching Chen Lao San's retreating back, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So nervous—that's practically admitting you've got a guilty conscience..."

"Guess I'll start with you."

Fang Hong silently thought to himself.

Under normal circumstances, even the most experienced hunter wouldn't go into the mountains alone.

First, because if danger struck, there'd be no one to watch your back.

Second, if they bagged a larger prey, one person alone would struggle to bring it back.

So when Father Fang went into the mountains last time, he naturally didn't go alone.

And the one who went with him was this Chen Lao San.

According to him, they had run into a Fierce Tiger back then, couldn't withstand its ferocity, and that was how Father Fang ended up dying to the tiger's jaws.

But based on Fang Hong's understanding of Father Fang from the original owner's memories, he immediately sensed something was off.

Because while Father Fang was the type to lend a hand to others without hesitation, when it came to matters of life and death, he wouldn't just throw his own life away either.

Because he had once been a soldier and gone years without seeing his wife and child, Father Fang valued them above all else after retiring from the army.

If the danger had been ordinary, Father Fang might have helped Chen Lao San. But faced with a life-or-death threat like a Fierce Tiger, Father Fang would absolutely prioritize saving his own life. He had said more than once that he would live the rest of his days protecting his wife and son. He wouldn't risk his own life—or abandon his family—just to help Chen Lao San.

So this got interesting. As a veteran who had been through countless battles and life-or-death crises, Father Fang was far better than Chen Lao San at judging danger and knowing how to survive. And though Father Fang had only been an ordinary soldier, he had trained in the military's saber techniques and tempered his own qi, blood, and physique. Chen Lao San had hunted for years and might have more hunting experience, but when it came to true strength and timing, he was no match for Father Fang.

Yet in the end, it was Chen Lao San who came back alive. If there wasn't something wrong with that, Fang Hong would eat his own head.

Turning it over in his mind, Fang Hong chatted with Grandpa Liu Er as they walked. When he got home, he silently circulated the qi and blood in his body to help heal his injuries.

That night.

At Chen Lao San's house at the east end of the village.

Chen Lao San sat in silence, smoking a pipe, his face full of worry and unease. His wife, on the other hand, was packing their things with some resentment.

"What's wrong with you? Did something happen? Why are you suddenly telling me to pack up and leave East Mountain Village?" Chen Lao San's wife complained, confused.

Hearing this, Chen Lao San frowned and snapped impatiently, "I told you to pack, so pack. Where's all this talk coming from?" Then he glanced at his son, who was sound asleep in bed, and his eyes darkened. "Ah, don't ask. It's all because I got greedy and did something wrong. Just listen to me—hurry up and pack. We'll leave first thing tomorrow." He sighed, puffing on his pipe with a gloomy look.

His wife said nothing more. After all, Chen Lao San was the head of the household. If he'd made up his mind, what could a woman like her say?

But just then, a voice came from outside the door. "Third Uncle, you're in such a hurry to leave the village. Did you run into some trouble? If you're in a bind, you can speak up. Maybe your nephew here can help. Even if I can't, there are still the other villagers. Why rush to leave like this?"

With the voice, a tall figure pushed the door open and walked straight in.

Hearing that voice and seeing the figure enter, Chen Lao San's face changed instantly. The pipe in his hand even dropped to the floor.

"Hong boy? What are you doing at our house so late?" Chen Lao San's wife asked in surprise, looking at Fang Hong.

"Good evening, Auntie," Fang Hong said with a smile, greeting her, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Lao San.

Seeing Fang Hong—his whole body bandaged, and the long saber in his hand already chipped and even cracked in several places—Chen Lao San's face filled with bitterness and terror. Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees in front of Fang Hong.

"Hong boy, I beg you, let us go. I didn't want to harm your father. It was all Steward Liu. He said your father didn't know his place, that he was stubbornly holding onto something that wasn't his. First, he promised me twenty taels of silver to harm your father, but I refused. Then he threatened my wife and son's lives, and I had no choice but to agree."

"I was forced into it too!"

Chen Lao San, filled with regret and remorse, wept and pleaded with snot and tears streaming down his face.

At this, the smile faded from Fang Hong's face.

He gazed calmly at the sobbing Chen Lao San and said flatly:

"Uncle Chen, I understand—you had no choice but to harm my father for the sake of your wife and children."

"But what about my father?"

"Did he just die for nothing?"

"And my mother—if not for the sudden shock of the tragic news, how could she have been overcome with grief and died of a broken heart?"

Fang Hong raised his long blade. Though it was already covered in cracks and its edge was full of nicks, under the moonlight, the faintly glimmering, dull blood-red body of the blade still cast a sharp, icy gleam.

"So..."

Fang Hong looked calmly at Chen Lao San and said:

"For my father and my mother, I'll kill your entire family."

"You should be able to understand that too, right?"