When Fang Hong returned to the village, it was already the afternoon of the next day.
The few old women cooling themselves beneath the great tree at the village entrance saw that Fang Hong had spent several days in the mountains.
Not only had he failed to bring back a single prey animal, but he had returned covered in injuries, so they all teased him for a while.
Fang Hong smiled and played along, not taking their teasing to heart.
On the way home, however, he ran into Grandpa Liu Er, who had worried about him before.
"Hong, sigh, I told you that you were too hasty going into the mountains this time, didn't I? Look at all those injuries on you."
Seeing the wounds on Fang Hong's body, Grandpa Liu Er sighed and asked with concern.
"It's nothing, Grandpa Liu Er. These injuries aren't serious."
"I didn't catch any prey this time, but there'll be a next time."
Fang Hong answered with a smile.
"What nonsense are you talking about, boy? You've got so many injuries, and you call that nothing?"
"Next time, don't go into the mountains alone. It's far too dangerous."
"If you want to enter the mountains again, go with Chen Lao San. He's an old hunter. You'll be much safer following him."
Grandpa Liu Er spoke worriedly, then turned to look at the middle-aged man nearby.
"Chen Lao San, next time you enter the mountains, take Hong with you. Teach him more, so he won't run into danger in the mountains later on."
The middle-aged man, Chen Lao San, nodded at those words.
"Alright, I understand."
Yet at that moment, Chen Lao San's gaze toward Fang Hong carried a trace of gravity and confusion.
Beneath that gravity and confusion, there was even a faint hint of unease.
Unlike everyone else, Chen Lao San was an old hunter.
Having hunted in the mountains year after year, he often dealt with those fierce wild beasts.
Thus, his ability to sense danger far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Although Fang Hong was covered in injuries at the moment, he gave Chen Lao San an exceptionally dangerous feeling.
He was no weaker than the wild beasts in the mountains.
In fact, Fang Hong felt even more dangerous.
As a hunter of several decades, Chen Lao San firmly believed in his instincts.
Over the years, that ability had saved his life more times than he could count.
And this time, he still did not doubt his instincts.
Precisely because of that, the unease in his heart grew even stronger.
He simply could not understand why, after only a few days apart.
Fang Hong had changed so much, and felt so dangerous.
Gulp~
Chen Lao San quietly swallowed, then forced a smile through his unease. "Grandpa Liu Er, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
"My wife is still waiting for me at home."
At those words, Grandpa Liu Er waved a hand. "Fine, go on back first."
After nodding to Fang Hong, Chen Lao San left directly.
As Fang Hong watched Chen Lao San's departing back, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So nervous. Isn't that practically admitting he has a guilty conscience..."
"Then I'll start with you."
Fang Hong thought silently to himself.
Under normal circumstances, no matter how experienced a hunter was, he would not enter the mountains alone.
First, if danger arose, there would be no one to watch his back.
Second, if he caught prey with a larger body, it would be difficult for one person to bring it back alone.
Therefore, when Father Fang entered the mountains last time, he naturally had not gone alone.
The one who had gone into the mountains with him was Chen Lao San.
According to Chen Lao San, they had encountered a fierce tiger and could not withstand its savage might, which was why Father Fang had died in the tiger's jaws.
But based on what Fang Hong knew of Father Fang from the original owner's memories, he immediately noticed something was wrong.
Father Fang was indeed the sort of person who did not hesitate to lend others a helping hand.
But when lives were involved, Father Fang would never truly disregard his own life.
Because he had once been a soldier and had spent years unable to see his wife and son.
After leaving the army, Father Fang valued his wife and son more than anything else.
If it had been ordinary danger, Father Fang might have helped Chen Lao San.
But if they had encountered a life-or-death threat like a fierce tiger, Father Fang would absolutely have put preserving his own life first.
Because Father Fang had said more than once that he would live the rest of his life to protect his wife and son.
He could not possibly disregard his own life and his wife and son's lives just to help Chen Lao San.
So this was interesting.
As an old soldier, Father Fang had experienced wars great and small and faced countless life-and-death crises.
His judgment of danger, and even his ability to preserve his own life, were unquestionably stronger than Chen Lao San's.
Moreover, although Father Fang had once merely been an ordinary soldier.
He had also practiced the army's saber techniques and tempered his qi, blood, and body.
Chen Lao San might have had more hunting experience after years of hunting.
But in terms of true strength and judging the right moment, he was absolutely far inferior to Father Fang.
Yet Chen Lao San was the one who had returned alive.
If there was not a problem here, Fang Hong would not believe it even if he were beaten to death.
While turning it over in his mind, Fang Hong continued chatting with Grandpa Liu Er.
Once he returned home, Fang Hong silently circulated the qi and blood within his body, helping his injuries recover.
Night fell.
At Chen Lao San's home on the eastern end of the village.
Chen Lao San sat in silence, smoking his pipe, his face filled with worry and unease.
Meanwhile, his wife packed their belongings with some resentment.
"What exactly is wrong with you? Did something happen?"
"Why did you suddenly tell me to pack our things and say we're leaving East Mountain Village?"
Chen Lao San's wife complained in confusion.
At those words, Chen Lao San frowned and snapped stiffly, somewhat impatiently, "Just pack when I tell you to pack. Why are you asking so many questions?"
He then glanced at his son sleeping soundly on the bed, and his eyes darkened.
"Sigh, don't ask. I made a mistake before out of greed."
"Just listen to me and hurry up with the packing. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Chen Lao San sighed, puffing away at his pipe as he spoke dejectedly.
Hearing that, Chen Lao San's wife said nothing more.
After all, Chen Lao San was the head of the household. Since he had already spoken, what more could a woman like her say?
But at that moment, a voice came from outside the door.
"Third Uncle, you're in such a hurry to leave the village. Have you run into some difficulty?"
"If there's any trouble, you can just say it. Perhaps your nephew here can lend a hand."
"Even if I can't help, aren't there all the other fellow villagers? Why leave the village in such a hurry?"
Along with that voice, a tall figure pushed the door open and entered.
Hearing that voice and seeing the figure enter through the door.
Chen Lao San's expression changed drastically, and the pipe in his hand fell straight to the ground.
"Hong? What are you doing at our home so late?"
Chen Lao San's wife looked at Fang Hong in surprise and asked.
"Auntie, good evening."
Fang Hong smiled as he greeted Chen Lao San's wife, but his eyes remained fixed on Chen Lao San.
Looking at Fang Hong, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages.
And at the long saber in his hand, which was covered in chips and even several cracks.
Chen Lao San's face filled with bitterness and terror. Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees before Fang Hong.
"Hong, please, let us go."
"I never wanted to harm your father. It was all Steward Liu."
"He said your father didn't know what was good for him and stubbornly held on to something that didn't belong to him."
"He first promised me twenty taels of silver if I harmed your father, but I didn't agree."
"Then he threatened my wife and son's lives, and only then was I forced to agree."
"I was forced into it too!"
Chen Lao San pleaded through tears and snot, his face full of remorse.
At those words, the smile vanished from Fang Hong's face.
He looked calmly at the weeping Chen Lao San and said lightly:
"Third Uncle Chen, you were forced to harm my father for the sake of your wife and son. I can understand that."
"But what about my father?"
"Was he supposed to die for nothing?"
"And my mother—if she had not suddenly received such terrible news, how could she have died from grief and rage?"
Fang Hong raised his long saber. Though it was covered in cracks and its edge was full of chips.
Under the moonlight, the blade, faintly glimmering with a dull bloody light, still reflected a chilling, icy gleam.
"So..."
Fang Hong looked calmly at Chen Lao San and said:
"For my father and my mother, I'm killing your whole family."
"You should be able to understand, right?"
Before you continue