Lying in Wait

Dark clouds veiled the moon, hiding every star.

The night wind swept through Pingcheng's silent streets and alleys, scattering the last few withered leaves beneath the eaves.

Chen Feng tightened his clothes and trouser legs. Seeing no one around, he sprang into the air, flipped over a high wall, and landed lightly in the Lin Mansion courtyard.

The Lin Mansion had many servants, and even at midnight, guards patrolled the grounds. Chen Feng carefully concealed himself, doing his best not to make a sound.

Every so often, he changed positions.

Sometimes he hid behind a rockery; sometimes he crouched atop a high wall. Not once did anyone spot him.

After a thorough survey, Chen Feng had nearly figured out the layout of the Lin Family residence.

It was a large compound with two courtyards.

Lin Chong'an and his wife, Madam Zhang, slept in the Main Room in the inner courtyard.

The East and West Wing Rooms were empty, and presumably belonged to Lin Yan and Lin Jingshu. The maids and matrons lived in the side rooms on either side of the Main Room.

Chen Feng had also made a special search for the Bone Forging Realm guard's quarters.

In the end, he found the man in the outer courtyard.

He shared a room with the steward.

Chen Feng couldn't help feeling pleased. The farther away, the better. That would make it easier for him to strike.

He didn't want to make too much noise.

Once he had the whole place figured out, Chen Feng slipped through the Hanging Flower Gate and entered the inner courtyard. He crouched behind a pillar beneath the veranda outside the Main Room.

His dark clothes blended into the night, and he kept even his breathing to a minimum.

A faint, yellow light shone through the window paper, and indistinct sounds came from inside.

The people in there hadn't gone to bed yet.

They seemed to be talking about something.

Chen Feng held his breath and crept closer, lightly resting his fingertips on the cold windowsill.

Inside, hushed voices seeped through the cracks in the wooden window, faint and quiet.

But to Chen Feng, a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, every word was clear as day, drilling into his ears.

"...I wonder how Jingshu is doing in the Provincial Capital. And how Shuxian did in the exams."

Madam Zhang's voice held a note of anticipation.

In her eyes, Li Shuxian was already her family's golden son-in-law. If he passed the imperial examinations, he would be a son-in-law of even greater distinction.

"Soon. The results will be posted in September, and they should be back by then," Lin Chong'an said in a low voice.

"Even so, that's still nearly a month away..."

Listening to the couple talking inside, Chen Feng muttered to himself that time really did fly.

In the blink of an eye, autumn was almost here.

"..."

For some reason, the room suddenly fell quiet, and the couple fell silent.

Just as Chen Feng was about to move away from the window,

Madam Zhang's voice drifted outside, seething with hatred.

"Husband, I sent someone to ask around at the Dragon Walk Martial Arts School. That little bastard's still alive..."

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed.

Madam Zhang continued:

"The Black Tiger Gang and Xie Fei are all useless trash. They couldn't even handle such a small matter."

Her voice was tinged with urgency.

"If that little bastard really gets established, he'll come after us. We have to crush him before he gets on his feet!"

Hearing her call him a bastard again and again made Chen Feng's anger flare.

"...Don't worry. I've already asked Steward Li to take care of this for us. He knows plenty of people. He'll surely find a way."

Lin Chong'an's steady voice rang out.

"Steward Li?"

"The one from the Li Family. He took the Li surname a few days ago."

"Why ask someone from the Li Family, then? We've already bothered them so much. We can't let them start to resent Jingshu."

Madam Zhang was worried her daughter might suffer for it.

"Otherwise, how would I have gotten Steward Li to help? He's the only one in the Li Family who knows about this."

"And Steward Li's only willing to help because of Jingshu."

Chen Feng listened closely at the window,

afraid he might miss some detail.

"Then you'd better send him more gifts. That way, he can keep a closer eye on our Jingshu..."

"Understood."

More curses followed, on and off, all directed at Chen Feng—things like, "Why is my son dead while he's still alive and well?"

Chen Feng let out a cold laugh.

Even if you two were dead, I'd still be alive and well.

I'll send you down to reunite with your son in a moment.

Just then, a rustling came from inside the room, as if someone were getting up and changing clothes.

"Where are you going?" Madam Zhang asked.

"To relieve myself..."

Heavy footsteps approached.

Hearing them draw closer, Chen Feng hurried back into the shadows.

He waited in silence.

Before long, the door creaked open.

Lin Chong'an's slightly plump figure appeared in Chen Feng's sight.

But he didn't notice Chen Feng.

He simply crossed the courtyard and headed for the detached privy outside.

Chen Feng immediately followed, trailing behind Lin Chong'an as he slowly drew closer...

Closer...

Closer...

When he was less than a foot away, Chen Feng suddenly stepped forward, his right hand clawing for Lin Chong'an's throat.

His fingers tightened slightly.

The man in his grasp tilted his head to the side and died.

As soon as Lin Chong'an died, his bladder let go, and urine poured out, soaking his lower body.

Chen Feng quickly released him.

The corpse hit the ground with a thud, yellow urine spreading across the earth.

Before Chen Feng, a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, Lin Chong'an hadn't even had the chance to scream.

Chen Feng didn't bother doing much with the body. He simply left behind a note bearing the word "Leave."

He planned to make it look like a gang feud.

Over the past few days, the major gangs in the Inner City of Pingcheng had been expanding their territory and seizing markets like mad. Many small factions had grown resentful.

They resisted one after another.

But the consequences were threats and intimidation, sometimes even intruders slipping into their homes to leave warning notes.

The Lin Family was no exception.

That was why they had hired the only Bone Forging Realm martial artist in the household.

But with the Li Family backing them, they hadn't been too worried. They'd simply hired a cheap, old man whose Qi Blood was waning.

Chen Feng might as well use the situation to his advantage.

"Now, then..."

Chen Feng headed toward the Main Room.

"Creak..."

He pushed open the wooden door.

Inside, candlelight flickered. Several lamps stood along the sides of the room, their warm, yellow glow bathing everything in gold.

A long screen separated the couple, hiding each from the other's view.

Chen Feng first snuffed out the candles on the lamps. The room plunged into darkness.

"Husband, are you going to bed? Why did you put out the lamps?"

Madam Zhang's voice sounded puzzled.

But there was no answer, only a long silence.

Even in the darkness, Chen Feng could make out the room's layout.

He circled the screen, step by step,

and stopped beside the bed.

"Husband...?"

Before Madam Zhang could react, Chen Feng's hand had seized her by the throat and yanked her bodily from the bed.

He tightened his grip.

Her neck snapped.

In a daze, the system's voice sounded—

[Assassination...]

[Experience +1000]

Chen Feng paid it little mind. After killing them, he quickly left the scene.

Under cover of darkness, he hid in the shadows, avoided the patrolling guards, and quietly climbed over the high wall. He landed steadily outside, just as he had when he entered.

He had gained a great deal from this trip.

Not only had he eliminated two threats, he had also learned that the Li Family's steward planned to send people after him.

"The Li Family..."

With Li Shuxian in the picture,

Chen Feng would have to face the Li Family sooner or later.

But it wouldn't be like the Lin Family, where a large mansion held just one Bone Forging Realm old man with one foot in the grave.

His thoughts raced.

He pondered how to deal with the Li Family, that behemoth.