Terror

"Father, don't move!" Chen Yue stepped forward, gently pressing down on Father Chen, who was trying to sit up.

His body had stopped trembling, his gaze had regained its calm, even deeper than before. "You and Mother stay in the house. Don't go anywhere. Act as if nothing happened. I'll handle this alone."

Chen Yue finished speaking, bent down, and lifted the black-clad corpse with one hand, slinging it over his shoulder. With the other hand, he gripped the short blade he had seized from the man.

Chen Yue walked to the door, first pressing his ear against the wooden panel to listen carefully for a moment, then cautiously pulled it open a crack.

Outside, rain poured in torrents, lightning flashed and thunder roared. The night and the curtain of rain formed the perfect cover.

Chen Yue hesitated no longer. His form flickered as he executed Roaming Mountains and Rivers, his steps lightly touching the muddy ground, barely making a sound. Carrying the corpse, he quickly vanished into the rainy night.

Like a silent shadow, Chen Yue swiftly crossed the cluttered shantytown at the edge of Pearl Village, arriving at the jagged, rocky seaside.

Violent waves crashed against the shore's boulders, producing a deafening roar that mingled with the sky's thunder, drowning out all subtle sounds.

Chen Yue didn't immediately toss the corpse into the sea. Using the occasional flash of lightning that split the night, he placed the body on a slightly higher reef and searched it quickly and thoroughly.

Beneath the damp straw rain cape, besides the leather pouch of broken pearls, there was also a grimy cloth money bag.

Chen Yue untied these two items and opened them for a rough look. The leather pouch held broken pearls of various sizes, about a dozen or so, of average quality. The money bag contained several dozen copper coins and a little over one tael of silver scraps.

Chen Yue tucked these valuables into his own bosom. Then, scanning the area, he found a rough-edged rock nearby, tore a strip of cloth from the black-clad man's belt, and firmly tied the stone to the corpse's ankle.

Having done all this, Chen Yue took a deep breath, exerted his arm strength, and pushed the stone-bound corpse off the reef.

"Plop!"

A dull splash was instantly swallowed by the roaring waves. The body, weighted by the stone, quickly sank beneath the water.

After handling everything, Chen Yue returned home silently.

He was drenched through, rainwater dripping continuously from his hair ends and clothes. As soon as he pushed the door open, Father Chen and Mother Chen, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately surrounded him, their faces pale as paper.

"Yue, how did it go? No one saw you, right?" Mother Chen grabbed her son's wet arm, her voice extremely low, tinged with tears.

Chen Yue nodded, wiping the rain from his face. "Father, Mother, rest assured. I tied a stone to him. He's already sunk under the reef in the sea."

Yet the fear in Father and Mother Chen's eyes did not dissipate.

Chen Shan slumped onto the edge of the bed, his hands trembling slightly. "Handled... it's handled for now. But Yue, that was a man from the Sea Shark Gang! A living person, gone! Tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, they'll definitely investigate, ask questions! What if... what if someone saw him enter our house... That would be a disaster that wipes out our entire family!"

Overwhelming terror seized this couple, who had been honest all their lives. They seemed to already see the vicious Sea Shark Gang coming to demand answers, the horrifying scene of the whole family being tied to stones and sunk into the sea.

Seeing his parents' terrified expressions, Chen Yue stepped forward to comfort them. "Father, Mother, listen to me. The more critical this time is, the less we can panic. The more afraid we are, the easier it is to slip up.

From now on, act as if nothing happened. He came, took our broken pearls, and left. As for anything else, we know nothing."

Father and Mother Chen listened. Though fear still gripped their hearts, they knew their son's words were the only way forward.

It was then that Mother Chen realized her son was soaked through. She hurriedly said, "Yue, go change into dry clothes quickly, don't catch a cold!" She fumbled to find some clean old clothes.

After Chen Yue changed, Father and Mother Chen returned to the inner room.

But that night, no steady breathing came from the inner room—only the sound of suppressed tossing and turning, and an occasional heavy sigh.

Chen Yue lay on the cold bed board, listening to his parents' restless movements in the inner room, staring at the dark ceiling pelted by rain. His mind replayed the brief scene from earlier over and over.

"Armed with a sharp weapon, the urge to kill arises on its own..."

Chen Yue suddenly recalled a line he'd seen somewhere in his past life. He used to think it only described thugs, but now, having experienced it himself, he understood it deeply.

When you possess the power to resist, and you witness injustice and bullying aimed at your closest kin, the killing intent spreads like wildfire, utterly unstoppable.

What if he hadn't had this martial art?

The result was obvious: his father would be further injured, groaning in pain. The house might have been ransacked, the last of their savings stolen. The whole family would tremble in fear and humiliation until dawn, then continue living a precarious life at others' mercy.

Or worse, if that black-clad man had been more violent, killed them by accident... In this Pearl Village, if a Pearl Diver or two died, the Sea Shark Gang would at most put on a fake investigation, then let it drop.

This was the fate of being a Pearl Diver!

It had been so before, and without power, it would still be so in the future. But tonight, Chen Yue had used power to tear open a corner of that fate.

The chaotic thoughts were forcibly suppressed. Chen Yue closed his eyes and began silently circulating the Mountain-Climbing Art.

Pure inner breath cycled through his body, calming his agitated mind and physical fatigue, bringing a cold clarity and composure. Before he knew it, Chen Yue had fallen into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the heavy rain stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Pearl Village looked no different from usual—smoke curling from chimneys, people silently busy at their tasks.

By noon, several Sea Shark Gang members began moving through the village, whispering among themselves.

As evening approached, when the light was dimming, Scarface led five gang members armed with clubs, going door to door.

They weren't in a hurry, but their steps were heavy, their eyes fierce. The Pearl Village, which had still held some life, fell into dead silence, leaving only the rough banging on doors and faint interrogations.

Before long, heavy footsteps stopped outside Chen Yue's door.

"Bang!"

The door was roughly shoved open, slamming against the wall. Scarface's burly figure stepped in first, his sinister gaze sweeping through the cramped room like scraping knives. Behind him, several gang members filed in, their eyes hostile.

Without a single question, Scarface waved his hand. The gang members immediately spread out and began searching.

They flipped open the rice jar, kicked aside clutter in the corners, even poked at the thatched roof with their clubs, checking the floor and walls for any suspicious traces.

Father and Mother Chen huddled together, shrinking into a corner of the inner room, their faces pale as paper, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, heads lowered, not daring to look at the gang members.

Chen Yue stood near the outer room, his eyelids slightly lowered, wearing the numb expression common among Pearl Households.

After a rough and swift search, one gang member leaned close to Scarface, whispered something, and shook his head.

Only then did Scarface slowly shift his gaze to Father and Mother Chen. His stare was oppressive, as if trying to see through them completely.

Father Chen's head drooped lower. Mother Chen's breath nearly stopped. Scarface's gaze lingered on them for a few breaths, then finally landed on Chen Yue, who stood slightly ahead.