The exploding old woman

"Off we go! Let's hit the road!"

With that roar from Zhang Jun, Zhang Hongxing's family officially set off for Egret Island. Apart from Li Xiuying, who had insisted on staying home to watch the house, not a single one of them stayed behind.

In the taxi, Zhang Jun tried several times to find an opportunity to ask Zhang Hongxing about his mother, but Lele and Wenwen's presence kept him from bringing it up.

Only after they boarded the plane did Zhang Hongxing finally get a seat beside Zhang Jun.

"Dad, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?"

"It's about you and Mom. You've been back for so long, and she looks young again now, but you two seem to be drifting further and further apart. I really don't want to see you like this."

"Ah..."

Zhang Hongxing let out a weary sigh. How could he not have considered the question his son had raised? But his wife, Li Xiuying, kept avoiding him. What could he do?

"Dad, what's that sigh supposed to mean? If there's a problem, can't you just say it?"

"Stay out of things between your mother and me. Given enough time, perhaps she'll come around."

"Dad, that won't do. When it comes to relationships, you have to take the initiative as the man. You can't just keep waiting for Mom to come around, can you?"

"All right, I know what I'm doing. If you have nothing else to do, give me a few more grandsons and granddaughters instead of spending all day worrying about me."

"Dad."

Zhang Jun looked at Zhang Hongxing with utter despair. He had abandoned all thoughts of having a second child back in the year after Lele was born.

In today's society, even raising one child was extremely difficult.

From the moment of pregnancy, there were all kinds of nutritional needs and examinations to pay for. Once the child was born, expenses rose even further, and when school started...

Wait... that's not right.

I don't seem to have any financial problems anymore.

Maybe I really could consider...

No, what am I thinking?

Why would I even think that? Dad must have cast some kind of spell on me.

Dad is seriously awful.

Smack!

Zhang Hongxing reached over and slapped Zhang Jun on the head.

"What on earth are you thinking?"

"Dad, you actually read my mind! That's downright evil!"

Zhang Jun stared at Zhang Hongxing in shock.

"Are you asking for a beating, brat? What do you fill that head of yours with all day?"

"You really didn't read my thoughts?"

Smack! Zhang Hongxing gave him another slap on the head.

After that, he simply shut his eyes to rest. Fortunately, he had set up a small sound-isolating formation as soon as Zhang Jun asked his first question. Otherwise, everyone around them would have laughed themselves silly.

Three hours later, the plane landed safely at Egret Island Airport.

It was the entire family's first visit to Egret Island, so naturally, none of them knew their way around. After a brief discussion, they hailed a taxi and asked the driver to recommend a hotel.

The Five Strips International Hotel.

Even the cheapest room with a king-size bed cost 888 yuan a night. That certainly wasn't cheap, but since they were already there, they didn't want any more hassle and booked three rooms.

Zhang Jun and his wife shared one, Zhang Ying took another, and Zhang Hongxing had the third to himself. The two children could stay wherever they liked.

Once the rooms were booked, everyone headed to their respective rooms.

Lele and Wenwen both followed Zhang Hongxing to his room again.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, they even had the breakfast provided by the hotel. The food was actually quite good, and they had slept reasonably well the night before, so they decided not to change hotels.

After getting a tourist map of Egret Island from the front desk, Zhang Hongxing's family planned to take their time visiting the attractions along the route marked on it.

They chose Guanyin Mountain Music Beach as their first stop.

But just as they were about to leave the hotel, an old woman suddenly approached them with faltering steps.

She had a kindly face and wore a smile. Her clothes were clean and tidy, and even the embroidered cloth shoes on her feet were spotless.

The old woman drew closer and closer, her expression and movements unchanged.

Guests coming and going glanced at her, then went on their way.

At last, the old woman brushed past Zhang Jun. A dagger had appeared in her hand at some point, gleaming black and covered in runes. Its tip thrust straight toward Zhang Ying, swift and decisive.

Even as she thrust the dagger, the old woman's expression remained unchanged.

Zhang Hongxing's body appeared squarely in the dagger's path. With a casual sweep of his hand, he caught it.

The old woman's expression finally changed, a vicious gleam flashing through her eyes.

Then came a soft pop.

After that faint sound, a hint of amusement appeared in her eyes.

Thump!

Without understanding what was happening, Zhang Hongxing kicked her, sending her flying out of the hotel.

Boom!

Before the old woman's body hit the ground, it exploded.

You fucking bastard! Why aren't you following the script?

Even at the moment of her death, the old woman never figured out where she had gone wrong.

Still less could she understand why Zhang Hongxing had been able to send her flying with one kick.

Or why he had wanted to kick her away in the first place.

"Dad, what on earth is going on?"

"I'm not sure. It might be retaliation from the Eternal Life Society, or it might just be a coincidence."

Zhang Hongxing truly had no idea why the old woman had come. If the Eternal Life Society really had sent someone to retaliate, why had they chosen this particular moment to act? And where had they obtained information about him?

Because of the old woman's explosion, Zhang Hongxing's family could no longer leave the hotel.

Something like this had happened in full public view.

He would definitely have to cooperate with the police and give a statement.

For his family's safety, he also had to make some preparations in advance.

Yet just as Zhang Hongxing was giving his statement to the police, another old woman walked into the hotel from outside.

She had the same kindly face and the same smile. Even her clothes were almost identical.

"Who are you? Stop right there."

The police officer warned the old woman, but she did not slow her steps in the slightest.

"The police are conducting an investigation. Stop moving immediately."

"Third warning. Stop moving immediately."

Click.

The officer took out his handcuffs, intending to frighten the old woman into stopping, but Zhang Hongxing heard that familiar soft pop again.

Then he kicked the old woman out once more.

"What are you doing? How dare you do that in front of the police..."

Boom!

Before the officer could finish, the old woman who had been kicked outside exploded into pieces again.

This time, the entire ground shook.

The hotel lobby's glass doors shattered, scattering glass across the floor.

Then a third old woman appeared, looking exactly like the previous two.

"What the hell is this? Are they even human?"

Zhang Hongxing ignored Zhang Jun's muttering. At that moment, his attention was focused entirely on the old woman.

He sensed a trace of danger from her.

That sense of danger was a full ten times stronger than it had been with the previous old woman, and a hundred times stronger than with the first.

If that danger represented the force of the explosion...

Then this explosion would definitely be powerful enough to destroy the entire building.

What on earth was going on?