132: Chapter 131 The Truth Revealed! Zhou Family, You Wait (2)
Lin Feng pushed the door open and stepped out.
The hallway was quiet, with only the sound of footsteps echoing.
He walked down the corridor, his mind filled with the photos and text he had just seen.
Zhou Tianhao, Zhou Tiannan, the Zhou Family.
He recalled the things Zhou Tianhao had done to have him killed—the Blood Wolf Group's ambush, the Blood Butcher blocking him in the alley, the City Management Officers shutting down his shop, and the Baga Country assassin's sneak attack in the Dungeon.
Each incident flashed through his mind like a movie.
He also remembered Zhou Tiannan at the gate of the Zhou Family estate, and those punches that had almost cost him his life.
He clenched his fists, and the wounds on his knuckles began to ache again.
This debt would have to be settled, sooner or later.
He returned to his room and pushed the door open.
The room was just as it had been: a single bed, a desk, a chair, and a desk lamp.
He walked to the bed, sat down, lay back, and stared at the ceiling.
The circular lamp was still on, casting a warm yellow light.
He closed his eyes, but his mind wouldn't settle.
Chen Lin, the Zhou Family, Li Mingze, the tournament.
Images flickered past like a rotating lantern.
He sat up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The night breeze blew in, carrying a chill.
The streetlights in the courtyard were on, casting dim yellow light onto the lawn.
In the distance, the lights of The Capital were faintly visible, spread out like a galaxy.
He leaned against the window, watching the lights, lost in thought for a while.
A knock came from behind him.
He turned around. "Come in."
The door opened, and Li Mingze stood in the doorway.
He wasn't wearing his white academy uniform, but had changed into ordinary casual clothes. His hair wasn't combed meticulously either; it was a bit messy.
On that handsome face, the gentle smile was gone, replaced by exhaustion and... something undefinable.
"Lin Feng, can we talk?" His voice was very soft, as if he were afraid of disturbing someone.
Lin Feng looked at him. "Come in."
Li Mingze walked in and sat on the chair.
Lin Feng sat on the edge of the bed, and they faced each other.
The room was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of insects from outside the window.
Li Mingze lowered his head, looking at his hands.
Those hands were very white, very clean, and well-maintained.
He looked at them for a long time, then raised his head.
"You asked me before if I truly liked Chen Lin."
Lin Feng looked at him. "Yes."
Li Mingze was silent for a few seconds. "No."
Lin Feng said nothing.
Li Mingze lowered his head, his voice even lower. "I approached her because someone asked me to."
He paused. "The Zhou Family. Zhou Tianhao found me and told me to approach Chen Lin, to pursue her, and to make her... leave you, to get revenge on you."
His voice trembled slightly. "He said that as long as I succeeded, he would give me resources, help me pave my way, and let me enter the best research institution after graduation."
He raised his head and looked at Lin Feng. "I agreed."
Those three words were spoken very softly, but each one felt as heavy as a stone.
Lin Feng watched him, saying nothing.
Li Mingze lowered his head again. "At first, I just wanted to complete the mission. Approach her, make her fall in love with me, and then..."
He didn't continue, remaining silent for a long time.
"But she is very good. Truly, very good."
"The things she said to you, the things she did for you, the expression she had when she mentioned you... At first, I found it ridiculous. What was there to like about a piece of trash with an F-Rank Talent?"
"But later, I couldn't laugh anymore."
He raised his head and looked at Lin Feng. "Because everything she said you would do, you actually did."
"Clearing the Ancient Trial Tower, killing the Void King Beast, blocking the gate of the Zhou Family alone, fighting three Gazi Clan Warriors alone."
"All those things I thought were impossible, you achieved."
He gave a bitter smile. "I started to get scared. I was afraid she would find out the truth, afraid she would return to your side, afraid you would come looking for me."
"So, at the academy, I treated her even better to make her unable to leave me."
"I told myself that I really liked her."
"But today..." He didn't continue, lowering his head.
Lin Feng looked at him. "What about today?"
Li Mingze was silent for a long time. "Today on the arena, I watched you smash those Iron Bone Clan warriors to pieces, one punch at a time."
"Watching you covered in blood, yet still standing there."
"Watching you take on all ten Iron Bone Clan members alone."
He raised his head, his eyes red. "That was when I knew I wasn't worthy."
He stood up, took a step back, and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry."
Lin Feng watched him.
A ninety-degree bow, his waist bent very low, his back arched as if crushed by some weight.
He stood there, motionless, waiting for Lin Feng to speak.
Lin Feng was silent for a long time. "Does Chen Lin know?"
Li Mingze didn't straighten up. "No. She doesn't know anything. She thinks I truly like her."
Lin Feng nodded. "Then there's no need to tell her."
Li Mingze froze, straightened up, and looked at Lin Feng. "You... aren't you angry with me?"
Lin Feng looked at him. "Angry about what? Angry that you approached Chen Lin? Or angry that you pursued her?"
He paused. "She chose you not because you approached her, but because she changed. Even without you, there would have been someone else."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked outside.
"She and I grew up together. She told me to wait for her, and I believed it. But people change."
"She is in The Capital, and I am in the East Sea. The people she meets and the things she experiences are different from mine. It's normal for her to change."
He turned around and looked at Li Mingze. "Is it useful for me to be angry with you?"
Li Mingze opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Lin Feng looked at him, his gaze calm. "Today in the arena, you were too afraid to go up. You used Chen Lin's matter as a bargaining chip, wanting me to take your place."
"At that moment, you were already beneath my notice."
Li Mingze's face turned pale.
He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Lin Feng turned around and looked out the window. "You should go. Let Chen Lin's matter end here. I won't tell her the truth, and I won't cause you any trouble. Take care of yourself."
Li Mingze stood there, silent for a long time.
Then he bowed deeply, turned, and walked out of the room.
The door closed gently behind him.
The room was quiet again.
Lin Feng stood by the window, watching the night outside.
The night breeze blew in, carrying a chill and the faint sound of insects in the distance.
He thought of Chen Lin.
He remembered when they were kids, how she would climb over the wall to play with him, fall off, scrape her knee, and cry her eyes out.
He would frantically put a bandage on her, but it would end up crooked, and she would laugh, tears still hanging on her face.
He remembered the road they walked together every day after school in junior high.
She would always chatter endlessly, and he would listen from the side, occasionally adding a word or two.
That road wasn't long, but he always felt it was over too quickly.
He remembered the day of the Awakening ceremony, when everyone was laughing at him, and only she stood by his side, shielding him from their gazes.
"So what if you have an F-Rank Talent? Can't someone with an F-Rank Talent become strong?"
He remembered before she left, how she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the face—very lightly, very quickly, like a feather brushing past.
Then she turned and ran, her ponytail swinging in a beautiful arc in the sunlight.
Those images flashed through his mind like a movie.
Then they froze on the last message: "I... am with someone else."
He packed those images away and placed them in a corner of his heart.
It didn't hurt anymore; it really didn't hurt.
It was just that occasionally, when he thought about it, he felt a tiny bit of regret.
Just like watching a good movie; the show is over, the lights are on, and it's time to leave.
He turned, walked to the bed, and sat down.
Chen Lin's matter ended here.
But the Zhou Family's matter was not over.
Zhou Tianhao, Zhou Tiannan, and all the accomplices in the Zhou Family.
Sending people to kill him, shutting down his shop, colluding with Baga Country, and now reaching out to Chen Lin.
Each incident was carved into his heart like a knife.
He clenched his fists, and the wounds on his knuckles began to ooze blood.
He looked down at the bloodstains, his gaze turning cold.
Zhou Family, just you wait.
I will settle this debt with you, one by one.
He lay down and closed his eyes.
The moonlight outside the window spilled in, shining on his face.
On that young face, there was no expression, but between his brows, there was something indescribable.
It wasn't Killing Intent, it wasn't hatred; it was a kind of... determination.
The next morning, when Lin Feng woke up, it was already bright.
Sunlight shone in through the window, spilling onto the bedsheets, warm and cozy.
He sat up and stretched his muscles.
His right arm was still a bit sore, and the wounds on his knuckles had scabbed over and didn't hurt anymore.
He washed up and changed into clean clothes.
A white T-shirt, black casual pants, and the dragon slaying sword hanging at his waist.
He pushed the door open and went out; the hallway lights were bright.
Lieutenant Liu Yang was already waiting at the door.
"Comrade Lin Feng, breakfast is in the cafeteria. The meeting is at eight o'clock."
Lin Feng nodded and headed toward the cafeteria.
Several people were already sitting in the cafeteria.
Zhao Tiejun was drinking porridge, Xiao Yutong was eating steamed buns, and Su Xiaoxiao was drinking milk.
Seeing him enter, Su Xiaoxiao waved at him. "Brother Lin Feng! Over here!"
Lin Feng walked over and sat down next to her.
He took two steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and an egg.
The buns were pork and green onion filling, with thin skin and plenty of filling; one bite and they were juicy.
The porridge was millet porridge, cooked thick and golden yellow.
The egg was boiled just right, the yolk powdery and not choking.
Su Xiaoxiao watched him eat and asked in a low voice. "Brother Lin Feng, did you not sleep well yesterday? Your eyes are a bit red."
Lin Feng smiled. "I slept, it was quite good."
Su Xiaoxiao said "Oh" and didn't ask again.
Zhao Tiejun put down his bowl and looked at him. "Lin Feng, what did the General want with you yesterday?"
Lin Feng took a bite of the bun. "Nothing major. Just asking about the tournament."
Zhao Tiejun nodded and didn't ask further.
Xiao Yutong glanced at him but didn't speak either.
Chen Zhixing pushed up his glasses; there was a crack on the lens.
Li Mo sat in the corner, quietly drinking porridge.
Zhou Tianyu sat in the distance, head lowered, wondering what he was thinking.
Li Mingze did not come.
Su Xiaoxiao looked left and right, muttering softly. "Why didn't Senior Li Mingze come?"
No one answered her.
At eight o'clock sharp, in the conference room.
The General stood at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the nine people.
Li Mingze's seat was empty; no one was sitting there.
He glanced at it but didn't ask.
"You all did very well yesterday. The country thanks you, and the people thank you."
He paused. "Yanjiao has already returned. Next, there will be a series of tasks to do. Clearing the ruins, rebuilding homes, and resettling the displaced people. You don't need to worry about these things. What you need to do is continue to grow stronger."
He looked at Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, you stay behind. Everyone else, the meeting is adjourned."
Su Xiaoxiao stood up and waved at Lin Feng. "Brother Lin Feng, I'm leaving first."
Zhao Tiejun patted his shoulder. "Take care."
Xiao Yutong nodded at him.
Chen Zhixing pushed up his glasses. "If there's an opportunity, let's study your Chaos power together."
Li Mo walked by from the corner, glanced at him, and nodded.
Ye Xinyi smiled at him. "Rest well."
Zhou Tianyu walked past him with his head down, without looking at him.
Everyone had left.
In the conference room, only Lin Feng and the General remained.
The General looked at him. "There is something I need to tell you."
Lin Feng looked at him. "What is it?"
The General took a photo out of the drawer and pushed it in front of Lin Feng.
The photo showed a young man, in his early twenties, wearing a military uniform, with a bright smile.
"This was the last soldier to fall at the Yanjiao tournament ten years ago. His name was Li Weiguo. He was nineteen when he died."
He paused. "He was Li Mingze's older brother."
Lin Feng looked at the photo and fell silent.
The General put the photo away. "Li Mingze came to see me. He told me everything. About the Zhou Family, about Chen Lin, and about him fighting in the tournament for his brother."
He looked at Lin Feng. "He said he wasn't worthy of standing in that arena. He was afraid of death, afraid of dying in the arena just like his brother."
Lin Feng was silent for a long time. "His brother's matter has nothing to do with him."
The General nodded. "That's what I told him, too. But he said he couldn't get past his own mental barrier."
He stood up and walked to the window. "He also said he owed you an apology."
Lin Feng looked at him. "He already apologized."
The General turned around. "That's good."
Lin Feng stood up. "General, if there's nothing else, I'll be going."
The General nodded. "Go ahead."
Lin Feng walked to the door, then turned back. "General, I won't pursue the matter with Li Mingze. But I will get to the bottom of his connection with the Zhou Family."
The General looked at him, silent for a few seconds. "Good."
Lin Feng pushed the door open and left.
In the hallway, sunlight shone in through the window, warm and cozy.
He walked down the corridor, thinking about what the General had just said—Li Weiguo, nineteen years old, died in the Yanjiao tournament.
Li Mingze's brother.
He remembered what Li Mingze had said in the room yesterday— "I'm scared. I'm afraid of death, afraid of ending up like his brother."
He stopped walking and stood by the window.
Outside the window was the military compound.
There were some old trees in the courtyard, and soldiers were training under them.
The sunlight shone on them, casting long shadows.
He watched for a while, then turned and kept walking.
The Zhou Family's matter was not over.
This debt would have to be settled, sooner or later.