212: Chapter 212 Unexpected

The message sent back by Xu Jingyun caused Han Jingyang and the others to fall into a heavy silence, their expressions turning grim.

After a moment, Xu Xin slammed his fist hard against the wall: "Fucking hell! Those subhuman bastards! I'm going to twist that dog's head off with my own hands! Fuck—"

Han Jingyang sighed and said nothing.

What could he say?

Condemn Liu Qing?

Denounce Tian Chunming?

At a time like this, words held no weight.

Only by killing the group—Tian Chunming, Liu Qing, Liu Jian, and Liu Xin—could the fire of rage in their hearts be extinguished.

Anger?

It wasn't just because the old couple had been killed.

It was because of the succession of such human tragedies.

While it wasn't exactly empathy, any normal person would be furious upon hearing of such things.

After a moment, Han Jingyang cleared his throat: "Old Man Liu isn't dead yet. As long as our plan goes smoothly, he can survive. Although that old man isn't exactly a good person, he shouldn't die in such a way."

Xu Xin nodded heavily: "Right. We should let the old man see the fate of his three 'good' sons. If the son is uneducated, it's the father's fault; Old Man Liu bears responsibility for the Three Liu Brothers turning out like this."

Han Jingyang hummed in agreement and continued asking through the earpiece, "How did the Three Liu Brothers explain Old Man Liu's cause of death?"

Xu Jingyun replied: "They said he died in his sleep from heart failure brought on by excessive grief over his wife's sudden death. The village doctor examined him; he is indeed dead, with no signs of trauma or poisoning. The time of death was around 2:00 AM last night."

"Being buried in the same coffin as the old lady?"

"Yes. A carpenter worked through the night to make a large coffin to put the couple in. It's already been nailed shut. The funeral procession leaves at 2:00 PM sharp."

"How do you know the details so clearly?"

"An old man at the village entrance chatted with me; he described it quite vividly."

An old man?

Would an ordinary old man know such detailed information?

A bad premonition bubbled up in Han Jingyang's heart, and he said urgently, "Xiao Yun, leave quickly! There might be danger—"

"Mmph—"

A faint muffled sound came through the earpiece, followed by silence.

After a dozen seconds, a resonant voice rang out: "Han Jingyang?"

Han Jingyang's heart sank: "Tian Chunming?"

"Hahaha, it's me. Unexpected, isn't it? We've already clashed twice before even officially meeting. Last time, you made the first move and you won, taking Xu Xin with you. This time, I made the first move. Let me see just how much the famous Mr. Han is worth."

Han Jingyang sighed inwardly and made a gesture for silence to the tensed-up Xu Xin, Liu Jing, and Shi Xiaoya. In a calm tone, he said, "We can have another match. The stakes will be the girl in your hands. I want her whole—not a single hair missing."

"Hahahaha! I, Tian Chunming, have always been a man of my word. There's no need for your reverse psychology. But time is limited. Starting now until the coffin is buried: if you win, this little beauty and the old man in the coffin are yours. If you lose, hehehe, I will slowly harvest the heads of your entire family, one a day. Hehehehe hahahaha—"

"It's a deal!"

"I'll be waiting, Han Jingyang. Don't disappoint me, hahahaha!"

Han Jingyang slowly closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them. His gaze swept across the faces of Xu Xin, Liu Jing, and Shi Xiaoya one by one: "The plan has changed."

"Boss..."

"No need to say anything. I know what I'm doing. We're reformulating the plan. We leave in half an hour."

"Understood."

Xu Jingyun's unexpected capture had not only ruined Han Jingyang's plan but also cast a dark shadow over their hearts.

If they failed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Xu Xin suppressed his grief as he packed his weapons and adjusted his state of mind.

Half an hour later.

The four of them headed straight for Xiaohe Village in one car.

Xiaohe Village.

In a house in the middle of the village.

Xu Jingyun was tied up tightly and suspended from a roof beam. Facing downward with her body arched, she was spinning gently. Her delicate face was flushed bright red, and her eyes watched the dense array of steel spikes on the ground with shock and fear.

Dozens of spikes, each over thirty centimeters long, stood upright, their sharp points aimed directly at the suspended Xu Jingyun.

The rope holding her was a hemp cord that wasn't very thick; it looked like it could snap at any moment.

Tian Chunming, sitting in a chair, laughed loudly: "Just wait here obediently. Whatever you do, don't struggle. This rope isn't very sturdy. If it breaks, you'll be pierced by ten thousand arrows. And don't try calling for help; I'll hear you."

Tian Chunming pointed to his ear and then patted the remote control at his waist: "If I hear so much as a cry for help, I'll press the button immediately. A small mechanism fixed to the beam will pop out a sharp blade and cut the hemp rope. You'll still be pierced by ten thousand arrows."

At this point, he smiled triumphantly: "You'd better pray that Han Jingyang can not only kill me but also find you before the rope breaks naturally. Hehe, now, I'm going to deal with Han Jingyang."

He slapped his forehead: "Oh right, I haven't asked about your relationship with Han Jingyang. Come, tell me, and I'll remove one spike for you. One less spike means your chance of survival when you fall will increase just a little bit."

Xu Jingyun was terrified. Hearing Tian Chunming's words, she hesitated for a moment and then shook her head.

"Won't talk? That's fine. I like people with spirit; it's more satisfying to play with them, hehe." Tian Chunming walked up to Xu Jingyun with a sinister grin and suddenly asked, "Do you like that little bastard Han Jingyang?"

Without waiting for her to answer, he nodded as if answering himself: "It's normal. Although that little bastard is suspected of fishing for fame, he is indeed good-looking. It's normal for girls to like him. Back in the day, I was also a handsome young man, no worse than Han Jingyang, but..."

He grabbed Xu Jingyun's hair and jerked her head down while simultaneously raising his knee, slamming it hard into her forehead. He snarled, "I love breaking up lovebirds. Hehehe, what 'vows of eternal love,' what 'dying together'—it's all fucking bullshit, all lies. The prettier a woman is, the more fucking lowly she is. Fuck, you vain, gold-digging, fickle bitches all deserve to die—"

Tian Chunming became more agitated as he spoke, slapping and hitting Xu Jingyun's head as if he were striking a punching bag.

In just ten seconds, Xu Jingyun's face was covered in blood, and she couldn't even open her eyes. Yet, she spat at the nearly crazed Tian Chunming: "You old bastard, I *do* like Han Jingyang. I won't marry anyone else in this life. Not only will I marry him, I'll find dozens of concubines for him! As for an old bastard like you, just one look at you makes me sick. Ptui! I'll spite you to death, you old idiot! If you have the guts, kill me! Come on, if I were afraid of death, my name wouldn't be Xu! In life, I'm Han Jingyang's woman; in death, I'm Han Jingyang's ghost! Come on, give me a quick end, and I might actually think you're a man. Otherwise, you're just a fucking ball-less old pervert!"