Chapter 97: So It Was You

"Good, good, with my son here, I, as a father, am very reassured!"

With such a capable adopted son by his side, Hu Yingchun finally felt a slight sense of security. Soon, the whole family hurried over and entered the secret passage together.

Who could have imagined that this County Magistrate was so fierce despite his youth? By the time their whole family entered the secret passage, they heard that this fellow had already slaughtered his way toward them.

The three Xiantian Perfection retainers in the household, plus over a dozen Xiantian Experts, were all finished off as easily as chopping melons and vegetables. All the Huwe rushed up, but they couldn't even manage to delay the opponent's footsteps.

At this moment, as news of the battle outside arrived one report after another, Hu Yingchun admitted that he was truly afraid. Even though he himself was a Xiantian Expert, he didn't even have the courage to go and fight.

He still had plenty of money, plenty of time, and a bright future; it was not worth it to fight to the death with such a freak. As the saying goes, as long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood.

With such a County Magistrate in Sanshui County, he truly did not want to stay for even a quarter of an hour.

"Hurry, he might come at any moment!" While running rapidly through the secret passage, Hu Yingchun urged, "This secret passage leads directly to the pier; we will board a ship there and leave Sanshui County directly!"

"Adoptive father, look here!" After running for a while, Hu Zhixin, who was behind, suddenly called out to stop Hu Yingchun, who was in the lead. And at the very moment the other turned his head, a sharp blade plunged straight into his chest.

"You, how dare you!" Looking down at the sharp blade in his chest, fresh blood was already gushing out from the wound uncontrollably. Hu Yingchun looked at the adopted son before him in disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.

At this moment, many things suddenly became clear in his mind. He raised his trembling right hand and pointed at the other, "It was you, it was you all along!"

"That's right, it was me. The leaker you have been trying to find all along is me!"

"You, you actually dare to betray me! Cough, cough!" Fresh blood was coughed out in large mouthfuls from the corners of his mouth. Hu Yingchun struggled, wanting to strike the other with a palm, but Hu Zhixin dodged it, instead pulling out the sharp blade in his hand and stabbing it back in again.

Fresh blood sprayed, dyeing the surrounding ground completely red. Feeling his strength rapidly dissipating, Hu Yingchun ultimately could not hold on and collapsed limply to the ground, his heart filled with nothing but unwillingness.

"Betrayal? Hu Yingchun, you have the nerve to mention the word betrayal? Who exactly betrayed whom? Twenty-some years ago, you were nothing but a steward of my Hu Family, a dog of my Hu Family!"

"You took advantage of my parents' accident and, under the guise of raising me, openly usurped my Hu Family's estate and slaughtered my Hu Family clansmen, causing my Hu Family to fall completely into the hands of an outsider like you. You even hypocritically adopted me as your son; you are not worthy!"

At this moment, Hu Zhixin's face was filled with ferocity, as if he wanted to vent all the hatred from the deepest part of his heart. That killing intent on his body was displayed before everyone without reservation.

The person before him was not his benefactor, but the enemy who had usurped his family's estate. He had endured humiliation for twenty years, and finally, this day had arrived!

"So you remember. I am truly a fool; I should have cut the weeds and eliminated the roots back then!" Hu Yingchun's face darkened as he lay limply on the ground, then he asked, "The events of these past years, they should all have been your doing as well, right?"

"Of course I remember. Although I was only six years old at the time, I remember everything clearly. Hu Yingchun, you are right, everything was done by me!"

"The previous County Magistrate of Sanshui County was rumored to have been appointed personally by the Governor's Office. I secretly gave him a Bliss Flower, hoping to use the power of the Governor's Office to eliminate you. Unfortunately, that muddled County Magistrate was so overconfident that he wanted to investigate it himself, and as a result, he was discovered and executed by you, almost exposing me as well!"

Speaking of this, Hu Zhixin was filled with unwillingness. Through this County Magistrate, he also learned how unreliable these pedantic scholars were; they were truly too much of a pitfall for their teammates.

"However, this current County Magistrate exceeded my expectations. I also did not expect him to be so strong. Hu Yingchun, why do you think he found this place so quickly? That's right, it was I who brought him here!"

"I discovered it back when I was with that Silver Badge Constable; this County Magistrate actually hadn't died. So, on the way back, I deliberately revealed my tracks to lead him here!"

Looking at Hu Yingchun's expression, which was as if he wanted to eat someone, Hu Zhixin felt indescribably comfortable, and continued, "Not only that, I gave a map of Hu Family Fort to that Silver Badge Constable early on, letting him hang it in the secret room. He didn't even suspect anything and hung it right there!"

"This map was naturally seen clearly by this County Magistrate, which is why he could know the layout of Hu Family Fort like the back of his hand!"

"Originally, this was just a casual move of mine. After all, this assassination attempt against him should have been foolproof, and that map would likely have burned and vanished along with the sea of fire!"

"But what if? What if this County Magistrate was smart enough to see through that it was a trap? Then this casual move would naturally have its use!"

Speaking of this, Hu Zhixin couldn't help but reveal a smile, a smile full of triumph. "But even I did not expect that this County Magistrate could remain unscathed. I even less expected that he could single-handedly slaughter his way through the entire Hu Family!"

"Heaven's will, this is Heaven's will! I waited for so many years, and finally waited for this opportunity. You, Hu Yingchun, have committed many injustices, and in the end, you have brought upon yourself a formidable enemy and brought about your own destruction!"

"Good, good, so it was I who underestimated you!" As if seeing this adopted son for the first time, Hu Yingchun's face was full of disbelief. He also did not expect that his own adopted son had prepared so much just to trick him to death.

It seems that even if this County Magistrate hadn't come, he would have had other preparations, and wouldn't have stopped until he had tricked him to death!

"So for all these years, I have been raising an ungrateful wretch. But aren't you afraid that the Hu Family will be completely destroyed by doing this?"

"This Hu Family is your Hu Family, not mine; it should have disappeared long ago. Hu Yingchun, my Hu Family now has only me left. As long as I am here, my Hu Family will not be destroyed!"

"You!" He struggled, trying hard to stand up, but failed after several attempts. Hu Yingchun could only look up at the other, saying somewhat pleadingly, "Zhixin, can you spare your younger brothers?"

"Sorry, I have no brothers!" As he spoke, Hu Zhixin slashed his sword directly across the other's throat.

In an instant, the luster in Hu Yingchun's eyes dissipated, and amidst regret and unwillingness, he perished right there.

"Zhixin, don't, don't, don't kill me!" Facing Hu Zhixin, who held the sharp blade, the remaining old, weak, women, and children retreated in terror one by one. However, Hu Zhixin would not soften his heart; if you don't cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, the spring breeze will make them grow again!

"Kill!" Following Hu Zhixin's cold shout, several figures in black appeared, rushing directly into the group of old, weak, women, and children. Fresh blood spilled, and these people fell one after another, until in the end, not a single one remained.

"Young Master!" Finally, after these men in black finished their work, they knelt respectfully by Hu Zhixin's side one by one. Beside them lay the members of the Hu Family, fallen all over the ground.

"Mo Hen!" Throwing the sword in his hand beside one of the men in black, Hu Zhixin said coldly, "Next, you know what to do, right?"

"Rest assured, Young Master, this subordinate understands. Ever since receiving the Young Master's great kindness, this subordinate's life has belonged to the Young Master!"

"Good, very good. I leave this place to you; let's go!"