Chapter 100: Counter-kill! The Jia Family? Dream of the Red Chamber?

"Drip, drop..."

Rainwater landed on the branches and leaves, then dripped down onto the ground.

In the woods, a chill struck.

Luo Zijun slowly clenched his fists and looked at the person opposite him.

At this moment, running away was already meaningless.

That tall, thin man had already arrived before him with a cold expression.

The clothes on his body were snapping and billowing in the wind.

"Kid, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too smart..."

He only said this one sentence before suddenly darting out like a leopard, his fist letting out a "whoosh" as it carried a whistling, powerful wind, striking toward Luo Zijun's face.

The speed was incomparably fast!

A cold glint flashed in Luo Zijun's hand as he thrust forward with force.

A look of mockery appeared in the tall, thin man's eyes; he did not dodge or evade, but instead struck his massive fist directly against the tip of the Dagger.

Under the effect of speed and force, the sharp tip of the Dagger did not pierce his fist; instead, with a "chi" sound, it slid right past the tough skin on his fist.

Following that, it was knocked away by that fist.

At the same time, the momentum of that fist remained undiminished, continuing forward until it struck Luo Zijun's chest with a "bang."

Luo Zijun's body jolted, and he flew backward.

After flying four or five meters away, he finally fell heavily to the ground.

"Eh?"

Although he had won the exchange, the tall, thin man still wore a look of surprise and suspicion.

Because he had not heard the sound he should have heard.

—The sound of ribs breaking.

He had long since succeeded in Skin Refining and was on the verge of advancing to the Martial Artist Second Realm.

Let alone hitting a scholar, even if this punch had landed on a farmhand, it would have been enough to cave the other person's chest in.

If not dead, they would be crippled.

A sharp light flickered in his eyes as he looked at the youth on the ground with uncertainty.

Just at this moment, a scene that made him even more astonished appeared.

That youth actually stood up from the ground.

"Pfft..."

Luo Zijun crawled up from the mud on the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

His chest was incomparably painful.

But fortunately, it was not a fatal injury.

The tall, thin man looked at him in astonishment, then his heart jolted as he realized the truth, looking at him in disbelief: "You... you are a martial artist?"

Luo Zijun did not speak; the Internal Energy in his Dantian Sea surged and flowed into his fists.

The aura of a martial artist was finally exposed.

"Good! Good!"

The tall, thin man woke from his shock and could not help but sneer, the killing intent in his eyes growing even thicker.

"Today is the day you die!"

He charged out again like a leopard, his fists like the wind, whistling as they struck out.

"Whoosh—"

Luo Zijun poured all his strength into his fists and immediately charged up as well.

Kaishan Fist, first form: Fist Emerges from the East!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The two engaged in fist-to-fist, hard-on-hard combat, their fists colliding like thunder, making "bang-bang" sounds.

After dozens of consecutive exchanges.

The tall, thin man spotted an opening and smashed another punch into Luo Zijun's chest.

This time.

Luo Zijun turned his body to the side, slightly dissipating some of the force.

But the immense power still sent him flying backward, where he fell heavily into the mud behind him.

A bone-chilling pain surged through his chest once more.

He had no time to lick his wounds; he immediately crawled up from the ground, brandishing his fists to meet the next round of attacks.

In the woods, the wind whistled.

The rain was still falling in a drizzle.

Mist rose all around, hazy and indistinct.

The figures of the two moved rapidly through the forest, their fists colliding fiercely in front of them.

The grass on the ground rustled, and mud splattered.

The silent battle between the two became increasingly intense.

Because it was his first time fighting, Luo Zijun had no combat experience and was knocked to the ground many times, but he still relied on his tenacious will and resilient physique to crawl up from the ground and continue the fight.

That tall, thin man had gone from his initial indifference to becoming anxious and irritable.

"Bang!"

About half an hour later.

Luo Zijun was sent flying by a punch once again, spitting blood as he slammed heavily into a large tree behind him, then fell miserably into the mud on the ground.

This time, however, the tall, thin man did not immediately follow.

He stood where he was, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath, a trace of paleness appearing on his face, and his clenched fists had already begun to tremble.

The battle had lasted too long.

The Internal Energy within his body was almost exhausted, and his tough fists could no longer hold out, becoming somewhat numb.

The tenacity of this youth filled him with dread.

"Hoo..."

He gasped for air, rested for a few more breaths, then gritted his teeth and rushed over.

And at this moment.

Luo Zijun also endured the pain and stood up from the ground.

Although his body swayed and his head felt dizzy, he still stood up.

"Brat, go to hell!"

The tall, thin man roared, suddenly leaping up with all his might, pouncing toward him like a furious lion!

Luo Zijun no longer had the strength to dodge, so he could only raise his fist to meet the attack.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound!

Two fists collided heavily together.

Then, a crisp sound.

Luo Zijun's arm actually bent inward and snapped directly.

His fist overlapped with the opponent's fist, and like a heavy hammer, it struck his own chest with a "bang."

A muffled sound.

He was sent flying backward again, falling miserably into the mud behind him.

Intense pain and dizziness washed over him.

This time, he could not crawl back up.

And the tall, thin man, after his strike landed, also swayed, nearly falling over.

But the tall, thin man knew that this time, the opportunity must not be missed!

He immediately bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to steady his spirit and body, then pulled a Dagger from his person, breathing heavily as he walked toward the youth who could no longer rise from the ground.

Seeing him approach with the Dagger in hand, Luo Zijun struggled to get up, but the intense pain in his chest and his broken arm made it impossible for him to rise immediately.

The tall, thin man gave a ferocious grin, suddenly straddling his body, and while gasping heavily, he raised the Dagger in his hand and hissed, "Brat, to be able to force me to this point today, you can consider your death well-deserved! Now, this ends here!"

Having said that, the Dagger in his hand was aimed at Luo Zijun's heart, and he stabbed down fiercely!

"Swish!"

Just as the Dagger was about to pierce his chest, one of Luo Zijun's hands suddenly lifted and gripped his wrist tightly.

The sharp tip of the Dagger stopped instantly above his heart, having already touched his clothes.

The tall, thin man gritted his teeth and thrust downward with sudden force, but it only pierced his clothes and stopped there once again.

The hand Luo Zijun used to grab his wrist had veins bulging, his whole body was taut, almost all his strength was concentrated in this hand, and his entire body could not stop trembling.

The tall, thin man gave a ferocious grin and brought over his other hand.

Both hands gripped the handle of the Dagger together and began to push downward with force.

The sharp tip of the Dagger slowly pierced through the inner clothes below, then continued to tremble as it moved downward, piercing into the flesh beneath...

But at this moment, Luo Zijun did not know where a new surge of strength came from; he once again held the tall, thin man's wrist firmly, causing the tip of the Dagger to stop in the flesh, unable to advance even a fraction further.

The two men gritted their teeth, their bodies tense and trembling, using all their might.

Yet the Dagger still could not advance even a fraction.

Seeing this, the tall, thin man's face turned hideous; he suddenly released one hand, grabbed his throat, and then both hands began to exert force together.

Now, Luo Zijun could no longer look after other places.

One hand was already broken and could not move, while the other could only hold onto the opponent's hand that was gripping the Dagger.

The tall, thin man showed joy on his face and grinned ferociously, "Brat, go to your death in peace!"

Having said that, the hand gripping his throat exerted even more force.

Luo Zijun opened his mouth, his face pale, unable to breathe, and scenes of his arrival in this world involuntarily surfaced in his mind once again.

Sister, brother-in-law.

Senior sister, master.

Xiaohuan, that Liu...

Even Su Bie, Wang Dafu, Sun Yan'er and the others...

And the familiar streets, the warm-hearted Wang Shen, the beautiful West Lake...

Every scene here, at this moment, was so beautiful, so hard for him to forget...

No!

No!

He could not die, he absolutely could not die!

How could he let everything he had worked so hard to possess slip away from him?

In his Dantian Sea, a powerful hot current suddenly surged with a "swish," traveling upward along the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, reaching his arm, his wrist, and his palm.

Then, it reached his thumb.

As he opened his mouth wide, unable to breathe and on the verge of losing consciousness, a massive force gathered rapidly in his thumb, then suddenly burst through the tip of his thumb.

That thumb, pressing deathly hard against the tall, thin man's wrist, suddenly turned as red as fire at this moment!

And at this time, a ferocious grin was appearing on the tall, thin man's face, the kind that was about to send him to hell.

"Sss—"

Just at this moment, a flame an inch long suddenly shot out from the tip of Luo Zijun's thumb, like a blade, instantly piercing through the tough skin and flesh on the tall, thin man's wrist!

And that thumb, like cutting through tofu, stabbed directly into the tall, thin man's wrist!

"Ah—"

The sudden, intense pain made the tall, thin man's whole body shudder violently, and he let out a miserable shriek.

Immediately, he hurriedly retracted the hand that was holding the Dagger.

After Luo Zijun's fire-red thumb broke free from his wrist, it suddenly stabbed upward again like a Dagger, and with a "puff" sound, it deeply pierced the tall, thin man's throat!

The miserable shriek in the tall, thin man's mouth came to an abrupt end.

He kept his mouth open, eyes wide, and looked down in disbelief.

A smell of scorched, mushy flesh suddenly wafted out from his neck.

Luo Zijun exerted force with his thumb again, and with a "puff" sound, it sank into his neck up to the base, almost plunging his palm in along with it.

The tall, thin man widened his eyes, his lips trembled a few times, and he kept his mouth open, seemingly wanting to say something, but a mouthful of fresh blood suddenly gushed out.

Then, everything went black before his eyes, his body went limp, and he collapsed.

"Puff!"

Luo Zijun pulled out his thumb and stabbed it violently into his heart again!

The tall, thin man's body shuddered, trembled a few times, and then died completely.

"Hoo... hoo..."

In the woods, it became silent.

There was only the sound of the wind, the rain, and Luo Zijun's heavy, rapid breathing.

The cold rainwater drizzled onto his face, making his consciousness become increasingly clear.

"I... survived..."

He panted heavily and exhaustedly.

At this moment, even just a breath of air smelling of mud and the stench of blood made him feel incomparably happy.

However, he dared not stay long.

After lying on the ground to rest for a moment, he struggled to crawl up, felt around on the corpse, and took away the opponent's Storage Bag.

Then, he took clothes out from his own Storage Bag, changed into a clean set, and dragged his exhausted and painful body toward the outside of the woods.

When he reached a large tree at the very edge, he suddenly pressed his fractured arm against the thick tree trunk.

Then, he exerted force suddenly.

"Crack!"

Intense pain struck, and the bone was reset.

He did not linger, endured the pain, braved the rain, and exited the woods.

Then, he walked down the stone steps and left this place.

The sky was overcast, and the drizzle was hazy.

No pedestrians were to be seen on the road.

He stumbled all the way, gritting his teeth, and finally arrived at Bao'an Hall before he was about to faint from exhaustion.

"Creak..."

Closing the door, everything became quiet.

He sat on the rocking chair, closed his eyes, and seemed to fall into a deep sleep immediately.

But he dared not fall asleep.

After resting for a full hour, he finally got up with his painful body, took the medicinal herbs, and went to the backyard to boil water and soak the medicine.

The rich fragrance of medicine soon filled the entire woodshed.

He took off his clothes and quickly entered the bathtub. When the scalding medicinal liquid enveloped his entire body, an even more intense pain suddenly struck.

He gritted his teeth and endured it.

But soon, the pain began to subside, and his whole body began to feel comfortable.

He looked down at his chest.

A patch of dark bruising had appeared there, with a large amount of stagnant blood gathered in that spot.

He closed his eyes, soaking while gently rubbing the area.

At the same time, in his mind, he began to review the fight in the woods earlier.

During the battle, he had been at a disadvantage the whole time.

There were two reasons.

The first reason was that although the opponent was also only at the Martial Artist First Realm of cultivation, his actual strength was clearly above his own.

!

The second reason was that he had no combat experience whatsoever.

Both of these reasons were fatal.

Fortunately, however, his constitution was good, and his defensive power and Internal Energy were not inferior to the opponent's.

That was why he was able to drag it out to the end.

As for the final fatal blow, it was truly just luck.

Thinking about it now, he still felt a lingering fear.

If he had not practiced the Liehuo Finger, and if at the final moment he had not unleashed that burst of fire blade, then the one lying in that patch of woods right now would certainly be him.

The Liehuo Finger does indeed seem like a chicken rib.

Even in close-quarters combat, it is of little use and instead hinders other techniques with more explosive power; but if it were a tangled fight like today's, then it would be extremely useful.

The fingers can completely be used as a Dagger.

However, how many battles between martial artists are like today's?

Of course, this is only the initial stage of the Liehuo Finger.

According to the book, once the Liehuo Finger is practiced to a later stage, not only can the size of the fire blade be increased, but it can even be released from the hand, flying out like a throwing knife to kill from a distance.

At that time, its utility would be greatly increased.

The power and effects described in that book are quite similar to the effects of the Six Meridian Divine Sword he once saw on television.

I wonder if it will be just as cool when that time comes.

He pondered for a while longer.

He suddenly stood up and took the Storage Bag of that martial artist assassin.

Once a martial artist dies, their Storage Bag becomes an ownerless object; one only needs to input Internal Energy to view and take the items inside.

If one wants to store items, one needs to drip their own essence blood into it to establish a connection.

Luo Zijun input his Internal Energy and looked inside the Storage Bag.

Inside were some basic daily necessities like clothes and food, as well as two hundred-denomination silver notes and five hundred taels of silver.

Money is a good thing!

Luo Zijun immediately took out the silver notes and silver and put them into his own Storage Bag.

This money is enough for his Medicine Bath for a long time.

Today's fight can be considered to have had a decent harvest.

He continued to check.

In the corner of the Storage Bag, there were also some bottles and jars with names pasted on them.

There were trauma medicines, as well as stupefying drugs and poisons.

In another corner, a brocade box was placed separately.

Luo Zijun immediately took it out and opened the brocade box.

Inside the box lay a black stone the size of half a palm, with distinct edges and corners, covered in strange patterns, looking quite eerie.

"What is this thing?"

Since it was placed separately and specifically kept in such a brocade box, it should not be an ordinary object.

Luo Zijun studied it carefully for a while but did not discover any clues.

He had no choice but to put it away and place it into his own Storage Bag.

He checked the opponent's Storage Bag carefully again and suddenly discovered two more books.

He took them out and glanced at them.

One was "Jade Foot Illustration 4", and the other was "Begonia Poetry Collection".

"Begonia Poetry Collection?"

Luo Zijun's heart stirred, and he suddenly remembered a name he had heard at the Taoyuan Jiulou: Begonia Poetry Society.

That noble young lady had taken his three poems, saying she wanted to add them to the Begonia Poetry Society she had newly founded.

He immediately flipped open this poetry collection and lowered his head to read.

The title of the book and the name of the founder were written on the title page.

The name of the founder was shockingly written as those four large characters—Begonia Poetry Society!

It really was the poetry society created by that noble person!

Below it was written that this book was composed by the Begonia Poetry Society.

He turned another page, and on the back were the names of all the members of the Begonia Poetry Society.

Luo Zijun immediately began to read carefully.

"Yihong Gongzi, Xiaoxiang Feizi, Hengwu Jun, Zhenxia Jiuyou, Daoxiang Laonong, Lingzhou, Jiaoxiake,..."

"This..."

Originally, Luo Zijun's expression had already become incomparably gloomy, but at this moment, after seeing these names, an extremely absurd and shocked expression appeared on his face.

Aren't these names all from "Dream of the Red Chamber"?

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.

"Four Great Families... Bai, Jia, Xue, Shi?"

And the Four Great Families in "Dream of the Red Chamber" are "Jia, Xue, Wang, Shi"...

No way...

His mind was instantly buzzing with shock; he remained dazed for a moment, then continued to look down.

The next page was the first poem.

It was called "Ode to Spring", and the author was: Jiaoxiake.

"The east wind brushes the willows, green as silk,

The tender grass is lush, the swallows arrive late.

Flower shadows sway, adorning the morning light,

The sound of the stream murmurs, carrying new poems.

In the quiet courtyard, admiring the scenery, the peach blossoms are intoxicating,

The distant mountains hold mist, the emerald shadows are infatuated."

The best of spring in the Human Realm,

A patch of warm sun enters the heart's awareness."

On the back is another poem, titled "Autumn Fallen Flowers," attributed to Xiaoxiang Feizi.

"The west wind is desolate, the cry of the wild goose mournful,

Cold dew invades the branches, leaves gradually fading.

Flowers fall, filling the courtyard, no trace of their former color,

Fragrance dissipates into a dream, accompanied by sorrow.

By the pond, all is silent, few human traces remain,

Under the moon, the pale shadows bury themselves.

Do not sigh that the spring light passes so easily,

Gatherings and partings in the red dust are but dust."

"

Luo Zijun hurriedly flipped to the third page, then the fourth.

Finally, on the last page, he saw those three poems of his!

Peach Blossom Young Master:

"In this doorway on this day last year, human faces and peach blossoms reflected each other in red. The human face knows not where it has gone, the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze..."

"Drunkenly drifting in a light boat, the current leads to the depths of the flowers. Bound by worldly ties, there is no way to stay among the flowers..."

"Trees surround the village, water fills the pond. Leaning into the east wind, I wander with grand spirit. The small garden is but so large, yet it captures all the spring light..."

Luo Zijun stared blankly at the book.

In his brain, in his ears, everything was buzzing.

Today's assassin was clearly sent by the enemy his sister and brother-in-law feared, and that enemy was very likely someone from the Jia Mansion.

Before, when he heard of the Jia Mansion and the Begonia Poetry Society, he hadn't thought much of it.

Now, seeing this poetry collection and seeing the familiar names one by one, he suddenly felt it was inconceivable, feeling it was absurd and bizarre to the extreme.

There were actually people from *Dream of the Red Chamber* here!

And it was that very Jia Mansion!

Furthermore, the enemy who murdered his parents was actually someone from the Jia Mansion of *Dream of the Red Chamber*!

For a moment, he felt as if he were dreaming.

Things were becoming increasingly outrageous.

White Snake, Green Snake, he was Xu Xian, the tiger of Jingyang Ridge, and now there had even appeared Tanchun, Yingchun, Jia Baoyu, and Lin Daiyu!

At this time, the medicinal liquid in the bathing tub had already turned cold.

His head was dizzy, and he continued to soak without moving, his thoughts having flown off to who knows where.

Not knowing how much more time had passed, he suddenly woke up with a start.

No matter what, after going back tonight, he had to hurry and ask his brother-in-law to clarify the matter of the enemy.

Since the other party had already sent an assassin, this matter could not end well.

Unless he died, or became a fool again.

The Academy had publicized his name, and that enemy from the Jia Family must have found out; otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?

With the other party's current strength, killing him was like crushing an ant.

He clearly remembered that the Jia Family in the book, for the sake of some silver or face, relied on their own power and connections to harm many people, even causing families to be destroyed.

And now.

That young lady of the Jia Family had just been promoted to Imperial Concubine, and was at the height of her power.

Within this Lin'an City, apart from imperial relatives, there was truly no one who dared to offend them. Even imperial relatives tried to curry favor with them in various ways.

As for his family background, that went without saying.

In their eyes, he was truly not even as good as an ant.

They hadn't paid attention to them before, presumably because they discovered they posed no threat at all.

His brother-in-law was a poor Head Constable, without power or influence, and his strength was only at the Martial Artist Third Realm.

Moreover, he went out to perform his duties every day, and there were no other abnormalities.

His sister was just an ordinary woman.

And he had been beaten into a fool, posing even less of a threat.

So the other party probably didn't even want to spare them a glance, and had perhaps even almost forgotten them.

But now, it was different.

He had suddenly transformed into a scholar, and had even been exceptionally admitted to the best academy in the Outer City. At the Academy's exchange meeting, he had also become a talented scholar praised by everyone.

Such a change naturally made the other party start to notice him.

Once he passed the provincial examination and attained official status, it would be different.

Therefore, the other party could not help but want to take action.

Although it seemed that he was still insignificant in front of the other party.

Thinking of these things, his heart suddenly became heavy.

Now, wanting to break this deadlock was simply harder than ascending to heaven.

As for avenging his parents, that was even less worth thinking about; he had to save his own life first.

The first assassination attempt was unsuccessful, so clearly, there would be a second, a third.

They might even go directly to his home.

As long as he does not die, then his sister, brother-in-law, and Xiaohuan will all be in danger.

Unless...

"No, I cannot stay at home any longer."

He must leave, leave immediately.

If he continues to stay at home, it might not just be one assailant breaking in with a knife at night next time; it could very well be several, or even in broad daylight.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt that this matter was imminent.

It must be resolved quickly.

But where should he go now?

Live alone at Bao'an Hall?

That clearly wouldn't work either.

With his current strength, living there alone would only make him die faster.

And it would be the kind of death that happens without a sound.

"I'll go back and ask my brother-in-law, find out clearly who the enemy is, and then make plans."

He immediately got up from the wooden bathtub.

After tidying up, he packed all the medicinal herbs in the shop into his Storage Bag, and finally, he also packed his senior sister's wooden bathtub inside.

After thinking for a moment, he took a saw and a knife, painfully dismantled all the martial arts training equipment in the backyard, and then spent some effort covering up all the traces with mud and sand.

He absolutely must not let the other party know that he is secretly practicing martial arts now.

Otherwise, he would die even faster.

At dusk, he locked the shop door and returned home.

The sky was overcast, and it was still raining.

He returned home.

After waiting for a while longer, his brother-in-law finally returned.

Seeing his sister cooking in the kitchen, Luo Zijun immediately pulled his brother-in-law into the backyard.

He prepared to ask clearly right away.

Li Zhengshan thought it was about martial arts practice again and was just about to smile and persuade him otherwise, when he heard him say directly: "Brother-in-law, tell me, who is that enemy of our family? It's someone from the Jia Family, isn't it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Zhengshan's expression changed drastically.

Luo Zijun asked again: "Who is he in the Jia Family? What is his name? What is his status?"

While Li Zhengshan was in a state of shock and uncertainty, Luo Zijun suddenly tore open the clothes on his chest, revealing a large patch of bruising, and said: "Brother-in-law, I was ambushed on the way to the Academy today, and the other party wanted to kill me. I suspect it is that enemy from the Jia Family, so I hope brother-in-law can tell me."

Li Zhengshan looked at his chest, and his body immediately began to tremble.

It was unclear whether it was out of anger or fear.

(End of this chapter)