Guo Dalu had been watching from the street corner for a long time. He had wanted to rush forward right away.
But for what?
Even he didn′t know what he intended to do. If the man with the staff had really caught a ruthless bandit, could he possibly help the criminal escape?
Running down from the mountain, the piercing cold wind had dampened much of his initial fury.
So he remained where he was, waiting.
The man sprawled in the street, curled up like a puddle of mud, motionless.
Suddenly, the man with the staff grabbed him by the colr and hauled him up, speaking each word deliberately: "Look at me."
Though the man was now standing, his head drooped limply.
The man with the staff loosened his right hand and delivered a series of crisp sps—ten, twenty, striking again and again.
Blood trickled from the man's mouth, but he clenched his teeth and did not utter a single sound.
Gun Zi sneered coldly. “Impressive. You′ve got guts.”
Suddenly, he lifted his knee and drove it forward with force.
The blow distorted the man's face in agony. He tried to bend over but couldn′t. Instead, he curled up, drawing his lower body inward, his whole form contracting as he dangled in midair, trembling as though his bones were about to fall apart.
Gun Zi said, “I have many ways to deal with the disobedient. This is the simplest. Would you like to try the second?”
At st, the man lifted his head, his eyes burning with hatred.
But Gun Zi′s expression suddenly softened. His tone became more amiable. “Are you Feng Qiwu?”
The man′s teeth chattered as he rasped, “You know I′m not. So why are you doing this to me?”
Gun Zi replied, “Because I can't be certain. Unless you tell me who you are, I have no way to prove you're not Feng Qiwu.”
The man said, “I am no one. Just a small-time grocer in this city.”
Gun Zi′s face darkened again. He sneered, “If you cim to be no one, then I have no choice but to treat you as Feng Qiwu.”
The man trembled as he said, “You′re afraid of arresting the wrong person. Afraid of being bmed by your superiors. That′s why, even though you know I′m not Feng Qiwu, you still won′t let me go. I know your kind all too well.”
Gun Zi′s expression eased once more. “You′re mistaken. The only person I′m after is Feng Qiwu. No one else. If you just tell me your true identity, I′ll release you immediately.”
The man said, “Release me? You′d really let me go?”
Gun Zi unexpectedly chuckled. "Why wouldn′t I let you go? Even if you have a record elsewhere, what does that have to do with me? Why should I be a busybody, meddling in things that aren′t my concern?"
The man hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, "My surname is Han. They call me ‘Zhen Feng.’"
(T/N: 一阵风; Yī Zhènfēng, means A gust of wind.)
Gun Zi said, "Yi Zhenfeng... That spring, in Zhangjiakou, was it you who killed Master Huang and his family?"
Yi Zhenfeng replied, "You said yourself that as long as I′m not Feng Qiwu, you wouldn′t care about anything else."
Gun Zi said, "Of course, I don′t care. But how do I know you′re really Yi Zhenfeng and not Feng Qiwu pretending to be him?"
Yi Zhenfeng said, "I have a tattoo."
With a sudden rip, his shirt was torn open, revealing a tornado-shaped tattoo on his chest.
It was indeed the mark of Yi Zhenfeng.
Gun Zi said coolly, "Yi Zhenfeng wouldn′t impersonate Feng Qiwu, but Feng Qiwu might impersonate Fen."
He pondered for a moment before saying, "I heard that Master Huang was killed with a single sword thrust."
Yi Zhenfeng replied, "No. I never use a sword."
Gun Zi asked, "Then how did he die?"
Yi Zhenfeng said, "I poisoned him first, then threw his body into the well."
Gun Zi again. "So, you really are Yi Zhenfeng."
Yi Zhenfeng said, "I told you I was."
Gun Zi nodded. "Good. Very good..."
He suddenly struck, slicing the back of Zhen Feng′s neck with a reverse grip.
Zhen Feng immediately colpsed like a pile of mud.
Though his body was dead, his eyes remained locked onto Gun Zi, bulging outward with rage and resentment, as if asking: You promised to let me go—why did you kill me?
Gun Zi said nothing, but his eyes seemed to answer for him.
They gleamed with satisfaction, as if replying, This is how I do things. If I didn′t trust you, why would you trust me?
Guo Dalu′s eyes were also burning with fury.
Yet he could only watch—because Yi Zhenfeng had, indeed, deserved to die.
An officer executing a criminal was simply the natural order of things.
Then a voice said, “So when he kills, you just stand there watching?”
Guo Dalu didn′t need to turn around to know who was speaking.
He could only sigh and say, “But I still have to keep watching.”
Yan Qi asked, “Do you enjoy watching him kill?”
Guo Dalu said, “I′m waiting to see him kill the wrong person.”
Yan Qi asked, “Why?”
Guo Dalu replied, “Because then I′ll have a reason to kill him.”
Yan Qi asked, “Do you want to kill him?”
Guo Dalu said, “Yi Zhenfeng may deserve to die, but he deserves it even more.”
Yan Qi asked, “Do you think he′s done something wrong?”
Guo Dalu said, “What he′s doing isn′t exactly wrong, but his methods are despicable and repulsive.”
Yan Qi asked, “What if he never kills the wrong person?”
Guo Dalu was stunned.
Yan Qi smiled slightly and said, “There are some things in this world that no one can control. Besides, Gun Zi may be detestable, but it′s useful. Some people need someone like him to deal with them.”
Guo Dalu suddenly smiled as well and said, “Do you really think someone like him will never meet his match?”
Yan Qi asked, “Who could take him on? You?”
Guo Dalu said, “Maybe me, maybe someone else. It doesn′t matter who. I only know that justice will always prevail and retribution is inevitable. Sooner or ter, someone will bring him down.”
This was what made Guo Dalu who he was.
Not only did he have a deep love for life, but he also had unwavering faith in it.
He firmly believed that truth never changes and that justice will always exist.
He was certain that righteousness would ultimately triumph over evil, and no amount of hardship could shake that belief.
