Chapter 18: Rivers of Blood

At first, Gu Feng’s body seemed to flicker in and out of existence, as if shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see him clearly—a sight so wondrous it defied belief. When his form finally solidified, Zhou Yuan stared at Gu Feng’s profile and was dumbstruck.

“Gu Feng, this person who appeared like an immortal, is actually that coward Gu Feng.”

Curled up in the corner of the bed, Gu Yan looked at her brother, who now seemed otherworldly. In her eyes, hollow with despair, her gaze flickered slightly as she murmured, “Brother!” Tears trickled down her cheeks.

Gu Yan was steeped in despair. Her brother had returned too late; her innocence was already lost. How could she ever face him again?

Seven or eight bandits stared, stupefied, at the calm and composed Gu Feng, unable to process what was happening. Yet, when Gu Feng was resurrected, both his body and soul received the baptismal reward of death, suppressing the murderous aura that had once radiated from him.

He turned towards his sister, feeling her hopelessness. Without sparing a glance at the bandits or Zhou Yuan, Gu Feng strode over to Gu Yan. With a thought, he exchanged for an ornate set of clothes from the system. Before the astonished eyes of the bandits and Zhou Yuan, he dressed Gu Yan in the garments, then spoke gently, “Yan’er, get on your brother’s back. Today, this entire village shall be awash in blood.”

Hearing Gu Feng’s words, so cold and filled with killing intent that he seemed less than human, both the bandits and Zhou Yuan felt as if they had fallen into an icy abyss, terror gripping their hearts.

The fourth bandit shouted, trying to muster his courage, “Kid, what big words! You think appearing out of nowhere like some magician will scare me? If you keep pretending, I’ll cut you down myself!”

Gu Feng’s eyes sharpened as he looked at the fourth bandit. With a mere thought, a refined steel short sword appeared in his hand, and his killing intent erupted.

Having seen the clothes appear out of thin air, and now a short sword, the bandits were dumbfounded—he had a spatial treasure.

A spatial treasure was exceedingly rare for mere bandits who were not even warriors. How could they not covet it?

But in the next instant, the terrifying aura that burst forth from Gu Feng left everyone in utter despair—even the villagers outside the house were seized with panic, as if preyed upon by a demonic beast.

“Die!”

The moment he uttered the word, Gu Feng, with Gu Yan on his back, vanished from where he stood.

A sickening sound split the air—a head separated cleanly from its neck, soaring high before thudding to the ground, a pillar of blood shooting up. The pent-up bloodlust of the fourth bandit was released, though in a most brutal fashion.

Even as his head rolled on the floor, the bandit’s face still bore a look of shock; he had not died instantly. His gaze fixed on the blood-dripping short sword in Gu Feng’s hand, recognizing it as the blade that had severed his head.

The other seven bandits stared at the headless corpse of their fourth brother, paralyzed with fear.

Zhou Yuan felt as if his very soul had fled his body.

Regret consumed him—how could he have let desire cloud his mind and attempt to violate Gu Yan?

“Die!”

Gu Feng’s killing intent blazed forth. The refined steel short sword flashed again and again; the seven bandits didn’t even have time to scream before their heads were lopped off, following the fourth bandit into death.

By now, blood covered every inch of the inner room, and the stench was so strong it wafted into the outer room.

Zhou Dalong and the other two, smelling the overwhelming scent of blood, cowered in a corner of the outer room, too frightened to make a sound.

They knew clearly: Gu Feng had returned.

After slaughtering the seven bandits, Gu Feng, with Gu Yan on his back, slowly turned to look at Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan glanced at Gu Feng and the dazed Gu Yan on his back. Seeing that Gu Yan was still in a stupor, he assumed Gu Feng was unaware of what he had done. Summoning his courage, he stood up and said with feigned sincerity, “Gu Feng, you’ve come back just in time. These bandits tried to violate your sister, but I risked my life to protect her, holding out until you returned.”

Staring coldly at Zhou Yuan’s self-righteous lie, Gu Feng replied, “If you were defending her with your life, why are you naked?”

With that, Gu Feng raised the refined steel short sword.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan panicked and cried, “Gu Feng, listen to my explanation! It was the bandits—they forced me! They were the ones who wanted to violate me!”

Rage surged within Gu Feng. The man who had tried to defile his sister now lied without shame—lower than any beast.

He roared, “You deserve to die! Your entire Zhou family deserves to die!”

With a single slash, Zhou Yuan’s head flew off, blood gushing forth.

In the outer room, Zhou Dalong heard Gu Feng’s furious shout that all the Zhou family deserved death. Terror gripped him; he could sense the shadow of death looming.

Outside in the courtyard, the Zhou family members also heard, trembling with fear. Though they could not see what was happening inside, none dared linger and all fled for their lives.

The other villagers were no exception.

Having slain Zhou Yuan and sensing the villagers’ escape, Gu Feng strode out of the inner room.

His gaze fell upon Zhou Dalong and the other two.

As Zhou Dalong met Gu Feng’s eyes, panic overwhelmed him.

“Gu Feng…” Zhou Dalong tried to explain.

But Gu Feng paid him no heed. With Gu Yan on his back, he dashed out of the house. Watching the villagers scatter in all directions, he declared with murderous intent, “None of you will escape!” and gave chase.

Watching Gu Feng leave, Zhou Dalong let out a long sigh of relief.

At the same time, he was immensely grateful that he had never intended to harm Gu Yan—otherwise, his end would have been unimaginably tragic.

Gu Feng spared Zhou Dalong precisely because he had bought time for his sister.

The villagers targeted by Gu Feng, sensing the murderous aura rushing toward them, begged for mercy, “Gu Feng, spare us! We didn’t harm your sister!”

“Die!”

Gu Feng would not listen. He swung his sword, decapitating them all.

Though they had not personally harmed Gu Yan, they had stood by coldly, and some had even consented to hand her over to the bandits. In Gu Feng’s mind, they all deserved to die.

His body now fully restored, standing a full head taller at one meter eighty, with the strength of a fifth-level warrior—killing ordinary villagers was easier than slaughtering pigs.

Gu Feng continued the chase, slaughtering group after group. He kept precise count: every villager who had appeared outside the Gu family’s courtyard was marked and none were spared.

At one home, a burly man cowered behind his wife and two young children, his face deathly pale, having seen countless villagers beheaded by Gu Feng. He seemed the very incarnation of a murderous demon—how could anyone not be terrified?

“Gu Feng, Auntie begs you—spare Zhou Tong, for the sake of these two children!”

Zhou Tong’s wife, though uncertain what had transpired, was deeply frightened by Gu Feng’s presence and her husband’s terror. She knew that without begging, her husband would surely die. Even if pleading was futile, she could only hope for the heavens’ mercy.

Gu Feng raised his short sword, dragging it along the ground, completely unmoved by her pleas.

Seeing this, Zhou Tong fell to his knees with a thud, despair written across his face.

His wife also knelt, pulling her two children down with her, begging, “Gu Feng, Auntie begs you, spare Zhou Tong!”

Gu Feng remained unmoved, the sword about to fall.

Seeing that her pleas had no effect, she looked to Gu Yan on Gu Feng’s back and entreated, “Gu Yan, Auntie begs you—please persuade your brother!”

Gu Yan’s hollow eyes flickered. All the way, she had kept a count—Gu Feng had killed sixty-seven people, all decapitated with a single stroke. The path behind them was nothing but a river of blood.