Volume 3, Judge 091: The setting sun casts its glow, and firecrackers crackle in unison.
Fourth floor of Tianhong Hotel, Fuhe Middle Road, Fuhe City.
Xu Zhengyang's usually squinty eyes widened. Staring at the images on the jade case file, his mind raced, and his supernatural powers suddenly erupted as he searched for and summoned all the ghosts within Cixian County. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he had to find those ghosts hiding in the shadows, even if it meant they would die in the light. He had to try.
Because Chen Chaojiang was risking his life for him!
If Chen Chaojiang's earlier act of crouching under the concrete slab, considering his retreat route after a successful surprise attack, had given Xu Zhengyang some slight reassurance, then when Chen Chaojiang straightened up, strode towards Shen Haobing, and threw off the black jacket that concealed his machete, Xu Zhengyang knew that Chen Chaojiang wouldn't run away. He would only choose to either die in battle or carve out a bloody path with no worries about the future.
Xu Zhengyang knew Chen Chaojiang's personality all too well. He was like a bloodthirsty and arrogant lone wolf, a man who, when enraged, would become so monstrous that he wouldn't even care about his own body and life. If a fitting metaphor had to be used to describe him, then we would say that once Chen Chaojiang made his move, he was a madman.
Just like at this moment, outside Shilipu Village on the eastern section of Xinbei Ring Road in Cixian County, Chen Chaojiang, with a pale face and extremely cold eyes, silently gripped his machete and relentlessly pursued Shen Haobing.
Shen Haobing, terrified, took off running eastward, with Chen Chaojiang following behind in a chilling, silent pursuit.
A dozen meters behind Chen Chaojiang, Hou Deqiang led seven or eight men, wielding bottles, sticks, and chairs, in pursuit. Shouts and curses echoed from the group behind them, while the two running and chasing remained silent. Shen Haobing dared not yell, fearing he would lose his composure and be overtaken, while Chen Chaojiang wouldn't utter a single word.
Whether you're racing or running away, when you're running, don't look back, look forward...
When you're racing, look ahead; if there's no one in front of you, you're in first place. When you're running away, you should look ahead even more, because if you focus on what's behind you, you're more likely to lose your balance and stumble or even fall in the rush.
Shen Haobing looked back.
Then a small stone tripped him, and he stumbled and fell to the ground in his panic.
It's a long story, but in fact, from the time Chen Chaojiang started chasing Shen Haobing until he fell to the ground, it didn't take more than a few minutes.
The blade flashed, its cold gleam instantly revealed!
Chen Chaojiang ignored Shen Haobing's frantic kicking and thrashing as he fell to the ground. He swung his machete rapidly, hacking at Shen Haobing without regard for where he struck; he simply hacked. He never intended to cut any part of Shen Haobing's body. For Chen Chaojiang, as long as he hit his opponent, that was enough.
Swish swish swish...
Amidst piercing screams, Shen Haobing curled up on the damp roadside, his arms covering his head and neck, utterly despairing. From the moment he first saw Chen Chaojiang's icy, indifferent eyes, a chill ran through him. And when Chen Chaojiang revealed his gleaming machete, Shen Haobing was filled with extreme fear. He could sense that this man would disregard all fear and would kill him without hesitation!
In fact, Shen Haobing was overthinking it. Chen Chaojiang never intended to kill him, nor did he ever think that he might accidentally kill him.
For Chen Chaojiang, these issues were unnecessary to consider.
If Shen Haobing knew that Chen Chaojiang was such a strange person with such terrifying thoughts, would he be so scared that he would die on the spot?
It was very fast, a full eleven cuts!
Every stab cut deep, drawing blood—to the head, arms, back, thighs…blood splattered with the flash of the blade! It sprayed everywhere!
Amidst screams of agony, Chen Chaojiang paid no heed to whether Shen Haobing was dead or alive, and abruptly turned around. His cold, narrow eyes stared directly at the seven or eight men chasing after him, each carrying a jumble of weapons. They were all menacing, their faces contorted with rage, shouting and cursing incessantly.
Then, Chen Chaojiang gripped the hilt of his knife with his right hand, his right arm hanging diagonally behind him, his body leaning slightly forward, and his pale face expressionless as he charged towards the group.
With a swing of the blade, the crimson sunset cast its last rays upon the ordinary machete, giving it a chilling, striking red glow that was both captivating and awe-inspiring!
Like a lone wolf, Chen Chaojiang unleashed a rare long howl, showing no fear, charging forward fearlessly and bravely, charging ahead at breakneck speed!
Amidst the flashing blades, terrified curses and cries of anguish echoed across the empty, newly built, damp ring road.
Is it a group fight?
No, Chen Chaojiang was like a sharp knife, piercing directly into a group of burly men, instantly spraying out countless drops of blood. Chen Chaojiang sliced through the wall of men he had crashed into and charged forward.
Anger and screams erupted behind him.
After rushing over, Chen Chaojiang seemed unable to stop and continued running for several meters.
Those behind him naturally assumed Chen Chaojiang was fighting his way out to escape! It's human nature; anyone, even the bravest person, would dare to charge head-on and fight—that's already an admirable display of courage and bravery. So they roared and shouted as they gave chase.
However, just as they came to their senses and were about to chase after Chen Chaojiang, they suddenly discovered that Chen Chaojiang had stopped in his tracks. He then turned around, a few drops of crimson blood stained his pale cheeks, and his narrow eyes shot out a chilling, captivating light, devoid of any warmth or humanity—a coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.
Then, Chen Chaojiang leaned forward, his right arm hanging diagonally, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly. He took a step forward and charged towards those people again!
Amidst terrified shouts and cries of agony, Chen Chaojiang once again pierced through the wall of people like a sharp knife, cutting through tofu with ease. With a flash of his blade, countless drops of blood splattered, crimson specks in the afterglow of the setting sun, flying into the air. Chen Chaojiang, still unable to control his rapid momentum, charged forward seven or eight meters!
At this moment, Shen Haobing's friends, besides feeling anger and pain, also felt a chill that seemed to seep into their bones.
This pale-faced, cold-eyed young man is either an idiot or... a madman!
They were all stunned, seemingly forgetting their injuries.
They wondered, is this even a person? Is this a dream? How could such a person exist?
Before they could even process their inner doubts, the gaunt young man had already stopped. He turned, his pale face stained with crimson blood, his white shirt also stained with blood. His right arm hung limply, gripping the hilt of a knife tightly; blood beads clung to the blade, gleaming a cold red in the setting sun. He leaned forward, took a large stride, and… charged again!
He's a madman, absolutely a madman!
Yes. Chen Chaojiang was now a hungry, bloodthirsty lone wolf—no, he had gone mad!
These usually arrogant and domineering thugs were finally awakened by the bloodshed and fear, their fierce nature unleashed. No longer surprised or hesitant, no longer having time to feel fear, they endured the pain and roared madly as they met Chen Chaojiang, who was as sharp as a knife.
Even the best of men can't fight off four; even a hero can't withstand a crowd!
Despite being knocked to the ground by the enemy's fierce attack, Chen Chaojiang was not unable to get up due to being surrounded and beaten. He swung his machete in his right hand, rolling several times as he fell, slashing the legs of two people before springing up. The machete was held diagonally in front of him, and the blade slammed into a bald man wearing a black tracksuit, tearing him apart. The man's clothes were ripped open, flesh was torn open, and blood gushed out, followed by a scream of agony.
Hou Deqiang's face was contorted with rage. Enduring the excruciating pain from the two cuts on his back, he stood on the periphery of the chaotic battle, gripping a steel pipe as thick as a baby's arm. He spotted an opening in Chen Chaojiang's exposed back and raised the pipe to smash it down! But just as the pipe was raised, a furious shout inexplicably appeared in his mind: "Stop!"
This rebuke startled Hou Deqiang.
Chen Chaojiang swung his knife to drive the two away, turned around, his pale face expressionless, and without any hesitation swung his machete and chopped it down on Hou Deqiang's forehead.
In a room on the fourth floor of the Tianhong Hotel on Fuhe Middle Road, a hundred miles away, Xu Zhengyang was drenched in sweat, his face flushed, his wide-open eyes filled with worry, relief, and anger... Unable to summon the ghost, he was anxious, angry, and helpless, forced to expend his mental energy to forcibly interfere with it! Although this was extremely taxing on his divine power, he had no choice but to do it, even if it meant exhausting his supernatural abilities, even if it meant death from exhaustion!
However, this couldn't continue. Could Chen Chaojiang pull through?
Tears welled up in Xu Zhengyang's eyes: Chaojiang, how could you be so foolish? So brave? You've already killed Shen Haobing, why did you have to risk everything like this?
The setting sun, seemingly exhausted after a long day, had no energy left to cast even a sliver of its afterglow. It hung in the air, red and without a trace of brilliance, slowly descending.
Outside Shilipu Village on the eastern section of the new North Ring Road in Cixian County, dozens of villagers, men, women, and children, stood by the roadside.
They stared in disbelief at the brawl unfolding on the highway. To their astonishment, a thin, blood-stained young man in a white shirt and black pants was chasing seven or eight staggering thugs, wielding a blood-soaked machete. He wasn't displaying any overwhelming aura or domineering presence; he was simply cold and indifferent, relentlessly hacking at the thugs…
The villagers almost simultaneously realized something: So, even the so-called Ten Tigers of Cizhou, and Hou Deqiang, the notorious bully in the village, could be afraid and cowardly! They were actually chased by a young man who looked eight or nine years younger than them, fleeing like stray dogs.
It turns out that they are also human beings; they are afraid of death, and they are not as fierce as people usually fear.
It's just that no one showed any anger and fought them to the death.
A middle-aged man in his forties suddenly thought of something and excitedly urged his son beside him. The son nodded hurriedly and ran towards the village.
Then, the villagers nearby heard what he said and quickly called their families to run back to the village.
One after another, seven or eight people soon ran towards the village.
Hou Deqiang and his gang finally snapped out of their shock and realized something, quickly scattering and fleeing...
Perhaps he was hesitant, unsure of who to chase first, or perhaps Chen Chaojiang was exhausted, or simply didn't want to fight anymore. Without a trace of expression, Chen Chaojiang finally stopped his pursuit, lowered his head slightly, threw the slightly dulled machete into a muddy puddle by the roadside, wiped the bloodstains from his white shirt, and then cleaned the bleeding wound on his forehead.
Then, Chen Chaojiang took out a cigarette, lit it, and took two deep drags.
He raised his head slightly, his long, icy eyes gazing at the red sun about to sink below the horizon in the west, and then strode off westward without a trace of worldly concern.
They moved unhurriedly, as if strolling leisurely, as if no crazy and bloody fight had just broken out.
No one could tell that this pale-faced, blood-covered young man was also injured: two bumps on his head; the shoulder that had been hit was still very painful; blood was seeping from the two layers of skin scraped off his forehead; a small piece of flesh had been scraped off his left little finger; and he was in pain on his back, legs, and arms.
Chen Chaojiang simply didn't care about the pain. For someone who, once enraged, would disregard even his own life and body when he unleashed a furious attack, what did pain matter?
A young man in his late twenties drove his motorcycle out of his house, caught up with Chen Chaojiang, and braked.
Chen Chaojiang looked at the other person with a cold expression.
"Hey bro, get in! I'll give you a ride wherever you want to go!"
Chen Chaojiang did not move, but stared at the other person with his slender, cold eyes.
"The police will be here soon. If you keep walking like this, they'll arrest you, won't they?" The young man, feeling uneasy under Chen Chaojiang's gaze, reminded him with an embarrassed smile.
Although Chen Chaojiang's expression was indifferent and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, he did not hesitate, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. He stepped onto the motorcycle.
The motorcycle sped westward.
Behind them, along the new North Ring Road outside Shilipu Village, a deafening barrage of firecrackers erupted. Dozens of strings of firecrackers lit up almost simultaneously, billowing smoke and scattering red debris... The villagers who had witnessed the scene were overjoyed, feeling immense satisfaction—a blessing from heaven!
At the entrance of "Deqiang Restaurant", the village party secretary, the village head, the village party secretary's family, and several thugs covered in injuries stood there in a daze, watching the villagers light firecrackers with great joy.
Villagers who heard the news rushed over one after another, eager to see what the man who single-handedly defeated the Ten Tigers of Cizhou and the village secretary's son looked like. Did he have fangs and sharp teeth? Was he eight feet tall with a leopard's head and bulging eyes?
Suddenly, the middle-aged man who had first ordered his son to buy firecrackers turned to look at the group of people standing in front of the "Deqiang Restaurant," then went back to the courtyard gate, picked up a worn-out shovel, and roared, "Damn it, smash that son of a bitch's restaurant!"
Taking the lead, the uncle showed no fear and charged forward with his shovel.
Then, a roar erupted from the crowd. The men grabbed shovels, bricks, and sticks, and surged towards "Deqiang Restaurant."
...
Volume 3, Judge 092: Turning one's hand to make clouds, turning it back to make rain
"Chaojiang! A true warrior!" Xu Zhengyang exclaimed excitedly.
From initial worry and anxiety to final excitement and exhilaration, only Chen Chaojiang could have achieved such a drastic shift in Xu Zhengyang's mindset.
After Chen Chaojiang was taken away on a motorcycle by the unfamiliar villager, Xu Zhengyang sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, squinted his eyes again, and muttered to himself with a calm but unusually firm expression: "Chaojiang, I will definitely protect you, at all costs, even if it is earth-shattering."
He knew that Chen Chaojiang's blatant revenge, his brazen act of violence in broad daylight, would inevitably lead to his arrest by the police. Having just been released from prison, Chen Chaojiang faced another prison sentence.
This was something Xu Zhengyang hadn't anticipated. Although he possessed supernatural abilities that ordinary people didn't have, and was currently the wandering judge of Cixian County in Fuhe City, he held the case file and knew everything that happened in Cixian County, and could discern the thoughts and intentions of everyone in Cixian County... but he was simply too busy to be in two places at once!
From the moment he learned that Chen Chaojiang was evading police investigation, and that Chen Chaojiang was secretly investigating Shen Haobing's background and potentially planning revenge, Xu Zhengyang wasn't overly worried. He knew that while Chen Chaojiang was cold and ruthless, he wasn't incapable of endurance. He silently waited and lay in wait, hoping for Xu Zhengyang's safe return.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang accelerated the implementation of his plans.
However, to his surprise, these higher-level units were incredibly slow and unhurried in handling cases. It reminded him of a villager who had been involved in a land dispute with clear facts and solid evidence, but it had dragged on for over three years.
What surprised him even more was that Chen Chaojiang would choose such a direct and extreme method, openly and blatantly taking on several people in broad daylight with unparalleled bravery.
Initially, even though Xu Zhengyang had guessed that Chen Chaojiang would retaliate against Shen Haobing, he only thought that Chen Chaojiang might choose a favorable time and place to teach Shen Haobing a lesson. Given Chen Chaojiang's personality and skills, none of the three Shen Haobings would be a match for him, so once Shen Haobing completely surrendered, his life wouldn't be lost to Chen Chaojiang.
With Xu Zhengyang's current abilities, as long as no one dies, keeping Chen Chaojiang safe shouldn't be a problem.
Moreover, Shen Haobing was originally someone Xu Zhengyang planned to deal with.
However, it's not the right time to pay attention to this person yet, because Xu Zhengyang has considered many things when arranging these matters. After all, this is not a society where a god whose existence is unknown to everyone can do whatever he wants, and he must try his best to avoid arousing suspicion in more people, especially those at certain levels.
For Xu Zhengyang, who is not good at planning and strategizing, it really took some brainpower to think things through and arrange them properly.
This also cost him a lot of his supernatural abilities.
Once we're safe and sound this time, and return to Cixian County with Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan from Fuhe City, things will change.
Given Xu Zhengyang's current mindset and position, he was truly unwilling to use supernatural abilities to possess or intimidate others unless absolutely necessary. He felt that such methods were not honorable or aboveboard, and could not thoroughly vent his anger and resentment. Moreover, if such incidents occurred repeatedly, especially involving certain sensitive individuals, it could lead to situations that Xu Zhengyang did not want to see.