Chapter 35: Beyond Expectation

After running a distance in the rain and finally shaking off Li Ren, Lu Yunze stopped and let out a sigh of relief.

“Hiss, that hurts a bit.”

That scythe really was dangerous a mere graze was enough to wound him. After the run, he was drenched in sweat, and the mix of rain and sweat stung his wound with a biting pain.

Looking back at the path he’d taken, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but sigh.

He’d been too focused on running to notice how much blood he’d left behind along the way. With the rain, it was basically like leaving a trail for the enemy. It wouldn’t take long for him to catch up.

How am I supposed to fight an enemy like that? If only I had a weapon too; at least I wouldn’t be so pathetic right now.

“If only the lucky seed Jiang Sui gave me could work a second time.”

As long as the Black Mist could create the right opening for him to attack, taking down Li Ren would be much easier.

Maybe she foresaw that I’d run into a strong enemy, so she only gave me one lucky seed?

Lu Yunze quickly shook his head to drive out that thought. Don’t always assume the worst of people.

“I can’t just rely on others. When it matters most, I have to believe in myself.”

Glancing around, Lu Yunze noticed a small workshop up ahead. The roof blocked the moonlight, so it was nearly impossible to see what was inside from the outside.

He narrowed his eyes, then looked down at his palm, a sharp light flickering in his gaze.

“Can I do it?”

Just as he hesitated, a clear set of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.

“Mr. Lu, Young Master Lu, are you still hiding? If you’re a man, come out and face me head-on. If you’re afraid of pain, just stand still and I’ll finish this quickly.”

Li Ren drew out his voice, his slightly swaying figure slowly emerging from the shadows. Dressed all in black, he looked like a death god bringing misfortune.

He dragged the long-handled scythe behind him, carving a deep groove in the ground.

Li Ren looked leisurely, but his eyes never left the ground. When he saw the blood trail stop, the smile at the corner of his mouth grew even wider.

On the side of his face, the scars left by whipping tree roots hadn’t faded, making him look like a clown hawking tickets outside a circus.

“If you don’t come out, I can’t guarantee a clean cut. If I can’t give you a quick end, you’ll just complain that my skills are lacking after you die.”

He called out a few times, but only the wind rustling the leaves replied.

Impatience quickly showed on Li Ren’s face. Since Lu Yunze wasn’t going to answer, he didn’t bother waiting. Just as he lifted his scythe to move forward, he finally saw a figure step out from behind a tree.

“Made up your mind?”

“I have.”

“Where do you want me to cut?”

Lu Yunze didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his middle finger at him.

“Your makeup looks pretty good tonight.”

“……”

Li Ren was furious!

He charged at Lu Yunze with the scythe raised, swinging straight for his waist, intent on slicing him in half.

But Lu Yunze still managed to dodge the attack at the last possible moment. Li Ren’s forceful strike only succeeded in cleaving the tree Lu Yunze had been hiding behind in two.

Lu Yunze didn’t stop, backing away into the workshop and letting his figure vanish into the darkness.

Seeing this, Li Ren was about to give chase when he suddenly thought of something and stopped.

The next moment, a terrifying smile spread across his face. “Trying to lure me in and attack me in a dark room?”

Though he wasn’t sure why Lu Yunze was doing this, Li Ren knew that fighting in that environment wouldn’t be to his advantage. Even if Lu Yunze didn’t dare attack, swinging the scythe blindly would only waste his strength.

And time couldn’t be wasted. On his way after Lu Yunze, Li Ren had gotten a message from his men—the police seemed to be heading this way.

He couldn’t keep playing. Time waited for no one, and besides…

The pain from the scar on his face kept stinging, irritating Li Ren’s nerves.

Don’t think that just because I won’t go in, I have no way to deal with you.

Li Ren walked up to the entrance and pulled the heavy iron door of the workshop shut, then picked up a rusty chain and wrapped it around the handle.

Then he raised the scythe and stabbed it straight into the wall, picking up speed and running fast.

The old, rundown building couldn’t withstand such abuse. As the scythe gouged its way along the wall, the entire workshop began to shake.

When Li Ren had run a full circle around the workshop and returned to his starting point, he yanked out the scythe and kicked the barely-holding wall one last time.

The entire workshop collapsed before his eyes. The ceiling, the walls—all shattered and instantly turned to rubble, a cloud of dust billowing outward.

The only thing still standing was the iron door in front of Li Ren, but with the walls gone, he only had to give it a gentle push to knock it down. With a loud bang, it crashed onto the rubble.

Looking at his handiwork, Li Ren seemed quite pleased.

He didn’t see Lu Yunze escape, which meant he must be buried under the debris.

Li Ren planted the scythe beside him and started scanning for any sign of a body.

Just then, he suddenly felt something move at his feet.

“Hmm?”

Looking down, he saw the soil underfoot sinking in.

Before he could react, a hand shot out from the earth behind him and grabbed his ankle.

Startled, Li Ren tried to grab the scythe, but it was too late. The ground beneath him exploded, sending both him and the scythe flying in different directions.

He tumbled across the ground several times before coming to a stop, his spinning vision only just settling when Lu Yunze’s dirt-streaked face appeared in front of him.

“You…”

“Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

Lu Yunze hadn’t expected it to work, either.

Although he’d seen the advantage the workshop offered, he knew that alone wouldn’t win him the fight. He needed a plan that would catch his opponent off guard.

As Li Ren started running around the workshop, Lu Yunze began digging at the ground beneath his feet. With the boost from the Anchor Point, he managed to tunnel underneath Li Ren, then unleashed all his strength at once, catching him completely by surprise!

It was a reckless plan, but it worked. With Li Ren separated from his scythe and forced into close quarters, the threat he posed dropped drastically.

Just as Lu Yunze raised his hand, Li Ren suddenly shouted:

“Wait, I can tell you our secret!”

“Hm?”

“There’s something you have to know!”

“What is it?”

“It’s—”

Before he could finish, Li Ren kicked Lu Yunze hard and turned to run for the spot where the scythe had fallen.

But Lu Yunze was prepared. He only staggered a bit, then punched Li Ren square in the back.

Crack!

He heard the sound of bones breaking.

Li Ren’s body flew into the ruins, slamming straight into a piece of exposed rebar, piercing right through him.

Lu Yunze couldn’t bear to look at that bloody, glaring face. He let out a deep breath and slumped to the ground.

It hurt a lot. His arms had gone completely numb.

“If that doesn’t finish him, I’m really out of options.”

After using the Anchor Point several times, Lu Yunze was utterly drained. Both his arms throbbed with pain. If he pushed any further, he might end up permanently crippled.

Just the thought of it was terrifying. He still needed these hands to play the piano—ruining his arms would be too cruel.

Luckily, it was finally over.

Now all Lu Yunze had to do was lie there and wait for the police to arrive.

A face suddenly entered his field of vision, blocking the moon above.

“Young Master, you made it out alive.”

“What are you doing here?”

Jiang Sui’s smile, backlit by the moon, was tinged with mystery. But Lu Yunze, utterly exhausted, just lay there.

“If Miss can come when the Young Master’s in danger, why can’t I?”

“You… you knew this would happen?” Lu Yunze’s voice was a bit hoarse.

“Yes.”

There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the words caught in his throat.

Lu Yunze tried to get up, but with all his strength, he only managed to sit up.

“Young Master, you should rest.”

Jiang Sui stood tall and straight.

“I know you’re suspicious of me right now, thinking maybe I was the one who put you in danger, but—”

Before she could finish, Lu Yunze suddenly lunged at her.

In that instant, Jiang Sui’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could react, he shoved her aside.

An attack? No!

Fallen to the ground, Jiang Sui looked back at Lu Yunze, her pale purple eyes trembling at the scene before her.

A bewitching purple scythe protruded from Lu Yunze’s chest, then withdrew.

A spray of crimson erupted, blooming like a red spider lily, splattering across her stunned face.