Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 7: Settling the Feud
"Lord Bao... Sigh, how would I have the guts to fool you? Fine. To prove my innocence, let’s do it!"
"Hmph, Er Gouzi, open your dog eyes wide and watch closely!"
Fang Rui brought over a basin of clean water, wet a towel, and scrubbed Fang Ling’s face hard twice, distorting her features slightly.
He then unfurled the towel. There wasn’t the slightest thing out of the ordinary on it.
Fang Ling’s face, too, looked exactly the same as before.
Obviously, these pimples and freckles were real, not some Blinding Technique.
"This... This..."
Er Gouzi was stunned, his mouth slowly falling open until it was wide enough to stuff a toad in.
Fang Rui sneered inwardly. ’My ointment is hardly ordinary.’
This wasn’t something painted on; the blemishes were actually grown. Of course, since it was an allergic-like reaction caused by the ointment, recovery was simple. All it would take was applying a different ointment for a day or two.
At that moment, Er Gouzi opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.
But Fang Rui wasn’t about to give him another chance. He said plaintively to Zhang Bao, "Lord Bao, look at what Er Gouzi was suggesting. How could I ever dare to deceive you?"
"Besides, I didn’t know you were coming today, so I couldn’t have possibly prepared in advance!"
"Originally, this wasn’t something I wanted to talk about, but since it involves you, Lord Bao, I won’t hide it any longer. This whole thing... it started back when my father went to the army in my place..."
"Ever since my father left to take my place in the army, my mother got a strange disease out of grief. It just causes these pimples and spots. It has no other effects, it just... doesn’t look good. Later, I don’t know when, it spread to my little sister..."
"And even I..."
As he said this, Fang Rui pointed to his own face. Sure enough, there were three or five pimples on it.
"So that’s what it is!"
Seeing the pimples on Fang Rui’s face, Zhang Bao was instantly convinced.
After all, with the examples of both Fang Ling and Fang Rui right in front of him, and having heard a little about the condition of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family as well.
Once he believed it... his skin began to crawl!
Zhang Bao completely abandoned the idea of arranging a marriage with the Fang Family. He was even afraid of being infected just by staying there.
—Even if it had no other effects, he didn’t want to get any uglier!
"I’m leaving! Don’t see me out!"
Zhang Bao shot to his feet and left, as if staying for a single breath longer would get him infected.
"Lord Bao!"
Er Gouzi scrambled to follow him.
But Zhang Bao spun around and kicked Er Gouzi, sending him tumbling head over heels like a toad sprawled on its back. "Useless trash! Piss off!"
Then, he walked away without a backward glance.
Er Gouzi was left behind, wanting to give chase but not daring to, so frustrated he was on the verge of tears.
He had worked so hard to get on Zhang Bao’s good side, and now, because of this, it was all ruined!
"Ptui!"
After a good while, Er Gouzi finally scrambled up from the ground, dusted himself off, and shot a venomous glare back in the direction of the Fang Family’s home. He spat on the ground before turning to leave.
In the sunlight, Fang Rui stood at the entrance of Caozhi Hall, watching Er Gouzi’s retreating figure. He squinted, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a perfectly harmless smile.
...
News that the Fang Family had a contagious disease spread like wildfire. Even though it just caused some pimples and freckles that made one a bit unsightly and had no other effects, business at Caozhi Hall still grew considerably colder.
Even the neighbors began to consciously or unconsciously keep their distance. Only the Third Lady’s House seemed to pay it no mind, their attitude remaining the same as ever.
...
「Two days later.」
On a dark and windy night, Fang Rui, his face masked with a black cloth, vaulted over the wall, leaving Er Gouzi’s home.
The next day, Er Gouzi and his family were suddenly struck with loss of appetite and vomiting. Half a month later, the whole family was dead, their bodies emaciated and bloated.
—Clearly, they had been severely tormented by the illness before they died.
In this day and age, it was common for the poor to die of strange illnesses, so no one paid it much mind.
Aside from the neighbors who would pick the house clean, only the Government Office would make a record of it. They wouldn’t even investigate. In the words of the Officials, ’The lives of commoners are worthless.’
...
Of course, that would happen later. Time rewinds to that night.
’The feeling of aflatoxin poisoning is not pleasant. Savor it, Er Gouzi!’
Fang Rui glanced back one last time before striding into the darkness.
In his previous life, he had at least a bachelor’s degree, and in this life, his family had a long tradition of Medical Skill. Therefore, extracting aflatoxin from crops with high starch content was not difficult.
’As for Er Gouzi’s wife, children, and elderly parents?’
’In this world, there’s no such thing as "sparing the family".’
’Besides, Er Gouzi, when you were thinking of ruining my little sister, you never once thought about "sparing the family"!’
A glint flashed in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’And there’s another... Zhang Bao!’
That Zhang Bao, using Lord Hu as a shield, had bullied men and tyrannized women throughout the neighboring streets, committing no end of immoral acts. Fang Rui hadn’t wanted to get involved, but Zhang Bao shouldn’t have provoked him.
’However, poisoning Zhang Bao at his home is probably not going to work... Zhang Bao hasn’t moved out of Lord Hu’s residence. If I run into that damn tiger, it’ll be a huge hassle.’
After reaching Entry Grade, Fang Rui had, in fact, considered settling scores with Lord Hu.
But the man was also Ninth Grade, highly experienced, and probably had some tricks up his sleeve. Plus, Fang Rui wasn’t as strong. He most likely wouldn’t be able to win.
Even if the fight dragged on for a bit, it could attract unwanted attention.
Most importantly, if he got rid of Lord Hu, the Tiger Gang would just send a Lord Xiong or a Pig Lord to replace him in the blink of an eye. It wouldn’t solve anything.
’Then what about targeting Zhang Bao and poisoning him somewhere outside?’
Fang Rui considered it for a moment, then dismissed the idea.
Zhang Bao was a wild character who ran around a lot, his movements completely unpredictable.
Besides, poisoning him in public could easily lead to collateral damage, turn into a major case, and create unnecessary risks.
’Especially if both Zhang Bao and Er Gouzi showed up with the exact same symptoms. That would be too much of a coincidence.’
’So, I’ll just have to be more direct!’ Fang Rui thought.
...
「Three more days later.」
Zhang Bao staggered drunkenly out of a tavern. As he passed a dark alley, a hand suddenly shot out from behind, clamped around his neck, and dragged him inside.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Zhang Bao whimpered and struggled desperately, but it was no use.
He was a short, stumpy man to begin with, and what with his life of debauchery, his body was extremely weak. How could he possibly resist the immense strength of an Entry Grade Martial Artist?
—Don’t be fooled by Three Eyes from that other night. Though he was also lean, he was in fact a ruthless killer who lived on the edge, a predator hunting lambs—a world apart from Zhang Bao.
"Lord Bao, it’s time to go!"
In a low voice, Fang Rui flicked the scissors in his hand and slit Zhang Bao’s throat. Blood instantly gushed out.
THUD!
Zhang Bao’s body fell to the ground.
This being his second time killing someone, Fang Rui found that his state of mind was much better than the last.
’A pervert? A crazed killer? Pfft, I’m not like that at all. This world forced my hand!’
Searching the body.
A little over twenty large coins. It was an acceptable haul.
’Zhang Bao should have a lot of money at his home. But to be safe, I can’t go there. I’m not the type to risk my life for money.’
Fang Rui cleaned up the scene, and after confirming he’d left no clues that could reveal his identity, he turned and left.
This era had no surveillance cameras. Many murder cases became cold cases, and very few killers were ever found.
Besides, he was just a weak, sickly young man with an Innate Body Weakness. Who would ever suspect him?
As for the murder weapon—the scissors?
He had bought them at the Black Market. He could just find a random place, dig a hole, and bury them. Who would ever be able to find them?
Of course, this was a world of Martial Arts, so there might be other mystical powers. But in his predecessor’s more than ten years of life, he had never heard of such things.
His father, Fang Baicao, had never mentioned them either, likely because he too had never heard of them.
So, even if such mystical powers existed, they wouldn’t be accessible to a mere Elite Gang Member of a backwater county gang like Lord Hu’s.
...
Zhang Bao’s body was discovered the next morning—he often spent the night at brothels and didn’t return home, so it was normal that no one noticed his absence the night before.
Fang Rui heard that Lord Hu was furious and was searching everywhere for the killer. But Zhang Bao, relying on Lord Hu’s reputation, had offended so many people that there were too many suspects to even begin to investigate.
In the end, of course, it all came to nothing.
The people in the surrounding streets, however, were delighted by Zhang Bao’s death and secretly celebrated.
The rumors grew more and more outlandish. It was said that the man who killed Zhang Bao had a dark face and a bristly beard, stood seven feet tall, and possessed exquisite Saber Technique...
So, what did any of that have to do with Fang Rui, a sickly weakling?
Life for the Fang Family returned to normal.
「That night.」
Fang Rui lay on his bed in the inner room, closed his eyes, and called up the glowing screen.
[Name: Fang Rui]
[Tribulation: 179]
[Cultivation Technique: Nourishing Body Skill (Initial Glimpse) (+)]
[Realm: Ninth Grade (Skin Grinding)]
[Skills: Fang’s Medical Skill (Skilled) (+)]
[Divine Techniques: Immortality (Gray)] freewёbnoνel.com
...
’179 Tribulation Points. I can upgrade both the Nourishing Body Skill and Fang’s Medical Skill again.’
’Last time, I upgraded the Nourishing Body Skill. Logically, it should be the turn of Fang’s Medical Skill this time.’
’So, this time I’ll choose... the Nourishing Body Skill!’
...
