Chapter 163: God of War Bathed in Blood

Chu Dong was a civilized man, or so he always believed. If reasoning could solve a problem, he would never resort to violence. Of course, this assumed that reason was on his side.

When reasoning was impossible, gentlemanly as he was, he did not mind trading blows with iron-fisted methods. Today was clearly a case where reasoning was out of the question. Hundreds of people surged forward like a tsunami, leaving no time for talk.

Chu Dong moved. He was swift and ferocious, like a tiger or leopard plunging into a flock of sheep, or a rock rising amidst turbulent waves. The machete in his hand raised sprays of blood. Deafening the widespread screams around him, he was simply a reaper. The hundreds of thugs were hardly better than autumn crops before the sickle in his face. Yet, occasionally, they still managed to cause him some trouble. There were simply too many of them, and if he wasn't careful, a blade would leave its mark on his body. Naturally, every counterattack he delivered grew even more savage...

Qian Feng watched the battle from not far away. To him, nothing was more important than his own personal safety. Although he was venting his anger, he prudently maintained a safe distance. From the very beginning, his hawk-like eyes had narrowed. If this many people still couldn't take down Chu Dong, they might as well pack up and quit. Watching his subordinates swarm forward, his only concern was that they might literally dismember Chu Dong and leave him no opportunity to humiliate the man personally. However, as time dragged on and the battle remained fiercely intense, he grew somewhat bewildered. Shouldn't the target have been hacked into mincemeat by now? Since when had his subordinates become so ferocious?

That wasn't right. If Chu Dong hadn't resisted, it would have ended long ago. Usually, while his men were arrogant and domineering, it was rare for them to be so bloodthirsty. Qian Feng couldn't help but press the button to roll down the car window so he could see more clearly.

The phone in Chu Dong's pocket rang. He didn't even need to look to know it was Tan Xue, but he was simply too busy to pay attention. Before his eyes were only swaying figures and flashing blade lights. Within the blink of an eye, over a dozen men had fallen. Even so, he was holding back, avoiding fatal strikes; otherwise, the scene would not have been filled with groans, but rather littered with corpses.

The men in the front were retreating while those in the rear were charging forward. The encirclement that had been as solid as an iron bucket moments ago quickly fell into chaos. Those who realized Chu Dong had reached them turned and ran, cursing their parents for not giving them a second pair of legs. Those in the back holding high their machetes and iron rods were also thrown into disarray. When some began to flee, others naturally followed suit. As one person dropped their weapon, others abandoned theirs as well. The mob surrounding Chu Dong was quickly broken of its nerve by his sheer ferocity and ruthless methods. No one wanted to trade their lives for money anymore.

Chu Dong’s face was splattered with blood, making him the very symbol of a demon and the god of death in the eyes of Qian Feng's thugs. Accustomed to bullying others, only when they met fierce resistance did they realize they were made of flesh and blood, too. They scattered and fled in what amounted to an instant collapse.

The mob's gang beating of Chu Dong had transformed into Chu Dong hunting them. What started a few minutes ago as Chu Dong fighting off a frontal assault had evolved into a pursuit in all directions.

Qian Feng’s eyes went wide. Was this even human? In his eyes, what was originally supposed to be a flock of lambs had turned out to be an invincible god of war. Inconceivable, utterly inconceivable. Qian Feng possessed no noble spirit of sharing thick and thin with his subordinates. Realizing he had lost, he spun his car around and drove off. Before leaving, he casually made a phone call: A violent gang fight had broken out at the entrance of Xiehe Hospital in the Dongdan area, with people wielding knives hacking down several individuals. The authorities could come over and inspect the scene now...

Savage. That was the unanimous impression the thugs participating in this brawl held of Chu Dong.

Chu Dong was injured, too. His thick down jacket had been slashed open in six or seven places, and blood seeped out, staining the pristine white down. His chest, face, and neck were covered in blood. The machete in his hand was no longer as light as it had been at the start; it felt heavy now. Yet, he could not fall. Once he fell, these terrified jackals would turn around and tear him to pieces...

More than forty men had collapsed behind Chu Dong. By now, virtually no one capable of movement remained on the scene. The rest were those unable to walk; whoever could run had already bolted. At a time like this, who cared about anyone else? As long as they were safe themselves, that was all that mattered.

Chu Dong was completely exhausted as well, the blade of his machete badly notched in numerous places. Using the knife to prop himself up, he turned to look at the chaotic mess behind him...

He genuinely hadn't noticed Qian Feng's car driving away, but that didn't stop him from knowing the matter was connected to him. With slightly unsteady steps, he wiped his fingerprints off the machete with his sleeve and dropped it. Pulling himself together by sheer force of will, Chu Dong squeezed into a nearby alley.

Going anywhere else right now was out of the question. Walking around looking like this would give anyone a fright. Such a massive incident had occurred, yet more than ten minutes had passed and the police still hadn't arrived—clearly, Qian Feng had given fair warning beforehand. But that didn't mean the authorities wouldn't eventually come to clean up the mess. If he were caught at the scene, there was no telling how they might frame him. A wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him; retreating was the best policy.

An alley was not a wide avenue; it was pitch black. Stumbling blindly, he walked an unknown distance before a main thoroughfare appeared ahead. Midnight had not yet arrived, and the street was still filled with a bustling stream of traffic, illustrating the prosperity of an international metropolis. He could no longer walk openly. In his current state, anyone who laid eyes on him would call the police.

Leaning against a wall to catch his breath, the piercing sound of police sirens drifted from behind. The police had finally been dispatched. After the mutual slaughter had lasted for over ten minutes, and a quarter of an hour after that, they finally made a belated appearance.

Many people had seen him running in this direction; if he simply sat here like this, it would be all too easy to track him down. Chu Dong had a dozen or so wounds across his shoulders and back, though he couldn't see the extent of the damage. Adrenaline had kept him numb before, but the pain was starting to set in now. Propping himself up against the wall, his eyes having adjusted to the darkness, he noticed two traditional courtyard houses tucked away in this alley. Their walls weren't high, but their main gates were tightly locked. Although Chu Dong was severely injured, this was not enough to stop him.

Footnotes of pursuing footsteps were already audible not far behind. He could hesitate no longer. Leaning against one of the walls, Chu Dong took a couple of powerful strides, leaped upward, caught the top of the wall with his hands, used his core strength, kicked off the surface, and vaulted over.

The small courtyard was silent. Compared to the twinkling lights of the city outside, this place felt like the only tranquil corner in the entire capital. The sound of the pursuit faded away. Chu Dong relaxed slightly and struggled to his feet. In the center of the courtyard sat a well, its wooden winch gleaming with a faint, dark sheen under the moonlight. He wanted to wash the blood off his body; otherwise, once dawn broke the next morning, he still wouldn't be able to escape.

Finding a small wooden bucket, he hooked it onto the rope. Enduring the agony in his back, Chu Dong drew a bucket of water, but could no longer hold out, collapsing heavily onto the ground. Dragging the small bucket close with great effort, he dipped his hand into the icy water and washed away the dried blood on his face and neck. The ultra-low water temperature gave his exhausted mind a jolt of energy. After cleaning his hands, thinking he would just rest for a moment and then leave, the phone in his pocket rang out most untimely once more.

Chu Dong felt utterly helpless. Why was this girl Tan Xue so persistent? He pulled it out, hung up, and swiftly powered the device down, but it was already too late.

The light in the main room of the courtyard flickered on.

"Who is it?" An elderly voice drifted from inside, followed by the sound of a door opening.

Running away was no longer an option. Covered in wounds, Chu Dong would simply be captured if he fled. Knowing the situation crystal clear in his heart, he didn't move an inch.

The door swung open, and an old man draped in a padded jacket walked out, holding a flashlight. The glaring beam swept across Chu Dong's face.

Too tired to shield his eyes, Chu Dong simply closed them, clutching the water basin like a condemned prisoner awaiting judgment, quietly waiting for the old man to shout for the authorities.

"Why is it you?"

It was a voice Chu Dong recognized, though he was too drained to process it. Exhaustion, fatigue, and pain washed over him like a tidal wave, and his consciousness gradually blurred...

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" A round-faced little girl wearing thick padded pajamas poked her head out from the doorway, asking with sleepy eyes.

"Nothing, go back to sleep. Don't catch a cold, hurry up." The old man closed the door behind him and strode over to Chu Dong, catching him just as he began to slump forward. He didn't forget to urge his granddaughter back to bed.

The little girl disobeyed her grandfather. Instead, she pushed the door open again, extremely curious to see an extra person in the old man's arms, though she stayed inside where it was warm.

Chu Dong was tall and heavily built, making it quite a challenge for an old man to pick him up. Glancing back and seeing his granddaughter hadn't gone back inside, the old man didn't get angry. "Lass, open the door and turn on the living room lights. Go on, quickly."

Reaching his hands under Chu Dong's armpits, the old man exerted all his strength to haul him up and lugged him step by step into the house.

Chu Dong lacked the awareness to assist the old man, who expended a tremendous amount of effort getting him indoors. Without a speck of disgust for the blood and grime staining him, the old man settled him directly onto the sofa.

"Grandpa, isn't, isn't this the big brother who played the zither?" The little girl rushed back as soon as the lights came on, crying out in astonishment the moment she caught sight of Chu Dong's pale, upturned face.

Indeed, this grandfather and granddaughter duo were none other than Lan Tian and his granddaughter, whom Chu Dong had encountered and conversed with at the Beijing Hotel. Otherwise, had anyone else found Chu Dong covered in blood, calling the authorities immediately would have been a given.

"Quiet down, keep your voice down. Go pour a cup of hot water." Lan Tian saw that Chu Dong was covered in blood, but he did not lose his composure, nor was he in any rush to dial for emergency services. Testing Chu Dong's breathing and finding it steady and strong, he instructed his granddaughter to fetch water.

The little girl had clearly never seen so much blood. Even though Chu Dong had washed his face and his clothes were dark in color, the grim, dark-red stains were still unmistakable.

Pouring a cup of water, she brought it over and handed it to Lan Tian, then darted back to the bedroom to peek through the crack in the door.

Lan Tian pinched the philtrum beneath Chu Dong's nose to snap him back to consciousness, cradling his head and bringing the rim of the cup to his lips. "Here, have some water."

This time, Chu Dong saw clearly. The person who had saved him was actually Lan Tian. He offered a desolate smile. "I'm sorry, Teacher Lan, to have barged in like this."

"Drink your water first, we can talk later." Lan Tian held a very favorable impression of Chu Dong; otherwise, he never would have brought him inside. Once Chu Dong had sipped some water and his mental state had stabilized, the old man finally asked, "Young man, how did you manage to get yourself into this state?"

"Heh, just bad luck. I offended some young master here in the capital." Even now, Chu Dong still had the heart to chuckle.