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墨書 Inktalez
The selection of the village chief was in full swing, and those involved were quite capable, even managing to put up a banner. Under the blazing sun, it could indeed be considered a sight to behold. The village chiefs from several other villages had already been elected, and the two strongest candidates for One Village were Zhang Zhong and Li Jingfeng.
The locals and outsiders in the village were about evenly split. Naturally, the locals hoped that Zhang Zhong would be elected; although he wasn't particularly impressive, he was still preferable to an outsider. The outsiders felt similarly to the locals, making it difficult to determine a clear winner.
Finally, by the end of September, the results were announced: Li Jingfeng was elected as the chief of One Village. Li Jingfeng delivered a passionate speech in Main Square, clearly stating his intention to lead everyone toward a bright future. As long as he was around, he promised to work fairly and justly, striving to ensure everyone's satisfaction.
Zhang Zhong was so furious that he stormed off on the spot. He had privately inquired and learned that the reason he couldn't become village chief this time was none other than Zhang Liang. That scoundrel had brought up his wife's past issues and exaggerated the story about their house sale. Many locals were both angry and resentful toward Zhang Zhong; several families had been deceived by his sweet talk, even though they had initially wanted to go along with it. If he hadn't pushed so hard, they might not have made such quick decisions.
Zhang Zhong's image as a fraud and scoundrel only grew more tarnished. After learning this, his face darkened with rage. The newcomers in the village were unaware of these matters until Zhang Liang spread the word; now, it would be difficult for him to do anything in the village, let alone become chief.
Zhang Zhong realized that Zhang Liang was taking this opportunity for revenge. He squinted and took a swig of white liquor that he had prepared earlier for a celebration. It was all because of that trash Zhang Liang; the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his inner fire growing like wild grass. With red eyes, he stared at Tian Guifang, who was bringing in dishes, as a plan began to form in his mind. However, he needed to discuss this with his military advisor first; that person was indeed clever. When Tian Guifang saw Zhang Liang's cold smile, she felt a chill run down her spine.
It was getting late when Zhang Zhong asked Tian Guifang to arrange a meeting with Zhang Liang. Recently, Tian Guifang had noticed that Zhang Zhong frequently visited some of the new women in the village. She and Zhang Zhong hadn't shared any drinks lately, and given the current situation, she feared being abandoned by him; if that happened, she would truly have no way out.
So even though she felt uneasy about this arrangement, she obediently contacted Zhang Liang under the pretense of needing to discuss something important with him. While speaking, she deliberately brushed against him and endured his wandering hands.
Zhang Liang looked at Tian Guifang's flirtatious demeanor and felt quite tempted. She wasn't bad-looking; if he hadn't hesitated back then, there wouldn't have been any issues with Zhang Zhong at all. Thinking about Zhang Zhong made him grit his teeth in frustration; however, now he felt immensely satisfied—he could do anything if they weren't going to act honorably. "Alright, where shall we talk?" He knew it couldn't be at his place since his wife would return soon.
"Oh dear, I heard there's no one over at Dong Village... what do you think?" Tian Guifang said with a smile before quickly slipping out the door.
Zhang Liang understood her implication immediately; without bothering to change clothes, he slipped on some sandals and followed her out.
Li Yan smelled blood in the air and quickly opened his eyes. He looked at Li Xiaoming, who was still groggy, and pulled him into his arms, giving him a kiss. "Mingming, be good. I'll go take a look outside."
Li Yan covered Li Ming with a thin blanket and took out a few ice cubes from his space. Even though it was night, the outside air was still hot, and the ice wouldn't last the entire night. Seeing that Li Ming had fallen asleep again, he gently stepped out of the room.
As soon as he exited, he saw Zhou Miao coming out as well, with Yu Tian following behind, his hair a bit disheveled. Yu Tian felt a sense of unease, sensing that something was off in the air. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but felt that something was happening nearby. He also sensed that he should be safe, but...
"I'm going out with Yanzi to take a look. Wifey, you should go back to sleep," Zhou Miao said as he pushed Yu Tian back inside. Yu Tian knew he couldn't help but still worriedly reminded them, "Be careful. Even though we've practiced our techniques, don't confront anyone directly."
"Hey, wifey," Zhou Miao said with a teasing smile as he deliberately stared at Yu Tian's chest. Yu Tian's initial worry turned into irritation, and he went back inside to close the door—time to sleep.
Li Yan and Zhou Miao followed the scent, their sense of smell particularly sharp lately, especially for blood. The closer they got to Dong Village, the stronger the smell became. They moved quickly, almost like shadows that most people wouldn't notice.
After walking about four hundred meters away from the village, they hid by the edge of a cornfield. Although there were no corn plants yet, it was enough to conceal two large men.
"Spare... Zhong Ge... spare me," Zhang Liang lay weakly on the ground.
He never expected that Tian Guifang would betray him; he had just stepped out of Dong Village when someone knocked him unconscious. Zhang Liang tried to move his legs but felt no sensation at all. "Let me go, Zhong Ge."
Zhang Zhong held a stick in his hand and struck Zhang Liang's leg with it, feeling much better inside. "You dare talk bad about me behind my back? You've always been useless since you were young. I treated you well because we are from the same village. I even included you in buying a house; how could you betray me like this? Zhang Yaoming, you're the smart one; after all, you're educated."
"Zhong Ge, we can't let this kind of person live," said a not particularly tall man who had been facing away from Li Yan and the others. He turned around holding a stick; under the moonlight, it was none other than Zhao Yaoming who had returned from wandering. "Zhong Ge, you're too soft-hearted; that's why this scoundrel took advantage of you. How about this? Since this person loves to gossip so much, let's cut out his tongue and throw him outside the Safe Zone so he can talk all he wants." He chuckled sinisterly as Zhou Miao frowned; could this really be the refined Zhang Yaoming?
Looking again, it was indeed surprising; these men were among those who had returned from the city that day. Now that he thought about it, how could these men survive their return from the city if they didn't know anything?
"That's right, Zhong Ge. We've seen plenty of people like this out there. If you don't make up your mind now, once we beat him up, he'll definitely bring up old grievances later." Another person said, "At that time, if he reports you, it will be us who get kicked out of the Safe Zone. Zhong Ge, we're only helping you because you're the village chief and our big brother."
Zhang Zhong hesitated; they weren't wrong. What if Zhang Liang decided to snitch? He had just hit Zhang Liang's leg multiple times, and it was likely severely injured. Zhang Zhong was initially filled with rage, but now that he calmed down, he broke into a cold sweat. Looking at Zhang Liang lying on the ground, he thought to himself that Zhang Liang couldn't be left alive.
"Zhong Ge, you know me well enough. I won't say anything; just let me go. Think of our shared village... Ah! Help!" Zhang Liang's face turned pale from the pain in his lower body. He turned to see Zhang Yaoming holding an iron rod and grinning ominously. At that moment, he realized that Zhang Zhong wasn't the most terrifying one; it was Zhang Yaoming who could truly kill! With a splatter, Zhang Liang coughed up blood as his vision began to blur.
"Zhong Ge, if we let him go today, we're dead. Don't forget the rules of the Safe Zone," Zhang Yaoming said while signaling to someone nearby, who immediately stuffed something unknown into Zhang Liang's mouth. "Don't hesitate; people like him deserve to die. Just think about it—given your abilities, the position of village chief should have been yours all along. Now look at this situation. That Li Jingfeng is definitely not on your side; remember, you were political enemies before. Do you think he would easily let you go? Zhong Ge, you were supposed to be the village chief; life would have been better for all of us if we had followed you. But now... sigh, Zhong Ge, if it weren't for this bastard, you'd be above everyone else."
Zhang Zhong was still hesitating at first, but as he listened to that person's words, his anger grew. He thought about the village chief position that was almost within his grasp and Li Jingfeng's arrogant demeanor. Gripping the wooden stick tightly in his hand, he seethed with rage at this bastard who kept spreading rumors about his past affairs with widows. Fine then; since he claimed to have seduced a widow, today he would taste the consequences of such actions! Filled with fury and hatred, Zhang Zhong swung the stick down repeatedly with deadly intent.
Li Yan had excellent eyesight; even from a distance, he could see Zhang Liang's agonizing expression after having his tongue cut out. After exchanging glances with his companion, they quietly returned home. They suspected that Zhang Liang was finished; they had already caught a strong whiff of blood earlier—it must have been from him. However, they never expected that Zhang Yaoming was a source of trouble.
A few people managed to navigate through these chaotic times; although they might have returned safely to Zhangjia Village in a disheveled state, it was unlikely that luck alone got them there. Observing their fierce determination and ruthlessness, a sharp glint flashed in Li Yan's eyes; dealing with them in the future would likely be difficult as their ambitions probably extended beyond merely living day by day. Those who had experienced chaos were either truly resolute individuals or completely deranged ones—Zhang Yaoming belonged to the latter category.
Zhang Zhong was merely a pawn; once he became useless, it would be his time to die. Li Yan and Zhou Miao had also emerged from bloodshed; they understood city life better than anyone else. However, until the very end, they didn't want to stain their hands with blood—the cost was too heavy.
The next morning, Zhang Liang's wife came knocking on Li Jingfeng's door as many villagers went out searching for him. They eventually discovered numerous bloodstains in a field along with one of Zhang Liang's shoes. His wife collapsed on the spot; although she often scolded Zhang Liang, he was still the pillar of their family. As a woman in these times, how could she survive without him? Suddenly pointing at Li Yan and others, she shouted angrily: "It's them! It must be them! They have a grudge against my Liangzi! You all saw how ruthless they were when they killed! Li Village Chief, are you trying to protect them? Yes, they're your sons! Is there no justice left? They killed someone without consequence while my husband died unjustly!!... Woe is me..."
The villagers were immediately stunned; memories of previous robberies flooded back to them. Back then, Li Yan and Zhou Miao had killed as easily as slicing melons—it was terrifyingly brutal. Although Zhang Liang was indeed a scoundrel through and through, he was still a person after all. Everyone instinctively moved away from Li Yan and Zhou Miao as if they had already deemed them murderers.
Li Jingfeng didn't speak up for Li Yan and Zhou Miao; anything he said now would be inappropriate given his position. Moreover, since he had just taken office, it was best for him to avoid suspicion—such matters were better escalated upward. Drawing on decades of experience in governance, he ultimately wrote a report and sent someone to deliver it to the town office.
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