Chapter 935: Chapter 935: The Waterside Trap
The night wind by the water howled, carrying a hint of chill.
Xiong Baiyan held his gun cautiously as he groped forward.
A pair of keen eyes constantly observed everything around. The recent steel ball had caught him off guard, so now he was fully alert. At the slightest hint of movement, he would raise his hand and fire.
Several shots in succession stirred no visible waves, but as an excellent hunter, Xiong Baiyan was sure that the two couldn’t escape this vast mountain. Moreover, with the mountains high and forests dense, after he sabotaged the signal tower, they lost contact with the outside world; thus, they couldn’t survive in this wilderness.
Just as Xiong Baiyan’s flashlight searched for the slightest clue, a shadow suddenly rushed forward. From the height and build, it was undoubtedly Lin Fan. So, he hurriedly gave chase until a splash of water stopped Lin Fan in his tracks with nowhere left to run.
"County Magistrate Lin, aren’t you very capable? Why don’t you jump into the water and run? This river leads directly to the county town; see if you can swim back."
As Xiong Baiyan walked slowly with his gun, a sinister smile hung on his lips as he stepped towards Lin Fan, hiding behind a rock. The finger resting on the trigger was ready to unleash a deadly bullet at any moment.
"Since I’ve run out of options, shall we have a little chat, maybe smoke a cigarette? Perhaps it could change your mind."
Just as Lin Fan poked his head out, the opponent immediately pulled the trigger. Countless steel bullets whistled through the air, striking the rock and sparking, forcing him to retract his head in fright.
"I have nothing to say to the dead. I advise you to come out. I can give you a quick death!"
Reloading his bullets, Xiong Baiyan stepped closer to the riverbank over the rocks, continuously watching behind him. Around the riverbank, there was no cover. So, he wasn’t afraid of Tang Xiaoshuang launching a sneak attack from the dark. After all, the Strong Crossbow had a lethal range of only twenty meters; beyond thirty meters, both its accuracy and strength would greatly diminish.
"Alright, since you said so, let’s not chat. Anyway, if I die, naturally someone will join me in the grave."
Hidden behind the rock, Lin Fan lit a cigarette and said with a smile, "First and foremost are those people from the fourth team of Huanglan Village!"
"What did you say?"
Sure enough, Lin Fan’s words made Xiong Baiyan pause in surprise, instinctively asking back.
"I said, as long as I die, I guarantee that the people of the fourth team of Huanglan Village won’t live past tomorrow’s sunset—including Huang Jingshou’s poor mother, his crippled brother, and his children. They’ll all die with me!"
Lin Fan said as he stepped out from behind the rock, dangling a cigarette, standing directly in front of Xiong Baiyan’s gun’s dark muzzle, "Oh, and Xiong Baiyan’s real daughter, Xiong Meijiao. My people will eventually find them all and brutally kill them one by one."
"How do you know this!"
Xiong Baiyan stared wide-eyed in astonishment at Lin Fan opposite him; how did this guy know so much?
"Huang Jingshou, stop pretending; you’re not Xiong Baiyan at all. That so-called daughter of yours is actually your beloved woman, isn’t she? I not only know this, but I also know that back then Xiong Baiyan opposed you, a mine worker, being with his college-educated daughter, thus separating the lovebirds. Xiong Meijiao couldn’t bear the mental shock and went insane, and you, with your imposture, survived by assuming Xiong Baiyan’s identity after blowing up the mine."
Lin Fan sat on the rock, wearing a cold smile as he looked at Huang Jingshou, "But I must admit, if I hadn’t visited the fourth team of Huanglan Village today, I wouldn’t have discovered your true identity. Now everything makes sense. Back then, you couldn’t bring yourself to destroy the mine without notifying your own brothers. But so what if you have money? You’re still hiding, living under someone else’s identity, showing off as father and daughter when you’re actually lovers. Is that amusing?"
"I don’t need you to interfere in my business. Do you think your blackmail has meaning? If I cared about others, would I have blown up the mine and killed so many villagers back then... including my father... You’re wrong. I’m utterly ruthless; nothing can bind me except myself!"
Huang Jingshou’s face twisted as he aimed the dark gun barrel at Lin Fan.
"If that were the case, wouldn’t you have shot by now? According to what your niece said, her grandfather loved drinking, and after drinking, he would beat you brothers to death. Your brother’s leg wasn’t crushed in a mine accident; it was broken by your father, wasn’t it? So, during that explosion, you killed your father with your own hands. Wasn’t it for revenge?"
Lin Fan continued to smoke calmly, staring directly into Huang Jingshou’s eyes.
"But for that mother who dedicated her life to you, she’s still alive. In such a decrepit family, if it weren’t for you, any severe illness would have long taken her life. Although it seemed like County Magistrate Zhao made donations, you were actually the one behind it. But have you ever thought that the money you spent on this so-called filial piety is the blood and innocent lives of others!"