Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 64 | A Long-Awaited Greeting | Novela.app

I startled awake. It was a strange sensation; I clearly hadn't been asleep, nor had I lost consciousness, yet I felt as though I had just woken up. My forehead felt icy cold. Before me stood the man wearing the fox mask, the one who looked exactly like Ye Tan. His fingertip was pressed against the cinnabar mark between my brows, his body temperature alarmingly low, while his other hand firmly clamped onto Ye Lan’s right wrist. I looked down at my chest. It was intact, though covered in the scars from the torture of the past few days. The chill I had felt just moments ago seemed like an illusion. I didn't know why a spring of sorrow welled up in my heart, but the feeling vanished in an instant. It was as if I had experienced a profound grief... yet I remembered nothing. The man in the fox mask withdrew his hand from my brow. With a light squeeze of his other hand, the sharp crack of breaking bone rang out—he had twisted and snapped Ye Lan’s wrist. As if unable to feel pain, Ye Lan launched a fierce counterattack with his left hand, his momentum peerless as he lunged for the man’s chest. The man merely flicked his fingers, snapping them once. Without any other visible movement, Ye Lan was blasted backward by an invisible wall of air, slamming into the courtyard wall. The wall collapsed with a roar, bricks and tiles flying everywhere, burying Ye Lan beneath them. Without a moment's hesitation, the man grabbed Ye Lan’s feet and dragged him out from the rubble and heavy stones. He hoisted him up by his ankles and ruthlessly crushed them. Shocked, Ye Xiao didn't know how to react, staring blankly at the man. "Bo... Boss?" "He’s not Ye Tan! Don't go near him!" I shouted to stop Ye Xiao, my own heart racing with alarm. This man was shrouded in a soul-chilling baleful aura. Though his voice and appearance were identical, I knew he was absolutely not Ye Tan. "...Jun Wuwang." The man lowered his eyes and spoke softly. "That is my name. Remember it well, and do not confuse me with Ye Tan." Ye Lan’s hands and feet were ruined, yet he possessed an inexplicable tenacity, still struggling to crawl up and fight again. Jun Wuwang looked down at him, his eyes filled with an unnervingly thick hatred. He said impatiently, "Must I shatter every joint in your body before you'll behave?" Ye Xiao finally snapped out of it and lunged forward to shield Ye Lan, the broken blades between his fingers ready to strike. Ye Xiao had always specialized in hidden weapons and flying blades; he traveled light and wore no heavy armor, leaving his defense incredibly low. If he were struck by a blast like the one that hit Ye Lan, he would likely lose his life. I sensed disaster was imminent, but Jun Wuwang unexpectedly yielded, stepping back to give him space. He smiled at Ye Xiao. "Ye Xiao, look after him. Don't do anything unnecessary, and I naturally won't make things difficult for him." He actually let the two of them off easily. He slowly turned around, his gaze locking steadily onto the Second Young Master, who was surrounded by hidden guards. Caught in that lung-chilling gaze, the Second Young Master actually took a step back in fear. I had previously thought Jun Wuwang was one of the Second Young Master's men, but seeing the hatred he held for him now, it seemed only to have intensified. Who exactly was he, and why had he come? The Second Young Master was extremely sharp. In an instant, he assessed the situation and gave a low-voiced order without hesitation: "Withdraw." Upon receiving the command, the surrounding hidden guards let out a sharp whistle. Bursts of mist exploded in the courtyard, instantly obscuring the clouds and the moon until I could see nothing. I only heard the sudden clattering of mechanisms all around, followed by surging currents of air like a raging tide sweeping past, as if countless secret tunnels had opened simultaneously. Almost at the same time, there was a chorus of screams followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground, accompanied by Jun Wuwang’s contemptuous jeer: "—Did I give you permission to leave?" The smoke cleared. The hidden guards, who had numbered nearly a hundred, were all lying on the ground, killed in a single stroke. The Second Young Master had been pinned to the earth by a longsword driven through his shoulder. Jun Wuwang had a foot planted firmly on his head. Standing nearby, only Ye Jun remained. Ye Jun’s scabbard was empty; the sword pinning the Second Young Master was his. The speed of it was beyond human capability. Ye Jun clearly didn't know why he was still standing either; his expression was one of bewilderment. Jun Wuwang looked at Ye Jun and simply said, "Bring some chairs. There is still a wait ahead of us." Ye Jun only took orders from one person and hesitated. Unwilling to waste words, Jun Wuwang silently increased the pressure of his foot. A faint crack came from the Second Young Master’s skull, and he couldn't suppress a groan of pain. Ye Jun immediately dropped his sword and went to comply. Taking advantage of the wait, Jun Wuwang strolled to the Second Young Master’s side and stepped heavily onto one of his ankles. He ground his heel down, infusing the movement with full internal power until the bone and flesh were pulverized. He continued this silent torture, seemingly hating the man to the extreme, yet he didn't say a word. A heavy, eerie silence fell over the world, broken only by the sound of crushing bone, the Second Young Master’s suppressed gasps, and Ye Lan’s pained muttering. Jun Wuwang continued the torture soundlessly until Ye Jun returned. Jun Wuwang took a grandmaster chair, aimed the chair leg at the Second Young Master’s right hand, and sat down. With a sickening crunch, the veins and bones were crushed. The Second Young Master suppressed another groan in his throat; even I felt a pang of phantom pain listening to it. Seeing Jun Wuwang sitting steadily amidst the bodies, his chin resting on his hand and his eyes closed as if preparing for a leisurely nap, I asked in shock and suspicion, "Who... who are you waiting for?" He gave a soft smile. "Ye Tan." This killing deity had also come for Ye Tan. Startled, I suddenly found the strength to struggle to my feet. Jun Wuwang opened his eyes and looked at me, asking, "Why move? Do you not feel enough pain already?" I froze. Was that a threat? ...But how could I just sit by and watch Ye Tan walk into this dragon's den? Jun Wuwang suddenly turned and commanded, "Ye Jun, go help him tend to his wounds. The medicine you wanted to give him before but couldn't—you can give it to him now." ...He was actually concerned for me? I truly couldn't fathom his temperament. "I'm fine..." I frowned. "If you're really so kind-hearted, look at Ye Lan first." He suddenly flew into a rage, hissing through gritted teeth, "Don't push your luck. If you say one more word for Ye Lan, I will send him to the afterlife immediately." This man was mercurial and truly difficult to understand. Ye Lan had fallen back into a state of chaos, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. His nerves were on the verge of collapse as he cried out in a raspy, dream-like voice, "Are you going to die at their hands again? Can I still not save you? I've worked so hard, Gui Mao... I couldn't have done any better... what more do you want from me..." Ye Xiao tried desperately to hold him and soothe his emotions, but Ye Lan could no longer hear anything. Ye Xiao pulled Ye Lan into his arms and was forced to strike his sleep acupoint; only then did the struggling body go still. Cradling the blood-streaked Ye Lan, Ye Xiao whispered, "Just sleep for a while. It won't hurt once you're asleep." Ye Jun brought hot water, fed me some medicine, and began cleaning and dressing my external wounds. The medicine was indeed effective; the pain was instantly halved, making it much more bearable. Ye Xiao didn't dare act rashly. Glancing at Jun Wuwang, he secretly channeled some internal energy into Ye Lan to protect his heart. Halfway through the bandaging, Jun Wuwang suddenly looked up. "He’s almost here." My heart sank. I broke away from Ye Jun and jumped up, wanting to warn Ye Tan to leave immediately. Jun Wuwang appeared at my side in an instant, gently pressing me back down. "Don't move. Rest assured, I won't see him. I will leave this place before he appears." Jun Wuwang glanced sideways at the Second Young Master pinned to the ground. "The Zhongli Estate is full of secret tunnels, intricate and dangerous. It will be easy for the Second Young Master to escape; you must watch him closely." He turned to look toward the eastern eaves. Before him was the vast night, yet his gaze seemed to pierce through layers of mountains and rivers. Jun Wuwang suddenly seemed lost in thought, murmuring to himself, "I... am leaving now. Right now..." A rustle of wind came from the eaves and branches. Treading upon the tips of leaves, graceful as a startled swan, a figure landed by my feet with swift and steady precision. He knelt obediently on one knee. Across the span of a long time, he uttered a greeting I hadn't heard in far too long. "Master." It was a title I had once been so accustomed to that I never paused to consider it. Only now did I realize how hard-won it was, and how it was worth giving everything for. Suddenly, I seemed to understand everything.