Vietnam, though economically impoverished, was remarkably resilient, having battled the US military for twelve continuous years between 1961 and 1973, enduring the crucible of war. Furthermore, in 1979, they engaged China in a localized conflict. With the entire populace armed and ready, Vietnam was teeming with masters of jungle warfare. There were no pretenders among these men; they were veterans forged in the fires of conflict, having passed the grim interview of life and death!

Although the majority who fought in the Vietnam War have since aged and faded, it is rumored that several gunmen within the Gui Zai Gang were mentored in their youth by these very predecessors who participated in the former Sino-Vietnamese border clashes. These men supposedly also frequently crossed blades with drug lords in the Golden Triangle. Their average age hovers between forty and fifty, their hands undoubtedly steeped in blood, making them utterly ruthless and seasoned veterans. The Gui Zai Gang dared to engage the Vietnamese border guards in firefights during their smuggling runs solely on the strength of these formidable gunmen.

Since the passive ability “Tenacity” could not be activated in the real world, facing these gunmen under equal conditions meant that even Fang Senyan, one-on-one in reality, might not secure victory, let alone having to fight against overwhelming numbers.

Even when dealing with these exhausted thugs, Fang Senyan employed a strategy of attrition, refusing to engage more than two at once. This was not merely due to his caution, but because in the real world, his individual strength did not afford him an overwhelming advantage.

However, after some deliberation, Fang Senyan decided to return swiftly to Four Bridges Town. At this moment, Hua Shanfei remained completely unaware that his entire contingent of thugs had been wiped out and was likely still waiting there. In other words, this was when Hua Shanfei was at his most vulnerable. Although Fen Changsi had mentioned that Hua Shanfei was always protected by a gunman and carried a firearm himself, Fang Senyan felt he had a significant chance by striking with calculated intent against an unsuspecting foe. If he missed this window, killing Hua Shanfei later would become infinitely more difficult.

Having made his decision, Fang Senyan tended to his wounds, found some dry clothes and a raincoat in a nearby construction shed, and headed back toward Four Bridges Town. Huo Zai and Fen Changsi were bound in the fourth-floor factory, their mouths stuffed with his own foul-smelling socks, surrounded by the messy corpses of their comrades. They wouldn't regain freedom until the typhoon subsided and the workers returned to their posts. Though their lives were spared, they were guaranteed to suffer a few days of hunger.

As he left the construction site, Fang Senyan noticed the streaks of his own blood still visible from when he scaled the wall, triggering a fleeting sense of unreality. When he first fled into this place, he had genuinely believed it would be his tomb, yet such an unexpected turn of events—the pursuers becoming the prey—showed the bizarre capriciousness of fate.

Just then, Fang Senyan suddenly spotted two figures on the road ahead that seemed eerily familiar. His pupils constricted, because if he wasn't mistaken, these two were Hua Shanfei's enforcers: Bing Zai and Liu Wan!

These were two of the three thugs who had first found the bicycles and given chase. But Fang Senyan remembered clearly: these two had been entangled with him on the stairs, only to rapidly age and turn to ash amidst the violent spatial distortion. How could they possibly be standing before him now?

The distance between the two thugs and Fang Senyan closed, yet they showed no sign of approaching. From afar, he could see their expressions were vacant and numb. Suddenly, a deep horn blared in the distance, and a massive dump truck roared through the misty rain a dozen seconds later, speeding along the road—a common sight on this route, usually carrying overloaded sand and gravel to construction sites after traffic police had clocked out.

But just as the heavy truck was about to pass, Bing Zai, one of the thugs, seemed to slip on the wet pavement. Instinctively, he reached out to steady himself by grabbing Liu Wan beside him, and Liu Wan, pulled off-balance, stumbled directly into the middle of the road... Then, the heavy dump truck roared past! Their bodies were tossed high like discarded sacks, tumbling, landing, and finally sprawling in the center of the road, their slowly oozing blood gradually diluted by the rain. A passenger bus coming from the opposite direction slammed on its brakes, and panicked tourists spilled out, scattering like startled ants...

Fang Senyan stood twenty meters away on the pavement, watching the entire scene unfold with utter detachment:

“Is this a message, telling me that those killed in the Nightmare World will also meet a plausible end in the real world? That way, no one notices any unexplained disappearances. If I were to die in the Nightmare World... I hope my death in this world can be arranged under a brilliant sun.”

He pulled down the brim of his raincoat, glanced back one last time at the wreckage with a cold gaze, and continued his steady march toward Four Bridges Town. Despite the ongoing storm, nothing could impede the firm, measured pace of Fang Senyan’s steps!

With a soft "pfft."

This sound was now deeply familiar to Fang Senyan; it was the same sound made every time he gutted a fish aboard the Fu Xing Hao. He hadn't expected that the sound of this fish-slaughtering knife piercing human flesh would be so similar to cleaning a catch.

He released the left hand that had been clamping the enemy’s mouth, gave a gentle push, and the man, losing support, slowly slumped over, limbs twitching randomly as his eyes dimmed. His life rapidly ebbed away with the welling blood, reaching its end soon. Fang Senyan impassively wiped the sole of his boot across the dead man's face, then pushed open the door before him.

The room within was empty.

"Hah," Fang Senyan exhaled, his emotions complex—a mixture of regret and relief. He had arrived at Four Bridges Town ten minutes prior, heading straight for Hua Shanfei's lair. Fang Senyan knew this place, where he had lived for years, so intimately that he could navigate every path with his eyes closed. Thus, as he vaulted onto the railing beside Hua Shanfei's house with lightning speed, he was greeted by two startled thugs—and a blood-stained basin left near the dog kennel.

Seeing that basin, Fang Senyan felt a deafening ringing in his ears, all the blood in his body surging to his face, accompanied by an utterly uncontrollable surge of primal rage.

That basin had contained the severed fingers of Fourth Uncle Da, chopped piece by piece! Hua Shanfei, likely feeling thoroughly duped by Fang Senyan, unable to vent his resentment, had apparently thrown the basin to the wolfhound he kept! Under such circumstances, mere words were hollow; only "fight until neither survives" sufficed.

The two stunned thugs were stabbed dead on the spot within half a minute. The wolfhound, barking furiously and lunging, was kicked to death. Of course, Fang Senyan paid a price, suffering three cuts, but relying on his superior physical strength, his injuries appeared gruesome—flesh torn and exposed—yet none were broken bones; they were mere surface wounds.

Having slain two men, Fang Senyan finally calmed slightly. He began to search the entire house and discovered a trembling middle-aged man. Fang Senyan recognized this man as Han Rui, Hua Shanfei's brother-in-law, who usually worked as a contractor in Fangchenggang City—bluntly, relying on Hua Shanfei’s influence to force evictions, reportedly driving several families to ruin or insanity.

However, despite being ruthless and dark-hearted, this man possessed a weak backbone. The moment the blade touched his neck, he confessed everything: Young Xi had died in Four Bridges, and Hua Shanfei couldn't produce anyone to take the blame. Han Rui knew that Xi's father, Hei Gui Dong, was no saint and might take his fury out on his family. Therefore, Hua Shanfei had rushed to leave overnight, instructing his relatives to seek refuge at his stronghold in Four Bridges to lie low.

Han Rui’s home was the closest, so he arrived in Four Bridges Town first. Hua Shanfei still had to go to Fangchenggang City to pick up his wife and children and rally his trusted gunmen to tighten defenses, preventing Hei Gui Dong from acting rashly, meaning he wouldn't return for at least another hour or two.

Fang Senyan considered lying in wait inside the house to launch a surprise attack, but the returning Hua Shanfei would likely be guarded by elite sharpshooters, offering Fang Senyan no guarantee of victory. Thus, after slitting Han Rui's throat, he began a thorough and complete search of the house. This served two purposes: first, to check for any hidden stragglers, and second, naturally, to seize an opportunity for a massive score before fleeing. After all, a gentleman’s revenge is worth waiting ten years for. His own strength would grow daily, but while Hua Shanfei could run, his stronghold could not. Taking the bastard’s life was merely a matter of time; there was no need to risk so much now.

Of the two survivors left at the construction site, Fen Changsi was a marginalized figure, yielding limited firsthand intelligence. However, Huo Zai, though timid, had a knack for bookkeeping. One must remember that some rules in gangs are even stricter than in government agencies, so when large-scale smuggling occurred, Hua Shanfei would often call Huo Zai to assist. Consequently, Huo Zai was intimately familiar with some of Hua Shanfei's shady dealings, and this knowledge was now clearly laid out in Fang Senyan's mind, allowing him to locate Hua Shanfei's private vault with little effort.

................... Hmm, there’s one more update tonight at 12! See you all then! (To be continued, please visit for the latest chapters:.)