Translator: CinderTL
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"How... how could it come to this... this is a society ruled by law... can't we sit down and talk things over?"
Madam Jin's throat tightened, her words stumbling: "You... you're so young and already possess such martial prowess, your future is limitless. There's no need to ruin your bright prospects for the sake of us, a widow and her orphaned child..."
"I know."
Li Chunjun replied: "In a society built on connections, pulling up one radish brings out the mud. Killing your family alone won't be enough, so I will also kill everyone closely associated with you."
Madam Jin's eyes widened.
A suffocating sense of dread, mixed with bone-chilling despair, washed over her.
Beside her, Chairman Song and his wife trembled uncontrollably at these words.
Closely associated!?
Did that include them!?
The posts Li Chunjun had published online to sway public opinion had been suppressed by their media company, Xingju Media.
No!
Wait!
What kind of close relationship did they have with the Jin family!?
Xingju Media had gone out of its way to curry favor with the Jin family's influence, but their relationship was far from close.
So...
Chairman Song quietly began to inch away.
He didn't even spare a thought for his own wife.
But the moment he moved, Li Chunjun's gaze fell upon him.
A single glance made Chairman Song feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"Brother Li, we're just insignificant nobodies, not on the same level as you or the Jin family. Killing us would only dirty your sword. Please, show us mercy..."
He stammered.
Afraid to offend the Jin family with harsh words, yet desperate to distance himself and beg for mercy, he...
Was in an impossible position.
"I know you."
Li Chunjun said.
Chairman Song's expression froze instantly.
He knew!?
Did that mean he was aware of what Xingju Media had done...?
Li Chunjun gripped his sword and stepped closer.
Each step felt like a hammer striking Chairman Song's heart, making him gasp for breath. His face turned pale as Li Chunjun drew nearer, and beads of cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
Finally...
When the distance between them was less than five meters, his guard, Zhang Li, let out a roar!
"Boss! Run!"
But instead of summoning the courage to intercept Li Chunjun, he bolted toward an open window as he shouted.
The windows of wealthy homes...
Had no security bars!
Almost as soon as Zhang Li roared and sprinted, the remaining dozen or so people in the room scattered in chaos. Some rushed upstairs, while others climbed out the windows.
At that moment, Li Chunjun's footwork exploded with force.
His body shot forward like an arrow.
The tip of that arrow was the cold, gleaming light of his sword, slicing through the air like a fleeting shadow!
"Swish, swish, swish, swish!"
Slaughter!
Ruthless slaughter!
Assistants, secretaries, drivers, guards!
None were spared!
Perhaps some among them were innocent.
Perhaps some didn't deserve death.
Perhaps some were even idolized as elite members of society in the eyes of others.
But it didn't matter.
When they stood here, by the Jin family's side, no matter their reasons for serving the Jins, to him, their identities were reduced to one thing!
Members of the Jin family's network!
Accomplices to the Jin family's tyranny!
In an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent.
...
His body moved like a dragon, his sword like a flash of lightning!
In just a few seconds, everyone who had rushed toward the window lay in pools of blood.
Including the guard Zhang Li, who could have taken on ten ordinary men single-handedly.
Immediately after, Li Chunjun swiftly turned and strode forward, charging across the living room in a burst of wind that covered over twenty meters. The chilling aura of death he carried made Chairman Song and the others, who were desperately climbing out the windows, feel as if their souls were about to flee their bodies.
"Spare me..."
Before he could even finish his plea, the cold blade of the sword had already pierced through his skull, shredding his brain's nerves and cutting off any commands his mind might have issued next.
At this moment, he was filled with endless regret.
If only...
They hadn't taken on the Jin family's task of suppressing public opinion, they wouldn't have been invited to the Jin residence today.
If they hadn't come to the Jin residence, they wouldn't have encountered Li Chunjun, who had come for revenge.
If they hadn't encountered Li Chunjun, he naturally wouldn't have had to die.
If he hadn't died, he could have continued being the chairman of Xingju Media, a successful man with a fortune worth hundreds of millions.
But alas...
The real world doesn't have so many "if only's."
Every action has its consequence.
...
With his sword in hand, Li Chunjun cut down the dozen or so people who were fleeing in all directions like chopping vegetables.
Except for Jin Haoxuan, who was crawling in terror with both legs pierced, not a single living soul remained on the first floor.
As for the second floor...
"Swish!"
The sword flew through the air!
Like an arrow shot from a powerful crossbow, it pierced through Madam Jin's arm with precision and ferocity, pinning her jewel-adorned arm to the door.
"Ahhhh!"
The pain that swept through her body and the fear of impending death made Madam Jin let out a shrill scream.
Elegance!?
To hell with elegance!
The waves of pain made it impossible for her to stand steadily. She half-collapsed, half-leaned against the wall, her face instantly turning from pale to ashen.
"Swish!"
Li Chunjun leaped into the air.
In a few steps, he was back on the second floor, standing in front of Madam Jin.
"Please... spare me. I'll do anything if you let me live... ah!"
Madam Jin pleaded in agony, but her final cry came as Li Chunjun pulled the sword out of her arm.
The pain was too much for her to bear, and she slumped to the floor along the wall.
Blood flowed continuously from her arm, quickly staining the expensive dress she wore—a dress that an ordinary person might not be able to afford even after ten years of work.
"Does it hurt?"
Li Chunjun asked.
Did she feel the same pain back then?
Madam Jin lay limp on the floor, trembling as she knelt, tears streaming down her face and ruining her makeup: "I admit my mistakes, and I'm willing to accept any punishment. It was my indulgence that allowed Haoxuan to commit such a grave wrong against Miss Wanqing. Please, give me a chance. I'm willing to kneel and apologize to her..."
"No need to trouble yourself. Just die, and that will be enough."
Li Chunjun spoke in a calm tone, but his words sent shivers down Madam Jin's spine.
"Life deserves respect. I don't torture, but a single sword through your skull would be too merciful. So, I will slit your throat and let you listen to the sound of blood gushing from your arteries, as the final symphony of your life."
"No!"
Madam Jin's eyes widened in terror.
An unprecedented fear erupted from within her, spreading a soul-freezing chill throughout her body.
Her desperate desire to live gave her the strength to struggle to her feet, trying to escape once more.
But in the next moment, a flash of cold light passed before her eyes.
"Please..."
A cry of despair escaped her lips.
Then, a cold sensation spread across her throat.
She looked down just in time to see bright red blood spraying out like a fountain from the slit in her throat.
The sound of blood flowing...
Just as Li Chunjun had said, it was the final sound she would hear as her life came to an end.
...
Madam Jin's body twitched for a moment before falling still.
The blood pooled and flowed down the intricately carved railing of the second-floor corridor, dripping onto the first floor.
Splashing into small crimson flowers.
Drip, drip.
The sound harmonized with the heavy breathing of Jin Haoxuan, who was crawling in terror on the first floor.
"Thud!"
Li Chunjun flipped over the second-floor railing and landed steadily back on the first floor.
The sound of his landing sent Jin Haoxuan's fear, already at its peak, skyrocketing.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me! I was wrong, please don't kill me!"
He screamed in terror, desperately trying to crawl toward the house.
As if hiding inside, behind the door, would keep him safe.
The wounds on his legs left a nine-meter-long trail of blood on the ground.
Bright red and glaring.
"So..."
Li Chunjun had come to a preliminary conclusion about the question he wanted to explore.
"All living beings are the same when faced with death. No one is nobler than anyone else."
He stood in front of Jin Haoxuan, raised his sword, and aimed it at the young man's head.
"No! Please! Don't..."
Jin Haoxuan screamed and struggled, his expression shattered, his face twisted, and tears streaming down his face.
There was no trace of the carefree young master of the Jin family left in him.
But his screams did not stop Li Chunjun's sword from descending.
"Swish!"
The sword aimed at Jin Haoxuan's head came down with ruthless force!
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated (5) Series, (1.9K+) Chapters, (2.43M+) Words.