Chapter 57: A Rise of Three Ranks

Just after reuniting with Xiao Yuanfeng, Xiao Fei was struck with emotion—his uncle had once again taken a blade for him. At the same time, his hatred for Tian Muqingyi, that beast, deepened beyond measure. “Tian Muqingyi, you beast! Today I’ll slaughter you myself!” Xiao Fei attacked Tian Muqingyi like a madman. Tojo Hideki could use his invisibility technique to counter Xiao Fei’s flight, but Tian Muqingyi was powerless against it. Though Tian Muqingyi possessed formidable strength, before Xiao Fei it was nothing but brute force. Xiao Fei activated his Thunder Wings, sending Tian Muqingyi spinning helplessly like a clumsy pig.

“Ah, Xiao Fei! Always flitting about in the sky—what kind of hero are you? If you’ve got guts, come down and fight me man to man!” Tian Muqingyi shouted in fury.

“Very well, then prepare to die!” Seizing the moment while Tian Muqingyi was distracted by his own shouting, Xiao Fei swiftly drew his Browning pistol and fired twice. Though he didn’t hit any vital points, Tian Muqingyi was gravely wounded and collapsed with a crash.

Xiao Fei landed atop him, firing two more shots without hesitation.

There was no need for mercy with such a man. Xiao Fei aimed at Tian Muqingyi’s head, unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets—over a dozen shots—until his skull burst open.

Xiao Fei rushed to Xiao Yuanfeng’s side. “Uncle, uncle, hold on! I’ll find Tojo Hideki and force him to give me the antidote. I will save you!”

But Xiao Yuanfeng grasped Xiao Fei’s arm. “Fei’er, it’s too late. Don’t trouble yourself. Sit down, I must now impart all my life’s martial power to you.”

“No, I can’t allow that. If you do, it will surely kill you,” Xiao Fei protested.

“Fei’er, listen to me. These old bones of mine have little time left. This is all I can do for you now.” As he spoke, Xiao Yuanfeng pressed Xiao Fei’s acupoints while he was distracted, fearing Xiao Fei would resist.

“Uncle, don’t—please, don’t! I don’t want you to die!” Xiao Fei pleaded in anguish.

Yet Xiao Yuanfeng, mustering his last breath, tapped several points on Xiao Fei’s body, opening his Ren and Du meridians. Taking Xiao Fei’s palm in his own, he placed their hands together, slowly transferring all his martial energy into Xiao Fei.

As time passed, the last traces of Yuanfeng’s vital energy flowed into Xiao Fei; his body began to shrink. Poisoned by the Black Widow, his form gradually twisted, turning into the shape of a fish, until at last he became nothing but a dead fish.

“No—!” Xiao Fei broke through the acupoint block with a roar. “Uncle! Uncle—!”

Thus, his kin transformed into a dead fish before his very eyes, and he was powerless to prevent it.

“Ah! I’ll kill you!” Xiao Fei shouted to the heavens, so loudly that all the animals within ten miles fled in terror.

Xiao Fei stormed into the military prison, seized a long army knife, and hacked at Tojo Hideki with furious vengeance. In mere moments, he severed one of Tojo’s legs and an arm.

“Xiao Fei, please let me die! I beg you!” Tojo Hideki cried in agony, his voice breaking with despair.

“Want to die? Not so easily! I’ll torment you slowly, and make you serve me—watch as I crush your pathetic country!” Xiao Fei spat.

“Master, master! I admit my wrongs. I’ll be your loyal slave. Here’s the recipe for the antidote—please spare me!” Tojo Hideki pleaded. Though he’d only been imprisoned for a short while, the suffering was unbearable. He’d tried to commit seppuku, but failed. He’d tried biting his tongue to end his life, but even that didn’t work.

Now, at last, he realized Xiao Fei was the most ruthless person alive. He deeply regretted ever opposing him.

“You think surrendering will save you? You’re wrong!” Xiao Fei replied, slashing twice more. Tojo Hideki screamed hysterically—one eye gouged out, one ear sliced off.

A single leg, one arm, one eye, and one ear remained—enough for him to be of use.

The pain Tojo Hideki endured was beyond imagination. His body was riddled with wounds, drawing swarms of ants and flies that gnawed, defecated, and bred upon him.

“Master… master… I was wrong…” Blood streamed from his eye and mouth, his appearance ghastly.

“Hmph. You say you were wrong? Is that enough? Can my uncle be brought back to life? Tojo Hideki, do you know how many atrocities you committed on our Chinese soil? Every one of you Japanese deserves death! Twenty years from now, you’ll launch the July 7th Incident, the September 18th Incident, beginning eight years of invasion. On Chinese soil, you’ll massacre countless people. In Nanjing alone, you slaughtered 300,000 with your bayonets. Damn it, and in later years, your leaders shamelessly deny it. Decades later, your beastly leaders even claim Diaoyu Island as your territory. Tell me, don’t you deserve such punishment?” Xiao Fei’s voice trembled with righteous fury.

“Ah… these… how do you know…?” Tojo Hideki stammered, utterly bewildered. These events belonged to the future and hadn’t yet occurred.

“How do I know? Do you know your ultimate fate? Do you know your country’s fate? In 1945, after eight years of war, the Chinese people will triumph, and you—the chief criminal—will be judged by the world and hanged alive!” Xiao Fei declared, teeth clenched.

“What… what is this? Is it true?”

“Hmph. Tojo Hideki, let me tell you the truth—I am from the future, the twenty-first century. I know your past and your future. I’ve kept you alive to torment you, to make you confess to all of China, and to use your military knowledge to help conquer your country and follow me to rule the world. But remember—no matter how much you do, no matter your contribution, you will forever endure my torment. That is your punishment for your crimes!”

“Yes… master… your slave accepts his punishment willingly…” Tojo Hideki had no other choice.

After dealing with Tojo Hideki, Xiao Fei returned to the real world. He knelt on the ground, trembling, and gently cradled the “dead fish” in his hands, instructing Xiao Ling to store it in the virtual space. In the future, he would bring his uncle Xiao Yuanfeng back to Yutian County, bury him in the Xiao family ancestral tomb, and lay him to rest. His uncle had traded his life for Xiao Fei’s, a debt Xiao Fei would never forget.

Those responsible for his uncle’s death received their due punishment, but what did it matter? Could his uncle or the other victims come back to life? It was not that Xiao Fei was cruel, but some crimes, once committed, were forever irreparable!

Two lines of hot tears rolled down his cheeks. It was the first time Xiao Fei had cried since arriving in this world—for his departed uncle, and for the bleeding sorrow in his own heart.

I am kind by nature, but the world is perilous. I am reluctant to kill, yet others seek my life, trample my nation, ravage my people. If so, let all sin fall on me. Before you commit your crimes of slaughter, let me slaughter you first!

Having endured this ordeal, Xiao Fei seemed transformed. He rose slowly from the ground, his gaze cold and resolute, ready to continue his journey—a journey destined to be soaked in blood.

Through this catastrophe, Xiao Fei’s power surged dramatically. Xiao Ling informed him that he’d advanced from a level 2 warrior general to a level 2 martial master, ascending three levels in a row—this small triumph brought him a measure of solace.

The beauty Jin Wanyu still awaited his healing. Not daring to delay, Xiao Fei hurried back to the Chunlai Inn.