Chapter 44

Wentou Village, 4:53 AM.

The sky was still pitch black, without a moon, and covered with thick clouds, making the night seem like dense ink. Not a single star could be found.

The small village in the night was quiet, as if it were soundly asleep. The only sounds were various insect chirps and a faint breeze. Dawn had not arrived yet; it was the darkest time before dawn.

Nurse Zhang Ying nervously locked the small window and walked back into the inner room from the outside medicine room. A simple shadowless lamp illuminated the room, and the floor was scattered with bandages and blood-stained gauze, filling the air with the scent of blood and disinfectant.

On the inner room’s sickbed sat a man covered in blood, his face cold and grim. One of his hands was incomplete, missing a little finger, and the other hand tightly gripped a knife, holding a hostage in front of him. Upon seeing this man, Zhang Ying hurriedly lowered her head, pulling her clothes in fear.

Zhang Ying hoped that the people outside had seen the message she left on the medicine box. In a hurry, she imitated what she had seen in TV dramas, writing a few simple English letters.

Just an hour ago, Xue Jingming, covered in blood, suddenly burst into this rural health clinic.

This fugitive, after falling from the mountain, was luckily caught by a tree. He waited until the search team withdrew before coming out of the mountain. Injured and driven by the will to survive, he risked it all and arrived at the village health clinic. At night, people from the village often came for emergencies. A kind female doctor opened the door, only to have Xue Jingming hold a knife to her neck.

There were three staff members on duty at night. Doctors Li and Duan were a married couple, sent here by the county hospital and had been working here for three years. They would soon return.

This health clinic wasn’t large. During the day, they received patients, and at night, they stayed here. In addition to them, there was a young nurse named Zhang Ying. Just over twenty years old, she was also from the village, graduated from a medical school, and assisted with patient reception and administrative tasks in her daily work.

As soon as Xue Jingming entered, he threatened Dr. Li, stabbed her leg, and forced the other two to help him bandage his wounds and remove the bullet from his shoulder.

Xue Jingming knew all these people and often encountered them in the village. But at this moment, all he saw in his eyes was slaughter.

Xue Jingming disliked this clinic. Here, he had only bad memories. The first time he came here, he saw his father’s corpse. The second time, he injured his finger with an electric saw, and his colleagues brought him here. The third time, his mother died here.

Xue Jingming lowered his head and looked at the wound on his left hand. His left little finger was completely severed. The wound was no longer painful, but the grotesque injury still reminded him that he was a genuine cripple.

Xue Jingming also got caught in the rain. His wet clothes had been worn for half the night, but now they were dried. The bullet shot by Song Wen was blocked by the trees, injuring him, but the wound was not deep, and it didn’t reach the bone, posing no life-threatening risk.

Just as a simple operation was completed here, a sudden knocking on the door interrupted them.

Xue Jingming still held the knife against Dr. Li’s neck when Zhang Ying went to open the window to deal with the situation.

Throughout the process, Zhang Ying’s legs were weak, but considering the lives of Dr. Li and Dr. Duan, she dared not call for help. Now, after dealing with Song Wen outside, locking the door, she approached nervously and said, “Uncle, I did everything as you said, and I sent that person away.”

“Is it the police outside?” Although Xue Jingming’s wound was anesthetized, it still stung a bit. He not only took a bullet but also had multiple abrasions on his body, making him appear more ferocious. “What did you write just now?”

“It’s just a dosage instruction. You’ve come here for medicine too. If it’s not written, the other party will be suspicious.” When Zhang Ying answered outside just now, Xue Jingming had been staring at her. Because of this, Zhang Ying dared not do more.

Recalling the short time, Xue Jingming nodded after a while. Zhang Ying had only written a few simple numbers. He raised an eyebrow but continued to stare at Zhang Ying, not revealing what he was thinking.

Afraid that he might still be suspicious, Zhang Ying explained in a trembling voice, “It probably wasn’t the police just now. That person didn’t come to search; he came to buy medicine, maybe a tourist from the city. I don’t know that person; he looked unfamiliar, and he didn’t notice you, really.”

Zhang Ying looked at Xue Jingming. The village was too small, and news of Xue Jingming’s murders had quickly spread. During dinner tonight, she had already learned about the insane things this man had done. Now, the man in front of her had lost any trace of rationality, appearing as if he had gone mad.

“They’ve left, and we’ve treated your wound. My wife is losing too much blood. If you don’t let me bandage her, there might be a fatality later.” Dr. Duan assessed the situation and spoke up.

In the past hour, he had been trying to distract Xue Jingming and had considered how to save Dr. Li. However, Xue Jingming’s knife was always near Dr. Li’s neck, even during the time when he was stitching her up. Dr. Duan, who usually treated and saved lives, had never seen such a situation.

“Please, I beg you. Please, for the sake of us saving you, my family has children and elderly people…” Dr. Li’s voice also trembled. With the passage of time, her face became paler, and the blood flowing from her leg had already soaked the sheets. Tears filled her eyes. She hadn’t expected that her momentary kindness had placed her in front of a vicious wolf. Now, she regretted it deeply.

Xue Jingming snorted, glanced at Dr. Li, then at Dr. Duan. After a moment of hesitation, he stood up. Dr. Duan quickly helped his wife up and bandaged the wound on her leg.

Watching this married couple, Xue Jingming took a few steps back with the knife, creating some distance. His teeth were clenched, seeming to be making some decision. After thinking it through, he looked at Zhang Ying and said, “Go get me some anti-inflammatory medicine.”

Zhang Ying nodded and went to the outer medicine room, picking up the medicine from the shelf. When she turned around, she saw Xue Jingming silently following her into the room.

Startled, Zhang Ying looked at Xue Jingming, who revealed a fierce look in his eyes. Having a bad premonition, she unconsciously took a step back. “What… What are you doing? We just saved you.”

Xue Jingming gritted his teeth and took a step forward. “I appreciate you saving me, but maybe those people just now were police scouting ahead. Keeping you here might expose my whereabouts.”

Earlier, Xue Jingming hesitated about whether to kill Dr. Li. However, Dr. Duan was the woman’s husband. If he killed Dr. Li, her husband would definitely fight him to the death. Now that he was severely injured, he might not be able to contend with both Dr. Duan and Zhang Ying.

So, Xue Jingming let Dr. Duan bandage his wife, pretending to spare them. However, after killing Zhang Ying, dealing with the two doctors would be easier. Dr. Li was injured, and Dr. Duan, concerned about his wife, couldn’t run away. They would restrain each other. At that time, he could better control the hostage.

Therefore, Xue Jingming deliberately led Zhang Ying into this small room where medicines were stored, intending to kill her to silence her.

Seeing his ferocious expression, Zhang Ying trembled and said, stepping backward, “Uncle, let us go. We’re all villagers here. What grudge can’t be resolved? We won’t tell anyone; tonight, we’ve never seen you.”

This was a blatant lie, self-deception at its finest. With such a significant incident at the clinic, Xue Jingming’s involvement would eventually be exposed. Zhang Ying’s words were meant to plead, but they inadvertently stirred up Xue Jingming’s hatred. He suddenly became fierce, saying, “I already have several lives on my hands. What’s a few more!”

As he spoke, he moved forward with the knife, slashing towards Zhang Ying. His blade cut through the air. Now, with no way out, and to escape safely, the person in front of him had to be killed.

“Help!” Zhang Ying screamed and hastily dodged.

Dr. Duan, who had been busy bandaging his wife, hadn’t paid attention to the situation in the adjacent medicine room. Hearing the cry, he turned back, wanting to help but realizing it was too late.

Just then, there was a sound from the window behind Xue Jingming. A bullet shattered the glass, grazed his skull, and created a deep, bone-visible wound on the side of his forehead.

Song Wen had noticed the writing on the medicine box and quickly informed Zhang Dahai. He then circled around to the back of the house to check the situation. Arriving at the back window, he witnessed Xue Jingming raising the knife to attack Zhang Ying.

In the urgency of the moment, Song Wen fired a shot. The crisp gunshot broke the silence of the night, shattering the peace of the small mountain village.

Seizing the opportunity while Xue Jingming was momentarily stunned, Song Wen reached through the broken glass, opened the window, and agilely entered. Engaging in a struggle with the knife-wielding Xue Jingming, Song Wen refrained from shooting again due to the close proximity of the hostage.

Xue Jingming held a knife, and despite being injured, the anesthesia from the medication and the stimulant from the injection made him almost oblivious to pain. At this moment, he appeared ferocious and reckless, charging forward as if without regard for his life.

Song Wen dodged the cold light that came stabbing at him by sidestepping. The knife struck a nearby iron shelf, emitting a harsh scraping sound. Turning back, Song Wen delivered a powerful elbow strike to Xue Jingming’s chest. Despite taking a severe blow, Xue Jingming seized the opportunity to grab Song Wen’s clothes with four fingers, slashing the knife horizontally towards Song Wen’s waist.

Song Wen leaned backward, avoiding the blade. The sharp knife grazed past his waist, and without pausing, Song Wen kicked Xue Jingming’s injured leg. Xue Jingming groaned in pain, but being a desperate fugitive, he disregarded his own injuries and relentlessly attacked, slashing the knife towards Song Wen.

Pressing Song Wen into a corner, Xue Jingming swung the knife with all his might. Song Wen barely managed to evade the blade by shrinking his body, and the sharp knife passed dangerously close to his waist. Song Wen didn’t have time to rest and immediately kicked Xue Jingming’s injured leg. Xue Jingming winced in pain, but as a ruthless outlaw, he only focused on the relentless assault, viciously attacking Song Wen.

Seeing Song Wen forced into a corner, Xue Jingming aimed the knife for another powerful thrust. Just as the situation seemed dire, Song Wen grabbed a metal tray used for dispensing medicine from a nearby table and smashed it directly onto Xue Jingming’s head. A loud crash resounded, and Xue Jingming felt stars in his eyes, almost stumbling. The gunshot wound on his face tore open, covering half his face in blood.

Taking advantage of Xue Jingming’s retreat, Song Wen swiftly moved, but Xue Jingming, swaying, grabbed Zhang Ying who cowered in the corner.

Zhang Ying had long been frightened to the point of losing control, and with the knife against her neck, she could only sob helplessly.

The sudden turn of events made Song Wen cautious, and while Xue Jingming was retreating, he swayed unsteadily and grabbed Zhang Ying.

In the dim light, Song Wen seized a metal tray from a table nearby and swung it towards Xue Jingming. A loud crash echoed through the room as the tray collided with Xue Jingming’s head. Dazed, Xue Jingming almost fell, his facial gunshot wound reopening and blood covering half his face.

During Xue Jingming’s staggering retreat, he unexpectedly reached out and grabbed the cowering Zhang Ying.

Zhang Ying, already weak-kneed from fear, couldn’t stand firm and stumbled forward. Song Wen, fearing harm to the hostage, caught her, only to watch Xue Jingming retreat backward and reach the medicine room’s door. As he did so, he extended his blood-stained hand to turn off the lights.

The entire medicine room suddenly plunged into darkness, with only a faint glow from the lamp in the inner room. Song Wen hesitated to chase after them, and just as he was about to, Xue Jingming unexpectedly pushed Zhang Ying towards him. Already weakened, Zhang Ying lost her footing and lunged forward. Song Wen, concerned about harming the hostage, caught her and helped her stand.

In these few seconds of difference, Xue Jingming had already opened the main door and fled.

“Stop!” Song Wen shouted, pushing Zhang Ying aside and hurriedly chasing after him. Soon, he saw that Xue Jingming hadn’t run far before being blocked by a figure—the person who should have been in the car, Lu Siyu……