I Contracted Myself

Under the moonlit night, the world was silent and still.

A gust of wind rustled the trees planted outside the Su family's gate.

Dressed in black, with a peach blossom mask covering his face, Zeng Xiaofan leaped lightly onto the top of an old tree. He looked down at the Su family's courtyard, a sinister smile forming beneath his mask.

Recently, Mingzhu City had been rife with turmoil, forcing him to lay low to avoid getting caught up in the chaos. But in the past few days, the situation seemed to have calmed down, and he could no longer suppress his burning desire. He was ready to make a move on the Su family's young lady.

"I've heard that the Su family's young lady is voluptuous, with skin as white as cream and beauty that surpasses all. Tonight, I'll have a taste and see if she's as good as they say." Zeng Xiaofan licked his lips and jumped into the courtyard without making a sound.

He closed his eyes and sniffed the air, excitement flashing across his face as he caught the scent of the Su family's young lady. It was indeed fragrant and enticing.

But suddenly, he felt a wave of panic and weakness wash over him, growing more severe by the second.

"What’s happening?"

Zeng Xiaofan was perplexed and quickly swallowed three pills.

These pills were top-grade treasures, capable of detoxifying and purifying. In the past, no matter what traps awaited him, these pills had always ensured his success and safe retreat.

But this time, the pills did nothing to improve his condition. Instead, his fear intensified.

The source of this fear was unknown, as if a demon's hand was clutching his heart, making it hard to breathe.

"Could it be a barrier? Can the Su family afford a barrier?"

Zeng Xiaofan immediately realized something was wrong and decided to retreat.

In Mingzhu City, barrier masters were extremely rare and highly sought after, mostly absorbed by The Big Three. Hiring a barrier master to set up a barrier was a sign of wealth and power.

Although Zeng Xiaofan considered himself exceptional, he knew better than to pick a hard target.

He had thought the Su family was just a mid-sized family selling potions, but now it seemed they had hidden strengths.

"This place is too dangerous. I need to get out of here!"

He looked at the dark residence ahead, feeling as if it concealed ferocious beasts, and decided to leave.

But as he turned around, everything turned black and white before his eyes.

He saw black mist swirling on the ground.

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard before slowly looking up.

A figure in a black cloak stood there, holding a dim lantern in the left hand and a massive scythe in the right. Under the hood was a constantly changing skull face.

Just one glance made Zeng Xiaofan's hair stand on end, and a chill ran from his feet to his head.

Zeng Xiaofan collapsed to the ground, propping himself up with his hands to avoid falling completely. A golden liquid began to seep from his crotch, filling the air with a nauseating smell of urea.

"Zeng Xiaofan, nicknamed Short-legged Teddy, height 1.5 meters, lecherous and despicable, disliked by women, gradually became twisted and perverted. Over the past decade, you've harmed hundreds of women and killed to silence sixty-five times. Am I wrong?" Zhang Ping looked down coldly at the disgusting flower thief before him.

This morning, Zhang Ping had heard from the Wind Whisperer about Zeng Xiaofan's mutterings while scouting the Su family, and he had taken note.

Initially, he didn't know Zeng Xiaofan was Short-legged Teddy. He thought it was just an Awakener with excessive lust planning to harm the Su family's young lady.

He had come specifically to cut off this person's dirty hands.

But upon seeing Zeng Xiaofan skillfully climb over the wall, he sensed something was off.

This wasn't a novice; it was a seasoned criminal.

So, he silently used his appraisal on Zeng Xiaofan.

After obtaining Zeng Xiaofan's basic information, he appraised his equipment for safety.

When he appraised Zeng Xiaofan's peach blossom mask, he saw countless scenes that made his blood boil.

And so, he found himself standing behind Zeng Xiaofan now.

The autumn wind was bleak.

Leaves drifted over the wall, landing gently at Zeng Xiaofan's feet.

He slowly inched backward, his walnut-sized brain completely overwhelmed by the Face of Death and the Fear War Scythe, leaving him with no courage to resist.

Zhang Ping was furious but calm. He had seen too many tragic scenes recently, building a certain resistance to tragedy. Even in anger, he could remain calm and think clearly, avoiding impulsive actions.

"This strike is for the girl who chose death over dishonor."

Zhang Ping swung the Fear War Scythe, slicing through Zeng Xiaofan's ankle.

In pain, Zeng Xiaofan's retreat quickened.

"This strike is for the girl who, even when forced into the water, tried to reveal your true identity to the world!"

Zhang Ping cut through Zeng Xiaofan's knee, causing him to howl in pain and flip over, crawling madly away from Zhang Ping.

"This strike is for the mother who fed herself to the dogs to protect her daughter."

Zhang Ping's voice was hollow and eerie. He swung the scythe again, cutting through Zeng Xiaofan's crotch. Zeng Xiaofan's head jerked up, his mouth open but unable to make a sound, his face turning red as sweat poured down.

Zeng Xiaofan wanted to beg for mercy, but Zhang Ping clearly had no intention of talking. He also wanted to fight back, even kill Zhang Ping, but he couldn't muster the courage, not even to meet his gaze.

"This strike is for the hero of the Patrol Guard."

That Patrol Guard had been drunk and lying by the roadside when he heard a woman's cries for help. He followed the sound into a house, finding the entire family slaughtered.

He rushed into the room where the cries came from, only to be ambushed by Zeng Xiaofan, his knee pierced by a trap.

Even so, the Patrol Guard fought Zeng Xiaofan to the death, finding a chance to let the woman escape, fighting bravely until his last breath.

Unfortunately, the woman had been poisoned by Zeng Xiaofan and collapsed not far from the house, eventually falling victim to him.

"This strike is for the grieving father."

This father had hidden in the streets of Mingzhu City every night, seeking revenge for his daughter. One day, he finally encountered Zeng Xiaofan, and they fought. But he was no match for Zeng Xiaofan.

That night, Zeng Xiaofan took the father, with his limbs broken, back to the scene of his previous crimes...

"This strike is for the righteous detective."

"This strike is for the nameless adventurer."

Strike after strike, Zeng Xiaofan's height shrank from 1.5 meters to 1 meter, leaving a trail of blood and body parts on the ground.

He no longer had the strength to escape. He lay on the ground, waiting for death, but the final blow never came.

"I won't kill you. There are many medicines in this world; your injuries might still be treatable."

"How about this: if you can crawl to the gate and get out, I'll spare your life."

Zhang Ping stood beside Zeng Xiaofan, looking at his exhausted form, his hollow voice echoing.

Death could be easy, but sometimes it could be excruciating.

Zhang Ping didn't want Zeng Xiaofan to die easily; he didn't deserve such a simple death.

Sure enough, hope flickered in Zeng Xiaofan's eyes. He didn't want to die. There were still countless young and beautiful women waiting for him. How could he die here?

He gritted his teeth and continued crawling forward, and this time, the terrifying reaper didn't strike him again.

He could survive!

Driven by a strong will to live, he slowly crawled toward the gate. The short distance felt like an eternity, as if a century had passed.

Each crawl caused excruciating pain as his wounds rubbed against the ground, but he had to move to survive.

Gradually, he got closer. Gradually, he reached the gate. But when he tried to push it open with his bloodied hand, he found it barred.

The bar was about a meter off the ground.

But his legs were nearly gone, and he couldn't reach the bar.

"No!"

He pounded on the gate with all his might.

But the gate was solid. Even as a high-level Awakener, he couldn't budge it.

Zhang Ping's eerie voice echoed: "This gate is made from a mutated iron pear tree, harder than refined iron. Although Su Cheng knew it couldn't stop Awakeners or Mutated Beasts, it was the best material he could find, carrying his belief in protecting his family."

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Zeng Xiaofan screamed in despair, pounding the gate, leaving bloodstains.

"Zeng Xiaofan, you failed!"

"Now, I declare your death sentence!"

Zhang Ping raised the scythe with both hands, speaking softly.

Zeng Xiaofan turned, glaring at Zhang Ping with fear, hatred, and unwillingness, screaming hysterically: "What right do you have to sentence me? I’m willing to surrender. The City Lord should judge me!"

Zhang Ping remained expressionless, swinging the scythe.

"I'm just playing a role."

He flicked the blood off the scythe.

He took a few steps back, looking up at the moon, sighing softly. Killing Zeng Xiaofan wouldn't bring back the dead.

"Right, loot the body!"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Ping remembered the valuable items Zeng Xiaofan had. He turned back, squatted beside the body, and began removing the equipment.

Finally, he disdainfully grabbed Zeng Xiaofan's hair, lifting his head to remove the mask.

Beneath the mask was an ugly, rat-faced visage, just as despicable as expected.

Zhang Ping pocketed the mask, tossed the head back down, and glanced at the Su residence, hoping they wouldn't be too frightened tomorrow.

He had dealt with their problem; it was only fair they helped him dispose of the "trash."