Chapter 99: Chu Ling’s eyelids fluttered as she fainted.

“Ah!!!”
In that moment, Han Guoqiang felt as if his liver and gall were about to burst. He roared madly,
“Let go of my wife! Let go!!”
“Guoqiang, sob... sob...”
Seeing him awaken, Chu Ling could no longer hold back and broke into wailing tears.
“My wife... my wife...”
Han Guoqiang tried to crawl over, but with his wrist broken, he had no strength at all.
“Enough noise! You're ruining my mood!”
The man who had been lying atop Chu Ling fastened his belt, cursed, and walked over.
He kicked Han Guoqiang hard in the head.
“Bang!!!”
Han Guoqiang saw stars, his head spinning and dizzy.
Still not satisfied, the man kicked him several more times until Han Guoqiang spat blood, then finally stopped.
Chu Ling was beside herself, crying hysterically and unable to stop.
Soon after, a group of people walked in from outside.
Leading them was a burly middle-aged man with a fierce, intimidating face.
Behind him followed five or six men, each carrying something—firewood, wild game, wild fruits, and so forth.
Upon seeing the scene, one of them sneered,
“Fifth, you just couldn’t wait, huh? We’re out searching for food, and you’re enjoying yourself here.”
The man called Fifth chuckled slyly and eagerly took all the items from the others.
“I’ll cook; you guys have some fun. That woman’s got quite the flavor. When you’re done, we can eat.”
The fierce leader kicked him, “Get lost!
My home’s been robbed clean, my woman ran off, and you’ve got the nerve to be grinning here!”
Fifth fell to the ground in pain, whimpered for a while, then slunk off to a corner.
In that corner lay a man barely clinging to life.
He was Meng, the one who’d run from the cellar to spread word.
On his way, he had encountered the leader and quickly explained the situation.
The leader, furious, led his men straight to the courtyard.
He hadn’t even had time to grieve his lost property and fallen brothers before nearly running into the police who had come to arrest them.
So, on impulse, he set fire to the courtyard, burning away all traces inside.
Afraid the police would find them.
After learning Han Guoqiang’s whereabouts, they stormed into the clinic to seize him and retreated into the mountains.

After trekking for several hours through the forest, they finally found a suitable hidden cave.
Everyone was exhausted and furious.
Now, seeing Han Guoqiang awake at last, the hot-tempered leader strode over and roughly hauled him up.
“You finally woke up! You let them raid my stronghold, got so many of my brothers killed. I’ll settle this score with you!”
Blood dripped from the corner of Han Guoqiang’s mouth, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know you. Why did you capture me...”
The leader glared at him, “Still denying it! My men said you sent people to do it!
Damn, he was infuriated.
Years of accumulated wealth—all gone. Most of his brothers dead. Now hunted by the police.
How was he supposed to survive after this?
“If you hand over the one who killed my brothers, I’ll spare your life!”
He had to avenge his brothers, or everyone would lose faith in him.
Han Guoqiang coughed weakly, “I truly don’t know who you mean...”
He still had no clue who had attacked him last night.
Now captured by this gang, he was completely bewildered.
“Hmph, looks like you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. Then let your wife bear the brunt of my rage!”
The leader flung him to the ground and gave a signal with his eyes.
Soon, two burly men walked over from behind, grinning as they approached Chu Ling.
Chu Ling’s pupils contracted; she screamed, “Guoqiang, save me! Save me!!”
Han Guoqiang panicked, “I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Just let go of my wife!!”
Hearing this, the two men halted.
The leader said, “This is your last chance. Tell me the truth. If you dare lie, you’ll regret it!”
Han Guoqiang’s face was ashen, his mind racing.
He truly had no idea what had happened—how could he say anything?
After hesitating, Han Guoqiang stammered,
“That person... cough... that person already took the night train and fled. I don’t know where he went.”
“At night?” The leader’s eyes, once smiling, turned vicious. With a kick, he sent Han Guoqiang sprawling.
“That person killed my brother this morning, and you’re telling me he fled last night? Are you playing with me?!”
“Brothers, show him some real color! The fool doesn’t know his place!”
With a wave, the two men headed for Chu Ling, while the others surrounded Han Guoqiang and began beating him mercilessly.
Soon, the cave echoed with anguished cries and wails...

---
After leaving the town clinic, Lin Xiaodou quickly entered the mountains, following her tracking device.
Before heading out, she disguised herself once again in her hidden space.
She planned to capture the entire gang of villains in one sweep, leaving none behind.
If she relied on the police, it might take days to catch them.
By then, Han Guoqiang and Chu Ling might not even be alive.
She didn’t want them dead so soon; after all, the two still had to torment each other further.
Using her locator, Lin Xiaodou finally found the gang before nightfall.
Inside the cave, the fire was burning.
Perhaps exhausted from traveling all day, several burly men were dozing against the wall.
Han Guoqiang lay on the ground, covered in blood.
Chu Ling, naked, was slumped nearby, her body marked with bruises.
Seeing someone enter, her hollow eyes shifted.
When she saw an unfamiliar face, her numb gaze suddenly sparked with immense joy.
Someone had come to rescue them!!
And indeed, her hopes were not misplaced.
That person, seemingly out of nowhere, drew a knife and slit the throats of each brute, one by one.
Chu Ling was about to thank her rescuer, only to see the stranger approach her husband.
“No, that’s my husband... you can’t harm him!”
“Heh, his roots are destroyed. Seems there’s no need for me to act.”
The stranger scoffed and turned to leave.
“What do you mean, roots destroyed?” Chu Ling hadn’t understood.
It wasn’t until hours later, when the police arrived and carried them off to the hospital on stretchers,
that she overheard an officer say,
“Han Guoqiang’s lower body was smashed to bits—his crotch was nothing but shredded flesh. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.”
“What a tragedy. The wife violated, the husband robbed of his lineage—how are they supposed to live after this...”
Chu Ling’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted...