Volume 1, Chapter 24: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Zhang Li nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "Understood."

"Follow me." Zhong Zhicheng stepped off the paved road and headed in another direction, followed by only a few villagers.

Luo Bin kept his distance, still trailing behind them.

Finally, Zhong Zhicheng reached the edge of the village near the foot of the mountain, where a small courtyard sat beside a bamboo grove.

Luo Bin watched as Zhang Li and the others entered the yard. Moments later, however, Zhang Li emerged again, followed Zhong Zhicheng in a different direction, and the two soon vanished from sight.

Luo Bin took a deep breath and walked toward the small courtyard.

Stopping before the entrance, he immediately saw the open door of the main room. Gu Yiren was pacing slowly inside, surveying her surroundings. Zhu Qianqian sat at the table, clutching her arms, the look of terror still lingering on her face.

"Zhu Qianqian! It’s me!" Luo Bin called out.

Zhu Qianqian looked up immediately. She froze for a moment, and then her eyes filled with a mixture of trembling and resentment.

"Last night..." Luo Bin began, trying to explain.

With a loud *clatter*, Zhu Qianqian stood up, knocking her stool over, and slammed the door shut.

Luo Bin was met with a cold reception.

He wasn't angry, though.

Given the situation last night, it was impossible to expect them not to hold a grudge.

"The village has its rules; I had no choice. But luckily, you’re both safe. Now that you’re villagers, I’ll help wherever I can if you need anything."

Luo Bin entered the yard and knocked on the door.

"Just before dark, I came to call for you, but there was a communication barrier between Zhang Li and me. It certainly didn't mean I was standing by and watching you die. With over a dozen people in that room, I couldn't have opened the door even if I wanted to. You’ve experienced the terror of this village, so you know I’m not lying to you. If the others agreed to open the door once, they wouldn't have agreed a second time! In a place where you're total strangers, having a friend will make it easier to survive the first few days." Luo Bin pleaded earnestly.

With a soft creak, the door opened a crack.

Luo Bin met the gaze of the timid Zhu Qianqian.

Suddenly, a gust of wind struck from behind. Before Luo Bin could react, he felt a heavy blow to his back, sending him slamming into the door!

Zhu Qianqian shrieked and scrambled back.

Luo Bin collapsed to the ground, reeling in agony, feeling as though his spine had been kicked in.

"What do you want? You’re no good yourself!"

"The first few days? How many days? We’ve already survived three."

A cold voice echoed from behind him.

Luo Bin pushed himself up. Zhang Li stood at the threshold, looking down at him. His face was filled with a sickly, sullen shadow; the weak, trembling demeanor he had shown days ago was gone, his personality completely transformed.

He held an oil lamp in his hand and a bundle stuffed with items.

"Zhu Qianqian, don't be fooled by this man's exterior. He’s brothers with that Zhang Jun—how could he be any good? He’s two-faced; heaven knows what he’s plotting in his heart."

"Last night, we almost died, and he just stood by and watched," Zhang Li said coldly.

Luo Bin frowned, locking eyes with Zhang Li.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhu Qianqian retreating further, standing beside Gu Yiren and even pulling her behind her for protection.

"Please leave this place. Otherwise, I’ll tell the village head that you’ve violated the village's second rule and are acting with malicious intent toward us," Zhang Li said eerily.

Luo Bin said nothing, a stifled frustration burning in his chest.

Hypocritical?

The word didn't quite cover it, but Luo Bin had seen enough of Zhang Li’s true nature.

Making peace was clearly impossible.

Luo Bin turned his head to cast one final, deep look at Gu Yiren.

"What are you looking at?!" Zhang Li shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I must tell the village head; you're just the same trash as Zhang Jun!"

"No good deed goes unpunished—that’s you to a T. It’s as if I didn't try to help you at all. You seem to think you're so entitled that whatever you say, everyone else must do. You didn't want to get off the bus, so you stayed in; then you wanted to get out, and you expected someone to open the door for you? Wake up, brother." Luo Bin brushed the dust off his clothes, gave Zhang Li a sidelong glance, and walked straight out.

"Psych..."

Zhang Li didn't finish the word.

Luo Bin spun around suddenly and delivered a fierce kick, landing exactly where he had been struck before.

Zhu Qianqian screamed again as Zhang Li slammed into the table, groaning as he hit the floor.

Taking one last look at Gu Yiren, Luo Bin turned and left the courtyard.

Walking along the village path, Luo Bin rubbed his brow, feeling a sense of weariness.

Zhang Li was a petty, small-minded man.

Trying to reach Gu Yiren in private would be near impossible.

Gu Yiren was strange, too. He had tried to signal her with lip-reading, but now that he was here, she had shown no reaction.

Of course, the secret couldn't be exposed, so he hadn't spoken plainly. That look was meant to remind her that they needed to talk.

And, even if he took a step back, if Gu Yiren also believed he was the one to blame for yesterday, then so be it.

He wasn't going to crawl like a dog, wagging his tail and begging for "forgiveness."

As he walked, Luo Bin suddenly felt that something was wrong—as if someone were following him.

He turned his head sharply, but the road behind him was empty.

The next instant, a shadow fell from above, and he was covered by a burlap sack.

Immediately, a flurry of kicks and punches rained down upon him.

Luo Bin had no time to resist; he was knocked to the ground and could only curl up to protect his vital organs.

He took several kicks to the head, the air filled with curses—about him being damned, heartless, and disloyal—followed by warnings to watch his step, a chaotic stream of insults poured out like beans from a jar.

Luo Bin didn't know how many people were attacking him. Finally, they finished and left. Luo Bin struggled to pull the sack off his head. He was covered in footprints, his lip was split and bleeding, his head was buzzing, and his ears throbbed with a stinging pain.

"Damn... what the..." Before he could finish, he realized it wasn't "what the."

Zhang Jun was dead.

But Zhang Jun wasn't a loner; he had his fair share of ruffian friends, and the original owner of this body had once been one of them.

"Are you alright?" A delicate voice sounded nearby.

Luo Bin startled, his body tensing instinctively.

He saw a door nearby had opened. A girl stood in the doorway. She wasn't very tall, but she was beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, and hair that reached her waist.

"I... I'm fine... thank you..." Luo Bin started to walk away, but winced, clutching his waist in pain.

"Would you like to come in? I can apply some medicine for you. Did you dislocate a bone? Should I take you to see the Shamaness?" The girl’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked softly.

"No, thank you..."

Luo Bin took a deep breath and straightened his back. The pain was bearable. He hurried away into the distance.

The girl stood where she was, tilting her head slightly, as if watching Luo Bin or perhaps listening to something.

Her brow furrowed deeper, a look of doubt and surprise crossing her face.

Then, she closed the door.

"Sister, what are you talking about?" The delicate voice and the sound of footsteps grew faint and disappeared.

...

"Xiao Shan, what happened to you?"

When Luo Bin entered the house, Gu Ya was just coming out of the kitchen. She quickly set down the bowls and chopsticks and hurried over to Luo Shan.

"It's nothing, Mom. I tripped." Luo Bin made an excuse.

"Don't lie to your mother. How did you get covered in injuries?" Gu Ya was both anxious and heartbroken.

"Zhang Jun is gone. Those 'friends' of his gave me a beating. It's fine; consider it a clean break," Luo Bin said with a bitter smile.

"This..." Gu Ya’s eyes reddened, and tears welled up. "I'll have your father go to the village..."

"Forget it, Mom. They’re all just a bunch of thugs. The village tour incident just happened; they won't dare do much else." Luo Bin quickly grabbed Gu Ya's arm.

Luo Feng hadn't returned yet. The village was still stained with blood and filth; it wouldn't be easy to clean up.

"Aunt Gu, where is the medicine kit? Let me treat Xiao Shan first," Zhang Yunling walked out of the main room, her brows also knitted in concern.

Gu Ya brought the medicine kit out. She was about to help with the treatment, but Zhang Yunling urged her to watch the stove so the food wouldn't burn. Gu Ya sighed and returned to the kitchen, leaving Zhang Yunling to tend to Luo Bin.

She carefully wiped a wound on his cheek, blowing on it gently, and whispered, "Does it hurt?"

Luo Bin swallowed hard.

Zhang Yunling was so close to him that their faces were only a palm's width apart. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes filled with concern as she moved with such care.

In his past life, Luo Bin had been in a few relationships, but they had all felt like "digital girlfriends."

It was always about someone’s stomach rumbling, a broken phone, a finished lipstick, or a new clothing collection.

None of them had ever shown such genuine, gentle concern as Zhang Yunling.

"Xiao Shan, why aren't you saying anything? Is it hurting too much?" Zhang Yunling’s eyes flickered, and she blew on the wound again, softly.