Courtyard House: Home Alone

The three of them stood in the crowd as if they were outsiders; the surrounding noise and cheers could no longer reach their ears.

Their gazes, as if drawn by a magnet, were firmly fixed on the small figure wearing a hood on the high platform.

Every swing of that figure's knife felt like a heavy blow to their hearts, shattering all their past understanding of Lin Yifan.

Looking at the respectful attitude of everyone on the stage towards him, even the renowned Old Master Tang in Beiping seemed to be revolving around him.

At that moment, they finally realized that the child living in their backyard was not an ordinary child, but a monster that they could not understand at all...

The public trial concluded amidst cheers from the crowd. Lin Yifan stood on the stage, "watching"...

The jubilant crowd below the stage, the waving arms, the excited faces, and the complex emotions permeating the air were all clearly reflected in his mental world.

He nodded slightly, and Grandpa Tang handed him a clean cloak at the right time. Lin Yifan took it and casually draped it over his shoulders to cover the bloodstains on the edge of his hood.

"The mission was completed smoothly."

Zhao Gang quietly walked to his side and whispered a report to his superior, "The site has been cleaned up, leaving no trouble behind. The remaining forces of those Japanese soldiers should be gone too."

Now, other forces dare not act rashly either. Those people you asked us to keep an eye on have all left.

Lin Yifan hummed in response, his voice coming through the hood with a barely perceptible hoarseness. He didn't turn around, still "watching" the gradually dispersing crowd, his gaze seemingly piercing through the noise and landing in the distance.

He could "see" Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong looking utterly dejected, like two crops wilted by a storm, standing out starkly from the crowd. Lin Yifan felt nothing at their shock and fear.

Whether his identity was exposed or not didn't matter much to him. He never intended to hide it forever. He just didn't expect to be discovered by these "neighbors" in this way.

"You've all worked hard, brothers. Go back and rest well. Also, tell Grandpa Guo that I'm very satisfied with his cooking skills," Lin Yifan instructed casually.

Although the torture of dismemberment was cruel, for these war criminals it was far less than one ten-thousandth of the suffering they inflicted on the Chinese people. Using their screams to comfort the souls of the dead was the most direct and satisfying way to vent hatred.

Zhao Gang nodded in agreement: "Yes, young master. And you…"

"I'll stay a little longer."

Lin Yifan said. He needed to process the feeling of fullness that came from the expansion of his domain when he just killed the war criminal.

Each breakthrough brought him one step closer to his goal. In this chaotic world, only strength is the foundation for survival and the means to protect those he cares about.

Zhao Gang didn't ask any further questions and turned to arrange the follow-up matters. The platform gradually quieted down, leaving only Lin Yifan, draped in a cloak, like a silent statue.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, casting his long shadow across the land that had just witnessed a just trial.

He slowly raised his hand, feeling the breeze brush against his fingertips. The air seemed to still carry the lingering scent of blood, but more than anything, there was a sense of relief and freshness.

He knew this was just the beginning. The war criminals had been brought to justice, and the great revenge had been achieved, but the nation's suffering was not over, and the road to national rejuvenation was still long.

All he did was light a small, personal lamp in this dark world.

"Next, I need to prepare to go to Shanxi. I still need to make the trip myself to get those planes and supplies I promised the Red Party! Also, now that I know my parents are in Chongqing, I have to go and see them. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease no matter what I say." Lin Yifan thought to himself.

However, the situation in Fog City is currently complex, with various forces vying for power. Going there rashly might cause unforeseen complications. He rubbed his fingertips, his eyes gradually becoming deep. He needed to first make arrangements with Old Master Tang in advance, at least to ensure his parents' safety in Fog City.

As for Shanxi, the Red Party members are trustworthy, but the journey is long and there are many checkpoints along the way. I need to carefully plan how to get there.

As the sun completely sank below the horizon and night began to fall, the hustle and bustle around the platform had long since subsided, with only the occasional bark of a dog in the distance making the place all the more silent.

Lin Yifan took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his thoughts, and turned to walk off the stage. His cloak swayed gently in the night wind, leaving behind a resolute silhouette.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai had just returned to the courtyard house and went straight to the deaf old woman's house in the backyard. He Daqing glanced at his back, shook his head, and went back to his own room.

Arriving at the deaf old woman's door, Yi Zhonghai knocked and waited for her voice before pushing the door open and closing it behind him. He said nervously to the old woman, "Mrs. Long, I went to watch the public trial today with Da Qing and Liu Haizhong!"

"Judging from your appearance, are you frightened?" the deaf old woman said, glancing at Yi Zhonghai.

"Yes...yes, Mrs. Long, I was terrified, we were all terrified. You...you don't know who we saw at the public trial?" Yi Zhonghai said, still shaken.

"Oh? Who could scare you grown men like this?" The deaf old woman picked up the enamel mug on the table and took a sip, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in her cloudy eyes.

Yi Zhonghai swallowed hard, lowering his voice even further, his voice trembling slightly: "It's...it's Lin Yifan! The one...the one next door to you...that Xiao Fan."

I...I was actually obsessed with those houses of his, but thank goodness you stopped me, otherwise...otherwise I..."

"Lin Yifan?" The deaf old woman put down her enamel mug, her brows furrowing slightly. "How did he end up at the public trial? What did he do to scare you all like this..." She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes becoming complicated.

She was well aware of the relationship between Lin Yifan and the "ghost," and considering her own social connections, she was equally frightened.

"Not only did he appear, Mrs. Long, he also... he was standing on the high platform, wearing a black cloak. Although he was wearing a hood, his figure and physique were still unmistakable."

Old Master Tang's men looked at him as if he were a god! Even Old Master Tang himself treated him with utmost respect.

Yi Zhonghai became more and more agitated as he spoke, as if he were back at that suffocating scene. "Moreover, he personally... personally dealt with those Japanese soldiers. His methods... his methods were truly terrifying!"

He recalled the scene, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.