Chapter Thirty-Six: The Cherry Blossom Path

The man in black hastily raised his long blade to block Chu Feng’s strike. Though he managed to parry the blow, he failed to evade Chu Feng’s kick. With a dull thud, the man was struck in the abdomen and staggered back several meters. Just as Chu Feng was about to pursue his advantage, the other four assailants attacked from different directions, their blades flashing toward him.

With no other option, Chu Feng withdrew and dodged, eluding their coordinated assault. Then, discarding his long blade onto the ground, he deftly turned his hands—each now holding three surgical knives.

With a swift motion, both hands sent six knives flying. The five men in black scrambled to dodge, narrowly avoiding the deadly blades. Yet before they could regain their footing, Chu Feng launched another volley, this time twelve knives.

Luck was not with them; three were struck in the throat, another had a knife driven into his heart. The one who had already taken Chu Feng’s kick was fortunate enough to dodge all the knives.

Seeing his comrades fall, the surviving man in black felt his courage drain away entirely. He reached inside his coat and flung a round object toward Chu Feng. Chu Feng, suspecting it was a grenade, quickly retreated. There was a loud bang, but not the deafening explosion he’d anticipated—just a muffled sound.

Looking up, Chu Feng saw the area veiled in thick smoke. It was clear the man had thrown a smoke bomb, intended solely for escape. Chu Feng remained prone, uncertain whether the assassin had fled or lurked nearby, waiting to strike. Ten minutes passed as the smoke gradually dissipated. Only then did Chu Feng rise and walk to the tree where he’d hidden, finding all the black-clad men sprawled lifeless on the ground. Evidently, the fleeing man had not bothered to take his comrades’ bodies.

At that moment, Chu Feng heard a faint moan. He took a step back and saw one man in black, a surgical knife embedded in his arm, left behind by his companions. Chu Feng approached, knocked the man unconscious, and then phoned Colonel Gao Zhongjiang, instructing him to take this survivor away.

After the call, Chu Feng searched the bodies of the fallen men. Aside from their long blades, he found little of interest. However, each man bore a plum blossom tattoo on his arm.

Soon after, Chu Feng heard the roar of engines. Next to his Audi A6, two military vehicles pulled up, and eight armed soldiers alighted.

“Mr. Chu, you called me just now and asked me to take someone away,” said their leader, approaching without unnecessary words.

“All the others are dead. Only this one survived. Be careful—don’t let him die. Check his mouth for any false teeth he might be hiding.”

Chu Feng handed the bodies over to the soldiers, reminding them to be vigilant and ensure the surviving captive remained alive. He had already harvested the lifespans of the dead, but not the survivor’s; he intended to interrogate him first, then collect his lifespan once he was of no further use.

“Understood. I’ll be careful. I’ll leave two men with you for protection, in case you’re attacked again,” the captain said.

Chu Feng declined the offer—he was not accustomed to being guarded.

He drove his Audi A6 to Tongrentang Pharmacy, purchased some medicine, and brought it back to the hospital. There was a traditional medicine department; as long as the staff had the ingredients, they could prepare the decoctions.

“Chu Feng, the identities of those who attacked you have been confirmed. They are all members of Sakura Path from the Land of the Rising Sun,” Colonel Gao Zhongjiang informed him as soon as Chu Feng returned to Li Qun’s ward, his concern evident.

“I don’t recall provoking anyone from that country. Why would they come all this way to kill me? Are those invaders out of their minds?” Chu Feng was puzzled—he had never gone to that country or antagonized Sakura Path. Now, with their attempt on his life, enmity had been established.

“It’s because your medical skills are so extraordinary. ‘An innocent man gets into trouble for possessing a valuable treasure,’” Gao Zhongjiang replied, summarizing why Chu Feng was repeatedly targeted.

“Are there any more of them? If so, I’ll kill them all, so they won’t keep causing trouble for me.”

Chu Feng’s resolve was clear—since these adversaries had come, he would not let them leave easily; they must be dealt with.

“No, there were eight in total. You killed six. One was captured alive, the other escaped,” Gao Zhongjiang answered, worry creasing his brow; he knew Sakura Path too well.

Once Sakura Path targets someone, it’s a fight to the death. As long as the target lives, they relentlessly pursue their mission, regardless of losses.

Because of this, Sakura Path’s fees far exceed others, yet many still hire them to eliminate their enemies.

“I’ll notify the national security bureau and have them monitor Sakura Path closely. I’ll do my best to help you resolve this,” Gao Zhongjiang promised. There was little else he could do; these assassins were elusive, entering the country by clandestine means or using false identities.

“If they dare trouble me again, I won’t hesitate to visit their homeland and uproot the organization completely!” Chu Feng’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he spoke.

He never sought trouble, but that did not mean he feared it. The word ‘compromise’ did not exist in his vocabulary.

After spending some time in the ward, Chu Feng returned to Elder Chen’s room, as his foremost concern was caring for the old man’s health.

“Li Qun, what do you think of this person? Is he worth cultivating?” After Chu Feng left, Gao Zhongjiang asked Li Qun, who lay in the hospital bed.

“I can’t see through him, but I can guarantee one thing: he cares deeply for someone, and that person is of utmost importance to him.”