Chapter 121: Terrified to Madness—Zhou Sinian’s Unusual Behavior

Page 1/3

Wang Defa screamed in terror, but his entire head was covered by the quilt, so no one outside could hear him. Before he could struggle, a cold hand grasped his neck. His head tilted to the side, and he fainted instantly. Zhou Sinian pulled off the quilt covering him and looked coldly at the man who was beaten to a pulp. The military dagger in his hand slowly rose, its blade gently tracing along Wang Defa’s neck. Although unconscious, Wang Defa seemed to sense the threat, struggling slightly with his eyes closed. His neck brushed against the blade, leaving streaks of blood. Zhou Sinian stared at the vivid blood on the blade, a strange image flickering through his mind, a sharp pain spreading through his head. He couldn’t help but pull back the knife and leaned on the bedside cabinet to catch his breath. After the pain subsided, his displeasure toward the man on the bed grew. Raising the knife to strike again, he suddenly recalled Ming Dai’s instructions: it was okay to beat someone, but killing was forbidden. He pursed his lips, sheathed the knife, and his eyes brightened as he looked at Wang Defa, deciding to practice the techniques Ming Dai had taught him. Thus, Zhou Sinian proceeded to strike all the acupoints on Wang Defa’s body. The unconscious man cooperated unusually well, only letting out muffled groans without any resistance. Zhou Sinian was pleased and gave him a second round of strikes on the same acupoints. When he finally put down his hands, Wang Defa had become like a soaked rabbit, as if just pulled from water, the bed completely drenched. A pungent, fishy stench filled the air. Zhou Sinian lifted the quilt to glance at it disdainfully, then tossed it back over. Feeling satisfied, he turned to leave. But after just a couple of steps, he remembered something. He grabbed Wang Defa’s hands, clutched his fingers, and fiercely squeezed his neck. When the flesh and blood around the neck were shredded, and bits of flesh filled the gaps between his nails, Zhou Sinian dropped him and retraced his steps. Although Wang Defa’s eyes remained tightly shut and he appeared unconscious, he was actually in a state of sleep paralysis due to the acupoint strikes. He could clearly feel every strike from both rounds. The unbearable pain that paralyzed him completely without the ability to move or scream—Wang Defa would rather die than endure it again. Although the room had a stove, his entire body was drenched in sweat and he had wet the bed. By midnight, he developed a fever and if not for the nurse on duty checking rounds, he might have been burned into a fool. Even so, it took him two whole days to fully recover. When he opened his eyes and saw his concerned parents, the first thing he shouted was, “The madman came to beat me again!” He trembled uncontrollably, hiding under the quilt and staring toward the door, shaking and yelling, “The madman came to beat me again! It hurts so much!”

Page 2/3

Wang Youcai was furious seeing his son in such a state. He immediately organized a thorough search of the entire hospital. Unfortunately, Zhou Sinian had erased all traces; there was no sign of forced entry anywhere. After waiting for his son to calm down, he carefully questioned him about what had happened. Wang Defa cowered in his mother’s arms, trembling as he recounted the ordeal. Upon hearing that the madman had not only slashed his neck with a knife but had also beaten him all over, Wang Youcai fell silent, staring at his nervous son. After a long pause, he sighed and said, “Defa, you must have had a nightmare. The doctors examined you immediately and found no new wounds or bruises aside from your old injuries. As for the cuts on your neck, you scratched them yourself—you even broke your nails.” Hearing his father’s disbelief, Wang Defa became agitated, wriggling out of his mother’s embrace to stand, but the pain forced him to collapse back onto the bed, his face pale as he moaned. It hurt so much—everywhere hurt! He didn’t even know where to cover up! Wang Youcai and his wife hurried to support him, but even the slightest touch made him scream, scaring them into retreat. Tears and snot streamed down Wang Defa’s face; his mouth was empty where teeth had been knocked out, and his tongue was bitten raw in several places. “Dad! The madman really came to beat me again! Dad! It hurts! I’m going to die from the pain! Please save me! Save me!” Wang Youcai’s only son was all he had; no matter how useless or troublesome he might be, he was the root of the Wang family. Seeing his son about to be overwhelmed by pain, Wang Youcai panicked and summoned every doctor available. After repeated examinations, no abnormalities were found. Finally, the hospital director pulled Wang Youcai aside and shared his theory. “Director, I think you should take Defa to the county hospital for further examination, preferably some scans. Our facilities here are limited, and we might have missed something. If nothing shows up, then perhaps Defa is just overly traumatized. Still, it’s best to have him checked in the county hospital.” Wang Youcai shot a cold glance at the director, who immediately lowered his head. The implication was clear: if the scans showed nothing, then his son was simply scared crazy. Wang Youcai’s eyes reddened as he looked at his son, who kept crying on the bed. While Wang Youcai took his son to the county hospital, Zhou Sinian acted as if nothing had happened, skating and playing in the village with the children. Under Ming Dai’s guidance, they built a massive slide on the grain yard, and all the village children played there, their red scarves dotting the scene like a sea of color. Zhou Sinian became the undisputed leader of the children. Ming Dai specifically visited the village chief’s house to inquire about Wang Defa and the others, learning that Wang Defa was hospitalized while the others had been sent home.

Page 3/3

The commune did not punish them but instructed Liu Dazhu to keep an eye on Zhou Sinian and not let him roam freely. Liu Dazhu paid no heed; if the commune could have controlled Zhou Sinian, they wouldn’t have dumped such a hot potato into the village. So those words were meaningless. Ming Dai, having confirmed there were no issues, relaxed completely, never suspecting that Zhou Sinian had come over again at midnight to beat the man, taking the opportunity to rehearse his techniques. Meanwhile, at the county hospital, Wang Defa had undergone scans that cost a lot, but no problems were found. Yet, days passed and Wang Defa remained unable to move without pain. The doctors said it might be psychological. Unbeknownst to Wang Defa, he was labeled as a madman driven insane by fear and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Initially, Wang Youcai still suspected his son had been really beaten by a madman, since he had been hurt before. Later, after receiving investigation reports, he confirmed that since Defa’s injury, Zhou Sinian had been playing with the village children constantly and never left the village. The village’s horse sleigh was ridden daily to the Jade Ribbon River and never once to the commune. He could only admit that his son was a coward driven mad by Zhou Sinian’s intimidation. No one would have guessed Zhou Sinian had driven his wolf sled to the commune at midnight just to beat Wang Defa up! Ming Dai had to praise Zhou Sinian for his ingenuity. However, Wang Youcai deeply resented Zhou Sinian for terrifying his son into madness but was powerless against him; the county official ordered him to watch over Zhou Sinian but forbade him from taking any action. He found himself trapped in a dilemma. Ming Dai and the others were unaware of this as they gathered at the village chief’s house. Black Tiger and Flower Leopard came down the mountain carrying hunting rifles, accompanied by Tiger Bone. Ming Dai had long anticipated this moment and was thrilled to see the Tiger Bone, eager to bring it home for medicine preparation. She was so excited she failed to notice Zhou Sinian’s unusual demeanor. He stood at a distance, not approaching, staring at the open wooden box as a rapid sequence of images flashed through his mind, intensifying the headache and breaking out in a cold sweat. Another day of provoking the big shots had arrived. Remember to add it to your bookshelf!