Chapter 137: The Execution of Alex

Jia Zhengjin arrived at the prison and instructed Wolf to open the door.

Alex sat in the corner, looking utterly dejected; he did not show much reaction even when he saw Jia Zhengjin.

"Alex, are you getting used to your stay?" Jia Zhengjin asked as he looked at him.

"Why do you care?" Alex’s dark circles were prominent, his entire demeanor was listless, and his voice sounded weak.

"People who didn’t know better might think you were being abused in here!" Seeing him like this, Jia Zhengjin shook his head. "Come out!"

"Why should I go out?" Alex asked, looking up.

"Why do you care?" Jia Zhengjin threw the words back at him.

"Bring him out!" Jia Zhengjin signaled for Wolf to walk in. Wolf reached out, grabbed Alex by the back of his collar, and hauled him out, hands and feet bound.

Alex likely realized he had no second chance to escape. Moreover, he could not challenge Keen, as he seemed unable to defeat any of the people around him. As for being the best candidate for captain, he had absolutely no opportunity to improve his strength!

Jia Zhengjin walked in front, moving at a leisurely pace as if he were taking a stroll. Wolf carried Alex as if he had no weight at all.

After walking for a while, they reached a dense, desolate forest. Jia Zhengjin stopped, turned around, and said to Wolf, "Put him down."

"Yes!" Wolf immediately tossed Alex to the ground.

"Thump!" Alex fell onto the grass, his limbs still bound, forcing him to writhe like a worm.

"Alex, Alex..." Jia Zhengjin crouched down and looked at the handsome man, whose eyes lacked any spark. "How should I deal with you?"

"You weren't planning on letting me go anyway, were you?" Alex squinted at him and sneered.

"Don’t say that. Everyone knows I’m a good person!" Jia Zhengjin sighed.

"A good person?" Alex sneered. "Pah! You cruelly murdered my father, and you call yourself a good person?"

Jia Zhengjin looked into his eyes. "Regarding your father, I believe I’ve already said it! That old lecher actually coveted my Tina! And when my parents-in-law disagreed, he had them locked in a dungeon. When I brought Tina back to the village, he even tried to forcibly seize her in front of me! So let me ask you, when Perlin became my woman, were you also wishing you could run me through with a sword?"

"I wish I could hack you into a thousand pieces!" Alex said, gritting his teeth.

"So you should understand my feelings!" Jia Zhengjin told him. "If I hadn’t acted back then, I would be in the same situation as you are now. Your father brought this upon himself; how can you blame me? You should blame your own father for being so blinded by lust at his age, using his power as village chief to commit such evil deeds!"

"The feud of a murdered father and a stolen wife—no matter what you say, it's useless!" Alex glared at him intensely.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Jia Zhengjin hurriedly corrected him. "I can barely tolerate the 'murdered father' accusation; no matter how justified I am, it is a fact. But this 'stolen wife' part is incorrect!"

"You stole my beloved Perlin, how is that not stealing a wife?" Alex roared. "And now I’m sure Christina hasn't escaped your clutches either, you scoundrel!"

"First of all," Jia Zhengjin sighed and looked at him, "Perlin was not your wife, and she didn't even have the slightest affection for you! It’s true you liked her, I can’t deny that. But you can’t say that just because you like a woman, she must like you back or be your wife, right? You have to consider what she wants, don't you? I don't know if she likes me, but at the very least, she became my woman of her own free will. Furthermore, she explicitly stated that the so-called 'agreement' was merely your own wishful thinking. So, this 'stolen wife' grievance simply doesn't exist!"

"Pah!" Alex spat on the ground, continuing to glare at him with angry eyes.

"As for Christina," Jia Zhengjin said, "I haven't touched her, and I have no intention of taking her in either. I love Tina very much, so I don't want to get involved with other women besides Perlin. After all, even with Perlin, it was just an accidental circumstance; it was unavoidable. That’s a matter of responsibility, and I had no choice."

"I'd be a fool to believe you!" Alex said coldly.

"Believe what you want!" Jia Zhengjin looked at him indifferently. "I don't need your trust anyway. Tell me, do you have some kind of hidden trait for delivering pretty girls to my doorstep? Every time you come looking for me, you send me a beauty! First Perlin, and now Christina. If I let you go again, will you send me an entire reinforced platoon? That would be quite troublesome for me!"

"Pah!" Alex spat on the ground again.

"Are you a bubble bug? With all that spitting!" Jia Zhengjin laughed.

"Spare me the nonsense!" Alex said coldly. "My skills are inferior, so I can't get revenge. Kill me or torture me, do as you please!"

"Oh? After being locked up for a day or two, you’ve suddenly grown a backbone?" Jia Zhengjin was slightly surprised. "Who was the one begging for mercy on the first day?"

"Don't humiliate me anymore! Just finish me off!" Alex had clearly given up completely.

Jia Zhengjin took a crossbow from his virtual storage, skillfully pulled back the string, and loaded a bolt.

Seeing the crossbow, Alex’s body trembled; he squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head.

"Wolf, untie his ropes!" Jia Zhengjin took three steps back and said casually.

"Yes!" Wolf’s claws instantly unsheathed, and with a "swish," he cut the ropes binding Alex’s hands and feet.

Alex stood up, suspicious, and flexed his limbs. "What does this mean?"

"I'm giving you a chance!" Jia Zhengjin tilted his head to look ahead. "This is a path leading to the outskirts of the Magic Beast Forest. Run along this path now, and I will fire one arrow at you from behind. If I hit you, it's your bad luck; if I don't, I'll spare your life!"

"Are you playing with me?" Rage flashed in Alex's eyes.

"Yep! Run or don't, it's up to you. I don't mind taking a shot at you from here anyway!" Jia Zhengjin raised the crossbow and aimed at Alex’s forehead. "At this distance, *whoosh*! You'll be dead for sure!"

"Gulp..." Alex swallowed nervously. "Do you swear to fire only one arrow?"

"I swear!" Jia Zhengjin nodded at him.

"Fine!" Alex turned abruptly and sprinted forward at high speed. At the same time, he used the footwork he had learned at the town guard barracks, moving in a continuous S-shaped pattern.

"Thwip!" Jia Zhengjin raised the crossbow, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

"Swish!" The bolt grazed past Alex, missing him entirely.

"Haha!" Alex, having narrowly escaped death, looked back with a triumphant smile. "You gave your word! You have to let me go now!"

Jia Zhengjin spread his hands and shrugged indifferently.

Seeing this, Alex was filled with wild joy. He had thought he was a dead man, but he never expected such a turn of events! Keen, as long as I make it out of this Magic Beast Forest, you will definitely regret this!!

Alex turned and ran forward even faster, his smile widening.

At that moment, one of the countless massive flower buds that had been perfectly still nearby suddenly seemed to come to life.

As the bud opened, it revealed a monster with a mouth like a beast's, filled with sharp teeth. Before Alex could react, the bud-monster snapped shut, biting him, and swallowed him in one gulp.

"Oh... I forgot to mention, the path is quite dangerous..." Jia Zhengjin scratched his face, looking embarrassed.