Ryan Clark could see clearly from the top of the cabinet. Inside that box, there were several dazzling, glittering gold ingots. Each gold ingot was about the size of a baby's fist, estimated to weigh around seven or eight taels. And that jade pendant—could it be the very one that was taken from his mother?

Ryan Clark moved instinctively, and his foot accidentally tapped the wooden railing.

Startled, he quickly shrank back and lowered his head. But the room remained quiet, and after a moment, Ryan Clark heard the sound of snoring.

Looking up again, he saw that Henry Miller had already collapsed on the bed, fast asleep.

The heavy stone in his heart was finally set down. But Ryan Clark did not act in haste; he continued to curl up on top of the cabinet, motionless.

After about an hour, it had grown quiet outside.

Inside the room, the oil lamp flickered, and the fire in the hearth glowed now bright, now dim.

Henry Miller was snoring loudly, clearly in a deep sleep... Ryan Clark slowly pushed himself up, stretched his legs, and gently slid down from the cabinet. Then, crawling on his belly, he observed for a moment. Seeing that Henry Miller was indeed sound asleep, he finally stood up slowly and tiptoed to the bedside.

He quietly drew out his hunting knife. By the light in the room, Henry Miller's greasy, shiny, fat face was clearly visible.

Ryan Clark's heart was pounding wildly.

He raised the hunting knife, slowly moving it toward Henry Miller's neck. When the blade was about half a centimeter from Henry Miller's neck, he pressed one hand on the back of the knife and suddenly pushed hard... Pfft—the hunting knife, sharpened to a razor edge by Ryan Clark, sliced fiercely into Henry Miller's neck.

Henry Miller's eyes flew open, but before he could see who the attacker was, Ryan Clark's other hand gripped the handle and yanked hard.

The blade, trailing a gush of blood, left Henry Miller's body... Henry Miller stared wide-eyed, one hand clutching his neck as blood gushed through his fingers, instantly soaking the bedding. One hand reached out and grabbed Ryan Clark's arm. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

At this point, Ryan Clark was no longer nervous.

With a swift motion, he stabbed again—this time into Henry Miller's face.

The fat body convulsed twice, then Henry Miller collapsed with a thud into the pool of blood, head to the floor, half his body slumped over...

However, Ryan Clark had used too much force, and with a crack, the hunting knife snapped in two. One piece of the blade remained lodged in Henry Miller's head!

Ryan Clark tucked the half-blade into his waistband, pried Henry Miller's hand off, then reached for the box by the wooden pillow.

He opened it for a look—the gold and the jade pendant were still there. He stuffed them into his chest, glanced at Henry Miller's corpse, then stepped forward and untied a pouch from the corpse's waist. Weighing it in his hand, he found it was filled with wuzhu coins, at least two or three strings' worth. Ryan Clark didn't hesitate; he stuffed the money pouch into his chest as well, then quietly slipped out of the room.

Because Ryan Clark killed swiftly and cleanly, there wasn't much noise.

The guard in the next room was clearly dead asleep and hadn't noticed anything amiss. The chilly air brushed past, clearing Ryan Clark's mind.

He closed the door carefully, saw that the courtyard was quiet, then crouched and jogged over to the dog hole.

Retracing his steps, Ryan Clark rearranged the dry grass outside the courtyard wall. He looked around—seeing no one, he followed the path at a run, leaving the Chengji Trading House behind. After running three or four hundred meters, Ryan Clark finally stopped, bracing himself against a tree by the roadside, bending over and gasping for breath.

In his previous life, he had killed before!

But that was in the capacity of a law enforcer...

Now, he had killed as a criminal. The mix of excitement and terror left him unable to calm down for quite a while.

No, I have to get back quickly!

I must leave Zhongyang Town before dawn, or there will be endless trouble.

With this thought, Ryan Clark straightened up and prepared to head home.

He had been out for so long, and he had no intention of hiding anything. Henry Miller got what he deserved; killing him might even help Chris Clark make up his mind.

Ryan Clark had overheard the conversation between Chris Clark and his wife that afternoon.

Despite what Chris Clark said, Ryan Clark knew that Chris Clark was still hesitant.

Perhaps only by doing this could Chris Clark let go of any lingering attachment. Zhongyang Town had now become a place of trouble.

Turning a corner, he would soon see his own home ahead.

Ryan Clark's mood had calmed. He was thinking about what to say, when suddenly someone rushed out of the darkness and grabbed his arm.

"You little brat, you actually dared to kill someone!"

In an instant, Ryan Clark was scared out of his wits, his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Chapter 07: The Kunpeng Will Surely Ride the Wind Someday

Inside the The Clark Family cottage, the oil lamp flickered, casting a gentle, wavering light.

Chris Clark, The Bolton Family, and Matthew Harris sat there dumbfounded, staring at Ryan Clark without blinking, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Within Ryan Clark's small, thin body, there seemed to be a sense of pressure.

His short robe, already filthy and tattered, was stained with spots of blood.

By now, the blood had dried, turning a dark purple. There were still smears of blood on his face, and even the hands Ryan Clark hid behind his back were stained with fresh blood...

At the doorway, William Harris wore a wry smile, but there was a look of admiration in his eyes.

When he learned that Ryan Clark was missing, he immediately realized where Ryan Clark might have gone!