152. Duty and Responsibility, Obligation and Rules

She had been abandoned. Yes, she had been cast aside completely. However, Zou Tianhua still retained a shred of decency, leaving the apartment in her possession. But since the apartment did not belong to Zhu Feifei, it was only a matter of time before Zou Tianhua took it back.

Zhu Feifei buried her face in her mother's bosom, weeping bitterly. Aunt Zhu was also reduced to a tearful mess, shaking her head as her heart ached for her daughter's miserable plight.

By this time, Zhu Feifei's eyes were deeply sunken, the dark circles around them rivaling those of a giant panda. Xie Wuji walked over to the floor and spotted a piece of tinfoil along with some fine powder scattered nearby.

Thinking it was flour at first, he crouched down to take a closer look, only to discover that the substance resembled table salt—very fine, yet entirely crystalline.

The tinfoil, the powder, and a straw made Xie Wuji understand everything in an instant. Grasping the tinfoil, he strode outside and demanded of Zhu Feifei, "How could you touch this kind of filth?"

Zhu Feifei was stunned for a moment, then began crawling toward Xie Wuji like a madwoman. Wailing aloud, she shrieked, "Stop! You are not allowed to touch those things! You are not allowed! Do not touch them!!"

Aunt Zhu, a woman who had seen the ways of the world, immediately grasped the situation upon seeing these items. Her lips trembled as she asked, "My daughter, how could you ever dabble in such things..."

"I..." Zhu Feifei shrank back into a corner and stammered, "Zou Tianhua's wife forced me to take it... If I refused, they would have killed me. I... I truly had no other choice."

Hearing Zhu Feifei's words, Xie Wuji was shaken to his core. He had heard certain rumors before; Zou Tianhua's wife reportedly possessed immense backing, so it came as no surprise that she was involved in such illicit trades.

Even so, the fact that Zhu Feifei had been forcefully coerced into consuming such substances was beyond imagination.

By now, Zhu Feifei's injuries had worsened. Her ankles and wrists were festering, and pus was beginning to ooze from the wounds.

At this juncture, Xie Wuji could easily have walked away, turning a blind eye to the whole affair. After all, Zhu Feifei was in the wrong first, having cheated on him while they were still in a relationship. Yet, if Xie Wuji were to leave now, it would be thoroughly unprincipled.

Even if not for Zhu Feifei's sake, he had to consider Aunt Zhu.

"Wuji, I'm sorry... But three months ago, my mom needed a large sum of money for surgery. I... I had no choice. Actually, I was only with Zou Tianhua for his money; in my heart, I still love you the most... Wuji, punish me all you want, but please don't let my mother suffer. I'm begging you." At that moment, Zhu Feifei appeared utterly submissive.

"Let's go. To the hospital. We'll talk after we get to the hospital," Xie Wuji said, attempting to help her up. However, Zhu Feifei was entirely unable to stand.

Left with no other option, and knowing that Aunt Zhu was frail and sickly and incapable of carrying Zhu Feifei, Xie Wuji was the only man present. He crouched down, signaling Zhu Feifei to climb onto his back.

With Aunt Zhu's assistance, Zhu Feifei slumped onto Xie Wuji's back. Feeling the broad expanse of his back once more, tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Had she not left Xie Wuji back then, perhaps she would still be by his side. Even if their life weren't affluent, at least they would have lived free of care.

Yet, she had destroyed it all with her own hands.

Even so, Zhu Feifei felt no regret, for her actions had secured two hundred thousand yuan. This sum had just managed to fund her mother's first round of surgery, successfully establishing an external vascular access for kidney dialysis.

When the three of them reached the ground floor of the high-rise, they found a massive crowd of security guards blocking the exit entirely.

"This must be the woman from the thirtieth floor. This entire residential complex belongs to the Zou family. Boss Zou has given orders that no one is allowed to take the woman from the thirtieth floor away," said the lead security guard, twirling a rubber baton.

Xie Wuji glanced around and barked, "Scram!"

"Impudent brat!" The guard snorted, immediately rolling up his sleeves to reveal a tattoo of Peppa Pig on his arm.

"Just some penniless punk daring to act so arrogant in front of me. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget! Get him, boys!"

With that, the group of men closed in on Xie Wuji.

Supporting Zhu Feifei with both hands, Xie Wuji executed a flying dragon tail kick, sending the foremost guard soaring through the air with a single blow.

He held back ninety percent of his strength; otherwise, his opponent would have been dead on the spot.

Seeing Xie Wuji strike back, the rest of the guards brandished their batons and howled as they lunged at him.

With lightning-fast reflexes and agile kicks, Xie Wuji took them down one by one, aiming strictly for their vulnerable points.

In the span of a single encounter, the entire group was already rolling on the ground, clutching their groins in agony.

"This set of movements is called upper-class boxing and lower-class kicking! If you lot remain stubborn, I won't just be kicking you to the ground next time..." Xie Wuji said in a gloomy, chilling tone.

Witnessing Xie Wuji's terrifying prowess, the onlookers no longer dared to block their path. They scrambled away on all fours, scattering to the sides, as no one wished to provoke such a fierce god of plague.

Clinging to Xie Wuji's back, Zhu Feifei stared at him in utter disbelief. "Wuji, you..."

"This has nothing to do with you. Once I get you to the hospital, I will leave," Xie Wuji replied.

"Actually, Wuji has turned his life around. He's the owner of a supermarket now," Aunt Zhu chimed in, trying to win back her daughter's heart.

Zhu Feifei gave a bitter chuckle. "Then... congratulations. But I'm curious, where did you get the money?"

"Don't ask. Just get some rest, I'm taking you to the hospital," Xie Wuji said.

"Once we reach the hospital, you..."

"I will leave," Xie Wuji raised his head. For him, the otherworldly realm held far more appeal, as there were still matters there that he was duty-bound to complete.

When Xie Wuji arrived at the First People's Hospital with Zhu Feifei on his back, a black commercial van blocked their path at the entrance.

Carrying Zhu Feifei, Xie Wuji prepared to walk around it, but the van suddenly reversed to cut him off again.

Realizing that the newcomers harbored malicious intent, Xie Wuji looked up to see three burly men stepping out of the vehicle. At a single glance, it was obvious they were trained fighters.

From the front passenger seat emerged a woman. She possessed a slender, curvaceous figure, stood quite tall, and wore heavy makeup. Her appearance was above average, and she carried a designer handbag in her hand.

The woman slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "I was wondering who it was, so my old flame is back. Tsk tsk... Xie Wuji, was it? You beat up my husband's subordinates earlier, which served to vent some anger for me, so I didn't come after you. But now, you're trying to snatch away my property?"

The woman tossed a silk congratulatory banner onto the ground, bearing a line of large embroidered characters:

*Deepest gratitude to Ms. Zhu Feifei for providing my husband with paid nursing services for three months during my pregnancy.*

With a sneer, the woman stepped directly onto the banner. The visitors clearly came with ill intent.

"I beg you, please spare my daughter. She was merely foolish for a moment," Aunt Zhu pleaded, stepping forward with such a pitiful expression that she looked ready to drop to her knees.

The woman burst into laughter. "How amusing! If apologies worked, what need would this world have for rules? I am six months pregnant, yet my husband has been dallying with this woman for so long. If I don't vent this bitter rage, how could I ever face my unborn child?!"

Her belly protruded slightly, though the bump was not yet pronounced.

Xie Wuji spoke up, "It is true that Zhu Feifei behaved dishonorably. But rest assured, I am not here to protect her, nor am I here to reconcile with her. The only reason I brought her is that she is suffering from a severe infection. As for your business—what you sell and what you feed people—I know nothing of it, and I want no part in this trouble."

Xie Wuji made his stance crystal clear; after all, his heart had long since been thoroughly broken by Zhu Feifei.

Under these circumstances, helping Zhu Feifei was not an obligation, merely an act of kindness. Had it been any other man, refraining from kicking someone while they were down would already be considered merciful.

The woman smiled faintly. "Impressive. Not only can you fight, but you are also remarkably humble. How about this? I happen to need a skilled bodyguard by my side. Seeing that you can take on ten men single-handedly, you are clearly well-trained. Come work for me, and I will let this cheap wretch go, plus I will give you five million yuan. That is a far better deal than running your little supermarket..."