CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115: ELIAS LANGLEY PULLS HER BACK AGAIN

Uncle Chang’s fish pond was quite large, with several thatched pavilions around it.

The scorching sun blazed, and a few fishing guests sat sparsely in the pavilions.

Juliana Jacobs glanced around and headed straight for the small wooden hut where shadows flickered by the shore.

"Uncle Chang, I’d like to buy two silver carp."

A man in his fifties wearing a gray cotton shirt paused his work and asked with a smile, "How heavy do you want them?"

Juliana thought for a moment, "Seven or eight pounds each."

Uncle Chang was surprised, "How many people are eating?"

Juliana replied, "Two."

Uncle Chang said, "One fish is enough."

Juliana insisted, "Just sell them to me; I love fish, and one isn’t enough."

"Girl, you’ve got a bigger appetite than a cat."

Uncle Chang chuckled as he fetched two silver carps weighing over seven pounds each from the net by the pond.

Just as Juliana was about to pay, a fish dart suddenly grazed her shoulder and plunged into the fish Uncle Chang was holding up.

Startled, Juliana turned back to see a man with a tiger tattoo on his forehead in a pavilion twenty meters away, abandoning his fish shooter and charging toward her.

Realizing the danger, Juliana took off running.

The sound of the man’s urgent chase and calls followed behind her.

"Hurry, she’s here!"

Just seconds after the shout, a cold breeze brushed the back of her neck.

Instinctively, Juliana ducked and rolled sideways as the knife sliced through the tips of her hair.

She tumbled into the reeds nearby.

"You’ve always gotten away from Brother Cut, but today you won’t."

The tattoo-faced man jumped into the reeds after her, stabbing at her again with his knife before she could get up.

Unable to dodge in time, Juliana instinctively closed her eyes.

Just then, there was a dull "bang," and the tattoo-faced man crashed heavily onto the stone slab of the ridge.

She opened her eyes, not fully comprehending what had happened, as a large, well-defined hand quickly pulled her up.

Soon, a tall figure shielded her protectively.

Elias Langley looked icily at the man rising from his fall, and asked in a deep voice, "Who hired you?"

"Your mom!"

The tattoo-faced man lunged at Elias Langley again.

"Such foul language, let’s wash it with blood."

Elias Langley swung a punch, dislocating his face.

The tattoo-faced man collapsed to the ground and couldn’t get up.

Just as Elias Langley was about to tie him up, a black block, sparking with fire, suddenly fell in front of them.

Juliana smelled the acrid scent in the air and immediately realized what it was.

She shouted, "It’s going to explode," just as Elias Langley grabbed her waist; the two tumbled deeper into the reeds.

A brilliant flash erupted with a "boom," dazzlingly bright.

Smoke billowed everywhere as several dark figures closed in.

Elias Langley pulled Juliana back, but a hand seized her shoulder.

Juliana turned her head to see three menacing scars on the attacker’s back.

She gasped, while Elias Langley spun around, landing an elbow strike on the assailant’s throat and pulled Juliana back again.

Just then, someone’s phone began to ring.

Elias Langley ran with Juliana until there were no more footsteps behind them, then stopped.

Smoke slowly dissipated among the reeds, and those people had vanished, leaving only scorched patches of grass and chaotic traces, making the life-and-death struggle just a sunlit illusion.

Elias Langley cautiously surveyed the surroundings before saying, "They’re gone."

Seeing Juliana frozen, he pinched her arm, "Are you stunned?"

"Those are the same batteries," Juliana said through gritted teeth, "I remember the scar on his hand. Even if he burns to ashes, I’d recognize him."

Elias Langley’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Boss!"

Quinn Shepherd caught up, seeing Elias Langley’s jacket covered in dirt and weeds, instantly understanding what had happened.

"Are you alright? We came here to fish, and we didn’t even bring equipment, yet we encountered this..."

Before he finished the sentence, Elias Langley’s gaze silenced him.

"There was a lot of commotion, and some villagers called the police," Quinn Shepherd said.

"They were after me...my grandfather..."

Juliana snapped back, racing towards the farmhouse she was renting.

"You handle it here," Elias Langley said, chasing after Juliana.

Just as he reached the slope, Juliana’s legs suddenly became heavy, as if filled with lead.

The old man lay crosswise at the bottom step, his body awkwardly bent at a ninety-degree angle. His aged face was buried in the dust, with his twisted arm still in a grasping stance, and between his fingers were a few broken stalks of dry grass.

"Grandpa!"

Juliana’s knees seemed to have lost their strength, and she sank down heavily.

Her chest felt pierced by a nail, making it hard to breathe, and every inhale tugged painfully at her heart.

Five or six meters away, she crawled to the old man on her knees.

She was about to touch him when Elias Langley caught her hand.

The man was very calm, "Wait for the doctor before moving him."

Juliana’s eyes reddened as she clung to his arm, pleading, "Please, you must save him, I beg you."

Elias Langley crouched down, checking the old man’s breath. He had a bad feeling but didn’t show it. Instead, he supported Juliana, who was on the verge of collapse, "The ambulance will be here soon; you must hold on."

...

Soon, Old Man Linton was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent over 7 hours of resuscitation.

"The patient is elderly and seriously injured. We’ve done our best," the doctor said.

Rosalind Linton burst into tears.

"Doctor, no matter the cost, please try to save him."

The doctor glanced at Elias Langley, and reluctantly said, "All the best doctors in the hospital have done their best. The old man had a heart condition, and there’s no medicine left to control his heart failure, plus his spine is already broken... He’s conscious now; the family should say their goodbyes while there’s time."

Without saying a word, Juliana Jacobs pushed past Rosalind Linton and rushed into the ward.

"Ms. Linton," Quinn Shepherd handed her a tissue, "If nothing else can be done, let him leave in peace."

Rosalind Linton paused for a moment, took the tissue, dried her tears, and nodded.

Calming down, she entered the ward.

Quinn Shepherd returned to Elias Langley’s side, speaking quietly, "Those people are vicious; initial analysis shows the old man was kicked down the steps by them. The police arrived after they escaped, but a bloodied tooth was found in the reeds. We can only hope for DNA to identify them. I’ve handled everything else; you won’t be implicated."

Elias Langley’s face was grave as he silently stared at the closed door.

In the ward, Juliana slowly walked to the old man’s side.

The old man opened his eyes upon hearing her footsteps.

With a thud, she knelt beside the bed.

"I’m sorry, Grandpa, for bringing this upon you."

Immobilized, the old man took a deep breath to speak, "Get up, girl, it’s not your fault."

Rosalind Linton brought over two chairs, helping Juliana up.

"Dad, speak less. The family has me, you..." Her voice choked up, "Rest and heal."

The old man sighed, "Don’t comfort me; I know my condition. Girl..."

His fingers moved slightly, and Juliana gently took his hand.

"When I’m below, will I be unable to see Aidan?"