I thought I might have mistaken his identity, so I narrowed my eyes and studied him carefully.
It was indeed Zhou Feng—but a completely different Zhou Feng from before.
He had shaved off his once medium-length hair, leaving only a buzz cut a few millimeters long, making him look sharp and clean. His eyes were far more piercing than before.
What’s more, his body was covered in scars!
Back then, the wounds Zhang Yu and I had inflicted on him were all on his back, and since the blades weren’t sharpened, they shouldn’t have left lasting marks. Yet now, every exposed part of his upper body was crisscrossed with scars.
He wore a black tank top, making the scars on his chest, neck, and arms especially prominent.
The most horrifying was a long scar on his neck, stretching from the base all the way up to his cheek, nearly reaching his ear.
The tight black tank top outlined his bulging muscles, radiating raw power. He wasn’t walking behind Zhao Gao—he was walking beside him.
Don’t underestimate what that meant. As much as I hated to admit it, Zhao Gao held a high status. Yet Zhou Feng—no, Scar—walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, not a single step behind. That proved his standing was now equal to Zhao Gao’s.
We saw Zhao Gao, and of course, he saw us too. He paused for a moment, then walked toward us with a smirk.
Lu Sen immediately blocked him. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to talk to your boss. Don’t make me beat you up again.” Zhao Gao shoved Lu Sen aside and stepped in front of me.
I sneered. “If you dare lay a finger on him, I promise you won’t leave here alive.”
“You—!” Zhao Gao trembled with rage, too furious to speak.
No wonder he reacted like that. As the second young master of the Zhao family, he was used to being flattered—yet here I was, defying him at every turn.
Beside him, Scar—Zhou Feng—gave me an amused look and said, “This is the capital. If you harm Young Master Zhao, I guarantee you won’t leave alive either.”
“Zhou Feng, I don’t know what you’ve been through or how you got to the capital, but let me tell you this—you’ve worked hard to get where you are. Stay out of my business with Zhao Gao.” I glared at him, my voice icy.
I had already assessed his strength—he hadn’t even reached the Yellow Rank. Yet for some reason, he gave me an inexplicable sense of danger.
Instead of getting angry, Scar laughed. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. My name is Scar, not Zhou Feng.”
His words stunned me. If I ignored his appearance and only judged by his aura, I’d never have recognized him as Zhou Feng. Even his facial features seemed slightly different now.
Given Zhou Feng’s capabilities, there was no way he could have risen to Zhao Gao’s level in just a few months.
But my gut told me—this was Zhou Feng.
Frowning, I said, “Fine. If you don’t want to admit it, forget it. But if—”
“I really don’t know any Zhou Feng. He’s probably… dead by now.” He cut me off, emphasizing the word dead with deliberate weight.
The more I looked at him, the more disgust I felt. The old Zhou Feng hadn’t inspired such revulsion—back then, he’d just pushed me too hard, forcing me to team up with Wang Hu.
I scoffed. “I don’t care if you’re Zhou Feng or Scar. Stay out of my business with Zhao Gao—unless you want to lose your life over it.”
Zhou Feng… No, since he insisted on being called Scar, then Scar it was.
“Let me repeat myself—my name is Scar.” He narrowed his eyes, lips curling into a smirk as he spoke each word slowly.
“You think a few scars make you tough? I’m not scared of you!” Lu Sen blustered, though his fists clenched involuntarily.
An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to withstand Scar’s presence. It wasn’t about strength—it was the faint scent of blood and those ruthless eyes.
“It’s been a long time since anyone dared call themselves ‘old man’ in front of me.” Scar’s smile turned cold as he prepared to strike.
I stepped forward. “If you touch him, I won’t mind cutting you down again.”
A flash of hatred flickered in Scar’s eyes—brief, but I caught it.
So he was Zhou Feng. Just moments ago, he’d claimed Zhou Feng was dead. But in my eyes, the old Zhou Feng wasn’t gone—just buried deep inside.
Scar burst into laughter, then returned to Zhao Gao’s side without another word.
Zhao Gao, having cooled down, looked at me and said, “You got lucky last time. But don’t count on your luck holding forever.”
So his memories had been erased. My earlier worries about someone breaking the Purple-Gold Charm Eyes’ effects were unnecessary.
I smirked. “Did Young Master Zhao come all this way just to say that?”
“Hmph! You’ll regret this one day!” Zhao Gao gritted his teeth, clearly furious again.
I tilted my head, feigning amusement. “Should I take that as a threat?” My smile vanished as I frowned. “No one who threatens me ends up well. Next time, think before you speak. If you don’t believe me, ask your buddy here—Zhou Feng… Oh, I mean Scar.” My gaze shifted to the man beside him.
Scar’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, yet his face remained calm, as if those hands weren’t his own.
“Let’s go.” Zhao Gao turned to leave with a cold snort.
Without a word, Scar walked away beside him.
“That guy covered in scars… He’s terrifying.” Diao Sinan muttered, still shaken.
Lu Sen frowned. “Tch. Just a pretentious b*stard!” But despite his bravado, sweat beaded on his forehead.
Hao Shuai’s expression was grave. “Boss, you kept calling him Zhou Feng. Did you know him before?”
“Yeah…” I sighed, admitting it openly. There was no point hiding it—Hao Shuai’s sharp eyes would’ve picked up on it anyway.
His face darkened with concern. “Boss, that guy’s not simple. Just from those few sentences, you can tell he’s cunning. And the vibe he gives off… It’s like he’s killed people. A lot of them.”
“Quit talking nonsense, Third Brother! Don’t hype him up. Even if he has killed people, Boss still scared him off with one sentence!” Lu Sen protested.
I stayed silent, but Hao Shuai’s words echoed in my mind.
Zhou Feng had been a schoolyard bully before, but he’d never been truly evil. Yet the stench of blood around him was unmistakable—just as Hao Shuai said, he’d killed.
I didn’t know what he’d been through, or what could change a person so completely.
Maybe, just as he said—Zhou Feng was dead.
His name now… was Scar.