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Chapter 15: Unexpected Windfall
Chapter 15: Unexpected Windfall
"Ouch, it hurts so much!"
The two men on the ground couldn't help but scream in agony.
Zhang Bing's right hand, which was initially just red, soon swelled up beyond recognition.
Li Wei's situation was even worse.
His entire face was swollen like a pig's head, and he had lost several teeth. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes and the ground.
The injuries on their bodies were hidden by their clothes, but one could guess that they were badly bruised, and a mere touch would cause excruciating pain.
"Stop screaming," Jiang Cheng ordered.
The two men's screams were as loud as if they were being slaughtered, and it was unbearable to hear.
However, they seemed to ignore him and continued as if nothing had happened.
"If anyone screams again, I'll give them another stick," Jiang Cheng threatened.
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell silent.
The two men clenched their teeth, enduring the intense pain, their eyes fixed on Jiang Cheng with a mix of fear and resentment.
After such a severe beating, it was only natural for them to feel hatred.
Jiang Cheng sneered, "You hate me now, don't you? But over the years, you've robbed me of so much money. How should we settle this debt?"
Hearing this, the two men averted their gazes.
They seemed to be feeling guilty, but it was more like fear.
Because if Jiang Cheng were to beat them to death with his stick right there, there would likely be no consequences, and some might even secretly cheer him on.
"Hand over the money you have on you," Jiang Cheng demanded.
He was in dire need of money at the moment.
Chen Sao was also struggling; he wanted to repay the 300 yuan as soon as possible.
There were only a little over ten days left until the end of the month, and the protection fee for the Wild Wolf Gang had to be paid.
Ideally, he also wanted to pay the stall fee in full, as selling roasted sweet potatoes was currently his only source of income.
Lastly, and most importantly, he wanted to provide his grandma with a better life, one where she wouldn't have to hesitate to buy even an egg.
"I don't have any money," Li Wei said, his eyes flashing with a strange color before he trembled and added, "I swear."
Jiang Cheng, seeing that Li Wei wasn't being honest, raised his stick and struck Li Wei's leg.
"Ah!" Li Wei screamed in pain.
Tears flowed from Li Wei's eyes once more.
"Do you have any money?" Jiang Cheng asked, towering over him.
"Yes! Yes!" Li Wei quickly nodded, "It's in my pants pocket. You can reach in and get it. I'm in so much pain all over."
He lay on the ground, speaking with difficulty.
Just trying to sit up with a little force caused excruciating pain in his chest.
"Is that so? I'm warning you, don't try any tricks, or you know the consequences," Jiang Cheng said as he crouched down, his eyes fixed on Li Wei. He reached into Li Wei's pocket and indeed felt some banknotes.
He pulled them out and was surprised to find over a hundred yuan!
"You bastard!" Jiang Cheng clenched his teeth, tempted to strike Li Wei again.
This amount was almost equivalent to all the money Li Wei had on him.
Jiang Cheng searched a few more pockets and found nearly 200 yuan more.
There was also a spring knife.
"Is that all?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"That's really all," Li Wei replied, his voice breaking with emotion.
Given his character, it was quite unusual for him to have nearly 300 yuan in savings. If he hadn't been planning to confront Jiang Cheng that night, he might have spent it all.
Jiang Cheng observed Li Wei's expression and, sensing no deceit, let out a cold snort before moving to the short-haired man's side.
"It's all in my left pants pocket," the short-haired man said, following his companion's example.
Jiang Cheng remained vigilant, searching all the pockets on the man's body and eventually finding over 120 yuan and another spring knife.
The total amount of money from the two men was over 450 yuan, and with the two short sticks and spring knives, it could be worth 600 to 700 yuan.
"Indeed, there's no faster way to make money than through robbery."
Jiang Cheng's heart echoed with this sentiment.
With this money, he would have to sell sweet potatoes for four to five days to earn the same amount.
But this wasn't the righteous path, and this money had been taken from countless others like him through robbery.
This realization tightened his grip on the short stick.
After today's incident, these two men would surely seek revenge.
Even if they didn't retaliate, it was unlikely they would change their ways and start anew. They would most likely continue robbing others.
In that case, it would be better to kill them with the stick.
This was the slums; a few deaths wouldn't cause much of a stir, and killing these men would even be considered doing a good deed.
Sensing the murderous intent emanating from Jiang Cheng, the two men quickly pleaded for mercy, claiming they had learned their lesson.
Jiang Cheng's grip on the short stick tightened, then slowly loosened.
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to take that final step.
Just a few days ago, he had been an ordinary man living in a peaceful era, too timid to even slaughter a chicken. Now, after his sudden arrival in this world, he was faced with the prospect of taking a life...
It was too difficult.
"I don't want there to be a next time."
Jiang Cheng spoke slowly.
"If I see you robbing again, you know the consequences. And if you hold a grudge and seek revenge, I'll show no mercy."
A tense silence followed.
The two men quickly shook their heads, repeatedly assuring him there wouldn't be a next time.
"I hope you mean what you say."
Jiang Cheng picked up the two short sticks on the ground and placed them behind him, along with his own. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he had no choice to avoid worrying the elderly woman.
He also concealed the two spring knives on his person.
If he could unlock the short stick, he could do the same with the daggers.
An inch longer meant an inch stronger, but conversely, an inch shorter meant an inch riskier. Therefore, practicing with daggers could prevent the embarrassment of being disarmed and left without a weapon.
As for the two extra short sticks...
Jiang Cheng planned to wait until his proficiency with the short stick reached two levels higher, then he would practice dual-wielding.
Dual-wielding would undoubtedly be more challenging than a single short stick, but it would also be far more powerful, especially in one-on-many situations. He might even be able to take on dozens of opponents.
"Secret martial arts..."
The words popped into Jiang Cheng's mind.
He had no idea how to acquire such secret martial arts.
The short stick and daggers were, after all, just modern combat techniques. No matter how skilled he became, they would be useless against firearms, let alone guns, cannons, missiles, or even nuclear weapons.
But if he cultivated secret martial arts, he wouldn't fear firearms, let alone artillery, missiles, or even planet-destroying weapons.
However, the Jue Ren Clan had issued a martial arts ban. If anyone found out he had such thoughts, it would be dangerous.
"Some things can't be rushed. I should focus on perfecting my self-defense skills. Even if I can't withstand bullets, life in the slums will still be much better than before, and..."
Jiang Cheng recalled the smug expressions and cold glints in the eyes of the martial arts disciples at the stall earlier.
Then, pushing the tricycle forward, he continued on his way.
The figure lurking in the shadows quickly dispersed, realizing even a fool could tell this young man was a skilled martial artist.
Behind him, the two men lying on the ground, Li Wei and his companion, watched as Jiang Cheng gradually moved away. Their eyes reflected fear, mixed with resentment and unwillingness, but mostly, it was fear.
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(End of Chapter)
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