Chapter 18: The Intent to Kill
Chapter 18: The Intent to Kill
Suddenly, three men appeared before him, blocking his path.
With just a glance, Jiang Cheng recognized them as the same three men who had robbed his original form a few days ago.
As expected, before he could speak, the leader, a man in his thirties, spoke up, "Kid, the usual deal, a hundred each, and we'll let you go."
The two behind him looked to be in their mid-twenties, and they stared at Jiang Cheng with smirks. One of them said, "Don't feel bad, we haven't come for you in six or seven days, so three hundred bucks, you can't come up with it, can you?"
Compared to a few days ago, Jiang Cheng was much calmer.
He slowly said, "Brothers, I've been sick these past few days and used up all my money on medical expenses. Not only that, but I also owe quite a bit."
The three men let out cold laughs.
They were all too familiar with this excuse.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng was pushing a tricycle filled with items, which at first glance appeared to be charcoal, but they knew that the barrel could also hold other things.
"Alright then."
The middle-aged leader spoke up, "If you don't have the money, leave the stuff on the cart."
"That's right, either pay up or hand over the goods, you choose."
Jiang Cheng sighed lightly, "So, there's no room for negotiation?"
"???"
The three men exchanged glances.
Something felt a little off.
In the past, when they caught this kid, he would cry and whine like a little girl.
Today, he seemed to have toughened up a bit.
"Fine, kid, after a few days without seeing you, you've grown some balls, huh?"
The man behind him smirked and pulled out a spring knife, aiming the blade at Jiang Cheng. "Do you want me to teach you a lesson on your body?"
Before Jiang Cheng could finish speaking, he silently reached behind him and drew out a short stick.
Then, he stared down the three men.
He wasn't a warmonger, he just didn't want to be bullied.
If these three men chose to leave, he could act as if nothing had happened, even though the chances of that were even slimmer than the Horned People leaving this planet.
The three men were taken aback.
In an instant, they were filled with rage.
A mere street vendor dared to draw a weapon against them? Where did he find such courage!
"Big bro, it seems like today, we have to teach this kid a lesson, or else he won't take us seriously in the future, right?" The man who had drawn his knife first licked his lips.
As street thugs, getting into fights was a common occurrence, and a few years ago, he had even been stabbed.
This kid thought that by pulling out a stick, he could scare them off. He was delusional.
The middle-aged man nodded and spat out two words, "Get him!"
The two behind him, one on each side, rushed towards Jiang Cheng with daggers in their hands, their eyes fixed on his chest.
Stabbing with a knife could easily be fatal, but cutting with it was less likely to kill unless aimed at a vital spot like the neck.
The two men intended to teach Jiang Cheng a lesson, but they also wanted to take his life, as he was their money tree.
Jiang Cheng took two steps back, creating distance between him and the three men, and his gaze fell on the man to his left.
This guy was the fastest, half a step ahead of his companion.
In the blink of an eye, he took a flash step and darted to the side of the man on the left, closing the distance while also putting space between himself and the other man.
"Whoosh!"
A sound tore through the air.
His short stick fiercely chopped down towards the man's knife-wielding right hand.
"!"
The man was startled and instinctively tried to block with his left arm.
But he was half a beat too slow, and the front end of the stick slammed down on his right hand.
"Ah!"
A scream of pain.
The man winced in pain, having just released the dagger, and with a "Peng" sound, the short stick struck him forcefully on the face.
The powerful impact caused him to lean back, and he landed on his buttocks.
"You're asking for it!"
At this moment, the second man rushed over and, seeing his companion's plight, anger surged within him. Without hesitation, he lunged with his knife, aiming straight for Jiang Cheng's chest.
Jiang Cheng had anticipated this and took a step back, creating some distance.
The man's attack missed, but he maintained his forward-leaning posture.
Jiang Cheng's eyes burned with rage.
His brain surged with hot blood, and his right hand tightly gripped the short stick. He executed the twelve-stick combination, unleashing it upon the man.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
A series of dull thuds occasionally accompanied by the crisp sound of breaking bones.
By the time Jiang Cheng finished the sequence, the knife-wielding man was already clutching his chest, lying on the ground, screaming hysterically.
He felt like almost all the ribs in his chest had shattered.
A large amount of blood seeped through his clothes, creating a terrifying sight.
"Huff, huff..."
Jiang Cheng regained his composure, panting heavily.
He became aware of the man before him, who had genuinely intended to kill him. His body was almost controlled by anger, and thoughts of killing arose.
Fortunately, he maintained a shred of rationality. The twelve-stick combination he executed earlier had targeted the man's chest, and if it had been aimed at the head, the man before him would have been a corpse by now.
A few steps away, the middle-aged man watched this scene, frozen in shock.
To be honest, he didn't even see how Jiang Cheng managed to do it.
It felt like in the blink of an eye, both his companions were knocked to the ground.
Then, he noticed Jiang Cheng's gaze, filled with murderous intent.
"Run!"
The thought popped into his mind, and he turned and fled.
Neither of them was a match for this guy; if he went up against him alone, he'd be handing over his life.
Especially Xiao Jie, who had been beaten so badly, just watching him made the man wince in pain.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment but still didn't give chase.
Firstly, his cart, containing many essential supplies, was still here.
Secondly, the surrounding terrain was complex. Even if he did catch up, if the man suddenly turned around and stabbed him, his body might not react in time, and if he remained vigilant against this possibility, he might not catch up at all.
"The primary mission is to safeguard my belongings, not seek revenge."
Jiang Cheng turned around and noticed the first man he had struck in the face, who had now regained consciousness and was attempting to crawl away.
The latter's gaze naturally remained fixed on Jiang Cheng. Upon seeing Jiang Cheng approach, he immediately plopped down on his knees, pleading, "Spare me, sir! Please spare me! I swear, wherever you go, I'll stay away, I dare not take a step closer, I swear!"
"Weren't you acting all cocky earlier, saying you'd show me a thing or two?"
Jiang Cheng walked over with the short stick in hand, a smile that wasn't quite a smile on his face.
"To be honest, I prefer the defiant and unruly you from before."
The man was taken aback, then he scrambled to the ground in fright, his voice quivering with fear, "Sir, I admit my mistake, I truly admit my mistake, please, spare me this once, I promise, wherever you are, I'll stay clear, I dare not come near, I swear!"
He didn't know why, but just a few days ago, Jiang Cheng, who had been at their mercy, had suddenly become so formidable. In the blink of an eye, both his companions were knocked down.
It didn't matter if he couldn't understand it; in his heart, Jiang Cheng was now akin to the Wild Wolf Gang's martial arts disciples—someone he must never provoke again.
"If apologies were effective, the world wouldn't be filled with so much hatred."
Jiang Cheng shook his head, "You've taken so much money from me in the past; it's time to cough some of it up, isn't it?"
(End of Chapter)
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