Chapter 455: Breaking the Legs

Chapter 455: Breaking the Legs

  At the entrance of the Ye Deng Clan's ancestral hall.

  The entire clan had gathered here for a meeting due to Gu Ma Qi's involvement with drugs.

  When the clan leader mentioned that drug users would either die on their own or commit heinous acts like killing their parents, spouses, and children, and even dragging others to their deaths, Deng Changshou was both shocked and furious. Shocked that the consequences of drug use were even more severe than he had imagined, and furious that his own son was so disgraceful.

  At this moment, he truly wished he could beat his disobedient son to death.

  Deng Changshou's wife and other children were also terrified by what the clan elder, Jiu Gong, had said.

  While they knew that drug use was serious, they never expected it to be this severe.

  After giving the clan members some time to process this, Deng Shirong continued, "I have already warned at a clan meeting a few years ago that if anyone dares to touch drugs, I will personally break their legs in front of our ancestors here in the ancestral hall."

  Ninety-nine percent of the clan members took this warning to heart, but today, I found out that there are still those who are not afraid of broken legs.

  Since that's the case, I will fulfill their wish."

  Hearing this, the now sober Gu Ma Qi could no longer sit still and cried out, "Ancestor Jiu, I was deceived, please spare me, I will never use drugs again!"

  Deng Changshou gritted his teeth. While he wanted to personally beat his son to death for violating the clan leader's ban and using drugs, he could not stand by and watch his son's legs being broken without feeling any pain as a father.

  However, he could not bring himself to plead for his son's forgiveness.

  At this moment, Deng Changshou was in great distress, unsure of what to do.

  His wife, on the other hand, was heartbroken for her son and bravely pleaded, "Ancestor Jiu, he now knows he was wrong, please forgive him this once."

  The other clan members remained silent, knowing that it was inappropriate to either plead for mercy or demand punishment. Their role was to support the clan leader's decision.

  Hearing the plea from Gu Ma Qi's mother, Deng Shirong immediately refused, "There is no forgiveness. No rules, no order. If I forgive you this time, what will happen when others in the clan start using drugs? Will I forgive them too?

  Forgive one, forgive another, would my rules be nothing more than decoration?"

  "Ancestor Jiu!"

  Gu Ma Qi's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

  "Ancestor Jiu!"

  Deng Changshou's wife wanted to continue pleading.

  Deng Shirong's tone changed, and he interrupted, "However, I'm not saying I won't give you a chance. You said you were deceived, so tell me the truth about how you got involved with drugs. If it's true that you were deceived and not that you actively sought to use drugs, I will show leniency and only break one of your legs.

  But if you lie and try to avoid punishment, and I find out, it won't just be your legs. I will break your arms too."

  Deng Changshou and his wife looked at their disgraceful son, not daring to challenge Jiu Gong's decision. They could only hope that their son was truly deceived, so that breaking one leg and a year or two of recovery would be enough.

  If their son lied and had both his arms and legs broken, he would likely be ruined.

  Gu Ma Qi, filled with regret, said, "Ancestor Jiu, I am not lying. I was really deceived. Last year, at the end of the year, I was drinking with a few friends from Zhouwang Village. When I was drunk and not paying attention, they put drugs in my drink.

  The first couple of times I drank it, I felt very uncomfortable and wanted to vomit, but I didn't think much of it, assuming it was just from drinking too much.

  But after the third time, I realized something was wrong. They then told me it was drugs.

  When I found out the truth, I confronted them, but drugs are truly terrifying. After just three times, I was hooked. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't control myself, and I ended up just like them."

  Deng Shirong stared into Gu Ma Qi's eyes and asked, "Is everything you said true?"

  Gu Ma Qi nodded repeatedly, "It's true, Ancestor Jiu, you must believe me."

  Through the perspective of the system space, Deng Shirong could see that he was not lying. His eyes flashed with a fierce light. Someone had dared to drug a member of the Ye Deng Clan, and this could not be tolerated. He asked sternly, "Who are the 'friends' who deceived you into using drugs? Give me their names."

  Gu Ma Qi blurted out, "One is A Jie Shiba, one is A Xian Wu, and the brothers A Chen San and A Chen Si."

  Deng Shirong turned to the clan's local enforcer, Di Lei, and asked, "Di Lei, do you know these four people?"

  Di Lei stood up and nodded, "Ancestor Jiu, I know all four of them."

  Deng Shirong immediately ordered, "Since you know them, lead a team and go to Zhouwang Village to bring these four scoundrels to me. If anyone tries to stop you, report their names to me."

At the entrance to the Ye Deng Clan's ancestral hall.

The entire clan had gathered here for a meeting due to Gu Ma Qi's involvement with drugs.

When the clan leader mentioned that drug users would either die on their own or commit heinous acts like killing their parents, spouses, and children, and even dragging others to their deaths, Deng Changshou was both shocked and furious. Shocked that the consequences of drug use were even more severe than he had imagined, and furious that his own son was so disgraceful.

At this moment, he truly wished he could beat his disobedient son to death.

Deng Changshou's wife and other children were also terrified by what the clan elder, Jiu Gong, had said.

While they knew that drug use was serious, they never expected it to be this severe.

After giving the clan members some time to process this, Deng Shirong continued, "I have already warned at a clan meeting a few years ago that if anyone dares to touch drugs, I will personally break their legs in front of our ancestors here in the ancestral hall."

Ninety-nine percent of the clan members took this warning to heart, but today, I found out that there are still those who are not afraid of broken legs.

Since that's the case, I will fulfill their wish."

Hearing this, the now sober Gu Ma Qi could no longer sit still and cried out, "Ancestor Jiu, I was deceived, please spare me, I will never use drugs again!"

Deng Changshou gritted his teeth. While he wanted to personally beat his son to death for violating the clan leader's ban and using drugs, he could not stand by and watch his son's legs being broken without feeling any pain as a father.

However, he could not bring himself to plead for his son's forgiveness.

At this moment, Deng Changshou was in great distress, unsure of what to do.

His wife, on the other hand, was heartbroken for her son and bravely pleaded, "Ancestor Jiu, he now knows he was wrong, please forgive him this once."

The other clan members remained silent, knowing that it was inappropriate to either plead for mercy or demand punishment. Their role was to support the clan leader's decision.

Hearing the plea from Gu Ma Qi's mother, Deng Shirong immediately refused, "There is no forgiveness. No rules, no order. If I forgive you this time, what will happen when others in the clan start using drugs? Will I forgive them too?

Forgive one, forgive another, would my rules be nothing more than decoration?"

"Ancestor Jiu!"

Gu Ma Qi's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Ancestor Jiu!"

Deng Changshou's wife wanted to continue pleading.

Deng Shirong's tone changed, and he interrupted, "I'm not saying I won't give you a chance. You said you were deceived, so tell me the truth about how you got involved with drugs. If it's true that you were deceived and not that you actively sought to use drugs, I will show leniency and only break one of your legs.

But if you lie and try to avoid punishment, and I find out, it won't just be your legs. I will break your arms too."

Deng Changshou and his wife looked at their disgraceful son, not daring to challenge Jiu Gong's decision. They could only hope that their son was truly deceived, so that breaking one leg and a year or two of recovery would be enough.

If their son lied and had both his arms and legs broken, he would likely be ruined.

Gu Ma Qi, filled with regret, said, "Ancestor Jiu, I am not lying. I was really deceived. Last year, at the end of the year, I was drinking with a few friends from Zhouwang Village. When I was drunk and not paying attention, they put drugs in my drink.

The first couple of times I drank it, I felt very uncomfortable and wanted to vomit, but I didn't think much of it, assuming it was just from drinking too much.

But after the third time, I realized something was wrong. They then told me it was drugs.

When I found out the truth, I confronted them, but drugs are truly terrifying. After just three times, I was hooked. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't control myself, and I ended up just like them."

Deng Shirong stared into Gu Ma Qi's eyes and asked, "Is everything you said true?"

Gu Ma Qi nodded repeatedly, "It's true, Ancestor Jiu, you must believe me."

Through the perspective of the system space, Deng Shirong could see that he was not lying. His eyes flashed with a fierce light. Someone had dared to drug a member of the Ye Deng Clan, and this could not be tolerated. He asked sternly, "Who are the 'friends' who deceived you into using drugs? Give me their names."

Gu Ma Qi blurted out, "One is A Jie Shiba, one is A Xian Wu, and the brothers A Chen San and A Chen Si."

Deng Shirong turned to the clan's local enforcer, Di Lei, and asked, "Di Lei, do you know these four people?"

Di Lei stood up and nodded, "Ancestor Jiu, I know all four of them."

Deng Shirong immediately ordered, "Since you know them, lead a team and go to Zhouwang Village to bring these four scoundrels to me. If anyone tries to stop you, report their names to me."

"Rest assured, Ancestor Jiu, give me an hour, and I will bring all four of them back without fail."

As he said this, Di Lei excitedly waved his hand, "Brothers, grab your gear and follow me."

Soon, a group of clan members who often hung out with Di Lei responded, along with those who were interested in the task of apprehending the culprits, filling up the clan's large bus.

After Di Lei and his team set off for Zhouwang Village, Deng Shirong turned to Gu Ma Qi and shook his head, "If you had reported being drugged the moment you discovered it, you would have been in the clear. Unfortunately, after you realized you were addicted to drugs, you not only failed to report it but also continued to use them with them. This punishment is unavoidable.

Moreover, when you first started using drugs, it would have been relatively easy to quit. Now, after more than two months, you are truly addicted, and it's the hardest kind of addiction to break—the psychological addiction. Even if you manage to rid your body of the drugs, if you can't overcome the psychological addiction, you will continue to use drugs whenever you get the chance.

Each time you use drugs, your brain suffers irreversible damage. Over time, this will affect your intelligence, making you progressively dumber and more sluggish, eventually turning you into a lunatic.

Furthermore, it will trigger various diseases.

So, you will have to fight this addiction for the rest of your life. If you can control it, you will have a chance to live a normal life. If you can't, and you relapse, you will be finished.

In any case, I am putting it bluntly now. If I find out you are still using drugs, I will break all your limbs. Even if it means leaving you a cripple, confined to a wheelchair for life, it is better than becoming a drug addict who harms everyone around you."

Gu Ma Qi trembled with fear, truly regretting his actions. How had he been so foolish?

Deng Changshou's lips quivered, and his wife was no better, sitting there trembling, her eyes red.

"Damn, we always knew drugs were bad, but we didn't realize how terrifying they are."

"Gu Ma Qi was doing fine, but A Jie Shiba and the others really deserve to die!"

"They do deserve to die. Daring to drug a member of the Ye Deng Clan, they must not be let off lightly."

"It's too scary. From now on, we need to be more cautious when drinking with friends to avoid being drugged."

"..."

Deng Shirong heard the clan members' discussions. Since Di Lei and his team would take some time to bring back the culprits, he reminded them, "Clan members, you have all seen what happened to Gu Ma Qi. If any of your current friends are drug users, cut ties with them immediately. Associating with drug users will only harm you, not benefit you.

Additionally, when you are out, you might meet new friends or friends of friends. If you drink with them, be on guard. Don't make the same mistake as Gu Ma Qi and end up being drugged without even realizing it.

If you are not careful and end up being drugged, report it to the clan immediately. Do not hide it. As long as you did not actively seek out drugs, you will not be punished.

In short, always be cautious when you are out. Once you get involved with drugs, it's too late to regret it."

The clan members nodded in agreement.

Gu Ma Qi's experience served as a warning. They would not make the same mistake.

As they waited for Di Lei and his team to return with the culprits, the clan members discussed the dangers of drugs, with Deng Shirong leading the conversation.

Deng Shirong's knowledge of the dangers of drugs far exceeded that of the other clan members. He even provided examples to illustrate how one drug user could devastate an entire family.

Even billionaires would not have a good end if they got involved with drugs.

After some time, the clan's bus finally returned, along with a dozen or so motorcycles, each carrying several people.

It was now 1994, and motorcycles were no longer as rare as they were in the 1980s. Most families in the village who were financially stable had bought motorcycles.

In a few years, over 70% of rural households would own motorcycles.

Di Lei got out of the car, looking triumphant, and said, "Ancestor Jiu, the culprits are caught. The brothers from Zhouwang were quite helpful; they came along to watch the commotion."

Under normal circumstances, whether in the present or the future, openly going to another village to apprehend someone was something only law enforcement agencies like the police could do. If anyone else tried, they would face significant resistance from the villagers.

But this was a special case. With the Ye Deng Clan's formidable strength, let alone in the area of Shuangwang, even if they went to other towns to apprehend someone, as long as they had a legitimate reason, no one would dare to stand in their way.

Dilei was originally the kind of person who was fearless and willing to fight, with a rather irascible and quick-tempered personality. That's why others gave him the nickname 'Dilei.' In the past, when the clan had no money, he still managed to earn a small reputation in the Shuangwang area, and even those who were successful outside the village had to give him some respect.

Once the Ye Deng Clan became wealthy and powerful, Dilei, with his money and influence, became even more formidable. In the Shuangwang area, he could practically walk around with impunity.

Such a person naturally commanded respect from many.

After all, the world wasn't just about fighting and killing; it also involved human relations and social norms.

Therefore, in the various villages of Shuangwang Town, Dilei had a group of good friends. These friends were influential in their respective villages in matters of conflict and violence. So, this time when they went to Zhouwang Village to apprehend the culprits, Dilei didn't even need to mention Jiu Gong's name. He relied on his own reputation to handle the situation smoothly.

Deng Shirong nodded, instructing Dilei to take care of the brothers from Zhouwang Village, and then ordered, "Bring them over."

Immediately, clan members brought over A Jie Shiba, A Xian Wu, A Chen San, and A Chen Si.

At this moment, the four of them struggled, asking, "What are you going to do?"

"What are we going to do?"

Deng Shirong looked at the four scoundrels and asked sternly, "Were you the ones who drugged Gu Ma Qi last year and got him addicted to drugs?"

At that moment, the entrance of the ancestral hall was brightly lit, with over three thousand clan members gathered, like a public trial.

Seeing this scene, A Jie Shiba's face turned panicked, and he quickly denied it, "No, no, I didn't do it. I didn't drug Gu Ma Qi."

Hearing this, Gu Ma Qi said with hate, "You still dare to lie? If it wasn't for you four, how would I have ended up like this? I considered you my friends, but you secretly drugged me, getting me addicted to drugs. You truly deserve to die!"

Being watched by over three thousand people, A Jie Shiba was terrified and shook his head repeatedly, his face breaking down as he said, "It wasn't my idea. It was A Xian Wu who suggested it. We had been using drugs for over a year and had no money left to buy more. He said your family was rich and wanted to get you involved so we could benefit and get more drugs."

Hearing this, A Xian Wu quickly retorted, "You're lying. It was A Chen San who suggested it, not me."

A Chen San was furious, "You're the one lying. It was your idea."

Then, the four of them began to argue in front of everyone, each blaming the others.

The people from Zhouwang Village who had come to watch the commotion shook their heads, finding it shameful that their village had produced such disreputable individuals.

"Enough, I have no interest in your arguments."

Deng Shirong barked, his face stern. "I don't care who suggested it. The fact is that all four of you were involved in the plan to drug Gu Ma Qi, right?"

With these words, A Jie Shiba and the others couldn't deny it and fell silent.

Deng Shirong, seeing this, sneered, "Since you won't answer, I'll take your silence as an admission. You dared to drug a member of the Ye Deng Clan, getting him addicted to drugs and ruining his life. You won't get off easy either.

However, before dealing with you four, I need to handle Gu Ma Qi, this disgraceful scoundrel. Bring me a steel pipe."

Hearing this, the clan members were all shaken. The clan leader wasn't bluffing; he was serious.

Gu Ma Qi trembled, his teeth chattering, his face pale, and cold sweat streaming down his face.

In this world, except for true hard men, few people could remain calm when their legs were about to be broken. Fear was a natural reaction.

The people from Zhouwang Village who had come to watch the commotion didn't understand what the Ye Deng Clan's leader was going to do and couldn't help but ask.

"Brother, what's your clan leader going to do?"

"Our clan leader issued a drug ban at a clan meeting a few years ago. If anyone dares to use drugs, he will personally break their legs. Now that Gu Ma Qi has used drugs, our clan leader will break his legs."

"But... wasn't Gu Ma Qi drugged by those four guys from our village? Does he still have to have his legs broken?"

"Yes, our clan leader said that if someone reports being drugged immediately, they won't be punished. But Gu Ma Qi hid it and continued to use drugs with those four scoundrels. Our clan leader has to enforce the clan rules."

"Damn, your clan leader is really tough. No wonder other villages in Shuangwang have many drug users, but not a single person in your village touches drugs, even Gu Ma Qi was just an accident."

"Our clan leader always keeps his word. Today, Gu Ma Qi's leg will definitely be broken."

"..."

Amid the discussion, a clan member brought over the steel pipe.

Deng Shirong took the pipe and looked at Gu Ma Qi, asking, "Do you want your left leg or your right leg broken?"

"Do you want to stretch out your leg yourself, or should I have someone hold you down?"

Gu Ma Qi was sweating profusely. At this point, he already knew that breaking his leg was inevitable. He could only respond with a trembling voice, "Left leg, please have someone hold me down!"

Gu Ma Qi's younger brother, Gu Ma Shi, clenched his teeth and and, "Brother, I'll help hold you down!"

Gu Ma Qi nodded and placed his left leg on a long bench. His younger brother, Gu Ma Shi, then extended his hands to hold down his knees.

Deng Shirong looked at the clan members and said, "Don't let the children see this scene. Move them to the back or cover their eyes."

The clan members quickly followed his instructions.

"Ancestor Jiu!"

Seeing Deng Shirong raise the steel pipe, Deng Changshou couldn't help but shout.

Deng Shirong remained silent, his face expressionless as he looked at Deng Changshou.

Deng Changshou, realizing that any words would be futile, could only close his eyes in resignation and said, "I hope, Ancestor Jiu, that you can find a good doctor for him."

Deng Shirong nodded and, without hesitation, raised the steel pipe and struck Gu Ma Qi's left calf with all his might.

"Ow..."

The moment the steel pipe hit, Gu Ma Qi let out a piercing high-pitched scream cry, piercing the hearts of over three thousand people present, causing them all to shudder involuntarily.

This scene was deeply etched into the minds of the Ye Deng Clan members. From now on, unless their brains were addled, none of them would dare to touch drugs voluntarily.

Deng Changshou's wife was weeping, her tears streaming down her face. She called out, "Someone, please help carry him over there..."

Gu Ma Qi, though in excruciating pain and shaking all over, refused, saying, "Wait... I want to see their legs broken too."

At that moment, A Jie Shiba and the others were nearly terrified to the point of wetting themselves. Seeing how ruthless the Ye Deng Clan's leader was with his own clansman, let alone with them, the outsiders who were the instigators, they knew their legs were definitely not going to be saved.

Deng Shirong wasted no time and immediately ordered, "Bring them over and hold them down."

A Jie Shiba broke down, pleading for mercy, "Spare my life, I won't dare do it again, please let me go!"

A Xian Wu, his face pale, also begged, "I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please let me go!"

A Chen San and A Chen Si, the brothers, were in no better shape. In such a terrifying atmosphere, it was hard not to break down and beg for mercy.

Deng Shirong ignored their pleas. When the clan members had A Jie Shiba's left leg firmly held down on the bench, he looked at Deng Changshou and asked, "Changshou, do you want to do it yourself?"

Deng Changshou hated these four scoundrels with a passion, knowing that they were the reason his son had become this way. Hearing Jiu Gong's question, he nodded repeatedly, "Ancestor Jiu, I want to do it myself."

Deng Shirong handed the steel pipe to him. When a clan member violated his ban, he naturally had to take action himself. The others were merely additional, meant to serve as a warning to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Deng Changshou, still harboring a deep resentment over his son's drug use and now the broken leg, took the steel pipe and struck down with all his might.

"Ow..."

A Jie Shiba let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Deng Shirong said, "Continue, break the right leg as well."

"No! No!"

A Jie Shiba's tears and snots were streaming down his face as he pleaded for mercy, looking as pitiful as possible.

Deng Shirong remained unmoved. He had no sympathy for these individuals who had willingly fallen into addiction and dragged others down with them. According to his knowledge, the crime rate among drug addicts was very high, and he was now doing a service for the community.

The clan leader didn't stop, so the clan members naturally ignored A Jie Shiba's pleas and held his right leg down on the bench again.

Deng Changshou, without a second thought, struck down with all his might.

Next, following the same procedure, Deng Changshou personally broke the legs of A Jie Shiba, A Xian Wu, A Chen San, and A Chen Si, venting his deep-seated anger.

At this moment, although Gu Ma Qi's left leg was still in excruciating pain, seeing A Jie Shiba and the others suffer even more, he felt a sense of vindictive satisfaction and couldn't help but smile.

With the punishment meted out, Deng Shirong ordered, "Alright, take them to the county hospital for treatment. Di Lei, you handle the arrangements. The medical expenses will be covered by the clan's group fund."

Di Lei nodded, "Yes, Ancestor Jiu, I will take care of it."

"The clan meeting for today is over."

Deng Shirong looked at the clan members and warned again, "I hope all clan members take this as a lesson. Do not touch drugs. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unsparing."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end