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Chapter 58: A Light Punishment
Lu Qing stood with his bundle slung over one shoulder, his expression calm as he stared at the six or so men blocking his path ahead. Each held a wooden staff, their eyes gleaming with ill intent.
If Ma Gu were here, he’d have recognized them instantly—these were the very same thugs from Chen San’s gang, the ones he’d warned and punished before.
Now, Chen San and his crew stared greedily at the goods on Lu Qing’s back. Their eyes locked onto the bamboo basket filled with pork, their mouths nearly watering. It had been over half a month since they’d been beaten senseless by the people from the Big Market, and even now, their wounds were only just healing. They’d spent every last coin on medicine and food, leaving them destitute.
For more than ten days, they hadn’t tasted meat. They’d hoped to intercept some poor soul on the road—someone easy to intimidate for a few coins. But this? This was a fat prize.
The sight of meat, flour, rice, and other provisions in Lu Qing’s basket made their eyes practically glow green. How much was all this worth?
Perhaps it was because Lu Qing had changed so much in the past few weeks that they failed to recognize him—the very boy they’d tried to rob, the one who’d brought down the wrath of the Big Market folk upon them.
“Kid,” Chen San sneered, “you heard us. Hand over everything—your goods, your money. All of it.”
“Yeah,” another thug growled. “If you don’t want a beating, drop your stuff and get out.”
“Or we’ll teach you a lesson,” a third added.
“…And if I refuse?” Lu Qing suddenly asked, his voice calm. “Would you kill me? Dump my body in the river, then take everything?”
“What?” The gang members froze.
Had the kid lost his mind? They’d only said they’d teach him a lesson—nothing about killing.
“Answer me,” Lu Qing said evenly. “If I don’t give you what you want… will you kill me?”
Chen San felt a chill crawl up his spine.
This kid wasn’t afraid. Not even a little.
No one facing down a robbery should be so calm—asking if they’d kill him like it was a matter of routine. Shouldn’t he be begging for mercy? Crying, pleading?
Was this kid… insane?
Yet even if he was mad, he was a madman with a fortune.
They couldn’t help but stare at the basket, the meat, the rice. If they took this, they could live like kings for days.
So, despite the unease creeping through them, they pushed it aside.
“Yeah,” Chen San spat. “If you don’t hand over your money, we’ll cut you open and toss you in the river!”
But Lu Qing had already seen through their bravado.
He looked at the names flashing above their heads:
[Chen San: Idle, street thug.]
[Lives by petty theft. Has gathered a small gang, frequently stealing from nearby villages. Loathed by all.]
He glanced at the others. Same story—thugs, thieves, parasites.
Lu Qing shook his head, disappointed.
If they’d been truly dangerous, he could’ve acted without restraint.
But now, he’d have to hold back.
Still… they needed to be taught a lesson.
With men like these prowling around, the village was at risk. If it had been any other villager coming back from the market, they’d have been stripped bare.
“Pathetic,” Lu Qing murmured. “You’ve got hands, you’ve got feet—but all you want is free gain. Even maggots are more useful than you.”
He gently set his bundle down, unslung the basket, then cracked his neck and stretched his limbs.
“Say what?” Chen San snarled, furious. “You think you’re tough, kid?”
But before they could move, a blur shot forward.
Lu Qing vanished—then reappeared in front of them like a whirlwind.
Chen San, standing at the front, instinctively raised his staff to strike.
But as he lifted it, a sharp pain shot through his wrist. The staff slipped from his grip and clattered to the ground.
Before he could react, a sickening crack echoed through the air—his chest exploded with pain. Blood surged up his throat, and darkness swallowed his vision. He collapsed, unable to stand.
When Chen San finally groaned back to awareness, his eyes fluttered open to see his gang members all lying on the ground—some clutching broken hands, others writhing in agony, clutching their legs.
“Chen San,” a cold voice said. “You should be grateful.”
Chen San’s heart pounded. He barely registered what was happening—only that a dark shadow now loomed over him.
He looked up.
Lu Qing stood before him, silhouetted against the sun. His face was half-hidden in shadow, but his voice carried clear and chilling.
“You should be thankful I didn’t sense any truly wicked deeds in you.”
“Otherwise, you’d be floating in the river right now—just another corpse.”
“Now, I’ve crippled one hand and one leg each. That’s just a light punishment.”
“If I ever hear you’ve gone back to stealing, to tormenting the villages again… it won’t be just hands and feet this time.”
Chen San trembled with fear.
He finally understood.
Lu Qing wasn’t some easy target. He wasn’t a fat lamb.
He was a force they could never hope to challenge.
The others fell silent, their cries cut short. They looked at Lu Qing with pure terror. They could hear the truth in his words.
He wasn’t bluffing.
If they didn’t obey, he would kill them.
Lu Qing picked up his bundle and continued on his way, never once glancing back at the broken gang.
As if they weren’t worth a second glance.
“Remember,” he said over his shoulder, “if I ever see you again… I’ll break your other limbs too.”
Only when Lu Qing disappeared into the distance did Chen San and his men dare to scream again.
“Boss… what do we do now?” one whimpered.
“What can we do?” Chen San gritted. “Get up. Move. Didn’t you hear the demon just said? If he sees us again, he’ll finish us off.”
“But… how can we walk?” the man sobbed.
Chen San finally noticed—the man’s leg was twisted at a grotesque angle.
“Walk if you have to,” Chen San roared. “Those of you still able—stand up!”
Lu Qing had, perhaps deliberately, broken one hand and one leg in each of the six men—enough to cripple them, but not enough to kill them.
That way, they could still drag themselves away.
With groans and tears, the gang limped off, supporting one another, their cries echoing through the empty road.
(End of Chapter)
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