https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-69-Breakthrough-in-Both-the-Jingjie-Sword-Technique-and-Unwelcome-Visitors/12618859/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-71-Shameless-Quibbling-Heart-wrenching/12618861/
Chapter 70: Standoff
Chapter 70: Standoff
The seven or eight burly men remained unmoved by the angry mob of villagers from Jiuli Village, their expressions unchanging as they maintained an air of leisure.
It was as if they didn't consider these country folk worth their attention.
Hearing Grandpa Zhang's rebuke, a man with a large mole on his face narrowed his eyes.
"I remember you, old man. Last time we were here, you were the one pleading for the lives of Lu Ming's two brats, weren't you?"
"But we were kind enough to let them go, and now you, a bunch of lowly peasants, dare to deceive the Black Wolf Gang!"
Grandpa Zhang was taken aback. "When did we ever deceive you?"
"You're still denying it?" The mole-faced man sneered. "You claimed that you had sold off all of the Lu family's land and property to pay off Lu Ming and his wife's debts. Isn't that right?"
"That's right!" Grandpa Zhang retorted angrily. "If we hadn't done that, you damned thugs wouldn't have left last time!"
"You dare to lie to us!" The mole-faced man shouted. "You promised to hand over every last penny from the sale of the Lu family's property, but instead, you dared to keep some for yourselves! You've got some nerve!"
"You're the ones lying!" Grandpa Zhang shouted, his face contorted with rage. "We didn't keep any of the money! How dare you accuse us of such a thing!"
In fact, not only had they not kept any of the money, but each household had also contributed a little extra, fearing that these thugs would find the amount insufficient and refuse to let Lu Qing and his sister go.
Hearing them twist the truth like this, Grandpa Zhang's lungs burned with fury.
"I think you've spent all the money and now you're here to extort more!"
"Grandpa Zhang, there's no use talking to them. We'll fight them if we have to. We can't let them take Xiao Yan away!" Wang Da'an's face turned red as he brandished his hoe and shouted.
Wang Da'an's shout stirred the blood of the other young villagers. "Yes, let's fight them! There's no way we can't beat them with so many of us!"
Seeing the dozens of villagers brandishing their tools, ready to charge forward, the so-called members of the Black Wolf Gang paled slightly.
Despite their muscular builds and martial arts skills, they weren't confident they could withstand a mob of angry villagers.
Some of them with weaker nerves were already feeling anxious.
Even the mole-faced man, who had been the loudest, was now uncertain.
He was used to throwing his weight around, relying on the reputation of the Black Wolf Gang to intimidate people in the villages he visited.
But here in Jiuli Village, his usual tactics weren't working.
As a major confrontation seemed inevitable, the leader of the Black Wolf Gang members, a man with a gloomy expression who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up.
"Old man," he said slowly, "you claim that you handed over all the money from the sale of the Lu family's property. May I ask you a few questions about that?"
"Ask away!" Grandpa Zhang replied. He didn't want things to turn violent, but he also didn't want these thugs to take Xiao Yan away.
The Black Wolf Gang had a notorious reputation, and even if the villagers managed to drive them off today, there was no guarantee they wouldn't return tomorrow with even more men.
The villagers were no match for these vicious thugs.
"My questions are simple," the leader continued. "If you truly handed over all the money from the sale of the Lu family's property, then how come Lu Ming's children still have so much money?"
"Not long ago, I saw Lu Ming's eldest son spending money like water at the market, buying all sorts of things. His generosity even impressed me, Five, and I'm not easily impressed."
Chapter 70: Standoff
The burly men, unaffected by the angry villagers of Jiuli Village, maintained an air of nonchalance, as if these country folk weren't worth their time.
A man with a large mole on his face narrowed his eyes at Grandpa Zhang's rebuke. "I remember you, old man. Last time we were here, you were the one begging for the lives of Lu Ming's children, weren't you?"
"And yet, we graciously let them go, and now you, a bunch of peasants, dare to deceive the Black Wolf Gang?" he continued, his tone menacing.
Grandpa Zhang was taken aback by the accusation. "When did we ever deceive you?"
The mole-faced man sneered, "You're still denying it? You claimed you sold off all of the Lu family's land and possessions to pay off Lu Ming and his wife's debts. Isn't that right?"
"That's right!" Grandpa Zhang retorted angrily. "If we hadn't done that, you damned thugs wouldn't have left last time!"
"You dare to lie to us!" the mole-faced man shouted. "You promised us every last penny from the sale, but instead, you kept some for yourselves! How dare you!"
"You're the ones lying!" Grandpa Zhang shouted back, his face contorted with rage. "We didn't keep any of the money! How dare you accuse us of such a thing!"
In fact, not only had they not kept any of the money, but each household had also contributed extra, fearing that these thugs would find the amount insufficient and refuse to let Lu Qing and his sister go.
"I think you've spent all the money and now you're here to extort more!" Grandpa Zhang accused, his lungs burning with fury.
"Grandpa Zhang, there's no use talking to them. We'll fight them if we have to. We can't let them take Xiao Yan away!" Wang Da'an shouted, his face flushed with anger as he brandished his hoe.
Wang Da'an's shout roused the other young villagers, who joined in, "Yes, let's fight them! There's no way we can't beat them with so many of us!"
The so-called members of the Black Wolf Gang paled slightly at the sight of the dozens of villagers brandishing their tools, ready to charge. Despite their muscular builds and martial arts skills, they didn't feel confident facing a mob of angry villagers.
Some of them with weaker nerves were already looking anxious. Even the usually loud mole-faced man fell silent, uncertain of their next move.
He was used to intimidating the villagers with the reputation of the Black Wolf Gang, but his tactics weren't working in Jiuli Village.
As the tension escalated, the leader of the group, a man with a gloomy expression who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. "Old man," he said slowly, "you claim that you handed over all the money from the sale of the Lu family's property. May I ask you about that?"
"Ask away!" Grandpa Zhang replied. While he didn't want things to turn violent, he also didn't want these thugs to take Xiao Yan away. The Black Wolf Gang was notorious, and even if the villagers drove them off today, there was no guarantee they wouldn't return tomorrow with reinforcements.
"My questions are simple," the leader continued. "If you truly handed over all the money, then how come Lu Ming's children still have so much? Not long ago, I saw Lu Ming's eldest son spending lavishly at the market, and his generosity even impressed me, Five, and that's not an easy feat."
"You..." Grandpa Zhang was at a loss for words. It was true that Lu Ming's son had been spending money like water recently, but that was because...
"There you have it," the leader interrupted, seeing Grandpa Zhang's reaction. "You still dare to deny it? Hand over the rest of the money, and we'll let this matter drop. Otherwise..." He trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air.
"Otherwise what?" A clear and calm voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere.
Lu Qing had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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