Chapter 71: Shameless Quibbling, Heart-wrenching
Chapter 71: Shameless Quibbling, Heart-wrenching
"Ah Qing?!?"
The villagers had thought that Wang Da'an was about to get a brutal beating from the birthmark man.
Unexpectedly, someone suddenly stepped in and blocked the slap.
What surprised them even more was that the person was Lu Qing!
"It's you, you little brat?!" The birthmarked man was also taken aback, but he soon revealed a vicious smile. "How convenient, I was just wondering where to find you. I didn't expect you to show up here!"
"Come back, Ah Qing! These people are not to be trifled with!"
Seeing this, Old Master Zhang hurriedly shouted.
"Trying to run now? It's too late!" Cruelty flashed in the birthmarked man's eyes.
He exerted force on his arm, trying to break free and grab Lu Qing again.
However, when he forcefully shook his arm, he found that Lu Qing's grip on his wrist was like an iron clamp, unyielding.
Not only did Lu Qing not let go, but his grip also tightened, causing the man's wrist to start aching intensely.
Lu Qing smiled at him, gradually increasing the force.
"You, let go of my hand this instant!"
Feeling the increasing pain in his hand, the birthmarked man's face changed, and he immediately shouted.
Simultaneously, he released Wang Da'an's hoe with his left hand and punched toward Lu Qing's head.
"I told you to let go! Can you hear me?!"
However, when his fist was halfway through its arc, a cracking sound rang out, and the birthmarked man felt an unbearable pain shooting from his wrist, which Lu Qing was still grasping.
Before the birthmarked man could even cry out in pain, a powerful force struck his chest and abdomen. Accompanied by the sound of cracking ribs, he tasted bitterness in his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
His body flew through the air, and even before he landed, he had already lost consciousness, his eyes rolling back.
Bang!
The birthmarked man's body hit the ground and slid backwards for seven or eight meters, leaving a long mark on the ground. He lay there, motionless.
Everyone fell silent, staring in shock.
Especially the villagers from Jiuli Village, who looked at the scene in disbelief.
"What?!?"
Seeing the birthmarked man kicked away by Lu Qing, the gloomy-faced man's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stared at Lu Qing in disbelief.
Although Lao Qi's martial arts were not as proficient as his, they weren't far behind either.
Yet, he had just been kicked by Lu Qing, and his life now hung in the balance.
How had this brat done it?!
After breaking the birthmarked man's wrist and kicking him away, Lu Qing finally turned his attention to the remaining few men.
Lu Qing had already been observing them from the side for quite some time.
After listening to Old Master Zhang's conversation with them, he had a basic understanding, and he was now certain that this group was the real culprit behind Xiao Yan's parents' death.
Because of this, he had even used his ability to investigate this group of people.
He discovered that they were all members of a gang called the Black Wolf Gang.
Among them, the gloomy-faced man in front of him was the leader.
[Han Wu: Outer member of the Black Wolf Gang, with a sinister and cunning personality. He holds grudges and is ruthless.]
[Proficient in martial arts, he has received guidance from a martial artist and is only a fine line away from the Qi and Blood Realm.]
Recalling the information he had just discovered, Lu Qing's gaze toward the gloomy-faced man turned colder.
Even his ability described this Han Wu as ruthless, so one could only imagine how many evil deeds he had committed.
Stung by Lu Qing's gaze, Han Wu, who had just been immersed in shock, suddenly snapped back to his senses.
Staring at Lu Qing, he blurted out, "You're a martial artist?!"
"Oh, you do have some knowledge," Lu Qing said, a little surprised. "Now, tell me, who exactly are you people?"
Hearing Lu Qing's direct admission, Han Wu's mind trembled once more.
You have to know that more than a month ago, he had personally seen Lu Qing.
Back then, Lu Qing was thin and dispirited, looking like he had a short life ahead of him.
Now, in just a short time, the little brat whom he could have easily crushed with a single finger had become a martial artist?!
How was that possible?!
Han Wu's face was filled with shock, but Lu Qing didn't care.
Instead, he continued to stare at him with piercing eyes and said, "You still haven't answered my question. Who exactly are you people?"
Han Wu felt a chill in his heart from Lu Qing's icy gaze.
Chapter 72: Ruthless Retribution, Unveiling the Truth
"No matter how Lu Qing became a martial artist, it's not important right now. What matters is that if he doesn't handle this situation well, I'm afraid that all of us here will meet our end today."
As these thoughts raced through Han Wu's mind, he forced a smile.
"Young Master Lu, this is all a misunderstanding..."
However, before he could finish, Old Master Zhang interrupted from behind, "Ah Qing, these are the villains who caused your parents' deaths!"
"That's right, Ah Qing! Your father and mother were driven to their deaths by these people!"
"Ah Qing, don't let them get away!"
"Just now, they even tried to take Xiao Yan away!"
The other villagers chimed in, having witnessed Lu Qing's prowess.
Perspiration broke out on Han Wu's forehead. "That's not true, Young Master Lu. Your parents jumped into the river to commit suicide. Their deaths had nothing to do with us..."
"Nonsense!" Zhang interrupted angrily. "If it weren't for you tricking Lu Ming into debt, how would he and his wife have ended up owing so much that they felt they had no choice but to take their own lives? It was you who drove them to their deaths!"
Han Wu tried to speak, but Zhang cut him off again, his temper flaring.
"...It wasn't us..."
With each interruption from Zhang, Han Wu's murderous intent grew. He swore that if he made it out of this alive, he would torture that old man to death and desecrate his corpse for three days to vent his anger!
"Young Master Lu, this truly is a misunderstanding," Han Wu continued. "Your father wanted to start a business and borrowed a lot of money from us. Unfortunately, his venture failed, and he couldn't repay the debt. In a panic, he and your mother chose to end their lives by jumping into the river. From start to finish, we never forced them to do anything. If you don't believe me, look—here's the IOU with your father's signature and seal."
Han Wu pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and quickly showed it to Lu Qing.
"You... shameless!" Zhang exclaimed upon seeing the document. "You clearly said that you had destroyed the IOU, and now you still have it! How despicable!"
The other villagers shared his anger and confusion. They had clearly seen Han Wu destroy the IOU, so how could there be another one now?
Lu Qing glanced at the IOU a few times and nodded. "My father's name is indeed on it, but what does that prove?"
"It doesn't prove anything. I just wanted to show Young Master Lu that your father did owe us money, and that his and your mother's deaths had nothing to do with us."
"Think about it. We lent your father so much money, and we hadn't even recouped our investment. Why would we want to drive him to his death? That would mean losing both our investment and the debt. Who would want to make such a loss-making deal?"
"It does seem to make some sense," Lu Qing nodded again.
"Ah Qing..."
The villagers behind him grew anxious, seeing Lu Qing seemingly persuaded by Han Wu's arguments.
But Han Wu had learned his lesson. He saw Lu Qing's hesitation and was delighted, not giving the villagers a chance to speak.
"However, as the saying goes, 'debts die with the debtor.' Since Lu Ming is already dead, his debts naturally don't need to be repaid. Consider this IOU a gift from the Black Wolf Gang to you, Young Master Lu, returning what rightfully belongs to you."
As he spoke, Han Wu took out several silver tickets from his pocket and presented them along with the IOU.
"Also, the Black Wolf Gang has always felt saddened by your parents' passing. Here is three hundred taels of silver as a token of our sympathy. We hope Young Master Lu will accept it."
Han Wu's words were sincere and heartfelt, as if everything he said was the truth, and he had nothing to hide or feel guilty about.
Lu Qing looked at the silver tickets and the IOU, then at Han Wu's earnest face.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled. "Indeed, this is a generous gift."
Seeing Lu Qing's smile, Han Wu was overjoyed, thinking he had believed him.
"Then, Young Master Lu..."
But before he could finish, a palm appeared silently at his heart.
A powerful force erupted from his chest, penetrating his heart and shattering it into pieces.
Han Wu's body went limp, and he fell to the ground, his life slipping away.
In his dying moments, he heard Lu Qing finish his sentence.
"It's a pity that if I didn't know your character, I might have believed you a little."
(End of Chapter)
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