https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-71-Shameless-Lies-Heart-Wrenching-Truth/13688220/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-73-A-Shift-in-Mindset-Probing-the-Truth/13688222/
Chapter 72: Kill Them All
Before the Lu family courtyard, silence reigned.
Everyone stared in shock at Han Wu, lying lifeless on the ground, his breath gone.
No one had expected Lu Qing to suddenly strike—killing Han Wu in an instant.
Especially the villagers from Jiu Li Village, who were stunned, utterly bewildered.
Just moments ago, they had watched Lu Qing appear calm and composed, as if ready to accept Han Wu’s apology and forgive them, putting the past behind him. They had been desperately worried—afraid he’d be deceived, that he’d truly let these people off the hook.
But now, in the blink of an eye, Lu Qing had struck with merciless speed, ending Han Wu’s life with a single blow.
Staring at Lu Qing, who stood utterly calm after the killing, the villagers felt a strange unease.
Was this still the A Qing they knew—the one who always greeted people with a warm smile, so humble and polite?
Lu Qing paid no mind to their stunned gazes. After finishing Han Wu, he turned his cold eyes toward the remaining members of the Black Wolf Gang’s outer circle.
The five men trembled uncontrollably, collapsing to their knees.
“Please, good sir! Have mercy!”
“Master, this isn’t my fault!”
“I was forced here by Wu Ge and Qi Ge—I swear I did nothing!”
“I’ll never do it again! Please, spare me!”
“I ask you—what happened to my parents?” Lu Qing asked, his voice flat, emotionless.
“We don’t know, Master,” one of them sobbed. “This whole thing was Wu Ge and Qi Ge’s plan. We had no part in it.”
“All we know is that Wu Ge wanted to force your mother into prostitution—she couldn’t bear it, so she drowned herself.”
“Anything else? We truly don’t know. Please, let us live. Give us a chance to change!”
The men wept uncontrollably, pleading for mercy.
But Lu Qing’s face remained impassive.
People who served someone like Han Wu—what kind of scum could they possibly be?
And from the abilities he had used earlier, he already knew the truth: every single one of them was a rotten soul. Not a single one was innocent.
He shook his head. Since he couldn’t extract any more information, there was no reason to keep them alive.
Without hesitation, Lu Qing’s inner qi surged. His leg snapped forward in a blur.
In a single, fluid motion, he kicked each man—once at the throat, once at the temple.
A chorus of cracking bones echoed through the courtyard.
The five Black Wolf Gang members never even had time to react. Their eyes turned bloodshot, their throats clutched in agony as they convulsed, then collapsed—lifeless.
Lu Qing didn’t utter another word.
Once he confirmed all five were dead, he turned to face the villagers of Jiu Li.
As for the Black Mole Man—no need to look. He was already dead.
Seeing Lu Qing turn, the villagers instinctively took a step back.
They couldn’t help it. The scene had been terrifying.
One moment, a gang of fierce, brutal Black Wolf Gang thugs—men who looked like they’d slaughter a village without blinking—were all reduced to corpses in seconds.
And Lu Qing… not a flicker of emotion on his face.
This merciless version of Lu Qing was unlike anything they’d ever seen.
A deep unease settled in their hearts.
Lu Qing noticed their fear. After a brief pause, he spoke, as if nothing had happened.
“Zhang Ye Ye, what should we do with their bodies?”
Zhang Da Ye, who had been shielding Xiao Yan’s eyes all along, stared at Lu Qing for a long moment. Only when he was certain this was still the gentle A Qing they all knew did he finally exhale.
“What else can we do? Find a quiet ravine, dig a hole, and bury them. These villains have committed countless crimes. To be buried in the earth at all is more than they deserve.”
Lu Qing blinked. He hadn’t expected such a blunt, no-nonsense response from the kind-hearted Zhang Da Ye.
But then again, he didn’t know the truth.
To Zhang Da Ye, corpses were nothing. He’d seen too many in his youth.
In fact, the elders of Jiu Li Village—none of them feared death or bodies. They’d witnessed worse during their escape from the war-torn lands.
It was only the younger ones—those unaccustomed to hardship—who were shaken by what they’d just seen.
Zhang Da Ye didn’t feel a thing about the bodies. What disturbed him more was Lu Qing’s sudden prowess.
“A Qing,” he said, eyes wide with disbelief, “when did you learn martial arts? These Black Wolf Gang thugs—each one was fierce, brutal, skilled in combat. And yet, you took them all down in a single strike?”
The other villagers were equally astonished.
Lu Qing had grown up among them. How had he trained in martial arts? And why had no one noticed?
“Learned it from my master,” Lu Qing replied simply. “A few months now.”
“Old Doctor… knows martial arts?”
The villagers were stunned to silence.
For years, they’d seen the kind-faced Old Doctor—always gentle, always kind. Who would’ve thought he was a martial artist?
“Never mind that now,” Lu Qing said. “Zhang Ye Ye, if I killed these men, will it bring trouble?”
“I’m worried about that too,” Zhang Da Ye admitted, his expression darkening. “These Black Wolf Gang scum may be dead, but they’re not alone. The rest of them will come for revenge when they learn what happened.”
“Zhang Ye Ye,” Lu Qing asked, “just who is the Black Wolf Gang? How can they commit such crimes without anyone stopping them?”
“I don’t know much,” Zhang Da Ye admitted. “Just that they’re a gang from the city—big, powerful, with hundreds of members. Most people can’t afford to cross them.”
As a village elder, Zhang Da Ye’s knowledge was limited. He didn’t know the true origins of the gang.
Lu Qing fell silent for a moment, then remembered someone.
Maybe that person knows the truth.
He turned to Zhang Da Ye. “Zhang Ye Ye, I’m going out for a bit. Please have everyone bury the bodies. And… could you please take Xiao Yan to my master?”
“Going out? Where?” Zhang Da Ye’s eyes widened.
“I’ll find someone who knows about the Black Wolf Gang. I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Qing returned to the house, slinging the War Blade across his back.
A dark figure appeared beside him—silent, unseen.
“Xiao Li,” he murmured, “where were you?”
Xiao Li let out a soft chime and pointed a claw toward the bushes beside the gate.
Lu Qing glanced over. There, nestled in the shadow of the grass, was the exact spot where Xiao Yan had been standing earlier.
Not far away. With Xiao Li’s speed, he could’ve reached her in an instant.
No wonder Lu Qing had sensed a faint, lingering danger earlier.
If Xiao Li hadn’t held back, he would’ve pounced the moment the fight began.
And if he had… those men would’ve been torn apart.
Lu Qing had seen firsthand just how deadly Xiao Li’s claws were.
Even now, with his Qi Xue Jing cultivation at a moderate level and his Four Directions Sword technique advancing, he still had no confidence in surviving a single claw strike.
“Good job,” Lu Qing said, gently stroking Xiao Li’s head.
He was proud of the beast’s restraint. He didn’t scold him for not acting sooner.
Xiao Li was his greatest secret weapon. He wouldn’t reveal him unless absolutely necessary.
He whispered a few words to the small creature, then shouldered the blade and stepped outside.
He reached Xiao Yan, crouched down, and gently ruffled her hair.
“Be good, Xiao Yan. Go stay with Chen Ye Ye for now. I’ll be back soon. Don’t be afraid. The bad men are gone. I took care of them. They won’t come back.”
“Okay!” Xiao Yan nodded, her eyes bright. “Come back fast, brother.”
“I will,” Lu Qing said, ruffling her hair once more. Then he turned to Zhang Da Ye. “Zhang Ye Ye, thank you.”
With that, he walked away, the War Blade glinting on his back.
The villagers watched his retreating figure—the familiar face, yet utterly transformed.
Only then did they realize.
In silence, Lu Qing had grown. His frame was taller, broader. No longer the thin, frail boy they’d known.
He was no longer a child.
(End of Chapter)
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