https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-75-Guard-Conversation-the-Truth-Behind-His-Parents-Death/13688224/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-77-Bloodlust-Boiling-Bloody-Path-/13688226/
Chapter 76: The Sinful Village, Bloodlust Rises!
Time passed slowly. Lu Qing remained motionless high in the tree, hidden like a shadow.
On the other side, Ma Gu was growing increasingly anxious.
“How’s it going? Haven’t you found Lu Xiao Langjun yet?”
“No sign of him,” Xiao Tian replied. “Da Shan and I circled the area several times, but there’s no trace of Lu Xiao Langjun.”
“How could this be? Did we come too late? Has Lu Xiao Langjun already slipped inside and been captured?”
“It shouldn’t be that bad,” Xiao Tian hesitated. “We’ve been here for a while now, and there’s been no sign of chaos inside Kuai Hua Village. If Lu Xiao Langjun had broken in, the place wouldn’t be so quiet.”
“You’re right,” Ma Gu mused. “Lu Xiao Langjun must be hiding somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”
He nodded slowly. It made sense. Lu Qing was a Qi Xue Jing martial artist. If he had entered the village, there would have been no way the place could have remained silent—no way they’d have taken him down without a fight.
The more likely scenario was exactly what Xiao Tian suggested: Lu Qing was lying in wait, biding his time.
“We’ll keep waiting,” Ma Gu said, forcing calm into his voice. “We can’t let anything happen to Lu Xiao Langjun.”
Xiao Tian and Da Shan exchanged a glance. In normal circumstances, Ma Ye would never have missed such a basic truth. Clearly, he cared deeply for Lu Xiao Langjun—so deeply, in fact, that his usual composure had slipped.
Lu Qing had no idea that Ma Gu had brought reinforcements waiting on the far side of the mountain, ready to support him.
He stayed perched in the tree, waiting for nightfall.
At last, the sun dipped below the horizon. The sky darkened, and the village began to come alive with light.
After an afternoon of silent meditation, Lu Qing opened his eyes.
“Alright, stay alert. Guests are coming soon.”
Below, the two guards straightened up, no longer slouching. Lu Qing now realized: Kuai Hua Village was a place that operated at night.
That explained why he’d seen no one enter during his long watch.
Lights flickered on. Then, after a while, figures began to approach.
Not just one or two—but quite a few.
There were villagers in plain clothes, walking in on foot. There were wealthy landowners in fine silks, carried in sedan chairs. And among them, Lu Qing even spotted an old man in patched clothes, his face twisted with lechery.
Where did these people even get the money to come here, to this den of decadence?
Just as Lu Qing prepared to move, a sudden uproar erupted from outside—screams, curses, voices growing louder as they drew near.
He turned to see a man in his forties dragging a young girl toward the village gate.
The girl was crying, clutching her father’s hand.
“Father, please! Don’t take the money! That’s the silk I’ve been stitching for days—money for Mother’s medicine!”
“Shut up! Your money is mine. I need it—what’s it to you?” the man bellowed. “Your mother’s not even that sick. Let her endure a few more days. And once I win big, I’ll have all the money we need. Then you can buy her any doctor, any medicine you want!”
“She’s already coughed up blood!” the girl sobbed. “If we don’t get her help now, she won’t survive!”
“Survive? She was fine this morning!” the man snapped. “Let her rest a few more days. Now let go—unless you want me to kick you?”
“Father, please! She really needs medicine. If we don’t get help, she’ll die! She’ll die!”
Tears streamed down the girl’s face as she clung to her father’s arm, desperate.
“Then let her die!” the man roared, suddenly kicking her to the ground. “That’ll save me the trouble of working to feed her!”
The girl lay stunned, eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn’t believe her own father had said such a thing.
But when she saw him turn to walk into the village, she lunged forward, grabbing his leg.
“Don’t gamble anymore! Give me back the money!”
“Get off me!” the man growled, furious.
The crowd at the gate—mostly guests come for entertainment—watched with amusement, not pity. They found the scene entertaining.
The two gatekeepers chuckled.
“Zhao Lao San,” one sneered, “you really can’t even control your own daughter? If you’re too weak, maybe we should take her off your hands. We’ll make sure she’s properly trained.”
Zhao Lao San, already angry, perked up. “Chen Ye… you’re serious? You’d actually take her?”
The guard blinked. He hadn’t meant it seriously—just a joke. But Zhao Lao San looked serious.
He glanced at the girl—she wasn’t ugly. Not bad, actually.
“You should think carefully,” the guard warned. “Once she’s in, you’ll never get her back.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Zhao Lao San shrugged. “She’s a burden. If she can get into the village, it’s her fortune. How much will you take for her?”
“Sorry, I can’t decide that,” the guard said. “But I can go fetch someone who can.”
“Then please, Chen Ye, do me a favor!”
“Father!” the girl gasped, horror dawning in her eyes. She saw the guard actually disappear into the village.
Panic surged through her. She scrambled to her feet, desperate to run.
“Trying to escape?” The guard’s voice came from behind.
But Zhao Lao San was faster. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back.
“You wouldn’t go back when I told you to. Now you don’t get to leave. You’ll stay here and earn your keep.”
“Father, no! I’m your daughter! How can you sell me like this?”
“Don’t be silly,” Zhao Lao San said coldly. “This is for your own good. You’ll have a better life here than stitching cloth all day. You wanted to help your mother, didn’t you? Well, if you earn enough, you can save her.”
He dragged her toward the gate.
Just then, the guard returned with a man in fine robes.
The contract was signed under the dim lantern light.
Zhao Lao San received a sum of silver. The girl was dragged inside, screaming.
He didn’t spare a glance at her cries.
Instead, he held up a silver coin, grinning. His stake had just doubled. This time, he had to win.
A bystander snickered. “Zhao Lao San, you really are ruthless—selling your own daughter. What’ll your wife do when she finds out?”
“Let her try,” Zhao Lao San shot back. “And you, Lai Zi Tou—what right do you have to talk? You sold your widowed sister-in-law, didn’t you? She raised you from a baby!”
Lai Zi Tou froze, silenced.
“Zhao Lao San,” a plump, well-dressed man asked, “is your daughter still unmarried?”
Zhao Lao San nodded. “She’s only sixteen.”
“Ah, a fresh one,” the fat man grinned, slapping Zhao Lao San on the shoulder. “Then I must have her. Don’t worry, I’ll treat her well.”
“Wang Lao Ye,” someone teased, “you’ll be calling him father-in-law now?”
“Go to hell,” the man snapped. “He’s not even worth being my grandson!”
Laughter echoed through the gate—except for Zhao Lao San, whose face had turned ashen.
High in the tree, Lu Qing stood up.
His face was hidden in shadow, but the cold aura radiating from him made Xiao Li shiver.
For a long moment, Lu Qing stood still, watching the grotesque scene below—the greed, the cruelty, the utter degradation.
He clenched his fists. The years of restraint shattered.
But he held back.
Not yet.
Silently, he dropped from the tree, moving like a wraith beneath the cover of night.
He circled around, found a blind spot in the wall, and slipped inside.
Xiao Li clung firmly to his shoulder.
Inside, Lu Qing surveyed the layout.
The village wasn’t small. There were many buildings, but the central structure—a tall wooden tower—towered above all.
That was his target.
Using the shadows of the buildings, he moved swiftly through the compound.
Xiao Li’s unique senses gave him early warning whenever someone approached.
One after another, Lu Qing passed through the darkness, unseen, unheard.
Just as he neared the main tower, a voice rang out—shouting, scolding.
He turned the corner.
A heavily made-up Semi-Old Woman was walking with two men, dragging a girl behind her.
The girl—Lu Qing’s earlier witness—was bound, her hands tied with a rope, pulled along by a taut line. One step too slow, and she was met with curses.
Her face was etched with despair.
Lu Qing hesitated. Then, silently, he followed.
They dragged her into a small, dark room in the corner.
Lu Qing waited, observing. No one was guarding the door.
He crept forward.
The room was different from the others—built of stone.
Inside, a harsh voice rang out.
“Lock her in. Starve her for three days, and she’ll learn obedience.”
“And you girls,” the voice continued, sharp and cruel, “if you don’t behave, we’ll throw you into the mountains. Let the wolves eat you!”
Lu Qing peered inside.
His breath caught.
His pupils contracted.
The blood in his veins turned to ice.
The killing intent he had long suppressed—buried deep—ripped free.
(End of Chapter)
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