Chapter 58
"You just said you wanted to rob me?"
Lu Qing, burdened with goods on his back, looked calmly ahead.
In front of him, five or six men blocked the road, holding sticks and looking at him with ill intent.
If Mago were here, he would recognize these people as the hooligans led by Chen San, whom he had warned and punished before.
At this moment, Chen San and his group were eyeing Lu Qing's belongings greedily.
Especially the pork in the bamboo basket, making their mouths water.
Half a month ago, they were beaten up by the people at the Grand Bazaar and had just recovered after many days of rest.
They spent all the money they had left on the treatment.
They hadn't had a taste of meat for over ten days now.
Initially, they were hoping to find some unlucky soul on the road to extort a bit of money.But unexpectedly, they encountered such a big, fat sheep.
Seeing the meat and other provisions in Lu Qing's basket, Chen San and his group almost had their eyes pop out in greed.
Perhaps because of the significant changes in Lu Qing over the past few days, Chen San and his gang failed to recognize him as the young man they had tried to rob half a month ago.
Moreover, he was the very reason they got beaten up by the people at the Grand Bazaar.
"Kid, since you heard us clearly, hand over all your belongings and money obediently!"
Chen San growled viciously.
"That's right, if you don't want to suffer, put down your things and get lost."
"Otherwise, we'll beat you up!"
The other thugs shouted.
"What if I don't comply? Will you kill me, then dump my body in the wilderness, and take everything?" Lu Qing suddenly asked.
"What did you say?"
Chen San and his group were stunned.
Had this kid gone mad from fear? They had only threatened to beat him up, not to kill him!
"Hurry and answer. If I refuse, will you kill me?" Lu Qing asked calmly.
Looking at Lu Qing's serene face, a chill ran down Chen San's spine.
He felt something eerie about this young man.
Who encounters a robbery and calmly asks if they will be killed?
Shouldn't he be panicking and begging for mercy?
Was this kid insane?
This question popped into the minds of Chen San and his group.
However, even if he was insane, he was a rich insane person!
Chen San and his gang eyed Lu Qing's belongings greedily.
If they could rob these things, it would be enough for them to splurge for several days.
With this thought, they ignored the chill in their hearts.
"That's right, if you don't hand over the money, we'll cut you up and throw you into the river!"
Unfortunately, Lu Qing had already seen through their bluster.
He looked at the information floating above Chen San's head.
[Chen San: Unemployed, hooligan.]
[Lives by petty theft and bullying, leads a few thugs, often steals from nearby villages, hated by everyone.]
He glanced at the others, and they were all the same—petty thieves and hooligans.
He shook his head in disappointment.
If these guys were truly ruthless, he could deal with them without restraint.
But now, he had to hold back.
Nevertheless, they still needed a lesson.
Having these guys wandering around was ultimately not good for the villagers.
It was just him today, but if it were someone else from the village going to the market, they might indeed get robbed.
"A bunch of useless worms, with hands and feet, yet only thinking about living off others. Even maggots have more value than you."
Lu Qing gently put down his belongings, removed his basket, and stretched his limbs.
"What did you say, kid? Tired of living?"
Chen San and his group were furious.
But before they could react, they saw a blur, and Lu Qing was already upon them like a whirlwind.
Chen San, who was in the front, instinctively raised his stick to strike Lu Qing.
But before he could swing, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist, dropping the stick.
Then, a tremendous pain hit his chest, blood surged in his mouth, his vision went black, and he fell to the ground.
When Chen San barely recovered from the pain and opened his eyes, he saw his underlings all lying on the ground, clutching their hands or feet, groaning in agony.
"Chen San, you should be grateful."
Before Chen San could grasp what had happened, a shadow loomed over him.
He looked up to see Lu Qing standing before him, his face obscured by the sun.
Only the voice, cold and detached, was clear.
"You should be grateful that I didn't sense any great evil deeds from you."
"Otherwise, you'd be floating corpses in the river by now."
"I've merely broken one of your hands and feet each as a slight reprimand. If I find out you're still stealing and harming the villagers, it won't just be broken limbs."
Chen San was filled with terror as he looked at Lu Qing.
At this moment, he realized Lu Qing was far from the easy target they had imagined.
He was someone they couldn't afford to mess with!
The other thugs, too, dared not make a sound, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Lu Qing.
They could tell he wasn't bluffing.
If they didn't do as he said, he would indeed kill them.
Lu Qing returned to his basket, picked up his belongings, and continued toward the village, without sparing another glance at Chen San and his group.
To him, they were mere trash, unworthy of his attention.
"Remember, don't let me see you again, or I'll break your other limbs too."
Watching Lu Qing's figure disappear, Chen San and his group finally dared to cry out in pain.
"Boss, what should we do?"
A thug wailed.
"What else can we do? Get up and leave! Didn't you hear that devil say he'd break our other limbs if he saw us again?"
"But how can we leave?" The thug cried, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Even if you can't walk, you have to crawl! Damn it, those who still have their legs, get up!"
Under Chen San's orders, the thugs with unbroken legs struggled to stand.
It seemed Lu Qing had deliberately left half of them with intact legs so they could leave.
In the end, the group, supporting each other and crying out in pain, limped away pathetically.