Chapter 91: Discernment!

The middle-aged man’s words were earnest, and his eyes were turning red.

The people behind him didn’t say a word, their faces devoid of expression.

They gathered together, orderly and disciplined.

Like foxes, like jackals.

Anything but human.

Ding Xie used the sand nearby to extinguish the campfire in the ruined temple, and after brushing the old horse’s mane, he finally looked at the leading middle-aged man.

“An explanation?”

Ding Xie spoke, and the middle-aged man, whose knees were numbing from kneeling, breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t afraid of Ding Xie speaking.

He was only afraid that Ding Xie wouldn’t speak.

As long as he spoke, it would definitely work out.

He, after all, held the high ground of righteousness.

In the beginning, he also liked using more direct means to achieve his goals.

But gradually, he found that while such means worked on ordinary people, they were completely useless against those skilled in martial arts; not only did they fail, but he would also get beaten.

After being beaten a few times, he had an epiphany.

He discovered a characteristic of these people—

Kindness!

Immediately, he changed his methods.

Afterwards, not only did he succeed every time.

He also made the Chen Family a prominent household in the fort.

This time?

It would be no exception!

The middle-aged man grew increasingly calm in his heart, yet his mouth wailed.

“Yes, you must give everyone an explanation.

I am Chen the Second, and I’ve come to beg you on behalf of all the families in the fort.”

Ding Xie nodded.

Chen the Second was overjoyed.

“You’ve agreed?

Don’t worry, I…”

Pfft!

Chen the Second’s head went flying.

Joy still lingered on that face.

But his eyes were filled with confusion.

Why didn’t it work?

Wasn’t the man before him a kind-hearted hero?

As the head hit the ground, the long blade whipped up wind and sand.

Ding Xie charged into the group of young men, the Tiger Roar in his hand flying up and down; it seemed completely chaotic, yet it was inexplicably fast and ruthless.

Chaotic Cloak, moving with the heart.

Killing intent rose, thoughts became clear.

The group of young men was instantly thrown into chaos by the slaughter.

“Run!”

A shout to run, a ring of the blade.

Sound drowned out sound, the blade swept through people.

Soon, the young men were slaughtered until only one remained.

This man didn’t run.

Instead, he knelt again, begging for mercy.

“Hero, spare my life!

It was all Chen the Second who forced us to come!

We didn’t want to come!”

The man wailed loudly.

“How much did you get last time?”

“We got…”

Pfft!

Ding Xie swung his blade down, splitting the man in two.

As usual, he looted the bodies and decapitated them.

Daggers, lime, fishing nets, and two exquisite hand crossbows.

Without a doubt, these people were well-prepared.

Moreover, whether Ding Xie agreed or not, they would have made their move.

That killing intent was too obvious.

Their methods?

Even more nauseating.

Like wild dogs that had tasted human blood.

They couldn’t be left alive.

Ding Xie bundled the heads and hung them on one of the fine horses.

Riding the old horse, he headed towards Ten Mile Slope.

Soon, he arrived again at the roadside that had been full of pits last night.

Different from last night.

Now, all the pits had been filled in.

Only one remained.

A shed had been built over this pit.

Tables and chairs were placed under the shed, and a shop banner stood in front.

Chen Family Water Shop.

Two workers were busy under the shed, and a middle-aged man who looked similar to Chen the Second immediately called out upon seeing Ding Xie riding towards them—

“Guest, would you like some water?

The Chen Family just dug this sweet water well last night.

It’s sweet and cool to the taste.

Only twenty wen per pouch.”

As the middle-aged man spoke, he moved to take the reins of Ding Xie’s horse.

Then, the middle-aged man saw the heads on the horse behind.

Coincidentally, a head was facing him directly.

“Second Brother?!”

With a shout, Chen the Eldest followed in his younger brother’s footsteps.

The two workers didn’t escape either; their heads were hung on the fine horse behind.

【tiger fiend killed Chen the Eldest and Chen the Second, EXP +10】

【tiger fiend killed Bandit Villagers x15, EXP +45】

【Determined as combat, Talent ‘Martial Star’ in effect, EXP increased by 300%!】

【EXP +165】

…Ding Xie glanced at it and rode his horse into the fort.

A low, old gateway.

A dilapidated, creaking gate.

A flagpole standing straight.

Leng Wa was hanging from the pole.

He wasn’t dead.

But there wasn’t a single patch of uninjured skin on his body.

The wounds were numerous and varied.

Some were fine like needle pricks, deeper ones looked like they were poked with a hairpin, and narrow ones seemed like they were sliced with scissors.

Leng Wa’s eyes lit up when he saw Ding Xie.

But immediately, he lowered his head, pretending not to know him.

Ding Xie raised his hand and threw a dagger.

Snap!

The dagger embedded itself in the wooden post, severing the rope.

Leng Wa’s feet hit the ground, and he rolled like a dog to break his fall.

The scabbed wounds began to bleed once more.

But Leng Wa didn’t cry out.

He only said:

“Last night, I dug up water and went into the fort to tell them, so they could go kowtow to my old man.

These bastards, they went straight for the underhanded tactics.

I’ll f*ck their mothers.”

Leng Wa cursed and swore.

Then, he knelt before Ding Xie.

“I’ve only ever knelt to my old man.”

With that, Leng Wa kowtowed once to Ding Xie.

Then, he stood up, walked to a house in the fort, and shouted loudly.

“Auntie Wang, I’ll call you ‘Auntie’ one last time. You gave me half a bun before, but you poked me with a hairpin, so we’re even now.”

Next was the next house.

“Sister-in-law Li, you gave me a bowl of water to drink, but you also cut me with scissors, so we’re even now too.”

Then, another house.

“Granny Wu, you are kind-hearted; you gave me a boiled egg, and the needle pricks didn’t hurt much. I’ll remember your kindness.”

After speaking, he walked to the next house.

House by house he went, house by house he spoke.

He had a cold face and a stubborn nature, but he clearly distinguished between right and wrong.

Ding Xie watched as Leng Wa passed by each house.

Finally, he stopped in front of one house.

Compared to the dilapidated houses of the others in the fort, this one not only had a courtyard, but the house was also made of brick walls rather than yellow earth.

Three brick rooms.

The courtyard walls were also high.

The gate was also neat.

Leng Wa walked to the gate and cursed inside—

“Chen Youtai, I’ll f*ck your ancestors!

You’re just a bunch of idiots!

You’re so pathetic even your old man would be ashamed!”

Creak!

The gate opened.

A group of people rushed out and surrounded Leng Wa.

The leader walked with a steady, square gait.

His skin had a delicacy and rosiness rarely seen in desert people, and his body was quite plump.

Beside him followed a man with a shifty, rat-like appearance, who immediately started shouting.

“Dong the Second, you and your father were stranded at Ten Mile Slope.

The Master kindly took you in, yet you don’t know how to repay his kindness and even dare to speak such nonsense.

If your father hadn’t personally agreed to sell you into the Master’s household before he died in exchange for a bite to eat…

You would have starved to death long ago.”

Distorting the truth.

Then, they swarmed forward.

The leader watched everything with cold eyes.

Ten Mile Slope belongs to the Chen Family.

The land above, the water below.

All of it!

An outsider thinks he can turn the world upside down?

In his dreams!

Chen Youtai’s killing intent rose again, and he no longer held back.

Last night was to make the people of the fort understand once again that the Chen Family was on their side, forcing them each to strike this kid once.

Then, he was hung on the flagpole to wait for a slow death.

Now?

No need for that.

Chen Youtai watched Leng Wa, who was as agile as a monkey, scurrying through the crowd, and immediately spoke.

“Steward…”

He had just started to speak when he was interrupted.

Heads fell from the sky, crashing into the crowd.

Suddenly, it went silent in front of the Chen residence.

Then—

“Ahhh, my sons!”