“This fellow harbors ill intentions!”
A faint green glow flickered in Liu Sheng’s eyes, and his vision, like a magnifying glass, reflected every detail of the other party.
His eyelids twitched, his breathing quickened slightly, and the muscles in his palms tensed, stretching the skin...
Liu Sheng lifted his eyelids and subtly took a step back, just managing to avoid Steward Cheng's descending palm, while saying:
“Good intentions? I’d like to hear more.”
Steward Cheng’s palm struck air, his pupils contracted sharply, and his heart became even more certain of his previous conjecture—
One must know, he was also a Martial Artist with Minor Achievement in Qi and blood; his seemingly casual pat earlier actually contained several subsequent variations.
Let alone ordinary people, even someone of his cultivation, caught off guard, would find it difficult to escape.
Yet, this young man before him, with a casual step back, brought all his subsequent variations to an abrupt halt...
This kid definitely got a Heaven-Defying Aptitude!
I’ll trick him into coming back and interrogate him thoroughly...
This Heaven-Defying Aptitude rightfully belongs to me!
As soon as he thought of this, his breathing suddenly quickened, and his gaze towards Liu Sheng became scorching hot:
“Well, the summer tax is almost due. My master, remembering that everyone is a fellow villager, specifically sent me to ask if you need to borrow some silver for emergencies?
Besides that, my master, in a great act of kindness, plans to select some individuals with outstanding Aptitude from among the villagers to teach them martial arts...
I think Sheng-ge’er, you are a talented individual; why not go and try?”
Would Tong Bapi be that kind-hearted?
Sows would climb trees first!
What’s more, offering courtesies without reason always implies mischief or theft.
The two families were already not on good terms, especially since the original body’s grandfather had once, relying on his scholarly title, publicly reprimanded Tong Bapi...
Over the years, the Liu family gradually declined, having to sell off their land step by step, and there was certainly the Tong Family’s scheming behind it.
A while ago, that Tong Bapi even forced Grandma to kneel and beg for mercy, making her sell the last piece of land in their home at a low price...
With these incidents, one after another, even if the relationship between the two families hadn’t reached a point of irreconcilability, it was pretty close.
You, Tong Bapi’s lackey, are instigating so vigorously; I’m afraid you have ill intentions!
Liu Sheng nodded to Grandma, who was full of worry, signaling her to calm down, and then refused:
“No, the Tong Family’s threshold is too high; I can’t afford to climb it.”
“It seems Sheng-ge’er, you misunderstand my master too deeply...”
Seeing that deception wouldn't work, Steward Cheng’s face suddenly turned cold, and he decided to use force:
“It is better to resolve enmity than to foster it. I will take you to the Tong Family, and ask the master to personally explain it to you and resolve the grievances...”
Saying that, he rushed forward, fingers splayed like eagle talons, his palm turning red and swelling, veins throbbing on his wrist, bringing with it a gust of ill wind...
Grabbing towards Liu Sheng’s face!
He’s not even pretending anymore; he wants to use force?
Liu Sheng has the 【Magpie Eyes】 talent; the opponent’s movements seemed to slow down, and he captured their trajectory...
So, instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping forward, swinging his arm, and poking with his joined fingers!
The next moment, Steward Cheng’s claw missed, and his body leaned forward, as if he voluntarily offered his neck to Liu Sheng’s fingertips.
“Ugh... cough cough!”
He only felt a numbness in his throat bone, instantly choking, and the Qi and blood within his body immediately dispersed.
“If what I extended just now was a flying dagger, this guy would already be dead, but...”
Liu Sheng glanced at Grandma, who was pale beside him, and calmed down.
This guy cannot die at home, otherwise it will implicate Grandma.
His gaze flickered a few times, he took a step forward, and looked directly at the horrified Steward Cheng:
“Our Liu family does not cause trouble, nor are we afraid of trouble. If you think we are easy to bully, you might as well go back and gather your people to try.”
This kid actually practices martial arts? And his strength...
Is stronger than mine!
It seems I can’t handle this alone.
I’ll go back and get my second brother; we must capture this child today and seize his Heaven-Defying Aptitude!
Otherwise, if the master finds out...
There will be nothing left for my Cheng family.
First, stabilize them...
Thinking of this, Steward Cheng bowed to Liu Sheng and said with a bitter smile:
“It was my eagerness to cherish talent that caused Sheng-ge’er to misunderstand.
I will go back and prepare a small gift, and come to your door tomorrow to apologize.”
With that, he turned and left decisively.
“We’ve already torn off the pretense...”
At this moment, Liu Apo said softly, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes, as she grabbed the nearby firewood knife and handed it to Liu Sheng:
“Don’t let him go.”
Liu Sheng was startled, looking at the firewood knife handed to him, and swallowed.
No, Grandma, were you originally so decisive and ruthless?
I really couldn’t tell before!
However, this guy really can’t die near our home, otherwise it will cause a lot of trouble.
“Grandma, we are honest and good people; how can we fight and kill?”
A gleam flashed in Liu Sheng’s eyes, he pointed to the sky, and said in a deep voice:
“Don’t worry, bad people will have their comeuppance. This guy won’t live much longer.”
Liu Apo’s eyes widened, she stared blankly at Liu Sheng, mumbled something indistinctly, and then got busy at the stove:
“Come back early; I’ll wait for you to eat.”
Liu Sheng responded and then went out the door.
“Ultimately, it’s because my Golden Finger is too powerful; it healed injuries that would take others several months to recover from in just a few days, thus causing him to discover the anomaly...”
He sighed inwardly, found a deserted corner, shook his body, and transformed into a streak of green light, flying out.
Bad guy, your reckoning has come!
—
“The master has been overwhelmed by the tiger menace these past few days and has no time for other matters, which is perfect for me...”
Steward Cheng hurried along, his heart ablaze.
In the wilderness, there have always been many fortuitous encounters.
A precious plant, a legacy from a predecessor, can change one’s destiny against Heaven.
If he hadn’t had no choice, why would he, Steward Cheng, be willing to grovel...
And serve the Tong Family like an ox or a horse?
After the matter is done, the Liu family grandparents and grandson cannot be left alive...
To prevent any leaks!
Steward Cheng touched his throat, which was still faintly aching.
But thinking that the Liu family grandparents and grandson were fooled by his words and allowed him to leave...
He couldn’t help but laugh.
Mud-legs are indeed mud-legs; even if they get a fortuitous encounter, they are still mud-legs.
They don’t even know the most basic act of killing to silence witnesses.
You deserve your bad luck!
“Steward Cheng is in such a hurry; could it be that Master Tong has a new errand for him?”
“Look at his face, smiling so much that his wrinkles are showing; he’s probably found an opportunity to profit from the tiger menace!”
“The summer tax is due in a few days; I wonder what Master Tong’s plan is?”
Some villagers on the road, seeing Steward Cheng, greeted him one after another, some trying to curry favor, some asking questions, some whispering, all varied.
In the past, he would have stopped no matter what, dealt with them a bit, and enjoyed the villagers’ flattery and envy.
But today he had something on his mind and only wanted to hurry back to the Tong Family to report to the master, so he ignored them all.
Suddenly...
He heard two bird cries, clear and high-pitched, like a long blade unsheathing.
The first sound was still far away, the second was close by.
He instinctively turned his head to look, and in his vision, a green light rapidly magnified, like a blade of light sweeping across his throat, incredibly fast!
“Pfft—!!”
Head flew, blood spurted.
A head fell into the mud, rolling a few steps before coming to rest face up.
On its face, there was still a hint of confusion, and in its eyes was reflected...
A soaring Magpie shadow.
The few villagers who were surrounding him and talking were stunned for a moment, and spurred by the splattered blood, they immediately let out pig-like screams—
“Murder! Murder!”
...
In front of the woods behind the village.
Liu Sheng emptied a dark patterned satin pouch, totaling over four taels of broken silver and twenty taels in silver notes!
“More than twenty taels of silver...
A mere steward is richer than most families in the village...”
He put away the silver notes and broken silver, dug a pit, buried the pouch, and stepped on it a few times before letting out a heavy breath.
Things escalating to this point was not his original intention.
Their Liu family members...
Have always been kind to others, dislike fighting and killing, and just want to live peacefully.
But this Steward Cheng harbored malicious intentions, wanted to harm his life, and left him no way out...
To survive, for Grandma, and for a stable life in the future, he could only take that guy’s life.
Being forced to kill, who understands this helplessness?
He could only accept these twenty-four taels of silver with tears, to slightly soothe his wounded heart.
He was just about to go to the county town to choose his next Incarnation target...
With Steward Cheng’s compensation, he could also upgrade his equipment and get something even better?