I've Always Kept My Word
Only then did Lu Chen understand.
So there was such a thing as putting a fingerprint on it.
He had thought all he needed to do was repay the money and take back the IOU.
He had been beaten by his lack of experience.
Back on Earth, he had never borrowed money or lent any to anyone.
And in this world, his predecessor had died before he had the chance to borrow money from anyone.
I was careless!
Still, now that he knew the reason, it would be easy to deal with.
He sprang out from the ridge between the fields beside them.
His arm rose and his saber fell, then rose and fell again...
The four underlings Qian Gui had brought along collected their boxed lunches without getting a word out.
Qian Gui's pupils contracted wildly, as though he had seen a ghost. He watched Lu Chen suddenly emerge from behind the reeds. There had not been a sound before that, and his men were already dead.
Before he had time to feel afraid, he let out an "Ah!" with every ounce of strength he had and bolted forward like a madman.
At that moment, he finally regretted getting so fat.
A throwing knife appeared in Lu Chen's hand.
Whoosh!
The sharp blade cut through the air and buried itself in the back of Qian Gui's knee, punching straight out through his kneecap.
White bone fragments spurted out.
Qian Gui screamed. A searing pain shot through his right leg, and his momentum sent him tumbling forward, kicking up a cloud of dust from the road.
Lu Chen strode forward and planted a foot on Qian Gui's back, already holding his Yanling Saber against Qian Gui's neck.
His voice was ice-cold. "Speak. What's your name? What do you do in the Green Bamboo Gang?"
Qian Gui trembled all over, his fat face shaking violently. Sweat dripped onto the ground beneath him, and moans and screams escaped his throat.
Blood streamed from his right knee.
"Young hero, spare me! Spare my life! I don't know anything! I—my name is Qian Gui! Young hero, please don't kill me! I'm just an ordinary member of the Green Bamboo Gang..."
Lu Chen pressed his saber hard against Qian Gui's neck, leaving a line of blood.
Qian Gui panicked at once and quickly changed his story. "I-I'm just an ordinary minor leader!"
"Why did you come here?" Lu Chen asked again, looking at the roads to either side, ahead, and behind them.
Fortunately, it was noon, and with the sun beating down so fiercely, few people were out.
It was summer, and the lush vegetation on both sides of the road also provided them with some cover.
"I came looking for Huang Chao, young hero! I really don't know anything else!" The earth beneath Qian Gui gradually darkened.
A faint smell of urine drifted into Lu Chen's nose.
Qian Gui had wet himself.
Lu Chen frowned. "Who are the members of your Green Bamboo Gang? What are their cultivation levels, and what cultivation methods do they practice? Tell me about the other gangs too. If you leave anything out, you can wait for death. If you tell me everything clearly, I can consider sparing you this time! But if we meet again, I won't let you off!"
He fired off all his questions at once.
"R-really?" Qian Gui had not expected that he might actually survive.
"You're in no position to bargain! But I've always kept my word. As long as you tell me everything, I'll definitely let you go this time! But the next time we meet, I'll definitely kill you! So I suggest you leave Shahu County and go somewhere else!"
Lu Chen sneered.
Qian Gui immediately grew excited, seemingly almost forgetting the terrible pain in his leg. He hurriedly told Lu Chen what he knew.
"Our gang leader is Wang Hu. He practices the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique. He was already in the Organ Refining Realm ten years ago, and he's still there now, because the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique can only be cultivated to that realm."
"Wang Bao is Wang Hu's younger brother. He's at the late stage of the Iron Bone Realm, and he also practices the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique."
"Chen Biao runs the Green Bamboo Gang's brothels. I don't see him very often. He seems to be at the early stage of the Organ Tempering Realm and practices the Rolling Stone Fist. I don't know if he practices anything else."
"Pan Chen is at the middle stage of the Iron Bone Realm and practices the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique."
"Those three are all hall masters."
"The other minor leaders are like me, basically all in the Copper Skin Realm. The few who came with me were just ordinary people."
Qian Gui then went on to tell him in one breath what those people liked, where they lived, what family they had, and information about the people in the other gangs.
He was terrified that if he spoke a little too slowly, he would be cut down.
For a minor leader of the Green Bamboo Gang like him, none of this information was secret.
Lu Chen had not expected that the strongest among all the gangs in Shahu County would only be in the Organ Refining Realm.
"Young hero, young hero, I've told you everything. Can you let me go? Don't worry, I definitely won't go back. I'll go to another county town right now, far, far away, and never come back for the rest of my life!"
Seeing that Lu Chen said nothing, Qian Gui's already anxious heart leaped into his throat. Terrified that Lu Chen would go back on his word, he hurriedly begged for mercy.
"Don't be in such a hurry!"
Lu Chen stepped on Qian Gui and asked, "Do you know anything about the county magistrate and the others? What are their cultivation levels?"
Qian Gui was close to tears.
"The magistrate, County Magistrate Hu..." Qian Gui racked his brains, desperately trying to remember. "Oh, right! The magistrate should be in the Blood Exchange Realm. A couple of years ago, the gang leader had a meal with the magistrate and the others, and I think it came up. But I don't know how strong he is now. I really don't!"
"Mm! Go on!"
"Assistant Magistrate Meng Ping should also be in the Organ Tempering Realm. He's a little stronger than the gang leader—than Wang Hu. He seems to be a master of swordsmanship."
"County Commandant Li Ziren uses a long spear, and the county's soldiers answer to him too. He should also be in the Organ Refining Realm."
"The registrar is called Wang Xiong. I-I don't know his cultivation level, I, I..."
Feeling the cold edge of the bloodstained saber against his neck, Qian Gui truly wanted to cry.
Lu Chen took his foot off him and slowly moved the saber away from his neck.
"All right, I'll keep my word. You can go. I won't kill you this time!"
Qian Gui could hardly believe it.
He had thought he was certain to die this time.
He had never expected this fool... this young hero would actually keep his word!
He could not help but be overjoyed.
Damn it, you dared lay a hand on me? Just you wait. Next time, it won't be me who comes for you. You're dead, boy!
Your whole family will die!
Vicious thoughts spread through his mind like weeds, but he wore a humble, ingratiating smile as he endured the pain and climbed to his feet, watching Lu Chen turn and leave.
His anxious heart finally settled.
He turned his head and limped forward.
Puchi!
The tip of the saber emerged from his chest, blood dripping down the fuller of the blade.
Qian Gui slowly lowered his head, feeling only a stab of agonizing pain.
He looked in disbelief at the figure who had appeared beside him.
"You damned thing, you actually dared show your face in front of me again! I already spared you the first time and told you not to show up in Sand Lake, and you still don't know how to be grateful? Die!"
Qian Gui said, "Fuck your mo—"
Lu Chen pulled out his saber and kicked Qian Gui's bulky body forward, sending him sprawling.
He quickly searched the five men and found only a dozen or so taels of loose silver and nothing else.
"How should I deal with these corpses? This is still a main road, and someone could come along at any moment. This is a little tricky!"
Lu Chen turned to look at the nearby Great Green Mountain.
"I still have to rely on the power of nature!"
He immediately got to work. With several hundred jin of strength, moving a few corpses was easy enough.
The Great Green Mountain was only a few dozen meters away.