Lu Chen walked in from the city gate, drawing plenty of attention once again.
Not long ago, they had clearly seen Lu Chen, covered in blood and battered beyond recognition, crawling out of the city from the streets.
That scene had truly left many people clicking their tongues in astonishment.
Yet less than a day later, he had returned completely unscathed.
Naturally, such a sight left everyone bewildered.
What kind of miraculous pill had he taken?
Even the most potent miraculous pill could not have such wondrous effects, could it? Lu Chen ignored the gazes around him and, following the address Zhao Shan had given him, hurried straight toward the beggars' hideout.
He had already planned what to do next.
Since he was going to make trouble, he would make it huge.
The beggars, the porcelain shop—none of these harmful things could be left behind.
Clang!
Suddenly, a deafening gong rang out on the street, drawing countless eyes.
Lu Chen halted as well and turned to look.
A large group of burly armored soldiers marched down the street, escorting a spacious carriage in their midst, stirring up a wave of discussion.
"County Magistrate's son Lin Yungui is back!"
"Whoa, what grandeur!"
"I heard the County Magistrate's son took a master as his teacher. His strength is said to be terrifying, though apparently he has certain little peculiar habits."
"What little peculiar habits?"
"The little peculiar habits all men have..."
"Heh, I see."
Many men on the street wore knowing smiles.
"The County Magistrate's son?"
Lu Chen frowned slightly, cast a distant glance at the carriage, then charged toward the Beggar Gang's hideout again.
For now, revenge came first!
Everything else could wait.
Inside the spacious carriage.
A young man in a blue robe wore a smile. His features were bewitchingly handsome, and his pale hand gently lifted the carriage curtain as he swept his gaze outside.
"Three years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet Panshi City is still the same as ever... tsk, tsk..."
An invisible fire of desire seemed to flow through his eyes, lending him an evil charm.
Lu Chen raced onward.
Before long, he arrived outside a Taoist temple whose exterior was damaged and weathered by years of neglect.
The instant he arrived, he heard a woman's sobbing from within the temple.
"My child, where is my child? I saw someone abduct my child and run in here with my own eyes. Give my child back!"
"You shrew, what are you babbling about? Where is your child here? There are only men here. Want one? Do you want a taste of my big club?"
"That's right. You came to our Beggar's Den looking for a child—do you think beggars are easy to bully?" "Get lost, get lost! Otherwise, don't blame us for treating you to our dog-beating sticks!"
Several rough male voices rang out, full of impatience.
"No, I really saw two beggars carry off my child. I'm begging you, please give my child back!"
The woman continued to cry out, hysterical and utterly despairing.
"Damn it, we've said all we can say, but you won't listen, will you? Get lost! Your child isn't here!"
"That's right, where would your child be? Leave!"
The impatient voices of several beggars rang out again.
"I'm begging you, I'm begging you, give me my child..."
The woman's cries continued. It seemed she had grabbed hold of one of the beggars.
That beggar flew into a rage. "Damn it, you dare lay hands on me! Beat her to death!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! The dull sounds of a group beating rose from the temple.
Lu Chen's heart turned cold. His body shot forward, and with a crack, he kicked the tightly shut temple gates. The already dilapidated gates flew backward like scraps of paper, crashing heavily into the courtyard.
The terrifying sight made the expressions of the beggars change at once, and they hurriedly turned around.
Lu Chen's face was icy as he looked into the courtyard.
He saw a dark-skinned woman in her early thirties, dressed in plain, heavily patched clothes. Her face was streaked with tears as she lay on the ground, her body covered in footprints.
Another four or five beggars surrounded her, seemingly in the middle of beating her.
"Y-you... who are you?"
One of the beggars asked in shock.
He had kicked the gates flying that far with one kick? This was a martial artist, wasn't it?
"Sir, what can we do for you?"
A middle-aged beggar swallowed hard, forced himself to step forward, and approached Lu Chen.
He was puzzled.
Judging by Lu Chen's clothes, he did not look wealthy. How could he be a martial artist?
Smack!
Lu Chen answered his question with a merciless slap. The beggar screamed as his body flew away like a kite with its string cut, smashing into the distance.
With that single strike, Lu Chen slapped him to death.
[You killed a beggar steeped in evil. Merit Points +4]
A line of text appeared.
The horrifying sight made the other beggars pale with fright as they hurriedly backed away.
"What are you doing?"
"Someone come! Someone has broken into the hall!"
"Come quickly!"
They turned and ran deeper into the Taoist temple.
Lu Chen's expression darkened as he lunged after them.
Bang!
He grabbed one beggar by the hair and yanked him back violently. Two fingers stabbed fiercely into the man's eyes with a squelch, blood splashing as a scream rang out.
Then he swiftly broke the beggar's arms, kicked out again, and swept through his legs, snapping them both before throwing him aside.
He moved again without pause, repeating the same method. He seized beggar after beggar, gouging out their eyes, shattering their legs, and hurling them away like blood-soaked balls...
Killing them outright would be letting them off too easily. Against beasts like these, he had to use even crueler methods to torment them!
Break their hands and feet, then gouge out their eyes, leaving them unable to care for themselves for the rest of their lives. Only then would they spend the remainder of their days in endless despair.
Only that could truly satisfy the heart!
[You punished a beggar steeped in evil. Merit Points +5] [You punished a beggar... Merit Points +5] [...+4] [...+5]
Lines of text continued to appear.
In the blink of an eye, all seven or eight beggars had been crippled.
The woman beside him was dumbfounded, tears still on her face, as though she were dreaming. "Tell me, where is your Beggar Chief?"
Lu Chen grabbed the last beggar and asked.
"It hurts so much! The Beggar Chief is inside! It hurts so much..."
The beggar's face was covered in blood, his limbs shattered as he screamed miserably.
"Get lost!"
Lu Chen casually tossed his body away, smashing him into a corner of the wall.
Then he suddenly turned to look at the woman to one side. "Your child is missing?"
The woman came back to her senses, her eyes blurred by tears. "Yes. I saw two beggars carry away my child with my own eyes. I chased them all the way here and clearly saw them come inside!"
"Then come with me. I'll take you to find your child!"
Lu Chen said.
He charged straight ahead.
The woman hurriedly wiped away her tears and followed closely behind. No matter what, she had to find her child!
She had long heard that some beggars abducted children, either breaking their limbs or gouging out their eyes.
Others were even more cruel. They raised the children in jars to gain sympathy and make them beg for money.
She feared that her child would be tortured like that as well.
If that had truly happened, she did not dare imagine whether she would still have the courage to live.
Deep within the Taoist temple.
Inside a spacious main hall.
The Beggar Chief at the head of the group had a dignified appearance and sat cross-legged upon a meditation cushion, calm and composed as he smiled at the scene before him.
They had abducted three children in total. Their bodies were pinned down, towels stuffed into their mouths, leaving them able only to make muffled whimpering sounds.
Two boys. One girl.
They appeared to be no more than seven or eight years old.
With red lips and white teeth, they were heartbreakingly adorable.
"Beggar Chief, what do you think of this little girl? Her looks are far better than those we had before. Those teeth, that skin—tsk, tsk. We searched for a long time before finding her."
A robust adult beggar smiled broadly as he looked at the Beggar Chief with utmost respect.
Before you continue