Conflict

Pan Yun stared fixedly at Lin Qing, who hadn't retreated a single step and whose aura remained steady, a storm of shock raging within his heart.

How is this little brat capable of this?

I heard he was only in the Skin Refining Realm; how can he take a strike from me head-on without losing ground?

Why was his move just now so condensed and fierce?

Pan Yun roared internally, an unprecedented sense of crisis surging up.

This child must not be left alive, or he will surely become a grave threat in the future!

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and the blood and qi within his body surged.

He fully mobilized the power of the Tendon Opening Realm, his five fingers curling slightly as his tendons and bones emitted faint cracking sounds.

Clearly, he was prepared to disregard everything and strike again.

He was determined to kill Lin Qing beneath his palm.

Lin Qing's expression remained unchanged; at worst, he would risk exposing his strength at the second stage to engage him.

"Enough!"

A deep shout rang out, like cold water splashed into boiling oil.

Head Constable Wang stepped across, blocking the space between the two, his face stern as his sharp gaze swept over Pan Yun and Lin Qing.

"Shopkeeper Pan, Young Master Lin. In broad daylight and under the eyes of the public, you dare to engage in armed conflict in the street? Where do you place the law?"

Head Constable Wang's voice was not loud, but it carried a cold indifference.

"If anyone moves again, do not blame this Head Constable for arresting you according to the law!"

The several yamen runners behind him also pressed their hands onto the iron blades and chains at their waists, watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

Pan Yun's movements stalled, his chest heaving violently as he forcibly suppressed the killing intent that was nearly bursting forth.

He could disregard Lin Qing, but he could not openly defy the government, especially without any ironclad evidence.

He took a deep breath and slowly withdrew his stance.

But those cold, sinister eyes still stared at Lin Qing like a venomous snake.

"Head Constable Wang."

Pan Yun pointed to a middle-aged man nearby.

"This person can testify. When he was guarding Security Hall last night, he saw with his own eyes that the brat Fan Kui was talking in front of Benevolent World Hall. Is this not evidence enough?"

The middle-aged man nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes! Head Constable, I was on duty last night and indeed saw Fan Kui come near our shop to act suspiciously after talking to Lin Qing. He must have been scouting the location in advance!"

Head Constable Wang frowned slightly and looked at Lin Qing: "Lin Qing, what explanation do you have for this? Why did Fan Kui seek you out in the middle of the night?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Lin Qing once again.

Lin Qing's expression was calm, meeting Head Constable Wang's gaze frankly, his voice indifferent: "Reporting to the Head Constable, Fan Kui knocked on my shop door last night because his father, Old Fan, had passed away from severe injuries. His family was destitute and could not afford a burial, so the body was left at the charity morgue. He came specifically to borrow money from me so his father could be laid to rest."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Fan Kui's cold corpse on the ground with a hint of complexity.

"Mindful of his filial piety and the fact that we are neighbors, I lent him three strings of copper coins so he could handle the funeral arrangements. The people at the charity morgue should be able to testify to this."

"As for why he came to Security Hall afterward and why he set the fire, this junior truly does not know."

Lin Qing explained the reason for the loan clearly and logically.

He only admitted to limited assistance based on neighborly sentiment.

Head Constable Wang listened and nodded slightly.

Having handled cases for many years, he knew the hardships of the common people well.

He had heard a little about the situation of Old Fan's family, who had been driven to a dead end by the White Horse Gang.

Now that the man was dead and they couldn't even afford a coffin, it was truly miserable.

For a half-grown child like Fan Kui to commit such an extreme act—while the motive was illegal, the despair behind it was enough to make one sigh.

He looked at Fan Kui's curled-up, blood-stained corpse on the ground.

Then he looked at the two blood-stained contracts gripped in Lin Qing's hand, and he understood most of it in his heart.

This youth had used such a resolute and tragic method to end everything and repay the kindness Lin Qing had once shown him.

"Sigh..."

Head Constable Wang let out a sigh, his tone carrying a rare sense of emotion.

"He was a youth with spirit. What a pity..."

He waved his hand and instructed the yamen runners behind him: "Men, collect the body, take it to the mass grave, and find a place to bury it."

"Yes!"

Two yamen runners stepped forward, wrapped Fan Kui's body in a straw mat, and carried it away.

"As for these ruffians from the White Horse Gang, who dared to break in and beat a youth to death, seize them!"

"Understood!"

Immediately, several bailiffs produced ropes and shackled the injured ruffians.

Seeing this, Feng Bing's eyes brimmed with unwillingness.

He had originally intended to force the property deeds out of the Fan Family's hands.

Yet he never imagined that the young man would be so decisive.

Watching this scene, Pan Yun's face turned so gloomy it seemed ready to drip water.

His challenge had been defused by Lin Qing with such effortless ease.

Moreover, Head Constable Wang of the local government clearly leaned toward believing Lin Qing's account.

He stared at Lin Qing, squeezing a cold snort through his teeth, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "Young Master Lin, what fine methods you have, and how skilled you are at winning hearts!"

"Three strings of copper coins to buy a hotheaded fool willing to commit arson for you, and you even gained two property deeds for free. This business deal was truly shrewd!"

He stepped forward, nearly pressing his face against Lin Qing's, and lowered his voice:

"However, the days are still long..."

"The mountains are high, the roads are far, and the pugilistic world is treacherous."

"Young Master Lin, when you walk or do business in the future, you must be careful and watch your step. Don't make a wrong move, lest you fall into some gutter and end up smashed to pieces!"

This threat was no longer even thinly veiled.

Lin Qing took a step back, his eyes showing disgust.

"Your breath stinks; stay away from me."

Veins bulged on Pan Yun's forehead, his face turning livid.

With a cold snort, he turned and left.

Lin Qing watched the figure depart.

He knew that the conflict with Security Hall had now moved into the open.

It would be no exaggeration to say they were now at daggers drawn.

The surrounding crowd, seeing the spectacle end, gradually dispersed.

Yet the gazes they cast toward Lin Qing held a mix of sympathy, awe, and unspeakable speculation.

The morning light completely dispelled the night.

Warm sunlight spilled onto Yongning Street.

It illuminated Lin Qing's silhouette.

He looked down at the bloodstains on the deeds.

Before his eyes, the tragic, heroic smile of Fan Kui and the desperate image of Old Fan's wife hanging herself seemed to manifest.

A family of three, originally poor but law-abiding.

Relying on Old Fan's carpentry skills and his wife's tofu stall, they had struggled to survive on Yongning Street.

But because Old Fan became disabled and lost his livelihood, unable to pay that damned incense money.

And because Fan Kui offended Lord Leopard's son, they were bullied and oppressed by the White Horse Gang like pigs and dogs, ultimately leading to their family's ruin and total annihilation.

"Damn this motherfucking, dog-eat-dog world!!"

An indescribable violence surged from the depths of Lin Qing's heart.

He gritted his teeth so hard that he managed to keep the roar from escaping his throat.

This was not just about him accepting the two deeds Fan Kui had traded his life for.

It was about accepting the final entrustment of Fan Kui's life.

The blood of Old Fan's family could not be shed in vain.

Lin Qing took a deep breath of the air, which still carried a burnt stench.

He forcibly suppressed his churning emotions, his eyes turning cold once more.

He carefully folded the two deeds, tucked them close to his body, and then turned, walking with steady steps into Benevolent World Hall.

His shadow stretched long in the morning light.

The road ahead was long, but there was much that had to be done, and not a single thing could be left undone.