Though I'm No Gentleman, I'm No Villain Either

"So you are the legendary Douluo Jack, I have long heard of your reputation."

Su Chen cupped his hands and bowed to Old Jack in greeting.

Upon hearing the word "Douluo," Xiao Wu's rabbit ears shot straight up, and she instantly shrank behind Su Chen, staring at the old man before them with vigilance.

Old Jack was completely bewildered.

What was he saying?

Him? A Titled Douluo?

"Ahem, this young master must be joking. This old man isn't even a Spirit Master, let alone a Douluo."

Old Jack stroked his beard and waved his hands repeatedly.

Su Chen grinned; he called Old Jack a Douluo, but not that kind of Douluo—those who knew, knew.

Seeing Old Jack personally deny it, Xiao Wu finally poked her head out from behind him and glared at Su Chen, pouting.

This jerk, all he ever does is try to scare her!

Su Chen walked over to the courtyard and sat down, casually smoothing out his hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"Old man, I've come this time to ask you about someone."

As he spoke, Su Chen took out a Silver Spirit Coin and handed it to Old Jack.

Whoosh!

Old Jack's withered, bony hand moved like a blur, and the Silver Spirit Coin vanished into his robes in an instant.

"Oh my, how could I accept this? For a small matter like asking about someone, just go ahead and ask, young master!" Old Jack beamed, his aged face blooming like a flower.

Su Chen never would have guessed that Old Jack possessed the traits of a prankster.

"Old man, the person I want to ask about is named Tang Hao."

He had no interest in Tang Hao himself.

He was doing this for A Yin, who was inside the Spirit Tool.

At this moment.

Watching the outside world from within the Spirit Tool, A Yin's leaves fluttered.

She was listening to the commotion outside with rapt attention.

Tang Hao?

Old Jack couldn't understand how a drunkard like Tang Hao could catch the eye of this young master.

Taking money to do a job, however, was a different matter.

Old Jack cleared his throat, leaned on his cane, and sat on a stool, pondering for a moment before speaking: "Tang Hao came to our village six years ago with an infant to settle down..."

Old Jack told the story with great vividness and emotion.

From Tang Hao being dead drunk every single day, to him not caring whether Tang San lived or died since he was small.

From the moment Tang San could remember, he had to stand on a stool to cook and do laundry for his alcoholic father...

One incident after another, every detail was laid bare and shaken out clean.

Inside the Spirit Tool, there was dead silence.

A Yin's few remaining golden-veined grass leaves drooped powerlessly, as if the last shred of her vitality had been drained away.

Hao-ge, why would you treat our child like this?

That was the flesh and blood I traded my life to protect!

Could it be that, from beginning to end, you were truly only after my spirit ring and spirit bone?

A Yin's heart shattered into pieces.

Over half an hour later, Old Jack's throat was parched from talking, and he picked up his tea mug to take a massive gulp of water.

Behind Su Chen, Xiao Wu was gritting her teeth, and she slapped Su Chen on the shoulder: "This Tang Hao is simply not a human being!"

"He's not a human being, so why are you hitting me?" Su Chen turned his head back with a gloomy expression.

Xiao Wu instantly switched back to her cowardly rabbit mode, shrinking her neck with a dry laugh.

Old Jack wiped his mouth and asked in confusion: "Young master, why are you asking about that lazy bum?"

Su Chen withdrew his gaze from Xiao Wu.

"Old man, to tell you the truth, I've come here for the sake of the lives of everyone in Holy Soul Village, and the source of the trouble lies with Tang Hao."

"He has brought a great disaster upon himself!"

Old Jack was completely confused.

"What kind of disaster could Tang Hao bring? Did he get caught peeking at a widow bathing in the city?" Old Jack said with a look of disdain. "Besides, he left the village almost a year ago."

Su Chen flashed his two front teeth: "This lazy bum in your village is actually the number one wanted criminal of Spirit Hall?"

"Impossible!" Old Jack shook his head like a rattle. "With that pathetic look of his, always struggling to get enough to eat, how could he be a wanted criminal?"

He wouldn't believe it even if it killed him.

"You can know a person's face, but not their heart."

"Old man, you don't know, but Tang Hao has quite the background. He is a genuine Titled Douluo, known in the underworld as the Clear Sky Old Bastard."

"The number of lives on his hands exceeds the amount of salt you've eaten in your life."

Old Jack's head buzzed.

That blacksmith who was drunk every day and couldn't even afford a full meal was a Titled Douluo?

"Little master, the background you've concocted for him is too fake. If Tang Hao were really a Titled Douluo, then I, Old Jack, would be the Pope of Spirit Hall!"

Old Jack waved his hands repeatedly, not believing a single word.

If Tang Hao were a Titled Douluo, wouldn't he have died years ago for scolding him every single day?

There was no such thing as a high-level Spirit Master who would stand there and take it when pointed at and cursed.

Unless they were a spineless coward.

Su Chen didn't waste any more breath. He turned around, reached out toward Xiao Wu, and ruthlessly rubbed his thumb against his index finger.

The moment Xiao Wu saw this gesture, her fur stood on end.

This was Su Chen's exclusive gesture for demanding money from her!

She clutched the small pink spirit tool at her waist tightly and backed away, shaking her head like a bobblehead doll: "No money! I don't have any money, you'll have to take my life instead!"

During the year Su Chen spent at Notting Academy, those noble students had to obediently hand over protection fees every month.

Over the course of the year, he had saved at least eight or nine hundred gold soul coins, all kept in the custody of this money-grubbing rabbit.

"Don't make me do it myself, hurry up." Su Chen narrowed his eyes.

Xiao Wu's eyes welled up with tears as she accused him: "You're exploiting a veteran comrade like me, doesn't your conscience hurt? These are my beloved friends and family, my own flesh and blood!"

"Cut the crap, flesh and blood are meant to be sold."

Su Chen didn't stand on ceremony and slapped the back of her head: "Dump it out!"

Xiao Wu let out a wail, and with great reluctance, she unfastened the spirit tool. As if she were cutting off her own flesh, she poured out a few gold soul coins, one by one.

Su Chen snatched the spirit tool away and shook it vigorously with the opening facing down.

He dumped out every single gold soul coin.

At a rough glance, there were over eight hundred of them, piled up in front of Old Jack's doorstep like a small mountain of gold.

The golden glow was so bright it nearly blinded Old Jack's weathered eyes.

Old Jack had never seen so much money in his life; his breathing turned heavy and ragged in an instant.

Su Chen took 10 coins from the pile, glanced at the teary-eyed Xiao Wu beside him, and then fished out another 10 to place in her hand before turning to Old Jack.

"Old man, I won't beat around the bush."

"Take these gold soul coins. Tang Hao is indeed a Titled Douluo. I've come this time to ransack his home, and he's bound to go insane when he returns. This matter started because of me, and I make it a point not to implicate the innocent."

"So, take the money quickly, bring the whole village, buy standing tickets tonight, and run for your lives! The further, the better!"

Old Jack stared at the heavy pile of gold soul coins, swallowing hard.

With this many gold soul coins, the entire village could move to a big city, buy homes, settle down, and perhaps even buy up a few mountains to live like wealthy landlords.

Though he was old, he wasn't stupid.

A child who could casually pull out this many gold soul coins clearly wasn't joking.

Besides, regardless of whether Tang Hao was a Titled Douluo or not, only a fool would turn down money to move away!

"Good child! Grandpa thanks your ancestors for eight generations on behalf of the whole village!"

Su Chen: I thank you too, you old geezer.

Old Jack displayed an agility that defied his age, turning around and sprinting to strike the broken bronze bell in the center of the village.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Folks! Gather up! Pack your things! We're running for our lives!"

Under Old Jack's impassioned speech, everyone agreed to move out of Holy Soul Village.

"Widow Zhang, forget about those two old hens, hurry up and leave!"

"Li Tiezhu, pull up all the scallions in the field tonight, don't leave a single one behind, we're going to the city to live the good life!"

"Auntie Wang, don't bother with that broken iron pot, it's heavy as lead. We have money now, we'll eat out every day!"

Old Jack stood at the village entrance, clutching the pile of gold soul coins, directing the chaos with the air of a great general.

Watching the scene of Holy Soul Village in a frantic, bustling state of packing, Su Chen hid his merit and fame.

"Boss, my money..." Xiao Wu was still wiping away tears, her heart aching so much she couldn't breathe; she felt as if the sky had collapsed.

"What are you crying for? Wealth is meant to be spent and earned again. Come on, I'll take you to the skies."

Su Chen wrapped his arm around Xiao Wu's waist, activated his flight soul guidance device, and soared into the sky.

"Boss, why did you give them so much money? That was our entire savings! We could have bought a mountain of carrots with that!" Xiao Wu protested wildly in mid-air.

Su Chen rapped her on the head. "You don't know a damn thing."

"That old geezer Tang Hao was turned into a eunuch by me; he's surely bottling up a nameless rage. When he comes back and finds his wife gone, he'll definitely take his frustrations out on these defenseless villagers."

"I'm the one who caused this mess. While I'm no upright gentleman, I don't do heartless things that drag innocent people into my problems. Spending a little money to buy some peace of mind is worth it."

Xiao Wu blinked, only half-understanding, and muttered, "Boss, you... sometimes you actually act like a decent human being."

"Do you know how to talk? If not, donate your mouth to someone who needs it."