That Was Miserable!

Niu Shiyang pointed at Qin Dashan, who was squatting on the ground clutching the money pouch, and said viciously to Qin Yao, "If you know what's good for you, make this old fossil hand over the money already!

"Otherwise, I, Niu Shiyang, have plenty of ways to make you grandfather and grandson suffer more than you can swallow!"

At that moment, Old Master Qin hurriedly raised his head.

When he saw his grandson, his body trembled, and he hastily said, "Yao'er, there's no need to fight over a moment's pride. If the money gets snatched, we can earn it again, but..."

Qin Dashan trailed off, unable to continue.

"Heh, what do you mean, 'gets snatched'? Who are you taking potshots at?"

Niu Shiyang cursed, "You old dog, you've even learned to slander people now?!"

At this moment, Qin Yao forcefully suppressed his anger.

He had the feeling that his grandfather had some unspeakable difficulty just now.

Until he understood everything clearly, he could not act rashly.

Qin Yao bent down and held out his hand. "Grandpa, give me the money pouch first, will you?"

"Alright, alright."

Old Master Qin did as asked.

Once the pouch was in his hands, Qin Yao used his "Beginner Realm" lockpicking skill to feel it over. He immediately sensed that it held more than copper coins—there were also some odd-shaped little things inside.

Those should have been lockpicking tools Grandpa had bought according to his needs, right?

Those things absolutely could not be exposed.

Otherwise, they might very well bring disaster upon them!

Qin Yao understood at once. "No wonder Grandpa would rather endure punches and kicks than let go of the money pouch with his life."

The youth's eyes shifted, and an idea immediately came to him.

A smile common to little people struggling at the bottom suddenly piled onto his face. He carefully handed the money pouch in his hand to Niu Shiyang.

Ding! Skill "Acting" proficiency +5

And sure enough, Qin Yao was forcing down his hatred and deliberately putting on a cautious, timid appearance. It really did boost his acting skills quite a bit!

As he slowly offered up the money pouch, he said, "If this money really is yours, then of course it should be returned to its rightful owner!"

"Hehe, at least you know what's good for you!"

Seeing the money pouch offered to him, Niu Shiyang arrogantly curled his lips. "Next time, tell that old man of yours to watch himself. If he dares steal my things again, then there won't be—"

Before he could finish, however, Qin Yao suddenly pulled the money pouch back.

Then he raised his voice and said, "But when we do things, we have to be reasonable. You should at least prove that it's yours first, shouldn't you?

"For example, how many copper coins and how much loose silver are in this pouch altogether?

"If you can't give the exact number, an approximate amount will do.

"As long as it isn't too far off, it can count as evidence."

At first, Niu Shiyang had been grinning.

But the longer he listened, the more wrong it sounded. He glared viciously at Qin Yao. "You fucking dare play me?!"

"No, I'm reasoning with you!"

Qin Yao spread his hands with an innocent expression. "Whoever can say roughly how much money is in this pouch can prove that they own it. It's a very simple principle, isn't it?"

The moment those words came out, Old Master Qin suddenly understood.

He hurriedly said, "There is no loose silver in this old man's money pouch—only twenty-six copper coins!"

Qin Yao decisively untied the pouch and poured its contents into his palm in front of everyone.

As a string of clink-clank coin sounds rang out, Old Master Qin's heart rose straight to his throat!

"Aiya, Yao'er, you muddlehead!"

He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "If you pour it out like that, not only the coins, but also those lockpicking tools I bought for you will all come spilling out.

"If the mining overseer spots anything suspicious, we'll be in serious trouble!"

If he had not been worried that making a move now would look like trying to cover something up...

Qin Dashan truly would have loved to pounce over at once and snatch back the money pouch.

But very soon, Old Master Qin was no longer so tense. "Eh? Why did only the coins come out?

"Why haven't any of those lockpicking things appeared?"

At this point, Qin Yao even gave the money pouch, opening downward in his right hand, two deliberate shakes to show that he had emptied it completely.

Only then did he begin counting the coins that had been poured out.

"Two, four, six..."

"Fuck, what the hell are you counting for? Hand it over!"

How could Niu Shiyang possibly sit by and watch Qin Yao count the number of coins in full view of everyone?

He reached out to snatch it directly!

However, Qin Yao took a step back and flashed aside, making the burly fellow pounce on empty air.

"Heh? You little brat are pretty slippery!"

Niu Shiyang rolled up his sleeves and lunged forward again!

But no matter how this bull of a man charged and rampaged about, Qin Yao always relied on nimble footwork to evade him with ease.

His physical condition, just one step away from the "First Layer of the Body Tempering Realm," meant that whether in strength or agility, Qin Yao was far beyond Niu Shiyang—a brute with nothing but a bit of raw strength.

"Twenty-four, twenty-six!

"Exactly twenty-six coins—not one more, not one less!"

After three rounds of one chasing and the other dodging, Qin Yao had already counted them clearly in front of everyone.

"This proves that you are not the owner of this money pouch."

Qin Yao's voice was full and forceful, ensuring every word he spoke could be heard by everyone present.

"The truth is already perfectly clear—Niu Shiyang, you openly tried to rob another person's property in broad daylight. When you failed, you beat an old man. Your conduct is utterly vile!

"Do you have no respect for the law at all?!"

His stern, well-reasoned interrogation struck like thunder exploding across dry land, deafening the onlookers.

"This kid's something else. Cool in a crisis, knows plenty, and his tongue is sharp too."

"Yeah, yeah. I never thought you could use a method like this to prove who the money pouch belonged to."

"Nonsense. You chop firewood up in the mountains—Brother Yao here is an educated man who once passed the provincial examination as the top scorer. How could you be the same?"

The middle-aged man said indignantly, "Hmph, so what? Isn't he just a lowly mine slave like me now?"

"Both of you are mine slaves, but he can do the work of several men every day. Between what he eats and takes away, he can get more than ten big coarse cakes! What about you?"

"Uh..."

The middle-aged man was instantly left speechless, his face flushing red as he lowered his head.

"Ha, hahahahaha!"

Niu Shiyang suddenly burst into laughter.

The lanterns and torches of the mine slave convoy mingled with starlight and moonlight, shining upon his fleshy face and making it look especially savage!

"You lowly mine slave, in this western village where all these wretches gather, you actually dare talk to me about the 'law'?!

"You still think you're some 'top provincial scholar'?!"

"I'm going to beat you up right now. As long as you don't end up seriously maimed or dead, it'll be as if I never beat you at all. Believe that?!"

With that, Niu Shiyang's wild-boar-like body had already launched into a charge.

"Ah! Help! Murder!"

Qin Yao shouted at the top of his lungs, looking scared out of his wits.

In truth—

Ding! Skill "Acting" proficiency +4

At a certain moment.

Qin Yao seized the opportunity. As he twisted aside to dodge, he raised one leg slightly, and the chain between his ankles immediately hooked around Niu Shiyang's leg.

The brute was tripped directly off balance!

The powerful momentum of his charge carried his upper body straight down toward the ground.

Niu Shiyang, about to take a tumble, instinctively stretched out both hands to brace himself.

Just then—"Ow!"

Qin Yao suddenly cried out in pain, pretending that he too had been dragged down by Niu Shiyang. Face up, he fell toward the ground.

Ding! Skill "Acting" proficiency +3

As the youth fell backward, his right hand suddenly swept out, knocking aside both of Niu Shiyang's arms that had been about to brace against the ground.

Then, he flipped in midair, and his left hand seemingly pressed against the back of Niu Shiyang's head in a flustered, accidental motion.

Qin Yao secretly exerted force, smashing that fat head viciously into the ground!

It might sound complicated, but it all happened in no more than a flash of lightning.

Bang!

"Ah!"

Niu Shiyang was the first to let out a miserable scream.

That fall sent him sprawling face-first into the dirt!

His nose was flattened, his front teeth knocked out.

Even his forehead had turned black and blue, as though an elephant had planted its backside right on his face. It was truly a miserable sight...