Beyond Endurance!

Yang Yongchao swept his vicious gaze across the room before finally fixing it on Qin Yao. He snarled, "Fuck, you took this long just to open a door? You don't welcome me?!"

"How could that be?"

Qin Yao rose to his feet, patting his backside with an artless expression. "I merely heard voices without hearing the courtyard gate open. For a moment, I suspected I was hearing things, so I hesitated."

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Ding! Skill "Acting" proficiency +1

"Hmph, 'heard voices without hearing the courtyard gate open'... The moment those mining-slave shackles came off, you started putting on airs like some 'scholar,' huh?"

Yang Yongchao said coldly and arrogantly.

Without waiting for Qin Yao to reply, he abruptly yanked the stunned Little Liuzi in front of him. "Wretched slave, kneel!"

Though Little Liuzi had no idea why, he did not dare defy the captain before him.

He feared that, in a moment of impulse, he would drag down Brother Qin the way he had once dragged down his sister.

So the big boy gritted his teeth in silence and dropped to his knees.

Only then did Yang Yongchao smugly show off to Qin Yao. "See that?

"You lucked into a pile of dog shit and received a special pardon, so I can't touch you for now.

"But this little mining slave? I see him every day. I can have him in the palm of my hand whenever and wherever I please!"

As he spoke, Yang Yongchao leisurely raised a foot and rubbed the sole of his shoe over Little Liuzi's nose and mouth, smearing mud all over his face.

"I heard everything you two said just now, all the way from the courtyard.

"Seems you two are pretty close, huh~"

At that, Yang Yongchao glared provocatively at Qin Yao and threatened, "You passed the civil examination, so your brain ought to be pretty sharp.

"You should understand what you need to do if you want this little wretched slave to have an easier time at the mine from now on, right?"

As the last word fell, Captain Yang brazenly patted the money pouch hanging from his waist.

His intent to extort money could not have been more obvious.

Little Liuzi immediately refused to accept it.

He absolutely did not want to burden his benefactor because of himself.

"Brother Qin, don't mind me, I..."

Slap!

Yang Yongchao backhanded Little Liuzi to the ground. "Damn it, who gave a wretched slave like you permission to speak?"

He then turned back to Qin Yao, revealing a hypocritical cold smile. "Top Scholar Qin is a smart man. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Qin Yao thought of his grandfather and younger sister behind him.

He also considered that if Yang Yongchao died in his house, there would surely be no end of trouble afterward.

So the youth drew a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the urge to twist the man's neck off, and nodded. "I understand.

"But I've only just shed my identity as a mining slave. I'm poor as a church mouse.

"How about you give me some time?

"Once I report to the village office and collect this month's salary, I'll certainly give you a satisfactory sum!"

In truth, the man had already made it onto Qin Yao's "Midnight Blacklist."

All he needed was a dark and windy night. He would change his appearance, log into the Dark Night Madman account, and deliver Captain Yang a great big surprise!

"Wait a while? Heh heh..."

Yang Yongchao sneered and pointed at Little Liuzi, who had been dazed by the slap. "Even if I have that patience, this wretched slave's life might not last until then!

"It's fine if you can't produce the money right now. With your reputation as Top Scholar Qin, plus your standing as a village office clerk, the neighbors will still acknowledge you.

"You can borrow from them!

"In any case, I'll give you three days.

"Three days from now, eight thousand copper coins to buy this little wretched slave some peace."

"Ah, eight thousand copper coins?!"

His younger sister, Qin Lan, instinctively covered her mouth.

Eight thousand copper coins—that was a full eight taels of silver!

What village office clerk could possibly earn such a high monthly salary?

"Fine, I agree."

Qin Yao gritted his teeth and agreed.

"Ah, that's more like it~"

Yang Yongchao smiled in satisfaction, then abruptly darkened his face and stared hard at Qin Yao. "Those eight thousand coins in three days are to buy this little wretched slave some peace.

"Next month, prepare another eight thousand for me as compensation for your previous disrespect!

"When we assembled at the mine before, you fucking dared to pin labels on me and talk to me with hidden barbs? Who gave you the nerve?!"

"If you dare be so disrespectful again, I wouldn't mind setting up a new 'target' to have a proper little game with you!"

As he spoke the words "set up a new target," Yang Yongchao's gaze viciously raked over Old Master Qin and his younger sister, Qin Lan.

The threat could not have been clearer.

Qin Yao trembled with rage.

Yet in Yang Yongchao's eyes, the other man had merely been cowed into shaking by his own "aura of kingly dominance."

So, with his hands clasped behind his back, he threw back his head and laughed three times before turning to leave.

But upon reaching the doorway, the man abruptly turned back. His teasing gaze fell upon Little Liuzi, whom Qin Yao had just helped to his feet, and he said with a nasty grin, "Kid, the 'sugar figurine maker's' older sister you mentioned..."

"Could she be Li Qin, the one who used to set up a little stall beside the Wang Family Pastry Shop on West Street?"

Little Liuzi froze at that.

The moment his sister was mentioned, the fury that had been blazing straight to his head seemed to dim by a third.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Captain... do you know my sister?"

"Ha! Hahahahaha!"

Yang Yongchao suddenly burst into laughter, wild and arrogant.

"It goes far beyond simply 'knowing' your sister!

"I've had her too!

"Your sister was far more interesting than those cheap, lustful whores from the brothels.

"After all, those sluts don't even know what shame is. But a decent woman like your sister, with looks that are at least passable? That's what makes riding her so much more flavorful! Hahahahaha..."

Rumble—!!

At Yang Yongchao's words, Little Liuzi seemed to have been struck by lightning!

He stood petrified, looking utterly stupefied.

The next instant, blood vessels bulged in his eyes!

"Huh? Why are you looking at me like that? That's pretty scary."

Yang Yongchao sneered without restraint. "Let me tell you the truth. So you could have a more peaceful life at the mine, your sister went everywhere, begging grandpas and grandmas. For a while, she ran around like a headless fly.

"Then someone dangled your safety as bait before her. Heh, and that stupid woman really took the hook!

"As for what your sister did for you, there's truly nothing to criticize.

"At our mine, I'm far from the only overseer or captain she's served.

"On Ironstone Street east of the village, among those seven or eight overseers assigned to the Ding-numbered mining zone, not a single one hasn't spent a night with her!"

"Honestly, your sister's figure and looks could only be called above average.

"A woman worn down by making a living, with no nutritious food and no makeup—how beautiful could she possibly be?

"But she was still fairly good by Tang Village standards. It's just a pity I heard Liu Pockmark fucked her to death half a month ago. What a pity, what a pity...

"Fine. For the sake of having been your 'free brother-in-law' several times, I'll lower it from eight thousand coins to seven thousand. That'll guarantee you a peaceful month. Generous enough, right?"

"AAAAAHHH!!"

Little Liuzi, his eyes blazing red, went completely mad!

Without caring in the least about the gap in their strength, he roared and lunged at the other man!

Yang Yongchao gave a contemptuous laugh. "Heh, you little beast who doesn't know his own limits—you dare bare your fangs in front of me?"

As he spoke, he viciously swung a slap at Little Liuzi's face.

But in that flash of sparks and flint, a hand moved even faster than his—it was Qin Yao, who could endure no more!