Crossover: In Little Garden, Becoming a God Through Once Proven, Forever Proven

[That person was the culprit! Qu Tong!]

"M-my family, how are they?"

The first thing Ma Xianhong did after recovering his memories was ask about his family. His grandfather and the others were still his greatest concern.

"They're dead. I have a few connections and a bit of a reputation in both the Outcast world and the ordinary world, so I asked someone to investigate."

"They're dead, and even their bodies are gone. Everyone involved is dead too. She cleaned everything up thoroughly. I only found a few traces by asking someone from the Shuzi Sect to use their arts."

"Of course, the investigation might have been wrong. They might still be alive, but there isn't much hope."

Qin Qi had already investigated before coming. He had originally hoped to rescue them, but after a long investigation, the final result was that they were probably dead.

"That's impossible! She promised me that as long as I went with her, she'd spare my family!"

Ma Xianhong refused to believe it. He clenched his teeth, but tears streamed down his face.

"You were the only one of use to her. She altered your memories and took control of you, so what value did your family have after that?"

Qin Qi said.

"I won't listen, I don't believe it. My grandpa, my family, they must still be alive. They must still be alive, sob, sob..."

Ma Xianhong fell to his knees and wept. The memories he had always wanted to recover had turned out to be so painful.

If he had known... he would rather have remained a fool with no memory. At least that way he wouldn't have been in so much pain!

"You don't have to believe me. You can also think I tampered with your memories. Take your time to think it over and check for yourself."

"I'm in no hurry, and I won't threaten you. You can make your decision after you've figured things out for yourself."

Qin Qi didn't rush Ma Xianhong. Instead, he told him to take his time and think it through. After saying that, he left, giving Ma Xianhong plenty of time to check.

[Over the following days, Ma Xianhong had people look into your identity and heard about the things you had done.]

[He learned that you were a member of the Three-One Sect, about your friendship with Lu Jin, and about how you had challenged the major sects.]

[Ma Xianhong used all sorts of methods to examine the memories in his head, while recalling everything he had experienced with Qu Tong.]

[Once the seed of suspicion had been planted, the hidden truths began to surface. After checking repeatedly, Ma Xianhong believed what you had said.]

[After taking care of some other matters outside, you returned to Ma Xianhong and asked for his answer.]

"I'm going to kill Qu Tong! Help me, and once I've killed her and settled my affairs... I'll go with you."

"But... I have to take the people in my village with me. They trust me, so I can't just abandon them."

Revenge was the only thing on Ma Xianhong's mind now, but even so, he had never considered leaving the villagers behind and running off on his own.

Put nicely, he kept his promises. Put bluntly, he was a one-track-minded man who would always see through whatever he agreed to do.

"All right. I'll help you take out Qu Tong, and I'll ask people to keep looking for your family too."

"I'll take in the people from your village as well... well, apart from a few with bad character, I'll take all the rest."

"And I'll help you resolve the problems you promised to help them with."

Qin Qi spoke with a smile. There was no need to waste words on a craftsman like this. Explain the situation clearly, and if he agreed, he would say yes. If he didn't, there was nothing to be done.

After all, craftsmen were all one-track-minded.

"Thanks."

When Ma Xianhong heard Qin Qi say he would keep helping him look for his family, his eyes grew a little damp. He knew perfectly well that his family was probably already dead.

But he wasn't willing to give up. Even if the hope was an illusion, he wouldn't give it up. He was glad that Qin Qi was willing to support him.

[After persuading Ma Xianhong, you began taking stock of the people in Biyou Village. First, you had Ma Xianhong talk to them and explain the situation.]

[But everyone's reaction wasn't as simple as Ma Xianhong had imagined.]

A note on the updates: from now on, the usual three updates each day will come between seven and nine in the evening. Three updates are over ten thousand characters, and I really can't handle any more. I don't want to go bald yet!

Chapter 60: Back Then, My Hands Were in My Pockets, and I Didn't Know What an Opponent Was!

"Oh, my great sect leader, are you stupid?!"

"He comes up and tells you a story, and you just believe him? You trust people way too easily! Didn't you ever consider that he might be lying to you?!"

Seeing how readily Ma Xianhong had believed Qin Qi, Fu Rong covered her face helplessly.

Someone had barged into the village out of nowhere, and he had believed what that person said so easily.

"I didn't believe him at first either, but after checking, I found that he has a very good reputation outside."

"And I found plenty of evidence proving that what he said was true. I didn't just believe him without thinking."

"I analyzed the evidence and logic before finally reaching my conclusion."

Ma Xianhong spoke very seriously. He wasn't stupid, and he wouldn't believe people so easily. He had checked all of it.

"Sect leader, haven't you considered that the process might be right, but something could still go wrong with the final result?"

Fu Rong said.

"Impossible. If the process is right, the result can't be wrong."

Ma Xianhong was utterly convinced of this. As long as the process was right, artifact refinement was sure to succeed. If it failed, that meant there had been a mistake in the process.

The same went for conduct and affairs. The process had to be right for the result to be right. If the process was wrong, the result couldn't be right either.

"The sect leader is right!"

Qiu Rang, Ma Xianhong's number-one fan and an inheritor of Divine Machine Hundred Refinements, supported him completely.

"Right, my foot! Are you artifact refiners all... all wooden-headed idiots?!"

Fu Rong couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.

"No, Fu Rong, listen while I explain the process and analysis to you. It went like this..."

Ma Xianhong was still trying to use evidence and facts to explain his analysis to Fu Rong, but just then Qin Qi walked over.

"Forget it. You're not cut out for negotiating with people. Let me."

Qin Qi patted Ma Xianhong on the shoulder, then looked at Fu Rong. "Fu Rong, inheritor of a sword qi master and part-time cook in the village, right?"

"That's right. I'm telling you, I'm not as wooden-headed as the sect leader. Don't even think about fooling me."

Fu Rong looked at Qin Qi and thought he was a little handsome, but not enough to make her swoon over him.

"ICBC, a hundred thousand yuan..."

Qin Qi spoke calmly.

"Wait, don't say it..."

Fu Rong hurried to stop him, but it was already too late.

"China Merchants Bank, a hundred thousand; Bank of China, two hundred thousand; Splurge, thirty thousand; Life-or-Death Loan, thirty thousand... and finally, Huabei, fifty thousand!"

"You're a blacklisted debtor who doesn't pay back what you owe. How do you have the nerve to say I can't be trusted? Hmm? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Qin Qi watched Fu Rong crouch down and cover her head at his words, and continued to press her.

"Sob, sob... I didn't mean to. I really couldn't come up with the money. I invested it all in my boyfriend's business."

"But once my boyfriend makes money, I'll definitely pay it back!"

Fu Rong crouched with her head in her arms, whimpering as she spoke.

"Your boyfriend, my ass. Here, see for yourself."

Qin Qi casually tossed out a few photographs and an investigation file. "That guy's a professional boy toy. He spent your money on a car and luxury goods."

"He even used your money to keep a girl who's younger, prettier, and sluttier than you."

"Once he makes money, you'll definitely pay it back? You're never going to make any money. You're a lovestruck fool, falling for it every time, and every time it's the same trick."

After Qin Qi finished speaking, the way the people around them looked at Fu Rong changed. They had imagined all sorts of reasons.

But they had never imagined that Fu Rong had joined Biyou Village simply because a boy toy had cheated her out of her money. Lady, you joined us over something that trivial? Was that really necessary?

"Sob, sob... boss, please stop. I was wrong. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Um... I can cook, do graphic design, and use a blade. If I work for you, could you help me pay off my debts?"

Fu Rong immediately put on a flattering smile and rubbed her hands together.

"No chance. If you were in debt because your family was struggling or because you got sick, I could cover all of it."

"But you want me to reimburse you for the money you spent keeping a boy toy? Dream on."

"And you didn't borrow from loan sharks, you borrowed from banks. I'm telling you, there's no way I'm paying it back for you."

"If you want to pay it back, work hard and use your salary."

Qin Qi would never help her pay back that money. Though he believed in mutual benefit, it wasn't without reason or limits.

At the very least, he definitely wouldn't help with this kind of debt.

"Boss..."

"Shut up. I'll pay you this much. If you're willing to stay, then shut your mouth and behave."

Qin Qi held up his hand to show a number as he spoke.

"Sob, sob."

The moment Fu Rong saw the number, she covered her mouth. It wasn't that she had no backbone; he was simply offering too much!

"Sister Rong, don't you have any ambition at all?"

The little loli Liu Wukui said.

Fu Rong said nothing and merely rolled her eyes. Kids didn't understand. What face did adults have left to worry about?

How much was face worth anyway?

"Go squat over there with Big Yellow at the village entrance."

Qin Qi waved his hand. One dealt with.

"Big Yellow at the village entrance? Come on, boss, that's too insulting!"

"One more word and you're fired."

"Yes, boss. I love little animals."

Fu Rong obediently ran over to Big Yellow and sat down beside him.

"If any of the rest of you have objections, you can step forward and say so."

Qin Qi addressed the remaining people.

"I don't have any objections, but I'm curious how strong you are. Shouldn't you show us what you can do?"

Jin Yong, one of the Twelve Root Vessels, spoke up.

"Sure. One-on-one would take too long. I'll take on all of you at once. I'll count to one, and then we'll start."

Qin Qi nodded. Strength was important no matter where one went. Without enough strength, why would anyone submit to you?

"One second... sir-"

Before the man could finish speaking, Qin Qi's countdown had ended. The next second, everyone felt a chill between their brows.

"Wh-what happened?"

Qiu Rang instinctively reached up and touched the spot between his brows. Somehow, a wet mark had been left there.

He looked at the droplets still falling from Qin Qi's finger, and his mind went blank.

"Could it be that in that instant, Mr. Qin Qi touched every one of us between the brows with his finger?!"

"How is that possible? There are so many of us here, and we're all wearing protective artifacts. How could he touch every one of us between the brows in an instant?!"

Qiu Rang looked at the others in disbelief. Their expressions had also turned grave, and they had the same marks between their brows as he did.

If Qin Qi could leave a wet mark between their brows with his finger, he could also pierce that vital point directly. That meant the man before them needed only one move to kill them!

"Wait! Why didn't the protective artifacts activate?"

Ma Xianhong immediately frowned. The artifacts worn by the Twelve Root Vessels before him were no low-grade goods. They had no flaws.