"That's right." Tang Xiu nodded.
"I chose to follow you, so I believe you won't harm me," said Gong Wan'er. "But some people will recognize me if I leave with you like this. We can expect lots of troubles should it happen."
Tang Xiu smiled and manipulated the changes to his facial muscles. Soon after, his appearance was different from his previous look. Unless those who saw him were his close people, it was impossible to recognize him. Afterward, Tang Xiu taught this facial morphing technique to Gong Wan'er.
A few minutes later, the two people left the courtyard with completely changed appearances. The duo, however, wore masks and caps so as not to alert Kuwako's people in the courtyard.
"Where's Tang An?" Tang Xiu asked while looking at Tang Guang who approached him.
"She's afraid that Xue Sha and Hei Xiong would run into some mishaps, so she tagged along," answered Tang Guang.
****
In the nearby alley, 7 tattooed youths with baseball bats surrounded and beat a man and a woman, whereas a red-bleached young man in black leather coat and wearing earrings stood still, staring at the sky, unaware that a lit cigarette between his fingers was about to burn out.
"Don't beat us, I beg you. I'll pay back the money, please give me another 3 days. I'll give the cash and interest to you. Please." The beaten man desperately hugged the woman, using her body to block the beatings from the baseball bat for him.
"Very well."
The red-haired youth flicked the cigarette b.u.t.t. As the other seven youths made way for him, he slowly walked over to the beaten couple. He kicked the woman to the side and then spoke apathetically, "Paying debt is just a natural principle, but this is the fourth time you ask for a three-day extension. Do you think I still have to believe in you or what?"
The man with a bruised face struggled to stand up. He knelt before the red-haired youth and hurriedly pleaded. "It was just necessary. I had to. I already paid a part of the loan before, but the interest you set was too high. I… I just can't… afford that much at once!"
"That's your business, not mine." The red-haired youth sneered.
The man knelt on the ground with a struggling look on his face. After seeing the young man drew a sharp dagger from his waist, he finally cried, "Hidari Zujun, please give me three more days and I'll make sure to get your money. I… I… I'll give you my wife as collateral. She can serve you for three days and I'll have the money in three days to give you even if I must resort to robbing and stealing. W-what… do you think?"
Despair was evident on the slumped woman's face. The beatings were severe and caused her serious injuries, and the words of her own husband made it worse, causing her to spurt out a mouthful of blood.
The red-haired youth shot her a look and apathetically said, "Given how determined you are, you got another three days, but I won't touch your woman even though I want this celebrity to serve me. But if you don't give me back my money three days later, I'll f**k your wife and then sell her to the red-light district. She can make money by serving the guests for me. Of course, I can still permit her to continue her filming career. Either way, I got my own way for a lucrative business that can make money for me."
"Okay, okay, okay. I'll do as you say."
The man stopped weeping and desperately nodded numerous times.
Tens of meters away from the alleyway, Tang Xiu and Gong Wan'er quietly stood there. They had seen everything from the moment the couple was beaten until the conclusion of the negotiation between that red-haired youth and the man. Despite being an experienced man, killing intent birthed in Tang Xiu's heart, yet it was not aimed at the red-haired youth, but the man.
He just used his wife to pay off his own debt?! This creature doesn't deserve to call himself a man. He's not worthy of being one and shouldn't even live in this world.
There was no need to guess more for Tang Xiu as he could tell that this man would never take care of his wife's well-being, whether she was alive or death later. He would never come back with the money he owed three days later, either.
"What do you think?"
Tang Xiu shot a look at Gong Wan'er and indifferently probed.
Looking unperturbed, Gong Wan'er shook her head and said, "I just think that woman is a bit pitiful to have such a poor life and marry such a man. An ending that is already doomed to happen. Certainly, those who live in this world must keep reminding themselves that they must adapt to the society where the weak will stand as easy prey to the strong. It's just the rule, either in the bustling cities or in the wilderness."
"…."
Somehow, a pang of regret struck Tang Xiu for asking Gong Wan'er the question. Her answer was like asking to some inhuman swine. But then again, he also inwardly sighed after recalling the living environment she had been through. He now realized he couldn't regard this woman as a trusted confidante in the future even if she followed and worked for him.
"Let's just go." Tang Xiu paced to the front.
Gong Wan'er followed him behind and whispered, "You wanna help them?"
"Not them, only the woman," said Tang Xiu faintly.
"This is just your everyday occurrence, mind you. You can b.u.mp into poor women literally everywhere. You can't just help everyone."
Tang Xiu's pace came to a halt and his eyes fixedly stared at her as he spoke in a deep voice, "I'm neither a saint nor a G.o.d and naturally, I can't help everyone. But I got the ability and am willing to help any poor soul I happen to run into. The Chinese have an old adage which says that humans can help each other when the road is rough."
"As in limited righteousness of a gentleman, huh?" asked Gong Wan'er.
Tang Xiu turned around and paced forward again. "That's too narrow of an address. I just have a good intention and use it to save the poor souls I b.u.mp into. Gong Wan'er, I don't care what environment you used to live in before, nor do I care about your feelings now. But I'll make you remember one thing today. You need a very strong state of mind and heart if you want to reach further in cultivation. But conscience and some bits of virtuous mind are the bottom lines for those who are under my lead."
Benevolent mind?
Tang Xiu's word kept echoing in her heart.
Prior to this, she only understood the principle that cultivation was like sailing your boat against the torrential current and one would definitely be left behind if they didn't advance. It was all the reason why she spent so much of her time in cultivation. Even when she met with injustice, she used a set of criteria to cope with the impact of the environment. She had always regarded that the world was a place where humans devoured their own kind and thus, she might die in the hands of others in the future if her cultivation was too low.
Tang Xiu then came to the front of this bunch of street gangsters. Eyes sweeping over the woman's teary face who was now currently wiping off the bloodstain of her mouth, he then looked at the red-haired youth and lightly said, "Can you let her go on the account of my face?"
The woman looked up. Tears covered her eyes, but she could still see the masked Tang Xiu through the faint tears.
The red-haired youth squinted and pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. He took in some smoke in deeply and puffed it out as he asked with an ugly expression, "Those who stick their noses and meddle in other's business usually end up tragic, Mister. You should know that. You want to stick your nose here, are you sure you can deal with the aftermath?"
"I'm a busy man, but I happened to b.u.mp into you, so I'll take it on," said Tang Xiu. "I don't care if that man owes you money or something else, but it's got nothing to do with the woman. I don't give d.a.m.n care if you take this man off or kill him."
The man was immediately furious after hearing his remarks and violently yelled, "Who the f**k are you and where the h.e.l.l did you come from, a.s.shole? Scram! This is my f*****g business and my responsibility!"
The killing intention in Tang Xiu's heart got more intense, but he still ignored him. He kept looking at the red-haired youth and said, "Street words say someone is responsible for every grievance and every debt has its own debtor. No need to involve a third party in the business. That man owes you the money, yet he paid it off with his woman? Don't you think it's way too excessive? Even if you're a gangster and even a member of some underground force, you should also be aware of our world's custom."
The red-haired youth took some more puffs and replied in similarly fluent English, "Just from what you said and the fact you make me stand here, I want you to leave. And lastly, let me tell you something: your words would have made me let her go had it been a few years back. But now, only money matters to me, nothing else. Just leave."
"How much is it?" asked Tang Xiu.
The red-haired youth shot him a surprised look and slowly sized up Tang Xiu from head to toe, asking, "Do you wanna pay it for them, by chance?"
"How much?" asked Tang Xiu again.
"10 million," answered the youth.
"In j.a.panese Yen?" asked Tang Xiu lightly.
"You got it." The youth nodded.
Scornfully looking at the suspicious man, Tang Xiu sneered. "Heh, what a loser you are. Just 10 million yen or 100 grand US dollars, yet you can even sell your wife for that? You're really trash—a kind of garbage that wastes Earth's resources. You can just hurry up and find a place to commit harkiri."
Having said that, he looked back at the red-haired youth and indifferently said, "I'll give you 200 grand if you dare kill this trash for me."
"Fine!"
A chilling light flashed in the youth's eyes. The moment his voice faded away, he flicked the cigarette b.u.t.t to the man's face and his sharp dagger flashed and stabbed the man's chest. Everything was done extremely fast and he instantly pulled out the dagger from the man's heart and directly slashed his neck.
The killing was done in a neat and clean fas.h.i.+on.
Tang Xiu narrowed his eyes and even released his spiritual sense. Through a deep observation, he realized how indifferent the youth was. There was not even a slight emotional fluctuation coming from him when he committed such a cruel murder.
What a good seed for an a.s.sa.s.sin!
Tang Xiu exclaimed inwardly and asked, "Do you have a Master or an employer?"
A Master?
The red-haired youth was shaken inwardly. As though realizing something, he turned to look at the seven other youths and said, "Take the body away and pay attention not to be discovered by anyone! Quickly throw it into the sea and spare me the troubles later."
"Copy that!"
The seven youths were obviously of the same breed. They quickly carried the dead body away and entered the van in the alley as they quickly left.
