Li Qingshi suddenly put on a seductive, alluring expression. Not only was Li Gouzi caught off guard—even the two Broadsword Society brutes were stunned for a moment. For a while, they genuinely could not tell whether this beautiful person before them was male or female.
But if this was a woman, then things would certainly get interesting.
The two exchanged a glance, then approached with lecherous smiles. “Then let Big Brother take a good look and see whether you’re a man or a woman.”
Li Qingshi gave him a flirtatious wink. “Can you tell? Want to touch and find out?”
One of the brutes chuckled. He found today’s affair rather strange. Usually, whenever people saw members of the Broadsword Society, men and women alike would flee as far as possible. What was wrong with this person? Could he be trying to gain the protection of the Broadsword Society?
Whatever the reason, there were not many people in Qingshui City whom the Broadsword Society had to fear.
The brute reached out his hand and said lecherously, “Then let Big Brother have a feel.”
Just as his large hands reached Li Qingshi’s chest, Li Qingshi suddenly reached out as well, wrapped an arm around the brute’s neck, and slammed his forehead into him.
The attack came completely without warning. The brute’s forehead smashed into the bridge of his nose, and stars immediately burst before his eyes. His nose throbbed with sharp pain, and two streams of blood gushed out. His nasal bone was probably broken.
Just as he was about to retreat and open up some distance, a sudden, excruciating pain came from between his legs. His body instantly doubled over like a boiled shrimp, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to get up as he groaned nonstop.
The other man came to his senses and shouted, “You little bastard, you’re looking for death!” He kicked Li Qingshi in the thigh.
In the Jianghu, a gang like the Broadsword Society would be considered third-rate trash. True masters would not even give them a second glance. Still, they had learned a few rough fighting techniques, which were more than enough to handle ordinary people with ease.
With the brute’s powerful, heavy kick, if it had struck an ordinary person’s leg, let alone standing firm, the victim’s leg would probably have been broken.
What astonished him was that this ordinarily built youth standing before him not only remained perfectly steady, but also acted as though nothing had happened.
To Li Qingshi, that kick was truly nothing special.
He had practiced stance training with Old Liu for ten years, giving him an exceptionally stable lower body. He had also spent ten years practicing how to take blows with Old Liu, so his skin was rough, his flesh was tough, and he could withstand a beating.
The kick could not quite be called as harmless as a tickle, but it had only caused a little pain and had not injured him in the slightest.
Unfortunately, stance training and taking hits were the only things Li Qingshi had to show for himself. He did not understand the slightest thing about actual punching or kicking techniques.
Thus, the instant he caught the brute off guard, he swiftly closed in, wrapped an arm around the brute’s neck, and relied on his steady footing to wrestle him.
Li Gouzi was completely dumbfounded. How had they started fighting in the blink of an eye? Brother Stone had often taught him that when traveling outside, he should avoid trouble whenever possible, and if he could not avoid it, endure it. Enduring for a moment brought peace, while taking a step back opened vast horizons. Brother Stone had always acted that way too. What was wrong with him today? These two were no harmless people—they were members of the Broadsword Society!
Still, he did not hesitate. He felt around on the ground, found a stone, and charged forward with his head lowered.
Ever since they were children, whenever the brothers fought someone, they had always rushed in side by side. Even when taking a beating, they took it together. It had practically become Li Gouzi’s instinct.
When he rushed over, Li Qingshi had just wrestled the brute to the ground. Without saying a word, Li Gouzi smashed the stone into the back of the man’s head.
The man’s vision went black, and he temporarily lost the ability to fight back. Seizing the opportunity, the brothers unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks. Their attacks were vicious, and before long, the man was completely unable to get back up.
Seeing the two Broadsword Society members beaten so badly, the pedestrians on the street guessed that they were too occupied to cause trouble for them. Mustering their courage, they stood far away and watched the spectacle.
Who were these two youths? From their clothes, they looked like farm boys from the countryside. Did they not know that these two were members of the Broadsword Society? How did they dare fight them?
They had even beaten them flat?!
Were they not afraid that the Broadsword Society would hound them afterward?
Still, it really was satisfying to watch!
After witnessing such a satisfying scene, one ought to drink a couple of ounces of liquor in celebration. What a pity that his family was truly struggling financially... No! Even if he had to smash the cooking pot and sell the scrap metal, he had to scrape together those couple of ounces today!
The first brute to be knocked down gradually recovered. Groaning, he raised his head, pointed at a young onlooker, and cursed, “What the hell are you looking at? Hurry to the Broadsword Society branch hall and send for help!”
The young man was terrified, but he hesitated and did not move.
The brute threatened him, “I’ve memorized what you look like. If you dare not go, just wait and see how I deal with you later!”
The young man grew even more frightened and finally began to walk.
Just then, a yamen runner hurried over and stopped the young man. He then drove away the common people who had gathered to watch. “Stop looking! What’s so interesting? Break it up, break it up!”
Li Gouzi heard the commotion and turned around. Oh, it was an acquaintance!
Xu Da'an had just received a reward from the County Office. The County Magistrate had not only rewarded him with silver, but had also painted him a promising picture. The implication was that if the young man worked hard, he would soon receive a promotion and a raise. Xu Da'an was overjoyed.
Xu Da'an worked in public service, and his income, both openly and secretly, was actually quite substantial. But his family had many people to support. There were seven brothers in total, and he was the eldest. His name was Xu Da'an, the Second Brother was Xu Er'an, the third was...
So although his income was considerable, his expenses were also high. He had always looked forward to a promotion and a raise, never expecting his wish to come true so soon. He was suddenly filled with energy, and his little life seemed full of promise.
Earlier, he had seen people fighting from a distance and was about to go over to exercise his authority when he suddenly realized something was wrong. Were those two the Broadsword Society’s Wang Tieniu and Fang Tiezhu? And the other two... Oh my! Was that not the Little Divine Physician?
Now that the County Magistrate was showing him special favor, whom did he have to thank for it? A person must never forget his roots!
Thus, he was startled and hurried his steps. The Broadsword Society members were accustomed to throwing their weight around. What if they injured the Little Divine Physician?
When he drew closer, he noticed something else was wrong. The Little Divine Physician did not seem to be the one taking a beating. Hiss... Who would have thought that the Little Divine Physician was not only miraculous in medical skill, but also so formidable with his fists and feet?
Still, he knew better than anyone what sort of people the Broadsword Society were. Even if they had gained the upper hand for now, being stripped of a layer of skin would be the least of their troubles once the Broadsword Society came after them.
Xu Da'an had always repaid kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance. He did not want to see his Benefactor invite trouble, but he could not afford to provoke the Broadsword Society either. After careful consideration, he could only act as a mediator. The best outcome would be to let the matter end peacefully.
Squatting down, he said to Wang Tieniu, who was clutching his crotch, “Wang Tieniu, what happened? How did you end up fighting them?”
When Wang Tieniu saw him, his spirits immediately lifted. “Brother Xu, you came at just the right time! Hurry, these two attacked people in broad daylight. Arrest them!”
Xu Da'an lowered his voice. “Do you know who they are?”
Wang Tieniu was startled, and his expression immediately darkened. “You with the surname Xu, what do you mean by that? Hasn’t my Broadsword Society given you plenty of benefits over the years? I don’t care who they are. My Broadsword Society has backing too!”
Xu Da'an frowned. “I know your Broadsword Society has backing. Although I do not know who your backer is, I do know who holds the greatest power in all of Qingshui County. Take my advice and let this matter go. Do not cause them trouble again in the future.”
Wang Tieniu knew perfectly well who in Qingshui County could not be provoked, and these two youths were not among them. Seeing how solemnly Xu Da'an spoke, he asked doubtfully, “What are their backgrounds?”