Lu Ping’an’s expression remained calm. With a slight sidestep, he dodged Bai Laosan’s dagger.
The wooden stick in his hand swung upward and smashed against the hand gripping the blade.
“Ah—!”
Bai Laosan let out a miserable scream. The sound of bone cracking rang out as the dagger fell to the ground.
Lu Ping’an followed with a powerful kick to Bai Laosan’s waist. The force sent him flying several meters. His head struck the edge of the well, and he passed out instantly.
Brother Feng and another man, who had just struggled to their feet, saw Bai Laosan sent flying and couldn’t help but shrink their pupils.
Brother Feng didn’t hesitate and rushed straight toward the room.
The other man pulled out a dagger from his waist and lunged at Lu Ping’an.
“Die!”
He roared fiercely, his face twisted with malice.
Lu Ping’an’s gaze remained indifferent. He hurled the wooden stick in his hand toward Brother Feng, striking one of his legs hard.
Brother Feng screamed and collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.
Lu Ping’an shifted left, shot out his left hand, and grabbed the attacker’s wrist.
With a downward twist, the man cried out, the dagger slipping from his grasp.
Without wasting words, Lu Ping’an threw a series of punches into the man’s abdomen.
After several agonized cries, the man collapsed, completely losing his ability to fight.
Meanwhile, Brother Feng struggled to rise again, a dagger now clutched in his hand.
Seeing this, Lu Ping’an let out a quiet breath of relief. He had been worried they might pull out a gun.
He wasn’t concerned about himself—he feared they might turn viciously on the unconscious children.
He walked over to Brother Feng and, with swift movements, knocked him out as well. He also ensured the other groaning man was fully unconscious.
Just then, a startled cry sounded from inside the room.
Lu Ping’an hurried in and found that the children had woken up at some point.
There were four of them—two boys and two girls. The oldest girl looked about ten, delicate and pretty. Though still young, she would undoubtedly grow into a beauty.
The other three were around six or seven years old.
When they saw Lu Ping’an enter, they all looked at him warily, instinctively stepping back.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lu Ping’an said gently with a smile. “Big Brother isn’t a bad guy. The bad guys have already been knocked out.”
Hearing this, the children relaxed slightly—they had seen the fight outside.
“Thank you for saving us, Big Brother,” the oldest girl said softly.
The others didn’t speak, but the fear in their eyes had lessened.
“Open the door! Police!”
At that moment, someone knocked on the main gate.
Lu Ping’an’s face lit up with relief. “I’ll go open it!”
He was surprised at how quickly the police had arrived.
He ran to the courtyard gate and opened it.
Outside stood four police officers. Behind them was Li Lingyi.
The moment the door opened, the officers rushed in, guns in hand.
“Don’t move!”
Two officers pointed their dark muzzles at Lu Ping’an, their expressions wary.
“Cousin! Thank goodness you’re okay!”
Seeing him unharmed, Li Lingyi let out a breath of relief.
Lu Ping’an didn’t dare move, afraid of causing a misunderstanding.
He knew the police had come so quickly because of his young cousin.
When the four officers saw the six men lying unconscious on the ground, shock flashed across their faces.
One officer rushed into the room and shouted excitedly, “Master! Come quickly—!”
His voice trembled with emotion.
A man in his forties hurried inside, followed by a gasp of surprise.
“Xiao Liu, notify the director! Tell him the missing people have been found. Ask him to send reinforcements!”
The officer who came out of the room called to another outside.
The officer nodded and ran off immediately.
“Xiao Li, lower your gun. This comrade isn’t a criminal.”
The forty-something officer spoke calmly, then approached Lu Ping’an with a smile.
“Comrade Xiao Lu, hello. Did you knock all of them down yourself?”
Hearing his surname spoken, Lu Ping’an knew Li Lingyi must have told them.
When the officer lowered his gun, Lu Ping’an felt a subtle easing of tension.
“Yes, Officer. There’s no one else here but me.”
“Calling me ‘Officer’ sounds distant. I’m Zhou Liang, an external-duty officer from Dongcheng Police Station. Just call me Uncle Zhou.”
“We’ll need you to come back with us later to Dongcheng Police Station to assist with the investigation.”
Zhou Liang smiled, though a trace of doubt flickered in his eyes. Could such a thin young man really take down six grown men?
Still, questioning him later would clarify everything.
“Alright, Uncle Zhou.”
Since someone was taking the initiative to establish familiarity, Lu Ping’an naturally didn’t refuse. Having a police “uncle” wasn’t a bad thing.
Zhou Liang nodded and went to inspect the six unconscious men with Xiao Li.
Li Lingyi finally approached Lu Ping’an, her voice trembling slightly.
“Cousin, you scared me to death!”
“See how capable I am? I went and brought the police for you!”
She looked at him proudly.
“You were amazing. Brave and smart—truly the best,” Lu Ping’an said sincerely, giving her a thumbs-up.
He meant it. At just twelve or thirteen, she had the presence of mind to report to the police—something not every girl could do.
It showed how well her parents had raised her—and how sharp she was.
Hearing his praise, Li Lingyi lifted her chin like a proud peacock.
Soon, heavy footsteps sounded outside.
A man in his fifties arrived, leading more than a dozen officers.
Though not wearing a uniform, he carried an unmistakable air of authority.
Seeing him, Zhou Liang immediately stepped forward and greeted respectfully, “Director!”
The man nodded anxiously. “Where are they?”
Zhou Liang pointed toward the room. “Director, all four are inside. Identities have been confirmed.”
Upon hearing this, the man hurried into the room.
Lu Ping’an narrowed his eyes slightly. It was clear the identities of those four children were far more important than he had imagined.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it. He had simply done what he ought to do.
Soon, the man emerged again, leading the four children out of the room and toward the gate.