Chapter 4: Smashing Black Shops and Shouldering the Responsibility

  Yang Jin was taken aback, but as an old hand in the business, he immediately understood what was going on. Xu Wei was giving him a way out, making it clear that he wanted to be friends with him. Since someone had already given him a chance to save face, why wouldn't he take it? Besides, when you're trying to make a living in this line of work, having one more friend is better than having one more enemy. So, with a hearty thump on his chest, he clasped his hands together and said: "I've long heard of Xu Jiu's great reputation - you really are a good fellow! Today, I, Yang Jin, have made friends with you..."

  Who would have thought that at this time, Xu Wei pointed his finger at Ma Pangzi beside him: "Don't be in a hurry, the gambling debt has been paid off, what about this debt?"

  Zhang Qing and Yang Yan were so excited to hear this that they almost cheered, after all, it was Xu Wei who had forgotten his own father but still remembered the word "brotherhood"! Ma Tai was even more moved, choking back tears, Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother, I won't say anything else, even if you want to go down to the river tomorrow to sell "board knife noodles and wonton noodles", I, Ma Tai, will follow you!

  Yang Jin's hands, which were clasped together in a fist, slowly dropped to his sides. Judging from Xu Jiu's behavior today, he didn't seem like a fool at all, but rather an old hand who was pretending to be crazy and foolish, with no interest in worldly affairs. "What do you want? Are you looking for compensation for the medicine?"

  Xu Wei Xi smiled and said, "We country folks may be poor, but we still have our dignity. I don't want your medical expenses, it's simple. My friend was beaten like this, whoever had a hand in it should come out and take responsibility, and that's the end of it."

  The crowd dispersed like a receding tide, and Xu Jiu was still Xu Jiu, who wouldn't suffer any losses.

  Yang Jin's face turned blue and purple, Ah, you little brat! I've been struggling in the Jianghu for decades, but I don't dare to say such arrogant words. You're just a young punk who probably hasn't even killed anyone before, yet you want to pretend to be a tiger? Today, if I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know how high the sky is, how thick the earth is, and how ugly Zhuge Liang's wife is!

  He had endured it for a long time, but finally he couldn't hold back his anger and burst out: "Bah! What a big mouth you have! You Xu Jiu are just a despicable thing from Xiajin County! How dare you put on airs and pretend to be a great person!"

  Everyone heard it and knew they were in trouble, so they quickly retreated outside. However, Yang was too much, how could he launch a personal attack?

  Xu Wei's face didn't show any anger, he stretched out his hand and picked up six dice from the bowl, saying slowly: "Since Wen Zheng can't solve it..." Before he finished speaking, his left hand suddenly lifted the hem of his clothes, and his right foot kicked out quickly. The old elm wood gambling table in front of him heavily crashed into Yang Jin's abdomen, causing him and a group of people beside him to lose their balance and fall down together!

  Yang Yan was overjoyed and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Demolish this bird store! Shoulder to shoulder, let's go!" He was about to show off when he suddenly caught a glimpse of Xu Jiu rushing towards Yang Jin even faster.

  Yang Jin's leg was indeed a true master, and with the fire of anger attacking his heart, he saw Xu Wei pounce on him and kicked out with a killing move. However, his opponent's movements were extremely fast, and as soon as his right foot lifted off the ground, it was intercepted by Xu Wei mid-air, who kicked him straight in the knee. Yang Jin felt his entire right leg go numb from this blow, unable to listen to commands, and his body involuntarily leaned forward. Xu Wei's knee came crashing down on his forehead again, causing Yang Jin's vision to blur, a loud ringing in his ears, and he fell backward with his head thrown back!

  With a loud roar, Yang Jin was about to get up and fight again. Xu Wei grabbed the large ocean bowl from the table with one hand and smashed it on his head, smashing it into a pulp!

  "Kill this little rascal!" Yang's teeth were almost clenched to the point of shattering, and he could hardly bear not to swallow Xu Wei whole. But his head was spinning, and his eyes were blinded by blood, so for a moment he couldn't see clearly. Just as he was struggling, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck! It turned out that Xu Wei had grabbed a broken piece of porcelain and pressed it against his throat.

  "Believe it or not, I'll slaughter you like a pig!" Xu Wei shouted sternly.

  Yang Jin knew that Xu Wei had the guts to do this, and although he was furious in his heart, he couldn't afford to risk his life. Moreover, since he had lost at the gambling table, anything he said would be baseless, so he could only swallow this bitter anger!

  "Admit defeat!" Yang Jin squeezed out these two words from between his teeth. Then he took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Everyone, stop fighting!"

  His subordinates were originally fighting with Zhang Qing and three others, having the upper hand. Hearing the order, they had to stop reluctantly. Yang Yan was punched in the face by someone, his nose bleeding profusely, still dazed, he jumped up and cursed: "You dare not run! Damn it!"

  "It's really Xu Jiu, this 'Yu Huan step, Mandarin duck foot' has truly inherited his father's legacy, and is reminiscent of the great Zhou Dangzhou in his heyday!" exclaimed a connoisseur.

  "What's the use of having him around, he just knows how to bully us common people. I heard that not long ago, he was seriously ill, why didn't heaven take him away? Damn it..." someone whispered.

  Xu Jiuyi's kick was successful, and he himself was also very surprised. Just now when Yang Jin started to move his foot, Xu Jiuyi didn't react at all, and his right leg just kicked out on its own, as if his body wasn't under his control. What's going on? After a while, he finally calmed down, but the porcelain piece in his hand didn't loosen at all. He looked at Yang Jin and said, "Do you know what to do now?"

  Yang Jin's face was twisted in a scowl, and he spat out the blood that had flowed into his mouth: "Don't bother telling me!" Only then did Xu Wei let go.

  Slowly standing up, Yang Jin looked around and suddenly sighed: "Today I lost to you Xu Wei, I have nothing to say, but I don't admit defeat. The 'Wild Goose' you just threw was just luck......" The entire gambling house fell silent, everyone waiting to see what explanation Yang Jin would give.

  At this moment, a sudden change occurred! Yang Jin suddenly rushed forward with lightning speed, picked up the wooden knife on the ground and roared: "Get me up!"

  Xu Wei made a stunning move! He slammed the six dice he had been holding in his right hand onto the gambling table and shouted, "Don't any of you f**king move!"

  Yang Jin was taken aback and didn't know what trick he was playing, but he actually managed to recall the wooden knife that had been chopped out, staring closely at Xu Wei.

  "You know what's under my hand, and you also know what the consequences will be if I lift it up. If you don't believe me, just come at me with a knife!" Xu Wei's expression was cold and stern, facing the gleaming steel blade without flinching.

  Yang Jin's face turned iron-green, the wooden knife in his hand couldn't be lifted again, the atmosphere in the field was so oppressive that it made people suffocate. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said: "Speak, what are your conditions."

  "Phooey!" Xu Wei spat a mouthful of saliva on Yang Jin's face, "You're not worthy of discussing terms with me, you lowlife scum. I'm telling you, do it, got it?"

  A surge of unnamed fire rose up, Yang Jin could hardly bear it, but seeing Xu Wei's calm and composed appearance, he had to suppress the raging flames in his heart, staring with a pair of bloodshot eyes, saying: "Name a price!"

  "Money? Hmph, you lost the money to me, I said I didn't want it and I won't go back on my word. My friend..." Xu Wei suddenly forgot what that fat guy's name was again. Zhang Qing saw this and quickly reminded him "Ma Tai".

  "Ma Tai willingly gave you the money, no one forced him, and I won't take a single cent from you. My only requirement is simple: he deserved to lose the money, but since you beat him up like this, there must be an explanation. Go to him and let him handle it until he's satisfied."

  Someone in the crowd whispered, "Xu Jiulang has the demeanor of a great general. How did we not notice it before?" Not only him, but even Yang Yan and others who had grown up playing with Xu Wei since childhood were also greatly surprised. Is this really Xu Wei?

  Yang Jin, since he dared to come to Xiajin County to take over the gambling house, how could he possibly have no means or background? But a strong dragon can't suppress a local snake, let alone today when he is completely in the wrong and at someone else's mercy, without the qualification to haggle with others. He glanced at Xu Wei, then at Ma Tai, and snorted with laughter as he walked up to Ma Tai, handing over the wooden knife in his hand: "Come on, go ahead and do whatever you want! If I frown even once, I'm not a good man! You all bear witness, whether I get my arm chopped off or my head cut off today, it's my own business and has nothing to do with any of you."

  No one expected him to be so decisive, Ma Tai looked at the steel knife handed over in front of him and didn't dare to reach out and take it.

  "What's with the stalling? Let's get on with it! If I were to back down, I wouldn't be a good man!" Yang Jin sneered repeatedly, not taking Ma Tai seriously at all.

  Yang Yan saw Ma Tai's appearance, got angry and scolded: "What the hell are you staring at? Are you a man? Isn't that a firewood stick in your crotch?"

  Ma Tai was infuriated by this, and he snatched the wooden sword from Pu's hand. "I'll hack you to death!" he shouted.

  Yang Jin's face changed slightly, then returned to normal. He stretched out his hand and patted his own neck, sneering: "Come on! My neck is here, take a good look!"

  Ma Tai raised his knife, and someone in the crowd had already shouted "Someone's going to die!" This was a crucial blow, but it just wouldn't come down.

  Yang Jin saw the situation and became even more pleased: "Everyone has seen that it's not me, Yang Mou, who doesn't keep his word, being contradictory. It's just that this little brother is too softhearted." As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Yan jumped up and gave him two big ear slaps! One left and one right, hitting him with a crisp and loud sound, directly knocking Yang Jin dizzy, and for a long time he didn't come back to his senses.

  When he came to, the suppressed anger could no longer be restrained, and he roared wildly: "Cut these little brats alive for me!"

  His men were also holding their breath, waiting for the signal to attack, when they suddenly heard a loud shout from outside: "Those who want to eat prison food, take action!"

  The crowd turned their heads to look, and it was the county magistrate of this county, nicknamed "Hua Baozi" Liang Heng. This man is a typical northern Han man, with a big belly and thick waist, full of flesh all over his body, with a tumor on his face that is quite frightening. Although he wore an official uniform, it was hard to conceal the evil aura emanating from him. He had been serving as county magistrate in Xiajin for many years, specializing in maintaining law and order and capturing thieves, with a ruthless heart and dark methods. At this moment, he led seven or eight public servants from the yamen, carrying knives and entering the gambling den, while the onlookers around them hastily retreated.

  "In a peaceful world, with the sky and earth so bright, are you going to rebel or what?" Whenever those who eat imperial rations in the yamen have to deal with commoners, they love to bring up this phrase. Because this hat is too big, ordinary people don't have such large heads.

  As soon as he appeared, Yang Jin immediately put on a new face and stepped forward with big strides, singing a fat tune: "I didn't know that the county magistrate had arrived in person, I'm sorry for not welcoming you from afar, please forgive me!"

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