Chapter Seventy-Six: Who Dares

“You... Someone, seize them!” Qiu Taiming roared.

The people in the courtyard hurriedly grabbed sticks and clubs, advancing on Luo Tong and Li Zhi.

Cheng Yaojin stepped forward to shield Li Zhi. “Who dares!”

Smack! Smack!

With his formidable strength, Luo Tong landed several hard slaps on Qiu Taiming, then grabbed him by the neck. “I didn’t intend to teach you a lesson, but since the young master won’t let you off, you’ll just have to consider yourself unlucky! Who told you to act so tyrannically all the time?”

“Master...” The people in the courtyard were all stunned.

Qiu Taiming was helpless in Luo Tong’s grip. Should Luo Tong use any more force, Qiu Taiming’s life would be in danger.

“Don’t move, none of you!” Qiu Taiming ordered, swallowing his pride and begging Luo Tong, “Young master, we had no past grievances, nor recent feuds. Must you go so far?”

“Why not talk things over?”

“Whatever you want, as long as I have it, I’ll do my best to satisfy you!”

Qiu Taiming was a notable figure in the East Market, someone who could bow and bend as needed, with the bearing of a man meant for big things. But alas—he was up against Li Zhi, Luo Tong, and Cheng Yaojin. The three of them were as unyielding as a sheet of iron; no matter what tricks he tried, not a shred of face would be given.

“Hmph!” Luo Tong snorted coldly. “You think you can bribe us?”

“Young master, what do you plan to do with these people?” Luo Tong turned and asked.

Dealing with Qiu Taiming was a matter of convenience—a lesson to ensure he remembered not to bully the people of the East Market again.

Li Zhi shook his head. “Forget it, a beating will suffice...”

“Young master!” At that moment, an old man who had been standing behind Cheng Yaojin suddenly rushed forward and knelt before Li Zhi. “Young master, you must not let Qiu Taiming go. He’s committed too many evil deeds in secret—countless families have been destroyed by him. If you have the power, please send him to the magistrate. I’ll kowtow right here if you do!”

The old man knelt and knocked his head on the ground repeatedly.

“Take him to the magistrate?” Li Zhi asked. “Of course I’m able to send him there. But you must tell me—what crime has he committed? On the street just now, you seemed hesitant, as if you had something to say.”

“Yes!”

“My name is Zhang San, from Dongjia Village north of the city,” the old man began, pouring out his story.

It turned out Zhang San’s family was poor. He sold his daughter to the Qiu family’s acrobat troupe. A few days later, missing his daughter, he came to visit, only to find her crippled and begging on the street.

Of course, Zhang San couldn’t accept this. He tried to take his daughter home, but was savagely beaten by the acrobat troupe.

“Old Zhang, you already sold your daughter to me. I can do whatever I please with her—that’s the rule, don’t you know? Even if you bring this before the magistrate, with the deed of sale in hand, you’ll never win!” Qiu Taiming shouted.

Yet, who could bear to see their own daughter begging on the street and do nothing? Even if he’d made a mistake, Zhang San would never give up.

“Young master, he only said at first that my daughter would learn acrobatics here! I thought that if she mastered the craft, she could support herself in the future—what harm in that?”

“But I never imagined... After only a few days, her leg was broken and she was forced to beg along the streets...” Zhang San wailed in agony.

Li Zhi understood now.

Qiu Taiming bought these young girls to train them in acrobatics for profit. But the work was perilous; one misstep could leave them crippled, and then they’d be sent to beg in the streets to recoup his investment.

“Father...” Suddenly, a little girl with a broken leg crawled in from the doorway, clutching a battered bowl, and made her way to Zhang San’s side.

Father and daughter embraced, sobbing bitterly.

At this sight, even the usually indifferent Cheng Yaojin was incensed. “Outrageous!”

Thud! Thud!

Luo Tong pummeled Qiu Taiming, beating him black and blue. “I was holding back before, but now you’ll taste my iron fists!”

“Aaagh!” Qiu Taiming howled in pain.

A villain like this—heaven would not tolerate!

Having run into such evil, it was their duty to act.

Li Zhi pulled Cheng Yaojin to his side and addressed the crowd. “You’re all people sold to the acrobat troupe, aren’t you? From now on, you needn’t fear Qiu Taiming—his days are numbered!”

The crowd exchanged glances in silence, clearly still afraid of Qiu Taiming.

“Look at the man beside me—do you know who he is? He’s the celebrated Duke of Lu, Cheng Yaojin! With him backing you, how could you not be able to deal with such a villain?”

Li Zhi’s words startled Cheng Yaojin—he’d been thrown under the bus again.

Damn it! Are you trying to get me into trouble again?

Everyone present was stunned. Cheng Yaojin? Was it really him? If so, and if he was willing to help, their troubles would be nothing at all!

Desperate to escape Qiu Taiming’s grasp, one after another they knelt before Cheng Yaojin. “General Cheng, save us!”

“We were forced into this...”

“Qiu Taiming kidnapped us!”

Li Zhi pinched Cheng Yaojin. “Old Cheng, say something! It’s your moment of truth. Don’t think you can just stand aside—otherwise, I’ll tell my father you watched people die without lifting a finger!”

“You little devil!”

Cheng Yaojin had no choice but to relent. He declared loudly, “The young master speaks the truth—I am Cheng Yaojin! If you have grievances, tell me, and I’ll see you get justice!”

Hearing him admit it himself, everyone in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief, then erupted in cheers.

Qiu Taiming, on the other hand, looked utterly defeated, as if the life had drained out of him. “It’s over. I’ve run into the Demon King himself—I’m finished!”

As one of the Five Tigers of the East Market, he was strong, but in Cheng Yaojin’s eyes, he was nothing more than a jumping clown. With just a word from Cheng Yaojin, Qiu Taiming wouldn’t even know how he died.

“Enough kneeling—take Qiu Taiming to the county office and testify against him in court. See that he’s brought to justice!” Cheng Yaojin commanded with a wave.

“Yes, yes!” the crowd cheered.

Nearly a hundred people in the courtyard, all victims of Qiu Taiming’s tyranny, now had nothing to fear. They rushed forward, seized him, and marched him to the county office.

“You should go too,” Li Zhi said to Zhang San. “I hope the magistrate will give you all justice. Free yourselves from Qiu Taiming and live decent lives.”

“Thank you, young master... Thank you, General Cheng!”

Zhang San lifted his daughter and joined the procession.

Li Zhi, however, did not follow. He turned to Luo Tong and Cheng Yaojin. “We’ve only dealt with one of the Five Tigers of the East Market—there are four left. We can’t stop halfway; we should take care of them all!”

“This...”

“Your Highness, you really do love to stir up trouble! Things in the East Market have been this way for years. There may be some injustice, but on the whole, it’s been stable! With your arrival, everything’s turned upside down. Didn’t we agree to just buy some supplies? Taking down Qiu Taiming was enough to set an example—the rest will surely restrain themselves. Let’s not cause any more complications!” Cheng Yaojin pleaded.