Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 84

Yuan Bao shook his head, looking puzzled. “How would I know that?”

As they were speaking, a loud, booming voice came from outside.

“Lu Tang, you scoundrel, come out here!”

It was Zhou Shu, angrily shouting.

Lu Tang chuckled and walked outside. Just as he reached the gate of the courtyard, he saw Zhou Shu charging at him like a powerful warrior ready for a fight.

Lu Tang leaned against the wall, laughing. “You slept well, huh? You look full of energy.”

Zhou Shu grabbed Lu Tang by the neck, “Slept well? You guys are so disgusting!”

Zhou Shu’s plump body pressed against Lu Tang’s back, making him bend over. “Brother, I was wrong, Brother. I won’t dare again, Brother.”

As he pleaded for mercy, the repeated use of “Brother” made Zhou Shu even more furious, and he cursed again.

Liang Cheng laughed and pulled Zhou Shu away, “Alright, alright. With your build, three Lu Tangs wouldn’t be enough for you to hit. He’d be broken by your punches.”

Zhou Shu was just playing around and didn’t really hit Lu Tang. He rolled his eyes and let go of Lu Tang.

“This rascal, of all things to joke about, had to choose this. Yesterday, my mother asked me if I liked girls or boys, and she said if I liked boys, she would have me castrated and sent to the palace to be a eunuch, to avoid wasting resources.”

“Hahahahaha”

A burst of laughter erupted.

Yuan Bao set up breakfast, and the group ate in the courtyard.

After joking about Zhou Shu becoming a eunuch, Liang Cheng brought up Gu Yunhe. “I never expected Gu Yunhe to be such a beast!”

When Liang Cheng mentioned it, Xu Shen slammed the table, “Damn! I can’t believe someone like him came from Qingshui County!”

Lu Tang was still clueless. “What did Gu Yunhe do?”

Zhou Shu replied angrily, “The yamen has posted notices about all the beastly things Gu Yunhe did.”

Guo Dawei, munching on a dumpling, said, “Damn, Yunyang Restaurant’s wine had opium in it. Gu Yunhe is the mastermind behind Yunyang Restaurant. Those two who faked their deaths at the inn were bribed by Yu Shunhai to frame the Qiao Family Inn. What a scumbag.”

“That’s not all. You know how Gu Yunhe has been sponsoring students to study in the capital? Damn! It wasn’t sponsorship. Those students he sent to the capital were all taken to a place called Qingfeng Courtyard.”

“He sold opium-laced wine to control their families, fearing they’d come after him one day. That’s worse than a human trafficker.”

Lu Tang felt a vague suspicion rising.

He remembered that the people Gu Yunhe sent were all teenagers.

“That place was full of young boys for those in the capital with certain preferences. Damn it, Gu Yunhe ruined those students’ lives.”

“I heard that Lord Feng from the Ministry of Justice came to Qingshui County specifically to investigate this case. Thankfully, Lord Feng arrived in time, or Little Tang would have been ruined by Gu Yunhe.”

“Gu Songming got lucky. He was expelled from the family for harassing Gu Yunhe’s concubine, avoiding the disaster. With Gu Yunhe’s crimes, his whole family is going to prison. He’s facing the death penalty for sure. Let’s see what happens to his family.”

With his friends chattering around him, Lu Tang felt a heaviness in his heart.

Yesterday, Gu Songming said that most of the people sent by Gu Yunhe to the capital were likely dead.

Dead, in Qingfeng Courtyard…

Lu Tang dared not imagine the despair and suffering of those hopeful students who died there.

Killed or driven to suicide by humiliation.

Seeing Lu Tang’s grim expression, Liang Cheng quickly changed the subject. “Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s bad luck to start the morning with such talk!”

Xu Shen added, “It’s over now. Lord Zhao personally ordered that all the money from confiscating Gu Yunhe’s family be used to compensate the victims’ families. Those harmed by Gu Yunhe will be properly cared for.”

Lu Tang was taken aback.

Lord Zhao hadn’t been dealt with yet?

Qin Mo and his men had taken down Zhao Village but hadn’t dealt with Lord Zhao yet. Why?

Suddenly, Lu Tang remembered something.

Er Bao’s older brother, a cook at the Western Mountain Camp, was poisoned to death.

Qiao Tiezhu’s two sons were also serving in the Western Mountain Camp. Gu Yunhe had used them to threaten Qiao Tiezhu.

Connecting the dots, Lu Tang realized something.

This case wasn’t closed yet.

Or rather, the case was closed for some to see.

The children sent by Gu Yunhe to the capital weren’t all in Qingfeng Courtyard. Those who were elsewhere were either unknown to Gu Yunhe or he hadn’t confessed.

Gu Yunhe might be a lower link in the chain.

Realizing this, Lu Tang felt a deep sorrow, but he wasn’t one to wallow in it. Although he felt sad, it didn’t affect his life.

After breakfast, Liang Cheng asked Lu Tang, “Little Tang, are you still going to Sihe Town?”

“Of course, the shopkeeper hasn’t been found yet, nor the accountant. After all the chaos yesterday, I still have to go.”

Zhou Shu immediately clung to Lu Tang’s arm, hugging him tightly. “I’m going too, Little Tang!”

Guo Dawei chimed in, “Me too, count me in.”

Xu Shen added, “Count me in as well.”

Lu Tang shook off Zhou Shu, giving him a disdainful look. “Are you all free or something?”

Zhou Shu, Xu Shen, and Guo Dawei nodded seriously, “What else can we do?”

Lu Tang: “Respect!”

Zhou Shu scratched the back of his head. “If I don’t avoid it, my mother can introduce three girls to me for marriage in a day. It’s so annoying.”

“My grandmother, my aunt, my third aunt, my elder aunt, my second aunt. My god, Little Tang, if I’m at home, they buzz around me like flies, constantly talking about marriage, marriage, marriage. It’s driving me crazy,” Xu Shen said with a frown.

Guo Dawei sighed, “Other than going to Sihe Town for some peace and quiet, where else can we go? Ever since I turned fifteen, not getting married makes my mother act like I’m committing a crime.”

After saying that, the three of them looked enviously at Lu Tang.

Zhou Shu said dramatically, “Fourteen years old, how wonderful.”

Xu Shen said clearly, “I was once fourteen too.”

Guo Dawei said emotionally, “Ah, but then I grew up.”

The three of them sighed together, “Oh, our lost fourteen years~~~”

Zhou Shu added a trembling tone.

Lu Tang laughed, “Damn, you guys are crazy!”

Liang Cheng looked at Lu Tang, pursed his lips, and said nothing.

The Five Young Masters of Qingshui County set off towards Sihe Town under the morning sun.

The news about Gu Yunhe had spread throughout Sihe Town, and Yunyang Restaurant had been smashed to pieces by the angry townspeople.

Every corner of Sihe Town buzzed with talk about Gu Yunhe.

Amidst this uproar, someone noticed that Lu Yuexi was missing.