Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 98

From the second floor to the first, and then to the backyard, it took only half a minute, but Lu Tang felt like her lungs were about to explode.

She had never been this terrified in her life. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and she couldn’t stop shaking. At the corner of the staircase on the second floor, she lost control and slammed into the wall.

Even when she had been kidnapped by mountain bandits, she hadn’t been this scared.

In the backyard.

When Lu Tang rushed out, Liang Cheng had just gotten up from the ground. There were seven or eight burly men in the yard, each looking tough and dangerous, and some were even playing with knives.

Lu Tang hurried to Liang Cheng, “Don’t provoke them, just apologize and let it go.”

Liang Cheng pushed Lu Tang aside, “Don’t you trust me? I can protect you!”

Lu Tang quickly covered his mouth, “I trust you, I do, but now’s not the time to say that. There’s no need for this, Liang Cheng.”

Zhou Shu and the others also gathered around.

They had impulsively followed Liang Cheng into the fight, but now they had calmed down.

What were they doing?

It’s just a horse, they could afford to give it away. There was no need to get hurt over this.

The key was to know when to back down. It made no sense to get crippled on a trip for no reason.

What’s the point of showing off?

While Lu Tang was trying to reason with Liang Cheng, the man who had fought Liang Cheng walked over to the group of men. He stopped beside a middle-aged man in a black brocade robe and said a few words.

After he finished speaking, the men beside the middle-aged man started walking towards Lu Tang and her friends, brandishing their large knives and iron rods.

Lu Tang’s heart sank, and she grabbed Liang Cheng’s hand tightly, “Don’t cause trouble.”

She took a step forward and smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, brothers. It’s an honor that our Boss Dou fancies the horse. Consider it a gift from me to make friends with Boss Dou.”

Liang Cheng felt bitter seeing Lu Tang, who was a head shorter than him, humbling herself before the men.

What the heck is this!

Zhou Shu and Xu Shen, fearing Liang Cheng would act impulsively and anger the men further, held him tightly.

Guo Dawei stood next to Lu Tang, also apologizing, “We were impulsive earlier, sorry about that.”

The men with the knives and rods stood there menacingly. The man in the black brocade robe spat on the ground, “I paid for the horse, didn’t rob it. I even gave you the money.”

Lu Tang quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, it was our mistake. Boss Dou, please don’t hold it against us.”

Boss Dou sneered, “Fine, I’m a reasonable man.”

He then pointed at Liang Cheng.

“But he broke my brother’s nose. What about that?”

Lu Tang quickly said, “We’ll pay for the medical expenses, Boss Dou. How much do you need? We’ll also pay for his suffering. It was our fault today.”

“Pay? I don’t need money. Today, he has to take three hits from my brother to settle this.”

Lu Tang’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked at the iron rods in the men’s hands.

They were as thick as two thumbs put together. Three hits with those, and Liang Cheng would be crippled.

These men had come because of her. She couldn’t let her friends go back home as cripples.

But it was clear Boss Dou wouldn’t let them off easily.

Damn it!

Where was Qin Mo?

A dignified official and a skilled fighter, where was he at a time like this?

They had been causing a ruckus for a while now, and there was still no sign of Qin Mo or Song Qingzhan. Desperate and with no other choice, Lu Tang steeled herself and said to Boss Dou, “Boss Dou, can we make a deal? He just fell from the second floor. He can’t take those three hits. Can I take them for him?”

When Boss Dou mentioned the three hits, Zhou Shu and Xu Shen were scared stiff.

But hearing Lu Tang’s words, they quickly pulled her behind them, shielding her.

Zhou Shu bowed and apologized, “Boss Dou, we’re weak. We can’t even take one hit, let alone three. Can we compensate you more for the medical expenses?”

Xu Shen also apologized, “Boss Dou, you’re magnanimous. Please, let us pay more instead.”

Seeing that Boss Dou wouldn’t budge, Guo Dawei offered, “I’ll take the hits. I’m stronger than them.”

Xu Shen added, “Three hits, one for each of us, okay?”

Zhou Shu said, “Forget about that guy. He’s as fragile as a girl. One hit, and he’d be split in half. There’s no need to risk someone’s life over this. If it must be three hits, let the three of us take them.”

No matter what, they wouldn’t let Lu Tang get hit.

Standing behind them, Lu Tang felt a mix of bitterness, pain, urgency, and anger.

Boss Dou seemed surprised by their proposal and laughed, “One hit each?”

They nodded quickly.

Boss Dou thought for a moment and then said, “You all are quite loyal. Since you’re so close, each of you will take three hits. Don’t give me any less. Hit them.”

With that, the men with the rods started closing in on Lu Tang and her friends.

Liang Cheng, realizing his impulsive actions had led to this, limped forward, “I hit him. Come at me, leave them out of this.”

The men with the rods didn’t care. They raised their rods to strike.

Lu Tang felt a sense of doom. She closed her eyes, thinking she was about to be beaten to death. Her last thought was to curse Qin Mo for not helping, then she closed her eyes tightly.

But the expected hit never came.

Opening her eyes, Lu Tang was stunned by what she saw.

Qin Mo had his foot on Boss Dou’s face, slightly bent over, with the menacing men standing around, ready to fight.

“Young Master Mo, Young Master Mo, let’s talk,” Boss Dou pleaded, trembling under Qin Mo’s foot.

Qin Mo straightened up, glanced at Lu Tang, then looked down at Boss Dou, “Did your men do this?”

“I didn’t know they were your friends. If I had known, I wouldn’t have dared even with ten times the guts. I’ll host a banquet tomorrow to apologize to your friends.”

Qin Mo mercifully removed his foot, “No need for a banquet. Bring the medical expenses.”

He glanced at Lu Tang and her friends, “One thousand taels each, bring it to the inn’s lobby. Now, get lost.”

Boss Dou, helped up by his men, didn’t care about losing face. He mumbled more apologies and left hurriedly.

After he left, Qin Mo walked towards Lu Tang.

She had been calm when negotiating, but now, seeing Qin Mo, her pent-up anger burst out, “Where were you?”

Her voice cracked, filled with grievance.

Qin Mo felt a pang of guilt, “It was my fault. I was late.”

Lu Tang cried, “I almost got beaten to death!”

Zhou Shu looked at Xu Shen: What’s happening?

Xu Shen shook his head and looked at Guo Dawei.

Guo Dawei shrugged: Who knows.