Chapter 86: Where is Your Treasure (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang grabbed a thug by the neck with one hand, dragged him out of the tavern, and threw him into the pile of thugs like trash.

"good!"

"A great hero!"

"Well done, heroes!"

The words fell.

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

Zhai Le seemed used to this kind of scene, his smiling, almond-shaped eyes almost overflowing with pride and smugness. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to the applauding crowd, saying with a beaming smile, "Fellow villagers, you flatter me. Thank you all, thank you. Upholding justice is what we should do..."

Watching the black-clad youth excitedly displaying his feathers like a peacock, Shen Tang stared at his buttocks, which seemed to have a built-in crinoline, for three seconds.

Finally, she followed her heart and put them on.

Zhai Le was no pushover either. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he nimbly dodged the attack while covering his nearly injured backside with both hands, exclaiming in horror, "Brother Chen, why did you sneak up on me from behind?"

Shen Tang regretfully withdrew her foot.

He said coldly, "We haven't done the important things yet."

Zhai Le hesitated for a moment before remembering what "serious business" meant, and said, "I've seen plenty of these thugs who enjoy extortion. They may have minor vices, but they probably haven't committed any heinous crimes. They're also afraid of getting their hands dirty..."

He is guilty, but his crime does not warrant death.

Shen Tang scoffed and asked, "You've already questioned them?"

Zhai Ledao: "No, but..."

"You've made a judgment based on experience without even asking anyone? This is like a grand meeting of eunuchs in the inner court—utter nonsense! Quiet!"

Zhai Le was shut down by her, so he had no choice but to turn off his microphone.

Shen Tang stepped on the thug leader's shoulder, holding a sword to his forehead and threatening, "Tell the truth, or I'll kill you!"

Zhai Le couldn't help but say, "Brother Shen, you're so chivalrous..."

Shen Tang slightly lifted her eyelids, looking coldly at Zhai Le.

Speak like a human being!

"Upholding justice and chivalry does not involve forcing confessions through torture."

Shen Tang remained silent, letting himself understand the look of being seen as an idiot.

The conversation between the two only solidified the group of thugs' definition of their actions—in short, they were two greenhorn kids imitating the chivalrous heroes in folk tales, claiming to be righteous, upholding justice, attacking the weak, and seeking thrills and a sense of accomplishment.

This is precisely what thugs fear the least.

Because this kind of thing is a paper tiger; it can't do anything really ruthless.

Shen Tang retorted, "Bullshit! I'm going to force a confession out of me!"

Zhai Le: "..."

Looking at Shen, whose demeanor seemed vaguely familiar, and smelling the strong aroma of alcohol emanating from him even without getting close, Zhai Le's heart began to pound with a torrential downpour of small drums—

Could it be that Brother Shen has been secretly drinking?

He asked tremblingly, "Brother Chen, are you drunk?"

"No, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."

Zhai Le: "..."

Goodness, I'm 90% sure he's drunk.

But he couldn't remember when Brother Shen had started drinking; they had clearly been acting together ever since they started smashing the stall.

Thinking of Shen's unusually excited and energetic state that night, Zhai Le felt a headache coming on. He worried that Shen might suddenly go on a drunken rampage, and he might not be able to stop him. So he came up with an idea: "Shen, why don't you go look for the stolen treasure?"

I remember last time when he was drunk, Brother Shen mistook Gong Shuwu for a thief who stole treasures and chased him all the way to the outskirts of the city.

If this works—

Surely Gong Shuwu can withstand it?

should……

But Shen Tang didn't play by the rules.

She said, "I've already apprehended the thief!"

Zhai Le's lips twitched: "Where's the treasure?"

Shen Tang gritted her teeth, remembering something annoying: "The thief is despicable, refusing to hand over the treasure, but it doesn't matter. The little thief is in my hands, and the treasure will one day be returned to its rightful owner!"

Zhai Le: "..."

Brother Shen's drunkenness is indeed extraordinary.

Shen Tang kicked the thug who was trying to escape back, leaving him unable to get up for a moment. His longsword was once again held against the neck of the burly leader: "Confess the truth!"

He was stubborn and refused to speak.

Shen Tang decided to teach him a lesson.

With a stomp on his knee, and a little force, the burly man's face turned ashen, and he screamed in agony, unable to bear it any longer.

Shen Tang moved her foot away, and the burly man rolled around, clutching her leg.

The other thugs turned pale when they saw this.

Shen Tang said, "I was already planning to break all your legs. Since you won't talk, I'll just go through the motions..."

After saying that, he prepared to break another leg.

"No, no, we can't lay a hand on him!"

A voice came from among the onlookers.

Shen Tang lowered her eyes: "Does this person have a special identity?"

As soon as she asked the question, some of the onlookers immediately changed their expressions.

Some hesitated to speak, while others were so frightened that they quietly slipped away.

An old man with white hair stepped out from the crowd.

He said, "This man is nicknamed 'Snakehead.' He has an older brother who went into the mountains to become a thief, and he's the second-in-command. Don't mess with him!"

The old man was also a street vendor who made a living by weaving straw sandals. He was worried that Shen Tang and the other two young people would get into big trouble because of their act of chivalry, so he stepped forward.

Shen Tang raised an eyebrow: "Wow, they've actually got some skills. Old man, don't be afraid. Besides what I mentioned earlier, have these thugs committed any other misdeeds?"

The old man was furious: "You brat, why won't you listen to advice?"

"Don't be afraid, old man. I'm not some kind of chivalrous knight who beats you up and then leaves you alone. If these thugs are committing heinous crimes, I'll send them to meet the King of Hell. If that second-in-command is their backer, I'll go and take care of that so-called second-in-command too. Our after-sales service is top-notch in the industry, and we guarantee you won't have any follow-up troubles."

Zhai Le: "..."

He felt he was being subtly implicated, being included among "some".

Seeing Shen Tang's stubbornness and his boastful words, the old man knew the young man was doomed and he couldn't stop him. He could only sigh helplessly and hint at his intentions, hoping that Shen Tang and his companion would realize the difficulty and flee Xiaocheng that very night.

It turned out that the "snakehead," relying on his brother who was a bandit, had also gathered a gang of thugs in Xiaocheng, making a fortune by oppressing the merchants throughout the city. This matter was reported to the prefectural government, which initially sent men to arrest the "snakehead," but he was released after only two days in jail, reportedly due to his powerful connections and bribery. Afterwards, any merchant who reported this would suffer either ruin or death.

The main business of "snakeheads" is collecting "stall tax," but they also have other side businesses, such as forcing women into prostitution, trafficking people, lending money at exorbitant interest rates, and even beating people to death while demanding repayment of debts...

The vendors were angry but dared not speak out.

They obediently paid the "stall tax" and that was the end of it.

Shen Tang looked at Zhai Le with a half-smile.

"It's not a heinous crime?"

Zhai Le: "...Yes."

"You haven't taken any lives?"

Zhai Le: "...I got it."

Judging from the situation, that bandit hideout seems to have some interesting motives.

"Empiricism is unacceptable, Zhai Xiaofang."

Zhai Le blushed with embarrassment and awkwardly changed the subject: "Brother Shen, is now the time to settle scores with me? These villains are so despicable, they should indeed be killed, not one of them should be spared!"

Shen Tang: "Yes, drag them to the grove outside the city!"

"That bandit's den doesn't sound good either."

Shen Tang nodded: "Yes, let's copy it together!"

Having said that, he began to string together all the thugs, preparing to go outside the city to clean up the mess. When Zhai Le saw this, he looked terrified: "No...no, Brother Shen, shouldn't we go back to find Mr. Qi first? If it really doesn't work, I can go find my brother...just the two of us?"

He thought it was unacceptable.

Although Brother Shen is also a scholar with a literary mind.

Unfortunately, Brother Shen is no good!

I feel better now, and I'll resume extra updates tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)