The sudden appearance of a pedestrian caused the two to stop talking simultaneously.
Qian Chuan subconsciously slowed his pace so that Chuan Liu could keep up with him.
Chuanliu's gaze briefly fell on the beggar, then he lowered his eyes and moved to the edge of the road with Qian Chuan, making way for the staggering beggar.
As the distance between the three gradually decreased, the old beggar unexpectedly walked straight towards Qianchuan and Chuanliu.
The beggar, in a trembling, aged voice, said, "Young man, I can't find my way home. Can you help me get home?"
Qianchuan and Chuanliu exchanged a glance, and adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, shook their heads. "Sorry, we're in a hurry."
With that, the two quickened their pace and headed towards the City of Cubes.
The old beggar actually followed behind them with a limp, sighing repeatedly, "So be it, so be it, I'm all alone, let me die in this desolate wilderness!"
The two still didn't turn around; instead, they quickened their pace.
The beggar didn't seem to intend to let the money strings and the flow of people go so easily. He leaned on his cane and tried to quicken his pace, almost taking two steps at a time as he chased after them.
However, in that instant, he suddenly let out a cry of pain, his body jerked violently, and then he fell heavily to the ground. He clutched his injured leg in pain, groaning loudly.
Qianchuan and Chuanliu turned their heads and looked at the stranger strangely.
Is this a staged accident scam?
That method is far too crude.
Chuanliu made a gesture from an angle only visible to Qianchuan, then put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked towards the beggar who had fallen to the ground.
She didn't offer any help, but stood a meter away from the beggar, lowered her eyes, and asked calmly, "Old man, are you alright?"
The beggar was still groaning, his voice tinged with resentment, "Alas, the world has really changed. Someone has fallen down, and no one is even willing to help them up."
Chuanliu seemed not to hear, maintaining his hands-in-pockets posture and observing coldly.
She keenly sensed that, despite the beggar's constant groans, his body had recovered and he was perfectly capable of standing up on his own. However, he deliberately remained on the ground, unwilling to get up.
Chuanliu sneered inwardly.
This beggar clearly had ulterior motives for approaching them.
Her gaze inadvertently swept across the beggar's face, then slowly moved down, sweeping over the beggar's hands, then over the wooden cane on the ground, and then over the shoes.
She moved quietly to the beggar's right, bent down to pick up the cane from the ground, and then handed the other end of the cane to the beggar, saying calmly, "Get up."
A strange glint flashed in the beggar's eyes, but he quickly regained his gratitude. He stretched out his right hand, gripped the stick tightly, and stood up with a thud, saying repeatedly, "Thank you, little girl, you are such a kind person."
However, when the beggar stood up, his movements suddenly became unusually agile.
His left hand swiftly reached into his right pocket, and then, with a flick of his palm, a gleaming dagger appeared in the air like a silver lightning bolt shattering the silence.
The dagger's blade was incredibly sharp, reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight.
A ruthless glint flashed in the beggar's eyes. He stared intently at Chuanliu as if he wanted to tear her to pieces, showing no trace of his old-age demeanor.
His arm muscles tensed as he swung a powerful, deadly blow.
The dagger drew an arc in the air, piercing the river with a whistling sound.
Chuanliu felt the sharp killing intent rushing towards her, but fortunately, she was prepared. The girl's eyes sharpened, and her body reacted reflexively. She quickly turned to the side, nimbly dodging the dagger attack.
Because of the girl's chosen position, the beggar's posture of holding the dagger in the back could not be flexibly adjusted according to the situation.
The tip of the dagger grazed the hem of her clothes, making a hissing sound, but it failed to harm her in the slightest.
But before he could catch his breath, the beggar's second wave of attacks came like a storm. He quickly switched the dagger to his dominant hand, let out a low growl, and charged towards the stream.
Qian Chuan realized something was wrong, but he had no weapon at hand. He quickly looked around and finally picked up a thick tree branch, gripping it tightly in his hand. He took a deep breath and resolutely charged towards the fierce beggar.
At this moment, Chuanliu skillfully used her cane to launch an attack, taking advantage of the distance. She aimed at the beggar's vulnerable areas, such as his wrists and elbows.
The high-speed movement of the wooden stick compresses the air, making a "whoosh" sound, as if it is about to tear the air apart.
Finally, the stick struck the beggar hard on the back of the head. The beggar felt dizzy and the dagger in his hand began to swing wildly involuntarily.
Chuanliu seized the opportunity, quickly thrusting the tip of the stick into the beggar's chest, then pulled his right hand back and struck the beggar's neck hard with the other end of the stick, followed by a blow to the wrist.
The dagger finally flew from the beggar's hand, drawing a bright arc in the air before embedding itself deeply into the ground.
As the dagger fell to the ground, the beggar's vision went black, and his body collapsed heavily to the ground like a boulder that had lost its support, letting out a truly painful groan.
Chuanliu pressed his knees onto the beggar's shoulders and twisted his arms with both hands. With just a little force, the man screamed in agony.
"Ah! Ah—"
However, the girl's movements did not stop because of the beggar's screams; instead, she increased the angle of her twist.
The man's screams grew even more pitiful.
Qian Chuan picked up the dagger from the ground and asked Chuan Liu, "How did you find out he was suspicious?"
Chuanliu chuckled lightly, with a hint of disdain, "His disguise is too unprofessional. Putting aside the fact that this fake beard isn't even human hair; the patches on his clothes are obviously hastily sewn on, the stitches are too rough, it's obvious that they weren't patches made for everyday life."
Not to mention his shoes, which he deliberately made dirty but showed no signs of wear; and his cane, which showed no signs of use and was even a little rough to the touch.
The girl pointed out the beggar's suspicious points one by one, and then exerted force in her hand, continuing to rotate the man's arm.
The latter screamed repeatedly, "Ah—it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Qian Chuan squatted down and interrogated him in an icy tone: "Tell me, who sent you?"
As he finished speaking, a flash of cold light appeared, and the tip of the dagger was firmly embedded in the ground in front of the beggar, just a hair's breadth away from piercing his eyes.
Between the cold blade and the beggar's trembling eyelids, there was only a barely perceptible wisp of air.
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