Chapter 158 Is this the smiling tiger?
Lou Yue said sternly, "Yang Kuan, you have slandered my young lady's reputation! Do you know your crime?"
With several women in front of him, Yang Kuan was not afraid at all. He raised his hand to wipe the wine off his face and responded with a disdainful sneer.
"Crime? What crime? Is she an official? Even if she is, no one can convict someone just by saying a few words."
He crossed his arms, turned his head away disdainfully, and met Lin Shiyuan's cold face. He paused, but instead of avoiding his gaze, he gave him a lewd look before turning away.
Do you really think he's afraid of Yao Qingling?
He only knew that seeing her could help him evade the authorities' wanted notices.
A woman who wants to rule over men?
Lin Shiyuan took a step forward, and Yang Kuan was so frightened that he took a big step back, his calf hitting the chair and almost tripping.
Lin Shiyuan immediately took action, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up.
Yang Kuan could only barely reach the ground by standing on tiptoe.
The disdain in his eyes finally faded.
He was short, but his body was all muscle. Yet this man in front of him lifted him up with just one hand!
But the man remained defiant, his rough hands gripping Lin Shiyuan's wrist tightly as he protested: "What do you want to do? Don't think I'm afraid of you!"
His eyes darted to the other group, his face flushed red, and he roared, "What are you all doing just standing there! Didn't you see he grabbed me? You're next!"
He incited the others to attack Lin Shiyuan.
Yang Kuan stirred up the atmosphere, and the tension that wasn't so high before was instantly tightened.
Those people were instigated and thought that Lin Shiyuan was going to take action today and arrest them to the government to make a good start.
They felt that this was a trap, a secret deal between Yao Qingling and Lin Shiyuan, in which she betrayed them in exchange for her own safe escape!
Several people were eager to try, looking for an angle to make a move, and some even drew their knives!
But before they could rush up, Lin Shiyuan suddenly kicked Yang Kuan in the knee and released his grip at the same time.
Yang Kuan cried out in pain, and his knees thudded as he knelt heavily on the ground.
He was kneeling in the direction that Yao Qinglou was facing.
Lin Shiyuan raised his foot and pressed it on Yang Kuan's shoulder. Yang Kuan struggled, but couldn't stand up at all.
Lin Shiyuan moved too fast; before anyone else could react, they saw Yang Kuan kneeling on the ground, being firmly suppressed.
Seeing is believing; they simply cannot defeat them in the face of absolute strength.
Lin Shiyuan raised his cold eyes and scanned the surroundings: "Who else wants to come up?"
The group exchanged glances, swallowed hard, and their grip on the knives loosened slightly.
At this moment, Lin Qiao walked to her brother's side, crossed her arms, and looked at the people with a cold and disdainful smile: "Even if all of you come up here, you can't beat my brother. General Zhennan fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He's not like you, who think you've become local tyrants just because you rob a few rich people."
As he spoke, he kicked Yang Kuan: "Apologize to Miss Qingling and your brother!"
Yang Kuan lost; he was trampled underfoot without even a fight. This was extremely humiliating for him.
He had already lost face, but he wasn't willing to lose substance as well, so he turned his head away and said, "Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you!"
As long as he doesn't apologize, those taunts will remain like a thorn in Yao Qingling's heart.
He's dead, but Yao Qingling will remember this day and his mocking words for the rest of her life.
Everyone here heard it. If word gets out, Yao Qingling will never be able to live a clean life!
Qingling had calmed down. She gently stroked her belly and looked at Yang Kuan calmly.
There was no emotion in his eyes at all.
There was roasted meat on the table, and a meat slicing knife on the plate.
Yao Qingling turned her head, picked up the knife, and handed it to Lou Yue, saying, "You're good at cooking and have good knife skills. Go and cut off his ear."
“Miss…” Lou Yue took the knife, her fingers trembling slightly, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. She could slice a roast duck, but she had never sliced a human ear before.
Qingling said, "Don't be afraid. Just think of him as a pig's head. First, cut off one ear, then cut off the other one..."
His gaze swept across Yang Kuan's face. "Nose, eyes, lips, scalp... but the tongue must be cut last."
If you keep your tongue, you can speak.
Qingling continued, "His hands are stained with the blood of countless people; even monks couldn't escape his blade. Buddha gave him a second chance to live, but opportunities are precious. Once lost, they are gone forever."
"This Yang Kuan, last time he led a group to storm the shop, almost causing a major disaster. He claims he'll never do it again, but he's just being perfunctory, arrogant, and disdainful of everyone. This kind of person is too dangerous; he's nothing but a menace to us..."
Yang Kuan felt increasingly uneasy as he listened.
Does this woman really dare to kill him?
He looked at Yao Qingling, trying to find a trace of weakness in her face.
Qingling's gaze met his, and she lowered her waist slightly to meet his eyes even closer.
The man strained his eyes, trying to appear fierce; he couldn't let her scare him.
He quietly gathered his strength for one last gamble, and suddenly lunged at Qing Ling.
"Watch out!" Lou Yue and the others were so frightened that their hearts almost stopped. They were not quick enough to pull Yao Qingling back.
"Ugh—" Yang Kuan's body suddenly trembled, his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the woman in front of him, then he lowered his head.
A dagger was stuck in his chest.
"You..." A sharp pain shot through him, and he collapsed to the ground. "How dare you touch me..."
Gasping for breath, he recovered from the excruciating pain and looked at the others. "Did you all see how ruthless she was?"
"We worked tirelessly for her day and night, but once she succeeded, she stabbed us in the back!"
Several people looked at Yao Qingling with fear and astonishment.
She usually seems kind and always smiling, but I never expected her to be so ruthless.
Is this what a smiling tiger is like?
Qingling ignored the gazes directed at her and casually wiped the blood splattered on her fingers with a handkerchief.
Her slender, verdant fingers, stained with blood, possessed an eerie beauty that stirred the senses.
Some people were terrified by it, while others were amazed.
Lin Shiyuan watched her silently, taking in every expression she made, a fervent look in his eyes.
No woman was as unexpected, decisive, and fearless as she was.
"Yao Qingling, he's still your subordinate. We've all been through this together. You can't turn on your own people!"
"He was just joking with you. Or are you really going to use us as stepping stones for this man's career?"
One of the managers at the dock had bloodshot eyes.
In terms of personal relationships, he's naturally closer to the group of people he's been with all along. Besides, he's not Yao Qingling's subordinate.
Yao Qingling loosened her grip, and the handkerchief fluttered to the ground. She raised her eyelids and said coldly, "Don't worry, he won't die for now."
However, the dagger was still stuck in his skin, and even breathing was painful, and no one stopped the bleeding.
This is tantamount to torture.
Yao Qingling looked at him without any guilt or pity on her face.
Don't treat me like a saint.
His gaze shifted from Yang Kuan to everyone present.
Don't treat her like a saint; there's always a next time.
Don't treat her like a clay boss, someone you can easily fool and treat differently in public and in private.
“These words were spoken from the day you followed me. I will lead you to a good life. Once you follow me, you cannot go back on your word. You can only do as I say. You cannot betray me, and you cannot reveal my secrets…”
“But Miss Qingling, Yang Kuan didn’t leak the secret. It was Steward Lin who wanted to leave to become an official and came to arrest us. We objected—” someone interrupted.
Qing Ling's icy gaze swept over him. She interrupted the man, raised her voice, and asked Yang Kuan sharply, "Yang Kuan, who instructed you to cause trouble...who taught you to sow discord?"
"What? What's going on?"
Yao Qingling's words left them completely bewildered.
Those people looked into her eyes, held their breath slightly, and then the way they looked at Yang Kuan changed.
"They are all your brothers, they came all the way from Luozhou with you, barefoot. What kind of reward could make you abandon these brothers and send them to their deaths?"
"What do you mean?" The group looked around, and finally all turned to look at Yang Kuan.
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