The Deal
Translator: Cinder Translations
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Bang!
The man was slammed into the wall, his head bleeding heavily, leaving a crimson mark on the wall.
Jiang Cheng had no intention of stopping.
Bang!
Bang!
With each hit, blood splattered and stained the wall, resembling an ancient bloody totem.
Jiang Cheng released his grip on the man's hair, and the mangled body collapsed onto the floor with a thud, like a heap of mud.
Half of the man's head had caved in, a mixture of red and white sticky fluids continued to flow out.
Jiang Cheng wiped his hands on his clothes, then turned his head to look at the village chief and others, his gaze calm as if the night before a storm.
Everyone was stunned by Jiang Cheng and Chen Xiaomeng's actions, especially the former. Just one look from him made them too scared to move, their throats tightening uncontrollably.
They had once prided themselves on their ruthless methods, believing they were merciless when it came to exposing the conspiracy of Xiao Shijian Village. Many innocent souls had already been buried in the Qian family mansion.
But only today did they realize that their cruelty was nothing compared to the man standing a few meters away from them.
He was the true ruthless one.
Ruthless to the core.
"How are you?" Chen Xiaomeng lowered her voice.
She didn't think Jiang Cheng was hurt, as it was clearly a crushing victory. She asked more out of anxiety, hoping to relieve her own tension.
The terrifying aura emanating from Jiang Cheng was suffocating.
Jiang Cheng looked at his hands, rubbed his two fingers together, and suddenly said, "A bit sticky."
Chen Xiaomeng shivered.
"How much longer do you intend to keep this guy alive?" He turned his gaze to the man with the beard who was crouched on the ground.
Seeing Jiang Cheng's actions, the bearded man entered "play dead" mode, enduring the excruciating pain without a sound, lying on the ground like a dead pig. Yet, Jiang Cheng noticed him.
At this moment, his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
"You… you can't kill me!" The bearded man shouted in fear, "My father is the village chief! If you kill me, my father won't let you go!"
Jiang Cheng smiled, revealing a row of white teeth stained with blood, "As if I would spare your father."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomeng's face filled with concern. This man was clearly no longer normal. Although the first wave of attack on the village chief and others had failed, they had the advantage of the terrain and the enemy's underestimation.
If Jiang Cheng were to attack the village chief, even with all his strength, he would eventually be overwhelmed and die horribly.
Chen Xiaomeng didn't mind Jiang Cheng dying, but not now.
Once Jiang Cheng was done, she would be next.
"Don't be impulsive," Chen Xiaomeng tried to advise. She swallowed nervously and said in a low voice, "We'll spare him for now. Once we find the mechanism to open the door, then you can do whatever you want."
The village chief also couldn't hold back any longer. He only had this one son left to carry on the family line. If something happened to him, the family line would end.
To the mountain people, who valued heritage above all else, this would be a disaster.
The village chief, hoarse with emotion, shouted, "Don't hurt my third son. As long as you let him go, anything… anything is negotiable."
Chen Xiaomeng was truly afraid that Jiang Cheng might make some strange demands, leading to a deadly stalemate. She quickly responded, "It's possible to release him, but first tell me how to open the door behind us."
Hearing this, a flicker of something crossed the village chief's eyes.
Chen Xiaomeng immediately grew alert. "Don't try anything funny!"
She pressed the sharp end of a wooden hairpin near the bearded man's eye, scaring him so much that he almost wet himself. He desperately begged his father to agree to their terms.
"This…." The village chief hesitated for a moment before replying, "This is fine, but you must release him first."
Chen Xiaomeng sneered and immediately used the hairpin to stab through the bearded man's hand, pinning it to the ground.
"Ahh!!"
A scream rang out, and the village chief, desperate to protect his son, panicked. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. To be fair, we will send two people to help you open the door. Is that acceptable?"
He licked his dry lips and continued, "Once the door is open, you can return my son."
"No!"
"One person then!" The village chief's expression darkened, and it was clear that the last of his patience was running out.
Chen Xiaomeng took a deep breath, "Deal!"
She figured that one person wouldn't pose much of a threat to her. Once the door opened, she would enter the secret room and escape through the iron door.
As for what Jiang Cheng would do next, that was none of her concern.
The village chief and his group huddled together, whispering. Chen Xiaomeng squinted her eyes, and after a while, one man stepped forward.
Jiang Cheng stared at him expressionlessly.
It was the man who had earlier delivered food to them, the one with the bamboo pole. Jiang Cheng had even sneakily given him a steamed bun.
This man, with dark skin, was obviously different from the others in the village. There was no madness in his eyes; he was calm, like Jiang Cheng.
He spoke little and spent most of his time alone. When Jiang Cheng handed him the bun, he merely smiled faintly.
The man stood nearly two meters tall, with a strong build. His muscles under his clothes were like small hills.
Now, as he walked toward them, he was exerting some pressure on Chen Xiaomeng.
The village chief's group clearly had other intentions, but Chen Xiaomeng had no better options at the moment. She grabbed the bearded man and dragged him to the door.
She remained cautiously on guard.
Jiang Cheng poured the kerosene from the lamp onto the blanket he had pulled out, then took a box of matches from his pocket.
His actions immediately caused panic among the village chief and the others.
The entire inn was made of wood, including the furniture and floors. If a fire broke out, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Jiang Cheng was making it clear to them.
If they tried any tricks, they would all die together.
The village chief's face darkened.
The strong man walked slowly toward them, lifting the rough hem of his clothes as he did, showing that he wasn't carrying any weapons.
But this also unintentionally exposed his muscular frame.
He was very strong—extremely strong.
When he reached Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng had to look up to meet his gaze.
The man slowly turned, signaling that there were no hidden weapons behind him.
Then, he turned back to face the black-painted wall, bent down, and poked at something in the corner. The wall trembled and then cracked open.
The secret door was unlocked.
Chen Xiaomeng's face lit up again.
The man then took a step back, seemingly signaling for Jiang Cheng to open the door himself.
"I know what you're thinking," Jiang Cheng looked at him, and after a few seconds of silence, he said, "You're planning to attack me from behind while I open the door."
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.