The Strong Man

Translator: Cinder Translations

--------

The muscular man, upon hearing the words, was neither hurried nor angry. His dark face, with a pair of distinct eyes, looked down at Jiang Cheng from a high position.

Given Jiang Cheng's height, he was seldom treated like this.

"Go open the door," Chen Xiaomeng noticed something was wrong and threatened, pressing a wooden hairpin to the temple of the helpless bearded man, saying, "Hurry!"

The village chief and the others intentionally or unintentionally moved closer, bringing the two groups to only a few meters apart.

"You can try taking one more step forward," Jiang Cheng tilted his head and warned the village chief's group, who were eager to act.

Unlike Chen Xiaomeng's threat, Jiang Cheng's warning had an immediate effect. The village chief and his companions immediately stopped moving.

Everyone's gaze subtly focused on the muscular man.

Jiang Cheng lit half a candle on the candlestick with a match, holding it up, his meaning clear without needing words.

The man's height almost reached the ceiling. His dark face was shiny, but in the end, he did not act. Instead, he stepped forward again, placing one hand on the gap and slowly pulling open the hidden door.

Just this action showed that the man had more strength than Jiang Cheng.

"Step back!" Chen Xiaomeng shouted.

The man looked at her and silently stepped back two paces.

Jiang Cheng pulled the limp bearded man off the ground, using him as a shield and allowing Chen Xiaomeng to go in and check first.

Once she entered, Jiang Cheng dragged the bearded man and slowly moved towards the door.

At this point, the village chief and his group were no longer calm and slowly pressed forward.

Jiang Cheng's situation was now awkward. To pull the bearded man through the hidden door, the door had to be opened wider, or the bearded man wouldn't fit.

But if he did that, he wouldn't be able to guarantee that he could enter the door and close it before the muscular man acted.

That strange sense of urgency grew stronger. It felt like the iron door was about to collapse.

Li Lu had already returned to the real world through the iron door.

And they had already guessed the fate of Yu Man.

"Quick, close the door!" Chen Xiaomeng's voice came.

Jiang Cheng stopped hesitating. He pushed the bearded man, who was acting as a hostage, toward the muscular man, then quickly dodged backward into the door, preparing to close it.

The entire set of actions was completed in an instant, but just as the door was about to close, a figure crashed in like a tank.

Although Jiang Cheng was prepared, he was still knocked back two meters.

The force was enormous.

"Thud!"

A figure fell to the ground in the darkness with a pig-like scream.

It was the bearded man.

The towering figure, nearly two meters tall, stood at the hidden door, seemingly unconcerned with the bearded man. Instead, he used the bearded man's body to forcefully crash through.

The most awkward part was the position of the iron door.

It was right next to the wall beside the hidden door.

The figure of the muscular man stood like an iron tower, his face obscured in the shadows.

This was bad.

Chen Xiaomeng no longer hesitated and rushed toward the muscular man. She could already see the village chief and others, filled with murderous intent, charging toward them. If they got inside, it would be too late.

If that happened, Chen Xiaomeng would resolve it first.

Taking advantage of the muscular man's entry into the dark environment, and while his vision hadn't yet adjusted, she leapt high, intending to blind him with the wooden hairpin.

But she underestimated the muscular man.

A gust of wind rushed at her. The muscular man raised his powerful arm while she was still in mid-air, his speed so fast it was a blur. In that instant, Chen Xiaomeng felt her heart sink.

Jiang Cheng couldn't save her in time and could only watch as she crashed into the muscular man's fist.

The next scene was predictable: the fragile Chen Xiaomeng would have at least ten bones broken with a single punch, before being thrown to the ground, her life unknown.

The bearded man, who had feigned death for a while, suddenly looked bright-eyed.

The next second...

"Shh!"

It was the sound of a sharp object piercing flesh.

Chen Xiaomeng's attack hadn't missed. She stabbed the muscular man's palm hard with the wooden hairpin.

But the other side's fierce fist did not hit Chen Xiaomeng's fragile body. At the last moment, it transformed into an open hand and gently caught her mid-air.

Then, in her incredulous gaze, he slowly placed her down.

Hearing the rapid footsteps from outside the door, the muscular man forcefully slammed his back against the door. The hidden door made a "clack" sound and closed.

Chen Xiaomeng stared at him like she was in a dream, seemingly trying to understand why he did that.

The man pulled the wooden hairpin from his hand, wiped it on his clothes, and handed it back to Chen Xiaomeng. He hadn't said a word since he was injured.

"Asumu!" The bearded man, witnessing all of this, was furious, cursing loudly, "You traitorous bastard, when you and your mother were down and out, who took pity on you and saved you! Who gave you food to eat!"

"It was my father! It was the village chief of Xiao Shijian Village!" He was furious, his face red, blood occasionally leaking from his previous wounds. "Is this how you repay him?! You—"

He stopped speaking there because Jiang Cheng stepped forward and kicked his chin, sending it askew.

"You..." Chen Xiaomeng raised her head and looked at the muscular man's face, as if trying to capture the answer she wanted.

"The village chief and his people... did not do well," the muscular man shook his head. His voice was hoarse, but his eyes were exceptionally clear.

He lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.

"They shouldn't have killed people," he paused, then added, "I've told him many times, but he didn't listen. He can't be wrong again."

"My mother said before she went to Changsheng Tian that no matter what you do, it's a debt owed, and Changsheng Tian remembers every debt. They will come to collect it."

TL/N: In Chinese culture and mythology, Changsheng Tian refers to a divine or celestial realm, often associated with immortality, longevity, or eternal life.

The iron door made its last buzzing sound, nearly dissipating.

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, pulled out an iron piece, and walked toward the trembling bearded man on the ground. The bearded man seemed to understand what Jiang Cheng was about to do and desperately crawled toward the corner.

But he was no match for Jiang Cheng's speed.

However, the muscular man stepped forward to stop him. He shook his head and said, "Please don't kill him. The village chief only has him as a son left!"

Jiang Cheng looked at him and asked, "Then what about you?"

The muscular man comforted him with a shake of his head, raised a finger, pointed at the ceiling, and said, "Changsheng Tian said everything is a debt, and it can't be avoided."

The bearded man, whose jaw had been broken, suddenly made a muffled sound, seemingly agreeing with the muscular man's decision to spare his life.

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you turn around, and I'll stab him to death. You can pretend you didn't see anything. That way, the debt will be mine, and it won't be your problem."

The bearded man froze for a few seconds, then let out a louder "woo woo" sound, struggling on the ground like a fish out of water, slapping the floor.

(End of the Chapter)

---

Read (NS) ahead on (pa treon . com / CinderTL) – Chapter 246.

Early access starts at $1. Your support keeps this going!

$1 for this novel, or two novels for just $5, RDC/FF/MF Tiers. ;)

Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.