Chapter 50

The sudden knock on the door made Chen Ping'an's hair stand on end, and his scalp tingled with tension.

Chen Erya, who had been busy in the kitchen, also heard the knocking and rushed out, her hands still wet.

Chen Ping'an gave Chen Erya a meaningful look, quickly placed the stone in a corner of the courtyard wall, and then silently moved to her side.

With his current strength, he could easily do this without being noticed by the people outside the gate.

Bang!

The wooden bar across the gate snapped, and the gate was pushed open.

"What are you doing in there? Took so long to open the door!"

Several men rushed in, led by a thug with dark skin and a messy beard. He scanned the courtyard and then glared at Chen Ping'an and Chen Erya standing by the kitchen door.

"You!"

Chen Ping'an's face darkened as he looked at the group.

"The monthly fee was paid yesterday! What are you doing, barging in like this!?"

Chen Ping'an's voice was loud, and his face showed clear anger.

In that brief moment, he had quickly assessed the thugs who had entered. Among them, he recognized only one face—a thug named Feizi, a trusted subordinate of Little Tiger Lord.

Little Tiger Lord wasn't here! This meant they hadn't traced anything back to him. His secret was still safe.

At this moment, the correct response was to explode with anger, showing no hesitation or weakness. If he acted submissive, it would only raise suspicions. After all, he had clashed with Six yesterday, and backing down now would seem out of character.

Although Chen Ping'an was lean, his sudden burst of anger was quite intimidating. The thug who had been glaring at him was taken aback and momentarily at a loss.

Bullies who only pick on the weak!

Chen Ping'an sneered inwardly.

"You! Breaking into my house again and again, acting without any regard, being so rough and overbearing. Are you trying to push me to the brink!? No matter how down and out I am, I'm still a temporary constable of the Nanquan Lane Town Guard. Today, if you don't give me a proper explanation, I'll take this all the way to the Town Guard and demand justice from Little Tiger Lord himself!"

Chen Ping'an's face was dark with fury as he stared at the group.

His outburst left the thugs momentarily stunned. They were used to people fearing them because of their connection to the Tiger Head Gang. They had never encountered a situation like this before.

Moreover, Chen Ping'an kept emphasizing his status as a temporary constable of the Nanquan Lane Town Guard, threatening to take the matter to the Town Guard, and acting as if he had reached his limit and was ready to fight to the death.

Chen Ping'an's demeanor, combined with the terrifying reputation of the Town Guard, completely deflated the thugs' bravado.

"Little Chen... Brother Chen, don't get so worked up. Let's talk this through. We're here today to..."

The thug named Feizi forced a smile, trying to calm the situation.

However, before he could finish, Chen Ping'an cut him off sharply.

"Talk this through? Was breaking down my door your idea of talking!? You smashed my gate and now you want me to calm down? That's not how things work! Not in Pear Blossom Lane, and not in Nanquan Lane!"

"Now, you!" Chen Ping'an's eyes burned with anger. "Get out of my house!"

"You!"

Feizi looked as if Chen Ping'an had choked him, unable to find the right words to respond.

"Kid, you've got some nerve! Talking to us like that! Do you even know who we are?"

Another thug tried to puff himself up, rolling up his sleeves and shouting.

"Who cares who you are? No matter how big your background is, can it compare to the Town Guard? Can it compare to the Great Qian Code!?"

Chen Ping'an laughed coldly, his anger turning into a sneer.

"Article 178 of the Great Qian Code: Those who break into homes and commit violence shall be caned thirty times and imprisoned for five years! You lot! Do you want to test the authority of the Great Qian Code!? If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all!"

The thug who had spoken turned red in the face, unable to respond.

Yes, no matter how powerful the Tiger Head Gang was, could it compare to the Town Guard? Could it compare to the Great Qian Code!? They didn't know the specifics of the law, but the way Chen Ping'an spoke and the look on his face made it impossible for them to doubt him.

"Brother Chen, we..." Feizi finally managed to speak, but Chen Ping'an cut him off again.

"Get out!"

Hearing this, Feizi's face turned cold. He pointed a finger at Chen Ping'an.

"Fine, just you wait! Let's go!"

"Sure, I'll be waiting!"

Chen Ping'an sneered, showing no fear.

Feizi glared at Chen Ping'an with a face full of anger, then led the thugs away.

Watching them leave, Chen Ping'an glanced at the half-covered marks on the courtyard wall and felt a wave of relief.

Thankfully, they didn't come in to inspect.

The purpose of their visit was obvious—they were here about Six's death, likely to question him. They probably wanted to intimidate him first to make him cooperate out of fear.

Unfortunately, they picked the wrong person!

Back then, he had been willing to swallow his pride because he lacked strength. At that time, he hadn't even entered the martial path, and in a fight, he might not have been a match for the experienced thugs.

But now, he was at the third level of Qi and Blood. With strength came courage!

A few thugs were nothing to fear!

Unexpectedly, his boldness had made them back down.

Truly, a bunch of bullies who only prey on the weak!

However, judging by their attitude, this wasn't over.

Their argument hadn't been quiet, and the neighbors must have heard it. If Feizi and his gang left without doing anything, it would damage the Tiger Head Gang's reputation.

So, they would definitely do something next. This time, they were probably going back to gather reinforcements.

As a temporary constable, his status wasn't much higher than an ordinary person under normal circumstances. But if it came down to it, Chen Ping'an was still a member of the Nanquan Lane Town Guard.

And no thug could afford to offend someone from the Town Guard.

"Erya, don't worry. Big brother is here," Chen Ping'an comforted Chen Erya.

"Mm." Chen Erya nodded firmly. "I believe in you."

With her brother by her side, she hadn't felt any fear during the confrontation.

Chen Ping'an picked up the stone and continued covering the marks on the wall. By the time he finished, Chen Erya was almost done washing the dishes.

Chen Ping'an fetched a chopping knife from the kitchen and brought out a chair from the house. He placed the chair in the center of the courtyard, facing the gate. Then, holding the knife, he sat down on the chair, waiting calmly for the Tiger Head Gang to return.

"Let's see if the Tiger Head Gang dares to challenge the law under the jurisdiction of the county!"