SWNOVELXO Chapter 73: Which hand did you touch with?
Once these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent.
As soon as he finished speaking, an imposing aura burst forth from Shen Qing, his clothes fluttering without a breeze.
He gently brought together two fingers, forming a sword with them.
A crimson light gathered between the inconspicuous fingertips.
Then, with a muffled sound, a brilliant beam of Qi pierced through the air and landed precisely on the chest of one of the Hei Zhao Gang members.
A squelching sound followed.
The Qi Shen Qing condensed contained intense strength and exploded as soon as it touched the henchman's chest.
The sound of Qi penetrating flesh, bursting, and tearing through came simultaneously.
At the spot where the Qi fell, a gaping hole as wide as a bowl appeared on the chest of the Hei Zhao Gang member.
The scorching energy passed through it, expanded outward along the blood hole, and burned through his internal organs in one fell swoop.
Before the other Hei Zhao Gang members could react, another explosive sound cut through the air.
Shen Qing, with his fingers forming a sword, unleashed red Qi beams consecutively.
Before the many Hei Zhao Gang members could grasp what was happening, Shen Qing pierced them with a single finger blow, killing them instantly.
Each beam of Qi that landed was accompanied by the death of a Hei Zhao Gang member.
The strong scent of blood permeated the air.
Those arrogant Hei Zhao Gang members, now in utter despair, sought to beg for mercy.
However, before they could utter a word of plea, they were silenced by Shen Qing's Qi beams, silently sent on their way.
In no time, a deathly silence enveloped the surroundings.
In the main hall, corpses of the Hei Zhao Gang lay scattered in disarray.
Shen Qing stood towering, his gaze icy as he fixed his eyes on the lone big man with a twisted beard.
A smile played on his lips as he politely said, "Well, it's your turn."
The big man with a twisted beard trembled like a leaf, utterly terrified.
He stammered, "Spare me..."
"Brother, he touched Elder Sister's face just now," shouted Shen Xiaoshan loudly, filled with indignation.
"I... I..." The big man with a twisted beard stuttered, his face bewildered.
Shen Qing's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Which hand did you use?"
The big man's heart trembled violently, and he instinctively shifted his gaze to his burly right hand.
Seeing this, Shen Qing placed his hand on the hilt of his dagger, slowly drew it, and then lightly flicked his wrist.
A cold gleam swiftly cut toward the big man's right arm.
Slash.
"Ah!"
With a scream, the big man's right arm was severed, blood gushing out like a fountain, staining everything around it.
A piercing scream erupted from his throat, his eyes filled with horror and... desperate hope.
"Shen Chasi, can you spare me now?" he asked, clutching his severed wrist, inhaling sharply, and trembling.
Shen Qing stood firm like a pine, his gaze lowered.
In a cold voice, he said, "What do you think?"
"If I hadn't come in time, would you have spared the people in the courtyard?"
"..." The big man's face froze, barking, "You're not keeping your word..."
Shen Qing tightened his grip on the dagger hilt and with a decisive, clean slash, a silvery light mixed with a hint of red swept across the big man's neck.
Squelch!
The big man's eyes widened, filled with reluctance and shock.
His head separated from his body with incredible speed, rolling to the ground with a dull thud.
A pillar of blood sprayed from the severed neck of the big man.
In the hall, the already thick scent of blood became even more intense, faintly carrying the taste of rust, wafting around.
"I never promised you anything."
Shen Qing swung his dagger, flicking the blood off the blade.
He turned and surveyed the Shen Family members, his expression softening significantly.
"It's all over now."
Elder Sister Shen Fang walked over, tears welling in her eyes. "Qingzi, what happened these days? Where have you been? They all said you died."
"This is a long story, and I'll explain it to you all later when there's time."
Uncle, Aunt, and Elder Sister were all ordinary citizens with limited insight. Some matters, if told, would only add to their worries.
Tian Xiaohu and the others were similar in that regard.
They still lacked sufficient strength and couldn't contribute much, so it wasn't advisable to disclose too much.
Shen Qing glanced around at the bodies in the hall, curious. "Where did these people come from?"
"They're from the Hei Zhao Gang."
Tian Xiaohu, dealing with various elements in the city, was somewhat familiar with the identities of these people.
"The Hei Zhao Gang?"
"They're the gang overseeing Qinghe Square and have been eyeing Xinyi Square lately. They assumed you were dead and made bold moves targeting Shen's Restaurant."
Gang conflicts in Yongzhou City were as numerous as grains of sand.
Sometimes, even two people claimed to form a gang, contesting with other forces.
It was typical for an impulsive group like the Hei Zhao Gang to act in such a manner.
Shen Qing pondered, asking, "Does the Hei Zhao Gang have any backing?"
Generally, to gain a foothold in Yongzhou City, a gang would need some background, working under the radar for the high-ranking families.
Otherwise, these gangs couldn't survive in the Inner City.
They fed on the Thirteen Lines' leftovers, far from respectable.
Xiao Zhi, recalling, interjected, "I vaguely remember them mentioning they are backed by the Zhou Family."
"The Zhou Family? The leader of the Thirteen Lines, Zhou Family?" Shen Qing queried.
"Seems like it."
Tian Xiaohu stepped forward, asking, "Boss, what do we do next? Should we ask the Zhou Family's steward to mediate? If you want a connection with the Zhou Family, I know a few people from the Jianghu who have some ties with them."
Hearing this, Shen Qing laughed, "They're gangsters, and I am an official. Have you ever seen a cat afraid of a mouse?"
Tian Xiaohu was momentarily taken aback by these words.
"So, you want to..."
Shen Qing sheathed his long dagger, saying, "Naturally, we eliminate these vermin to prevent them from constantly causing trouble."
"I am an official, so it's only fitting to rid the populace of such threats."
With that, Shen Qing walked toward the doorway, supporting himself with the dagger.
Halfway there, he paused abruptly and turned back, saying, "Xiao Hu, I don't know the Hei Zhao Gang's hangouts; kindly lead the way."
"Huh? Sure, sure." Tian Xiaohu snapped back to reality, nodded repeatedly, and clutched his chest, heading toward Shen Qing.
"Boss, what about these bodies?"
Reaching Shen Qing, Tian Xiaohu asked.
Shen Qing nonchalantly replied, "I'll visit the Military Department later to report this to Lord Huangfu and have them deal with these Huang Tian Sect remnants. They're just riffraff, not worth sparing. Take that big man's head!"
Seeing how Shen Qing handled matters, Tian Xiaohu no longer questioned.
He grabbed the big man's head and led the way, saying, "This way."