Chapter 148

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Chapter 148: Qiao Shuanglin, Who Doesn’t Like Conflicts

The noisy sounds around him were getting louder and more chaotic.

Qiao Mu was deeply surrounded by a crowd, being pointed at by many people. Countless gazes felt like countless needles, piercing him.

And he stayed silent, with no expression on his face.

As a result, under the instigation of some people with intent, the public became more and more agitated.

"What’s wrong with giving a little bit of money to a good person like Mr. Qiao? Why is it as difficult as cutting meat?"

"I’ve heard of the reputation of Qiao’s family. I’ve heard they are a powerful martial arts clan, producing many skilled martial artists. Naturally, they are much wealthier and more influential than ordinary people."

"He generously gave a thousand ounces of silver just now, but now he’s being stingy? He only cares about his reputation and doesn’t want to give more money?"

"Seeking fame and fishing for reputation, seeking fame and fishing for reputation!"

"I clearly saw that he still had silver coins in his money bag, he just didn’t want to give them."

Qiao Mu still didn’t speak, he quietly listened to the noise of the people around him, and he felt a bit irritated in his heart.

"Are you finished or not?" came a low roar from beside him, drowning out the noisy crowd at the entrance of the clinic.

The person speaking was Heavenly Prison Gaoler Fang Yuan.

Although he wasn’t particularly strong, he was still an internal strength martial artist, so it wasn’t difficult for him to overpower these ordinary people.

Not to mention Qiao Mu, who was in the midst of the storm, even Fang Yuan, who was listening beside him, felt an unnamed anger in his heart.

Fang Yuan is not an ordinary person either.

He is the son of a merchant and now a Heavenly Prison guard, so naturally he is not someone to be trifled with.

He has seen countless despicable things, and this kind of tantrum by the people is of no use in front of him as a Heavenly Prison guard.

"Get out of the way!"

He opened his eyes wide and a fierce look appeared.

As a guard in the heavenly prison, he had naturally seen blood before, and was skilled in using torture to extract confessions. But now, with just one sharp stare and a low growl, his deadly aura as a heavenly prison guard was unleashed.

The ordinary people gathered in front of the clinic couldn’t withstand such intimidation and immediately took a few steps back.

But then, a man with a pointed face in the crowd shouted:

"Someone’s fighting! Someone’s fighting!"

"The kind-hearted Qiao Shuanglin from the Qiao family had his follower start a fight…"

Different voices from the crowd mixed together in the commotion.

"Is it really necessary to resort to violence?"

"What did they do, just blocking your way?"

"Oh, how can we common people dare to block the way of the noble gentleman? Shouldn’t we kneel and wait for Mr. Qiao to have a good mood, and give us some reward money so that we can afford the medical treatment?"

The prison guard Fang Yuan frowned, as he just took a step forward, intending to push aside the crowd blocking the way. But just as his hand was raised, the crowd erupted in voices again.

"Qiao Shuanglin ordered his followers to beat people…" This kind of voice could be heard everywhere.

This put Fang Yuan in a dilemma.

As a prison guard in the heavenly prison, naturally he was not afraid of these people resorting to tricks such as throwing tantrums and acting shamelessly.

After all.

Moral blackmail can only be used on people with morals.

As long as he has no morals, there is no one who can blackmail him.

As a prison guard in the heavenly prison, he would not hesitate when it comes to taking action.

Just…Now, Fang Yuan is not a heavenly prison guard anymore, but a follower of Qiao Shuanglin…

Although he is not a follower, if he gets involved in a fight, it will damage Qiao Shuanglin’s reputation.

This made him hesitate for a while, standing there unsure of what to do.

"Fang Yuan, step aside." At this moment, a gentle voice sounded in his ears.

"Let me handle this."

Qiao Mu, with his aged body, took steps forward and looked at the crowd blocking their path.

"Impressive, Senior Qiao. After all these years, your calmness and martial arts skills are remarkable. I can feel my anger rising just by standing next to you…" Fang Yuan looked at the old man’s back and secretly admired him.

Qiao Mu took a deep breath and let out a powerful roar:

"Get out of the way! Don’t block our path!"

"If you knew, you would say that I did a kind deed by paying for the medical expenses of a patient. If you didn’t know, you might have thought that I dug up your ancestral grave, right?"

This loud shout was like thunder, immediately forcing the crowd to step back, creating a large empty space.

Although they stepped back, they certainly didn’t keep their mouths shut.

"He’s anxious, he’s anxious."

"I’ve always said that he is hypocritical, that he pretends to be kind. And now, look! His true colors are finally showing."

"Saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-level pagoda. Your attitude towards us disaster victims has truly brought shame upon Qiao’s family!"

"I’ve heard that when Qiao’s family was in Nan Province, they were known for their sense of justice, prioritizing righteousness over life and death. Now, I realize they were just seeking fame and reputation. It’s truly disappointing."

Meanwhile, Qiao Mu continued to smirk, stepping forward without paying any attention to the accusations from the crowd.

"I don’t give a damn how you see me, whether you think I’m hypocritical or not is your business, not mine. I will help, I will donate money!"

His eyes were as cold as electricity, coldly looking at the people who were gossiping.

Although Qiao Mu hadn’t learned the Spiritual Refining Method or the Eye Attacking Method, he had fought fiercely multiple times, and when he became serious, a strong killing intent emerged. When his gaze swept past the people who had just blamed him, they all lowered their heads like grass under a strong wind, and no one dared to meet his eyes.

"Today even if the Great God himself came, taking out money to help cure someone’s illness is a kind deed, a good thing! How could you criticize it?"

He took big strides and walked forward.

The crowded crowd unconsciously scattered to both sides, creating a pathway for Qiao Mu to move forward. The courtyard that was just packed with people a moment ago made way for him, as if rocks parting the waves.

He didn’t care whether the gazes of the crowd were accusing or angry, he only left them with the back of his silver-white head. He didn’t even turn around or stop.

Fang Yuan stood dumbfounded for a while, then quickly followed after him.

Although Qiao Mu’s actions were vastly different from what he had imagined, as he followed behind Qiao Mu, he couldn’t help but feel countless gazes staring at his back, making his heart tremble.

His heart trembled with excitement.

"At the age of ninety, despite being criticized by many, his determination remained unshakable… How can this old man, who is already in his nineties, have such a pure heart that cannot be swayed? Truly admirable."

He admired him in his heart, following behind Qiao Mu, and disappeared at the end of the crowd.

……..

After Qiao Mu left.

"Ugh, a group of disorganized people." On the attic, Wan Ronghua withdrew his gaze, feeling somewhat frustrated.

"Why should the master be angry? How could those ordinary people have the courage to stand in front of Qiao Shuanglin?" Mistress Fang Fang said.

"And now, those people who angered Qiao Shuanglin and urgently need money for treatment, doesn’t it fit perfectly into our plans?"

"From today onwards, as long as we spread the word a little, Qiao Shuanglin’s reputation in this Imperial Capital will be ruined."

"Exactly." Wan Ronghua nodded happily.

"This Qiao Shuanglin is a stronger martial artist than the Sword Ghost who is worshipped. It’s too simple to expect these ordinary people to stop him."

"Now, this is just the first step."

"The real show is yet to come. It’s not enough to just make Qiao Shuanglin defeated and disgraced with this step."

He sat at the table, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair.

Fang Fang understood and stood behind Wan Ronghua, gently squeezing his shoulder. The fragrance filled the air, and the warmth on his back made Wan Ronghua feel comfortable.

"By the way, there’s Qin Shiqing, Lord Qin." Wan Ronghua suddenly opened his eyes.

"Qin Shiqing is the warden of the heavenly prison. He was the executioner who beheaded Qiao Zhong at the vegetable market!"

"I heard that on that day, Qiao Zhong refused to kneel down, and it was the executioner Qin Shiqing who kicked and broke Qiao Zhong’s legs before the executioner carried out the sentence."

"These past two nights, Qiao Shuanglin has been saying that he wants revenge for his 60-year-old son, Qiao Zhong. It’s not just a challenge to the Great Yan Imperial Court and the Immortal Gate. I’m afraid that the executioner Qin Shiqing was also involved."

"With Qin Shiqing’s vengeful nature, how can he tolerate Qiao Shuanglin’s arrogant words?"

"Sir, do you intend to… use someone else’s hand to commit murder?" Fang Fang asked.

"This is not using someone else’s hand to commit murder, it’s just taking advantage of the situation," Wan Ronghua chuckled.

"Once we create a sensation, there will be people lining up from the outskirts of the city to the palace gates, wanting to kill Qiao Shuanglin…"

…………….

A long time passed.

Inside the clinic, Hai Wuya finally came out.

He was absorbed in a painting with Dong Xinglin in the clinic and had no idea about what had just happened outside.

As Hai Wuya listened to the explanation from the middle-aged doctor, his face immediately changed and he hurriedly walked out.

"Sea brother, where are you rushing to?"

"I’m going to find that Qiao Shuanglin," he said hurriedly.

"This Qiao Shuanglin and Qiao Zhong from the heavenly prison, they truly deserve to be father and son. Both of them are as passionate as fire… If such people get stuck in their own thinking, treated with contempt by the foolishness of the people, and lead astray because of it, it would be a great misfortune for my Great Yan."

Dong Xinglin blinked his eyes, deep in thought.

"Sea brother, you seem to hold Qiao Shuanglin in high regard…"

………..

Half an hour later.

In the old Feng family mansion, Hai Wuya arrived in a rush.

He didn’t know Qiao Mu’s residence, but he hoped to pass a message through Gaoler Fang Yuan. However, when he arrived at the Feng family mansion, he coincidentally found Qiao Mu in the courtyard.

"Brother Qiao, please don’t get angry," Hai Wuya said quickly.

"I already heard about what happened at the doctor’s office just now."

"Although the people are foolish and rough, this situation seems a bit suspicious to me. I suspect someone is secretly stirring up trouble…"

"Did Brother Qiao Mu come specifically to talk to me about this?" To Hai Wuya’s surprise, Qiao Mu appeared calm and unaffected by the recent commotion.

"Brother Qiao, I will personally investigate who is behind all this trouble-making," said Hai Wuya confidently. He was now a high-ranking official, one of the ministers of the six departments, so he had the authority to say such things.

"Before we uncover the truth, I hope Brother Qiao can keep a low profile and try not to go out too much," Hai Wuya said, looking at Qiao Mu’s face and observing any changes in his expression.

"In my opinion, no matter who is hiding behind the scenes, the incident at the doctor’s office is probably just the beginning."

"Keep a low profile? Sure," Qiao Mu replied with a smile, agreeing to the request.

"I am a peaceful person who doesn’t like fighting. I prefer peace," said Qiao Mu, his face full of smiles.