Chapter 382: An Unexpected Fate

Two government yamen runners drew their blades, putting on a show as they shouted orders in all directions, yet not a single shadow of a person could be seen.

Madam Wu, however, paid no heed to their theatrics. Her gaze remained fixed on the black-clad figure lying on the ground. Then, her eyes shifted to the open burlap sack nearby. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with joy. She rushed over, hastily tore open the sack, and revealed a little girl inside, eyes closed and still unconscious. The woman cried out loudly: “Husband, come quickly! It’s our Zai Zai—she’s been rescued!”

The middle-aged scholar, who had been crouched on the ground, wallowing in regret and slapping his own face, immediately sprang to his feet upon hearing this. Perhaps he had been crouching too long, for his legs were numb; after only a few steps, his legs gave out, and he fell face-first to the ground. Yet he hurriedly scrambled up, not caring in the slightest about the dirt on his clothes or face. He rushed over, and upon seeing his daughter, broke into a childlike grin. “Zai Zai, Zai Zai! It really is Zai Zai! The heavens have blessed us!”

As he spoke, he reached out to stroke the child’s face, only to realize his hands were filthy. He quickly drew them back and wiped them vigorously on his clothes. Only then did he carefully reach out again, hesitant to dirty her face, yet yearning to confirm with his own hands that his daughter was truly before him. In the end, he could only gently touch her little face, brushing aside the hair on her cheeks before finally letting his hand fall back.

Madam Wu scooped Zai Zai up from the sack. The scholar’s gaze then fell upon the black-clad figure on the ground. Instantly, his eyes flashed with fury. He lifted his foot and stomped hard on the black-clad man, cursing him with every blow.

As Zhang Cai and the others watched, Zhang Xiaohua quietly approached from behind. When the crowd saw him, smiles broke out across their faces. Even Yu Bihe’s husband gazed at him with stars in his eyes, as if still unable to believe that such a formidable martial artist truly stood among them.

Liu Kai chuckled: “Xiaohua, you sure took your time with that little break.”

Zhang Xiaohua shrugged and replied: “Ah, what can I say? Uncle Li was just too hospitable, kept pouring me drink after drink. Young folks have a strong constitution, but it means more trips to relieve oneself. I hope you all don’t mind.”

Zhang Cai laughed and scolded: “When did you get so slick with your tongue?”

Zhang Xiaohua said: “Father, you wrong your child! I’m as honest as they come.”

Then, glancing to the side, he said: “Uncle Li, since the authorities have arrived and the villain who tried to abduct the girl has come running back himself, let’s head home. It’s getting late, and we should all get some rest.”

Zhang Cai, knowing his son’s habits, agreed: “Ah, young people never get enough sleep. Brother Li, let’s go. We’ve seen the lantern festival, broadened our horizons. If we have time next year, we’ll have to trouble you again.”

Shopkeeper Li’s smile grew even brighter. “Of course, of course! You’re always welcome, always welcome!”

With that, everyone began to prepare to head home.

But just then, a new commotion suddenly broke out nearby.

The scholar was still stomping furiously on the black-clad man. The two yamen runners, after shouting for ages without seeing a soul, were just about to sheath their sabers and come over to investigate. In truth, their hearts were filled with mixed feelings—on one hand, they were pleased that they’d caught the kidnapper without lifting a finger, a great accomplishment indeed. On the other hand, it was clear this man was a Jianghu figure, not someone they could afford to offend. It was as if someone had forced a burning hot potato into their hands.

The black-clad man had only fainted from Zhang Xiaohua’s grip. After being thrown down just now and then trampled by the scholar, he slowly regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes and looked around, he still didn’t quite understand what had just happened.

But what had happened was of little importance—the key now was how to escape. Before him were only two yamen runners who wanted to approach but didn’t dare, a frail scholar stomping on him, a little girl still unconscious, and a crowd of commoners in plain clothes. These people were nothing but ants in his eyes—why should he care about them?

Realizing his predicament, the black-clad man suddenly grabbed the scholar’s leg and, gathering his strength, tried to fling him away—only to discover he couldn’t muster any inner energy. A quick check left his face ashen: his internal strength had been crippled! What now?

At this thought, he desperately yanked the scholar down, then spun around and snatched the little girl from Madam Wu’s arms. Clutching her with his left hand, he drew a dagger from his robe with his right, pressing it to the child’s throat. He shrieked: “Back off! Back off, or I’ll kill this child!”

When the two yamen runners saw the black-clad man regain consciousness, they were so terrified they nearly lost control of themselves, fleeing far into the distance without a second thought. The onlookers surrounding them were left stunned, not knowing what to do. Madam Wu rushed over, weeping and pleading: “Hero, take me instead! I beg you, please let the child go, okay?”

The black-clad man kicked Madam Wu aside and cursed: “What use are you? You’re nothing but an old hag!”

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was preparing to leave in the distance, he saw the scene unfold and immediately slipped his hand into his robe.

At that moment, the scholar who had just been thrown down seized the opportunity while the black-clad man’s attention was on Madam Wu. Desperately, he lunged forward—one hand grabbing the sharp edge of the dagger pressed against the child’s neck, the other clamping down on the black-clad man’s wrist. He then leaned in and bit down hard on the man’s knife-wielding hand. The black-clad man let out a miserable scream and kicked the scholar in the waist, but even in pain, the scholar refused to let go. Blood instantly streamed from his hand, dripping onto the child’s pale neck.

The black-clad man kept kicking, but the scholar seemed to have steeled his resolve, clenching his teeth and refusing to release his grip. Blood soon began to flow from the black-clad man’s hand as well. Growing desperate, the black-clad man struggled to wrest the dagger back with all his might, one arm holding the girl, the other fiercely tugging at the blade, his foot still kicking the scholar.

Blood trickled from the scholar’s mouth, but the onlookers could no longer stand by. Someone suddenly shouted: “Fellow townsfolk, this is one of our own from Lu Town! We can’t let this villain harm our child! Charge! Trample him—let’s see how arrogant he can be now!”

With that, a short, stout man led the charge, rushing at the black-clad man. With a leader to follow, the rest surged forward like a tide.

Seeing this, fear flashed in the black-clad man’s eyes. He never expected these plain-clothed villagers, who usually appeared timid and submissive, to display such courage and passion. In a panic, he released his right hand and tossed the little girl aside. At the same time, the scholar, utterly spent, could no longer hold on and released his grip, allowing the black-clad man to break free.

The black-clad man no longer cared about anything else—he desperately sought a way to escape. But in just those few moments, he found himself completely surrounded.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua did not draw his small sword after all. He knew the black-clad man’s internal strength had been crippled—he was now no different from an ordinary person. With so many villagers encircling him, it was unlikely the man could escape.

The black-clad man, surrounded, waved his dagger menacingly and snarled: “Whoever dares come forward, I’ll take their life right now!”

With that, he tried to force his way in one direction. The villagers in front, terrified, quickly scattered aside. It was one thing to shout and jeer, but risking their own lives was another matter entirely.

Seeing a gap, the black-clad man was overjoyed and prepared to break through. But just then, someone in the crowd shouted: “Don’t let him get away! What if he comes back to snatch more girls in the future? Come on, burn this wicked villain!”

As soon as the words fell, a lantern suddenly flew through the air, striking the black-clad man squarely. With a whoosh, the lantern burst into flames, instantly setting his clothes alight.

The onlookers’ eyes lit up. They began hurling their own lanterns at him. In an instant, countless lanterns rained down, merging into a blazing inferno. The black-clad man was instantly engulfed, transformed into a ball of fire. No matter how he slapped at the flames or rolled on the ground, he could not extinguish them. His agonized screams rang out, but the burning lanterns kept coming without pause.

At this point, Zhang Xiaohua finally withdrew his hand from inside his robe.

He murmured: “The ancients spoke truly: ‘No matter how supreme one’s martial arts, in the vast ocean of the people’s war, even the greatest master is left helpless.’ Indeed, they did not deceive me.”

Within the flames, the black-clad man’s screams gradually faded. His rolling body finally stilled. Zhang Xiaohua glanced over, sighed, and said: “Let’s go, Uncle Li. The night is truly deep. If we don’t leave now, I might just fall asleep right here.”

The others nearby were left dumbstruck by what they had witnessed. None had expected the black-clad man to meet such an end—burned alive before their very eyes! Even knowing he was a villain, seeing such a gruesome fate stirred a faint sense of pity in their hearts.

At Zhang Xiaohua’s urging, they forced themselves to look away, and one by one, they skirted the edge of the square and quietly left.

Meanwhile, among the commoners still watching the charred, burning remains, more than a few eyes gleamed with a strange excitement.

Along the way, none of Zhang Xiaohua’s group spoke a word. Led silently by Li Jinfeng, they pressed on. The two women walking in the middle of the group looked pale, their eyes flickering uneasily—clearly, the scene they had just witnessed had left a deep impression on them.

When they returned to the Li household, no one felt the slightest urge to sleep. Shopkeeper Li set a table in the main hall and had someone brew steaming hot tea. Each person drank a cup, gradually warming up and exchanging uneasy glances, their hearts still pounding with lingering fear. Li Jinfeng finally spoke: “That was truly terrifying. I never imagined… things would end like that!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Only Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Big Brother Li, what ending did you expect?”

“Well…” Li Jinfeng hesitated, then said, “At first, I thought the black-clad man would be arrested by the yamen runners.”

“But who would have thought, the moment the black-clad man drew his dagger, the first to flee were the very ones who shouldn’t have run!”

PS: Sigh, human nature is such a complicated thing.