Chapter 32: Fangs

"Greetings, Tiger Lord. Why are you still coming to this filthy place late at night?" Xu Yang curled his body and lowered his head, trying his best not to let Li Hu see the changes in his body.

Because it was dark, Li Hu really couldn't see the changes in Xu Yang.

He walked over with large strides, stood three steps away from Xu Yang, and said: "The old lady's birthday is approaching, and the birthday money from He Shicai's family hasn't been handed in yet. I'm going to his house to see what kind of guts they have to dare not give the old lady a birthday gift."

His tone was gentle, like chatting about family matters.

But the words spoken made Xu Yang's heart sink.

He Shicai's family lived not far from his house, a family of five. They could originally maintain their lives, but two months ago, when He Shicai went out, he encountered villains. Not only was his money robbed, but he was also beaten half to death and was already lying in bed unable to get up.

With the pillar of the family fallen, it was difficult for the whole family to eat, so where would there be extra money?

"Perhaps they forgot!"

"Let's not talk about these annoying things. These mud-legged fellows are just not worry-free," Li Hu changed the subject and said: "I heard you've made it big, finding connections to work in the city."

Scrapping other people's hard-earned money had become an annoying thing.

While Xu Yang was greeting Li Hu's direct female relatives in his heart, he smiled apologetically: "Tiger Lord, you're joking. It's just working like an ox or a horse for someone to mix a meal; in front of you, it's nothing."

"Don't be humble. Your uncle is an accountant for the Huang family, holding a high position and great power. Can the errand he arranged for you be bad?"

Li Hu smiled, patted Xu Yang on the shoulder with a big hand, and laughed: "Tiger Lord, I've had bad luck recently and lost quite a bit. Since you've made it big, lend Tiger Lord a few silver taels for an emergency. When I have it, I'll pay you back."

Originally, he had arranged for people to go to the mine to kill Xu Yang, but he didn't expect that after they were arranged to go in, they found out Xu Yang was no longer working at the mine. After inquiring, he found out Xu Yang had gone to the city to work.

Coming here today was mainly to find an excuse to seek trouble with Xu Yang, and by the way, use He Shicai's family's matter to shock Xu Yang.

Of course, if Xu Yang could come up with a few silver taels, he would still let Xu Yang live a few more days.

"Tiger Lord, you're joking. If you wanted to borrow a few wen, I could still take it out. A few silver taels, I haven't even seen that much money."

Xu Yang knew the trouble had probably arrived, and Li Hu was starting to force him.

This was the Sanhe Gang's usual method: first intimidate, and if that didn't work, use sinister methods in secret to make your family ruined.

"So... you're not giving me, Li Hu, face? Not willing to lend me money?" Li Hu's smile faded instantly, and his voice turned cold: "A-Yang, you should know that no one has ever refused Tiger Lord. Asking you to borrow money is giving you face."

The two sycophants behind him stepped forward in unison, exercising their muscles, looking like they were about to hit someone.

"Yes, yes, yes... I certainly know that Tiger Lord asking me to borrow money is giving me face, but I really don't have any."

Xu Yang took a deep breath and said: "How about this, Tiger Lord, give me a few days, and I'll borrow it from my uncle. A few silver taels should be borrowable."

The smile on Li Hu's face returned: "I knew you, A-Yang, were a sensible person who would help Tiger Lord with this favor. I'll come find you in a few days to get the money."

"Why would I need you to come personally, Tiger Lord? Once I get the money, I'll send it to your house."

Li Hu became even happier: "Good, good, good. If everyone were as righteous as you, A-Yang, there wouldn't be so many annoying things."

After speaking, he took the two sycophants and walked away with large strides.

"Tiger Lord, can this kid really borrow a few silver taels?" A subordinate asked.

Don't look at them acting like tyrants; a few silver taels were also a lot of money for them.

Most of the money scraped by the Sanhe Gang went into the gang leader's pocket, and they were just mixing a meal.

"His uncle works for the Huang family, and his monthly salary is two taels. A few silver taels are just small money. Don't move this kid for now. Let's scrape some more before making a move, and don't tell anyone about this."

"If the gang finds out, we won't even get a single hair." Li Hu warned.

Xu Yang's personality was cowardly, and as long as it didn't involve Xu Qing, he would basically give in.

"Tiger Lord, don't worry, we aren't stupid enough to tell others about such a good thing."

"A few silver taels, eating so much, aren't you afraid of bursting?"

Now that the money for practicing martial arts wasn't enough, Xu Yang couldn't possibly take out a few silver taels.

He watched Li Hu and the others walk far away before walking home.

Calling him Tiger Lord was because of the power of the Sanhe Gang. Li Hu was just a small leader in the Sanhe Gang who went out to collect protection fees, just an ordinary person.

His family was in a village near Bai Shi Ward. In his early years, his family was poor, and when the Sanhe Gang came here to set up a mountain, he joined the Sanhe Gang by relying on a fierce spirit. He wasn't any big figure, let alone a martial artist.

If he wanted to make a move, he could have beaten the three of them to death just now, but this wasn't the place to make a move.

Not long after he returned home, he heard crying and smashing sounds not far away.

Li Hu and the others smashed He Shicai's house into a mess and left after saying a series of filthy words.

When passing by Xu Yang's door, Li Hu also reminded Xu Yang not to forget the thing he had promised, obviously using He Shicai's family's matter to beat him.

"Brother, what did you promise him?" Hu Qing's little face turned pale.

The crying of He Shicai's children scared her because they were all her playmates.

"I promised him to pay the residence fee earlier next month."

Xu Yang responded casually, told Xu Qing to stay quietly at home, and walked toward He Shicai's house.

He Shicai's door had been dismantled, the bed he slept on had been smashed, and the person was lying on the ground unconscious. His wife was disheveled, bleeding from her mouth and nose, and her cheeks were red and swollen; she didn't know how many slaps she had received.

The three children under ten years old were trembling all over, scared and hiding in a corner crying loudly.

The neighbors who rushed over saw this; some helped comfort the children, some helped reassemble the bed, and some cleaned up the broken pots and bowls on the ground.