Chapter 286: Take a Good Look at Who I Am

Xiao Yuanqing slowly opened their eyes, feeling a burning heat on their face, as if someone had slapped them.

They instinctively reached out their hand, felt their cheek, and indeed it was hot.

It wasn't a dream; in reality, someone had really slapped them.

But compared with the pain, the surroundings before their eyes made them even more confused.

It was dim, damp, and reeked with an indescribable stench.

Where is this?

Weren't they in the Martial Arts Hall before? "Awake?"

Suddenly, a voice sounded beside their ear.

Xiao Yuanqing turned their head and saw the face of a middle‑aged man who was both unfamiliar and familiar.

Their eyes widened dramatically, as if the next moment they would leap out of their sockets.

"You, you, you—what exactly do you want?"

The previous memories surged in their mind, and Xiao Yuanqing's body trembled like a sieve.

"What do I want?"

Jiang Cheng smiled.

"Didn't I already tell you?"

"No, don't kill me."

Xiao Yuanqing shook their head desperately, tears streaming from their eyes.

"Senior, I don't know you at all, let alone hold any deep grudge against you."

"Is that so? Then have you considered that you might have a deep feud with someone else, and that person hired me to kill you?"

Jiang Cheng asked calmly, neither hurried nor slow.

This Xiao Yuanqing is different from the Gym Master of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall.

The latter actually didn't want to kill; although a minor dispute had indeed occurred between them, when the latter recently entertained murderous intent, he wouldn't be lenient and would cut him down with a few strokes.

Xiao Yuanqing is different.

Killing him with a single stroke like that is truly infuriating.

Of course, he doesn't intend to torture the opponent; he has no interest in such slaughter, he just wants Xiao Yuanqing to die a clear, unambiguous death.

"You mean, someone hired you to kill me?"

Xiao Yuanqing was stunned.

The person before them, even their master, is no match.

To ask him to act and kill oneself, what price must be paid?

When have I ever offended someone like that? He thought for a while, couldn't come up with any reason, then grinned and said, "Senior, have you mistaken me for someone else? I truly haven't offended anyone. Consider that I don't even have enough time to cultivate, let alone time to go out causing trouble."

Jiang Cheng heard this and sighed.

"Fine, let me give you a reminder. Jiang Cheng, do you remember?"

To have a proper "talk" with the other party, he deliberately brought them to Chaotic Burial Hill, a place already scarcely trodden, and after using Spiritual Power to scan the surroundings and finding no one else, he felt free to state his name without reservation at this moment.

"Jiang Cheng?"

Hearing that name, Xiao Yuanqing's mouth opened wide in surprise.

Indeed!

So it was that kid who summoned the assassin? Indeed!

A sudden thud echoed in Xiao Yuanqing's heart.

That kid was taken away by members of the Dawn Society, right? According to his master, the Dawn Society is essentially an assassin organization.

Therefore, the person before him could very well be a Dawn Society expert.

But why would that kid ask someone to kill himself? Hard

A flash of panic crossed Xiao Yuanqing's eyes, and they quickly said, "Senior, are you referring to Jiang Shidi? Is it he who asked you to kill me? How could this happen? I have no grudge against Jiang Shidi; I even once taught him martial techniques. How could he do such a thing?"

"Is that so?"

Jiang Cheng let out a cold laugh.

"But how did I hear him say it wasn't like that?"

"Is? What does it look like?"

Xiao Yuanqing asked hurriedly.

"I heard that because he got close to a woman named Bai Wei, you warned him again and again to stay away from her, otherwise he would bear the consequences.

Later, you even concocted rumors that the deaths of some members of the Wild Wolf Gang were his doing, passed that news to the remaining members, driving him into a corner?" "Wrong! Wrong!"

Xiao Yuanqing, after hearing that, immediately denied it outright.

"I have never been dissatisfied with Jiang Shidi, nor warned him, and I could never have informed on anyone. I'm not close with the Wild Wolf Gang, so what benefit would I get from spreading such rumors? Senior, I know you may not believe me, but that's fine; you can bring Jiang Shidi here, and I will confront him face to face."

Having said that, Xiao Yuanqing felt deeply guilty inside.

He would never dare to truly confront Jiang Cheng, because a lie remains a lie, and once poked…

But if he admits it now, he will die immediately.

Delaying a while might give him a chance to find an escape, after all, only the living have a chance; death leaves nothing.

"Oh? You really have the nerve to confront him face to face?" Jiang Cheng's smile was full of amusement.

"I have that nerve!"

At this point, Xiao Yuanqing also threw caution to the wind.

"Senior Xiao, you really are the kind who won't die until the Yellow River runs dry, won't shed a tear until you see a coffin."

Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice rang out inside the room.

Xiao Yuanqing, as if struck by lightning, stared blankly at the middle‑aged man before him.

What did the other side just call him? Xiao? Senior Brother Xiao? And that voice, compared with before, sounded like a completely different person, even a bit familiar.

"Are you very confused?"

Jiang Cheng extended his right hand to the left side of his chin and said, "Open your eyes wide and see who I really am."

After speaking, he ripped off the Human Skin Mask on his face in an instant! A weathered middle‑aged man's face appeared before Xiao Yuanqing's eyes.

"Who are you?"

Xiao Yuanqing's lips twitched.

Looking at the unfamiliar face before him, he still didn't know who this person was.

Jiang Cheng felt a bit awkward.

To be safe, he always wears two of them.

But there's no need to worry about those details.

The next moment, he tore off the Human Skin Mask on his face again.

A young man's face was revealed.

"Jiang! Jiang!"

Xiao Yuanqing was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground, crawling backward continuously until his back was pressed against the wall.

His eyes were filled with terror, to the point that he couldn't even utter Jiang Cheng's name.

"Yes, Senior Brother Xiao."

Jiang Cheng smiled and walked closer, "Didn't you say you wanted to confront me face to face? I'm standing right in front of you now. Come on, regarding what I just said, if you think there's any problem, you can refute it; we have plenty of time."

"No, don't."

Xiao Yuanqing shook his head like a tambourine, his eyes filled with despair, fear, and extreme shock.

He couldn't believe it.

Two or three months ago, he could still choke a person with his hand, but now he had grown to the point where he could easily crush his master.

"Don't? You don't want to confront me?"

Jiang Cheng stopped in his tracks.

"Jiang Shidi, no, Lord Jiang, spare me, spare me!"

Xiao Yuanqing rolled onto his knees on the ground, wildly kowtowing to Jiang Cheng.

"Lord Jiang, I was wrong, I truly realize my mistake, I shouldn't have threatened you, nor betrayed you. I promise, I will never dare again, never..."

His pleas for mercy abruptly stopped.

A flash of blade flickered.

Xiao Yuanqing's head was sent soaring high, blood spraying onto the wall.

"Only now do you realize you were wrong? What were you doing before?"

Jiang Cheng muttered to himself, put on a Human Skin Mask, and walked outward.

Xiao Yuanqing certainly deserved death.

But the members of the Iron Fist Gang deserved death even more!

(End of Chapter)