Chapter 83 : Chapter 83

Chapter 83: How Things Were Done in the Past Has Nothing to Do with Me—I’m Only Here to Kill and Raid Households

“Forcing free commoners into slavery...”

Gao Song’s entire body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground. The killing intent that had burned so fiercely in him just moments ago, the resolve to avenge this blood debt no matter what, vanished without a trace.

The charge was simply too grave.

“I...”

His twisted face contorted even further as he forced a few despairing words through clenched teeth.

“I failed to notice this matter. But please see clearly, Lord Cheng—the Gao Family absolutely did not treat these people cruelly!”

Cheng Yu let out a cold laugh.

“Forcing people into servitude is already a grave crime. Telling me all that is useless.”

“Lord Cheng, the great family powers of Great Qian have operated this way for centuries...” Gao Song hurriedly dropped to his knees and tried to explain.

“For centuries?” Cheng Yu shook his head. “That has nothing to do with me. I’m only here to kill people and raid households.”

As he spoke, he handed a piece of silver to the slave boy.

Then, lowering his head, he asked with a smile, “How old are you?”

The slave boy held the silver in his soot-black, wrinkled palms.

On his sickly flushed face, fear turned into joy.

“Thirteen...”

“What do you do here every day?”

Another piece of silver was pressed into his hand, and the boy’s eyes widened even further.

“I stoke the fires for the masters. I get up in the morning, gather coal, light the stoves, and tend them the whole day...”

Clutching the silver in his hands, the boy grew so excited that he started coughing.

“Cough, cough, cough...”

He coughed until his face turned bright red, sweat beading across his forehead, as though he were about to cough his lungs out.

Cheng Yu patted him on the back, and his specially refined Internal Energy slowly began to heal the boy.

“How many years have you done that? And how did you end up here?”

“When I was nine, my father fell ill and couldn’t work the fields anymore. My family couldn’t pay the land rent, so I came to the Gao Residence to repay the debt. They said I was too young to serve people, so they made me tend the stoves...”

Looking at the boy’s unhealthy complexion, Cheng Yu’s gaze gradually sharpened.

“You’ve been tending coal stoves for so long. Do you know that coal fumes are poisonous?”

The boy scratched at his hair, which looked like a bird’s nest, and actually bared his purplish-red lips in a self-mocking grin.

“I know. A lot of the people who worked with me died.”

“And you still kept doing it, knowing that?”

“I had to.” The boy shook his head firmly. “If I didn’t, they’d beat me to death. If they beat me to death, that would almost be a relief—but then they’d drag my little sister here to take my place.”

Cheng Yu nodded.

Then he turned toward Gao Song and the others and asked coldly, “Lord Gao, what do you make of that?”

“I...”

Gao Song’s lips trembled, his eyes full of despair.

The Gao Family had kept hundreds of slaves. If the matter were pursued to its fullest extent, not one of them would escape the death penalty.

At that moment, he finally understood just how grievous his mistake had been.

He had actually been arrogant enough to think he could toy with someone like Cheng Yu by relying on schemes.

He had gambled that Cheng Yu would be unable to find a reason to move against him, and that he would have some scruples in the way he handled things.

But in truth—

A man like Cheng Yu had no scruples at all, and he had no need for reasons.

If others wanted to raid a household, they first had to establish the crime before arresting anyone.

Cheng Yu was the opposite. He raided the household and seized the people first, then gathered the evidence afterward!

Who cared whether there was a target or not? He loosed the arrow first and worried about the rest later!

Today, not only was Gao Song unable to avenge this blood debt, he had instead handed Cheng Yu the very leverage to destroy him.

His expression twisted violently as he ground his teeth and forced himself to make a decision.

Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees.

His voice trembling, he said:

“Lord Cheng, I have been occupied with the affairs of the entire Jiannan Circuit. I never imagined that the people at my ancestral residence would commit such vile acts!”

“What you have done today is fully justified. I have absolutely no objection.”

That one kneel utterly stunned Li Jianying and the rest of the Gao Family.

“Gao Song, what do you mean by this?! That bastard killed my father! What do you mean, you have no objection?!”

Li Jianying roared.

“Shut up! Are you trying to get yourself and Guobang killed? Are you trying to get the whole family killed?!”

For once, Gao Song abandoned his usual manner and furiously barked at his wife.

“Why? He killed people, so I’ll kill him right back. What’s wrong with that?!”

“What do you mean, what’s wrong with it?! If you dare lay a hand on him today, tomorrow someone will wipe out our entire family!”

The instant those words were spoken, the golden saber slipped from Li Jianying’s hand and clattered to the ground. She stood there, utterly stunned.

She knew Gao Song would never spout nonsense about something like this.

If they dared move against Cheng Yu, disaster would surely follow.

“Eldest Master, how can you do this? He killed Second Master and Third Master!”

The members of the Gao Family saw at once that Gao Song’s attitude had changed, and their hope instantly collapsed into anguished wailing.

“Don’t call me Eldest Master! I have nothing to do with the likes of you!”

A savage, resolute look filled Gao Song’s eyes as he let out a harsh shout.

Then he climbed back to his feet and bowed respectfully to Cheng Yu.

“Lord Cheng, these people stirred up trouble under my name. Then it should also be me who deals with them personally!”

He pulled a sharp sword from the waist of one of his guards and strode viciously toward the Gao Family members.

Only this would leave no handle for Cheng Yu to seize!

“Eldest Master, what are you doing...? Gao Song! Have you gone mad?!”

The Gao Family members screamed miserably as the savior they had pinned their hopes on cut them down one by one with his sword.

Blood sprayed everywhere, flowing into streams.

Cheng Yu raised a hand to cover the young slave boy’s eyes.

The Gao Family slaves trembled all over, staring wide-eyed in utter disbelief at the scene before them.

Those people who had lorded over them, tormented them, and driven their loved ones to death...Were all dead.

Cheng Yu did not continue watching. Instead, he ordered the Jinyiwei to sort out the land deeds for the household slaves to reclaim and to distribute some silver.

“From today onward, you are free again. There are no slaves in Great Qian. From this day forth, there is no more Gao Family here!”

“All land shall return to its rightful households. If anyone dares bully you again, have him come to the Thousand-Household Office and meet his death!”

The household slaves trembled all over, tears of excitement streaming down their faces.

They were no longer slaves!

Every last one of them looked at Cheng Yu with gratitude and began knocking their heads against the ground again and again.

At that moment, the figure of this Jinyiwei lord seemed to shine in their eyes.

“I’m not a slave anymore! I’m not a slave anymore!”

“Father, can you see this from the other side? This lord saved us!”

“My lord, we will never forget your grace for all eternity!”

Amid endless cries of thanks, they were so overwhelmed with emotion that they could hardly wait to reunite with their families.

Cheng Yu patted the boy on the shoulder.

“Go on. Your mother and your little sister are waiting for you.”

The boy nodded blankly, turning back again and again to look at Cheng Yu as he left the place under Jinyiwei escort.

Elsewhere—

All the members of the Gao Family and the jianghu martial artists had already been killed by Gao Song.

Li Jianying could no longer bear to watch. Overcome with grief and rage, she left carrying Li Ji’s corpse.

Gao Song sat dazed in the middle of a pool of blood, his gaze unfocused. When he looked at Cheng Yu now, only fear remained in his eyes.

He had personally killed dozens of his own clansmen!

Shaking off the support of his subordinates, he bowed to Cheng Yu with trembling limbs.

“Thank you, Lord Cheng, for the timely reminder. I no longer have any ties whatsoever to this place. I only hope...”

“No ties whatsoever?” Cheng Yu sneered and looked toward the Gao Family ancestral graves nearby. “Your name as a filial son and worthy grandson is still written on them.”

It was like a thunderclap exploding beside Gao Song’s ears.

He froze.

After standing there blankly for a long while, he finally gave a stiff nod.

Bar­ing his teeth, he turned toward the martial artists from the Circuit Office behind him.

“Smash them!”

The Gao Family ancestral graves—

Shattered!

“You’re a ruthless one. I approve.” Cheng Yu nodded in satisfaction, then patted Gao Song on the shoulder. “Oh, right. Remember to have all the ill-gotten property here delivered to the Thousand-Household Office. My men don’t have it easy raiding households.”

With that, he summoned his subordinates and left.

【The Host acted with ruthless authority, his terrifying prestige displaying the might of the Jinyiwei. Reward: Top-grade Earth-rank cultivation method, Dao-Sound Prison-Suppressing Force!】

Watching Cheng Yu depart, Gao Song slowly turned back to look at the shattered ancestral graves.

Pfft!

He suddenly threw back his head and spat out a mouthful of blood, then collapsed to the ground with his eyes wide open.