Chapter Twelve: No One Shall Harm Her

The man with the scar was shocked, and shame crept over him for the instinctive retreat he had just made. What on earth was happening? His body had recoiled automatically, as if facing a wild beast or a raging flood, yet it was only an unremarkable, impoverished scholar before him—what was there to fear?

Jiang Chen stood tall, shielding Wu Yue behind him, his gaze unwavering as he faced the men. From him radiated a commanding presence that made others hesitate to approach.

The scar-faced man sneered and said, “You fool, I advise you to get your head straight. Wu Qingshan owes a mountain of debt. Not only has he refused to pay it back, but now he’s vanished without a trace. Naturally, we’ve come to collect!”

“If he can’t pay, then his sister will have to settle the debt. We’ll be taking her with us.”

“In your dreams!” Jiang Chen roared. “So long as I am here, you’ll never succeed!”

“Paying your debts is only right. Or do you all intend to renege? If everyone acted like you, shrugging off their debts with a simple ‘I can’t pay,’ what would become of those of us who collect what’s owed?”

A sinister smile spread across the scarred man’s face, and his four companions snickered maliciously. They were armed and ready to use force at the slightest provocation. After all, the Wu family owed money; even if things turned ugly, they had powerful patrons behind them and had no need to fear the consequences.

Seeing through their intentions, Jiang Chen asked, “How much does Wu Qingshan actually owe?”

“Not much—just a thousand taels of silver.”

“A thousand taels!” Wu Yue gasped, stunned that her younger brother could have caused such a disaster.

“Heavens, where are we supposed to find so much silver to pay them back?” Her vision swam, and she nearly fainted from fright. Fortunately, Jiang Chen caught her just in time.

For a poor family like the Wu’s, a thousand taels was an unimaginable sum. All the money Old Wu made from butchering pigs barely kept the family fed—where would there be extra to pay off such a debt?

No wonder Wu Yue was so overcome when she heard the amount.

“Yue’er, don’t panic. Things aren’t as hopeless as they seem. If a problem can be solved with money, it’s not a real problem. Trust me.”

The scar-faced man gave a derisive laugh. “You’re all talk—if you’re so capable, pay up!”

“I don’t have that much at the moment,” Jiang Chen replied calmly.

The scarred man, a seasoned debt collector, had never encountered such unabashed composure from someone with empty pockets. He was nearly driven mad by Jiang Chen’s attitude.

“Then don’t blame us—boys, get him!”

With a wave of his hand, his four companions surged forward, intent on prying Wu Yue from Jiang Chen’s grasp. Chaos erupted. No matter how fiercely Jiang Chen protected Wu Yue, he was outnumbered and outmuscled; defeat seemed inevitable.

But suddenly, Jiang Chen exploded into action, hurling two attackers several meters away with a powerful shove. Before the other two could react, he whisked Wu Yue into the house, then planted himself like a guardian deity before the door.

“Yue’er, I promised not to let anyone harm you. Now, be good and lock the door. I’ll call you when it’s over.”

“Brother Chen…” Wu Yue felt a sense of safety she had never known. This man seemed subtly changed, though she couldn’t say how. There was an unmistakable authority in his words. Though anxious, Wu Yue was sensible enough to realize that staying would only hinder him. She obediently shut the door tight.

“Oh, you want to play the hero, do you? Teach him a lesson!”

The four men, still bewildered by how Jiang Chen had managed to spirit Wu Yue away amidst their assault, now surrounded him again, wielding clubs and radiating murderous intent.

“Isn’t there any way we can discuss this?” Jiang Chen’s eyes cut past them and fixed on the scar-faced man.

“Discuss? Pay up if you have the money—if not, what’s there to talk about?” The scarred man spat on the ground and signaled his men to attack at once, refusing to let Jiang Chen stall any longer. They had to bring Wu Yue back before sunset.

Another round of fighting broke out. By all rights, Jiang Chen should have been pinned to the floor and beaten, with Wu Yue soon dragged away. Yet the reality was the opposite: the four attackers now lay sprawled on the ground, while Jiang Chen stood unscathed before the scar-faced man.

“Care to try your luck yourself?” Jiang Chen’s words dripped with provocation as he pointed at the scarred man. For the first time, the domineering arrogance of his previous life blazed forth in this body.

Unable to contain himself, the scarred man grabbed his knife and swung it at Jiang Chen’s head. He would never have believed that, even with four against one, the outcome would be so one-sided, and with his own men lying defeated.

As the blade seemed about to strike, Jiang Chen simply stepped back, the edge whistling past and missing him by a hair.

The scarred man’s eyes widened in disbelief. Unless one was supremely confident and skilled, no one would dare such a risk. It was clear that Jiang Chen had perfectly judged the knife’s speed, angle, and force, executing a flawless evasion.

With a clatter, the knife was knocked from the man’s hand. Jiang Chen seized him by the cheek and demanded, “Are you ready to talk now?”

Utterly humiliated, the scarred man finally realized he’d picked the wrong fight. His demeanor shifted instantly, and he nodded obsequiously before Jiang Chen.

“Whatever you wish to discuss, I’m happy to oblige.”

“Who sent you?” Jiang Chen asked.

“It was the manager of Zhao’s Moneyhouse.”

The Zhao family again—so the matter ran deeper than it seemed. Zhao’s Moneyhouse was one of Zhao Hename’s businesses, usually managed by his brother, Zhao Ping. How did Wu Qingshan end up owing money there?

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Chen said, “I’ll pay Wu Qingshan’s debt for him, but I need some time.”

“The boss said the money must be repaid today. If we go back empty-handed, we’re finished!”

“Hmph. My word is final. Now get out of my sight!”