Chapter 174: Toying with Hearts

This punch was much heavier than Wen Shilin’s weak and powerless one, flipping Zhuo Shuqing over onto the ground with a dull thud. Everyone still fighting froze, looking over with expressions of utter astonishment.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!!" Zhuo Shuqing lay twisted on the ground, coughing painfully. First, he coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood, and then he started spitting out teeth...

One, two, three...

Zhuo Shuqing couldn't say a word, having already spat out four or five teeth. Basically, the teeth on one side of his cheek were broken. One side of his face was visibly swollen, and the pain made his features begin to twist.

He looked up at the stranger in the brown trench coat, his eyes filled with deep bewilderment...

Zhuo Shuqing didn't know this person at all, nor did he know why he had suddenly punched him. Even now, he was still dazed. He stumbled to his feet, and as his eyes gradually cleared, an unprecedented rage began to burn within them!

He pointed a trembling finger at Chen Ling, his gaze wishing he could tear him to pieces.

Just as he was about to say something, Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, and the invisible python coiled around Zhuo Shuqing took another bite of his head.

Zhuo Shuqing froze on the spot.

The rage that had been erupting suddenly vanished. At this moment, he felt an unprecedented emptiness and loneliness... He looked at Chen Ling, whose eyes were full of mockery and curiosity, but he couldn't summon a shred of anger.

He was like a heartless monk who had cultivated in the mountains for ten years, only to return to the mortal world one day and meet his enemy, with nothing left in his heart but calm.

He had let it go.

The thugs around him were already tense, waiting for Zhuo Shuqing’s command to swarm forward and teach this stranger a lesson. But after they watched Zhuo Shuqing for a long time, the latter spoke nonchalantly:

"Who are you? I don't seem to know you."

[Audience Expectation +3]

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Wen Shilin couldn't believe his ears. After he threw that punch, Zhuo Shuqing had wanted to have him beaten to death, and now that this stranger had nearly knocked half his teeth out with one punch, he wasn't angry at all?

Could it be that he had misjudged him? Was this Zhuo Shuqing actually quite magnanimous?

Everyone looked at Chen Ling in shock. In their perception, after Chen Ling threw that punch, the once arrogant and domineering Zhuo Shuqing suddenly became unusually well-behaved, not even daring to say a dirty word. The only explanation was that Zhuo Shuqing already knew and feared Chen Ling... but he had just said he didn't know him.

Or was it that Chen Ling’s punch was so ruthless that it scared him straight?

Considering everything, this seemed like the most reasonable explanation.

"Just passing by." Chen Ling answered flatly.

"Passing by, why hit me?"

"What you're doing is too disgusting, I couldn't help it."

Zhuo Shuqing shook his head and answered earnestly, "That's not right of you."

"Whether it's right or not isn't for you to decide." Chen Ling glanced at him. "Or do you want me to hit you again?"

"...No."

"Then get lost."

Zhuo Shuqing’s gaze swept over the people behind him, the light of reason flickering in his eyes. He had already gotten what he wanted, and Wen Shilin had been taught a lesson; there seemed to be no reason to stay here any longer... He pondered for a moment and then spoke:

"Forget it, let's go."

Under the stunned gaze of everyone, Zhuo Shuqing turned and walked toward the end of the alley without the slightest hesitation.

The thugs holding clubs were instantly dumbfounded. Before they came, Zhuo Shuqing had told them to teach these people a lesson. Now that the fight had started and they were about to win, he gets punched once and turns around to leave?

If they just left like this, not to mention whether the beating they took was for nothing, it would be a huge blow to their reputation if people found out they were scared off by refugees.

The other thugs looked blankly at the leader, as if waiting for his order. After struggling for a moment, he gritted his teeth and followed Zhuo Shuqing.

Once he got close, he lowered his voice and asked:

"Boss, what's going on? Let's be clear, the brothers have fought to this point, and we aren't giving the money back if we leave now!"

Just as Zhuo Shuqing was about to say something, Chen Ling’s mind stirred.

The Heart Python, which had swallowed all of Zhuo Shuqing’s anger, opened its mouth slightly and spat the emotion back into Zhuo Shuqing’s mind.

Zhuo Shuqing looked at the frowning thug, and an inexplicable surge of evil fire welled up in his heart!

What Chen Ling had stolen was the rage Zhuo Shuqing felt after having his teeth knocked out, which was on a completely different level from the anger caused by Wen Shilin’s soft blow. As this rage returned to his mind, his eyes instantly turned red.

Slap—!

He couldn't help but slap the thug across the face with a crisp sound, roaring in a fit of rage:

"Who the hell do you think you are?! I told you to leave, so leave! What are you blabbering about?!"

The air suddenly fell into a dead silence.

[Audience Expectation +3]

The many thugs following behind saw this scene and were stunned for a moment. After they came to their senses, anger appeared on their faces simultaneously, and they immediately rushed forward to surround Zhuo Shuqing and his assistant.

The slap left the thug leader’s head buzzing. After a long while, he looked at Zhuo Shuqing in shock.

"You..."

After slapping him and venting some of his anger, Zhuo Shuqing’s reason recovered slightly. He looked at his hands blankly, his mind a complete blank.

Just now, he had been completely dominated by the sudden surge of anger and hadn't realized what he was doing at all... just like most non-premeditated murderers whose reason is often clouded by some emotion when they commit a crime.

"Fuck! I'm taking this shit for your stinking money?!" The thug leader couldn't take it anymore and cursed loudly, "Beat him to death for me!"

At his command, the many thugs immediately rushed forward to beat Zhuo Shuqing and his assistant. Amidst screams, Zhuo Shuqing was beaten beyond recognition.

[Audience Expectation +1... +1... +1...]

This inexplicable reversal left the Third District residents and Wen Shilin unable to react. They didn't understand Zhuo Shuqing’s mood swings, but seeing him being beaten by the thugs he had hired was very satisfying.

Bang—!

The flash of the camera lit up the alley. Chen Ling had already obtained Zhuo Shuqing’s camera and pressed the shutter toward the chaotic alley.

In the flashing light, the film permanently recorded Zhuo Shuqing’s miserable state. After that, Chen Ling casually tossed the camera, which still contained the footage of Zhao Yi hitting someone, to Wen Shilin and turned to walk toward the other end of the alley.

He walked calmly through the noisy and enraged thugs, straightened his collar, which had become slightly messy after his punch, and in the shadows of the alley, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"The power to toy with human hearts... interesting."