Chapter 15: They’re Here, Filing a Complaint

It was also thanks to this recent period of time, following Yun Huizhou and eating and living well, that he had been able to nourish his body enough to hold out until now.

If it had been the original host’s body from when he first transmigrated, he likely would have tumbled off the Buddha statue long ago.

The area behind the Buddha statue was even steeper, with no good leverage points. Lian Li seized an opportunity and smashed his stick down hard against Strawberry-nose’s fingers.

Strawberry-nose instantly let out a miserable shriek, released his grip, and fell.

There were jagged rocks behind the statue. Strawberry-nose’s knee slammed directly into a stone, blood soaking through his trousers as he collapsed on the ground, howling in pain.

The hand Lian Li had struck featured fingers bent at a grotesque angle; they were clearly broken.

At this moment, Lian Li also swayed. His face grew even paler, and the color in his lips had almost entirely vanished.

But he knew he couldn’t collapse yet. Small-eyes hadn’t been dealt with, and the masked man was only knocked unconscious. If he fell now, he still wouldn’t escape the fate of being captured.

Furthermore, because he had injured the mouse-whiskered man, he would surely face inhuman torture.

He took the masked man’s face covering and tied it over his own nose and mouth. Then, he pulled out a small packet of medicinal powder he had scavenged from the masked man’s robes and scattered it toward Strawberry-nose below.

By then, Small-eyes had finished vomiting and was making a comeback. Lian Li pretended his strength was failing and curled up at the top of the Buddha statue.

As Small-eyes drew near, Lian Li threw the remaining powder directly into Small-eyes’ face.

Because they were so close, Lian Li feared the mask wouldn’t completely block it, so he held his breath.

In an instant, Small-eyes’ face was covered in a layer of powder. Small-eyes instinctively tried to close his eyes, but Lian Li swung the stick at him again.

Small-eyes had no choice but to leap off the statue once more.

Gradually, Strawberry-nose’s groans faded, and Small-eyes began to find it difficult to remain standing.

Lian Li hugged the Buddha statue’s head with both hands, struggling to support himself.

Soon, Small-eyes also collapsed.

Only then did the heart hanging in his throat finally settle.

He had gambled correctly; that packet of powder was the same knockout drug the masked man had used to knock him out earlier.

He slowly climbed down from the Buddha statue. His legs were shaking, and his hands were trembling, but he still walked step by step toward the masked man.

After resting for a long while, he finally crouched down and fished out a dagger from the masked man’s person.

The only one still conscious, the mouse-whiskered man, had already shakily stood up. However, because the pain was too intense, his legs gave way the moment he tried to move, and he fell back to the ground.

He wanted to run but couldn’t. He could only watch as Lian Li slowly unsheathed the dagger and held it up, the tip pointed at the masked man’s throat.

His eyes were full of terror. “Help! Help! Murder!”

He screamed loudly, then turned to Lian Li. “Do you know who I am? I’m from Liufang Court! I have plenty of money! Let me go!”

Lian Li kept his eyes closed, his hands still trembling, yet he slowly brought the tip of the dagger closer to the masked man’s neck.

He didn’t know where he was, how far this place was from Xianglai City, how long he had been unconscious, or how long the effects of the drugs would last.

He knew even less whether Yun Huizhou would come looking for him, or if he could even find him.

But he didn’t dare gamble anymore. Given his current condition, it was impossible for him to leave immediately; he had to rest first.

As for exactly how long he needed to rest, he couldn’t estimate. Regardless, he couldn’t think about any more strenuous activity tonight.

If he just left, he might faint after only a few hundred meters, or even die on the road like the original host.

If he didn’t die on the road but merely fainted…

Once the masked man woke up and the effects of the drugs wore off for Small-eyes and Strawberry-nose, they would catch him again. That would truly be a fate worse than death.

So… they had to die.

Thinking this, Lian Li’s hands shook even more violently. Killing someone.

And killing four at once…

He was certainly afraid. He had never even killed a chicken before. But if he didn’t act, he would be the one to suffer.

With that thought, he opened his eyes. His pupils were also vibrating intensely, revealing the fierce struggle within his heart.

Yet his hand did not stop. Gradually, the tip of the dagger pressed against the masked man’s neck.

He could even see the flesh on the masked man’s neck being indented by the tip of the blade. With just a little more force, it would pierce the skin and draw blood.

Just a little more force, and it would sink into the masked man’s throat.

“Lian Li!”

A familiar voice rang out.

Lian Li hadn’t even reacted yet, but the mouse-whiskered man started screaming first. “Someone’s here! Someone’s here! Help! Help! Someone’s trying to commit murder here!”

He lay on the ground, crawling toward the temple entrance with both hands.

Lian Li finally realized who was calling him.

He jerked his head around to look at the temple entrance. He tossed the dagger aside, stood up, and walked toward the exit.

A sharp pain came from the soles of his feet. He looked down.

Because he wasn’t wearing shoes and had been running, jumping, and kicking people in the ruined temple, his soles had been cut by the stones inside.

With every step, a faint bloody footprint could be seen on the ground. He swayed unsteadily, looking as if he might fall at any moment.

In fact, he did almost fall, but someone caught him.

A warm hand pressed against his back, and then a warm current spread from the center of his back throughout his entire body.

After Lian Li leaned on Yun Huizhou to steady himself, he looked behind him. He discovered that besides Yun Huizhou, Zhao Honglan and over a dozen disciples of the Qinghong Sword Sect were also there.

Seeing the two men lying in the ruined temple and the one person twisting and crawling on the ground, the disciples of the Qinghong Sword Sect all showed a hint of shock in their eyes.

Lian Li pointed at the masked man and said, “This is the person who kidnapped me. He was planning to sell me to a brothel. I was just about to stab him to death.”

Qinghong Sword Sect disciples: !!!

Lian Li ignored their shock. He only wanted to explain things quickly. He was reaching his limit and wanted nothing more than to faint right now and have Yun Huizhou carry him back to the inn.

He then pointed at the mouse-whiskered man and said, “He said he’s from some Liufang Court. He’s probably a pimp. As soon as he arrived, he tried to strip my clothes. I kicked him, so he said he’d throw me to someone with a torture fetish.”

The younger disciples of the Qinghong Sword Sect: !!!

What did they just hear?!

A hint of shock also appeared in Zhao Honglan’s eyes.

He wasn’t shocked by what the pimp and the masked man had intended to do, but rather that Lian Li had actually said these things so directly in front of so many people.

It wasn’t that he thought Lian Li shouldn’t say it, but based on his experience and understanding, most people who encountered such a thing would first feel extremely wronged, terrified, and insecure. Only after being rescued and regaining their composure would they speak privately to their closest and most trusted friend.

Then, the friend would relay the story to someone who could provide justice.

Lian Li didn’t care about their shock; he continued filing his complaints: “The person in front of the Buddha statue is one of the pimp’s men. I drugged him unconscious when he tried to catch me.”

“There’s another one behind the Buddha statue, also one of the pimp’s men. I drugged him unconscious when he tried to catch me.”

“Um… that’s about it…”

After recounting everything they had done to him, he closed his eyes in relief and fainted.

Yun Huizhou: “…???”