Chapter 51: Watching a Hero Save a Beauty
“Lord Zhou… Lord Zhou…”
Wen Wangzhong’s already ugly expression grew even worse upon seeing the young man.
The young man seemed unfazed as he turned his gaze to several burly men and said coldly, “Are you here to cause trouble?”
“What do you think you are?” one of the burly men shouted. “Mind your own business, or face the consequences!”
“I?” The young man tapped his nose with the paper fan in his hand, dismissing them with disdain. “I’m Zhou Jinchi. If you don’t want to end up missing limbs, I advise you to leave now—otherwise, you’ll bear the consequences.”
“You brat, you’re too arrogant!” The man holding Wen Wangzhong by his clothes pulled him off the counter and snarled, “Will you pay for the damage?”
“It was you who deliberately smashed my antiques—how can I be made to pay?” Wen Wangzhong, pale as death, argued. “Besides, it’s just a cut on my finger; a few coins will suffice. This is robbery!”
“Robbery? Good, said well! You won’t pay, huh? Guys, smash it!”
The burly man threw Wen Wangzhong to the ground and, with a wave of his hand, the other men rushed forward like commanded by an emperor. Paintings, antiques, books—everything was torn and smashed before being thrown off the shelves. It was a sight as devastating as an insect plague.
“Stop! Please, stop!” Wen Wangzhong knelt on the ground, utterly helpless.
“Stop it! Everyone, stop for the young master!” Zhou Jinchi drew the sword at his waist and charged at the burly men.
“Want a fight?”
The burly man also rushed forward bare-handed. As soon as they clashed, they moved swiftly, leaving Lin Dong stunned in amazement.
Was this a fight?
Zhou Jinchi’s long sword constantly struck or slashed at the opponent’s sides, while the burly man’s powerful fists never managed to touch even the hem of Zhou Jinchi’s clothes. It was as if both were fighting against air.
Lin Dong realized this was a performance staged by Zhou Jinchi. The only thing he didn’t understand was who it was meant for.
“Dad, what are you doing? Stop…”
An urgent and gentle voice came from the back door. Lin Dong looked up and saw a girl around sixteen or seventeen standing there. She wore a light red dress and had a delicate face. At first glance, she seemed petite and not particularly beautiful, but she had her own charm.
“Wen Ying, don’t come over… You damned bastards, get lost!”
Hearing this, Zhou Jinchi became even more enraged than Wen Wangzhong. He shouted loudly, his sword moving like a serpent, forcing the burly men to retreat continuously.
“This kid is too strong. Take that girl as a hostage.”
“Dare you!” Zhou Jinchi flew into a rage and thrust his long sword forward in an instant. With a cry, the burly man rolled to the ground just a dozen centimeters away from the sword’s tip. Zhou Jinchi continued to advance with his sword, aiming straight at Wen Ying, who had turned pale from fear at the sight of the other strong men. Lin Dong touched his nose—what a classic hero-saving-the-beauty scene! On his way to Wen Ji’s antique shop, he had thought of playing a similar trick on Jiang Kui to get closer to Wen Ying. But someone had beaten him to it. Inside, Zhou Jinchi stood out boldly—using just his sword, he not only protected Wen Ying behind him but also forced the strong men to flee in disarray with his sword strikes. “Damn it, wait for me! Guys, go get more help!” The burly men cursed angrily and rushed out of Wen Ji’s antique shop. Throughout it all, not a single one of them even glanced at Lin Dong. “Xiao Ying, are you okay?” Seeing the enemies leave, Zhou Jinchi quickly turned around, looking at Wen Ying with concern. “I’m… I’m fine…” Wen Ying shook her head and ran over to Wen Wangzhong, carefully helping him up. “Dad, are you alright?” Wen Wangzhong shook his head, looking at the mess around them, trembling. “Uncle Wen, Xiao Ying, those bastards might come back. Waiting here isn’t a solution. How about you come with me to the Liu family for now?” Zhou Jinchi asked, approaching the two of them. Wen Wangzhong glanced at Lin Dong beside him, smiled bitterly, and bowed, saying, “Sir, our shop has suffered a great disaster. I’m afraid we can’t offer you any hospitality.” Lin Dong shook his head. “I urgently need some spirit stones. I’ve already checked all the nearby antique shops, and it’s not enough. It’s fine if you can’t host me until you’re done.” “What do you mean, ‘not fine’?” Zhou Jinchi finally noticed Lin Dong’s presence and waved his hand impatiently. “Can’t you see there’s work to be done here? We’re closing for the day. Come back in a few days.” “Are you the owner?” Lin Dong asked calmly. “I… I…” Zhou Jinchi was at a loss for words and turned to Wen Wangzhong. “Uncle Wen, shall we hurry up and go to the Liu family?” “It’s fate. I won’t trouble Young Master Zhou. If you have something to do, go back first! I still need to tidy up the shop.” Wen Wangzhong shook his head, bent down, and tremblingly picked up some undamaged inkstones and jade pieces. “Dad…” Wen Ying called out softly, tears in her eyes, as she started picking things up too. Lin Dong felt something stir in his heart. It seemed Wen Wangzhong had seen through Zhou Jinchi’s act; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reacted that way.
“Xiao Ying, please persuade Uncle Wen!” Zhou Jinchi went over to Wen Ying again and said urgently, “I’ve already found out about the constables coming to cause trouble regularly. It’s because Uncle Wen gave too modest a gift for the county magistrate’s 40th birthday. Lately, the magistrate, thinking Wen Ying is ungrateful, has even considered using force.”
“With what happened today as well, it’s better to go to the Liu family for now. I’ll find a way to inform my uncle. With his status, just one word from him will surely stop the magistrate from sending more constables to cause trouble. Once I figure out who these people are and scare them off, we can move back.”
Wen Ying glanced at Wen Wangzhong and shook her head silently.
“Uncle Wen, Xiao Ying, I’m doing this for your own good. Why stay here and wait for trouble to find us?” Zhou Jinchi tapped his chest defiantly and said firmly, “Don’t worry. With me, Zhou Jinchi, I’ll take care of these two matters for you as soon as possible.”
Wen Wangzhong suddenly looked up at Lin Dong. “Sir, may I ask what you plan to do with the spirit stones?”
“Of course, for cultivation,” Lin Dong replied with a smile.
“I have six first-tier spirit stones and one second-tier spirit stone left in my shop,” Wen Wangzhong said resolutely. “If you’ll allow my daughter and me to stay with you for a few days, I’m willing to give them all to you.”
Lin Dong was surprised. Coming to Wen Ji Antiques Shop under the pretense of buying spirit stones was just an excuse; his real goal was to meet this father and daughter, preferably to learn about their interests so he could address them appropriately.
He hadn’t expected to encounter a situation involving a heroic rescue with a hint of intrigue, but now Wen Wangzhong was even offering to follow him.
If Wen Ying went to the inn with him and got Jiang Kui to stay there too, it would save a lot of trouble figuring out how to get these two to interact. With luck, he might even persuade Jiang Kui to become the chef at the inn ahead of time.
“Okay, but… you need to pay at least half of the deposit first,” Lin Dong nodded.
“Sure, sure,” Wen Wangzhong was overjoyed and nodded eagerly.
Zhou Jinchi’s expression darkened as he stepped beside Lin Dong and whispered, “Kid, I’m the cousin of the only family in Xilan City—the Liu family. If you don’t want trouble, reject that old bastard.”
Lin Dong ignored him, as if it were just a fly buzzing by his ear. People like Cheng Wencai caused trouble, and no matter how much he wanted to beat them, he had to hold back in public. After all, they were officials, and a single accusation of colluding with bandits could ruin the inn’s reputation for days.
He’s never feared anyone who could be dealt with by force; he’s even outwitted top-tier strongmen. It’s just a family from a small county town—maybe a bit more powerful than the county magistrate… But this threat is far too insignificant for Lin Dong.