Chapter 197: The Cowardly Lord Qiao

“Yes, Lord Qiao! And Lord Qiao!”
In an instant, a glimmer of light returned to Feng Jingtang’s lifeless eyes, and his spirit was lifted. Trying to back away further, he was blocked by the wall. Nervously, he stared at Lin Dong and said harshly, “You’d better let us go. We know Lord Qiao—he’s extremely powerful. Aside from the Seven Great Families, he’s the strongest person inthe entire Autumn Wind City. If you kill me, he definitely won’t spare you.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll wait here.”
Lin Dong wasn’t bothered at all. Not long after arriving inQiu Feng City, he had sent people to investigate the strength of Maple Forest Restaurant and already knew that Qiao Tianhao had come here. But it seemed this kid was truly scared after being beaten inWestland City. As soon as he heard that Lin’s Inn was opening, he declared he wouldn’t cook anymore the next day.
Lin Dong didn’t believe it. With Qiao Tianhao’s courage, even if Feng Jingtang were his own father, he probably wouldn’t dare attack. Besides, Lin Dong still didn’t take Qiao Tianhao’s strength seriously.
“Wait, you wait…”
Feng Jingtang supported himself on the ground and struggled to get up, ignoring Liang Chuanzhen beside him. He staggered toward the exit, clinging to the wall.
“Me too! Me too…”
Liang Chuanzhen also tried to stand up but was pressed down by Lin Dong. “Why run around with such a big belly? It’s bad for the baby.”
“Let me go! You can’t kill me,” Liang Chuanzhen cried in terror, her shrill voice piercing Lin Dong’s ears. “If you kill me, Lord Qiao won’t spare you.”
Lin Dong was speechless. When practicing with Yun Lan, he couldn’t even touch the hem of her clothes. Despite practicing constantly, hisYutian Jue andlight-footedness improved rapidly, but he felt frustrated. He hoped Qiao Tianhao would just pick up a weapon and attack without hesitation. That way, the gap in strength wouldn’t be too big—it would be satisfying, and he could gain confidence from Qiao Tianhao.
Unfortunately, Lin Dong was almost certain Qiao Tianhao wouldn’t dare attack. On the first encounter, he’d probably turn and run right away.
Maple Forest Restaurant was far from the city center, and it was impossible for them to return before afternoon. Lin Dong kicked Liang Chuanzhen. “Get some ropes and tie them up. Then throw them into the kitchen one by one.”
Liang Chuanzhen recoiled as if shocked. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Dong sneered, “I keep you around to do hard labor. If I have to do it myself, you’ll end up lying on the ground like them. Decide for yourself!”
Liang Chuanzhen gulped back her words in horror, staring at Lin Dong without blinking. She slowly moved away until she was over ten meters from him before suddenly turning and rushing into the storage room.

Despite her large belly, Liang Chuanzhen was quite strong. At first, she was a bit hesitant, but gradually became more efficient, her strength not falling short of that of a young man. Soon, she tied up everyone, including Liang Mulong, tightly.

Then, they dragged each person by the collar into the kitchen.

After dragging the last person in, Liang Chuanzhen straightened her sore back. Before she could catch her breath, Lin Dong casually said, “I left a few chairs unbroken in the second room in the west wing. Bring them over.”

Liang Chuanzhen raised her eyes and, upon meeting Lin Dong’s stern gaze, froze for a moment before rushing to the second room in the west wing.

Soon, four chairs were brought to the backyard. Lin Dong waved his hand and said, “Invite Old Feng and Xiao Liang over to sit. Remember, if they try to escape or resist, they’ll bear the consequences!”

“What?” Liang Chuanzhen seemed to hear something unbelievable.

“Didn’t understand?” Lin Dong said meaningfully.

Her teeth trembled as Liang Chuanzhen shook her head frantically. She rushed toward Feng Changzhai, who was peeking outside, taking two steps at a time.

After some hesitation, Feng Changzhai, terrified, couldn’t resist Liang Chuanzhen’s pleas and brought Feng Liang back into the yard.

“Shopkeeper Lin, this…”

“Old Feng, sit down. I’ll take care of everything,” Lin Dong said with a smile.

Feng Changzhai nodded; he was already somewhat numb. First, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to return to his family, then he feared Lin Dong would demand a box of gold and silver, and later he was afraid Lin Dong would kill his wicked son and daughter-in-law. Now… it was pointless to think further; it was better not to think at all.

“Old Feng must be tired from standing in the main hall,” Lin Dong said, raising an eyebrow at Liang Chuanzhen. “Knead his legs for him!”

Liang Chuanzhen was also somewhat numb. She nodded, knelt in front of Feng Changzhai, ignoring his gestures to stop her, and began to knead his legs intermittently.

While chatting idly with Yun Lan, Lin Dong instructed Liang Chuanzhen to either massage Feng Changzhai’s back or shell melon seeds for Feng Liang. As noon approached, Lin Dong tapped the back of a chair and took out a silver ingot from the mobile counter, tossing it to Liang Chuanzhen. “Go to the Keli Laojia restaurant and order some food and drinks. Don’t let the staff deliver it; bring it back in a bamboo basket yourself.”

Liang Chuanzhen’s face lit up as she nodded eagerly. “I’ll go right away and be back soon.”

Lin Dong pointed at the wooden box containing gold and silver. “Don’t think about escaping. If I don’t see you back in half an hour, I’ll take the box and leave immediately.”

Liang Chuanzhen’s face fell as she glanced at the box, showing some reluctance.

“Hurry up!” Lin Dong snapped.

Startled, Liang Chuanzhen immediately decided to escape first…

If she ran, she would save her life but surely lose the silver. If she didn’t run, she might lose her life and the silver as well, but if Master Qiao arrived in time, she might not lose either. Facing this dilemma, Liang Chuanzhen ultimately chose the latter. The reason was that after escaping, her mind became much clearer. Since that youth, more terrifying than a demon, was sent by the old man and showed such respect for him, given the old man’s character, no matter how resentful he was, he wouldn’t abandon the grandson in his womb. The sister of the casino boss was equally generous when angry. Liang Chuanzhen returned to the courtyard within half an hour, carrying a basket of food and drinks. After eating and drinking their fill, Lin Dong directed Liang Chuanzhen to do this and that, and she didn’t feel bored at all. Yun Lan sat upright like a white jade statue, serene and holy in the sunlight, as if she could sit there forever. As the bloodstain smell in the courtyard gradually faded, the Feng family grandfather and grandson also calmed down, especially Feng Liang, who sometimes couldn’t help but laugh at Liang Chuanzhen’s flustered appearance. If Liang Chuanzhen were regarded as a quick-witted maid, the atmosphere in the courtyard almost resembled that of a family leisurely basking in the sun. Suddenly, with a bang, the other side of the courtyard gate collapsed. At the entrance, Qiao Tianhao walked in, tilting his mouth and stepping carelessly over the broken gate. “Oh heavens! Master Qiao, you’ve finally arrived. If you had come a little later, I would have been beaten to death.” Liang Chuanzhen rushed forward, crying with joy as if meeting a long-lost relative. Qiao Tianhao twisted his neck and rudely pushed her away, scanning the courtyard before his gaze settled on Lin Dong’s face. “It’s him! He broke my hand, and he also killed my eldest uncle.” Feng Jingtang raised his left arm, jabbing at Lin Dong with his fingers, his intense gaze seemingly trying to pierce a hole through him from afar. “Yes, yes! He killed my brother and many of his subordinates. If Master Qiao can kill him, we’ll give you an extra ten percent as profit.” Liang Chuanzhen nodded eagerly. Glancing at the Feng family grandfather and grandson out of the corner of her eye, her hatred for Lin Dong deepened even more. “Master Qiao, better not kill him. Just disable him. How dare he make me massage the old man and that brat’s back and legs? I’ll make your life worse than death.” The couple started shouting louder and bolder, forgetting Lin Dong’s terror in their excitement. They stepped forward together, determined to beat Lin Dong down themselves.

“I thought you’d run away the moment you turned around,” Lin Dong said with a sudden smile.
The couple, who had been arguing about how to deal with Lin Dong and make his life miserable for the rest of his days, were stunned upon hearing this.
A muffled thud came from behind them.
Feng Jingtang and Liang Chuanzhen turned around—their still-present sinister smiles froze instantly, replaced by sheer terror in their eyes.
“Lord Qiao, w-what are you doing?” The couple waved their hands frantically. The usually domineering Lord Qiao was kneeling before them? Overwhelmed with shock, they exclaimed, “We don’t deserve such great courtesy!”
“Lord Lin, I was wrong. I’ll never dare do this again,” Qiao Tianhao said, tears streaming down his face. “I shouldn’t have let greed cloud my judgment. I’ll return to the capital tomorrow—I’m leaving now…”
A bone-chilling coldness and unbearable shame swept over Feng Jingtang and Liang Chuanzhen, making them tremble, yet their faces turned redder than the setting sun.
Lin Dong stood up, exasperated. “It’s been over half a year—your courage seems to have diminished a bit.”
Qiao Tianhao wept bitterly. Though it had been half a year, the events at the Martial Arts Testing Institute, Fenglin Restaurant, and Lin’s Inn in Xilan City kept tormenting him. They made him terrified whenever he cooked and often woke him up mid-meditation.
“Lord Lin, I was wrong. I truly realize my mistake. I didn’t know they were looking for you. If I had known, I would never have come.” As Lin Dong stepped closer, Qiao Tianhao pleaded desperately, “I really have no connection with them—just a little spiritual material. Please treat me like trash. I’ll pack my things and return to the capital right now.”
“Spiritual material?” Lin Dong was confused. It sounded like Qiao Tianhao was after Feng Jingtang’s spiritual material.
“Yes, spiritual material,” Qiao Tianhao nodded eagerly. “Just a little. Don’t worry, Lord Lin. Once I return to the capital, I’ll never set foot in Qiufeng Mansion again. If you’re still worried, here’s what I’ll do… I’ll drop some poison in the kitchen later. It’ll make every customer at Fenglin Restaurant vomit and diarrhea—just as an apology to you.”
“No need for poison. If you really want to return to the capital…” Having dealt with him a few times, Lin Dong knew well that the more polite Qiao Tianhao was, the more rude he would be. He waved his hand. “Get lost! Don’t let me see you again.”
“Thank you, Lord Lin. Thank you so much.”
Like he’d been pardoned, Qiao Tianhao quickly steadied his trembling legs and ran away.

Seeing Qiao Tianhao stagger toward the exit, Lin Dong had an idea and shouted, “Wait!”
Thud—Qiao Tianhao collapsed to the ground.
Over by the side, Feng Jingtang and Liang Chuanzhen stared at the terrified Qiao Tianhao, frozen in shock.