Chương 231: Best Actor Appears Again

South Docks, a deathly silence hung in the air. Chu Tianqiu stared blankly at the sword in his hand. From the tip of the blade, droplets of crimson blood dripped onto the ground, the tick-tock sound grating on the ears. What the f*ck! This had to be a nightmare. He must still be asleep and dreaming. Old Chu felt this was all too surreal. Why did it seem as if the person in front of him had sought death, throwing himself onto the sword?

He might have been truly furious just now, but he absolutely hadn't lost his reason. Though his strikes were heavy, they were meticulously calculated, deliberately avoiding the vitals. Moreover, right as the sword was about to strike the man, he had even held back. The main point was, he was absolutely certain he had held back. Why did Tian Heng act like a madman, charging forward and impaling his own heart on the blade? He had literally thrust his heart onto the tip of the sword! Chu Tianqiu was dumbfounded.

Extortion? Blackmail? This is too professional! Do you not even care about your life?

"You... you..." Tian Heng's dry, raspy voice pulled Old Chu back to reality. He saw this notoriously evil flower-plucking bandit clutching his chest with one hand, while the other tremblingly pointed at Chu Tianqiu's face. Eyes wide with disbelief, his voice quivered as he spoke:"You actually dared to kill me?" Looking at the blood spurting from the man's chest, a hole that size in his heart was definitely fatal. Chu Tianqiu shuddered, his expression turning solemn.

His mind raced, and finally, gritting his teeth, he made a decision.

"Liu San, you actually dared to come here and seek revenge against this old man! This time, I will definitely chop you into ten thousand pieces. Men, hack him down!" Tossing out a nonsensical sentence that left the surrounding people scratching their heads, Old Chu didn't hesitate anymore, raising his sword to strike with lethal intent. A glint flashed in Song Que's eyes as he inwardly praised the man's quick wit and decisiveness.

He wanted to silence him permanently, resolute in hacking the person to pieces so the dead could bear no witness. If he succeeded, they could deny everything to the bitter end. By muddying the waters, there might still be a chance to turn the situation around. After all, no one here could truly prove that this person was undoubtedly Tian Heng. The plan was simple and crude, yet undeniably effective. Having seen through the scheme, how could Master Song let him succeed?

Suddenly, Tian Heng, who seemed like an arrow at the end of its flight and could barely speak, somehow summoned a burst of strength. His body erupted with energy as his legs rapidly executed the Flying Swallow Steps, retreating backwards like a bolt of lightning. Witnessing that kind of speed, Chu Tianqiu and the surrounding Lingjiang Gang members were dumbfounded once again. Seeing Tian Heng getting closer and closer to Song Que's group, they finally snapped out of it, realizing things were going south.

Shouting loudly, they threw their swords in pursuit.

"Liu San, go to hell!" Clang! A flying knife, it was a flying knife again. Little Song's flying knives never missed their mark. A two-inch flying knife flashed from Master Song's hand, instantly knocking Chu Tianqiu's flying sword away.

"Song Que, this person is a great enemy of our Lingjiang Gang. What are you trying to do?" Ignoring Old Chu, all eyes were now fixed on the battered figure in front of them. Running to a stop just two meters in front of the crowd, Brother Tian's final burst of terminal lucidity had seemingly run dry. His limbs gave out, and he weakly fell to his knees, reaching out a hand:"Save... save me..."

"Brother Tian Heng! What happened to you?" Best Actor Song shouted in alarm, his voice booming like a great bell, startling the crowd. The worst-case scenario had occurred. Chu Tianqiu's face was frightfully dark. Desperately clinging to the last sliver of hope, he charged forward, his palm carrying a sharp, imposing aura as he slammed it down toward Tian Heng's head. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Insolent!" Bam! Grandee Song furiously struck out, his domineering fist blocking the palm strike while forcing Old Chu to stagger six or seven steps backward.

"Song Que! Are you trying to provoke our Lingjiang Gang?" Ignoring his numb arm, Chu Tianqiu glared venomously and spoke in a deep voice.

"Hmph, don't try to change the subject, Chu Tianqiu. Why did you murder Brother Tian? Are you trying to plunge the entirety of Qinghe City into an abyss of suffering?" Best Actor Song glared back, shouting angrily.

"Utter nonsense! This person is Liu San, a great enemy of our gang, absolutely not some Tian Heng. Don't you dare spit blood on people! Men, take down that fellow Liu San and hack him to pieces!"

"Who dares!"

"Stop!" Xu Qing, his expression equally dark, yelled out. Seeing the Lingjiang Gang members still itching to attack, the elderly parent-officials of Qinghe immediately stepped forward to block them, their expressions equally terrifyingly grim. If Tian Heng truly died here today, only ghosts would know whether his 8th Grade father would turn this place upside down to vent his anger. These bigwigs would be the first ones to bear the brunt of it.

"If you dare to take action, I will consider it a plot to murder officials and a rebellion against the Imperial Court. When the time comes, no one will be able to protect you. Even Gang Leader Du of the Lingjiang Gang will not be able to save you." Leaving behind a cold sentence to intimidate the men, Xu Qing finally turned around anxiously to check the situation behind him. That face, that figure, those clothes—it was absolutely the flamboyantly ostentatious Brother Tian they had seen earlier.

Old Xu and the others felt their hearts sink. This person's face was frightfully pale, having lost who knew how much blood. His hand clutching his chest slipped slightly, revealing a massive hole above his heart. It was extremely critical. How the f*ck was he not dead yet with an injury like that? But Old Xu had no time to ponder this. His face breaking out in a cold sweat, he shouted:"Is anyone here skilled in medicine? Quickly, come tend to Young Noble Tian's wounds!"

"My Lord, let me!" A few people, though slightly fearful, stepped forward out of curiosity. Master Song didn't care about any of this; he was busy keeping a watchful eye on Chu Tianqiu in case he made a desperate move. Seeing the radiant smile on this guy's face, complete with mocking winks directed right at him, Old Chu truly hated him so much he gnashed his teeth.

But with inferior power and martial arts that paled in comparison, he could only watch helplessly as the events unfolded, his heart gradually sinking into despair........ The three individuals who claimed to be skilled in medicine stepped forward to support Tian Heng and examined him. In less than a moment, all of them shook their heads and sighed.

"Save... save... me... I... I don't want to... die!" Young Master Tian, whose life force was as tenacious as a cockroach, wheezed intermittently, his eyes brimming with a profound attachment to life. This performance was enough to evoke sympathy from the surrounding onlookers.

"My Lord, his heart has suffered fatal damage. We are powerless." One of the doctors stood up, cupping his hands to Xu Qing, while the other two silently nodded in agreement. Even though he had anticipated this outcome, Old Xu was still frightened senseless. Hic... hic... hic... Brother Tian's performance wasn't over yet; he continued to choke on his sobs. He was seen lying flat on his back, gazing longingly at the sky, his hand reaching out hopelessly toward the stars as he struggled to speak:"Father... I can't...

go to... Giant Wood City... to help... you with your task. Your son... is unfilial... everyone... please pass on a message... to him for me... tell him... I... I... I... love him." Gulp— With that, the flower-plucking bandit, Brother Tian, officially kicked the bucket and went straight to hell. An aura of sorrow enveloped the earth. Everyone was deeply moved and saddened by his sincere display of emotion. To still be thinking of doing work for his father on his deathbed... what a filial son.

Though his character and way of life were nothing to be praised, this filial piety alone was enough to earn their sympathy. Brother Tian, we forgive you. Have a safe journey. We will definitely pass on every word of yours to Senior Tian Buer. Grandee Song, thoroughly convinced by his own performance, happily opened his mouth:"Uncle Xu, Uncle Wu, Lord Shi. We must immediately transport Brother Tian's body to the commandery capital and let the higher-ups handle the handover themselves.

If we leave him here, who knows if Senior Tian will vent his anger on us when he comes to claim the body. If that happens, Qinghe County will never see a day of peace." A single phrase awakened the dreamers. Xu, Wu, and the others inwardly praised the kid's quick wit. Their eyes lit up as they quickly devised a plan to toss this hot potato to someone else. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.

It would be absolutely perfect to let the Lingjiang Gang and the people of Lingjiang Commandery bear this heavy burden. The three elders exchanged glances, nodded, and joyfully made their decision:"Men, prepare a carriage to transport Tian Heng's body to the commandery capital. Wu Tian, Shi Shouheng, the two of you will personally lead the escort. Ensure that he is delivered to the capital completely intact."

"Understood, My Lord!" The three of them simultaneously shot wary glances at Old Chu.

"My Lords, rest assured, the Moon-Lacking Pavilion will assist with all our might. From now until tomorrow morning, absolutely no one aside from official troops will be allowed to enter or leave the sorrowful path of Eagle Gorge." Grandee Song happily patted his chest in guarantee.

"Then we will trouble Pavilion Master Song!" The group quickly made their decision. Old Wu and Old Shi didn't dally in the slightest, immediately gathering their men to set off in the dark, determined to send this mess as far away as possible....... With the matter here considered concluded, the crowd of onlookers once again dispersed like a kicked hornet's nest. Today's events could be described as bizarre and convoluted, with one climax after another.

They were itching to share everything they had witnessed with their friends and family. No one had the time to pay attention to Chu Tianqiu and his Lingjiang Gang cronies, whose faces looked as if their parents had died—except for one person. Naturally, Master Song hadn't forgotten that this group had spent the entire day spreading rumors to harm him. So, with a joyful laugh, he said:"Elder Chu and the esteemed members of the Lingjiang Gang truly possess great courage.

Offending an 8th Grade expert without a second thought, killing whomever you please... Unlike this Song, who was so timid he had to swallow his pride and apologize even when his own brother was almost killed. Shameful, truly shameful. I am ashamed to face my brothers, ashamed to face the commoners..." Looking at this bastard acting all wise and worldly, sighing at the sky while failing to hide the gleeful expression on his face, the veins on Chu Tianqiu's forehead pulsed violently.

If he didn't know he couldn't beat him, he would have long since rushed forward and stabbed him a few times to show him what "three knives and six holes, white goes in and red comes out" really meant. What a scumbag!