diymy When did Chapter 69 arrive?
When did Chapter 69 arrive?
Their eyes met, and all was silent.
Huang Silang was terrified, but his reaction was extremely fast!
His face immediately showed a hint of panic and fear, and he quickly lowered his head and begged for mercy:
"My lord... I deserve to die! I shouldn't have spied on your residence! I... I was just desperate for money and wanted to steal some things to supplement my family's income. I didn't mean to offend your might... I beg you to be magnanimous and spare my worthless life!"
As he spoke, he suddenly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud, clearly terrified.
His cowardly, timid, and cowardly appearance truly resembles that of an ordinary street thief.
Zheng Tu was initially struck by the extraordinary skill with which he moved. Suspicion arose in his heart, and he even thought that the man had captured the true culprit who had caused his death in his previous life.
But seeing his demeanor, kowtowing and begging for mercy without any backbone, he didn't seem like the kind of ruthless character who would dare to kill.
Zheng Tu's doubts remained, so he asked in a deep voice, "Your agility is truly remarkable. Where did you learn it? And why did you choose to steal from my place?"
Huang Silang kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling as he said, "My lord, please understand! I was poor and thin since childhood, and was often bullied. I couldn't fight back, so I had to hide and hide to develop my fast legs... Later, I worked as a errand boy at the docks, delivering urgent goods. Over time, I developed my leg strength."
He raised his face, revealing a bitter expression typical of an honest man.
"The reason I chose your place, sir, is simply... those wealthy gentlemen all have guards at their homes. If caught, they'd be punished severely, at best their legs would be broken, at worst they'd be handed over to the authorities. I only dare to sneak into secluded spots rented by passing travelers to steal a few coins and some food to get by... Today I was truly blinded by greed, actually daring to steal from you, sir!"
Seeing that he spoke earnestly and with great conviction, Zheng Tu's doubts dissipated somewhat, and he said, "Please stand up and speak first."
Huang Silang refused to get up, remaining kneeling on the ground, his face filled with remorse, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"My lord, please spare me this time! I have an elderly mother bedridden with illness and a three-year-old child crying for food. If I am handed over to the authorities, how will my family survive? I swear, I will never do it again!"
Hearing this, Zheng Tu shook his head, sighed, and said, "Alright, alright. From what you've said, you're a pitiful person. This world is hard, and since this is your first offense, and you have your reasons, I'll forgive you this time. Just don't do this kind of thing again, and find a proper way to make a living..."
Having said that, Zheng Tu said no more, turned his back, and left.
Upon hearing this, Huang Silang's face lit up with joy. He kowtowed three more times to Zheng Tu's retreating figure, his forehead bleeding, and cried out, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! I will never forget your kindness!"
He then buried his head deep in the ground, remaining kneeling there for a long time, his body trembling slightly, as if still shaken.
But where no one could see, his face, pressed tightly against the ground, showed no surprise, fear, or any other expression, only a calm indifference.
Only the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming a mocking arc.
"Plan is in place."
"This fellow is indeed a stupid blockhead. No matter how skilled he is in martial arts... so what? His head is no different from that block of wood. Do you think you can fool him with a little coaxing and a few sweet words? Heh... womanly compassion."
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard Zheng Tu's footsteps, which seemed to have returned.
Huang Silang's heart tightened, and he hurriedly composed himself, reverting to his previous grateful and remorseful demeanor.
When Zheng Tu reappeared before him, he looked up at him fearfully and said, "My benefactor... why have you returned? I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again!"
Zheng Tu asked, "I still don't know your name, what you do for a living, or where you live. Tell me clearly so I can keep track of you and know where to look if you do it again."
Upon hearing this, Huang Silang felt relieved and quickly replied:
"Replying to my benefactor, my surname is Huang, and because I am the fourth child in my family, everyone calls me Huang the Fourth. I usually make a living as a carpenter, but business has not been good these past few years, and my family has really been struggling to make ends meet, which is why... which is why..."
As he spoke, he actually choked up and bent down to kowtow.
After listening, Zheng Tu pondered for a moment and nodded.
"You are an honest man. Take this money and buy some rice. Work hard from now on and don't go astray again." Then he threw a piece of silver in front of him.
Huang Silang bowed his head and thanked him repeatedly.
Zheng Tu then turned around and left, disappearing in a few quick movements.
The alley was silent for a moment, except for a few barks from a dog in the distance.
This time, Huang Silang dared not move again. He lay on the ground and listened intently.
Zheng Tu's footsteps faded into the distance, gradually growing fainter until they were completely inaudible.
Huang Silang patiently knelt on the ground for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before slowly raising his head.
His eyes flashed with sharpness, and there was no trace of the cowardly, timid, and despicable face he had just shown.
He slowly rose, brushed off the dust that had accumulated on his body from kneeling, and tidied his disheveled hair, exuding composure.
He then reached for his waist, revealing a finely crafted crossbow.
This crossbow was a deadly weapon that he had painstakingly designed and developed over five years.
The entire piece is made of ironwood, a wood of exceptional hardness. The bowstring is made of strong strings from top-grade yellow ox sinew that has been soaked in oil.
The most ingenious part is the internal mechanism of the crossbow. He ingeniously designed the trigger, the string shaft, and the arrow-feeding gear to work together.
With just one pull of the trigger, a series of actions—releasing the arrow, rewinding the bowstring, and feeding the arrow—can be completed. The crossbow magazine is pre-loaded with five triangular armor-piercing arrows, which can be fired continuously with lightning speed, making them virtually impossible to defend against.
He once used this crossbow to pierce two layers of leather armor from thirty paces away. If it were to strike at close range, even a top-notch martial artist would find it difficult to escape death.
Huang Silang stroked the cold crossbow barrel and murmured softly:
"What a pity... That fellow was too close just now, only a few steps away. Although my treasure is fast, his martial arts skills are obviously already at a high level. If I had missed the first strike, I would have been no match for him in close combat... I should not act rashly unless I am absolutely certain."
A cold smile crept onto his lips: "Luckily, I had a backup plan..."
"What backup plan?"
Before he could finish speaking, Zheng Tu's deep voice came from behind him, his breath almost hitting the back of Huang Silang's neck.
？ ！！
Huang Silang trembled violently once again, his hair standing on end!
He turned around abruptly and pushed himself several steps.
Suddenly, Zheng Tu appeared silently half a step behind him.
When did you arrive?!