Chapter 91: Bear the Consequences Yourself

“What is it?” Zhou Xiaohu looked bewildered at the cry, and the others rushed forward as well.

The bald giant quickly waved them back. “Don’t!”

“None of you come any closer!”

“There’s a trap inside. That brat inside pierced my foot through!”

At once, Zhou Xiaohu flew into a rage.

“Damn it! That little punk!”

“A reckless bastard like that, I’m going to kill him today!”

With that, Zhou Xiaohu personally picked up his machete and was about to charge inside, and the others followed close behind.

Just as they were about to step through the courtyard gate, a graceful figure appeared at the entrance. It was Zeng Xiaofan.

Zeng Xiaofan had put on his half-dry shorts. His voice was frosty as he said, “Zhou Xiaohu, who exactly are you planning to kill?”

Zhou Xiaohu finally made out the voice. He jumped in fright, rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, he recognized Zeng Xiaofan at last.

“Damn...” he blurted, then hurriedly coughed and forced a smile. “Brother Fan... how... how is it you?”

“S-sorry... Brother Fan... I got it wrong...”

“I didn’t know it was you in there. If I had known, even with a hundred lives, I wouldn’t have dared disturb you~”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry... We’ll leave right away~”

The instant Zhou Xiaohu saw Zeng Xiaofan, his whole expression changed. The ferocity on his face vanished, replaced by such ingratiating flattery it seemed ready to bloom into flowers.

Clearly, he had remembered the terror of being dominated by Zeng Xiaofan last time.

The other burly men, however, were completely baffled.

“Boss Tiger... what’s this supposed to mean?”

“You know this kid? Why are you apologizing to him?”

“Did you get the wrong idea?”

“He’s just some pathetic loser. How could he be worth your lowering yourself like this?”

The bald brute frowned in confusion, and the others looked just as puzzled.

Zhou Xiaohu had no way to explain. He could only keep his head down, hunch his neck, and urge them on repeatedly.

“You talk too much!”

“Shut up, all of you! Hurry up and go...”

“Quickly, quickly...”

One of the burly men glanced at Zhou Xiaohu, then at Zeng Xiaofan, and snorted coldly.

“This is strange... Boss Tiger, that’s not like you at all...”

“Could it be this kid tricked you with some underhanded scheme?”

“Well, I refuse to believe that!”

With a cold snort, the man said in a low voice, “Boss Tiger! Just wait!”

“I’ll get your dignity back!”

“Damn it, he’s just a lousy loser!”

The man finished speaking, grabbed his blade, and charged at Zeng Xiaofan.

However, the moment he stepped into the courtyard gate, he let out a shrill scream the next second.

“Ahhh! My God! It hurts so much!!!”

“Oh heavens, my dear mother... help me...”

“I won’t dare again... I really won’t dare again!!!”

The crowd looked closely, only to see that both of the man’s feet had been nailed to the ground by branches.

The whole place erupted in an instant.

“Damn...”

“This... this wasn’t a mechanism!”

“That was a stick he shot over himself!!”

“This... this guy... terrifying beyond belief!!!”

Only then did everyone realize that Zhou Xiaohu’s fear had been entirely prescient.

Zhou Xiaohu cursed inwardly and slapped the others one after another as he shouted, “You bunch of fools!”

“Why are you still not kneeling and apologizing to Brother Fan!”

“Are you trying to die!!”

Only then did the rest come to their senses and all dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.

The two men nailed to the ground did not even dare to cry out loudly anymore. Both of them kowtowed furiously, more pious than anyone else.

Zeng Xiaofan was worried that Li Bixian was still in the yard, stark naked and warming herself by the fire, so he could not be bothered to waste words with them. He only gave a cold snort.

“Get lost!”

Zhou Xiaohu and the others were instantly as relieved as if they had received a pardon. They hurriedly helped the two screaming men to their feet and were about to flee.

Then Zeng Xiaofan noticed the Luoyang shovel in Zhou Xiaohu’s hand, and remembered County Magistrate Wang Yanfeng’s bizarre personal item.

He had heard from the county magistrate’s wife at the time that the thing had been given by Zhou Xiaohu.

And now Zhou Xiaohu from the county town had somehow appeared with a group of outsiders in the deep mountains of Zeng Xiaofan’s own village...

They were even carrying Luoyang shovels and all sorts of digging tools rarely seen in ordinary life. When all these clues came together, Zeng Xiaofan vaguely guessed at something.

“Zhou Xiaohu, stop right there!”

Zeng Xiaofan’s voice was not loud, but it landed in Zhou Xiaohu’s ears like a thunderclap.

Zhou Xiaohu’s face visibly turned green, yet he could only force a smile and turn back.

“B-Brother Fan...”

“D-do you have any other instructions?”

Zeng Xiaofan said in a deep voice, “How did you people end up in this desolate mountain wilderness?”

“And with all those digging tools too. What exactly are you here for?”

At that, Zhou Xiaohu’s scalp prickled. In the end, he had been asked the very thing he least wanted to say.

“Ahem... well... that...”

“We... uh... came...”

“Came into the mountains to dig up some medicinal herbs!”

Zhou Xiaohu’s eyes lit up as he spoke with solemn conviction. “Yes! That’s exactly it. My old mother is ill!”

“I came up the mountain to dig her some Chinese medicinal herbs and help regulate her health!”

Zeng Xiaofan only smiled coldly when he heard this.

“Are you sure?”

“I never thought Zhou Xiaohu, so ruthless and vicious outside, would be such a filial son to his own mother.”

Zhou Xiaohu blushed and smiled faintly. “Ahem... not at all, not at all. Brother Fan flatters me!”

“Not at all?”

“How could that be flatters?”

“You brought such a large crew just to dig a few medicinal herbs. So strong, so well-equipped.”

“Isn’t that tremendous filial devotion?”

“I just wonder what herbs you dug up. Would you mind showing me?”

“I know a little about Chinese medicine too. I can take a look for you,” Zeng Xiaofan said with a cold smile.

“Uh... this... ahem...”

“The medicinal herbs?”

Zhou Xiaohu turned sharply and barked at his underlings. The underlings looked at one another and none of them dared answer.

“Idiots! You forgot something so important!”

“What do I keep you for!”

After cursing them perfunctorily, Zhou Xiaohu immediately smiled apologetically at Zeng Xiaofan.

“Well... Brother Fan, you can see it yourself. The people under me are not very bright...”

“They left the herbs up on the mountain. I’m taking them back up to fetch them right now...”

“Hehe... we’re going to get them right away. Farewell, Brother Fan...”

As Zhou Xiaohu spoke, he was about to leave. Yet Zeng Xiaofan’s tone suddenly turned cold, and he snapped, “Kneel down!”

Zhou Xiaohu trembled in fright and, without the slightest hesitation, his knees gave way and he fell straight to the ground.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Zeng Xiaofan snorted.

“Zhou Xiaohu, you sure have guts.”

“Looks like I wasn’t harsh enough with you last time, was I?”

“You even dared to make up lies in front of me?”

“You think I’m an idiot, do you!”

“No, no... I wouldn’t dare, I absolutely wouldn’t dare...” Zhou Xiaohu hurriedly kowtowed furiously at once.

Zeng Xiaofan let out another cold snort and enunciated each word.

“I’ll ask you one last time. What exactly are you here for?”

“Miss even one word, and you’ll bear the consequences yourself!”