Xiao Luo could guess what was worrying Xiao Ping, and smiling calmly, he said, “Relax, this is my own money. Give me your account number.”

  Although Luo Village was in a remote area, it still had 3G signal coverage, and thus performing an online bank transfer was not an issue.

  “This……”

  Xiao Ping hesitated, then he took out the bank card in his pocket. As he had planned to borrow the money from Xiao Qiudong today, he had brought along his bank card. After all, 120 thousand was by no means a small amount, and he couldn’t be receiving the money in the form of cash, so it had to be a bank transfer.

  Xiao Luo smiled as he keyed in Xiao Ping’s bank account number and name, and completed the fund transfer.

  Xiao Ping had his transaction alert activated for his bank card, so when the 120 thousand dollars had been transferred into his account, he immediately received a message on his cell phone. On seeing the amount reflected in the text message, his eyes became a little teary, and he sniffled, “Luo, have you lent me the money that you need to marry Miss Ji? If that’s the case, I……”

  “You’re overthinking, Ping. I still have more than enough for that!”

  Xiao Luo cut in with a light smile, and he finally knew for sure why Xiao Ping chose not to come to him. Firstly, Xiao Ping must have thought that he wasn’t earning as much money as Xiao Qiudong. And secondly, that he wasn’t married yet, and a wedding would cost at least 150 thousand in the village. Xiao Ping obviously had considered these two matters before he chose not to borrow money from him.

  “You sure you’re not lying to me?”

  Xiao Ping was a little hesitant as he was afraid that Xiao Luo was only lying to him to allay any feelings of guilt he had.

  “He isn’t lying!”

  Ji Siying stepped next to Xiao Luo, and in a gentle voice, she said, “Take the money and pay off your debt, it’s okay.”

  It was at this moment that Xiao Ping finally felt at ease. He nodded continuously and thanked them both profusely. “Luo, thank you, and to you too, Miss Ji. I’ll write an IOU.”

  “No.”

  Xiao Luo stopped him with a simple word. He patted his shoulder and said, “That isn’t necessary between us.”

  “Y-yeah, Xiao Ping, since Xiao Luo already said so, you don’t have to do that. Besides, there are so many of us here as witnesses, why should Xiao Luo be afraid of you not paying back.” Xiao Dizhang laughed heartily.

  Everyone couldn’t help but laugh when they heard that.

  “Luo, my good old brother!”

  Xiao Ping and Xiao Luo gave each other a brotherly embrace.

  \r \r \r

  The crowd gathered before the Seekong altar was gladdened, and they shared in a warm, genial atmosphere. Everyone aside from Xiao Qiudong that is. Nobody showed any concern for him, nor did anybody even look at him. It was like he did not exist. His face turned red, and he felt less than human as if he did not belong there. As he stood there all by himself, watching everyone’s joy and laughter seemed like mockery to him.

  “Xiao Luo, why are you always against me?”

  Humiliated, he flew into a rage, consumed with a deep hatred. Without warning, he picked up a wooded club leaning at the entrance door and smashed it directly on Xiao Luo’s skull.

  CRACK! The wooden club struck the top of Xiao Luo’s head, instantly breaking apart. Xiao Qiudong struck the blow with all his might, venting all his anger.

  Oh, no!

  Those two words flashed in Ji Siying’s mind, and her expression changed immediately. No one could’ve known better than her the kind of person Xiao Luo was. He was a wild beast, and that strike with the club would definitely bring out the worst in him.

  The crowd at Seekong altar gasped, wide-eyed in horror as they watched the scene unfold. They couldn’t believe that Xiao Qiudong would hit Xiao Luo with a club, and more so, right on his skull!

  “What are you doing, Xiao Qiudong!”

  Xiao Ping was the first to snap out of the shock as he quickly pushed Xiao Qiudong away and went to check on Xiao Luo. “Luo, are you alright?”

  Xiao Dizhang and Xiao Quanren looked aghast, both very worried about Xiao Luo’s condition. Xiao Dizhang pointed at Xiao Qiudong and shouted, “Hold him down, lest he goes mad again and harms somebody else.”

  On hearing that, four to five strong-looking men standing close by leaped on him and held him firmly against the wall. As they did so, Xiao Qiudong maniacally laughed like he had gone mad.

  “This lunatic! Bring him to the police station!” Xiao Dizhang said, enraged.

  “Hold up!”

  Xiao Luo stopped them.

  “Xiao Luo……”

  As the crowd looked on, Xiao Luo stepped forward ominously and stood in front of Xiao Qiudong.

  Is he about to reveal his fangs?

  Ji Siying felt her heart stop for a moment. She could feel the rage emanating from Xiao Luo’s body. Even with the heat coming from the flames of incense candles warming the altar area, her body shivered uncontrollably.

  “Xiao Qiudong, please give me an explanation,” Xiao Luo said, looking right at Xiao Qiudong.

  It was beyond his expectations that Xiao Qiudong would get physical on him. He felt disappointed with himself for not being more alert and taking a hit on the skull, but with his inner power protecting his body, that strike was nothing more than an itch and caused him no pain.

  “Explain?”

  Xiao Qiudong sneered, his face contorted with a hideous expression. “I just felt like smacking a superficial piece of garbage like you hanging onto a rich girl for a good life. That’s my explanation! Don’t like it? F*ckin bite me then!”

  He had entirely lost his ability to reason. He felt immensely humiliated, and he blamed it all on Xiao Luo.

  “Xiao Qiudong, I think you’ve gone mad!” Xiao Ping walked over and berated him.

  “Even if I’ve gone mad, you are the ones who have forced me into madness. Xiao Luo is just a useless fart, why are you guys treating him like he’s some genius? Being able to lend you 120 thousand dollars just like that, if it isn’t that rich girl’s money, then whose money can it be? If a damned salaryman can have so much money, I’ll chop off my head, and you can all kick it around like a ball!” Xiao Qiudong said.

  Old man Xiao Quanren shook his head quietly and sighed. “A heart of jealously mustn’t exist; to exist, a heart of jealously mustn’t be!” he said.

  “Jealousy? Wise One, I think you’re old and confused as well. I, Xiao Qiudong, jealous of Xiao Luo? Pfft, what a joke!” Xiao Qiudong responded, laughing out loud.

  Suddenly, Xiao Luo laughed along with him, and it was a terrifying, sneering laugh. Then he grabbed the half-broken wooden club from one of the men holding Xiao Qiudong down.

  Xiao Qiudong quivered, and the smile on his face froze abruptly.

  The crowd was shocked. “Is Xiao Luo going to hit him back?”

  Xiao Dizhang, as Luo Village’s secretary, couldn’t just stand aside and watch the fight escalate. He quickly shouted, “Xiao Luo, get a hold of yourself!”

  With Xiao Dizhang backing him up and aware of Xiao Luo’s calm temperament, Xiao Qiudong continued goading Xiao Luo. “Stop your act. You won’t dare to hit me, even if you have ten times the courage, you will still……”

  His voice suddenly stopped–the wooden club in Xiao Luo’s hand smashed right across his skull.

  KAPOW!

  The half-broken wooden club splintered into pieces and flew in all directions.

  Xiao Qiudong felt his head spin, and a stream of warm blood flowed down copiously over his face.

  When the men holding him saw him bleeding, they unconsciously let go of him and stepped back. Without their support, Xiao Qiudong dropped to his knees in front of Xiao Luo, his body upright, and his head lolling. He who was already shorter than Xiao Luo and kneeling on the floor now made him seem even more so.

  He raised his head with a look of disbelief as he gazed at Xiao Luo in terror. “You…… you……”

  “I…… I…… I what?”

  Xiao Luo glared at him, a cynical smile formed as he curled up the corner of his mouth and said, “Han Shang once asked Shi De: ‘Some people in the world slander me, bully me, insult me, laugh at me, belittle me, look me down, hate me and deceive me. What should I do about it?’ My answer to him will be ‘whack him up’!”

  As soon as his ended words, he hurled his foot through the air and kicked Xiao Qiudong right in the face.

  The crowd could almost hear the howling wind and feel the billowing force of the kick.

  “Arghh!”

  The kick sent Xiao Qiudong flying out from the Seekong shrine, shrieking horribly in pain before landing heavily onto the hard ground outside. ……