Chapter 91: Report!

“No, that’s not right!”

Suddenly, Liang Jing’s eyes snapped open, a cold glint flashing within them. Something was amiss. Although the enemy’s sinister scheme was doomed to fail because they were unaware of his true abilities, Liang Jing sensed that many outside were closely monitoring every move near the village, waiting for his emergence. If he appeared, he would face overwhelming encirclement—a meticulously prepared net of traps and ambushes.

But that wasn’t the core issue now. Liang Jing noticed that this plot was distinctly targeted—targeted at him specifically!

Whoever devised this plan knew him remarkably well, understood his character intimately. But who could it be?

Apart from his current companions, with whom he had limited interaction, he rarely had contact with others. Surely, no one else could know him so deeply. Yet, his followers were mostly with Jia Yujin, so could there be a traitor among them? That seemed unlikely; they hadn’t spent enough time together for such insight.

Could it be that, from his compensation claim yesterday, someone deduced how deeply he cared for his family, how anxious he was?

For a moment, Liang Jing’s thoughts were tangled, but one thing was certain: the enemy was someone intimately familiar with him. A faint silhouette flickered in his mind…

...

“What?”
“We’ve caught him? Excellent, excellent!”
“Quick, bring him up! We need to see just who this Liang Jing is, to have caused us such devastation.”

...

“No! Subdue him first, search him thoroughly!”

As the words “caught him” echoed through the hall, everyone suddenly sprang up, voices booming, as if releasing pent-up rage. They interrupted the special forces before they could finish speaking, eager to have the prisoner brought forth immediately.

Yet, Jing Hui acted more prudently. Knowing Liang Jing’s formidable strength, he shouted to halt the rush. If the man wasn’t completely restrained, who knew what might happen—who would capture whom, or who would kill whom?

“Yes, yes, completely restrain him! Search him and bring him up!”

...

“Uh! This person is supposed to be Liang Jing?”

When the crowd in the hall saw the prisoner finally brought in, many were dumbfounded. Among them, Yu Supu scratched his scarce short hair, wondering if this was the truth behind the saying, “Hearing of someone is not like seeing them; seeing is not like hearing.”

Even Jing Hui, who knew Liang Jing well, was stunned. He couldn’t recognize this person at all. Was this really the same coworker Liang Jing he knew? Could the Liang Jing who offended Young Master Tu be a different man? Or had Liang Jing undergone plastic surgery?

This was too sharp a contrast! How could this man’s appearance be so different...

Before seeing him, one could smell an unbearable stench—a foul mixture suggesting days without a bath, no change of clothes, no brushing of teeth. Sourness, body odor, fox-like musk, sweat, decay—all mingled together.

Upon seeing him, the first impression was skeletal thinness, ragged clothes barely covering his body. Looking up, his face was dirtied and grimy, hair disheveled. He seemed so emaciated that even walking must have drained him of strength.

Is this the very Liang Jing who ruined their lives and homes?

How could he differ so vastly from the image lodged in their minds—a towering, muscular figure, covered in hair, with a fierce face, sharp teeth, a gaping maw, and horns atop his head? Only such a form could possess such power.

“Uh, report! We just caught another suspicious individual outside. We’re detaining him now. Young Master Tu’s men say he might be an impersonator or one of Liang Jing’s subordinates, plotting mischief,” a special forces soldier who had just been interrupted timidly reported.

“Oh no! Please don’t hit me! Honorable sirs, I was just starving and sneaked in to steal some food amid the chaos. I didn’t take anything, really. Please let me go! I swear I won’t do it again. Or better yet, take me as your underling—I’m loyal and can fight. I learned Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword from an old lady in the park. I can mop floors, wash dishes, feed dogs, play mahjong... and, well, I can eat too...”

At that moment, the man restrained by two underlings suddenly broke down. Seeing the powerful bosses in the hall, his legs weakened; if not for his captors steadying him, he might have collapsed. He begged for mercy while quickly assessing his chance. This was a rare opportunity—facing so many leaders at once. Pleasing even one might spare him from starving or being beaten for petty theft.

...

“Are you really Liang Jing?” Yu Supu asked cautiously, while others looked on tensely at the man before them.

Huh?

The prisoner glanced at the many stern faces staring at him. The name seemed significant to them, yet none were familiar. He quickly adopted the name for himself—henceforth, he would be Liang Jing.

“Yes, yes! That’s me! What do you need me to do?”

Their looks exchanged silently; none believed this man truly understood the gravity of his situation. They felt puzzled.

Jing Hui was conflicted. This was definitely not the Liang Jing he knew. Suddenly, he recalled the rough sketch from the other day, which, though not professional, resembled their coworker Liang Jing—not this man.

...

“Uh! Uh! Bosses, I know this guy. He came to the village yesterday to steal food. Me and Xiao Wang caught and beat him. Didn’t expect him to come again today. Lots of people outside know him as Xu Laotou, not Liang Jing,” a Tu family underling cautiously remarked, having finally recognized the prisoner.

What?

Frustration flooded the room. It had all been a false alarm—a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment that left everyone feeling miserable.

“Guards, drag this man out and execute him!” Young Master Tu’s face flushed red with rage.

“What now? This can’t go on like this!”

As reports from the special forces came and went, the death toll steadily rose. No one in the hall could remain seated.

“I just thought of something—what if Liang Jing still doesn’t know? Or maybe he’s farther away and hasn’t heard yet?” Yu Supu raised the concern.

Everyone’s eyes lit up. How could they have overlooked this? Perhaps their men spoke too quietly when exchanging secrets, so Liang Jing remained unaware.

“Send orders immediately. When passing secret messages, speak louder! Make sure those nearby can hear clearly. Also, double the range of shouted warnings!” Tu Guiwu commanded loudly.

Nearby, Commissioner Gong and Jing Hui exchanged eye rolls. It was obvious enough already. “If I secretly overheard a secret, I wouldn’t tell anyone—especially that Tu family caught Liang Jing’s friends and women. I’d fear being blamed for the leak. Now making it louder? Even a fool would know something’s off.” Jing Hui’s disdain for Tu Guiwu deepened—he was becoming more and more of a fool.

Jing Hui even thought silently about yelling, “Liang Jing, your mother is calling you home for dinner. Come out quickly.” He knew Liang Jing wasn’t a genius but certainly not stupid. By now, he probably knew everything and was quietly watching their spectacle. This was a failure. They needed to find a way to shift blame and devise new plans. Liang Jing held grudges; he wouldn’t rest until his enemies were dealt with.

...

“Report! Target not sighted! Our casualties total 179.”

...

“Report! …”

As Young Master Tu’s orders continued, the situation remained unchanged. The crowd in the hall grew heavier in spirit. Every time they heard “report,” their bodies trembled. No report brought good news—only rising death tolls. Each number was a living soul lost—one of their own.

“Report! All personnel have returned to lodging and refuse to go out on missions anymore.”

Though expected, the news was unbearable. They could not tolerate a mad dog demon gnawing relentlessly at their ranks.

“Master, the men refuse to go out again. Even under threats, they cannot bear the pressure of missions. Several have already gone mad...”

Ah!—

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