dtnovels Chapter 395 Town Turmoil
Chapter 395 Town Turmoil
"Transmigrating to Embrace the Beautiful Snake"
Chapter 395: Turbulent Times in the Small Town
Everyone feasted in the inn, with Pigsy wolfing down his food, his mouth greasy and smacking his lips with exaggerated "slurp, slurp" sounds. "Oh, this food is so delicious, I'm practically swallowing my tongue!" Pigsy mumbled indistinctly as he stuffed food into his mouth. His round cheeks bulged like two ripe peaches, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his face was beaming with satisfaction.
Liu Yu smiled and shook his head helplessly, his eyes full of gentleness and tolerance: "Bajie, eat slowly, don't choke." He himself was elegant, slowly picking up a bite of food, gently putting it in his mouth, and chewing and savoring it.
Xiaoqing held the chopsticks gracefully with her slender fingers, eating in small bites, each movement light and beautiful. Occasionally, she would wipe her mouth with a handkerchief embroidered with exquisite patterns, and say coquettishly, "Look at the way you eat, you have no manners at all." Although there was a hint of reproach in her eyes, there was more indulgence and affection for Zhu Bajie.
Xiao Tian happily crawled around under the table, occasionally picking up bits of food that had fallen, making cheerful "woo-woo" sounds as if to say, "Delicious, delicious."
Just then, several burly men swaggered into the inn. They strode in with great pride, each step heavy on the ground as if to crack the floor, their eyes scanning the crowd with hostility, their gazes like those of hungry wolves searching for prey.
The burly man at the head of the group strode menacingly to Liu Yu and his companions' table, slamming his hand on it so hard it shook violently, rattling the dishes. "You bunch of outsiders, enjoying your meal here, huh?" he said in a rough, aggressive voice, as if forced from the depths of his throat, his voice dripping with provocation.
Liu Yu immediately raised his head alertly, looking at them with piercing eyes, his gaze firm and calm: "May I ask what brings you here?" His voice was neither humble nor arrogant, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on his chopsticks, ready to respond at any moment.
"Hmph, this place is under our protection. If you want to eat here, you have to pay protection money!" the man said arrogantly, his arms crossed over his chest. The fat on his face twitched as he spoke, making him look particularly ferocious and terrifying, as if he was about to devour someone at any moment.
With his mouth still full, Pigsy mumbled loudly, "What protection money? Why should we give it to you?" He raised his head, his eyes widened, and he almost spat out the food crumbs in his mouth. He looked ridiculous and funny.
The man's eyes widened in anger, veins bulging on his forehead. He roared furiously, "You won't give it to us? Then don't blame us for being impolite!" As he spoke, several men behind him menacingly surrounded him, each rubbing their fists together, their faces gleaming with ferocity, like a pack of wolves about to pounce on their prey.
Without hesitation, Liu Yu stood up and slammed his sword heavily onto the table with a loud clang. "I'd like to see how impolite you really are!" he said. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, his eyes filled with fearless courage, and he exuded an aura that commanded respect.
The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense. Everyone else in the inn was so frightened that they fell silent, not daring to utter a sound. The air seemed to freeze, so quiet that you could hear everyone's tense heartbeats.
Just then, the innkeeper rushed over with a beaming smile. His face was full of ingratiating smiles, and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat. He kept bowing and scraping, saying, "Heroes, don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive! Let's talk this out, let's talk it out."
The leader snorted without hesitation and roughly shoved the innkeeper aside. The innkeeper stumbled and nearly fell to the ground in a sorry state: "Innkeeper, this is none of your business, get out of the way!"
Liu Yu thought to himself, "It seems this town isn't peaceful either; I need to be careful." His mind raced, considering various possible strategies.
Xiaoqing gently tugged at Liu Yu's sleeve and whispered to him, "Why don't we just avoid trouble and give them some money to get rid of them?" Her eyes held a hint of worry and unease, and her brows furrowed slightly.
Liu Yu shook his head firmly, his gaze resolute as iron: "We cannot bow down to such evil forces. If we back down, they will only become more demanding." Although his voice was not loud, it was full of undeniable power.
Xiao Tian barked twice under the table, his voice clear and loud, as if cheering everyone on: "Woof woof, don't be afraid, I'm here!"
Seeing Liu Yu and his companions' resolute attitude, the men could no longer restrain themselves and began to viciously attack, brandishing their fists.
Liu Yu displayed agile movements, like a butterfly gracefully dancing in the wind, skillfully dodging his opponent's fierce attacks. Not only that, he also launched several swift counterattacks, each move precise and powerful.
Pigsy, without hesitation, put down his bowl and chopsticks, rolled up his sleeves, and joined the battle with great fanfare. His massive, round body stood out in the crowd, making his opponents somewhat wary. "Hey, you dare to fight me, old Pig? Take this!" Pigsy roared, brandishing his heavy nine-toothed rake. Although his movements were somewhat clumsy, each swing created a whistling sound, its power not to be underestimated.
Xiaoqing, meanwhile, focused intently on using her bell to distract the enemy. The bell emitted a clear and melodious sound. The sound waves transformed into a tangible, mysterious power, unsettling the enemies and causing them to stagger.
After a fierce fight, the men were left with bruises and swollen faces, their once neat clothes torn to shreds, looking utterly disheveled. They helped each other up and slunk away in disgrace.
"Haha, with such meager skills, you dare to come and collect protection money!" Pigsy laughed smugly, his laughter shaking the dust off the roof, making it seem like a small "dust rain."
Liu Yu remained vigilant, her brows furrowing slightly, her gaze deep and worried: "This matter is probably not so simple. They may send someone to retaliate. We cannot let our guard down."
After everyone finished their meal, they prepared to go back to their rooms to rest.
Pigsy patted his round, ball-like belly, letting out a satisfied burp that was as loud as thunder: "Oh dear, I'm so full, I'm going to have a good sleep." As he spoke, he swayed his fat body, like a moving ball of flesh, and slowly walked towards the room.
Xiaoqing couldn't help but laugh and tease, "All you do is sleep. Be careful you don't get so fat you can't walk!"
Once in his room, Liu Yu lay on the bed, but tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, his mind replaying the events of the day. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating his handsome face, and his eyes held a deep sense of worry.
Meanwhile, the defeated men scrambled and crawled, their tails between their legs, until they reached the courtyard of a wealthy family.
"Boss, we were beaten up by some outsiders," a man said pitifully, his face contorted in a mournful expression. His face was bruised and swollen, looking like a steamed bun.
A man in brocade robes, sitting in a chair, frowned deeply, his face so dark it seemed to drip ink: "A bunch of useless trash, you can't even handle this little thing!" He angrily slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground, startling everyone around him.
"Those guys seem to be quite skilled, especially the kid with the sword," another man said tremblingly, his voice shaking, afraid of angering the hot-tempered leader.
"Hmph, daring to act wildly on my turf, I'll make them pay!" The man in brocade slammed his hand on the table, leaving a deep mark and splashing water from his teacup.
"Boss, what do you think we should do?" one of the subordinates asked cautiously.
"Go, gather more men. We must take them down by tomorrow!" the man in brocade said viciously.
"Yes, boss!" The men quickly went to gather more men.
The next morning, Liu Yu and his group packed their bags and prepared to leave the town and continue their journey.
As soon as they stepped out of the inn, they found the street crowded with people, and a group of armed servants were waiting for them with menacing expressions.
"It's them!" The bruised and battered men from yesterday pointed at Liu Yu and his group, their voices filled with resentment and anger.
"You dare to cause trouble on my turf? Don't think you're leaving here easily today!" The man in brocade robes walked out arrogantly. He was dressed in gorgeous silk clothes with exquisite patterns, and he was holding a folding fan inlaid with gold and jade. But he could not hide the fierce and vicious light in his eyes.
Liu Yu stepped forward without fear, head held high, and said righteously, "You are the ones who are bullying us, and we are not allowed to fight back? Where is justice!" His voice was powerful and resonant, echoing loudly in the empty street.
"Enough talk, charge!" The man in brocade robes gave an angry order, and his servants surged forward like a tidal wave, shouting "Kill!" Their voices were deafening, and their momentum was ferocious.
Liu Yu and his group once again plunged into fierce combat without hesitation.
This time, the enemy was significantly larger than yesterday, and they were clearly well-trained and coordinated. Their attacks came wave after wave, leaving Liu Yu and his group overwhelmed and in a difficult situation.
As Pigsy fought back with all his might, he kept complaining, "Ugh, this is such a pain! Everywhere I go, these clueless guys come looking for trouble." He swung his nine-toothed rake with a whooshing sound, and sweat poured down his broad forehead like a waterfall.
Xiaoqing was also gradually losing her strength, and her breathing became rapid and erratic: "Everyone be careful, please don't get hurt!"
Liu Yu thought to himself, "This can't go on. I need to come up with a way to break through."
Just then, Liu Yu spotted an opening in the enemy's defenses and shouted, "Bajie, Xiaoqing, charge with me!"
They charged desperately toward the opening and finally fought their way out.
Just as they were locked in a fierce battle and exhausted, a sudden, rapid and loud sound of horses' hooves rang out.
It turned out that the local magistrate had arrived just in time with a formidable troop of soldiers. The magistrate rode a tall, strong white horse, looking dashing and imposing.
"Stop it, all of you!" the magistrate roared, his voice booming like thunder. His shout seemed to possess a magical power, instantly stopping everyone present.
The group finally stopped what they were doing, panting heavily. The scene was a mess, with traces of the fight everywhere.
After learning the whole story, the magistrate's face turned serious, and he said righteously, "Under my jurisdiction, such a vile act of extorting protection money will never be tolerated. You lot, come back to the yamen with me and explain yourselves!" His gaze swept over the man in brocade robes and his servants with an imposing authority, filled with an irresistible force.
The man in brocade robes turned deathly pale instantly, and hurriedly put on a fawning, ingratiating smile: "Your Excellency, this...this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? Hmph, stop making excuses here, take them away!" The magistrate waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him quickly stepped forward and tied them up one by one.
Liu Yu and the others breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you very much for upholding justice, Magistrate," Liu Yu said respectfully, cupping his hands in gratitude.