NOVEL WEB Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Despicable Means
The nearby neighbors, hearing the commotion, all came out to watch the spectacle.
Seeing the scene before them, they could only shake their heads in pity.
“When Chen Qilang was still alive, the pharmacy thrived. Who would've thought that only a few years after his death, things would fall apart like this?”
“Blame it on his foolish ambition. He wanted his son to become a martial artist. If he hadn't sent his youngest to learn martial arts and spent all their savings, it wouldn't have come to this.”
“See that? This is what happens when you send your son to learn martial arts.”
“……”
Chen Rui saw the neighbors pointing and whispering, and his heart was filled with sorrow and rage. His eyes reddened as he glared at the group blocking their doorway and shouted, “We agreed on three percent interest—two hundred taels borrowed, two hundred and sixty taels to repay in a month. Where did five hundred taels come from?”
The man leading the group sneered. “Three percent? Are you trying to swindle beggars? Look closely, the IOU clearly says ten percent monthly interest. Also, last month was a full month, and you were one day late. That’s another half month’s interest. Total of five hundred taels—no less.”
“What?”
Chen Rui was shocked and furious. “We agreed on three percent interest! It says so on the IOU… you… this IOU is fake…”
“Fake? Open your dog eyes and take a good look. Isn’t this your handwriting? Your signature and fingerprint?”
…
At the entrance of the alley—
The coachman said to Chen Ming, “I’ve seen that guy before. He works under Old Ghost Xiao from Wanli Gambling House. They call him Scarface. He specializes in loan sharking and often tampers with IOUs. Once you borrow money from them, they’ll never let go. They’ll bleed you dry.”
“Young Master, shall I return and have the young master come out and handle this?”
Chen Ming politely declined. “No need to trouble Brother Deng. I’ll handle this myself. Just drop me off here.”
He stepped down from the carriage and walked toward the scene.
At this moment, Chen Rui was staring wide-eyed at the IOU, his body trembling in disbelief.
It was indeed his handwriting.
But he clearly remembered agreeing to three percent interest—how did it become ten percent?
Just then, Scarface stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and barked, “Seen enough? Pay up now.”
“I…”
Ashamed and choked by his collar, Chen Rui couldn’t speak.
“Let go.”
Suddenly, a loud shout exploded in Scarface’s ear.
Startled, he sensed a strong wind from behind and reflexively struck back without thinking.
He was a debt collector—far from a weakling—with rich experience in real fights.
But the next moment, a powerful force surged in, and he was shocked.
He immediately let go and rolled on the ground to dodge the deadly strike, barely escaping with his life.
Getting back to his feet, he saw a young man in his early twenties and roared in anger, “Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of Wanli Gambling House?”
Chen Ming stood protectively in front of his elder brother and said coldly, “My name is Chen Ming. He is my elder brother. Go tell your boss—these disgraceful tactics won’t work on me.”
“You’re Chen Ming?”
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Scarface’s expression.
He had heard that Chen Rui had a younger brother who’d trained in martial arts for a few years, but his talent was supposedly poor and his strength mediocre.
Who said his strength was mediocre?
He cursed the one who’d provided that intel to hell and back.
From that single move just now, this man’s strength was at least on par with his own.
His expression turned fierce. “Hmph, it’s written in black and white. Either you two pay the debt or hand over the house.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Chen Rui’s face changed dramatically.
Chen Ming’s face darkened as well. “So, there’s no peaceful resolution today?”
Scarface waved his hand, and his lackeys pulled out wooden sticks and iron rulers, surrounding them menacingly.
“Second Brother!”
Seeing this, Chen Rui grew anxious, afraid his brother might suffer. He grabbed him by the arm.
A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him.
Who would've thought he couldn't hold him back at all—Chen Ming had already leapt forward. He charged into the crowd like a tiger among sheep.
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight brawny men wielding weapons were all knocked to the ground.
Chen Rui was dumbfounded.
Wasn’t it said that his younger brother’s martial skills were poor? How could he be this powerful?
…
Not good!
Scarface saw Chen Ming easily flatten his men and instantly realized he had severely underestimated the man’s strength.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
“Hey… let’s talk this out—ayyo—!”
In just two moves, he was kicked in the thigh.
The searing pain made him scream and collapse to the ground, unable to get up.
In the blink of an eye, the troublemakers were all sprawled on the ground.
The onlookers were stunned.
Wasn’t Chen family’s second son supposed to be a failure?
Wasn’t it said his aptitude was so poor that his master expelled him?
And now—he was this formidable?
…
“Get lost.”
With a sharp rebuke from Chen Ming, the battered goons dragged Scarface away, fleeing in panic.
Then, Chen Ming bowed deeply to the surrounding neighbors and said, “Sorry for the disturbance. Once this matter is resolved, I will personally apologize at your doorsteps.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He pulled his elder brother back into the house and shut the door.
Chen Rui looked at his younger brother with a complicated expression. “If it weren’t for you today, I really wouldn’t have known what to do.”
For the first time, he felt grateful that his brother had studied martial arts.
Chen Ming asked, “How did you get involved with people like that?”
“I urgently needed money at the time and had no other choice. Someone introduced me to them, and I borrowed two hundred taels… who would've thought…”
“Who introduced you?”
“A business acquaintance.”
“Don’t associate with that person anymore.”
“Mm, I understand.”
Still uneasy, Chen Rui asked, “Will they come back?”
Chen Ming shook his head. “Not for a few hundred taels.”
To fight to the death over such a small sum, especially against someone as skilled as himself—Wanli Gambling House’s boss couldn’t be that stupid.
These loan sharks definitely knew how to do their math.
While talking, the two brothers walked into the backyard.
There, the patched-up maid stood guard at the gate, holding a stick with a tense expression. When she saw the young masters return, she finally sighed in relief, quickly hid the stick behind her, and stepped forward to pay her respects.
Sister-in-law Wei poked her head out upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing her husband and brother-in-law, she rushed over in alarm. “Where are those thugs?”
Little nephew Chen Lide followed closely behind her, holding a pair of scissors, ready to fight to the death.
Chen Rui focused on his wife and quickly reassured her, “They’ve all been chased off by Second Brother.”
“Really?”
Wei looked half-convinced.
“Of course it’s true. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Just as they were speaking, a knock came from outside.
Startled, Wei jumped and hid behind her husband, her face pale with fear.
An elderly voice called out, “Is Chen Dalang home?”
The maid trembled. “Sounds like… Granny Ai from next door.”
Wei recognized the voice too. “It really is Granny Ai. Quickly, open the door.”
When the door opened, it was indeed Granny Ai, smiling as she held a batch of freshly made pancakes.
She cheerfully pulled Wei inside to chat.
Chen Ming went straight back to his room and opened his panel.
【Level: 7】
【Current Points: 3002】
【Cultivation Method: Iron Horse Stance (Level 4 3/1000+)】
【Martial Arts: Three Talents Fist (Proficient 27/500+), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Beginner 55/100+)】
He had finally saved up enough points.
That wave of goons just now had delivered a nice batch of experience.
“Add!”
He poured 1000 points into Iron Horse Stance, pushing it to the fifth layer.
【Level: 9】
【Current Points: 2002】
【Cultivation Method: Iron Horse Stance (Level 5 3/2000+)】
【Martial Arts: Three Talents Fist (Proficient 27/500+), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Beginner 55/100+)】
Chen Ming’s body crackled as a surge of powerful energy flowed through him.