# Chapter 1: The Hidden Plot Turns Out to be a Love Story (18)
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Among the five running figures, the most skilled, Wang Da, was knocked out cold by a kick from Sister Hong Chen.
The remaining four came in all shapes and sizes, but they all shared one thing in common: they were once the local thugs who ruled the roost.
Before, Wang Da had been able to take out his enemies one by one from the dense jungle largely because of his size and the advantageous terrain.
Now, Sister Hong Chen had specifically blocked their path, giving him a chance to face off against his adversaries head-on.
Maybe she wanted to test if he could actually defeat his opponents using just his skills, without relying on the element of surprise.
The Little Recipient slowly emerged from the shadows of the jungle, his body and face splattered with so much enemy bl**d that he looked like a horror movie extra.
The remaining four exchanged glances, realizing they had no hope of escaping from these two.
Their only chance, as the Woman in Red had said, lay in beating the young boy in a fair fight.
When people are at their most desperate, they often unleash strength that far exceeds the usual.
The beefiest of the four wielded a broadsword, swinging it like he had completely lost it, the blade missing Little Recipient by a hair’s breadth several times.
Lucky for Little Recipient, he was proficient in one hundred and eight martial arts styles, and the brutish man’s swordplay was rough and simple—each move was predictable.
However, this was his first time fighting someone for his life, and the adrenaline rush was a whole new experience that left him oddly thrilled.
It seemed he was starting to enjoy this taste of life and d*ath.
No wonder so many people seemed to have a passion for killing; they probably, like him, didn’t care about the outcome but about the thrill of the fight, ultimately severing fate with one decisive strike.
Little Recipient toyed with the brute, dodging his attacks with increasing skill until, feeling he’d lost interest in the little game, he thrust his sword right into the man’s heart.
“Pfft…”
With bl**d gushing out, the muscular man fell to the ground with a look of utter despair.
The remaining three dared not challenge him anymore and immediately dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.
“We’re just poor kids from struggling families! We have old folks and little ones to support, joining the Giant Wave Gang was out of desperation! Oh please, two great heroes, have some mercy and let us go!”
“We’ll immediately sever ties with the Giant Wave Gang! If we don’t, may the heavens strike us down with five bolts of lightning!”
“Yeah, yeah! Dear heroes, we stumbled onto the wrong ship—we won’t dare again! Please, see it in your hearts!”
Lin Nan turned to Little Recipient, “What do you think we should do with them?”
Little Recipient glanced awkwardly at the three guys who were banging their heads like they were trying to break a record for most head-smacks in one session.
Seeing Lin Nan give him the decision-making power, the three crawled to him like puppies, continuing their bowing.
“Great hero, we know we were wrong! We’ll never dare again!”
“Hero, spare us! I thank you on behalf of my eighty-year-old mother and my starving baby!”
Little Recipient hesitated.
“Sis, they seem genuinely remorseful. How about we just let them go?”
Facing ruthless and formidable enemies, Little Recipient had been quick to act without hesitation.
But now, confronted with those who had laid down their weapons and no longer had the capacity to resist, he pondered and felt they deserved a chance.
Lin Nan nodded, “Alright, you handle them.”
Little Recipient said, “You must promise to leave the Giant Wave Gang immediately and never terrorize this village again. Can you do that?”
“Yes! Absolutely!”
The three replied eagerly and sincerely.
“Then you can go.”
Little Recipient sighed in relief, just hoping his decision was a sound one.
The three exchanged glances and then took off running, making a beeline out of the forest and onto the lakeshore.
Everything was as usual around the distant dock: dockworkers were busy loading goods, anxious merchants were waiting, and more members of the Giant Wave Gang were scattered about, checking incoming boats for their gang’s tokens to free the shipowners from protection fees afterward.
“Enemy attack!”
“There are foes in the woods!”
About thirty steps from the jungle, realizing that one man and woman were definitely not catching up with them, they shouted as they ran.
Before long, they caught the attention of Jin Wen, the branch leader of the Giant Wave Gang.
Unlike the usual brutish thugs, Jin Wen looked like a refined scholar, continually twirling a brush that was, interestingly enough, made of fine steel with a needle-like tip, flowing smoothly whether he was applying pressure points or piercing.
He instantly leaped down from a three-story wooden structure, blocking the trio’s path.
“What’s going on?”
The three gasped for breath as they reported the situation in detail.
Jin Wen immediately understood that the duo was undoubtedly well-prepared, and their target was the Giant Wave Gang.
d*mn it! A team sent out yesterday returned like wilted eggplants; their leader was killed by a woman in red named “Stepping on the Dust”—a name he had never heard before.
He had intended to head to Lehua Town for revenge, but with affairs so busy at the branch, he pushed it aside.
After all, no sensible person would sit around waiting for the Giant Wave Gang to come looking for them in Lehua Town.
So rather than making a fruitless trip, he’d rather report this news to the main headquarters right away. As soon as Stepping on the Dust appeared near rivers and lakes, it would be her time to d*e.
But unexpectedly, before noon, another team had already suffered heavy losses.
Not knowing who the attackers were, if he didn’t wipe them out completely, how would the Giant Wave Gang maintain its standing in the martial world? And why would merchants still pay them for protection?
“Gather all the brothers! Let’s avenge our fallen comrades!”
“Yes, Branch Leader!”
Suddenly, a clear gong rang out by the lakeside, and the gang members abandoned their tasks, rushing over to the shore.
Before long, nearly two hundred gang members had assembled at Jin Wen’s feet on the high platform.
Little Recipient watched in shock.
At that moment, he regretted his earlier decision immensely.
The three had clearly promised that as long as he let them go, they’d have nothing to do with the Giant Wave Gang again—yet here they were, barely a minute after leaving, tossing their vow aside as if it had been a bad joke.
He… he was just too naive.
Lin Nan, maintaining her expressionless demeanor, asked, “Do you regret your decision?”
Little Recipient nodded vigorously.
“If you could go back in time to that moment, and they still begged you like before, would you be able to bring yourself to k*ll them?”
Little Recipient froze.
He had never anticipated Sister Hong Chen would pose such a question.
If she had asked him whether he would be able to deal with them again if he saw them, he would have nodded decisively.
But…
Facing those unarmed three, even knowing they would soon betray him, he still seemed unable to lift his sword…
For the first time, Little Recipient felt the turmoil and struggle within his heart, which undoubtedly intensified his admiration for Lin Nan.
Such a trial would haunt him for a lifetime.
