Eliminating the Pest

Zhang Meng advanced instead of retreating. The thug blocking Qian Sheng was effortlessly flipped over, his arm severed as he fell to the ground.

Qian Sheng let out a furious roar and tried to draw his sword himself... but the blade refused to budge!

That sword hung right before his face. Cold sweat instantly poured down.

Qian Sheng gripped the hilt, his throat moving as he asked, "Who are you?"

"Zhang Meng."

"What!?" Qian Sheng’s eyes snapped open, then he quickly said, "You clearly have extraordinary skills. Why serve him? If you join me, I can offer you—"

"How dare you insult my master?"

A murderous gleam burst from Zhang Meng’s eyes.

With a kick, Qian Sheng’s knee shattered, and he collapsed in agony.

Zhang Meng grabbed his neck with one hand and glared at the other thugs. "Drop your weapons."

The men exchanged uneasy glances. They had already drawn their knives and stepped back, but none had discarded their weapons.

Zhang Meng frowned. "Boss Qian, I’m really displeased." His grip tightened instantly.

"Ah!" Qian Sheng cried out in pain. "Drop your weapons, all of you!"

Clang!

At their boss’s command, they had no choice but to throw down their arms.

Some, quick-witted, rushed toward the main entrance to inform others and call for reinforcements.

But just as they reached the door, a powerful kick sent one flying.

Zhao Hu stood guard at the gate.

Some tried to escape by climbing out the windows.

Silently, they made their way to the window and climbed out with ease.

Before they could rejoice, a group of ragged men stared their way, closing in.

"From the Qian family?" they asked.

"Yes," the escapee replied, stunned.

The men exchanged smiles, eyes shining with a wild hunger, like crazed beasts starving for years. They surged forward.

"Ah!"

A scream pierced the air. In an instant, blood spilled everywhere and the man died.

These men had been recruited by Wang Chao in advance — all were widowed and broken men whose families were ruined by the Qian clan.

Qian Sheng was dragged back to the gambling table, his former prestige gone, looking like a dead dog.

He stared fixedly at Jing Chen and said, "Today I admit defeat on behalf of the Qian family. Qian, you can take it all."

"This amount won't even fill my stomach," Jing Chen sneered, glancing at the chips on the table. "Let's keep gambling."

Qian Sheng’s face darkened. "Boy, the Qian family has the backing of the Second Prince."

"Besides, trying to snatch the Qian fortune by these means — how is that any different from robbery?"

"Exactly! Well said."

Jing Chen slapped the table joyfully and pointed at Qian Sheng. "You’re absolutely right. Damn, you’re a real talent.

Calling you talented is an insult; you’re a genius.

I’m here today to rob you."

"If you can rob others, why can’t I rob you?"

"I, the prince, have but one pleasure — bullying bullies!"

He looked toward the door and shouted, "Wang Chao, how did you guys gamble today?"

Wang Chao entered, grinding his teeth with hatred. "They bound my hands, pressed my head on the table, and pushed my chips to the center to bet."

"When my money ran out, they forced me to sign an IOU."

Smack!

Zhang Meng twisted Qian Sheng’s arm and stomped his head onto the table.

"Is that so?"

Wang Chao’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Yes!"

Crash!

Jing Chen personally grabbed the chips beside Qian Jiao Jiao and dumped them onto the table.

"Miss Qiao, continue!"

Qian Jiao Jiao was at a loss.

Keep playing?

This game would surely bankrupt the Qian family!

But if she didn’t, her father, the head of the family, would fall into enemy hands.

Instinctively, she stepped back.

"Hmm?"

Jing Chen frowned, pulling her close by the slender waist.

"Trying to run?"

"You don’t know how to gamble?"

"Then let me teach you!"

He whispered hot breath by her ear, "I don’t really know either, but I’m at least a beginner."

After a moment’s understanding, Qian Jiao Jiao shivered. "No."

She gripped the dice box again and shook it wildly.

"Bet big."

Shi Qian won... chips rose to 480,000 taels.

"Bet big."

Shi Qian won again... chips doubled to 960,000 taels.

"Bet small."

Shi Qian won once more... chips soared to 1,920,000 taels.

Qian Jiao Jiao’s hand trembled as she held the dice box, furious. "Just take the money already!"

"No!"

Jing Chen shook his head gravely. "That would make me look bad. I’m a prince—I have to be a good guy."

Good guy? Qian Jiao Jiao felt she was going mad.

She could only shake the dice again.

"Stop gambling!"

Qian Sheng, with his face pressed down, gritted his teeth in rage. "The Qian family doesn’t have that much money!"

"No problem. I’ll lend it to you," Jing Chen said generously.

"I won’t borrow!" Qian Sheng shouted instinctively.

"Talking back to me?"

Jing Chen drew Qian Sheng’s sword and slashed close to his ear.

The cut took off half a patch of skin. Qian Sheng screamed in agony, nearly fainting.

Jing Chen smiled awkwardly. "Master Qian, don’t blame me. My swordsmanship is poor."

They continued gambling.

The chips and cash in the room had long run out.

Jing Chen carried tray after tray of banknotes and casually tossed some copper coins and silver fragments into the crowd. "You’re in the red! You’re in the red!"

The crowd was stunned.

When the money fell, they burst out shouting.

Hands scrambled in chaos to grab the coins.

"Your Highness, so generous!"

"Your Highness, you’re like my own father!"

"Get lost, you damn bastard. How dare you claim to be the prince’s son?"

"Remember this when you take your gains," Jing Chen said.

"I’m not here to rob the Qian family, but to gamble with them openly and fairly."

Everyone nodded eagerly. "Of course, we all saw it with our own eyes!"

The gambling went on...

With no chips and no money left, only IOUs remained.

"No!"

"I won’t sign!"

Looking at the numbers on the IOU, Qian Sheng was about to pass out.

One hundred and twenty-two million eight hundred eighty-eight thousand taels!

Is this an IOU or a national treasury count?

Even if they dug up Qian Sheng’s ancestors for generations, they couldn’t gather that much money!

Jing Chen cut off his other ear. "Sign it or not?"

"No!"

"Hold out his hand!"

Zhang Meng forced Qian Sheng’s hand onto the table.

Qian Sheng clenched his fist desperately.

Jing Chen cut off his thumb.

Dabbing the blood, he pressed it onto the IOU as a seal.

"Ah!!!"

Qian Sheng howled in pain and fury. "How can you do this? You can’t!"

Everyone watching shuddered.

Cutting off a thumb to seal an IOU?

Is this something a prince should do?

"Enough!" Jing Chen tossed the stack of IOUs aside and smiled at Wang Chao. "Did you have fun today?"

"Absolutely!" Wang Chao nodded hard, his face full of vengeful satisfaction. "Then next..."

"If they can’t pay, we’ll seize their assets. Let’s go!"

Jing Chen signaled outside. Soon, men climbed through windows to help carry the money.

With his men, escorting Qian Sheng, holding Qian Jiao Jiao, and hauling a fortune, they left the scene.

Inside the casino, chaos had already erupted.