Zhang Liunian concentrated, instantly sensing a stream of air attacking his neck, forcing him to roll sideways. However, the cleaver still shaved off a lock of his hair, which fluttered to the ground by his feet.
Before he could catch his breath, the person holding the cleaver attacked Zhang Liunian again.
This time, Zhang Liunian was prepared. He drew out his iron rod and met the attack. After a clang and a clatter, Zhang Liunian disarmed the cleaver-wielding man and kicked him into a pit.
Seeing someone fall, Zhang Qian immediately delivered a flurry of punches and kicks until the person could no longer get up.
“What are you staring at? Keep going!”
Gu Changqing, who had appeared with his thugs, saw his men, despite wielding cleavers, being at a disadvantage. He barked an order at the group behind him.
There were over thirty men behind him, plus the five holding Jiang Qingqing captive, totaling thirty-eight. He had gathered these individuals from elsewhere to help him get revenge. Each of them held a cleaver, exuding a fierce aura, all of them seasoned fighters.
Hearing Gu Changqing’s command, these men immediately drew their large cleavers and swarmed forward, attacking Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian, wielding his iron rod, was like a wolf in a flock of sheep. With a flurry of sparks and lightning, he sent them howling in pain.
Outside, Gu Changqing’s face turned dark with rage. “Useless, all of you are useless!”
And they called themselves the most formidable fighters of the Tiger Dragon Gang? This was all they could do?
Gu Changqing was indignant. His gaze fell upon the bound Jiang Qingqing, and an idea sparked in his eyes. He strode over to Jiang Qingqing and, reaching out his large hand, felt her. Indeed, her skin was smooth and elastic.
“Ah, get away from me!” Jiang Qingqing, whose mouth gag had been removed, shrieked as Gu Changqing dared to touch her.
Hearing this, Zhang Liunian, who was in the midst of fighting, felt his heart jolt. His movements faltered for a moment, resulting in a “thwack” as he was slashed on the back.
Zhang Liunian gritted his teeth in pain, his movements becoming even faster. After he dealt with the attackers, he saw Gu Changqing groping his wife’s lower back.
“I told you you’d fall into my hands sooner or later, but you didn’t believe me. Now, aren’t you right here in my grasp?”
Jiang Qingqing felt the hand behind her and trembled with rage. “Take your dirty hands off me.”
Seeing this, Zhang Liunian didn’t hesitate. He hurled his iron rod towards Gu Changqing and then charged towards them.
“Boss, be careful!” Gu Changqing’s subordinate, noticing Zhang Liunian throwing the iron rod, immediately pushed Gu Changqing aside and moved to intercept Zhang Liunian.
Pushed by his subordinate, Gu Changqing stumbled back but managed to avoid the incoming danger.
“Bang, bang!” Zhang Liunian moved with lightning speed, dispatching the intercepting men as quickly as chopping rotten wood.
But at that moment, Gu Changqing’s voice rang out again, “If you dare to move, if you take another step forward, I’ll sever your wife’s delicate white neck.”
“…”
Zhang Liunian’s head snapped up, and he saw his wife with a knife held to her throat. A single, small red bead slid down her neck, instantly staining his vision red.
“Stop, you can’t touch her,” Zhang Liunian roared, reaching out to intervene, but Gu Changqing’s words froze him in his tracks.
“Try taking another step if you have the guts? Let’s see who’s faster, you or my blade,” Gu Changqing sneered, his grip tightening. The blood bead on Jiang Qingqing’s neck grew more prominent.
“I won’t move, I won’t move, just don’t touch her,” Zhang Liunian pleaded, his eyes turning red as he watched the bead of blood slide down Jiang Qingqing.
“So you finally know fear, good. Now, bark like a dog for me, or I’ll make my move,” Gu Changqing said, secretly pleased despite his contempt for Zhang Liunian’s obvious concern for a woman.
“…”
“No, Liunian, don’t listen to him. I’d rather die than see you like this,” Jiang Qingqing immediately cried out, hearing Gu Changqing’s threat.
“Stop the nonsense! Last time, the time before last, you beat me up quite a bit, didn’t you? Now your wife is in my hands, her life or death at my whim. You still refuse to bark like a dog? Do you want to collect your wife’s corpse?” Gu Changqing, seeing Jiang Qingqing still speaking up for Zhang Liunian, grew displeased. He tightened his grip again, and blood began to stream down Jiang Qingqing’s neck.
Zhang Liunian’s eyes bulged with rage. He blurted out, “Woof woof!”
“Hahaha, you bumpkin, to think you’d be reduced to this today. This is truly satisfying, hahaha…” Gu Changqing roared with laughter, exhilarated by Zhang Liunian’s compliance.
Jiang Qingqing, hearing the laughter behind her, felt as if she were in the dead of winter, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Since marrying Zhang Liunian, Jiang Qingqing had never seen her husband suffer such humiliation, nor had she ever seen him endure such torment for anyone.
Yet now, for her, he was undergoing such torture. She had failed him, she was useless.
She couldn't, and didn't want to, be his burden. With this thought, she suddenly pushed away the small knife at her neck, ignoring the cut on her hand, and ran towards Zhang Liunian, calling out, “Liunian!”
What she didn’t see was Gu Changqing’s quick reaction. He steadied himself and reached out to grab her.
“Qingqing!” Zhang Liunian saw this and, without hesitation, kicked off and charged forward.
Gu Changqing shouted, “Stop him!”
The men who had been lying on the ground immediately rushed forward upon hearing his command, grabbing Zhang Liunian’s legs and preventing him from advancing further.
Furthermore, Zhang Liunian and Jiang Qingqing were still some distance apart, and Gu Changqing was right behind her. Thus, within seconds, Jiang Qingqing was caught by Gu Changqing, while Zhang Liunian was held back by the legs.
“Let go of me, let go of me!” Jiang Qingqing struggled as she realized she had been captured by Gu Changqing, until the small knife was once again pressed against her neck.
“Qingqing!” Zhang Liunian kicked away the man holding his legs with all his might, trying to rescue his wife.
But no one was willing to cooperate with his intentions. Just as his eyes were fixed solely on Jiang Qingqing, she suddenly shouted towards him, “Liunian, be careful!”
Hearing this, Zhang Liunian instinctively dodged to the side, successfully evading the attack.
Gu Changqing was extremely displeased by this. He threatened Zhang Liunian again, “Bumpkin, don’t dodge! If you dare to dodge even once, I’ll cut your wife.”
“…”
Hearing this, Zhang Liunian dared not move.
Even so, Gu Changqing was still unsatisfied with him, looking him up and down.
“Listen, bumpkin. Later, I’ll have them attack you. You must not resist. If you dare to move, I’ll immediately stab your wife.”
Gu Changqing had finally discovered Zhang Liunian’s weakness. If he could control his wife, Zhang Liunian would undoubtedly obey him.
And so it was. When Gu Changqing told him to surrender, Zhang Liunian truly dared not make any move.
Even as the men on the ground picked up their cleavers and attacked him, he dared not move.
This resulted in a rain of cleaver blows falling upon Zhang Liunian, instantly causing him to bleed profusely.
Seeing this, Jiang Qingqing trembled like a sieve, her hands digging fiercely into her own thighs. She cried out in despair, “Stop cutting, stop cutting! Liunian, fight back, fight back! Don’t listen to them, I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”