Chapter 78

Without waiting for Zhao Jin to speak, Jixiang and Shimanqiang had already started removing the headscarves from the dead and injured on the ground. All those who had their heads wrapped had very short hair, with a dot of a burn mark in the middle.

In this era, everyone kept their hair long, except for monks who had such short hair. The burn mark further confirmed their identity.

Among the six men, three were dead, two were unconscious, and one had a broken arm, but he was now regaining some strength and was cursing through gritted teeth: "You little bastards, let me go, or your whole family will suffer! Just wait..."

"Are these the only six people from Yunlin Temple?" Zhao Jin asked, and Ding Gongmeng nodded quickly.

After asking this question, Zhao Jin suddenly stood up, grabbed the spear by his side, and thrust it forward, directly piercing the man's throat. The man's mouth opened wide, but he had no time to react and died instantly.

Zhao Jin's sudden move stunned even his companions, who couldn't understand why he would kill someone when the situation was already under control!

The two women were even more frightened, their bodies twitching, and a foul smell of urine spread as they were scared into incontinence. Zhao Jin didn't stop, pulling out the spear and thrusting it again, ending the lives of the two unconscious injured men.

"Spare me!" Ding Gongmeng screamed in fear as Zhao Jin's spear pointed at his nose, immediately silencing him.

The others also reacted, and Chen Sheng couldn't help but raise his voice: "Zhao Jin, what are you doing?"

Zhao Jin just waved at Chen Sheng and then called in Sun Dalei. With everyone now in the room, Zhao Jin said, "Anyone who has killed, leave your weapons behind, turn your clothes inside out, find water to wash the blood off your faces, and leave one by one. Remember to go separately and don't return the same way!"

"What about you, Brother Zhao?" Wang Zhaojing blurted out.

Zhao Jin looked at them and answered solemnly, "I asked you all to help rescue someone. Now that six are dead, the situation has escalated. It will be troublesome for you to be involved. Go, all of you. I'll take the responsibility."

Everyone in the room was stunned, then moved. They had been practicing and competing in martial arts for years and had become friends who could support each other.

But today's situation was different. Today, they had killed, and six people were dead. Not to mention the involvement of a powerful force like Yunshan Temple and the Wenshang Sect. After the excitement of the battle, everyone was anxious, thinking about how to wrap things up. Apart from Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng, who were slightly calmer, the others were uneasy and somewhat panicked.

They didn't know how to explain to their parents and elders, or how to face the officials who would surely come. They all understood that many people had seen them on the way, and they couldn't just leave.

Everyone was tense and fearful, but they were surprised that Zhao Jin took on all the responsibility. After a sigh of relief, they were deeply moved by Zhao Jin's sense of righteousness.

Seeing everyone's solemn expressions, Zhao Jin smiled and said, "Brothers, you all know what my father does. We came here to rescue someone, and the consequences aren't as severe as you think. I'll take the responsibility."

Hearing this, everyone smiled, but then became even more serious. They all knew that Zhao Jin was speaking lightly, but the responsibility for six lives was not easy to bear.

Zhao Jin's confidence was genuine. He didn't want to show off his righteousness. He felt that since his friends had come to help and fought together, he had no right to drag them into sharing the responsibility. This was about clear distinctions between right and wrong.

Moreover, he was confident he could handle the situation. There was no need to act overly righteous and noble to win people's hearts. That wasn't the time for it.

The room fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, with various expressions. Wang Zhaojing tapped the ground with his sword and laughed lightly, saying, "Since we call each other brothers, it's not right for you to take all the responsibility. I'll stay!"

Chen Sheng looked at Wang Zhaojing, then kicked the person at his feet to the side, planted his sword in the ground, and said roughly, "We killed together, so we'll stay together."

"Since we've done this, I... I'll stay with Brother Zhao," Shimanqiang said, hesitating but still staying.

"Brother Zhao, I'll stay too!" Jixiang's voice was hoarse but firm.

Liu Yong was straightforward: "I'll stay! Brother Zhao, we can't delay too long. Someone must have heard the commotion."

Dong Bingfeng looked around, then bit his lip and said, "Since everyone is staying, I'll stay too."

His voice was very low. After Dong Bingfeng spoke, only one person hadn't responded. Everyone turned to look at Sun Dalei, who was standing by the door, his face flushed and pale. He scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, saying, "It's getting late, and my family is worried. I'll go back first. Brother Zhao... everyone, I'm sorry!"

Sun Dalei's stuttering revealed his nervousness. Chen Sheng frowned but didn't speak, while Shimanqiang spat on the ground in anger.

"Should... should I stay?" Sun Dalei was immediately embarrassed.

"If your family is worried, go back. Don't feel bad. You've already shown me brotherhood by coming. Go quickly!" Zhao Jin said sincerely.

Sun Dalei carefully observed Zhao Jin's expression. Over the years, he had developed a sense of respect and fear for Zhao Jin. The friends' responses had put a lot of pressure on him, and he was already regretting his decision.

But after careful observation, he found that Zhao Jin was sincere and not mocking him. Sun Dalei felt even more regretful.

After a moment of hesitation, Sun Dalei bit his lip and made up his mind, saying, "I'm sorry. My family is worried, and I... I'm scared. I'll go back first."

Zhao Jin smiled and nodded. Chen Sheng muttered, "Your parents are in Yutou Town, so they must be worried," but Sun Dalei's face turned red, and he pretended not to hear.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Zhao Jin said, "Dalei, I need to explain something to everyone. Listen, then you can go."

Sun Dalei had to stop. Zhao Jin looked at everyone and said, "I killed all the people from Yunlin Temple to avoid complications when we face the officials. With both the kidnappers and the monks, they would blame each other, making the situation unclear. With only one side left, the case can be quickly resolved."

Everyone understood. Zhao Jin signaled that Sun Dalei could leave. Sun Dalei laughed awkwardly and quickly left the room. Zhao Jin then said to Dong Bingfeng, whose face was not looking good, "Bingfeng, you ride fast. Go to my house and tell my father what happened here. Ask him to come quickly."

Dong Bingfeng nodded and hurried out. After Dong Bingfeng left, Zhao Jin sighed in relief and said, "Let's bring the two people from the street inside."

"Go check on Xiaolan first, we'll handle this!" Chen Sheng said before Zhao Jin could move.

Zhao Jin smiled and then pressed the spear to Ding Gongmeng's throat, asking coldly, "How will you explain this in court? Tell me."

"...We were coerced and deceived by the monks of Yunshan Temple, no, the bandits, to kidnap a good girl. The girl cried for help, and the young masters came to her rescue. These bald monks tried to kill, and the young masters acted in self-defense..." The kidnapper, who had read books, managed to come up with a smooth story under pressure.

Zhao Jin smiled and looked around, asking, "Is that what happened?"

The three men and two women on the ground, though tied up and gagged, nodded vigorously in agreement when they heard Zhao Jin's words.

Seeing Zhao Jin's step-by-step arrangements, everyone in the room felt more at ease. Some went out to bring the two people from the street inside, while others prepared to clean up.

They weren't afraid when they came, and they weren't afraid after the battle and killings, but they were unsure about what to do next. They had thought they could just leave, but now they understood that with so many people seeing them and so many deaths, they would have to face the officials.

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