Chapter Ninety-Eight: Rectification

My heavens, this was a Transcendent rank-four cultivator, a man who stood high above the rest in all of Cold Sea. Kneeling to someone like that was no loss at all, none at all.

Qin Jing was somewhat disappointed by Ma Tong’s reaction. Weren’t villains supposed to keep their mouths shut and fight to the bitter end, especially villains with powerful backing? At the moment of death, shouldn’t they always drag their support into the matter? He had even been hoping to use this fellow to draw out Ma Junshan and meet the so-called number one figure of Cold Sea.

This display of authority had not been satisfying. The other man was too weak, with nothing worth chewing on.

Qin Jing came to a conclusion in his heart, waved a hand, and said, “Fine. Keep slapping your own face. When I can look at yours and laugh, when I’ve cooled off, then this matter will be over.”

He had never been a magnanimous person, and he had never thought of himself as some great powerhouse. Ma Tong had irritated him today, so he would pay it back tenfold. If the other man had not submitted so quickly, Qin Jing might even have wanted to kill him. As he had already seen, in the Transcendent world killing a man was no different from playing a game. Offending someone one should not offend was a sin in itself.

Qin Jing might not swell with self-importance the way Hu Chaoyang and Ma Tong did, but he had three Transcendent rank-nine bodyguards, and now he himself had also entered the Transcendent ranks. How could he possibly have no temper at all?

Ma Tong was completely dumbfounded. For a moment he wanted to resist, but when he saw Qin Jing’s icy expression and thought of that overwhelming, unmatched bearing, his courage vanished in an instant.

Smack.

“I deserve to die. I had eyes but failed to see, and I offended you. Please, spare me!”

One loud slap after another. Ma Tong had steeled himself as well; he knew that if he did not appease Qin Jing this time, he would not get through this. So the harder he hit himself, the more forcefully he did it.

After barely a dozen slaps, his entire face had swollen up.

Qin Jing watched him coldly, but did not tell him to stop. He was much harder-hearted now than he had once been. What he was considering at the moment was how to make use of Ma Tong’s predicament.

After a while, once Ma Tong had slapped himself until blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, Qin Jing finally lifted a hand and said flatly, “Stop for now.”

“You… you’ve calmed down, sir…”

Ma Tong could barely form a complete sentence. By now, he hated Qin Jing to the bone and would have gladly eaten his flesh alive, but he was smart enough to know that he could not show a trace of emotion at this moment.

Qin Jing looked at him coolly and said directly, “You wanted to kill me. I didn’t kill you, and only made you slap yourself twice. That is not enough.”

Not enough?

Ma Tong nearly coughed up blood. But the situation was stronger than the man, and he could only brace himself and ask, “Do you have any other instructions?”

“My little shop is being renovated right now. There are some things inside that need to be moved out. Go help.”

Still unable to make sense of Qin Jing’s methods, Ma Tong nevertheless agreed carefully.

The two of them walked out of the parking lot, and all along the way everyone looked at Ma Tong with strange expressions.

“Is that... Ma Tong? How did he end up like that?”

“Damn, could Qin Jing have done this? He’s ruthless!”

“I never thought Qin Jing could actually put Ma Tong in his place. This kid is something else.”

Qin Jing was very pleased to hear those voices. Second Lane would become his stronghold in the future, so establishing a powerful image there as early as possible was necessary.

When they entered the shop, Su Shan was startled by the “hideously disfigured” Ma Tong and asked Qin Jing, “Who’s this?”

Qin Jing smiled without saying much and reached his hand behind the counter.

Because the shop was being renovated and reorganized, all the things behind the counter had already been put into his recycling space by Qin Jing, leaving only a small portion behind for the sole current customer, Wan Anxian, to come and “redeem” each day. So there was actually nothing much left there.

But when Qin Jing withdrew his hand, he was already holding a large sack of spiritual rice, at least one hundred pounds of it.

Thud.

He dropped the spiritual rice in front of Ma Tong and said with easy indifference, “Take it.”

Ma Tong did not dare disobey. He immediately stepped forward and hoisted the sack up, but the next instant his body stiffened.

This spiritual rice was naturally different from ordinary rice; it continuously emitted a faint spiritual energy. With so much of it gathered together and pressed against his body, Ma Tong immediately felt something unusual.

He glanced at Qin Jing and thought to himself: As expected of a Transcendent rank-four expert. Even his goods are packed with spiritual energy. These must be rare treasures I would normally never come across.

Then he saw Qin Jing reach into the counter again. When his hand came back out, there was another large sack. This one seemed heavier, its surface uneven, as though filled with all sorts of different things.

Thud.

The sack was slammed hard onto the ground, and Ma Tong very consciously lifted it with his other hand.

He only felt his body sink. Good heavens, this sack must weigh at least two hundred kilograms. If Ma Tong were not a Transcendent, he would never have been able to lift it at all. But he was only a Transcendent rank-one practitioner, and his physical condition was merely average, so carrying it was extremely strenuous.

Qin Jing did not care about him and simply walked out the door, instructing, “Follow me.”

Ma Tong gritted his teeth. For the sake of his own life, he could only endure it.

The two of them walked one after the other, but did not go far. They went straight to the entrance of Second Lane, where Qin Jing stood without saying a word.

Ma Tong was beginning to find it unbearable and asked cautiously, “Mr. Qin... may I put these things down?”

Qin Jing glanced at him and gave a slight nod.

Ma Tong felt a little relieved. The moment he set the things down, he even felt as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and he suddenly thought that Qin Jing was not quite so detestable after all. At the very least, he knew how to show him some consideration.

The two of them stayed at the intersection like that. People came and went, and many saw Ma Tong’s condition; among them were plenty of his so-called friends. Yet seeing his face full of grievance, none of them dared approach. They only secretly speculated in the shadows: had this local bully of Second Lane run into someone he could not handle? And Qin Jing—was he really a Transcendent too?

After a while, Ma Tong could no longer hold himself back. A person lived for his face, and he knew he had lost it badly today. If this went on, he would probably not have the face to go out and see anyone ever again.

After thinking it over, Ma Tong moved closer to Qin Jing and said carefully, “Mr. Qin, what exactly are you planning to do? If there is anything you need me to do, please just say the word.”

He wanted to finish Qin Jing’s instructions as quickly as possible and get through this torment.

Qin Jing gave him a smile that was not quite a smile and said directly, “What? Being seen in such a sorry state makes you lose face?”

Ma Tong felt awkward, but still nodded openly. “Mr. Qin, I know you’re taking out your anger on me. I brought this on myself by offending you, and it’s only my bad luck. But could you at least give me a straight answer and let me know how much longer I have to stand here being stared at like a monkey?”

Having said this, Ma Tong had already summoned up all the courage he had. Afterwards, he felt a little uneasy. After all, the other man was a Transcendent rank-four expert. If he got angry, what if he simply wiped him out on the spot?