Chen Ping'an's voice rang in Old Pan's ears like a clap of thunder. Old Pan's body couldn't help but tremble.
"Uncle Pan, you had so many opinions just now, why don't you share them? Chen is all ears?" Chen Ping'an's face showed no trace of a smile as he quietly looked at Old Pan and Aunt Pan.
Seeing Chen Ping'an's indifferent expression, Old Pan's body couldn't help but shrink back.
"Ping'an, I..."
Old Pan's words were cut short by a fierce glare from Aunt Pan beside him.
"Ping'an, we're all neighbors here, what are you doing!"
She tried to use neighborhood gossip to pressure Chen Ping'an. This trick, she had used for decades, always worked!
"What happened?"
"I don't know! I just saw Ping'an walk over."
"It's Old Pan's family!"
"..."
Neighbors on the side were pointing and whispering.
Listening to the voices of the surrounding neighbors, Aunt Pan's face grew calmer. She was sure that with so many people watching, Chen Ping'an wouldn't dare to do anything to them.
"Aunt Pan also knows we're all neighbors!"
Chen Ping'an's gaze was indifferent.
"Since we are neighbors, then what was the intention behind what Uncle Pan and Aunt Pan said just now? Were you trying to put Chen in a position of unkindness and unrighteousness?"
Chen Ping'an's voice wasn't loud, but he exuded an Aura as majestic as a tall mountain.
Aunt Pan, a mere woman, had never seen such a scene; her originally calm expression instantly crumbled.
"What does Chen Xiaoge mean by that? What exactly happened just now?"
"I don't know! It should be that Old Pan's family said something!"
"I know the mouth of Old Pan's wife, it's very gossipy! She must have offended Ping'an!"
"Does anyone know!?"
"I know, just now when Young Master Zhao was still here, Old Pan's family used Yin and Yang on Chen Xiaoge. They said, 'Is this still a Zhenfu Division Yamen Runner! A bully who preys on the weak,' and similar things!"
"So that's it! We're all neighbors, that's going too far!"
"..."
The surrounding discussions, reaching the ears of Old Pan and his wife, made their hearts even more uneasy.
Aunt Pan was about to argue a few more words, to struggle a bit. Then she saw Chen Ping'an take out a dagger from his waist, pull it from its sheath, revealing a faint cold glint.
Old Pan's legs immediately went weak.
"Ping'an... Oh, no, Lord Chen, we were confused, confused! Spare us!"
Aunt Pan wanted to be tough for a moment, but seeing Chen Ping'an walking over with the dagger, her heart instantly filled with fear.
"Chen Xiao... Lord Chen, I was wrong, I was wrong. Let us go, I was wrong, truly wrong!"
Seeing Chen Ping'an approaching, Aunt Pan wanted to run backward, but how could her speed compare to Ping'an's? Chen Ping'an strode forward, and the dagger in his hand stabbed down fiercely.
"Ah!"
Aunt Pan cried out in surprise, subconsciously closing her eyes.
"No!"
Old Pan, beside her, was also startled, and his legs immediately gave out, collapsing to the ground.
Aunt Pan kept her eyes tightly shut, waiting for a while, but the expected pain did not come. Only then did she tremblingly open her eyes.
She found the dagger, gleaming with a cold light, suspended in the air just above her head, as if it could stab down at any moment.
"Ah!"
Another scream, Aunt Pan couldn't help but retreat two steps, lost her balance, and collapsed to the ground.
Chen Ping'an held the dagger, his eyes filled with killing intent, staring straight ahead.
This made Aunt Pan's body tremble uncontrollably, and in her panic, she began to cry out in pain.
"Ping'an, Ping'an, I was wrong... I was wrong. Truly wrong... You are a magnanimous Lord, please spare me..."
"Mercy! Mercy! Lord Chen..." Old Pan, on the side, knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
This scene made Old Pan and his wife appear extremely pitiful.
However... those who are pitiful must have something hateful about them.
Chen Ping'an calmly watched the two. Only when Old Pan's forehead was bruised and bleeding from kowtowing, and Aunt Pan's voice began to become hoarse, did Chen Ping'an put away the dagger in his hand.
"This is just a small lesson. If I hear similar words from you again, you will bear all the consequences!"
With that, Chen Ping'an turned and left.
Nannan was still waiting for him at home!
Only after Chen Ping'an had left did Old Pan and his wife's emotions gradually calm down.
They exchanged glances, as if reborn.
"I almost didn't recognize the Chen Family Boy! He was like a different person just now, that Aura was too terrifying!"
"A formal Yamen Runner, ah..."
"The Chen Family Boy, he's really made something of himself!"
"..."
After Chen Ping'an left, the surrounding neighbors who had been watching couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Becoming a registered, formal Yamen Runner of the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, gaining an official identity, meant that Chen Ping'an had truly risen from the bottom and begun his ascent.
...
"Brother~ You're back~ Is everything alright outside!"
As soon as Chen Ping'an returned home, Chen Er'ya asked curiously.
"En, it has nothing to do with us. It's just that Lao Gao borrowed money from the Tiger Head Gang. Young Master Zhao and his people came to collect the money!"
Looking at Chen Er'ya's curious face, Chen Ping'an smiled and briefly explained the situation.
"This Tiger Head Gang is so hateful!" The Xiao Yatou said angrily, patting her chest.
"En, too hateful." Chen Ping'an nodded, agreeing with the Xiao Yatou.
However, he also understood. As long as this world remained unchanged, even without the Tiger Head Gang, there would still be Axe Gangs and Tiger Gangs appearing! Ordinary people at the bottom would still be exploited!
To change, there was only one way out: to rise, to become a person above others!
Twenty-odd days ago, he was still a temporary Yamen Runner with no knowledge of Dao, who had to be cautious, observe carefully, and be extremely careful when facing Young Master Zhao, fearing he might cause trouble. But today, he no longer needed to feel much fear when facing Young Master Zhao; he could handle it calmly.
This was a change in strength, a change in status!
Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an's heart warmed, and he picked up his saber from the side.
"Continue practicing saber techniques!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the small courtyard, gusts of wind accompanied by changes in the saber techniques continuously sounded.
+1!
...
The next day, after completing his morning cultivation, Chen Ping'an continued to go to the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office for duty. Unlike before, when he entered the Zhenfu Division, some Yamen Runners would nod slightly to him, as a greeting.
On this day, Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu were still the same, appearing indifferent to him. They didn't even eat lunch with him back at the Zhenfu Division; they just left on their own, and he didn't know where they went. Before leaving, they even called out to Zeng Jihe.
"Let's go, Xiao Zeng, want to eat together?"
However, Xiao Zeng looked at Chen Ping'an, hesitated for a moment, and in the end, did not go with them.
This scene was observed by Chen Ping'an.
"Chen Tou, they..." Zeng Jihe felt a bit awkward.
"It's fine." Chen Ping'an said indifferently, silently giving Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu a thumbs up in his heart.
"Truly excellent! Just like that, keep it up!"