RPAGF Chapter 108 A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
Chapter 108 A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
In that dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Beijing, the cold wind howled in through the gaps that let in drafts, making the spider webs in the corners sway precariously.
Such places are also gathering places for beggars. For them, having a roof over their heads to shelter them from the wind and rain is already a great blessing.
An old man lay weakly on a messy pile of broken firewood, his face as pale as paper, his eyes closed, and his breath so faint as to be barely perceptible, as if he might take his last breath at any moment.
The little beggar came running, panting heavily, his face covered in dust, his hair soaked with sweat and clinging to his face in strands.
But he paid no attention to any of that, clutching the silver ingot that Chu Ruohan had given him tightly in his hand.
He rushed into the dilapidated temple, knelt down beside the man, wiped his face, and said, "Jin'an, look, we have money now! I'll take you to get treatment!"
Jin'an slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy eyes revealing deep weariness.
Hearing the little beggar's words, he frowned slightly and asked weakly, "Where did you come from?"
The little beggar carefully placed the silver in front of him and said, "It was given to me by a kind lady. She said she lives in the Marquis of Anyang's mansion and that I can go to her if I have any difficulties."
A complex look flashed in Jin'an's eyes as he glanced around. He then placed the silver into the little beggar's arms.
He shook his head gently and sighed, "I won't live much longer. Any treatment will just be a waste of money. Keep it for yourself."
Jin'an's voice was filled with helplessness and worry for the little beggar. Knowing his own physical condition, he didn't want the little beggar to waste his hard-earned money on himself.
"No, I want you to stay with me!" Upon hearing this, the little beggar's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He held Jin'an tightly, as if this was the only way to save his life.
In this cold, dilapidated temple, he had long regarded Jin'an as his only family member, how could he just watch Jin'an leave?
Inside the dilapidated temple, there were not only the two of them, but also other beggars in the dark corners. When they saw the gleaming silver, their eyes instantly lit up with greed, like hungry wolves seeing raw meat.
"Boy, hand over the silver!" A beggar stood up; a long scar on his face looked particularly menacing in the dim light.
As he spoke, he took a vicious step forward.
The others in the dilapidated temple exchanged glances and then surrounded the little beggar and Jin'an, trapping them in the middle.
The little beggar trembled with fear, instinctively clutching the silver in his arms tighter, and shrinking back against Jin'an.
Despite his weakened state, Jin'an held the little beggar tightly behind him, wanting to shield him from all danger.
"Don't even think about taking the silver!"
The beggars completely ignored him. The scarred leader sneered and said, "You think you can stop us, you old man who's about to die?"
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out, grabbed Jin'an by the collar, and flung him away. Jin'an's thin body was thrown aside like a fallen leaf.
"Jin'an!" the little beggar exclaimed, trying to rush over to help Jin'an up, but was grabbed by the arm by another beggar.
The little beggar struggled desperately, but his small strength was utterly useless against these fierce beggars.
"Hand over the silver, or you'll regret it!" the beggar said viciously, increasing the pressure on his hand. The little beggar was in so much pain that tears welled up in his eyes.
Seeing this, the scarred beggar spat impatiently, strode forward, and ripped open the little beggar's clothes.
With a sharp tearing sound, the fabric ripped, a particularly jarring sound in the dilapidated temple.
"Still dare to resist?" The scarred beggar's eyes widened in anger, and he slapped the little beggar hard across the face.
A trickle of blood instantly spilled from the corner of the little beggar's mouth, and he was knocked to the ground by the slap.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the scarred beggar quickly reached out and snatched the silver from the little beggar's almost exhausted hand.
"Haha, I got it!" The scarred beggar laughed triumphantly, raising the silver coins high.
The other beggars also gathered around, their eyes filled with envy and flattery.
"Brother, we really owe you a lot this time. With this money, we can finally have a good meal!" a short, fat beggar said obsequiously.
"Hmph, of course." The scarred beggar stuffed the silver into his pocket and patted his chest. "Come on, let's go find a good place to have some fun!"
Jin'an, lying to the side, watched this scene with a heart full of anger and self-blame.
He struggled to get up, but as soon as he moved, he spat out a mouthful of blood. "You bunch of villains..."
The little beggar, his face streaked with tears, ignored the pain in his body and rushed towards the scarred beggar.
"Give me back the money! That's for Jin'an's medical treatment!"
Jin'an struggled to get up from the ground. He couldn't make a living on his own, but he still needed this money to survive.
Jin'an rushed over again, trying to take back the little beggar and the silver.
However, he was met with a barrage of punches and kicks.
Several beggars surrounded Jin'an and began punching and kicking him, causing Jin'an's body to tremble continuously.
But he never gave up, constantly chanting, "Don't hurt him, don't..."
The little beggar looked at Jin'an, who had been beaten, and his heart was filled with fear and despair.
He cried out in anguish, "Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me!"
But the beggars acted as if they hadn't heard anything and continued to beat Jin'an wildly.
Just as the little beggar was feeling hopeless, suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the temple gate...
"stop!"
Chu Ruohan let out an angry shout, her clear voice echoing inside the dilapidated temple.
The beggars, who were engrossed in their fight, were startled by this sudden turn of events and immediately stopped what they were doing.
I turned my head to look at the doorway.
Three beautiful women stood at the doorway, the woman in the lead exuding an innate air of nobility.
"You bunch of scum, bullying two poor people, have you no shame!" Yu Ling said through gritted teeth.
Song Ruyan rolled her eyes. Why waste words on someone like that?
She flashed forward and rushed over.
With a scream of agony, the scarred beggar flew backward several feet like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground and writhing in pain.
Accompanied by screams, the beggars were beaten until they fell to the ground.
In just a few moments, he was lying sprawled on the ground, groaning incessantly.
Chu Ruohan knelt down, helped the little beggar up, and asked with concern, "How are you?"
The little beggar raised his tear-streaked face, his eyes still filled with lingering fear, but even more so with the joy of surviving a close call.