Chapter 143: An Old Swindler?

The old man looked up, his clouded eyes scanning Qin Feng before he spoke in a feeble, listless voice, "Young man, these aren't treasures. They’re just worthless rocks no one wants. If you really want them, just give me whatever you can spare so I can afford a steamed bun."

Qin Feng chuckled inwardly; the old geezer certainly wasn't going to budge until he saw the goods. Not bothering to call his bluff, he pulled ten one-hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and held them out. "I'll take all these stones. Is this enough for you?"

At the sight of the bills, the old man’s dull eyes lit up instantly. A look of delighted surprise washed over his face as he snatched the money, bowing and scraping. "Enough, more than enough! You’re a truly good man, young fellow!"

Qin Feng smiled but said nothing. He bent down, hoisted the burlap sack onto his shoulder, and turned to leave.

"Young man, wait!" the old man suddenly called out.

Qin Feng’s heart skipped a beat. Had the old man realized something? He stopped, turned around, and asked with a feigned look of confusion, "Is there something else, elder?"

The old man walked over to him, fixing him with a burning gaze, and said slowly, "Young man, I can see you have a remarkable constitution and an extraordinary countenance. Tell me... are you after these stones for a specific purpose?"

Qin Feng was startled; this old fellow was definitely no simpleton. Taking a deep breath, he replied calmly, "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand."

The old man smiled, ignoring the question. He pointed at the stones in the sack and said with profound meaning, "Young man, these are no ordinary rocks. They are things I brought from..."

Before he could finish, a harsh voice cut through the air from a distance: "You old fossil! You’re scamming people again! Let me teach you a lesson!"

A burly man with a face full of brawn and aggression marched toward them, followed by several thugs. Qin Feng frowned, thinking to himself, "It seems today’s business isn't as simple as it looks."

Before he could process this, the brute lunged at the old man, grabbed him by the collar, and began to curse: "You old piece of trash, you dare come out here and scam people again! I haven't settled the score from last time, and here you are setting up shop? You must be tired of living!"

The frail old man swayed like a leaf in a storm in the brute's grip, yet he stiffened his neck and retorted, "You... don't you dare spout nonsense! When did I ever scam you? These stones are family heirlooms! Don't you dare try to rob me!"

"Family heirlooms? With your pathetic look? You expect me to believe that? You’re lying to a ghost!"

The brute, clearly not buying it, raised a palm like a fan and swung it toward the old man's face.

***

Qin Feng had assumed that since the old man dared to talk back to the brute, he must have known at least a little bit of martial arts. To his surprise, the old man was incredibly fragile, and it looked as though the brute’s slap would send him flying.

Unable to watch, Qin Feng felt a pang of sympathy. Whether the old man was a scammer or not, he was an elder; he couldn't just stand by while he was beaten. With a flash of movement, he appeared before the brute and caught his swinging wrist.

"Who the hell are you? You’ve got a death wish, interfering in my business!"

The brute was startled by Qin Feng’s sudden appearance. Upon seeing him, his rage flared, and he began to curse.

"Bullying an old man in broad daylight, and you have the nerve to call yourself a 'man'?" Qin Feng stared at him coldly, applying a slight pressure to his grip. The brute felt as if his wrist were being crushed by iron pliers, and he let out a howl of agony.

"Let go, you brat! Do you know who I am? You’re digging your own grave by crossing me!" The brute broke into a cold sweat, his threats sounding hollow and fearful.

"I don't care who you are!" Qin Feng wasn't intimidated. He squeezed harder, and the brute let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

"Ow! It hurts! Kid... please, let go! I... I know I was wrong..." The brute finally broke, begging for mercy.

Qin Feng released him and said coldly, "Get lost! If I see you bullying an old man again, it won't just be a broken wrist."

Clutching his swollen wrist, the brute shot a venomous glare at Qin Feng, but not daring to say another word, he slunk away with his thugs.

Qin Feng turned to the shaken old man and asked softly, "Are you alright, elder?"

The old man stared at him blankly for a long moment before regaining his senses. He looked Qin Feng up and down, a sharp glimmer appearing in his cloudy eyes. "Young man, thank you! If it weren't for you, this old life of mine would have ended right here today..."

"Think nothing of it," Qin Feng replied calmly. "Seeing an injustice and stepping in to help is the right thing to do."

"You really are a good person!" The old man looked at him with gratitude, then suddenly, as if remembering something, he pulled a dusty cloth bag from his coat and handed it to Qin Feng. "Young man, take this... it's a small token of my appreciation. You must accept it!"

Qin Feng looked at the bag, frowning slightly. "Elder, what is this..."

***

"Take it, young man! If not for you, I’d be dead. Consider this a repayment for saving my life!" The old man insisted, thrusting the bag into Qin Feng’s hands.

Qin Feng tried to refuse, but the old man waved him off. "Don't decline, young man. This thing is of no use to me anymore. Just take it!"

Seeing the old man’s persistence, Qin Feng accepted the bag and asked, "What exactly is in here?"

The old man gave a mysterious smile, leaned into Qin Feng’s ear, and lowered his voice: "Young man, this is an incredible object. It is..."

Before he could finish, his expression shifted, and he collapsed stiffly to the ground.

"Elder!"

Qin Feng caught him, only to find he had lost consciousness. He checked the old man’s breathing; fortunately, it was still there, though faint. It was strange—why would he just faint out of the blue?

Qin Feng was puzzled, but this was hardly the time to investigate. He looked around and saw a crowd gathering, pointing and whispering at them.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen someone faint?"

Qin Feng shouted, and the crowd quickly dispersed. Sighing in resignation, he decided to take the old man home. He hailed a taxi, helped the man inside, and said, "Driver, take us to the nearest hospital."

"You got it!" The driver hit the gas, and the car sped away.