Gu Qingcheng was also furious. Du Lanyue was a friend she had invited to help, and she had promised Lan Xing to take good care of Lanyue. Yet, as soon as they stepped out, someone dared to bully her.
In times of chaos, human life was the cheapest commodity.
Now, there was no official government. At most, the island would have a few factions banding together to form a self-governing organization, but it was likely they would all be operating independently, with no one listening to anyone else.
Without law and order, strength in numbers and wealth reigned supreme.
As soon as Gu Qingcheng spoke, the crew members of Phoenix Village went all out, leaving Young Master Li and the thugs dumbfounded.
Although Young Master Li had money, it belonged to his father. He did not dare, nor was he willing, to say what Gu Qingcheng had said: "Hit them all you want, I'll cover the expenses."
As a result, the thugs and Young Master Li both took a solid beating.
"Spare us, young master, you're going to kill us!"
"Stop hitting us, we surrender!"
"Apologize? Fine, all of you kneel down to this lady and kowtow three times!"
Gu Qingcheng sneered.
The men didn't react immediately, too busy screaming in pain.
Gu Qingcheng did not call for a halt. Wang Dapeng and Da Xiong continued to beat the thugs mercilessly, including the pampered young man called Young Master Li.
In the apocalypse, even a handful of rice or a bun could drive someone to murder when they were extremely hungry.
Gu Qingcheng not only provided Phoenix Village with rice and buns, but she also continuously supplied the villagers with ample food, saving their lives.
Apart from demanding normal labor, there were no further exploitative demands. Thus, in Phoenix Village, Gu Qingcheng was like a deity.
Although Gu Qingcheng was young, younger than most of the villagers in Phoenix Village, they all revered her as if she were on an altar.
Many people superstitiously believed that without Gu Qingcheng, Phoenix Village's foundation would crumble, and they would never have enough to eat or be warm.
Therefore, when Wang Dapeng and the others saw Gu Qingcheng being threatened by thugs, their anger was beyond ordinary. As long as Gu Qingcheng didn't tell them to stop, they would keep beating.
They would not tolerate any harm coming to their benefactors. Even a single hair on Gu Qingcheng's head being harmed was unacceptable. For this, they were willing to give their lives.
"Stop hitting us, save us! We'll never dare to do it again, I'll apologize to this lady!"
Young Master Li couldn't take it anymore. Two of his teeth had been knocked out, and his face was swollen like a pig's head.
Having lived a life of ease, Young Master Li had never been beaten like this before. He couldn't even bear a punch to the face, let alone lose a tooth. He had started begging for mercy long ago, but Da Xiong and the others were caught up in the frenzy and hadn't heard him.
"Alright, stop!"
Gu Qingcheng gave the order, and the crew members of Phoenix Village immediately ceased their attack in unison.
Gu Qingcheng looked at the disheveled thugs scrambling on the ground, searching for their teeth, and said with satisfaction:
"Well, it seems your drills in the village weren't just for show. You really put in the effort! You're good at fighting!"
"How could we fool you?"
Wang Dapeng chuckled.
Da Xiong, brandishing his fist, which was as big as a bowl, in front of Young Master Li's eyes, said smugly, "We don't eat our village's meat for free. All this strength comes from our Young Master Gu! Kid, it's wise of you to surrender, or we'd turn you into mincemeat!"
The topic then veered off course.
Let alone their strong fists, in these chaotic times, the fact that servants like Da Xiong were so well-fed and glowing was enough to show the great capabilities of Young Master Gu.
Under duress, Young Master Li had no choice but to kneel down with a "plop" in front of Du Lanyue and say awkwardly, "Miss, I'm sorry. We spoke rudely just now and offended you!"
As Young Master Li knelt, the thugs who had been following his lead had no choice but to kneel as well.
A dozen people kneeling down to apologize together was quite a spectacle.
Du Lanyue was startled again. Seeing her flustered state, Gu Qingcheng frowned impatiently and said, "Scram!"
"Thank you, Young Master Gu!"
Upon hearing Da Xiong and the others call Gu Qingcheng Young Master, they also began to address her as such.
As soon as Gu Qingcheng said they could leave, they immediately got up and scurried away, as if afraid of being caught by Da Xiong for another beating if they were too slow.
Gu Qingcheng looked apologetically at Du Lanyue and asked, "Sister Lanyue, how are you? Did they hurt you?"
"No, no, don't worry, I'm fine."
Gu Qingcheng had certainly avenged her, and Du Lanyue, though frightened, had her anger dissipated.
"I'm sorry, it was my negligence. I left you alone outside without care, which led to this situation."
Gu Qingcheng felt deeply guilty.
"What are you talking about? If anyone is to blame, it's me for being captivated by the peach blossoms and admiring them alone. It has nothing to do with you."
Du Lanyue was a reasonable person.
Seeing that she wasn't dwelling on it, Gu Qingcheng finally relaxed. She had been worried about women's traditional virtues and what might happen if she were teased by strange men, leading to despair.
Fortunately, it seemed Du Lanyue was not foolish.
Gu Qingcheng quickly said ingratiatingly, "It's windy here, let's not stand around. I've booked the guest rooms, let's go inside!"
The fabric business on Peach Blossom Island had been ongoing for some time, with many merchants coming and going. Therefore, the inns here were well-equipped, and the superior rooms were quite elegant and comfortable.
Gu Qingcheng and Du Lanyue's rooms were opposite each other.
Gu Qingcheng did not want to reveal her identity for the time being. Otherwise, she could have shared a room with Du Lanyue, lying together under the same covers, chatting intimately like they used to during late-night talks in the dormitory.
Alas, she would have to put aside such benefits for now.
Gu Qingcheng put her luggage in the side room and then said, "Sister Lanyue, you should rest. When you wake up, we'll go eat something delicious together. I'm staying right across from you. If you need anything, just call me."
"Okay."
Du Lanyue wasn't entirely without courage; she was just momentarily frightened. Now that the other party had been completely overwhelmed by Gu Qingcheng's side, her spirits had already recovered.
After she closed her door, Gu Qingcheng also returned to her room to rest.
She was full of energy and naturally didn't need a nap. So, she sat down and took up her brush to write a letter to her family, reporting on her daily life.
Mi Guo had not come with them this time. Gu Qingcheng had left him on Tea Kettle Island to oversee the dock construction.
Before leaving, Gu Qingcheng had given him twenty thousand taels of silver notes and ten catties of gold, to be prepared for any unexpected needs.
Although she was only leaving for a day or two, she was worried that in her absence, someone might come to demand payment for the construction work. If Mi Guo couldn't produce the money, it could lead to dissatisfaction or even halt the project.
Since she had encountered Du Lanyue being bullied right after arriving, Gu Qingcheng began to ponder how to compensate Du Lanyue after writing her letter.
She went to the front desk and asked the clerk about fun and delicious places on Peach Blossom Island.