Chapter 775 — All Spent

"Not that much, really — only a hundred-odd thousand..." Yu Xiaoke said cautiously.

"My God!" Wei Zhao jumped. "A hundred-odd thousand isn't much? No wonder they're after you. Why don't you just give the money back?"

"I can't pay it back — I've spent it all, so how can I?" Yu Xiaoke said, her face crumpling.

"A hundred-odd thousand, all spent? And you're still dressed in rags?" Wei Zhao found it hard to believe.

"It wasn't me who spent it — I spent it on other people," Yu Xiaoke said. "Can't you just help me? I know you're really capable!"

"On other people? You stole money to spend on other people? Are you sick in the head?" Wei Zhao had meant to lend Yu Xiaoke a hand, but hearing this, he decided it was better to keep his distance from her.

"You're the one who's sick!" Yu Xiaoke glared at Wei Zhao and snorted. "I support a whole orphanage, old and young — over a hundred mouths to feed. How long do you think a hundred-odd thousand lasts?"

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Yu Xiaoke to steal the money to support a family — though one person supporting a hundred-odd people sounded a bit far-fetched.

Still, the word "orphanage" stirred something in Wei Zhao. He had never seen his parents since childhood; in the most fundamental sense, he was an orphan too. If not for his master and the old man raising him, Wei Zhao might well be growing up in some orphanage right now.

So Wei Zhao decided to trust Yu Xiaoke, just this once. "How much do you owe? I'll pay it back for you first."

"It's not just a matter of owing money! I also... I also kicked one of Black Bird's balls until it burst..." Yu Xiaoke flushed and lowered her voice.

"What?" Wei Zhao's eyes went wide. No way — that violent? Burst one of the man's balls? No wonder he's after you; anyone would be nursing a grudge! Wei Zhao thought to himself: even if I'm a miracle doctor, you burst one of his balls — after all this time, I couldn't grow him a new one. "Then you'd better just let him have his way. There's nothing I can do!"

"How can I do that?" Yu Xiaoke's eyes went wide. "What about my chastity? I hear it's worth a lot. I was even thinking that one day, if the orphanage hits rock bottom and the kids have nothing to eat, I'd go sell my first time!"

"Pfft..." Wei Zhao nearly choked on his own breath at her words. Yu Xiaoke's idea was truly outrageous. But if she really meant it, he had to admit he rather admired her...

A girl, genuinely willing to make such a sacrifice for a bunch of orphans?

Wei Zhao looked into Yu Xiaoke's eyes — she didn't seem to be lying, and that was another reason he was willing to trust her for now.

"All right, all right — just help me first, okay? At most, count it as me owing you. I, Yu Xiaoke, am a famous and renowned heroine of the jianghu; everyone knows I'm the most loyal there is. If you're ever in trouble in the future, I'll definitely do everything in my power to help!" Seeing that Wei Zhao seemed willing to help, Yu Xiaoke hurried on.

"Heroine? More like a lady thief," Wei Zhao shrugged. "I don't think I have any troubles..."

"Fuck! You two are over there whispering sweet nothings — acting like I don't exist?" Black Bird was about to explode with rage. Where had this pretty-faced fellow come from, and how had he turned out to be Yu Xiaoke's husband?

But whether or not he was Yu Xiaoke's husband didn't matter — since he'd come here, he wasn't leaving! The thief gang of Songshan City and the Flying Swallow Sect had been enemies for ages. If Wei Zhao was Yu Xiaoke's husband, then he was surely one of the Flying Swallow Sect too. Today they'd run into him, so they'd beat him along with her!

"I'm not acting like you don't exist — though whether you exist or not makes no difference to me," Wei Zhao said, glancing at Black Bird. "What should I call you?"

"Well, well, pretty boy, you're awful cocky!" Black Bird sneered at Wei Zhao. "But I wonder if you'll still be able to be cocky in a minute. Have you ever heard the name Black Bird?"

Black Bird was the second-in-command of Songshan City's thief syndicate — naturally a renowned figure. Anyone in the trade knew Black Bird's name! Even the lone pickpockets had to pay their respects to Black Bird before they could practice in Songshan City.

"No," Wei Zhao answered honestly, shaking his head. "But Black Bird, is it? Since you're a thief and she's a thief, you're practically colleagues. Let's just call this whole thing even. Don't go looking for trouble — a thief is a thief. Don't overstep your bounds and stoop to the tricks of a rogue!"

"Fuck your mother, you bastard — what the hell do you think you are, lecturing me?" Black Bird flared up in an instant, and pointing at Wei Zhao, he said to his four henchmen, "First, beat this little brat until he's crippled — then we'll all have our fun with Yu Xiaoke together!"

"Heh heh, you got it, Brother Black Bird!" The four thugs closed in on Wei Zhao at once.

Yu Xiaoke was a little nervous. She had seen Wei Zhao earlier and called on him to save her purely out of instinct! In this deserted alley, Wei Zhao was her one and only lifeline! But now that Wei Zhao had actually come, Yu Xiaoke felt a flicker of worry again — after all, Wei Zhao was alone, and the other side had five burly men. Could Wei Zhao possibly handle them?

Wei Zhao did not look especially strong, either. If it came to dealing with one of them, Yu Xiaoke believed he could manage — because Yu Xiaoke herself could hold her own in a one-on-one tussle with one of these men, and that was exactly why she had dared follow that pickpocket into this empty alley in the first place! She had figured that even if it came to an outright fight, she could handle herself.

But who could have foreseen the situation turning so sharply, in an instant becoming five men surrounding her alone? In her desperation, Yu Xiaoke had no choice but to rely on Wei Zhao.

"Can you handle this?" Yu Xiaoke asked, a little worried.

"No. Want to swap places and take over?" Wei Zhao smiled and countered.

"Then you'd better do it. Good luck!" Seeing that Wei Zhao showed not the slightest hint of tension, Yu Xiaoke's heart immediately settled. It seemed Wei Zhao must have some confidence in himself — otherwise, at a time like this, he would surely be thinking about running.

"Kid, be smart about this. Hand your wife over for the brothers to have some fun, and you can walk away!" One of the thugs looked down on Wei Zhao's build; he figured Wei Zhao wasn't even worth one punch from him!

"Exactly. Look at that refined air of yours — you'd make a fine thief, sure, but fighting? Not a chance, right? Don't get that pretty face of yours messed up, or it'll be inconvenient for your future crimes!" another thug jeered.

"Why don't you hand your own wife over for them to play with?" Wei Zhao did not say that the thug should hand his wife over for Wei Zhao to play with, because Wei Zhao found the thought disgusting — he wouldn't touch her even if she were offered to him.RO