Chapter 129: Enduring Humiliation and Heavy Burdens

Fei Qingnu circled around him a few times, yet he still failed to recognize that this was Li Dong. However, his suspicions grew heavier. This height, this build—they were an exact match for Li Dong. Why, then, had his facial features changed so drastically?

"Halt! What is your name, and where do you hail from?" Fei Qingnu demanded, his eyes flashing with a sharp light as he barked the question coldly.

Having repeatedly thwarted the man's cronies, Li Dong felt a surge of incandescent rage the moment he laid eyes on Fei Qingnu, though he forced his exterior to remain completely unconcerned. Anxious lest his true identity be exposed, Li Dong altered his voice and replied, "This humble one is a native of Qi Commandery, surnamed Dang, given name Yuqian. Might the valiant Commandant Fei have any orders for me? I shall obey without hesitation..."

"Dang Yuqian?" What a bizarre name! Fei Qingnu's suspicions deepened. Furthermore, to have the surname Dang—it seemed his own experience was simply too limited.

"Ha! You've got the destitute fate of a lifetime! Money falling like rain, yet you still want to block it! Ha, ha!" Fei Qingnu laughed heartlessly, mocking the terrible fake name Li Dong had chosen.

"Ha!"

"Hahaha!"

Qin Qiong, Zhang Jinmencheng, Dou Jiande, and Liu Heita chimed in with echoing laughter, all to help Li Dong further disguise his identity and prevent any telltale traces from showing.

A strange glint flashed across Fei Qingnu's eyes. He thought to himself: We've all been tormented to the point of paranoia by Li Dong. Seeing someone with a similar physique, I'm starting to see ghosts where there are none. There are oceans of people with similar faces in this world; could I simply be overthinking this?

Dang Yuqian was Li Dong's girlfriend from before his time travel. The two had been deeply in love, and she had even given her life to save him. Li Dong cherished every memory of her. Hearing Fei Qingnu insult his girlfriend's name now, a towering rage erupted within his heart! He longed to lunge forward on the spot, drive a few punches into Fei Qingnu's eyes to blind his dog-like eyes, and tear apart his wretched mouth.

Yet, upon careful reflection, in order to save Dou Jiande, he had no choice but to forcefully suppress the fury raging in his chest. Bear it for a moment and the sea will be calm; this too shall pass. Should the bastard fall into his hands another day, he would certainly not spare him! He must return the humiliation tenfold with ruthless severity!

Li Dong stood rooted to the spot, a smile still plastered across his face.

At that moment, a garrison soldier led a horse over, and Fei Qingnu prepared to attend to his business. With one foot planted in the stirrup and the other on the ground, just as he was about to swing himself into the saddle, a sudden inspiration struck him: A face can be altered, but one's inherent nature cannot.

I shall test him once more.

"Hey you—yes, Dang Yuqian, come here! Kneel down and serve as my mounting block!" Fei Qingnu barked coldly, staring intently at Li Dong to catch any abnormal reaction.

A mounting block was a stone stool that allowed a rider to easily step up and mount a horse.

Asking Li Dong to act as a mounting block meant he would have to step on Li Dong's back to mount!

Li Dong would be forced to drop to his knees on the ground, lower his proud head, brace his body with his hands, and offer his back for the man to step upon before mounting.

Li Dong understood perfectly that this method was meant to test his true identity. Yet he had never anticipated that Fei Qingnu would devise such a venomous scheme to entrap him.

A woman values her head, a man values his face; a man's proudest part is his head, brimming with thought, wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trust. Meanwhile, a man's most precious asset is his knees—after all, there is gold beneath a man's knees! Short of absolute desperation, with no path to survival and nowhere left to turn, no man would ever willingly lower his head or kneel before another.

During the Manchu Qing dynasty, was there not the decree of "keep the hair and lose the head, or keep the head and lose the hair"? Men would rather die standing than live kneeling!

Qin Qiong, Dou Jiande, and the others were instantly struck dumb with shock, completely caught off guard! Li Dong could not possibly do this! He must not kneel!

They were all gripped by anxiety for Li Dong! Their hearts burned with anger and fury, while anxiety gnawed at them from within.

As a fierce warrior, Fei Qingnu truly lived up to his reputation; this move was vicious enough!

"What? Reluctant, are you?" Seeing Li Dong stand completely motionless, Fei Qingnu seemed to understand something. Unless this man was Li Dong, he would certainly have knelt before him by now.

"To serve as my mounting block is to do you an honor! There are countless people who wish to do so, yet I wouldn't even deign to look at them! What is the meaning of all this dilly-dallying?" With those words, Fei Qingnu brandished his riding crop and strode toward Li Dong.

At that moment, a crowd of garrison soldiers, drawn by the unusual shouting and commotion, gathered around to watch the spectacle. Within a moment, a throng of about a hundred people had formed a circle.

"Do it!"

"Hurry up and mount!"

"Stop dawdling!"

"Sigh! Everyone has their own pride; why force someone like this?"

Hearing the murmur of discussion, Fei Qingnu whipped his head around to glare at the crowd.

The garrison soldiers were instantly frightened into terrified silence! Not a single person dared to utter another sound.

Li Dong knew that if he refused to kneel and act as a mounting block, his true identity would be guessed. Aside from Qin Qiong, none of the brothers before him would come away unscathed; their fate would undoubtedly be miserable. After all, Fei Qingnu was a ruthless man who would stop at nothing.

To protect his brothers, he had no choice but to endure it! He had to swallow his shattered teeth along with his blood!

Li Dong's legs felt as heavy as Mount Tai. He forced his leaden steps toward the horse—one step, two steps, three steps, four steps...

"Tsk—"

The garrison soldiers did not dare speak aloud, but they softly hissed in derision! They meant to say that they had thought this young fellow possessed a stiff neck and real spine, only to find he was nothing more than a coward. The moment Fei Qingnu made a threat, he caved!

Fei Qingnu smiled! He smiled happily. When a petty villain tastes success, why shouldn't he smile? Regardless of whether this man was Li Dong or not, the mere fact that he was willing to kneel and let him step on his back to mount proved that he wasn't. And if he *was* Li Dong, then the previous scores had also been settled. After all, the man had lowered his head to him! He had even knelt!

The hearts of Qin Qiong, Dou Jiande, and the others leapt into their throats!

How could Li Dong stoop to such servility?

Did he not realize that he was their core pillar? If he knelt, everything would be finished!

At that very moment, Dou Jiande was consumed by a tempest of remorse, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into! To save him, Li Dong had repeatedly clashed with Fei Qingnu, sacrificing the brilliant future recommended by Ye Jishan to rush with him to Liaodong. Ah! It was all his own momentary foolishness that had brought such a catastrophic disaster upon him!

Qin Qiong suddenly darted forward, moving with blinding speed, and dropped heavily with a thud before the horse. Without a moment's hesitation, he declared, "Commandant Fei, I am here!"

Fei Qingnu's eyes widened in disbelief at the reality unfolding before him!

To think there really was someone scrambling for the privilege of kneeling before him and acting as his mounting block!

When a person descends to the utmost shamelessness, they become invincible; in a vast world, all sorts of creatures exist, just as any bird can be found in a deep forest!

Although Fei Qingnu felt a mild displeasure that Dang Yuqian had not been the one to kneel, he had pressing matters to attend to and did not dwell on it further. He concluded that his eyes must have deceived him and this man was not Li Dong after all.

Stepping onto Qin Qiong's back, Fei Qingnu hoisted himself into the saddle. He cracked his whip with a sharp snap.

To protect Li Dong from humiliation, Qin Qiong lowered his proud and sacred head as a man.

Li Dong, Dou Jiande, Liu Heita, and Zhang Jinmencheng could not bear to watch any longer. They averted their faces, their eyes brimming with tears—tears of rage, tears of hatred! Men were the chopping block, and they were the fish!

Change! Change was imperative! To alter their lowly status and micro-influence; only by changing their standing could they alter the contemptuous gaze of scum like this, rise above the crowd, and redeem the hatred, fury, anger, and humiliation of this day!

Dou Jiande, Zhang Jinmencheng, and Liu Heita fixed their gazes upon Li Dong, sending a silent cry for help and a soundless appeal! They must never let this stinking wretch off easily!

Qin Qiong's heart was weeping blood as well, silently chanting: Li Dong, if you ever get the chance, you must win back this face for us!

Li Dong bit his teeth until they nearly shattered, the blood rushing to his head! If he failed to avenge this humiliation, he was no gentleman!