Chapter 83: I’ll Take You All On
All this time, despite the endless rumors and gossip, no one had ever come forward to accuse Xu Qingsui directly.
For something like this to happen now, it was obvious Xu Ruming was the one stirring up trouble.
Xu Qingsui had tried to give the female team members a word of warning, but they were already blinded by jealousy and refused to listen.
"Who says we don’t have proof? We’re all witnesses!"
"The rumors about you and Captain Lu being together were spreading long before Guide Xie came to Zone 9. Since neither of you ever came forward to deny it, that’s as good as admitting it was true."
"Back then, we didn’t know Captain Lu had a fiancée, so we couldn’t really say anything. But now his fiancée is here in person, so how can you still deny it?"
These female team members had long held a grudge against Xu Qingsui; they just never had a reason to confront her before.
Now that they finally had their chance, it was like opening a floodgate; they unleashed everything they had been holding back.
Seeing that the accusations flew endlessly without her even needing to speak, Xu Ruming’s displeasure subsided somewhat. She stopped paying Shen Ling’an any mind and shot a smug look at Xu Qingsui.
They were all talking at once, giving Xu Qingsui no chance to get a word in edgewise.
They spoke with such conviction, as if they had personally witnessed and verified every single accusation.
The onlookers on the sidelines heard all this, and connecting it with the recent rumors, they too erupted into discussion.
All their voices buzzed incessantly in Xu Qingsui’s ears, like a swarm of flies.
Xu Qingsui’s expression grew darker and darker. Then, her face grim, she swung her hand and delivered a slap.
SLAP!
The crisp, loud sound of the slap resounded through the small alley.
In that instant, the endless stream of insults was cut short.
Caught completely off guard, Xu Ruming stumbled and fell to the ground.
Sprawled on the ground, she felt something trickle from the corner of her mouth. She touched it, and the sight of fresh blood on her fingers made her eyes instantly redden with tears.
"Xu Qingsui! I’m going to kill you!"
Xu Ruming scrambled to her feet, screaming, ready to charge at Xu Qingsui. But when she saw that Xu Qingsui hadn’t even lowered the hand she’d used to slap her, a shiver of fear ran through her.
Not daring to face Xu Qingsui alone, she quickly called out to the female team members she had assembled.
"The homewrecker’s getting violent! We can’t let her be so brazen! Today, we’ll teach this little tramp a lesson for Guide Xie!"
"If we all attack her at once, there’s no way she can pull any tricks."
Xu Qingsui’s slap had stunned the other female team members as well, but they snapped back to their senses when they heard Xu Ruming’s cry.
The entire group charged at Xu Qingsui at once.
Xu Qingsui’s brows furrowed. She hadn’t wanted to fight, but since they were forcing the issue, she wasn’t about to let herself be pushed around.
After all, she had survived being hunted and cornered by hordes of zombies in a previous Apocalypse.
Compared to zombies, these women were hardly a threat.
Xu Qingsui rolled up her sleeves and charged forward to meet them.
She couldn’t be bothered to get truly serious with them. For anyone who charged at her, a swift backhand was her only reply.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
After a flurry of slaps, all the female team members were on the ground, clutching their faces and shouting curses.
Xu Ruming was no exception. And as it happened, Xu Qingsui’s slap landed squarely on her other cheek.
Now, both of Xu Ruming’s cheeks were swollen to the same height, making her face look far more symmetrical and pleasing to the eye than the other women, who had only been slapped once.
The onlookers couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement at the sight.
Many people remarked that they never knew Xu Qingsui was so capable.
"Xu Qingsui, how dare you!"
"It’s bad enough that you’re so shameless, but to attack a group of Alliance members on top of that!"
Xu Ruming was stunned. She couldn’t understand it. When had the meek, timid Xu Qingsui, who she used to bully at will, become so formidable?
Pfft!
Xu Qingsui let out a laugh. "Xu Ruming, what did you just say? That I ganged up on you?"
"Let’s get this straight. You all tried to gang up on me, and I took every single one of you down by myself."
"And why wouldn’t I dare? You were the ones screaming obscenities at me. You were the ones who attacked first. I was merely acting in self-defense."
"Let’s go ask the elders to judge. We’ll see who’s really at fault here."
"She must have been slapped silly. She can’t even tell the difference between a gang-up and a solo fight."
"It’s not that she can’t tell the difference. It’s that she’s too embarrassed to admit their whole group lost to one person!"
The onlookers all burst into laughter at Xu Qingsui’s words.
For a moment, the crowd forgot all about the earlier drama, captivated by Xu Qingsui’s swift and decisive actions.
Xu Ruming’s face flushed beet-red. Some of the others behind her tugged at her clothes, asking what they should do now.
Xu Ruming was in no mood to deal with them. ’I can’t be humiliated like this,’ she thought, scrambling to her feet once more.
"Xu Qingsui, save your excuses! The fact is you were the third party who destroyed the relationship between Captain Lu and Guide Xie. You did something shameful, so you have to endure the accusations."
"You were in the wrong to begin with, and then you dared to attack us! I refuse to believe there isn’t a single elder in the Alliance who will see that we get justice."
"That’s right! Xu Qingsui must be severely punished! We demand justice! Guide Xie deserves an explanation!"
Hearing Xu Ruming’s words, the beaten women, having apparently learned nothing, started clamoring in agreement.
Xu Qingsui’s brow furrowed. ’Looks like these people won’t learn their lesson unless they suffer a little more.’
Just as she was about to do something to make all their faces symmetrical, a rather old voice rang out from behind the crowd.
"Make way!"
Hearing the old voice, the onlookers parted to form a path. A decrepit-looking Qi Qin slowly walked through from the back of the crowd.
"What’s going on here? Are you all unaware of the Heiyu Alliance’s rules? Brawling inside the base!"
Seeing that an elder had really arrived, Xu Ruming’s eyes immediately lit up.
She hurried forward and said to Qi Qin, "Elder Qi, it was Xu Qingsui! She’s the one who attacked us! You have to grant us justice!"
This was the first time Xu Qingsui had seen Qi Qin, so she had no idea what kind of person he was or why he had suddenly appeared.
Xu Qingsui remained silent, merely watching him with a cool gaze, waiting to see what he would do.
Qi Qin glanced at the group of women with their swollen faces, and his brows immediately furrowed.
"You’re the one who attacked them? Are you not aware of the Alliance’s rules?"
"Elder Qi, you only saw me hitting them. Shouldn’t you also find out *why* I was hitting them? What was the cause of all this?"
Qi Qin glanced at Xu Qingsui. ’I’ve heard about this woman,’ he thought. ’Seeing her for the first time, she truly is extraordinary.’
’No wonder Jing Yu treats her differently.’
"Causing such a commotion and violating Alliance rules... regardless of the reason, none of you can escape responsibility. All of you, come with me. Explain what happened, and you’ll be punished accordingly."