章 9: Bright Jade Building
編集者: Henyee Translations
When he went out at night, he saw the demons and ghosts in the city.
Women's wails, children's cries, beratings, beatings…
Lin Yan even met a wheelbarrow that was similar to his.
However, the other party was unrestrained. The corpses of two naked women with pale faces and thin bodies were lying on the cart. The person pushing the cart even smiled at him tacitly…
Lin Yan was extremely vigilant and finally pushed the cart to the canal that passed through the city.
There was no one around and the moonlight was dim. He moved a few heavy stones over and opened the sacks, revealing two naked corpses that were beyond recognition.
Then, he tied the corpses to heavy rocks and pushed them down the surging canal.
Then, there was a large bag of blood-stained cloth tied into a bundle. In the middle was a heavy stone. When the corpses were more or less washed away, it was thrown into the canal.
The moonlight shone everywhere. The water in the canal sparkled and surged up and down.
Seeing the corpses and clothes being washed away and disappearing without a trace, the huge rock in his heart slowly relaxed.
Immediately after, a violent turbulence surged from his stomach to his throat. The feeling of strangling someone with his own hands, the splatter of brain matter when he hit his head, the white and pale corpse…
"Urgh…"
He didn't catch his breath until he had vomited everything out of his stomach.
He pushed the cart back.
Thinking back to this afternoon, other than the thrilling scene after entering the door, what happened next was similar to what he had expected.
Hu Biao and Shanji were already cautious enough to only eat the dishes Lin Yan had eaten. However, they never expected that Lin Yan was not afraid of poison at all and he specially chose dishes with red umbrellas to eat.
Therefore, not long after, Hu Biao and the other man fell into an illusion and lost their ability to resist. They were smashed to the ground with wooden sticks that he had prepared beforehand and strangled to death with ropes.
Smashing their faces with stones and stripping them naked was partly to destroy the evidence, and partly to loot the corpses and plunder the spoils of war.
Thinking of this, Lin Yan looked down at his chest.
Only seventy to eighty copper coins were found on Hu Biao's companion, but more than five taels of silver were found on Hu Biao's body. There was also a green porcelain bottle with the words "Emerald Wind Powder" pasted on it.
Five taels of silver was a huge sum of money. It completely exceeded his expectations. It was as if the man had brought all his assets with him.
There was also Emerald Wind Powder. Lin Yan happened to recognize it as a poison, which was an unexpected surprise.
After he obtained Devour – Poison Transformation, he specially went to some pharmacies to inquire about some common poisons. Emerald Wind Powder was one of them. It was said that it could cause a person to have a stroke and become paralyzed.
Relying on the fact that he was not afraid of poison, Lin Yan took a small sip. Indeed, his blood energy surged. The effect of this bottle of Emerald Wind Powder was at least equivalent to forty to fifty poisonous mushrooms!
The crime truly paid off. Not only did he make up for the money he spent, but he also made up for the lost poisonous mushrooms.
However, he did not dare to relax. Instead, he became even more tense. He did not know if the deaths of the two people would provoke the people from the Black Tiger Gang.
At that time, the situation was urgent. He was worried that Hu Biao and the others would call for help and cause trouble, so he decisively attacked.
Now that he thought about it, he should leave someone behind to ask about the situation of the Black Tiger Gang behind them.
After pushing the cart carefully, he finally returned to the alley safely.
Knock, knock, knock.
He knocked on Uncle Wang's door.
There was a rustle of movement behind the door, but it didn't open.
"Uncle Wang, I know you're behind the door. Even if I don't return the cart today, I have to return it tomorrow."
After a while, the door opened shakily, revealing half of Uncle Wang's face. "You, what do you want?"
"Uncle Wang, don't be nervous. I just have something to ask you."
—-**—-
Half an hour later, Lin Yan went out.
Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang bullied the weak and feared the strong. Under his intentional or unintentional display of the bloodstains on the cart and his threat of both soft and hard methods, they were scared out of their wits and would not spread rumors for the time being.
Lin Yan wanted to silence them, but Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang were not alone. They had many relatives. In addition, there were not enough poisonous mushrooms, and he was not a professional assassin. Without full confidence, he did not want to take the risk.
From Aunt Wang, Lin Yan found out that Hu Biao had a father, but that guy was a gambling addict. He didn't have a good relationship with Hu Biao and rarely cared about his life.
That was why Hu Biao had so much money with him. He was probably afraid of his father losing all the money.
Hu Biao was often away from home, so his father wouldn't find out that Hu Biao was dead for the time being.
The most troublesome was still the Black Tiger Gang.
These gangsters lived in the dark alleys. They were vicious, and they would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. They would cause trouble even if they had nothing to do.
Once they were involved, they would be like parasites. Lin Yan had seen countless tragedies of families being destroyed by gangs.
Although the Black Tiger Gang wouldn't know that something had happened to Hu Biao for the time being and might not really stand up for him, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Xiaozhi was too fragile. He could not take any chances. This place was no longer safe. He had to quickly find a new place to stay.
He had been on tenterhooks for two days in a row. Fortunately, everything was calm.
"You're applying for leave again tomorrow? Didn't you just apply for it last time?"
"Uncle Chen, I really have something urgent to attend to."
"Xiao Lin, this isn't how you do the accounts. If everyone is like you, won't the business at the rice store be in chaos?"
Lin Yan remained silent.
Old Chen had a disappointed and sarcastic expression on his face. "I don't know how many people want to do this job but don't have the opportunity. Xiao Lin, don't be dissatisfied. Don't think that the main family values you because of your own ability!"
Lin Yan was unmoved. Old Chen's eloquence was much worse than the big boss's speeches in his previous life.
He knew himself well. With his ability to settle accounts, it was not a problem for him to make a living.
The next morning, after sending Xiaozhi to Muqing Book House as usual, Lin Yan rushed to Chengguang District again.
"Why are you here so early? Master Kui usually arrives in the afternoon!"
Helpless, Lin Yan could only wait temporarily.
Chengguang District was an upper district. It was paved with green bricks, red walls, and green tiles. The environment was extremely clean, and there were no vendors by the roadside. Along the way, there were even patrols that Lin Yan had rarely seen.
However, Lin Yan was standing in front of Bright Jade Restaurant without a roof over his head. He was chased away by the servants of Bright Jade Restaurant. He wanted to visit a teahouse. However, the cheapest pot of spring tea cost dozens of copper coins.
In the end, his hunger was unbearable. He endured the pain and spent ten copper coins in a restaurant. He bought a pancake and wolfed it down.
The price was more than double that of the middle circle.
Finally, in the afternoon, Lin Yan couldn't wait to come to Bright Jade Building again.
"Brother, please help me inform him."
Lin Yan took out ten copper coins and handed them to the servant.
The manservant took the copper coins without even looking up. "Tell me, why are you looking for Master Kui?"
Lin Yan took out the wooden piece with Li Muqing written on it. "Just say that I was entrusted by Old Master Li Muqing to look for Master Kui for a favor."
When the servant saw that the wooden object was exquisite and did not look ordinary, his expression could not help but become more serious. He said cautiously, "Wait for me first. I'll go and ask."
With that, he quickly walked in.
Not long after, the servant ran out and bowed slightly with a warm smile. "Sir, please come in! Master Kui wants to see you."
Lin Yan hurriedly followed. The moment he entered, a rich fragrance of makeup assailed his nose. It was soul-stirring.
The servant led him into the left passage. Along the way, there were faint sounds of girls talking and laughing. Finally, they entered the back room and an open backyard.
This was a martial arts arena. Blue stone paved the ground. In the middle of the arena, there was a tall and thin person wearing a black short shirt. He was about 30 to 40 years old and was facing off against five people in similar clothes.
Among the five of them, some were tall, some were short, some were fat, and some were thin. Their expressions were cautious and mixed with fear. The person who was surrounded in the middle had an indifferent expression and was uninterested.
Lin Yan stood still with the servant, and the five of them immediately moved. They punched and kicked at the person in the middle.
Lin Yan could clearly hear that these people's punches and kicks were like bow strings being pulled taut, emitting crisp air-piercing sounds. Their power was definitely not ordinary.
However, the person in the middle did not even raise his eyelids. Suddenly, he changed from extreme stillness to extreme fastness. He attacked later but arrived first. He punched, pushed his elbow, kicked, and raised his knee…
His movements were so fast that Lin Yan couldn't see them clearly. In a few moves, he knocked all five of them to the ground.
"Your footsteps are weak and your blood energy is depleted. What a bunch of trash! Lust is a great enemy. With your fists, you're simply unworthy of being called Strength Realm martial artists!"
As soon as he finished speaking, giggles could be heard.
Lin Yan looked up and saw that the few rows of windows on the roof were all open. A few gorgeous girls in gauze veils and cool clothes were leaning against the window sills and laughing.
"Did you hear what Master Kui said? Your blood energy is depleted. That won't do!"
"Hehehe, Master Kui is still the strongest. I've been craving for you for a long time!"
"That's right, that's right. Master Kui, my sisters are waiting for you!"
"Pfft, you little slut. Do you think Master Kui will like your skinny body?"
"…"
There was no end to the flirting words, accompanied by large patches of snow-white skin swaying and shining. It was extremely alluring.
"Pui, a bunch of sluts…"
The tall and thin man in black was Kui Shan. He cursed softly and hurriedly walked towards Lin Yan.
Lin Yan composed himself and bowed respectfully. "Hello, Master Kui!"
"This is not the place to talk. Come with me!"
Lin Yan followed him all the way to a small hut before Kui Shan heaved a sigh of relief.
Then, he sized Lin Yan up. "Kid, you have good self-control."
He was referring to the fact that Lin Yan's expression did not change when he saw a large group of gorgeous and alluring women.
Especially Lin Yan, who was dressed simply and plainly. It was obvious that he came from an ordinary background. It was even more extraordinary that he could keep his true nature.
"You flatter me, Master Kui."
Lin Yan replied respectfully. This small scene could only be considered a drizzle. In his previous life, it couldn't even reach the threshold of being censored.
He took out the wooden piece and handed it to Kui Shan respectfully.
Kui Shan took the wooden piece. "Old Master Muqing, how's he now?"
"Elder Li is healthy. He teaches at the Muqing Book House every day."
A nostalgic look appeared on Kui Shan's face. "Old Master Li is my benefactor. He helped me a lot with martial arts… Tell me, what do you want?"
Lin Yan didn't dare to be negligent and quickly told Kui Shan about his request.
"Practice martial arts?"
Kui Shan scrutinized Lin Yan. "Where do you live?"
"Zhubai District."
"Is there such a place?"
"Master Kui, this is a lower district."
"Lower district?"
Kui Shan raised his eyebrows slightly. "What does your family do?"
Lin Yan said helplessly, "My parents died early and I'm now working as a bookkeeper in a rice shop."
Kui Shan was speechless. "Then your parents must have left you a lot of money?"
"No."
"Then you still want to practice martial arts? Didn't Old Master Li tell you?!"
"Old Master Li naturally reminded me, but I still want to give it a try. Old Master Li allowed me two months."
"In other words, Old Master Li doesn't support you in martial arts either?"
Lin Yan couldn't hide it and could only tell the truth.
Kui Shan saw the determination in Lin Yan's eyes and shook his head slightly.
Young people just didn't listen to their elders. They wouldn't give up until they reached the dead end. They had to suffer a huge loss before they could learn their lesson.
However, Lin Yan was clearly someone that Old Master Li valued.
Thinking of Old Master Li's kindness to him, Kui Shan felt that he couldn't let Lin Yan go astray.
He immediately stood up. "Come with me!"
章 10: Longhu District
編集者: Henyee Translations
"Boss Yu, Boss Yu!"
At Huayue District, in front of a restaurant called Yu's, Kui Shan shouted loudly.
Huayue District was also a middle-level district. This Yu's was two stories high and occupied a large area. In terms of industrial value, it was even more valuable than the Fugui Rice Shop.
Lin Yan followed behind, feeling uneasy.
He could tell that Kui Shan did not seem to agree to let him practice martial arts. As soon as he left Bright Jade Building, Kui Shan brought him to Huayue District. He did not know what he wanted to do.
"Master Kui! You actually came personally! Come, come, come in!"
A middle-aged man with half-white hair quickly walked out of the restaurant and greeted Kui Shan warmly.
Kui Shan waved his hand. "There's no need to go in. Where's Yu Qian? Ask her to come out. I'll take her to Longhu District today."
Boss Yu's eyes lit up. "Really! Aiya, I've really troubled Master Kui. I'll treat you to a good meal tonight!"
"I'm just doing what I'm paid to do. There's no need to eat."
"How can I do that? I must invite you to dinner!"
"If that's the case… then I can only accept it!"
The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Not long after, a beautiful girl of 15 or 16 years old bounced out.
"Dad!"
She was wearing a bright yellow shirt and had an oval face. Her facial features were exquisite, and her eyes were lively. She had the energy of a young girl.
"Hey, this is Master Kui. Follow him and practice martial arts well!"
"Yes! Greetings, Master Kui!"
The girl bowed slightly, and Kui Shan nodded. "Then let's go!"
"Goodbye, Master Kui!"
Lin Yan did not understand and followed behind Kui Shan.
The young girl, Yu Qian, was a body's length away from him, walking side by side.
As they walked, the girl tilted her head and whispered, "Hey, my name is Yu Qian. What about you?"
"Lin Yan."
"Are you also going to learn martial arts?"
Lin Yan couldn't figure out what Kui Shan meant and could only say, "Probably…"
"Probably?"
Yu Qian did not understand.
However, Kui Shan suddenly said, "He is indeed going to practice martial arts with you. Yu Qian, you know the rules of the Dragon Gate Pavilion, right?"
Yu Qian hurriedly said respectfully, "Father told me that other than the three free meals a day, I have to take care of my own expenses."
"Oh? Did your father say what the exact expenses are?"
Yu Qian did not know what Kui Shan was thinking, so she could only say, "Father said that practicing martial arts consumes blood energy and requires meat to replenish it. A simple meal will definitely not be enough to fill one's stomach, so the money for meat costs more than 100 to 200 copper coins a day. There's also accommodation. There's a free common bed. If you don't want to live in a common bed, you have to spend money to rent a single room. However, this is cheaper. One tael a month…"
Seeing that Kui Shan was noncommittal, Yu Qian could only continue, "As for socializing with others, asking Master to guide me alone, as well as medicinal herbs and weapons. These are even more costly…"
Kui Shan nodded. "That's right. Meat and accommodation are just the cheapest expenses. Martial arts isn't about training behind closed doors and sparring with friends. You have to ask Master for guidance and even buy blood energy medicine to increase the speed of blood energy recovery. Which one doesn't cost a lot of money?"
"Yes, Yu Qian has learned her lesson."
Lin Yan also said, "I've learned something too!"
Not long after, the three of them entered the Longhu District.
Longhu District was also a middle square, and it was just south of Liuying District. However, the moment he entered the district, Lin Yan felt that the surrounding buildings were different from the other districts. They were simple and straight, as if there was a murderous aura everywhere.
Speaking of which, he seemed to have heard of the name Longhu District before…
With this thought in mind, his eyes narrowed slightly. A group of six or seven people wearing grayish-yellow leather armor walked past them.
"Tiger Camp…"
His expression changed slightly as he recalled that Tiger Camp was located in Longhu District!
Fortunately, they did not follow the leather-armored soldiers in the same direction. Instead, they quickly stopped in front of a courtyard that occupied a large area.
Lin Yan looked up. On the main entrance of the courtyard, there was a yellow wooden plaque with the words "Dragon Gate Pavilion" engraved on it.
Yu Qian looked excited. "We're finally here!"
"Yu Qian, go in and wait for me."
Yu Qian did not understand. She took a deep look at Lin Yan and entered.
Only then did Kui Shan turn around and look at Lin Yan. Lin Yan's heart tightened.
He suddenly said, "Lin Yan, do you know how much Yu Qian's father spent to let Yu Qian enter the Dragon Gate Pavilion to cultivate?"
Lin Yan shook his head.
"Two hundred taels!"
Lin Yan gasped slightly. 200 taels, so much!
"There are twenty taels of silver in my hands alone. There's also the internal arrangements, tuition fees, miscellaneous fees, and so on. Altogether, it's at least two hundred taels."
Lin Yan was silent. The qualifications to practice martial arts in the Dragon Gate Pavilion were actually so expensive?
"There are many places to learn martial arts in Ding'an City, but there aren't many places like the Dragon Gate Pavilion.
"I don't think Elder Li has told you how valuable this opportunity is, right? You're very lucky that Elder Li gave you this opportunity. But have you really thought about what price you have to pay to practice martial arts?"
Lin Yan was silent. He understood what Kui Shan meant. The man wanted to persuade him to back off.
"Elder Li has done me a favor. I don't want the person he values to go astray like this. So, make your own choice. If you give up on practicing martial arts, I'll give you five taels of silver. Go and look for Elder Li. He must have other arrangements for you."
With that, he turned around and entered. "Stay here and think about it. When I come out, give me your decision."
Lin Yan was speechless. If he didn't have the Golden Bodhi Scripture, after hearing those words, he would probably be hesitant and find it difficult to make a choice, right?
However, with the Golden Bodhi Scripture, not to mention five taels, he could not give up even if it was a million taels.
After calming down, Lin Yan closed his eyes to rest.
A moment later.
"Eh? It's you!"
Suddenly, a surprised shout made Lin Yan open his eyes.
He turned around. "Guard Geng?"
Behind him, Geng Bing's face was gloomy. He was holding a wooden box and looking at Lin Yan in surprise.
Beside him was a woman with heavy makeup and a charming appearance. However, she had high cheekbones and a mean face.
The woman asked, "Who is this guy?"
"A little thing from the rice shop." Geng Bing looked at Lin Yan. "You, you, you, what's your name again?"
"Lin Yan."
"Yes, that's the name. You've been hanging out with that coward Wu San all day. You're not a good person either. Why are you standing here?"
Lin Yan didn't answer. He just dodged and made way. "Guard Geng, after you."
Geng Bing snorted in disdain. "Coward."
After saying that, he went forward and reached out to pull a bell by the door.
Clang! Clang!
Geng Bing pulled a few times, but there was only the sound. No one came out.
The woman beside him said impatiently, "Are you done? Why haven't they come out yet? If anything happens to my brother, I won't let you off easily!"
Geng Bing's face alternated between green and red, but he did not dare to say a word.
Lin Yan took a few steps back. He heard that Geng Bing married into the family and became a martial artist because of his wife's sponsorship. Now, it seemed that the rumors were true.
However, didn't Liu Quan enter the Tiger Camp?
Why were they waiting for Liu Quan here?
Seeing that no one came out of the pavilion, Geng Bing's wife became more and more impatient, and her words became more and more harsh.
Lin Yan frowned and quickly took a few steps back.
Geng Bing had a bad temper. If he did not stay away from the man when he saw his ugly state, Lin Yan was afraid that he would be implicated…
Just as he thought of this, Geng Bing's fierce gaze immediately swept over.
"What the f*ck are you looking at!"
Lin Yan tensed up slightly. Suddenly, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw someone slowly walking out of the hall.
Kui Shan came out.
When Geng Bing saw that Lin Yan was actually ignoring him, he became even angrier. "Are you f*cking deaf?! Come over here!"
Lin Yan's eyes turned cold as he slowly walked forward.
"How dare you look at me directly? I'll beat you to death…"
Geng Bing laughed sinisterly. Just as he raised his fist, he suddenly heard a person behind him say coldly, "What are you doing!"
He turned around and saw Kui Shan dressed in short combat attire. "Who are you?! It's none of your business that I'm teaching my servant a lesson!"
Kui Shan frowned. "Servant? Lin Yan, did you sign a contract?"
Lin Yan cupped his hands and said, "No. Master Kui, I'm a worker at the rice shop. He's only a guard at the rice shop. I've never signed a contract either."
"If you didn't sign a contract, then why are you saying that he's your servant!"
Kui Shan snorted.
At this moment, Geng Bing could already tell that Kui Shan had walked out of the door. He said fiercely, "He's just a small accountant, and he's my servant! Also, I've been ringing the bell for so long. Why did you only come out now? Didn't you hear me ringing the bell?!"
His wife shouted from behind, "That's right, that's right. My brother has already joined the Tiger Camp. He's a hero who sacrificed himself for the city. Who bullies the family members of heroes like this?!"
"What the hell is that!"
Kui Shan did not understand what he was talking about at all. He could not be bothered with him and walked out directly.
"Hey, stop right there! We clearly agreed that you would send the things to my brother!"
Geng Bing immediately came over and raised the wooden box to block in front of Kui Shan. "I've already given you the money. How can you not do anything!"
Kui Shan said impatiently, "I'll say it again. Get lost!"
"You're just a small concierge. Watch your mouth!"
Kui Shan did not hold back anymore and raised his leg to kick his chest.
"How dare you hit me…"
Geng Bing clenched his fist tightly and punched out. He wanted to block this kick and argue later.
Unexpectedly, Geng Bing's expression changed drastically the moment they came into contact.
A powerful force came from the other party's feet and instantly broke his right hand. The remaining force did not decrease and smashed heavily into his chest like a galloping horse!
Bang!
With a muffled sound, a huge force wrapped around Geng Bing's body and sent him flying dozens of feet away, landing heavily on the ground.
The wooden box in his hand instantly shattered, and dried fruits, dried meat, and clothes flew in all directions.
Geng Bing clutched his chest. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper as he collapsed in the mess. He pointed at Kui Shan and shouted in fear, "Tough, tough force…"
Then, his head tilted to the side, as if he had stopped breathing.
"AHHHHHH!"
His wife screamed at the side, sounding extremely ear-piercing.
"Shut up! Otherwise, I'll kill you too!"
Kui Shan shouted and Geng Bing's wife froze.
"How unlucky. Come, Lin Yan, come in with me!"
Lin Yan's entire body was trembling, and his breathing was rapid.
With Geng Bing's appearance, it was very likely that his sternum had pierced through his heart and he was no longer alive.
Geng Bing, who had been arrogant and domineering just now, had become a soft corpse in just a few seconds.
Lin Yan took a deep breath.
This was the law of this world!
The strong preyed on the weak, and life and death were in their hands. If they could not become the powerhouse who determined their own fate, they would die at any time like Geng Bing and Hu Biao!
He was not alone. He wanted to ensure Xiaozhi's safety and ensure that she grew up safely. If he had the ability, he really wanted to find out why his father had died…
"So, how can I not practice martial arts?"
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