"You're sure they're close with Chen Sanshi?"
"Absolutely sure!"
Huang Tao, half his face wrapped in blood-stained bandages, sat stiffly on a stool.
In front of him stood two fawning disciples—Zhang Chao and Li Hao.
Having lost an ear to Chen Sanshi's spear, how could Huang Tao possibly swallow that humiliation?
He hated that soldier—hated him so much his teeth ached.
But he couldn't beat him in a fair fight.
So, he had to resort to dirty tricks.
When fellow disciples Zhang Chao and Li Hao learned of his grudge, they came forward eagerly with a plan.
They couldn't kill Chen Sanshi, but they could make him suffer.
The plan? Go after the people close to him.
'You're strong, you're arrogant—but what about the ones around you?'
"I'm sure of it!" Zhang Chao said firmly. "We saw it with our own eyes last time. That bastard Chen led those three hunters up the mountain—they killed a black bear together and even shot at us with an arrow! They're tight!"
The two had been holding a grudge but never had the courage or power to take revenge.
Now that they had the chance, of course they'd jump at it.
"This move will definitely work!" Li Hao said proudly. "That guy used to have a friend. We sent him off to dig the canal—never heard from again. What's he gonna do to us now?"
"Senior Brother," Wei Xu said cautiously, looking uneasy, "Fifth Master told us not to provoke him lightly…"
"And how should I account for my missing ear then?!"
Huang Tao's voice exploded in rage. "I can't kill him, but I can damn well take it out on a few poor hunters! Let him watch people suffer because of him—that'll make me feel better!"
"Exactly!" Zhang Chao egged him on. "We've got over thirty brothers with us today. He's just one man—what's there to be afraid of?
"And come on, it's broad daylight! What's he gonna do—kill people in the street?"
"Well said!"
Huang Tao slapped the table. "Bring those hunters up here!"
A few martial hall disciples dragged three battered figures forward—their faces swollen and bloodied.
They were Zhao Qiao, Wu Da, and Zhuang Yi.
"Let go of me, you bastards—!"
"Watch your mouth!"
Zhang Chao stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.
"You—you have no right to arrest us!"
Blood trickled down Wu Da's lips as he shouted, "We didn't break any law!"
"No law?"
Li Hao smirked and pulled something from inside his robe—a cracked jade pendant. "Then what's this? You stole it from our Senior Brother, and now you're denying it?"
"You're full of shit! You planted that on us!" Wu Da roared.
That morning, martial hall disciples had barged into his house and "discovered" the pendant hidden inside—a pendant he had never even seen before.
They claimed the three of them had stolen it together.
It was a crude and shameless frame-up, without even a hint of logic.
"Pathetic peasants," Huang Tao said coldly. "Go up the mountain to hunt and still steal from me? Country bumpkins really are cheap!"
"You're a country bumpkin too!"
Zhuang Yi shouted back, "Aren't you Huang Tao? Your family used to weave straw mats in Qianjia Village! It was only after your sister married that seventy-year-old Lord Feng in town that you got into the martial hall—"
"Shut up!"
Huang Tao's face flushed red with rage. He stomped down on Zhuang Yi's face. "Say one more word, and I'll crush your skull right now!"
Zhao Qiao, being the oldest, knew arguing was useless.
He swallowed hard and said, "Master, please… give us a way out. Tell us what we can do to make this right."
"Compensation? You couldn't afford it even if you sold your lives."
Huang Tao sneered. "But I'm generous. I'll give you a chance—go bring Chen Sanshi here. Make him come kneel and apologize for you."
"I… I don't know any Chen Sanshi!"
Zhao Qiao's words froze everyone in place.
"Uncle Zhao?"
Wu Da and Zhuang Yi stared at him, confused.
Zhao Qiao gave them a sharp look and shook his head ever so slightly.
He'd figured it out.
These people weren't here for them—they were here for Chen Sanshi.
There were seven or eight of them standing in front, but at least twenty more were hiding nearby, all with swords strapped to their waists.
It was obvious. They didn't dare stir trouble in the military camp, so they planned to use the three of them as bait—to lure Shitou out and humiliate him in public.
Of course, Zhao Qiao knew they were innocent victims dragged into this.
But he also knew that if they hadn't begged Shitou to take them up the mountain hunting last time, none of this would've happened.
Since they had once benefited from him, they couldn't complain now—and they absolutely couldn't harm him.
Even though they weren't martial cultivators, they could tell this gang of dozens of martial hall disciples wasn't something even Chen Sanshi could face head-on.
He might be able to fight tigers, but against this many men? He'd surely suffer heavy losses.
"Don't know him?!"
Huang Tao sneered, seeing right through Zhao Qiao's intention. "You lying dogs—beat them!"
Zhang Chao and Li Hao led the charge.
After just a few blows, the three hunters were covered in blood, their faces swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
The villagers of Swallow-Edge Village watched from afar, afraid to get any closer.
No one dared intervene.
Huang Tao's patience was wearing thin. "Forget it. Wei Xu, go to the garrison and lure that bastard Chen out!"
"Me?"
Wei Xu shook his head so fast it looked like a rattle drum. He clearly didn't have the guts.
He pointed at Zhang Chao. "You two, go."
"Ah? Senior Brother?"
Zhang Chao and Li Hao both stepped back nervously. "We—we don't even know where the Thousand-Household Division is!"
Then came the sound—rapid, thunderous hoofbeats like war drums.
Da-da-da-da-da!
Everyone turned toward the sound.
At the far end of the dusty road, clouds of dirt rose like smoke.
A white horse burst through the haze, charging straight toward them.
On its back was a young man in armor, a bow and spear strapped to his back. The dust obscured his face, but his aura was unmistakable.
"It's him!"
Zhang Chao and Li Hao both exhaled in relief. "He's here!"
"Good!"
Huang Tao's eyes lit up.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted deliberately, "Chen, your villagers stole from me! Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"
"Shitou—they have numbers, be careful…"
Zhao Qiao tried to warn him, but his body was too broken to speak clearly.
"Shut up!"
Huang Tao kicked him in the ribs, then yelled again, "If you really want to meddle, fine! But you'll kneel and apologize for them! Otherwise, I'll chop off their hands and feet and throw them into the county jail!"
The only response was the pounding of hooves.
Da-da-da-da-da!
"Chen! My Senior Brother's talking to you—are you deaf?!"
Zhang Chao took a bold step forward. "Get off that horse right now!"
Alone, they wouldn't have dared face him.
But with over thirty martial brothers standing behind them, their courage inflated like a bellows.
Still, there was no response—only the thunder of hooves closing in fast.
"Why do I feel something's wrong?"
Li Hao's gut twisted. He noticed the rider's hands no longer held the reins. Instead, the young man was gripping a bow—aimed straight at him.
Thwack!
Before anyone could blink, a black shadow streaked through the air.
The arrow pierced Li Hao's chest clean through his heart. He dropped where he stood, dead before he hit the ground.
"What—?!"
Zhang Chao's jaw dropped.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Kill someone outright—in broad daylight?!
Before the thought could settle, the second arrow flew.
It struck Zhang Chao right in the mouth, bursting through the back of his skull.
He collapsed instantly, blood pooling beneath him.
Everything had happened too fast.
No one—neither Huang Tao's men nor the stunned villagers—had time to react. They all just stood there, frozen like statues.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then a calm voice broke it.
"I don't have many arrows left."
Chen Sanshi looked down at his quiver, his tone steady and cold. "Aside from Huang Tao and Wei Xu, anyone who wants to live can leave now. But I'll only count to ten."