"Well now, if it isn't Ah Yuan."
When Lame Yang saw Bai Yuan appear, he scoffed, his expression actually relaxing a little.
His predecessor's reputation was just too awful. In Lame Yang's eyes, he was definitely the type to sell out his sister-in-law for wealth and status.
Bai Yuan ignored Lame Yang.
He walked straight over to his sister-in-law.
"Sister-in-law, are you hurt?"
Xiao Qiaoniang shook her head. "Thanks to Uncle Zheng, they didn't try anything."
Bai Yuan glanced at Hunter Zheng gratefully.
If Hunter Zheng hadn't stepped in to help today, his sister-in-law would have likely been in danger.
"Uncle Zheng, thank you."
"We're neighbors. What's with all the formality?"
Hunter Zheng let out a simple, honest laugh.
If it weren't for that bowl of meat broth Bai Yuan had given them, his two growing boys wouldn't have had any meat to eat.
He had never forgotten the favor.
That was how country folk were—they never forgot a kindness or a grudge.
Only two or three people knew that Bai Yuan was studying at the Martial Arts Hall, and Lame Yang certainly wasn't one of them.
"Ah Yuan, you've got some nerve now."
His predecessor had always been sickeningly obsequious, constantly calling him Brother Yang this and Brother Yang that.
Lame Yang was very displeased that Bai Yuan was giving him the cold shoulder today.
"Your sister-in-law bumped into my brother here. You'll be the one paying for his medical expenses—three taels of silver!"
Lame Yang crossed his arms, staring arrogantly at Bai Yuan.
Even a lowlife like him looked down on a useless loafer like Bai Yuan.
Only after confirming his sister-in-law was unharmed did Bai Yuan relax, a faint smile touching his lips.
"And which one of you was hit?"
Lame Yang was pleased with Bai Yuan's reaction. He pointed to a sturdy man beside him.
"That's him."
Bai Yuan glanced over. The man looked far stronger than any farmer who worked the fields; there was no way a woman like Xiao Qiaoniang could have knocked him down.
"I need to take a look at the injury."
"Fine. Go ahead and look."
Lame Yang waved his hand casually.
Bai Yuan walked up to the sturdy man.
The man held his bare arm out for Bai Yuan to see.
Bai Yuan studied it intently. A good ten seconds passed before he finally spoke.
"The injury isn't serious enough."
"What?!"
The words left Lame Yang and his men completely dumbfounded.
Before they could even process what Bai Yuan meant—
A gleaming dagger flashed across the man's throat!
"Ghk..."
The man tasted blood flooding his throat. He clutched at the wound, but fresh blood gushed between his fingers. He stared in utter disbelief at the cold, impassive youth before him.
'Fuck! Fuck!'
Lame Yang's eyes bulged, his heart pounding with terror.
'He's supposed to be a harmless piece of trash! He was just smiling a second ago! How could he be so ruthless?'
Even he, who was no stranger to bloodshed, felt a wave of nausea.
The surrounding townspeople gasped, unable to believe what was happening before their eyes.
Bai Yuan watched impassively as the man collapsed to the ground in front of him.
Reinforcement Points +3
'The third time... I'm getting much better at this.'
'A blade in hand awakens the beast within!'
He turned to look at Lame Yang, who was so terrified he was shaking like a leaf.
Lame Yang dropped to his knees with a THUD.
"Ah Yuan—no, Brother Yuan! I was wrong! Please, spare me!"
He was truly terrified.
Seeing this, the onlookers all started to chime in, trying to talk Bai Yuan down.
"Ah Yuan, maybe just let it go. Lady Xiao wasn't hurt, after all."
"Ah Yuan, someone's already dead. You should stop now."
"It'll be trouble if the Officials get involved."
...
Bai Yuan was suddenly flooded with pleas from the crowd.
In the eyes of the other Baisha Town residents, with one man dead and another on his knees, Lame Yang had learned a harsh enough lesson for one day.
In those days, it was said a man had gold beneath his knees, meaning he should never kneel. For Lame Yang to kneel to Bai Yuan today was a humiliation he could never live down in Baisha Town—a fate worse than death.
Bai Yuan turned his head to look at Xiao Qiaoniang.
"Sister-in-law, what do you think?"
"I'll do as you say."
"Alright."
Bai Yuan nodded slightly.
As everyone watched in shock, he spoke slowly.
"No!"
The word was barely out of his mouth when he raised the gleaming dagger, the clinging drops of blood forming a scarlet line in the air.
Lame Yang's head snapped up.
He had already knelt, yet Bai Yuan still wanted him dead.
'Regret... Infinite regret washed over him. He should never have messed with the Bai Family.'
The hand rose, the blade fell!
The dagger plunged into the nape of Lame Yang's neck. The man who had terrorized the town for so long had no power to resist.
Bai Yuan had already broken through the Skin Grinding Barrier. An ordinary person was no match for him.
Lame Yang was dead!
Reinforcement Points +5
The sight of the two corpses lying in front of the Bai Family's home was ghastly.
Hunter Zheng was also terrified. Bai Yuan's ferocious aura was chilling, and he was just glad they were friends, not enemies.
"Ah Yuan, you've killed people. You need to run, now!"
He warned, his intentions kind.
The Xuan Yang Dynasty was founded on martial prowess, so killings weren't rare. But that was a privilege reserved for Martial Artists and nobles. If a commoner killed someone, the Government Office would arrest them and throw them in jail. They wouldn't care about any injustice; they'd just beat you to death.
Lame Yang had tormented Baisha Town for years, so even though Hunter Zheng didn't lower his voice, no one stepped forward to stop Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan shook his head slightly.
'At worst, I'll have to reveal my true strength and the fact that I've broken through the Skin Grinding Barrier. I only killed a couple of scoundrels. The County Magistrate's Office won't make trouble for a Martial Artist over something like this.'
"Junior Brother Bai?"
A fair-skinned young man emerged from the crowd, staring at Bai Yuan in surprise.
Bai Yuan recognized him as Liu Qingshan, the third son of Baisha Town's head.
Many of the older residents of Baisha Town recognized Liu Qingshan.
Junior Brother Bai...
An elderly man mulled this over. He distinctly remembered that Liu Qingshan had always been studying at the Martial Arts Hall in the city.
Then his eyes widened.
If Liu Qingshan called Bai Yuan "Junior Brother," it meant Bai Yuan was also training at the Martial Arts Hall. And he must have a respectable status, or someone like Liu Qingshan wouldn't have even remembered him.
Liu Qingshan glanced at the corpses on the ground.
"Junior Brother Bai, did you kill these two?"
"Yes."
Bai Yuan did not deny it. With so many onlookers, it would be impossible to deny even if he wanted to.
Liu Qingshan smiled faintly. "If they're dead, they're dead. I'll call a couple of my family's servants to clean this up. Can't have this ruining the mood for us martial brothers."
At his words, the crowd fell deathly silent.
In those days, imperial power didn't reach the county level, let alone a tiny place like Baisha Town. Here, all matters, big or small, were handled by the clan of the town head, Liu Laohua.
To Liu Qingshan, killing a scoundrel was no different than squashing an ant.
The corners of Bai Yuan's mouth lifted slightly.
'Clearly, Liu Qingshan wants to make this problem disappear. His intention to protect me is obvious.'
"Senior Brother Liu, I hear there's a decent tavern next to the Martial Arts Hall."
'I'll be staying in Baisha Town for a while longer. It can only be a good thing to be on friendly terms with the Liu Family.'
"Junior Brother Bai, I was just heading back to the Martial Arts Hall myself! Let's go, and we won't go home 'til we're drunk!"
Liu Qingshan laughed heartily. He slung an arm around Bai Yuan's shoulders as they boarded the carriage, looking for all the world like friends who had known each other for years.
To win over a Martial Artist just by helping him deal with a couple of thugs? It was an incredibly worthwhile trade.