Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 9 Night Kill
The next two days.

Yang Jing would go to the butcher shop in the West Market every noon to buy two catties of horse meat.

Before cooking the meat, he even practiced cutting it with a dagger.

My meat-cutting skills have improved considerably, but I often end up cutting the horse meat into tiny pieces, which doesn't really stop me from eating it.

In the afternoon, Yang Jing would leave half an hour early.

Fourth Senior Brother Liu Maolin came over to inquire, but Yang Jing only said that something had happened at home.

Huzhuang Village, Wazi Township.

In a courtyard at the entrance of the village.

The December night wind whipped up snowflakes that slapped against the window paper, but not a trace of cold air could penetrate.

This courtyard was an abandoned villa of the Ning family. Although it was not luxurious, it was much more secure than an ordinary farmhouse. The window paper was thick, and there was a small stove in the corner of the wall, with a wine pot steaming on it.

Inside the main room, five men sat around a square table, all dressed in thick short-sleeved shirts with their cuffs tightly bound.

The man at the head of the group, with a face full of scars and triangular eyes, was none other than Feng Lei, a notorious thug from the surrounding villages.

He was putting a piece of braised beef into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and swallowing it with a quick movement of his Adam's apple. Then he picked up the wine bowl and took a big gulp, the wine sliding down the corner of his mouth.

Setting down his wine bowl, Feng Lei glanced at the meat and vegetables on the table, a hint of smugness in his eyes—he was only able to live so comfortably in the Ning family because of his cousin's influence.

"Brother, I think the Yang family has backed down. They're just waiting for Master Ning to come back. They should be ready to sell the land. Should we still throw filth on their door tomorrow?" a thin young man asked.

"Keep splashing!" Feng Lei sneered. "I heard they even want Master Ning to give them more money. Let's scare them out of their wits and see if the Yang family dares to bring up the matter of more money again!"

A short-browed man at the next table clicked his tongue, picked up a piece of rabbit meat, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Why don't we just take a few men and chop down their plow? They'll all starve to death next spring!"

"Fool!" Feng Lei glared and scolded, "My cousin just told me that Master Ning is very particular about appearances, and we can't do anything openly violent. But secretly..."

He sneered, his triangular eyes narrowing. "They need to know that those who disobey the Ning family and disobey me, Feng Lei, will suffer the consequences!"

A skinny man standing nearby quickly chimed in, "Brother is right! Madam is now the apple of Master Ning's eye. If we handle this matter well, not only will Madam be proud, but you, brother, will also gain more influence in Master Ning's eyes, won't you?"

Feng Lei snorted, his expression softening considerably. He picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. "You're quite the talker, kid. Tomorrow, go and water their woodpile. In the dead of winter, let's see what they use to heat their kang (heated brick bed)."

After putting down his wine bowl, Feng Lei continued, "Go back to the well at the entrance of Yangjia Village and keep watch. When the old man Yang's family goes to fetch water, they 'accidentally' knock over the bucket."

Feng Lei emphasized the word "accidentally," paused slightly, and tapped his knuckles on the table. "Grind them down little by little. Let's see how long they can hold out. When Master Ning comes back, the Yang family will have lost all their will to fight back. They'll definitely hand over the land obediently then. This is a flawless job, and my cousin will have something to praise in front of Master Ning."

Feng Lei raised his chin and glanced at his subordinates. "My cousin has face in front of Master Ning, which means I have face in front of Master Ning. Only when I have face in front of Master Ning can you live a more comfortable life and be able to eat meat and drink wine in this year!"

"yes, Sir!"

"Yes!"

Several followers immediately chimed in to agree.

The charcoal in the brazier crackled and sparked, illuminating the faces of the five men.

They ate their food and drank their liquor, completely oblivious to the famine and cold outside.

Although they had received some food and benefits from the Ning family in the past, they had never had the chance to eat such a sumptuous meal.

Today, having finally enjoyed such a sumptuous meal, all five of them ate and drank to their hearts' content! "Brothers, drink! We won't leave until we're drunk!" Feng Lei shouted loudly, raising his wine bowl with boundless pride.

Fenglou Village, beside the only dirt road outside the village, in the woods on a cold night.

Yang Jing has been lying in wait for four days.

The pale moonlight filtered through the bare branches, making the frost on his temples appear white, and the chill had already seeped into his skin.

Late at night, a series of staggering footsteps suddenly came from afar.

Yang Jing quickly looked in the direction the voice came from, his pupils shrinking slightly. "It's Feng Lei!"

Yang Jing, who had been lying in wait for the past few days, discovered that Feng Lei drank almost every day, but he rarely got very drunk.

But today, Feng Lei was clearly more drunk than in the past few days. He was walking around with his cotton-padded coat open, humming a tune that was out of tune.

His steps were unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton. He would sway every few steps, and even bump into a tree trunk by the roadside. He just chuckled twice and then wobbled home again.

A thought flashed through Yang Jing's mind, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes—the opportunity had arrived.

After Feng Lei strolled by, he followed silently behind, like a shadow blending into the night.

Watching Feng Lei stagger to the third courtyard at the village entrance, fumble around for a while before finding the latch, and stumble inside, we heard a "click" as the door was bolted from the inside.

Without hesitation, Yang Jing quickly walked around to the courtyard wall. The mud wall wasn't very high. He took a deep breath, used the branches of the old locust tree next to the wall, and nimbly climbed over it, landing with only a barely audible thud.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the main house emitting a dim yellow light, presumably because Feng Lei had just entered.

Yang Jing moved close to the wall to the window and heard the sounds of slippers falling onto the bed, followed by heavy snoring that made the window paper tremble slightly.

Yang Jing waited patiently for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and his snoring became increasingly deep and heavy, indicating that he was already fast asleep.

Yang Jing took a deep breath, walked to the door, and gently pushed it. The door was not bolted, but only slightly ajar.

He held his breath, pushed open the door, and entered. The room was filled with a strong smell of alcohol.

By the moonlight streaming in through the window, you could see Feng Lei lying sprawled on the bed, drool still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Yang Jing moved step by step to the bedside, the dagger sliding from his sleeve into his palm, the chill spreading from his fingertips.

His gaze was cold and sharp, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed his left hand firmly on Feng Lei's shoulder, gripped the dagger tightly in his right hand, and swiftly sliced ​​across the other man's throat like lightning.

"ho"

Feng Lei let out a muffled gasp, his body convulsed violently, and then fell silent. Warm blood splattered on Yang Jing's hand, carrying a rusty, fishy smell.

Swish!
Without any hesitation, Yang Jing plunged the dagger into Feng Lei's throat. Although Feng Lei appeared to be dead, Yang Jing still wasn't satisfied and stabbed him again.

Yang Jing drew his dagger, wiped it clean on the bedding beside him, glanced at Feng Lei who was completely lifeless on the bed, and pursed his lips tightly.

He then quickly searched Feng Lei's body and pulled out a bulging money bag from the corpse's arms; it felt heavy in his hand.

He didn't have time to examine it closely. He weighed it in his hand, stuffed it into his pocket, and then immediately turned around. Just like when he came, he quietly left the room, climbed over the courtyard wall, and disappeared into the thick night.

(End of this chapter)