Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Since I started practicing martial arts, my stamina has become very strong, and it only takes me about half an hour to run back.

Before the sun had even set, Ye Ci had already arrived home.

"I'm back!"

Hearing the noise, Grandma Li came out of the house. Seeing the rabbit, her old face immediately lit up like a chrysanthemum, and she happily exclaimed:

"We've caught another rabbit! My grandson is really something."

She deliberately spoke loudly, to let people know that there was a man in the house.

After saying that, he deftly took the rabbit and went to the well by the door, where he began to skin and chop the meat.

Wu, who lived next door, peeked in briefly before retreating back inside, and sounds came from inside the house.

"You useless man! Look at the Ye family, they practically eat meat every day. They even sent us half a wolf leg the other day!"

Indeed, Ye Ci felt that since her grandmother had taken Wu's eggs, it would be good for her, as a neighbor, to return some of them.

We owe each other nothing.

At that moment, the sound of something being smashed came from the inner room, followed by a man's cursing.

"You keep talking about Ye Ci, Ye Ci. He's old enough to be sharp and quick-witted. How old am I? Why didn't you say that when I was young! If you're really that capable, you should marry him yourself."

"If you can give him a baby, I'll take care of you during your postpartum period."

"..."

Mumu squatted down beside Li Shi, carefully cleaning the rabbit meat. Upon hearing these words, she immediately looked up.

Wu happened to peek out from inside, seemingly wanting to see if Ye Ci was there.

Mu Mu thought to herself that Wu was old, short and stocky, and her benefactor might not agree.

She also refused to take care of Wu Shi during her postpartum period, because that woman loved to curse.

But Li's face lit up with joy, and she whispered to her, "Who would want her? From now on, you can't compare Ci'er to other men, understand? You are our family's daughter-in-law."

"what!"

Mumu nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

"I'm going to take some to my second aunt; Yao Yao likes to eat rabbit meat."

Ye Ci planned to visit her second aunt before it got dark. She had been going there every day these days to prevent some men from worrying about the widow and her orphan.

Now he is the pillar of the family.

He carried firewood and took a small basket of rabbit meat as he went out the door.

The evening breeze carried the scent of withered grass, mixed with the faint stench of a distant outhouse, making the air feel somewhat sticky.

Ye Ci carried firewood on his back, his shoulder occasionally brushing against the mud bricks of the courtyard wall, and fine bits of mud fell onto his clothes.

In fact, he was somewhat absent-minded.

With only half a month left, it was clear that he wouldn't reach the Ming Jin level, so he needed to scrape together another ten taels of silver to continue his tuition for another month.

In addition, the family also had to harvest rice, and after the harvest, taxes had to be paid. If the taxes could not be paid, then corvée labor would be required.

This world... is really tough.

Before I knew it, we arrived at my second aunt's house and saw a large crowd gathered at the door.

With a sharp "thud," the sound of someone falling to the ground in the courtyard could be heard.

Ye Ci stepped forward calmly and stood outside the crowd, watching.

"Master Li, please don't bother with an orphan and a widow!"

The person speaking was neither Second Aunt nor Yao Yao.

Ye Ci knew this person; he was Niu Erdan from the village. He lost his wife early in life, and after his second uncle died, he often helped his second aunt. He wanted to live with her, but his second aunt refused to agree no matter what.

"Erdan! Who the hell do you think you are, daring to block my way! Get out of my way!"

"That woman, how many times have I told you, no one should be shortchanged on the autumn harvest tax. You're trying to gain my sympathy just because your husband died, aren't you!"

Ye Ci put down the firewood, pushed through the crowd, and people around him made way for him.

He was not happy, feeling that if they wanted to deal with Erdan, they could have done it somewhere else, but it was wrong to scold his second aunt.

As he was about to step forward, he felt a sudden tightness on his shoulder; an old man had stopped him and pressed him down.

They were all from the same village, knew each other, and all knew that Ye Ci had returned from his corvée labor.

The old man lowered his voice: "Xiao Ci, don't mess with Da Biao. It's the rice harvest season. It'll be a loss if you mess with them."

At that moment, Erdan's desperate pleas could be heard from inside the courtyard.

"I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you, okay?"

Ye Ci was pulled back, but he also got a clear look at the situation in the courtyard.

Amidst the chaos, Auntie huddled in the corner, her body curled up. Yao Yao was already terrified, sitting blankly on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes.

Four men in traditional Chinese jackets stood in the middle of the room, all grinning.

Ye Ci recognized Li Dabiao. He hadn't changed much from her memory; he was sturdy, and his oily face was noticeably different from that of ordinary people.

A burly farmer was lying on the ground, Niu Erdan, his cheeks being slapped by Li Dabiao like a dog.

"I didn't realize you were so generous, you little bastard. I was only going to take five taels of silver, but since you have it, bring me two more taels, and we'll be even."

"Go back and get your money."

Li Dabiao kicked Niu Erdan, who let out a sigh and scrambled out the door.

Seeing Niu Erdan leave, Second Aunt stood up and shouted loudly:

"Come back! This is none of your business."

"Snapped!"

Someone stepped forward and slapped her across the face; the sound was crisp and clear.

Ye Ci looked at the man, whose arms were muscular and looked like a martial arts expert. He then looked at the remaining people and memorized them.

Before long, hurried footsteps approached; it was Niu Erdan returning with half a string of coins in his hand.

"Master Li, I have half a string of cash here. Can I pay you back after I sell the grain?"

"Go to hell!"

Before he even got there, those people started cursing.

Even gangsters know the importance of taking things slowly and steadily. By coming to their door asking for money, they had already thoroughly investigated Auntie's family's finances and believed they could get some money from them.

As for Niu Erdan's family, two taels of silver was the amount they expected to be able to come up with.

The other party is being so stingy on purpose, probably because they're afraid that if they have too much money, others will covet it.

"etc."

Ye Ci took a step forward, blocking Niu Erdan's path, and looked at the group.

Upon hearing the voice, Li Dabiao was taken aback, wondering where this burly young man had suddenly appeared from.

Then, his gaze fell on the machete at his waist.

"Oh? Someone else wants to cause trouble?"

As he spoke, he touched his waist and pulled out a short blade, and then the people around him also pulled out short knives.

"Don't……"

Niu Erdan waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't do anything, let's talk this out. This is Ye's Xiao Ci... She just returned from her corvée labor less than half a month ago."

The honest farmer, whose mind was focused on avoiding trouble by spending money, didn't want to provoke these local ruffians and took the initiative to beg for mercy on Ye Ci's behalf.

"Master Li, he's just a child."

Niu Erdan said repeatedly, taking a step forward to block Ye Ci.

Li Dabiao's eyes darted around, his gaze passing over Niu Erdan, and he said to Ye Ci:

"Hey kid, are you planning to chop someone up with that machete?"

Ye Ci calmly replied, "I chop wood, I don't chop people."

At this moment, Niu Erdan scurried over, stuffed half a string of coins into Li Dabiao's hand, and pleaded:

"Master Li, come over tomorrow, and I guarantee I'll get you the two taels of silver."

Li Dabiao took the money, weighed it in his hand, glanced around, and a sneer appeared on his lips: "Alright, I'll be magnanimous since you're honest and law-abiding, Erdan. But if I can't come up with money next time, don't say I'm unreasonable."

"But this time... I've increased it to three ounces."

"Three...three ounces."

Upon hearing that the price had been raised again, Niu Erdan was speechless for a moment, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

This sight struck Li Dabiao as somewhat amusing. He slowly rubbed the short blade in his palm and said:

"I won't make things difficult for this orphan and widow today. I'll show you the greatest mercy by giving you a week's grace. After a week... three taels."

The greatest mercy?!

Ye Ci remembered those words, narrowed his eyes, and looked up at the setting sun.

At this moment, Li Dabiao walked up to Ye Ci: "You're quite robust. Judging from your expression, you're not convinced?"

Ye Ci spoke calmly and seriously, "Since you've brought up collecting taxes, are you targeting my Ye family or the Niu family? If it's the Niu family, I won't say anything. But if it's my Ye family, I'm definitely not happy about it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thugs next to him burst into laughter.

"If you ask your Ye family for it, and they can't afford it, someone else will give it to you. What the hell are you unhappy about?"

"Don't be so fierce. He's still a child, and quite handsome. If you tie him up and sell him to a brothel, he'll fetch a good price."

"Hey! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, if someone hears this, they'll think we're a bunch of thugs bullying ordinary people!"

Those people spoke as if no one else was around.

Ye Ci narrowed his eyes slightly, sighed, and took a step back to make way.

He wanted to ask if Li Dabiao had done the forced labor for him back then.

At that moment, he felt there was little need for it.

The group laughed as they walked past Ye Ci, with one of the tall, thin men even patting Ye Ci on the shoulder.

"Kid, you can't stand firm if you're not ruthless. I'd give you a knife and you still wouldn't know how to use it!"

Ye Ci looked up and watched the group stride away, their laughter still echoing.

"You coward! Who are you trying to scare with that machete?"

"Hahaha……"

"Brothers, it's getting late."

"Let's go! Let's invite a few more households to Da Biao's house for a drink!"

"Okay..."

Li Dabiao greeted them warmly.

After the group left, the onlookers gradually dispersed, and Auntie stood in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Her mind was in turmoil; the family had lost its head, and her nephew Ye Ci was too young.

Ye Ci could understand. She was definitely grateful to Niu Erdan for coming to her rescue, but since her second uncle's body was still warm, people would gossip about it.

Yao Yao turned pale with fright, rushed over and hugged Ye Ci, tearfully and accusing him:

"Brother...they're bad...they hit me and insulted my father..."

"Don't cry, Yao Yao. Your dad will talk to them about it."

As they were talking, Niu Erdan saw Ye Ci coming over. His rough hands unconsciously rubbed the hem of his short jacket repeatedly, and a simple and honest smile appeared on his lips. He looked honest, awkward, and down-to-earth.

"It's alright, it's alright... It's on me, these three taels are on me."

"I want to ask you something," Ye Ci said.

"I...I...I..."

Niu Erdan felt a little embarrassed to see the Ye family, since they were all from the same village.

Do you recognize Li Dabiao's house?

"Ah...I recognize it."

"I'll come find you tonight and take me to his house."

Ye Ci didn't want to get too involved in matters of the heart. He simply put down the firewood, handed the rabbit meat to his second aunt, and then went out.

Go home and have a good meal first, then call Niu Erdan over.

How can revenge be left unresolved overnight?

******

In the town of Longpan, a light is on in a tiled house on the west side.

The aroma of meat mixed with the smell of cheap liquor wafted out from the window cracks, while steam rose from the large stove in the outer room. Several people sat around a pot of stewing meat, chatting happily.

"That greenhorn is both infuriating and hilarious! Don't talk to us with a wood-chopping knife in your hand..."

The tall, thin man crossed his legs, tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, and suddenly started talking about what happened during the day.

"That kid looks pretty strong, like he's got some skills," someone said.

Li Dabiao laughed and replied, "What, you think you can mess with us just because you practice martial arts? See if he dares to utter a single fart after we leave!"

The tall, thin man laughed, "What's the use of practicing martial arts? I've practiced it too. Back when I learned martial arts at the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, my hands were almost rotten from practicing Tiger Claw Kung Fu. I had to stick hot sand into them every day, it really hurt like hell."

Some people joked, "That's because you lack talent. Some people can develop strength in just over a month."

"What do you know? The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. Back then, I could barely afford to eat meat, so I couldn't build up my energy and blood at all. Unlike those rich kids, who had plenty of medicinal baths and tonics to eat, they could train even a pig to become strong."

"Stop talking. What's the point of training? Just enough to deal with ordinary people and eat meat."

Li Dabiao was hosting today, so he busied himself serving meat to the group, scooping a steaming hot bone from the pot and putting it into the bowl of the tall, thin man.

"By the way, the gang is planning something big lately, did you guys know?"

"What is it?"

"You guys don't know..."

Li Dabiao smiled and said mysteriously, "With..."

Just as he finished speaking, a soft creaking sound came from outside the door, as if someone had stepped on a dead branch.

The flame of the oil lamp suddenly leaped, and the shadow cast on the wall instantly distorted.

"Who?!"

The men suddenly stood up, gripping their short knives tightly, and stared warily at the doorway.

no respond.

Only the mournful sound of the wind passing through the alleyway added to the eeriness.

"Is there a ghost?" someone asked.

Li Dabiao stared at the doorway: "Impossible, I'm afraid it's some blind fool."

"Who would dare come looking for us at night?"

"Could it be that greenhorn?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? You wouldn't dare come here during the day, and you dare to come looking for death at night?"

Boom boom boom!

A knock came at the door.

"who!"

In the silence, the wooden door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang.

A white figure stood at the doorway; it was Ye Ci.

His face was covered with a black rag, revealing only his eyes, which were cold in expression.

A gust of wind blew in from the doorway, causing the linen to flutter.

It feels cool.

Under intense pressure, the tall, thin man took a step back in fright, bumping into the table and smashing the bowls and chopsticks to the ground with a crisp sound.

"A ghost...a ghost!"

The tall, thin man was the first to shout, his voice piercing the ears of the others.

In the still of the night, the cry of "ghost" carried far, far away.

Ye Ci walked in slowly and quietly, then tore off the tattered cloth covering her face.

"Don't be afraid, there are no ghosts in the world."

His voice was flat and emotionless as he scanned the crowd.

His voice was calm, but his figure had already stepped out like a ghost, a woodcutter's knife appearing in his hand, drawing a sharp arc towards the person in front.

With a "splatter," blood splattered onto the dim wall, blooming into a hideous pattern.

"It's an unripe melon..."

The man tried to speak, but his voice abruptly stopped.

He looked down at the wound on his neck, blood gushing out, and then collapsed heavily to the ground, lifeless.

At the same time, the remaining men simultaneously drew short blades from their waists.

call!

Ye Ci, like a cheetah hunting its prey, suddenly lunged forward, his right hand, with fingers like iron hooks, gripping Li Dabiao's neck tightly.

puff--

In front of the remaining two people, he shoved Li Dabiao's face hard into the boiling pot.

Puff puff--

He kept struggling.

The whole room was filled with heat.

Then Ye Ci released his grip, allowing him to catch his breath.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh..."

With a heart-wrenching roar, Li Dabiao flailed his arms in pain, and Ye Ci twisted his waist and legs, kicking him hard in the stomach, sending him flying to the side.

The tall, thinner of the remaining two had martial arts training, and he lunged forward with his hands transformed into tiger claws.

boom!

Ye Ci delivered a simple, unadorned punch, striking the man squarely in the face.

The tall, thin man was sent flying a full ten feet away, crashing to the ground and falling motionless. His nose was dented, and blood gushed from his mouth.

Just as the remaining man was about to make a move, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing his vision to go black and his body to sway precariously.

"you!"

He opened his eyes wide, his face filled with disbelief, and watched as the iron fist came hurtling towards him.

Click!

The punch landed directly on his throat, and the man's body twitched slightly before he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Seeing that the tall, thin man was still alive and trying to crawl out, Ye Ci grabbed his ankle and dragged him back.

"You've practiced martial arts; your body is indeed more resilient than theirs."

"Let me go!!!!"

"Keep your voice down, don't shout, you'll scare the neighbors late at night."