The Disaster

[After throwing ten thousand punches, maximum strength increased by 0.2]

[After throwing ten thousand punches, boxing proficiency increased by 3%]

Qin Yan felt the increase in the speed and power of his punches. He could even clearly feel the movement of every muscle in his arms.

Under the control of his mental power, his bodily coordination was becoming increasingly formidable as well.

Besides that, he could also feel that the strength of his bones had increased considerably compared to before.

In particular, the bones in his fists, elbows, knees, and legs were at least twice as hard as before.

This also meant that his attacks were more destructive.

Meanwhile, because of the flooding, life had grown even harder for the people of Qinghe Town.

Many could no longer put food on the table.

Things were not much better for Song Bao and the others' families. Many households had lost their entire grain harvest.

The adults in the village also headed into the forest in groups.

Each day's haul grew thinner and thinner, until now it was no longer enough to cover their needs.

Seventh Uncle and the others should have begun buying furs and mountain produce under Qin Yan's arrangements.

Qin Yan did not drive prices down too much because of the natural disaster. He bought the villagers' furs while making sure he did not take a loss.

He was no saint, either. Why would he do business at a loss?

A good person gets bullied, just as a good horse gets ridden.

One of humanity's flaws was that people feared might, not virtue.

Once people thought you were easy to talk to, they would not care what difficulties you faced. They would use moral blackmail to force you to give up your profits.

Worse still, they would gather a mob to seize your wealth.

When Qin Yan encountered people who tried to use moral blackmail on him, he flatly refused to buy their furs and mountain produce.

When people tried to make trouble, Qin Yan struck back, breaking the arms and legs of several thugs. His fearsome reputation gradually spread through the surrounding area.

Even people from his own village looked at Qin Yan with a trace of awe.

If Qin Zhaolin could be called smooth and tactful, then Qin Yan was a vicious wolf with principles.

When reason would not get through to those people, Qin Yan could only let his fists and feet do the talking.

With Qin Yan around, Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang no longer encountered anyone who dared make things difficult for them when they bought mountain produce in these villages.

August had just arrived.

The weather was growing hotter, and the heat waves stung people's faces.

"This damned weather. Who knows how many people will be baked to death?"

Seventh Uncle looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky, sweat pouring down his body, and could not help cursing aloud.

An ox cart traveled along the official road, packed full of furs and mountain produce collected from the villagers.

Along the way, they saw many disheveled, filthy children begging by the roadside, as well as many farmers who had lost their fields and tenant farmers who had never owned any land at all.

One flood had left countless people homeless and even cost them their lives.

It had brought unimaginable disaster to this agrarian society.

Many disaster victims had already gathered outside Qingshui Town, and they turned pleading eyes on Qin Yan and the others.

Qin Yan gripped the Coiling Tiger Staff and sharply scrutinized the greedy gazes around him.

These people were penniless, and after going hungry for so long, there was no telling when they might completely lose control.

"Stay close to me."

Qin Yan gave the quiet instruction, and Seventh Uncle and the others hurriedly nodded.

Those eyes, like those of hungry wolves, truly made their hearts tremble.

Before long, a group of disheveled, filthy men closed in around them.

Their faces were full of sorrow!

"Masters, please have mercy and give us something to eat. We haven't eaten in days."

A young man was the first to approach Qin Yan, pleading with him desperately.

At the sound of his voice, a large crowd of refugees nearby immediately turned their gazes toward them. Some looked hopeful, while others were itching to act.

Qin Yan's heart sank!

Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang also tightened their grips on their weapons without realizing it.

"Out of the way!"

Qin Yan looked at the young man before him, his voice growing colder!

"Little brother, we really can't survive much longer. Please..."

Before the young man could finish speaking,

A hand like an iron clamp seized him by the throat. Though Qin Yan was only fourteen, he had grown to about 1.85 meters tall during this period.

He stood a head taller than the young man before him.

Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Qin Yan lifted him up with one hand.

Sharp intakes of breath sounded all around them.

The youth before them was probably a highly skilled martial artist. The disaster victims who had surrounded them now backed away a few steps without realizing it.

The disheveled young man felt such intense suffocation that he could not breathe at all. His face flushed red, and he could not break free of Qin Yan's grip.

An icy presence radiated from Qin Yan, making everyone feel as though thorns were piercing their backs, as if they were facing some peerless vicious beast.

They felt fear rise from the depths of their hearts.

Instinct told them that the youth before them must never be provoked.

Qin Yan's cold gaze swept over the crowd.

"Don't get any crooked ideas, or you'll die!"

Qin Yan did not speak loudly, but his voice reached everyone's ears clearly. At that moment, none of them dared doubt his words.

He had lifted a man weighing over a hundred jin with one hand as easily as picking up a chick.

Their fear of death ultimately suppressed their desire for food.

The crowd that had gathered around them instantly parted, opening a path.

Qin Yan casually tossed the man in his hand to the side of the road like a dead dog.

The young man wore the expression of someone who had just escaped death, greedily gulping down air.

The threat of death left his face full of lingering fear.

He looked at Qin Yan in utter terror, then scrambled and crawled away.

"Go!"

Qin Yan led the way, while Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang wiped the cold sweat from their brows without realizing it.

Fortunately, Qin Yan was there. Otherwise, their entire cartload of goods would have been snatched away.

They reached the town gate, where the garrison soldiers had already taken over.

Qinghe Town was no ordinary town, but a military town.

Not far from the town was an army camp with two or three thousand men.

They were responsible for guarding the shipping routes and granaries here.

The disaster had forced them to come out and maintain order, though of course only within Qinghe Town.

As for other places, they could only fend for themselves.

"Five copper coins per person, thirty for the goods!"

A garrison soldier came forward to inspect them. After sweeping a glance over them, he spoke impatiently to Qin Yan and the others.

"Yes, sir!"

Seventh Uncle came forward with a beaming smile and immediately took out forty-five copper coins and handed them over.

Only after they had paid were they allowed into town.

Fucking expensive!

Qin Yan could not help complaining inwardly. These soldier thugs were even more ruthless than the constables, plucking feathers from every goose that flew past.

Compared with the disaster victims covering the ground outside, the town was another world altogether.

Although the streets were packed with people, everything was orderly.

Vendors on both sides of the street called out their wares, while the expressions of bewilderment, uncertainty, and indifference on people's faces were plain to see.

Some children and women even gathered at the doors of restaurants, begging the customers inside to give them a bite to eat.

But before long, people came out to drive them away, beating them with sticks without the slightest mercy.

"How awful! I wonder if the authorities will open the granaries and distribute grain?

If this goes on, I'm afraid quite a few people will starve to death!"

Seventh Uncle looked deeply worried. Although their village's farmland had not all been flooded, whether the remaining grain could last them through the year was still in question.

Passing a grain shop, they looked at the prices, which gave them another shock.

Coarse rice cost fifty-six copper coins a dou, three or four times its previous price, yet a crowd of people was lining up and scrambling to buy it.

Qingfu Leather Goods Shop!

Here, he saw another of the original owner's father's killers.

The shopkeeper, Zhang Dangxing!