Deterrence

A large hand, black as iron, came down with immense force and weight. Before the blow even landed, Yang Heng felt a stinging sensation on his cheek.

If that hit connected, he'd be laid up for at least ten days to half a month.

The man who struck was named Li Kui, living up to his name—he was exceptionally burly and tall, with a face full of rough flesh and fierce eyes. Standing nearly two meters, he had thick arms, a broad frame, and palms the size of half a small fan.

Thanks to his strong physique and his knack for currying favor with the pharmacy master, Li Kui was a domineering figure among the apprentices. He often bullied Yang Heng, dumping all the dirty and heavy work on him, even making him wash his clothes and stealing his monthly wages.

Most of the original owner's injuries came from Li Kui. In fact, Li Kui was the direct cause of the original owner's death.

Just now, Yang Heng's piercing scream had been loud enough to disturb Li Kui's nap. When Li Kui realized it was that fool Second Fool, Yang Heng, causing trouble, rage flared, and without a word, he raised his hand and swung it toward Yang Heng's face.

'Daring to mess with the god of death—asking for it!' Li Kui thought to himself.

As for what kind of injury this slap would cause Yang Heng, he didn't care. The guy was a nobody, ignored like a weed by the roadside.

The palm drew closer to Yang Heng's face, the dry strands of hair on it clearly visible. Li Kui let out a loud, vicious laugh, imagining Yang Heng soon rolling on the ground in a mess. The thought thrilled him, and his laughter grew even more arrogant and unrestrained.

"Huh? This kid's face is calm, and he's not dodging. Did the scare make him stupid?"

Seeing Yang Heng's unruffled expression, Li Kui muttered to himself in confusion.

"I'm overthinking it. He's always been an idiot—how would he know to dodge?" Li Kui laughed, scolding himself for being foolish.

"Good thing he's dumb. He won't feel the pain. I'll give him a few more slaps and teach him who not to mess with."

Facing this sudden ferocious attack, Yang Heng thought he could only close his eyes and wait for death. But things turned out completely different from what he expected.

In the blink of an eye, a surge of heat flowed from within his body, rushing through his meridians with a mighty, roaring force.

At the same time, he felt a drastic transformation within himself.

In his vision, the trajectory of the falling palm was crystal clear, like a slow-motion replay. His own strength and reaction speed skyrocketed, countless times greater than before.

Yang Heng calmly raised his right hand, shot it out, spread his fingers, and grabbed Li Kui's wrist, stopping the attack mid-swing.

The other apprentices in the room had been expecting a good show—Li Kui beating Yang Heng bloody. But then they saw Yang Heng move like a ghost. Before their eyes could even register it, Li Kui's wrist was caught. His face flushed red as he struggled to break free, but he couldn't escape Yang Heng's grip.

"Let go!!"

Li Kui roared, veins bulging on his neck like writhing earthworms, a terrifying sight.

He used all his strength to twist his wrist, but it didn't budge.

It felt like he wasn't held by a flesh-and-blood hand, but by an iron one.

Looking up at Yang Heng's still-calm face, Li Kui felt fear for the first time. A chill surged through him, and he regretted his actions today.

"Let go?"

"Fine... take it back."

Yang Heng's right hand, still gripping Li Kui's wrist, suddenly jerked. A tremendous force erupted, and Li Kui's massive body flew sideways like a torn sack, landing over two meters away with a heavy crash. He spat out bloody foam, howling in pain, with faint sounds of cracking bones.

Pain...

After a moment, Li Kui came to his senses, feeling agony all over. Several ribs in his chest were broken, and his organs seemed displaced, making it hard to breathe.

His mind was foggy.

The injuries on his body were caused by Second Fool Yang Heng, the guy he usually trampled on at will. He stared in disbelief, stunned.

Was this still the slow-witted, dull Yang Heng?

Had a ghost possessed him?

How else could his strength have suddenly exploded like this?

Just earlier, he could grab Yang Heng with one hand and keep him pinned, doing whatever he wanted.

Today was truly a ghost story!

Li Kui's face was full of terror, his heart pounding. He kept his head low, not daring to look in Yang Heng's direction. Carefully, he moved his injured body, crawling toward the crowd, hoping Yang Heng wouldn't notice him.

Witnessing this, the onlookers in the room were shocked.

Li Kui's miserable state made everyone suck in a cold breath. Their pupils were filled with fear. They held their breath, not daring to make a sound, afraid that any noise would draw Yang Heng's attention.

In an instant, the room fell dead silent.

Oppressive!!

Suffocating!!

An invisible pressure weighed on everyone, cold sweat dripping down their faces.

Each of them had bullied Yang Heng to some degree in the past, contributing to his injuries. They feared Yang Heng would settle old scores now.

Though they outnumbered him, they didn't dare resist.

After all, even the burly Li Kui couldn't last a single round against Yang Heng—he was flung away like a sandbag with a light toss. As for them, skinny and weak, one slap might cost them half their lives. They weren't about to take that risk.

At this moment, they were like lambs waiting for slaughter on a chopping block, eyes closed, necks stretched out, at Yang Heng's mercy.

If they had all rushed him at once in this confined space, where dodging was hard, Yang Heng might not have won.

But they were already scared out of their wits.

Yang Heng saw Li Kui's little movements and the terror on everyone's faces clearly.

He also wanted to vent his anger thoroughly and avenge his past self, but he lacked the strength to do so.

The boundless divine power and terrifying speed he had just unleashed, Yang Heng guessed, came from the residual energy of the Marrow Cleansing Pearl after healing his body's injuries.

Now that the mysterious energy had been exhausted, his physical condition had returned to normal levels.

If Li Kui were to charge at him again, he wouldn't be able to fight back, couldn't even run, and would inevitably suffer a severe beating—perhaps even face mortal danger. Fortunately, he had already intimidated Li Kui, who now cowered in the crowd, not daring to make a sound.

As for the others, Yang Heng paid them no mind. They were a bunch of sycophantic scoundrels, skilled at licking boots and kicking the fallen.

When they encountered the weak, they bullied them relentlessly; when they met the strong, their bones went soft, bowing and scraping with fawning faces, letting themselves be driven like dogs.

These people were masters at trimming their sails.

At this moment, Yang Heng knew exactly what they were thinking—they hoped he wouldn't come looking for trouble.

Though he was now a paper tiger, with mediocre strength, he still knew how to put on a show.

Yang Heng put on a blank expression, glancing at the crowd with eyes as sharp as swords, carrying immense authority.

When they noticed Yang Heng's gaze sweeping their way, they swallowed hard, their hearts seeming to stop for an instant, and they stumbled backward in fear.

As they retreated, they shoved Li Kui to the front.

By the time Li Kui realized what was happening and tried to shrink back into the crowd, it was too late.

Yang Heng was staring coldly at him!

"Damn it, you bastards!"

Li Kui was furious, grinding his teeth in rage.

He had been hiding well in the crowd, only to be pushed to the front by the others, directly facing Yang Heng.

He could have killed them all.

But right now, the most pressing matter was how to deal with the threat from Yang Heng.

He couldn't win in a fight, so there was only one option...

With a thud, Li Kui dropped to his knees, kowtowed to Yang Heng, and slammed his head against the ground with a resounding crack.

A clear dent appeared in the hard dirt floor.

He knocked his head dozens of times, not stopping until blood trickled from his forehead and his mind grew dizzy.

After a few breaths, seeing that Yang Heng remained silent, Li Kui thought his anger hadn't subsided. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand and slapped his own cheek viciously.

He struck left and right, the slaps ringing out sharply.

Between slaps, he begged Yang Heng:

"Master Heng, this lowly one had no eyes before and offended you. Now I'm here to apologize."

"Please spare me this once. I won't dare do it again."

With every sentence, Li Kui gave himself a harsh slap.

Slap... slap... slap

The sound was loud and crisp, clear to the ear. Without even looking, one could tell the slaps were solid and excruciatingly painful.

Soon, Li Kui's cheeks swelled up like balloons, flushed red, and his mouth was smeared with blood, a pitiful sight.

Seeing Li Kui debase himself like this, Yang Heng was momentarily stunned.

He hadn't expected Li Kui to be so ruthless with himself. Knowing he was no match, he immediately set aside his pride, knelt, and begged for mercy.

Able to rise and fall with the occasion—truly a man who could navigate the pharmacy with ease.

Yang Heng gave Li Kui a deep, meaningful look and silently praised him: This man is no ordinary fellow.

When Li Kui saw Yang Heng staring at him with that inscrutable gaze, he shuddered, a chill piercing his bones. Thinking Yang Heng was plotting some new way to teach him a lesson, he quickly blurted out:

"Master Heng, spare me, spare me!"

"I'm willing to offer all the money I've saved over the years to you as a tribute. Please, just let me off this once."

Hearing this, Yang Heng's eyes lit up.

Li Kui's move saved him a lot of trouble.

He hadn't yet figured out how to deal with the crowd and wrap things up.

But Li Kui had given him a way to solve the problem.

Money was a good thing—everyone wanted it.

Did anyone really hate having too much money or have no interest in it?

For Yang Heng, money was even more important.

With money, he could buy meat, helping the Marrow Cleansing Pearl quickly accumulate energy and fill up as soon as possible, thereby strengthening himself.

Relying on the bland, watery meals from the pharmacy, who knew when the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would ever be fully charged.

By consuming items with high nutritional value, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would absorb more energy, greatly speeding up the accumulation process.

In a chaotic world, it's always best to gain some means of self-protection as soon as possible.

After a moment of deliberation, Yang Heng made up his mind.

Take the money and let them off.

Even if he didn't take the money, the most he'd do is give them a harsh beating and worsen their injuries—he wasn't about to kill them, was he?

Right now, he was just a lowly apprentice at a pharmacy, while Li Kui was on good terms with the pharmacy master. If he killed him, he'd likely face trouble himself.

He'd settle old scores later, once he grew stronger.

As the saying goes: A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years.

Taking a step back now was to leap forward later.

Once he'd thought it through, Yang Heng's expression softened considerably. Still, he didn't speak. Instead, he put on a conflicted look, his eyes flickering with greed, reluctance, and even a hint of menace.

The others, skilled at reading people, saw Yang Heng waver and chimed in together, offering all their belongings to beg for his forgiveness.

Afraid he might refuse, they hurriedly pulled out their valuables and thrust them into Yang Heng's hands.

Before long, Yang Heng's hands and pockets were full of Copper Coins, weighing a fair amount—roughly worth over three taels of silver.

Li Kui contributed the most, alone giving over one tael of silver.

As he handed it over to Yang Heng, his face was twisted with pain—this was all the money he'd saved over the past few years.

Having taken the silver, Yang Heng said nothing more. He shot the group a warning glare and walked out the door.

Watching Yang Heng's retreating figure, the others let out a long sigh, collapsing to the ground with expressions of relief, as if they'd narrowly escaped death.