Coming to Call

He scrutinized Fang Yuan carefully. Seeing that the other man's eyes were clear and his manner neither servile nor arrogant, Zhang Biao realized he was not putting on airs—he truly did not want to go.

A trace of regret flashed through his eyes. It was indeed a pity for a promising young man with such a solid foundation to remain in the village farming.

But Zhang Biao was not one to force others against their will—at least, not openly. He smiled and said:

"Every man has his own aspirations. It is a good thing that Brother Fang cares for his family. Since that is the case, I will not press you.

"If you ever change your mind and wish to seek a future in the city, come find me, Zhang Biao, at the Wang Family in the eastern part of the city."

"Certainly. Thank you, Master Zhang." Fang Yuan cupped his hands again, committing the Wang Family in the eastern city to memory.

He did not linger. Nodding to Zhang Biao and the surrounding villagers, he turned and squeezed through the crowd, heading home.

Behind him came the villagers' irrepressible murmurs, mostly regret and incomprehension, with even a few mocking him for failing to appreciate favor.

Fang Yuan turned a deaf ear, his steps steady.

At the edge of the crowd, a scar-faced man narrowed his eyes and took in the entire scene.

It was Scarface from the Heizi Hunting Team. After spending the whole morning asking around through every possible channel, he had already learned that the Fang Family had suddenly become well-off.

The scent of meat drifted from their home every day, and every clue pointed to Fang Yuan, the formerly inconspicuous poor scholar.

He had originally intended to observe for a while longer, but he happened to witness Zhang Biao recruiting workers.

"This Fang Yuan... he does look rather refined, like a scholar in the making..." Scarface rubbed his chin, pondering inwardly.

"But the way he walks, that steady air when he speaks... why does he feel so different from what I heard before?"

Seeing Fang Yuan leave, he immediately followed without a sound.

When they reached a quiet village alley with few people around, Scarface quickened his pace, caught up to Fang Yuan, and called out, "Brother Fang, hold on!"

Fang Yuan stopped and turned around. Seeing that it was Scarface, his expression remained unchanged, but his heart tightened.

"Is there something you need, sir?" Fang Yuan asked calmly.

Scarface forced out what could pass for a friendly smile, moved closer, and lowered his voice.

"Brother Fang, I'm Scarface from the Heizi Hunting Team. I heard... you went into the mountains a few days ago and made a small fortune?"

As he spoke, his eyes hooked onto Fang Yuan's expression, trying to find a flaw.

Scarface's question was blunt, carrying no attempt to conceal its probing intent.

Fang Yuan's heart clenched. So they've come after all! No matter how careful he had been, carrying something so heavy back to the village meant he was bound to have been spotted by one or two sharp-eyed people. There truly were no walls that did not leak in this village.

He had simply not expected Heizi's side to move so quickly and come knocking directly at his door.

His thoughts raced, but not a trace of abnormality showed on his face. He retained that calm, unruffled look.

He even showed just the right hint of displeasure at having his privacy pressed, answering in an even tone:

"So it's Brother Scarface. I can hardly call it making a fortune. I was merely lucky enough to set a few traps in the mountains.

"I caught a few rabbits foolish enough to stumble into them, just enough to give us something to chew on. It's not worth mentioning."

He made light of it, as though it truly had been an insignificant haul.

Scarface's sharp eyes fixed stubbornly on Fang Yuan, trying to find even the slightest trace of guilt or panic on his face.

But he was disappointed.

Fang Yuan's reaction was far too natural. His gaze was open and frank, even carrying the particular impatience of a scholar being interrogated.

And at this closer distance, Scarface could better sense the aura Fang Yuan possessed, one utterly unlike that of an ordinary person.

It was no longer the pedantic air of a frail scholar, but an inwardly restrained steadiness. He stood straight, his breathing long and deep. Especially those eyes—

When they looked over, they were calm and without ripples, yet they gave Scarface a faint, inexplicable pressure.

It was as though he were not facing a villager, but a... crouching beast lying in wait?

If a martial artist had been present, he would have known this was the sign of vigorous blood and vitality. Ordinary people simply felt a faint sense of oppression.

The feeling was absurd, yet it made Scarface's prepared interrogation, tinged with threat, stick hard in his throat.

Instinctively, he felt that this young man before him was probably not as easy to handle as Brother Heizi had assumed.

Fang Yuan's answer was watertight, and Scarface had no conclusive evidence. If he forced the issue and things blew up—

Though their hunting team threw its weight around in this village, they were not without scruples.

The flesh on Scarface's face twitched. He squeezed out a somewhat stiff smile and took the offered way out.

"Heh heh, rabbits aren't bad either. These days, having meat to eat is a blessing. Brother Fang, you're quite capable."

He paused, then added as if mentioning it casually:

"Brother Heizi lost a big piece of game in the mountains a while back, and he's still fuming over it.

"If you see any unusual tracks in the mountains, or hear any news, make sure to let us know."

The words were both a probe and a warning.

Fang Yuan sneered inwardly, but nodded cooperatively. "Certainly. If I see anything, I will definitely inform Brother Heizi and Brother Scarface."

Scarface gave Fang Yuan another long look, as though trying to see through him. In the end, he said nothing more and merely cupped his hands.

"Fine, then. Brother Fang, carry on. I'll be leaving first."

With that, he did not linger. He turned and strode away, his figure quickly disappearing around the bend in the village alley.

Watching the direction in which Scarface had vanished, the calm on Fang Yuan's face slowly faded, and his brows drew together slightly.

The brief encounter had seemed calm on the surface, but undercurrents had surged beneath.

Heizi's people had already set their sights on him. This was only the first probe; it would by no means be the last.

"I need to raise my strength as soon as possible." He clenched his fist, feeling the surging blood and vitality within him, his gaze becoming even more resolute.

Then he too turned toward home, his steps several degrees faster than before.

At the corner, Scarface stopped and looked back in the direction Fang Yuan had gone, his expression shifting between light and dark. Touching the scar on his face, he muttered under his breath:

"Damn it... I need to tell Brother Heizi right away. There's definitely something wrong with that Fang Family brat! He doesn't look like an easy target!"

In the dilapidated mud house that served as the Heizi Hunting Team's usual den—

Heizi sat in the only relatively intact broken wooden chair, his face dark as he listened to Scarface's report.

The other team members stood or squatted nearby, silent.

Standing before Heizi, Scarface gave a detailed account of what he had seen and heard in Fang Family Village.

"Brother Heizi, I got it all sorted out! That Fang Family has definitely come into a windfall!

"Several households said they smelled meat stewing at their place every day—the aroma drifted halfway down the alley!"

He paused, recalling Fang Yuan's calm eyes and steady bearing, then added:

"That brat... he feels different from what we heard before. He's really composed. I went to sound him out.

"He insisted he'd only caught a few rabbits, but it didn't look that way to me..."

"Hmph!" Heizi snorted, cutting Scarface off. His thick fingers gripped the chair back hard, making it creak.

"A little strength? Really composed? Putting on some mysterious act! A down-and-out scholar gets lucky for a few days, eats his fill for a few days, and thinks he's something special?"

"That wild boar must have been him taking advantage of our loss!"

Heizi declared with certainty, his eyes turning vicious.

"Damn it, we risked our lives, only for that little bastard to enjoy the spoils! And he still dares play tricks with me!"

Scarface opened his mouth, wanting to mention again that Fang Yuan did not feel like an ordinary person and that they should be careful.

But seeing Heizi's expression—already convinced and brooking no doubt—he swallowed the words back down.

He did not dare provoke his anger.

Heizi abruptly rose to his feet, his burly frame carrying an oppressive presence.

"Perfect. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Fang Family Village. He took my things, so he'll have to spit them back out with interest!"