The Wang Family Comes Calling

"Second Brother! Fourth Brother! Fifth Brother!" He turned and bellowed toward the inner room, his voice shaking dust from the rafters.

"Get the hell out here, all of you! Grab your weapons!"

A flurry of chaotic noise and answering shouts immediately rose from the inner room.

Moments later, three equally brawny men, each bearing some resemblance to Wang Meng, rushed out carrying chopping knives and clubs. Their eyes were still bleary with sleep, yet they radiated Sha Qi.

"Big Brother, what happened?" one of them asked.

"What happened?" Wang Meng snatched up the thick wooden club leaning in the corner, his eyes bloodshot. "That Fang bastard from Fang Family Village bullied our sister! He beat my brother-in-law and turned my nephew's face into a pig's head!

"And he even forced our sister to strike their Clan Elder! If we don't swallow this insult, where are we supposed to put the Wang Family's face? How will we ever hold our heads up in these ten villages and eight hamlets?"

"Fuck his mother!"

"He's courting death!"

The other brothers exploded at once upon hearing this. Their sleepiness vanished completely as they began cursing furiously.

"Quit standing around!" Wang Meng roared. "Fourth Brother, hitch up the cart! Second Brother, bring those better cleavers from the house!

"Fifth Brother, go call Black Ox, Iron Pillar, and the others next door who are on good terms with us! Tell them some blind fool from Fang Family Village has crossed me, and ask them to come lend us a hand! When it's done, there'll be plenty of good wine and meat!"

"Got it!" The three brothers sprang into action, and the house and yard instantly erupted into a chicken-flying, dog-jumping commotion of preparation.

Panting heavily, Wang Meng stared in the direction of Fang Family Village and sneered. "Fang Yuan? I don't give a damn whether you're square or round! You dare lay a hand on a Wang Family member? I'll flatten your whole house! Let's see if you can still throw your weight around then!"

The next morning, dawn had only just begun to break.

As usual, rice and glossy strips of cured pork sat on the table.

Little Bean Sprout ate until her eyes shone, her little mouth gleaming with grease.

After breakfast, in the yard, Fang Yuan swung his chopping knife over and over. His movements were not fast, but they were exceptionally steady. Every chop carried the whistle of splitting air.

[Basic Saber Technique Proficiency +1]

After practicing with the saber, he began jogging around the small yard. His footsteps landed lightly, his breathing long and even, fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples.

[Basic Footwork Proficiency +1]

He practiced longer than usual, and with greater focus.

According to his usual plans, Fang Yuan was supposed to head into the mountains today to replenish their dwindling food stores.

He would also see whether he could dig up some medicinal herbs. Thanks to their increased appetite, the sack of rice bought at the market was already running low.

Later that morning, the sun rose a little higher, though the weather remained dry and cold.

Old Madam Chen from next door came hurrying over with a small basket of wild vegetables, obvious unease on her face.

She did not enter the yard. Instead, she lowered her voice urgently from across the fence. "Fang Yuan's family! Something's wrong!"

Fang Yuan stopped moving, picked up a sweat cloth to wipe himself down, and looked over.

Old Madam Chen caught her breath, her eyes darting around cautiously before she whispered, "I just heard it from Old Zhao's family at the east end... Village Chief Li's house was restless all night. It seemed they sent word out before dawn!

"To Wang Family Village! They must be looking for his wife's brothers!"

Fear appeared on her face. "I've heard of those Wang brothers. Every one of them is broad-backed and thick-waisted.

"They look like living demons, the sort who walk sideways through Wang Family Village! If they come, what are we supposed to do? You... perhaps you should hide somewhere first?"

Wang Family Village was smaller than Fang Family Village, but its people were more fierce and unruly. The Wang brothers in particular were notorious for protecting their own and throwing their weight around.

Fang Yuan showed no expression. Only his hand, which had been wiping sweat, paused briefly. After a moment of silence, he nodded to Old Madam Chen.

"Thank you, Madam. I understand."

Seeing that she had delivered the message, Old Madam Chen hurried away. She had accepted two jin of meat from them, so she had to do her part.

Only the family remained in the yard.

Fang Yuan walked to the wall, picked up the chopping knife resting in the corner, and tested the edge with his finger.

The blade gleamed coldly, sharpened to an extreme keenness.

He turned back and spoke toward the house. "We're not going out today. We'll stay home."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.

He had indeed planned to enter the mountains today, but he had changed his mind last night.

Village Chief Li would never let the matter rest. Fang Yuan had expected this.

Hide? Where could they hide? Their home was right here. Since trouble was coming, then they would wait for it.

Before Wang Meng's group even arrived, the news swept through the area around the Fang Family home like the wind.

Several women hurriedly brought in their drying laundry, shutting their doors and windows tighter than usual, leaving only narrow cracks.

Pairs of eyes hid behind them, peering out nervously.

The men gathered in groups of three or five, huddling beneath their courtyard walls and behind haystacks.

Others stood at a distance on slightly higher earthen slopes, whispering among themselves. Their eyes held a mixture of fear, curiosity, and an excitement too vague to name.

"Did you hear? Those calamity stars from Wang Family Village are coming!"

"Of course. Village Chief Li's wife's brothers are all bad news!"

"Well, who told him to be so arrogant yesterday? He dared defy even the Clan Elder, and he beat Village Chief Li's family into that state..."

"You can't put it that way. The Li Family stole his things first..."

"Even if they stole something, he couldn't beat a child half to death... Now look at this, he's brought down the real King of Hell!"

The murmurs were low, like mosquitoes buzzing. Everyone feared that speaking too loudly would summon disaster ahead of time.

No one believed Fang Yuan could weather this one.

"Look! Over there!" someone cried softly.

Every gaze instantly turned toward the village entrance. Dust rose faintly in the distance, accompanied by the approaching sounds of chaotic footsteps and coarse shouting.

The watching eyes widened. The hiding men unconsciously drew in their necks, yet could not resist craning forward to look.

"They're here, they're here... There are so many of them!"

"They're all carrying weapons!"

"Hiss... Fang Yuan's family is in for terrible trouble now..."

They watched that vicious-looking group draw closer and closer, until it finally stopped outside the Fang Family's dilapidated fence gate.

Outside the fence, seven or eight brawny men led by Wang Meng blocked the Fang Family entrance menacingly.

Wang Meng held a heavy jujube-wood club. Behind him, his brothers and the hired helpers carried chopping knives and iron forks. Every face looked hostile, every gaze fierce.

The surrounding villagers had been alarmed, but they only dared watch from afar. Not one dared step forward.

"Fang Yuan! Get the hell out here!" Wang Meng kicked the Fang Family's already tottering fence gate, making the entire fence wall sway three times. "Fuck your mother! You dared lay hands on my sister and nephew? If I don't cripple one of your legs today, I'll take your surname!"

Inside the house, Liu Wanwan's face turned deathly pale. She pulled Little Bean Sprout tightly into her arms and covered the girl's ears, though her own hand would not stop trembling.

With a creak, the courtyard gate opened from within.

Fang Yuan stepped out. There was no expression on his face; only his eyes were cold as ice at the bottom of a deep pool.

He swept his gaze over the brawny men outside, who had clearly come with ill intent, before his eyes finally settled on the most loudly clamoring Wang Meng.

"Who kicked the gate?" Fang Yuan asked. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly overrode the other side's clamor.

Wang Meng froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. He pointed his jujube-wood club at Fang Yuan.

"I kicked it! So what? Not only did I kick your gate, today I'll kick your leg clean off too!

"If you know what's good for you, get on your knees and kowtow to admit your mistake. Let me break one of your legs, and we'll call this matter settled! Otherwise, hmph!"

A burly man behind him, his face thick with flesh, also chimed in. His tone was arrogant with the confidence of having backing.

"Brother Meng, why waste words on him? He's just a poor scholar. Beat him and be done with it!

"As long as no one dies, why would those lords at the County yamen care about the affairs of this godforsaken backwater?

"Even the Fang Family's Clan Elder has abandoned him. Who else would stand up for him?"

Those words were like icy knives, stabbing through the last thread of false pretense.

That was right. In these wild rural lands amid chaotic times, fists were reason.

The Clan Elder would not interfere. The villagers did not dare interfere. The County yamen could not be bothered to interfere.

Wang Meng grinned viciously, even more pleased with himself. "Hear that, Fang Yuan? No one can save you! Today, that leg of yours is as good as broken!"

Fang Yuan silently watched them, watched those faces twisted by brutality and violence.

He slowly drew in a breath of frigid air. Then, with extreme deliberation, he stepped half a pace back and assumed an opening stance that looked loose, yet could erupt at any moment.

His gaze locked onto Wang Meng. His voice remained calm, but it carried a chilling finality.

"You want to break my leg?"

"Come."