Heavenly Machine Appears, Resisting Fierce Criminals

The twilight deepened, and the cooking smoke in the alleys of the Southern District faded, leaving only a few wisps like the sparse white hairs on an old woman's temples, trembling in the evening breeze.

Yet, in the small courtyard of Ye Qingxuan's home, a potent aroma of meat was rising.

This fragrance, mixed with the charred scent of firewood and the savory umami of sauce, curled and twisted, escaping the courtyard walls and making the neighbors' stomachs churn with cravings.

In front of the stove, Ye Qingxuan, sleeves rolled up, held an iron ladle and was intently stir-frying a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat in the wok. The meat sizzled in the hot oil, its skin already golden brown and slightly charred. With each turn, it was coated in a new layer of dark sauce, becoming more lustrous and tempting.

"It smells so good..."

The curtain was lifted, and a small figure peeked out – his sister, Ye Caiwei. She was about nine years old, sallow and thin, but her eyes were large and bright. Now, they were fixed on the wok, her nostrils twitching slightly, her mouth involuntarily swallowing.

"Nannan, come quickly and get the dish." Ye Qingxuan didn't turn his head, his hands continuing their work. He sprinkled chopped green garlic into the wok and stir-fried it vigorously a few times. A richer aroma immediately billowed from the wok.

He transferred the dish into a ready-made coarse ceramic plate, a full plate of braised pork, the pieces trembling, glistening with oil.

Ye Caiwei let out a cheer and carefully held the plate, tiptoeing into the house.

Ye Qingxuan extinguished the stove fire and used a gourd ladle to wash his hands. Watching his sister's retreating figure, a smile appeared on his face. In this smile, there was warmth, and also a touch of world-weariness that didn't belong to his age.

He was not from this world.

Nineteen years ago, he was an ordinary young man in another world. An accident caused his soul to drift, and he landed in this world, inhabiting the body of a boy with the same name.

This boy came from a poor family. His father, Old Ye, was a constable in the Fengtian Division. But three years ago, Old Ye was seriously injured during an operation to encircle the Myriad Tribulation Sect. He lingered for two years before finally passing away.

Before he died, Old Ye used all his remaining connections and savings to secure a position as a "temporary unregistered constable" for Ye Qingxuan in the Fengtian Division.

His status was humble, and his monthly salary meager, but it was at least a job under the government, preventing the siblings from starving on the streets.

However, the debts Old Ye incurred for his medical treatment were like a mountain, weighing down this already precarious family.

Ye Qingxuan walked into the house with a bowl of coarse rice. On the table, the plate of braised pork was placed in the center. Ye Caiwei sat obediently on a small stool, her hands on her knees, her eyes fixed on the meat, her small face full of anticipation.

"Eat." Ye Qingxuan picked up the largest piece of meat and put it into his sister's bowl.

"Brother, you eat first." Ye Caiwei, however, took the meat back and pushed it to the side of Ye Qingxuan's bowl.

Ye Qingxuan's heart warmed. He no longer refused and picked up the meat, taking a bite. The fatty part melted in his mouth, the lean part was tender and fragrant. The long-lost taste of meat exploded on his tongue, making him narrow his eyes.

The original owner of this body had also tried to practice martial arts, hoping to become prominent in the Fengtian Division like his father. However, his aptitude was mediocre. After practicing for several years, he couldn't even touch the threshold of Body Tempering. Instead, practicing martial arts consumed his vital energy and blood, making his body weaker than ordinary people.

Since his transmigration, he knew that in this chaotic world, without power or influence, only strength was the foundation of survival. He had also resumed his Martial Path practice, but the result was the same. His body was like a leaky funnel, unable to retain vital energy and blood. The Martial Path seemed inherently incompatible with him.

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan's brow furrowed unconsciously.

At that moment, a voice, ancient and vast, without discernible gender, sounded in his mind without any warning.

[Detecting host's strong desire for the Dao, Martial Path Heavenly Machine Codex... activating...]

[Recording technique: Indestructible Vajra Body...]

Ye Qingxuan's hand, holding the chopsticks, suddenly paused.

Before his eyes, it seemed a phantom scroll appeared, slowly unfurling.

On the scroll, lines of small, dense characters clearly appeared.

Name: Ye Qingxuan

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Indestructible Vajra Body (Scale: Zero Inches, Merit: 0/5)

This is...

Ye Qingxuan's breathing suddenly quickened. He stared intently at the phantom script, his heart pounding. This was his cheat? Three years after transmigrating, just as he was about to despair, this thing finally appeared!

Indestructible Vajra Body, the name itself suggested it was a powerful external martial art. And the scale and merit behind it transformed the ethereal practice into a clear and visible progress.

There's hope!

This family has hope!

He suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, a light bursting from the depths of his eyes. The infinite possibilities of the future unfurled before him like a magnificent scroll.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Ye Caiwei asked with concern, seeing his strange expression.

"It's nothing," Ye Qingxuan came back to his senses, took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions, and smiled at his sister, "Eat the meat quickly, it won't be good if it gets cold."

As soon as he finished speaking.

"Screech--"

A harsh, ear-splitting sound. The courtyard gate was kicked open from the outside. One of the two old wooden doors flew off completely, while the other hung precariously, its hinges groaning under the strain.

The warm atmosphere inside the house was instantly shattered by this violent intrusion.

Ye Caiwei's face turned pale with fright. Her chopsticks clattered to the floor, and she hid behind Ye Qingxuan, her small hands tightly gripping his clothes, trembling.

Ye Qingxuan's eyes turned sharp for a moment, but that ferocity flashed and quickly disappeared, replaced by a calm, or rather, suppressed, demeanor.

He slowly stood up, shielding his sister behind him, and looked towards the entrance.

In the moonlight, five or six burly men blocked the doorway. The one in the lead, in his thirties, had a scar running from his eyebrow to his mouth. As he grinned menacingly, the scar looked like a twisted centipede, exceptionally terrifying.

Ye Qingxuan recognized this person. He was Hu Jiudao, a thug under Duan Tianbao, the leader of the Fierce Tiger Hall on the west side of the city.

Hu Jiudao, carrying a ghost-head saber, strode into the courtyard. His gaze swept around the yard, finally landing on Ye Qingxuan's face. He chuckled, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.

"Ye family kid, you're living quite comfortably, even eating meat now."

The few lackeys behind him burst into laughter, their words full of disdain.

Ye Qingxuan's expression remained blank. He cupped his hands: "So it's Brother Jiudao. What brings you here so late at night?"

"What brings me here?" Hu Jiudao tapped his shoulder with the back of his blade, pacing to the doorway. He sniffed the braised pork on the plate inside. "Tsk tsk, smells delicious. Ye kid, let's be blunt. Your father owed us ten taels of silver from Fierce Tiger Hall before he died. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"

Ye Qingxuan's fists clenched silently within his sleeves.

"Of course, I remember."

"Good that you remember," Hu Jiudao grinned, the scar on his face becoming even more menacing. "Counting the days, today is the day to repay the debt. Principal ten taels, interest four taels, a total of fourteen taels. Hand it over."

Fourteen taels!

Ye Qingxuan's heart sank.

As an unregistered temporary constable, his monthly salary was barely five hundred copper coins. Without eating or drinking, it would take him over two years to save that much. This exorbitant sum was an astronomical figure to him.

"Brother Jiudao," Ye Qingxuan's tone softened, tinged with a hint of negotiation, "My father recently passed away, and the household is truly struggling. Could you possibly..."

"Possibly grant a few days' grace?" Hu Jiudao cut him off, his smile vanishing, replaced by a chilling coldness. "Ye Qingxuan, do you think Fierce Tiger Hall is a charity? Debt must be repaid, it's only natural! If you can't produce the money today..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping past Ye Qingxuan to land on Ye Caiwei, who had half her small head peeking out from behind him, her eyes wide with terror.

"Your sister is quite a looker. Fourteen taels of silver... selling her to Spring Breeze Pavilion might not even fetch that price, right?"

These words struck Ye Qingxuan's heart like a venomous needle.

Ye Caiwei, behind him, trembled all over from fright and burst into tears with a wail.

Ye Qingxuan's body jolted. The suppressed rage finally ignited in his usually calm eyes. The veins on his arm, protecting his sister, bulged.

But he didn't lash out.

He knew that in front of Hu Jiudao and his men, he was nothing more than fish on a chopping board.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed all his anger and humiliation, his mind racing.

Martial Path Heavenly Machine Codex... Indestructible Vajra Body...

With this, he would have a chance at everything!

He needed time!

"Brother Jiudao," Ye Qingxuan's voice calmed, devoid of any discernible emotion, "I will definitely repay the money. It's just that I truly can't gather it all right now. Please grant me ten days. Ten days from now, I will personally deliver the fourteen taels of silver to Fierce Tiger Hall, not one copper short."

Hu Jiudao narrowed his eyes, appraising Ye Qingxuan.

This young man before him, facing his threats, was not panicked but remarkably composed. It caught him by surprise.

"Ten days?" Hu Jiudao sneered. "What guarantees do you have?"

"Based on this uniform, based on the fact that I am still a member of the Fengtian Division," Ye Qingxuan declared, each word resonating with force.

Hu Jiudao fell silent.

The Fengtian Division was, after all, an official power. While an unregistered temporary constable wasn't much, if things escalated, it wouldn't benefit Fierce Tiger Hall.

He pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Fine, ten days it is. However, after ten days, the amount won't be the same."

He held up two fingers.

"Add another two taels of interest, making it sixteen taels! Ten days from now, if even a single copper is missing, I'll take your sister away. Do you understand?"

Ye Qingxuan lowered his eyelids, concealing the cold glint in his eyes.

"I understand."

"Scram!" Hu Jiudao finally seemed satisfied. With a wave of his hand, he turned and left arrogantly with his lackeys.

In the courtyard, only the broken gate remained, swaying forlornly in the night wind, along with the mess left behind.

Ye Qingxuan slowly knelt down, pulling his crying sister into a tight embrace, gently patting her back.

"Nannan, don't be afraid. Big brother is here, everything will be alright."

His voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

And in his mind, the illusory scroll floated serenely.

Name: Ye Qingxuan

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Indestructible Vajra Body (Progress: Zero Inches, Merit: 0/5)

Ten days' grace, sixteen taels.

In this turbulent world, he would still have to rely on these fists to carve out a path to survival!