Great Western Army Rebels! One Against Five, a Desperate Fight for Survival!

But to Su Haoran, that curiosity was no more than a mountain breeze brushing past a stubborn rock, leaving not the slightest trace.

A beautiful woman, a peerless face—in this Chaotic World where human lives were thinner than paper, could they carry more weight than a piece of dry ration?

They could not.

Inside the woodshed, beneath the dim lamplight, a hint of gravity appeared in Su Haoran's eyes.

His money was gone!

Six taels and five mace, spent clean!

The Qi and Blood he had accumulated when breaking through to the Bronze Skin Realm had been consumed almost entirely during these past half-months of scrimping and saving.

His body had even begun to show a faint sense of depletion.

Sailing against the current, if one did not advance, one fell back.

Martial cultivation was even more so.

Perhaps things would change at profound realms, but for now, without sufficient money and grain to support the consumption of Qi and Blood, forget further progress—even maintaining his current realm would be difficult.

"I can't wait, and I can't afford to wait!"

Su Haoran sighed, silently withdrew his cultivation, and looked toward the distant lands Down the Mountain.

That afternoon, in the Labor Courtyard's steward office.

Cao Yi was fingering prayer beads with his eyes closed in quiet repose. Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes.

When he saw that it was Su Haoran, a gentle smile flashed through his eyes. "Haoran, what brings you here?"

Su Haoran gave a slight bow in greeting, then went straight to the point. "Steward Cao, this disciple wishes to take on another Collect Rent Down the Mountain assignment."

"What?"

Cao Yi froze at once, and even the prayer beads in his hand stopped moving.

He looked at Su Haoran in surprise, his brow drawn tight. "You want to go Down the Mountain again?"

"Have you forgotten what happened last time? Three Refugees dared to murder and loot near the temple. You only escaped by luck—that was Buddha's blessing! How do you still dare entertain such a thought?"

Cao Yi had thought that brush with death would make Su Haoran more cautious.

In his eyes, Su Haoran's survival with his Arhat Fist only at Minor Accomplishment had been nothing but luck.

"Steward, I need money and grain." Su Haoran's answer was simple and direct. His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.

"Is money and grain more important than your life?" Cao Yi pointed Down the Mountain, his expression graver than ever.

"Do you know what things are like Down the Mountain now? It hasn't been the same as two months ago!"

"Several nearby prefectures and counties suffered a great drought followed by a locust plague. Not a single grain was harvested, and starving corpses littered the land! More and more Refugees can no longer survive, gathering in the mountains and forests, claiming peaks as kings! Worse still, the Great Western Army has already swept through several prefectures!"

When Cao Yi spoke the words "Great Western Army," his eyes were filled with wariness.

The Great Western Army flew the banner of "purging evil ministers from the emperor's side and opening granaries to aid the people," yet what they did was banditry. Soldiers passed through like combs, bandits passed through like sieves.

Wherever they went, cities fell, families perished, and blood flowed into rivers!

The imperial armies sent to suppress them had suffered defeat after defeat. It was said that even the prefect of Fengli Prefecture had been hanged from the city gate tower.

"Now, government soldiers are bandits, roaming outlaws are bandits, and even common folk who can no longer survive are about to become bandits."

Cao Yi took a deep breath and advised him:

"Our Prajna Temple has managed to preserve a patch of peace only because Martial Monks stand guard within; ordinary thieves would not dare come here to die.

"On top of that, the temple lives in hardship and has little Oily Food to be had, so even established bands of outlaws do not think much of it.

"But even so, the Tenant farmers Down the Mountain have already been stripped clean by all manner of forces, time and again. If you go Down the Mountain now, what can you possibly collect?

"I fear you will not even recover the Land Rent before throwing away your own life!"

He looked at Su Haoran earnestly. "Listen to my advice and stay properly in the temple.

"It may be poor and bitter, but at least you can keep your life.

"In times like these, staying alive is better than anything."

Su Haoran listened quietly, but everything was already clear in his heart.

He had long expected what Cao Yi had said.

In a Chaotic World, order collapsed far faster than anyone could imagine.

But he could not retreat.

"Thank you for your concern, Steward." Su Haoran bowed again, but his gaze became ever firmer. "However, this disciple has made up his mind."

Martial cultivation was like sailing against the current. Without money and grain as fuelwood, this Kung Fu would either advance no further or fall back—no different from waiting to die.

Secondly, this trip Down the Mountain would only take him within thirty li of the temple. This was still land beneath Prajna Temple's reputation, where large bands of outlaws would not dare venture lightly.

As for scattered bandits... Su Haoran was confident that he still possessed some ability to protect himself.

His words were neither servile nor overbearing, yet they carried powerful confidence.

That phrase, "some ability to protect myself," made Cao Yi pause slightly.

He studied Su Haoran closely and suddenly realized that this young man seemed somewhat different from two months ago.

His figure remained as upright as before, yet as he stood there, he was like a javelin driven into the earth—steady, honed, and faintly radiating a sharpness that kept strangers at bay.

Those eyes were deep and tranquil, as though they concealed a fierce tiger that might choose someone and devour them at any moment.

This feeling...

Cao Yi's heart stirred. Could this boy have found fortune in disaster and improved his Kung Fu again?

He pondered for a moment, but ultimately sighed.

He could see that Su Haoran had already made up his mind. Further persuasion would be useless.

Moreover, Su Haoran's openly displayed sharpness made Cao Yi somewhat appreciative. It was as though he saw... his younger self.

"Very well." Cao Yi waved a hand and returned to sit behind his desk. "Since you insist on going, I won't stop you. But you must promise me that preserving your life comes first in all things. If matters cannot be handled, return to the mountain immediately. Do not act recklessly!"

"This disciple understands." Su Haoran nodded.

"Mm." Cao Yi drew a register of Tenant farmers and a simple map from a stack of documents and handed them over. "These are the tenancy records for Wang Family Village around the southern mountain pass. It is only twenty li from the temple and counts as the most peaceful area.

"Go there. Remember, how much or little Land Rent you collect is secondary. You must return to the mountain before nightfall!"

"Thank you, Steward!"

Su Haoran accepted the documents, solemnly tucked them into his robes, then bowed once more and turned to leave in long strides without the slightest hesitation.

Watching his back disappear through the doorway, Cao Yi sighed faintly again, the unease in his heart growing stronger.

"Alas, these times... May Buddha bless him."

The Mountain Road was rugged as Su Haoran moved through the forest, his steps light and swift.

He did not heed Steward Cao Yi's suggestion to go to the nearest Wang Family Village. Instead, he went the opposite way, heading straight for Li Family Hollow, the furthest Tenant farmers' settlement marked on the map.

His reasoning was simple: start far and work his way back, clearing them one by one.

That would let him learn as much as possible about the surrounding situation while also preventing him from encountering trouble farther out on his return after collecting the nearby rent.

In a Chaotic World, one had to proceed step by step and think everything through.

An hour later, the sun hung low in the west, staining the horizon a deep crimson like spilled blood.

The outline of Li Family Hollow appeared at the end of a mountain ravine.

It was a small village of a dozen or so households, built against the mountain in scattered rows.

Yet when Su Haoran truly stepped into the village entrance, a strange feeling made him stop.

It was too quiet.

It was dinner time. Smoke should have curled from chimneys, dogs should have barked and chickens crowed, and the village should have been filled with the warmth of human life.

But now, not a sound could be heard throughout Li Family Hollow. Not a wisp of smoke rose from any household's chimney.

A faint scent of blood hung in the air.

Something had happened!

Su Haoran drew a deep breath, instantly becoming alert.

He gently set down the cloth bag on his back and hid it behind a haystack, leaving only the Hundred Refinements Military Saber he had seized tucked at his waist.

He did not retreat.

This was his destination, the place where his hope of obtaining cultivation resources lay.

Besides, he had already entered the Bronze Skin Realm. Steel blades could scarcely harm him; he possessed some confidence to face danger head-on!

With that thought, Su Haoran lowered his body and silently crept along the base of the walls toward the depths of the village.

The Meditation Scripture circulated quietly. His hearing and sight became keener than usual, and every rustle of wind or stirring of grass around him entered his awareness.

Before long, muffled sobbing and rough curses came from the largest courtyard in the center of the village.

Su Haoran's eyes flashed. He pushed off with his feet, and after a few swift rises and falls, silently vaulted onto the low wall beside the courtyard and looked inside.

In the courtyard, five men in black padded armor, steel sabers at their waists, surrounded a trembling couple.

The five wore savage expressions, their padded armor stained with grime and blood. They were clearly members of the Great Western Army that Steward Cao Yi had described as a plague of locusts passing through.

At that moment, the dark-faced captain at their head had one foot on a Grain bag as he snarled at the farming couple, "Just this much? Are you fucking feeding beggars? I'll give you one last chance—hand over every valuable thing you have!"

"Military master, there really isn't any more. Please show mercy and leave us a way to live!"

The farmer knelt on the ground and begged bitterly.

"A way to live?" The dark-faced captain gave a sinister chuckle, his lecherous gaze sweeping toward the farmer's wife hiding behind her husband, her face white as paper. "No food, but aren't there still people? Your wife may be a little skinny, but her features are decent enough. She'll do nicely to give the brothers some fun!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the woman.

"No!" The farmer's eyes nearly split as he clutched the man's leg with all his might.

"Get lost!"

The dark-faced captain flew into a rage and raised his foot to kick him.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of an extra figure atop the wall.

The dark-faced captain froze, then sharply turned his head—and met Su Haoran's gaze in midair.

The four soldiers behind him reacted at once as well, drawing the steel sabers at their waists in unison and pointing them at Su Haoran atop the wall as though facing a formidable enemy.

The atmosphere in the courtyard froze instantly!

Yet when the dark-faced captain saw clearly that Su Haoran was alone, dressed only in a dusty gray Monk Robe without even a piece of leather armor, the tension on his face vanished at once, replaced by disdain and relaxation.

"Where did this wild monk come from? You dare spy on your grandfathers Handling Affairs?" one soldier shouted.

But the dark-faced captain waved a hand. He had spent years licking blood from the edge of a blade, and his instincts were keener than most.

Though this young monk was plainly dressed, his eyes were too calm—so calm that they made the captain's skin crawl.

Less trouble was better than more.

He looked Su Haoran up and down, then said coldly, "You look like a poor bastard too, without even two liang of flesh on you. Get lost. I'm in a good mood today and don't feel like opening another killing spree."

He did not want complications. He only wanted to strip this village clean as quickly as possible before finding the next target.

Su Haoran did not move. His gaze passed over those ferocious soldiers and settled on the desperate, helpless farming couple.

Once, he too had been this weak, left to be slaughtered by others.

Retreat... of course he could.

But he still had Land Rent to collect!

Su Haoran slowly leaped down from the wall and stood in the courtyard. His eyes sharpened. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly through the entire yard.

"Let them go."

At those words, the dark-faced captain and his soldiers all froze, as though they had heard the greatest joke in the world.

"Hah? Did I hear that right? This little monk wants us to let them go?"

"I'm in a good mood today and told you to get lost. Didn't you hear me?"

Several soldiers snarled with laughter.

Yet one sharp-eyed soldier suddenly fixed his gaze on the saber sheath at Su Haoran's waist.

A bronze emblem shaped like deer antlers glinted faintly beneath the setting sun.

"Captain, look at his saber!" the soldier cried out.

At his words, the dark-faced captain looked closely, and his face darkened instantly.

That antler-shaped bronze emblem was the distinctive mark on the Great Western Army's sabers!

How could such a blade be in the hands of a wild monk?

There was only one answer!

"Boy, you've killed men from our Great Western Army!" The dark-faced captain's voice turned incomparably chilling, murder spilling from him.

Now he could no longer save face.

This monk had to die today!

"Kill him!" The dark-faced captain gave the order harshly, without another moment's hesitation.

The farming couple kneeling on the ground had only just seen a thread of hope rise in their eyes, but when they saw Su Haoran surrounded by five vicious bandits, it instantly turned into even deeper despair.

This young monk had courage, but he wore no armor and stood barehanded. How could he possibly be a match for five military masters who killed without blinking?

They were finished. This kind-hearted monk was going to be dragged down by them as well!

"You little bastard! You dared kill our men? I'll send you on your way first!"

A soldier sneered as he circled to Su Haoran's flank. The steel saber in his hand drew an arc as it silently stabbed toward Su Haoran's throat!