Lin Guanhuo and the other two exchanged glances, quickly set down the corpse cart, and squeezed their way inside.
At the center of the crowd, two disheveled men were wrestling.
One of them had a face covered in pockmarks and blood streaming from his nose. He looked a sorry sight—and was none other than Huang Dazui, the man who had taken Lin Guanhuo's steamed bun earlier.
The man straddling him and raining down punches was a White Servant named Wang Tiedan.
"Wang Tiedan?"
Lin Guanhuo's brow furrowed at the sight.
Wang Tiedan was a typical man of few words. Usually, anyone in the Miscellaneous Room could shove him around.
He never got angry. He simply worked quietly every day, tucking the half a steamed bun he saved from the canteen into his clothes to take home.
But today, the honest man seemed to have gone mad. His eyes were bloodshot, his fists fell on Huang Dazui like raindrops, and he roared, "You beast! I'll teach you to watch your mouth! And to keep your hands to yourself!"
"Ow! Murder! Wang Tiedan's killing me!" Huang Dazui howled as he was beaten. But he was a weakling to begin with—how could he possibly match the powerful Wang Tiedan?
Listening to the people around him whisper, Lin Guanhuo pieced together what had happened.
It turned out Wang Tiedan's wife had come to bring him winter clothes. As luck would have it, Huang Dazui had nothing better to do. Seeing that the young wife was rather pretty, the bastard had publicly harassed her with vulgar remarks—and even tried to grope her.
That was like kicking a hornet's nest.
Even a rabbit would bite when cornered, let alone a man. Wang Tiedan had exploded on the spot.
Thwack!
Wang Tiedan slammed another punch into Huang Dazui's mouth, knocking out two of his front teeth.
Wang Tiedan seemed to have practiced a few days of farmhand martial arts in his youth. He had a solid stance and his punches had form.
They said an injury had ruined his foundation; otherwise, he might even have become a Martial Artist.
Now, striking in a fury, he had beaten Huang Dazui's face into a riot of peach blossoms.
"Stop! You'll kill him if you keep going!"
At last, several White Servants who had been watching realized things were getting out of hand. Afraid they would be dragged into the mess if it escalated, they rushed forward and pulled the two apart by force.
Huang Dazui scrambled to his feet, his face covered in blood. He spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva.
"Y-you... Wang Tiedan! You dare hit me?!"
Huang Dazui clutched his swollen cheek. With his front teeth gone, he spoke with a lisp. "You'd better not run! Just you wait! If I don't make you kneel down and kowtow to apologize, and call me Grandpa three times, then I'm no Huang!"
With that, he shoved his way through the crowd and limped toward the gate.
His retreating figure brimmed with the swagger of someone off to fetch reinforcements.
The courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Anyone with half a brain knew Huang Dazui had gone to fetch reinforcements.
"Tiedan, you've really gotten yourself into trouble! Huang Dazui's cousin, Huang Bao, is a Ranked Martial Artist. Even the county constables have to treat him with respect."
An older White Servant sighed and patted Wang Tiedan on the shoulder. "While there's still time, take your wife and run! Head back to the countryside and lie low!"
"That's right. Huang Bao's a Ranked Martial Artist. He kills without batting an eye!"
Everyone joined in, urging him to go.
Wang Tiedan was breathing hard now. He looked at his wife, trembling in the corner, and his face turned pale, then flushed.
But his stubborn streak hadn't passed. He stiffened his neck and said:
"Why should I run? He was the one who harassed my wife! I was entirely justified in beating him! Even if this goes before the county magistrate, I'm in the right!"
"Is there no law anymore? No justice?"
Hearing Wang Tiedan's words, Lin Guanhuo sighed inwardly.
This man... was too naïve.
In this Chaotic World, the law was made for the rich and powerful.
As for justice? Whoever had the bigger fist made the rules.
Lin Guanhuo hesitated, then stepped forward. "Tiedan, don't pick a fight you can't win. There's no reasoning with people like him. Lie low for now."
Wang Tiedan shook his head.
His honest, plain face was set with stubbornness. He was as obstinate as an ox. "I'm not leaving! I refuse to believe that in broad daylight, he can beat me to death!"
At that moment, Wang Tiedan suddenly seemed to remember something. He frowned and said to Lin Guanhuo, "Lin Guanhuo, why are you in such a hurry to get me to leave? I saw you give Huang Dazui a steamed bun this morning. Now you're speaking up for him? You two wouldn't happen to be in cahoots, would you?"
"Uh..."
Hearing that, Lin Guanhuo was at a loss for words. He said no more and silently retreated into the crowd.
I try to help you, and you suspect me?
In this world that devoured people, stubbornness like that was often fatal.
Before long, Huang Dazui returned to the Miscellaneous Room Courtyard with a young man.
The young man looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, with handsome, dignified features.
He moved with the confident stride of a trained fighter, his presence commanding. At a glance, you could tell he knew martial arts.
This was Huang Bao, an official member of the Mad Saber Martial Arts School—and a genuine Ranked Martial Artist.
As soon as he appeared, everyone turned to look, their eyes filled with apprehension.
Rumor had it Huang Bao was ruthless, and that he had stained his hands with plenty of blood to become a Martial Artist.
Just then...
"Cousin! That bastard! It's him!" Huang Dazui pointed at Wang Tiedan, who was still standing in the middle of the courtyard, protecting his wife, and shouted viciously.
"Oh?"
Huang Bao didn't lash out at once. He looked Wang Tiedan over.
He walked up to Wang Tiedan and even offered a faint smile. "Brother, I'm Huang Bao. My cousin tells me there's been a bit of a misunderstanding between you. I'm a reasonable man. If my younger cousin was at fault, I'll be sure to discipline him."
He spoke with such dignity and uprightness, carrying a hint of the bearing of a reputable school.
The onlookers, who had been holding their breath, all relaxed.
They thought this Ranked Martial Artist really did have grace. He didn't look like he had come to cause trouble.
Wang Tiedan hadn't expected him to be so polite, and his taut nerves eased a little. "Master Huang, here's what happened. My wife came to bring me clothes, and your cousin... He insulted her and even put his hands on her. I only lost my temper because I couldn't stand it..."
"Oh? Put his hands on her?"
Huang Bao raised an eyebrow. His gaze passed over Wang Tiedan and settled on the young wife trembling behind him.
He let his eyes roam over her twice. The righteous look on his face suddenly twisted into a revolting, sinister smile.
"Well, well. She is rather pretty."
Huang Bao stroked his chin. His tone shifted as he drawled, "But... my cousin is usually the most honest sort. Why would he harass her for no reason?"
"I'd say it's obvious... Your woman couldn't bear the loneliness and seduced my cousin first, couldn't she?"
The words sent a shockwave through the crowd!
Wang Tiedan's wife had already been shaken by the harassment, her expression still unsettled. Now, hearing those words, she trembled and turned deathly pale.
Hearing Huang Bao insult his wife in front of so many people—
"You... You liar!"
Wang Tiedan shook with fury, his eyes instantly turning red. "You're slandering her! He was the one who—"
"Hm?" Huang Bao's expression darkened. The false kindness vanished, replaced by a chilling aura of malice. "What? Are you saying I'm lying?"
"This is too much!"
Wang Tiedan could no longer bear the humiliation. He let out a furious roar.
Like a mad bull, he charged at Huang Bao and swung a punch at his face.
The punch, thrown in a fury, came with a rush of wind and plenty of force.
But in Huang Bao's eyes, it was as slow as a snail.
"Hmph. You overestimate yourself."
Huang Bao stood perfectly still. Only when the fist was upon him did he suddenly lift his leg.
Thud!
His kick was as fast as lightning, striking before the punch could land. It slammed into Wang Tiedan's chest!
A Martial Artist's strike carried the force of a raging sea!
Crack!
The sharp snap of breaking bones rang out.
Wang Tiedan couldn't even see how Huang Bao had attacked. He flew back five or six meters like a kite with its string cut.
He crashed heavily to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Ow... Ow!!"
Wang Tiedan groaned several times, looking utterly wretched. The stubbornness he'd shown earlier had vanished without a trace.
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