A Horde of Villains Arrives at the Door

The next day, just as the sky began to brighten.

Qin Meng rose early as usual. After a quick wash, he ate half a boiled deer heart and went into the courtyard to continue practicing the black dragon eighteen hands.

As he darted and leaped, his movements became increasingly natural.

After breaking through to the "entry-level" stage last night, his body had gradually adapted to this combat style. Every move and technique now held new insights and variations—not just in power, but in rhythm, breathing, and the mastery of timing.

When the day was fully bright, Shen Qiuyue poked her head out from the kitchen: "Mengzi, breakfast is ready."

A gentle smile graced her face, and her hair was slightly damp from the heat of the stove.

"Coming." Qin Meng withdrew his stance and took a deep breath.

Smelling the aroma of meat wafting through the air and looking at the busy figure by the stove, he felt a wave of emotion. It was good to have a woman at home who cared for him.

Three hot meals a day, clean washed clothes, a house kept in perfect order...

These trivial yet tangible comforts and stability were the most solid foundation for a man working hard outside. Not to mention what could happen at night...

He stopped those untimely thoughts just in time and turned his gaze to the dining table.

Breakfast was sumptuous: half a bucket of steamed polished rice, a large basin of deer antler and chicken stew, snake soup, braised rabbit meat, and two side dishes of pickled greens.

Qin Meng was starving and began to eat heartily as soon as he sat down.

Before long, there was little left on the table. Qin Meng had polished off nearly seventy percent of the food, and as waves of warmth spread through his abdomen, the hunger finally subsided.

Practicing martial arts is truly a bottomless pit for money, he clicked his tongue inwardly. No wonder ordinary families in the dynasty could barely afford to support one person in martial arts training.

Just as he set down his bowl and chopsticks and Shen Qiuyue was preparing to clean up—

"Qin Meng, get out here and pay your debts!"

The voice was shrill and familiar; it was the ruffian Qin Lai.

Shen Qiuyue stood up and walked to the window, glancing outside. Her face turned deathly pale: "Oh, Mengzi, there, there are government officers. What should we do?"

Qin Meng's eyes turned cold: "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

"Creak—" The moment the dilapidated courtyard gate opened, the sunlight slanted in from the east, casting the shadows of the crowd outside into twisted, hideous shapes.

Qin Meng stood inside the gate, holding his ring-pommel saber, his gaze sweeping calmly over the lineup before him.

Qin Lai stood at the very front, his neck held high. His fierce face was filled with triumph and spite—the kick he had received in public yesterday had clearly left him harboring a grudge.

But the people standing behind him now were what gave him such absolute confidence.

Five bailiffs in black uniforms stood with their standard-issue sabers and iron rulers at their waists. Their posture was relaxed, but their eyes raked over Qin Meng like knives.

The leader, head bailiff Chen Yong, was a seasoned veteran who had spent his life navigating the streets.

Even more conspicuous were the seven or eight sturdy men nearby, surrounding a middle-aged man with a stout build.

The man wore a silk jacket, his round face featuring a pair of shifty, small eyes. At this moment, he was smiling as he sized up the dilapidated courtyard of Qin Meng's home.

The neighbors had already been stirred up.

Heads poked out from behind mud walls and woodpiles, accompanied by the sound of whispering.

Seeing that Qin Meng remained silent, Qin Lai grew bolder. He pulled out an IOU and shouted in a raspy, grating voice, "Qin Meng! Paying debts is only natural! If you can't come up with those fifty taels of silver today—"

He deliberately drew out his voice so that everyone could hear clearly, "The officials from Tieling County are here. They'll throw you in jail and seize your property to settle the debt!"

Qin Meng glanced at him without responding, his gaze landing on the head bailiff instead. "Head Bailiff Chen, is your grand presence here today to collect taxes?"

Chen Yong, the bailiff with a scar at the corner of his eye, stepped forward with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Qin Meng, is it? Paying the autumn tax would be fine. I hear you've been heading up the mountain every day lately and have bagged quite a bit of game?"

"Just trying to scrape by," Qin Meng said indifferently.

"Scrape by?" Chen Yong's voice turned abruptly cold. "Then how is it I hear you're having success every day, catching large deer? Do you have a hunting license?"

The courtyard fell silent for a moment. The crowd realized in an instant that this was instigated by that scoundrel Qin Lai.

A hunting license was a certificate issued by the government.

Hunting with a license required paying a hunting tax; private hunting without one meant fines at best, and imprisonment at worst.

In this northern frontier, it was common practice to head up the mountain during one's spare time to hunt for a bit of extra food. However, if someone reported it, the authorities were obligated to intervene.

Qin Lai's mouth was already curling into a grin, waiting to see the show.

Qin Meng was silent for a moment, then honestly shook his head. "No."

"No?" Chen Yong's voice rose. "Hunting privately without a license is a violation of the dynasty's laws! According to the law, that's a fine of thirty taels of silver and thirty strokes of the cane!"

Gasps echoed from the surrounding villagers.

Shen Qiuyue hid inside the house, her fingers gripping the doorframe so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Qin Meng, however, remained calm. He cupped his hands toward Chen Yong. "Head Bailiff Chen, please allow me to explain. I have no fields or property, and I am a sickly man. My family is destitute, and my wife is nearly starving to death.

According to the Northern Frontier Borderer Statute of the dynasty, taxes for border residents without employment or property can be reduced or exempted at the official's discretion. Furthermore, to seek a livelihood, one may temporarily enter the mountains to hunt, provided that the hunting license is applied for and the hunting tax is paid afterward. That is not illegal."

He paused, his voice clear. "I caught a spotted deer yesterday and have already exchanged it for silver. I also mentioned my trade to Captain Qin of the local militia. I can apply for the hunting license today, register as a hunter, and pay the back taxes."

The smile on Chen Yong's face stiffened.

He had run into Qin Lai in town last night and accepted a five-tael silver bribe from him. He had assumed that making things difficult for an ignorant, penniless kid would be a breeze, but who could have expected the boy to recite the legal statutes so clearly?

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard.

"Move! Everyone, move aside!"

Qin Tianbao pushed his way in with seven or eight militiamen, each clutching a spear with a grim expression on his face.

Behind him followed two clan elders with white hair and beards, leaning on canes and looking stern.

"Headman Chen." Qin Tianbao stepped forward, blocking the path in front of Qin Meng. "Mengzi is right. Border residents struggling to survive is understandable. Since he is willing to pay for a replacement hunting license and pay the back taxes, he has committed no offense under the law."

Yesterday, when Captain Qin came to purchase deer antlers, Qin Meng had mentioned the matter of the hunting license in passing, just to prevent petty people from causing trouble behind his back.

Qin Tianbao cast a sidelong glance at Qin Lai, then looked at Chen Yong, his voice dropping a few degrees. "As for you, Headman Chen, you didn't even investigate the household's situation before trying to scare people with 'violating the law.' Could it be that you are abusing your power for personal gain?"

Chen Yong's expression shifted.

The two highly respected clan elders also spoke up, their voices aged but authoritative: "Luming Fort may not be wealthy, but we understand the rules. We will not pay a single copper less in taxes than we owe, but we will not yield an inch to bullying."

"Exactly." Murmurs of agreement rose from the surrounding crowd, and their gazes turned hostile.

Sweat broke out on Chen Yong's forehead.

He glanced at Qin Lai, whose face had also turned unsightly. Clearly, despite all his careful planning, he hadn't expected things to develop to this point.

"Fine, fine..." Chen Yong gritted his teeth. "Since you're willing to pay the fees, we'll do it by the book!"

The subsequent proceedings went surprisingly smoothly.

Qin Meng paid this year's hunting tax on the spot—ten taels of silver. He also applied for a replacement hunting license, paying the ten-tael replacement fee and security deposit.

He even paid the upcoming autumn taxes in advance.

Twenty-three taels of silver. Qin Meng's expression remained calm as he pulled a money pouch from his robe and counted out the pieces of broken silver clearly, while someone nearby weighed them and recorded them in the ledger.

Chen Yong accepted the money, wrote the name "Qin Meng" in the register, stamped it with a red seal, and handed over a palm-sized wooden plaque. The front was carved with the characters for "Hunter," while the back bore a serial number and the seal of Luming Fort.

"From today on, you are a legitimate hunter." Chen Yong's voice was dry. "Pay taxes on your hunting yields honestly, and don't try to play any tricks."

Qin Meng took the plaque, weighed it in his hand, and tucked it into his robe.

Next came the second account.

The chubby middle-aged man who had been smiling the whole time now walked forward slowly.

The seven or eight burly men behind him moved as well, each broad-shouldered and thick-waisted with fierce eyes. They were dressed in short tunics, clearly thugs.

"Little Brother Qin," the middle-aged man began, his voice amiable but laced with calculation. "I am Lin Hai, the proprietor of the Hongyun Gambling House in Linshan Town."

"I've seen you before, acting like brothers with Qin Lai." Qin Meng waved a hand to interrupt him, his tone indifferent. "Speak up. How much money do I owe you?"

These words instantly silenced the surroundings.

The neighbors from Luming Fort who were watching the commotion focused their gazes on Lin Hai and Qin Lai.