An Unexpected Turn

In a remote county of Yuezhou, the annual county festival was underway. The city was adorned with lanterns and colorful streamers, bustling with a constant stream of people and an atmosphere of great excitement. Xu Yang huddled in a corner of the street wearing tattered clothes, his heart filled with helplessness.

At this moment, he was penniless and his stomach was growling loudly. Fortunately, he had been prepared for such a situation. He reached into his bosom and pulled out a cold, hard piece of flatbread, opened his mouth wide, and took two fierce bites. He swallowed the bread in a few gulps, but because he ate too ravenously, he began to choke. He reached for the water flask at his side and took a few swigs to wash the bread down.

After filling his stomach, Xu Yang didn't feel particularly happy, as his next meal was still not guaranteed. Xu Yang was an orphan; he had been raised by an old beggar since he was a child, living a life of feast or famine. When he was ten, the old beggar fell gravely ill and passed away without money for treatment, leaving him to live alone ever since.

Fortunately, Xu Yang had been incredibly sharp since he was young. Although the past four years hadn't been easy, he hadn't gone hungry too often. He usually made ends meet by doing odd jobs in the county or guiding travelers. However, for some reason, his luck had been terrible lately, and he hadn't been able to find any work, leaving him without even enough money for food. The flatbread he just ate was his last ration; if he couldn't find work soon, he would be starving.

Today was the county festival, and the townspeople would all be out of their homes to celebrate together. This was a great opportunity—perhaps he could find a way to make some money! That was why Xu Yang had left his makeshift shelter in the dilapidated temple early in the morning. However, he still hadn't found any work, which left him feeling deeply frustrated. It seemed he was truly destined to go hungry today.

After some thought, Xu Yang stood up and headed toward the best inn in the county. Before long, he arrived at the front gate of Yuelai Inn. This inn was the finest in the county, and it was rumored that the owner had a very close relationship with the county magistrate, so no one ever dared to cause trouble there. Most travelers stayed at this location, and Xu Yang had often picked up work here in the past.

However, he hadn't been here for some time because the surrounding territory had been occupied by Jia the Third and his gang, who had driven everyone else away. This was one of the reasons he had been going hungry, but he couldn't worry about that now; he had to earn some money first!

As luck would have it, just as Xu Yang reached the inn's entrance, he saw the waiter, Xiao Wang, standing by the door. His face lit up, and he quickly scurried over, saying, "Brother Wang, what are you up to? Is there anything this little brother can help you with?" "Where have you been these past few days? You haven't shown your face in a while, and I was actually a bit worried about you!"

"I was driven off by Jia the Third and his lot! Brother Wang, is there any work today? Your little brother hasn't had it easy lately! I'm about to go hungry," Xu Yang said with a grin.

"You've come at just the right time, kid. I actually do have something, but you have to handle it well. If you mess this up, we'll both be in serious trouble."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yang was overjoyed and quickly patted his chest to assure Xiao Wang. After the two of them discussed it, Xu Yang knew exactly what to do. The task wasn't difficult—it was just guiding someone—but the reward offered by the guest was quite high. If it weren't for the good relationship between Xu Yang and Xiao Wang, he wouldn't have been able to land this job.

Xu Yang waited at the entrance while Xiao Wang turned and walked into the inn to find the guest. Before long, Xiao Wang led a handsome and dashing young man to Xu Yang. "Yangzi, this is Young Master Li. He wants to visit friends and family in Xiao Liu Township, south of the county. You are to guide Young Master Li and make sure you serve him carefully, you hear?"

Xu Yang nodded and bowed repeatedly in agreement. Young Master Li looked Xu Yang over and nodded, saying, "Little brother, I'll have to trouble you." After speaking, he raised his hand, pulled out a piece of silver, and tossed it to Xiao Wang. Xu Yang's eyes went wide at the sight, and he shouted in his heart, A god of wealth! I must serve this master well; the tip will be huge!

While shouting internally, Xu Yang bowed and said, "Young Master Li, rest assured. Xiao Liu Township is not far from the county, and since I live near there, I am very familiar with the path." "Good, let's set off now. I can't wait to see my old friend." A sharp glint flashed in Young Master Li's eyes as he spoke.

Xu Yang bid farewell to the waiter, Xiao Wang, and led Young Master Li toward Xiao Liu Township. Before long, the two had left the county. It was the turn of summer and autumn, so the vegetation was growing lushly. Since it was a bright, sunny day, Xu Yang was already drenched in sweat halfway through the journey. What he found strange was that Young Master Li didn't have a single bead of sweat on him, as if the sun hadn't touched him at all.

After walking for more than an hour, a village appeared in the distance. Xu Yang's face lit up when he saw it, and he turned to Young Master Li, saying, "Young Master, that is Xiao Liu Township ahead. I don't know who you are looking for, but I can help you ask around." "No need, I can go myself. Here is your reward, take it and be off." Young Master Li glanced at the village ahead, raised his hand, and tossed a piece of silver to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang caught the silver and weighed it in his hand; he estimated it was about one tael. He was overjoyed, thinking to himself, Haha, I have money now! I won't have to go hungry for the next few days. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly bowed to Young Master Li and said happily, "Many thanks for the reward, Young Master. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Young Master Li waved his hand at Xu Yang, signaling for him to leave quickly. Seeing this, Xu Yang bowed to Young Master Li and turned to walk away quickly.

Young Master Li looked at the village before him, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as his expression turned grim. With a light tap of his toes, his body surged forward with incredible speed and complete silence, stealthily entering the village.

A moment later, he landed in a courtyard. This courtyard was quite remote, with few people passing by, and it was situated far from the other villagers. According to what Young Master Li had heard, the owner lived alone and had a strange temper, so the villagers rarely dared to come near.

Young Master Li surveyed the surroundings of the courtyard and called out, "Senior Brother, your junior brother Li Yuan pays his respects. It has been many years; I hope you have been well. Please, come out and meet me." No sooner had he finished speaking than the door creaked open, and an old man with white hair emerged from the house.

Seeing the old man appear, Li Yuan stood his ground and bowed. The old man looked him up and down and chuckled, "So, Junior Brother Li Yuan has arrived. We haven't seen each other in ten years; what brings you to my place today? Speak up—you never visit a temple without a reason."

"Haha, Senior Brother, you jest! I am in the area on business and happened to remember that you lived here, so I stopped by to pay you a visit," Li Yuan said with a smile.

"Oh, is that so? You are quite thoughtful, Junior Brother; I am truly touched. Now that you have seen me, if there is nothing else, you may leave, so as not to delay your important affairs," the old man said with a sinister tone.

Li Yuan's expression changed, turning dark as he looked at the old man and said, "Senior Brother, let's not beat around the bush. You haven't forgotten what Master entrusted to you before he passed, have you?" "Heh heh! Junior Brother, you really did come for that. However, Master passed it to me before he died, so you had better stop coveting it."

"You scoundrel! Master instructed the two of us to keep it in turns, swapping every five years. You, on the other hand, took it and vanished, actually wanting to keep it all for yourself! You've made me search for you for years!" Li Yuan said with a look of fury.

The old man chuckled sinisterly and said, "Junior Brother, you must be misremembering, right? Master clearly told me to keep it alone. What business is it of yours?"

Li Yuan was enraged upon hearing this and said to the old man, "Since you want to keep it all for yourself, don't blame me for taking action. It's a perfect time for you to give your junior brother some pointers." As he spoke, Li Yuan leaped toward the old man.

The old man chuckled and said, "Then let me give you some pointers!" The two began to fight fiercely within the courtyard. A gale-force wind suddenly whipped through the small space, and their movements grew faster and faster, their strikes carrying immense power. After fighting for a moment, Li Yuan's strength suddenly surged, and he immediately forced the old man onto the defensive.

Seeing this, the old man shouted, "This is the Heavenly Demon Great Art! How do you know this evil technique?" Suddenly seeing this martial art, the old man's focus wavered. Li Yuan seized the opportunity to launch a powerful palm strike against the old man's chest. The old man let out a miserable cry, tumbled out of the courtyard, and fled into the woods behind the house.

Li Yuan was overjoyed and was about to pursue his advantage when his expression suddenly changed. A black mist surged onto his face. He raised his hand to look and saw that his palm was pitch black; he had clearly been struck by a potent poison. Li Yuan said with a hateful expression, "The old man is too treacherous. Once I force out the poison, I will surely grind your bones to dust! You won't escape!" With that, Li Yuan quickly sat cross-legged to circulate his energy and purge the toxin.