Furious

The six-month training period for herb-gathering apprentices had come to an end.

That morning, Herbalist Wang gave each of the five boys a hundred copper coins and told them to take the day off, enjoy themselves in Zhuqi County, and buy something to eat or use. Once they followed the Herb Gathering Artisans into the mountains the next day, they would often be gone for months at a time, with few chances to enjoy themselves in the county.

Ye Qin was thrilled. He had never had so many copper coins before. The sum was almost enough to cover ten days' meals for an ordinary family in the county. At a restaurant, he could even order a small table of food and wine and enjoy a proper feast.

Yang Yicheng praised their master even more. "He may seem cold and ruthless, but he doesn't shortchange us when it comes to money!"

Feng Xiao and the others nodded in agreement.

The other four were from the county or nearby, and a day off was a rare treat. After receiving their money, they hurried home to tell their families they would soon be heading into the mountains to gather herbs and would rarely be back.

Ye Qin's hometown was hundreds of miles away, so he had no chance to return.

He strode out of the Herb Gathering Hall with the coins tucked against his chest and wandered alone along the county's bustling main street, crowded with people. On either side stood restaurants and teahouses packed with wealthy patrons, while many rich young masters and ladies visited the shops. Farmers carried baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables, hawking them along the street.

Ye Qin already knew the county well. As an apprentice of the Herb Gathering Hall, he could feel how his new status had changed the way people treated him, just a little. Ordinary townsfolk who saw him wearing the Hall's distinctive uniform looked at him with a trace of respect. They didn't dare bully him as if he were merely an eleven-year-old boy; instead, they treated him like a young noble.

The beggars crouched in the corners of the streets and alleys were even more afraid to approach him.

Five months ago, he had been a little beggar who walked with his head down and dodged everyone he saw. How could he have imagined walking along the street with his head held high, no longer having to avoid people? Even the wandering martial artists carrying bundles and swords gave him a proper look instead of ignoring him completely.

Ye Qin felt a little giddy, but also a little heartbroken. He wondered where Da Niu was now, whether he was still alive, and if he was in the county. When he eventually returned to his hometown, how would he face Da Niu's parents?

Lost in thought, he didn't even know where he had wandered when the sounds of kicks and shouting came from an alley up ahead.

A thug in his twenties was leading three or four ruffians a few years younger than him as they kicked a filthy, stinking little beggar. "Hey, kid, where's this month's protection money? You're begging in the county without paying us? You've got a death wish! Give him a good beating!"

The ruffians were caught up in their bullying and paid no heed to the little beggar's cries of pain.

Seeing them head-on, Ye Qin paused. He vaguely recognized the sort. Back when he had wandered into Zhuqi County, some thugs had bullied him, though he'd long since forgotten what they looked like. Their viciousness, though, was all the same.

A nameless rage surged in his heart. If those thugs hadn't bullied them back then, he and Da Niu might have managed to find food in the county instead of fleeing into the wilderness to forage, where Da Niu had been bitten by a wild dog. And now they were bullying someone else here. They deserved to die.

He wasn't afraid of these worthless thugs anymore.

Ye Qin charged over and, without a word, kicked the thug leader in the leg. He was only eleven, but he had practiced inner cultivation and undergone more than half a year of intense training, so he had some brute strength. An untrained man might not even be his match.

"Ugh!"

The thug hadn't seen it coming. The sudden kick sent him stumbling to the ground, where he ate dirt like a dog. When he saw that his attacker was a boy of about ten, he flew into a rage.

"You little brat! Where'd you come from, daring to kick your grandpa?!"

The other ruffians abandoned the little beggar and charged at Ye Qin. Four or five of them surrounded him and started beating him.

Even facing four or five men alone, Ye Qin wasn't the least bit afraid. After taking a few punches, he realized their footing was unsteady and their blows had no force behind them. Their fists and kicks were weak and limp, barely more than tickles. They weren't even a fraction as strong as Yang Yicheng. He could take one or two of Yang Yicheng's iron-hard punches, too.

"Ptooey! I'm your grandpa!"

Ye Qin stopped bothering to block. He lunged at the thug leader, knocked him down, straddled him, and hammered him with more than ten punches. In an instant, the man's face was a blooming flower of blood. Blood spurted from his nose as he wailed and begged for mercy. "Oh, it hurts! Stop hitting me! You're my grandpa, I'm your grandson! Please stop!"

Seeing Ye Qin go wild and pound the thug leader as if he didn't care whether he lived or died, the other ruffians backed away in terror. After retreating a dozen or so steps, they turned and ran for help without looking back.

Ye Qin didn't stop just because the thug leader begged. He beat the man until he was half-dead and his whole face had swollen up. Only after venting his anger did he finally let up.

The little beggar had been curled up with his head covered while the thugs kicked him. When they stopped and he heard their cries instead, he cautiously peeked out with his filthy, soot-black face and looked over. Then he stared blankly at Ye Qin.

"Q-Qin... Brother Qin!"

The little beggar's voice trembled, and he sounded unsure.

Recognizing his voice, Ye Qin was startled. He looked toward the little beggar lying in the alley.

"Da Niu, is that you?"

"It's me, Brother Qin!"

When he saw Ye Qin, the little beggar burst into tears.

Ye Qin hurried over and helped him up. The two boys from the same hometown threw their arms around each other and wept. Ye Qin had thought that after they parted in front of the Herb Gathering Hall, they might never meet again. He couldn't believe they had run into each other half a year later.

When they had finished crying, Da Niu wiped his eyes and told Ye Qin what had happened to him over the past six months.

It turned out that Cheng Daniu hadn't been driven away by the Herb Gathering Hall because of his injured leg. But he didn't want to be separated from Ye Qin for too long, so he kept hanging around the Hall, hoping to see him. Before long, a gang of thugs in the county found him and tried to train him to become a pickpocket. They failed, however, because of his injured leg. He ran too slowly, so the gang had to give up on the idea.

Da Niu had been begging in the county ever since. The other beggars often bullied and chased him off, and the thugs regularly demanded protection money from him.

Hearing this, Ye Qin was furious. He went back over to the thug leader and kicked him hard several more times.

Suddenly, a dozen or more burly men in blue robes, carrying thick clubs, came running from the far end of the alley, led by three or four ruffians. At their head was a towering man in plain clothes, carrying a battered axe. He bellowed, "So, you little brat! You dare bully the Wild Dog Gang? I'll smash every bone in your body!"

"Boss, that kid's right up ahead. He hasn't escaped! Show him what you can do and peel his skin off!"

The ruffians shouted excitedly as they ran at the front.

Ye Qin looked toward the end of the alley and was stunned. He hadn't expected the ruffians to bring a whole gang of helpers so quickly. He could handle three or four unarmed ruffians, but a dozen or more men carrying clubs and axes were beyond him. How could he get away?

He quickly glanced toward the other end of the alley, ready to flee with Da Niu.

But things didn't unfold the way Ye Qin had expected.

The burly man saw Ye Qin's clothes and the conspicuous leaf emblem on his chest. He suddenly froze. His eyes contracted as if he had seen a venomous snake or scorpion, and fear flickered across his face.

He had thought another gang in the county had beaten up one of his Wild Dog Gang underlings. How had it turned out to be someone from the Herb Gathering Hall?

The Herb Gathering Hall was the county's most overbearing power, with more than a thousand followers, every last one ruthless and ready to trade their lives for money. If you accidentally offended one of them, you might die without even knowing how it happened.

His was only a low-rent little gang with a few dozen thugs in Zhuqi County. Even if the Herb Gathering Hall casually lifted a finger, his whole outfit wouldn't be worth mentioning. How could he dare lay a hand on one of its people?!

The boy before him was only an apprentice, but who knew whether he had older brothers or sisters, uncles or aunts behind him? If he brought out someone even a little formidable, the Wild Dog Gang would become a thing of the past in Zhuqi County.

The burly man turned deathly pale and exploded with rage, slapping the ruffians four or five times across the face. "You worthless idiots! Are you blind? Can't you see he's a big brother from the Herb Gathering Hall?! Hurry up and kowtow to him!"

The ruffians were left dazed by the burly man's heavy slaps. They collapsed to the ground, kowtowed repeatedly to Ye Qin and Cheng Daniu, and wailed.

"Big brother, sir, we were wrong!"

"Please, don't take offense!"

Ye Qin stumbled back several steps, utterly dumbfounded.

Da Niu cowered behind Ye Qin and cautiously watched the Wild Dog Gang, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Brother Qin had become so powerful!