Making Amends

Scholar Li's school was in his own home.

When Xu Yang and Xu Qing arrived, Scholar Li was teaching a class.

They didn't disturb him. Instead, they waited quietly.

When the lesson ended, Scholar Li came out of the schoolroom. Xu Yang hurried forward with Xu Qing, greeted him respectfully, and explained why they had come.

Scholar Li naturally agreed. After accepting the tuition, Xu Qing had officially become his student. If she passed the imperial exams in the future, he would be her teacher and mentor.

Unfortunately, in this world, women were not allowed to take the civil-service examinations, though a few women had won the title of top martial candidate in the military examinations.

After watching Xu Qing enter the schoolroom, Xu Yang didn't linger. He turned and left.

He had only taken a few steps when a pretty young woman approached. It was Scholar Li's daughter, Li Yao.

She was indeed quite beautiful, and in a place like White Stone Ward, she could be called a peerless beauty.

If Scholar Li hadn't been a scholar in the same cohort as the current county magistrate and on friendly terms with him, someone as beautiful as Li Yao would have fallen into the Tri-Union Gang's clutches long ago.

"Miss Li!"

As they passed each other, Xu Yang smiled at Li Yao and gave her a slight nod before striding away.

She was Scholar Li's daughter and Xu Qing's teacher's daughter, so of course he had to be polite.

"Who was that?"

Li Yao furrowed her brows slightly, realizing she didn't recognize the man who had greeted her.

"Father, who was the person who just left our home?" Li Yao asked as she entered the courtyard.

Scholar Li was taken aback. "That was Xu Yang. You used to play together all the time when you were children. Don't you remember him?"

Xu Yang?

Li Yao shook her head. "Xu Yang was skinny as a stick and never had enough to eat. That man was broad and full of vigor. How could he possibly be Xu Yang?"

Scholar Li realized what had happened. "Oh, you've only just returned from the city. You don't know that Xu Yang has become a martial artist. His whole bearing has changed. Even I almost didn't recognize him just now."

That poor boy who used to sneak glances at her had become a martial artist?

A hint of disbelief showed in Li Yao's eyes. No wonder the man had seemed vaguely familiar, yet she hadn't recognized him.

"Father, why didn't you tell me sooner!" She rushed outside, but Xu Yang was nowhere to be seen.

Now that he had just entered Qi Gathering, many things had changed.

Xu Yang had planned to go home and change his clothes before heading to Wei Yuan Hall.

But before he even reached home, he saw a crowd gathered outside his door.

Among them, he spotted Xu Laoer, Zhang Cuiting, and Yang Jun.

"Xu Yang's back!"

Someone spotted Xu Yang first and called out. The crowd parted, opening a path for him.

Only then did Xu Yang see the group standing at his gate. They were all dressed alike in black, each holding a heavy cleaver, and stood behind a middle-aged man with a sharp, imposing presence.

Beside the middle-aged man knelt a person who was bound hand and foot, with his mouth gagged.

When Xu Yang appeared, the middle-aged man cupped his hands. "I am Li Sanhe. Brother Xu, you're every bit the fine young man. No wonder you've achieved Qi Gathering at such a young age."

Li Sanhe!

Xu Yang's heart stirred. He returned the salute. "So it's Gang Leader Li. May I ask what brings you here?"

Li Sanhe pointed to the man kneeling beside him. "I've just found out this bastard kept sending people to threaten your family, hoping to buy your younger sister. I've brought him here for Brother Xu to deal with. Whether he lives or dies is up to you."

The people of White Stone Ward were astonished. Li Sanhe had actually come to apologize to Xu Yang.

Is he trying to test me? Xu Yang wondered.

Li Sanhe had probably already realized that he was the one who had killed Li Hu, Qian Ming, and the others.

His actions now might mean he was genuinely backing down and accepting defeat, or they might be a test.

If Xu Yang simply killed the man Li Sanhe had handed over, it would show that he was ruthless and held grudges—and that he would retaliate against Li Sanhe in the future.

To avoid being targeted by Xu Yang later, Li Sanhe would naturally have to eliminate him first.

If Xu Yang spared the man, it would mean there was room to make peace. Li Sanhe wouldn't have to risk offending Wei Yuan Hall by killing him.

"So that bastard was the one causing trouble behind the scenes!" Xu Yang said, then changed tack. "But he's a member of the Tri-Union Gang. It wouldn't be right for me to deal with him. Why don't you handle it, Gang Leader Li?"

Li Sanhe's eyes flickered. "Then I'll take one of his arms and offer you two taels of silver as an apology. What do you think, Brother Xu?"

So this bastard really was testing him.

Xu Yang cupped his hands. "I'll leave it to you, Gang Leader Li."

Li Sanhe gave one of his subordinates a look. The man immediately stepped forward, drew his blade, and chopped off the bound man's arm.

The man rolled on the ground in agony, wailing loudly. The neighbors watching turned their heads, too frightened to look.

"Bastard, what are you howling for? Get over here and thank Brother Xu for sparing your life!"

The man endured the pain and hurried over to kowtow to Xu Yang.

Li Sanhe took out the promised two taels of silver and handed them to Xu Yang. "If you ever need anything, Brother Xu, come find me at the Tri-Union Gang. I need to take this bastard back for treatment right away. Let's not have him die here and dirty up your place."

Li Sanhe left in a hurry, leaving the severed arm behind.

"Ruthless!"

He treated his own men like they weren't even human!

Xu Yang bent down and picked up the severed arm, then hurled it away before returning home.

"Go on. You're his father. What can he do to you?"

Xu Laoer's face was pale. He had originally come to Xu Yang to rebuild their father-son relationship, but what he had just witnessed had terrified him. He didn't dare go near Xu Yang at all.

Zhang Cuiting urged him several times, but he still didn't dare step forward and speak to Xu Yang.

"Look at him—even the Tri-Union Gang brought him money. Aren't you jealous?" Zhang Cuiting said again.

At her words, the fear in Xu Laoer's heart was finally outweighed by the silver. If he made peace with Xu Yang, wouldn't he be able to spend as much money as he wanted?

What he didn't know was that Xu Yang had heard every word.

Xu Laoer approached the door just as Xu Yang came out.

"A-Yang..." Xu Laoer said softly.

Zhang Cuiting pushed Yang Jun over as well. "Hurry up and greet your Brother Yang!"

Xu Yang ignored Xu Laoer and fixed Zhang Cuiting with a knife-sharp gaze. "If you try to get Xu Laoer to cozy up to me again, I'll kill your son."

Zhang Cuiting's face turned deathly pale. In the past, she might have thought Xu Yang was only trying to scare her, but after what had just happened, she knew he was capable of doing it.

By the time Xu Yang reached Wei Yuan Hall, it was nearly lunchtime. He found a spot and began building up his qi and blood and tempering his body.

As the breathing method cycled, true qi surged, washing over his bones and muscles like the tide. Its effects were far better than those of qi and blood.

"I didn't expect him to slack off right after breaking through!"

"He probably thinks that, now he's achieved Qi Gathering, he can just play around."

"Coming from the bottom, how much ambition could he have? He thinks Qi Gathering means he's made something of himself."

Seeing Xu Yang arrive so late, many people couldn't help shaking their heads in secret.

In the past, Xu Yang had always arrived first. Even when he got there, they hadn't shown up yet.

They hadn't expected that as soon as he achieved Qi Gathering, he'd become the last one to arrive.

Xu Yang heard them but couldn't be bothered to answer.

At least he was still cultivating. These people spent every day eating pastries and drinking tea—what right did they have to say he lacked ambition?

Only when his body grew hot and his head was drenched in sweat did Xu Yang finally stop practicing the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.