Hu Ma

Lin Yi frowned and looked up toward the courtyard. Before he saw anyone, he heard their voices.

"Hey, Uncle Lin, you're eating well today! I could smell the meat from way down the road. I only get to eat meat once every three or five days."

As soon as the words fell, six burly, fierce-looking men had gathered at the doorway.

At their head was a short man, stocky and bowlegged, with a flat nose, triangular eyes, and a diagonal scar across his round face. He looked to be only about thirty.

The faint True Qi fluctuations radiating from him made Lin Yi's brow furrow. An eighth-grade Qi Refiner, or perhaps a martial artist who had entered the Qi stage of the Martial Way.

The Black Wind Gang was one of the two major gangs in Jiaqing County. The gang leader was said to have broken through the Martial Pass long ago and condensed True Qi within his body. He was a true Seventh-grade martial artist.

The two gangs made their living by collecting protection fees and sanitation fees from the territories under their control. Friction between them was constant, and they were forever trading barbs, both openly and behind the scenes.

Since influential figures in the county government backed both sides, the Peace Guard, responsible for law and order and capturing Demonic creatures, turned a blind eye.

"Hu Ma! What are you doing here? I've already paid this month's dues!" Lin Hua sprang to his feet, warily watching the men crowd into the courtyard. His gaze finally settled on the short man in their midst.

Hu Ma?

Lin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hey, Uncle Lin, don't worry. The Black Wind Gang has been established in Jiaqing County for all these years. We'd never tarnish our own name. Since you've paid up, the Black Wind Gang will naturally keep Black Water Alley safe for you." The man called Hu Ma rubbed the scraggly stubble on his chin and chuckled. "But..."

"Debts must be repaid. That's only right, isn't it?"

Lin Hua said indignantly, "What debt? When have I ever owed you a single copper?"

"I never said it was you who owed us." Hu Ma leisurely pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and held it out to Lin Hua.

"Uncle Lin, you're a learned man. You can surely recognize the writing and signature on this IOU, can't you?"

"Lin Changgong—he's your own younger brother, Uncle Lin. He borrowed a full hundred taels of silver from us some time ago, and now nobody knows where he's run off to."

"After all, a father repays his son's debts, and an elder brother is like a father. Since you're both his father and his brother, surely you should settle such a large debt for him?" Hu Ma said with a smiling face.

At his words, everyone in the house froze. Lin Xiuwen timidly hid behind Lin Yi and called softly, "Big brother..."

Lin Yi rubbed his head. "Don't worry. It's all right."

"Lin Changgong, that gambling addict, owes you money. Go after him! Why come after our family?" Aunt Chen cursed. "Even real brothers keep their accounts separate. Why should Lin Changgong's debt be dumped on us?"

Lin Yi sighed inwardly, too.

He had met this second uncle of his, at least in name, a few times. He was handsome enough, but had a gambling addiction he couldn't shake.

A few years ago, he had even broken his own leg to evade military service. Now he was nearly thirty, still unmarried, and a cripple.

Still, owing fifty taels really was quite a feat. In these times, an ordinary laborer's family of three was doing well if they earned twenty taels a year.

The Lin family had previously run a teahouse, and Chen also did odd jobs. Even if they spent not a single coin, they could scrape together no more than forty taels in a year.

It was obvious that Hu Ma had long ago set up this scheme to get his hands on the Meteorite Iron beneath the Lin Family Restaurant, using Lin Yi's second uncle.

"Alas... That good-for-nothing..." Lin Hua cursed bitterly. A lump caught in his chest, and before he could catch his breath, he toppled backward.

Lin Yi moved swiftly, catching him and helping him sit down. He gently rubbed his back to soothe his breathing and said with concern, "Uncle, don't let yourself get worked up."

Hu Ma chimed in with feigned concern, "Oh, Uncle Lin, you really must take care of yourself. With such a huge debt, if you were to collapse, it would fall on those two children. How would they manage from then on..."

Frowning, Chen said, "I already told you, our family shouldn't have to repay this money. Whoever owes it, go after them. Find Lin Changgong yourselves!"

She had long since grown to despise this good-for-nothing brother-in-law.

He was lazy, greedy, and addicted to gambling. He was well into adulthood and still unmarried, loafing around all day and showing up at their home now and then to borrow money.

Hu Ma looked surprised. "Surely not, Uncle Lin. He's your own younger brother. We've already started looking for him, but if you really won't pay, then by the gang's rules, we'll have to chop off his hands. Both of them."

Lin Hua sat in silence, and only after a long while did he finally catch his breath. A trace of struggle flickered in his eyes, but in the end, he let out a long sigh.

"Hu Ma... You've seen our situation. We don't have the money, and there's no way we can pay back fifty taels anytime soon. Take anything inside or outside the house that catches your eye. You're welcome to carry it off."

Hu Ma sat down opposite Lin Hua with a smile.

"Uncle Lin, listen to yourself. If we really did that, wouldn't we be acting like bandits?"

Lin Hua said nothing, only snorting through his nose.

Hu Ma's eyes shifted as he continued, "I've already come to discuss this with you before."

"That restaurant of yours is in a remote spot. I asked the nearby shopkeepers, and the rent there is only thirty taels a year. But since I know fixing the place up wasn't easy, how about I pay three hundred taels? I'll take it off your hands, and I'll wipe out your brother's debt myself."

A glint flashed in Lin Hua's eyes. He snorted. "The restaurant is out of the question. My whole family depends on it for a living. Take whatever you want from inside or outside this house, and I'll pay off the rest little by little. If it comes to it, I simply won't repay the debt."

Hu Ma's expression instantly turned cold, and his voice grew more somber.

"Uncle Lin, you're old enough to know your limits and when to yield. That's how you earn blessings for your descendants. You wouldn't want to see unsavory people showing up at the restaurant on its opening day, would you? If Aunt Lin or those two children got hurt by accident, you couldn't blame anyone else."

Lin Hua said nothing.

Hu Ma swept a cold gaze around the room, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Fine, fine, fine. Uncle Lin, how long have we known each other?"

"The restaurant opens tomorrow. I'll be sure to bring my brothers over to celebrate."

With that, Hu Ma raised a hand and led his men out.

Lin Yi watched Hu Ma's departing back.

He understood more or less what was going on.

The other side had clearly come to intimidate them today.

Things probably wouldn't be that simple from here on out...