Pick Up Your Ears!

Wei Zhong looked into Li Chengfeng's icy eyes and felt the strength of his power. Then, thinking back to how he had taken care of five guards in a flash of lightning just now, he finally came back to his senses.

How could Wei Zhong still fail to understand at this moment? This man had surely already cultivated to the level of a martial artist!

"I won't dare, I'll never dare again! I was wrong, I know I was wrong! You, please spare me!"

Wei Zhong hurriedly forced a sentence out through his painfully constricted throat, his expression terrified, his face twisted as he opened his mouth to beg.

The ugly look that had appeared when he first arrived and heard Li Chengfeng curse him had long since vanished like spring snow under the sun.

"You won't dare? You were wrong?"

Li Chengfeng looked at the old dog's state and gave a cold laugh. He threw him to the ground, raised the spear in his hand, and watched him shudder on the ground like an old dog, a cold gleam flashing through his eyes.

"I think you know you're about to die!"

As Li Chengfeng's words fell, he thrust the spear fiercely.

"Hiss!"

"Ah!!!"

The spear stabbed viciously into Wei Zhong's left ear, then lifted lightly, sending his entire left ear flying amid Wei Zhong's wails.

"Hmph. Today was only to teach you a lesson. For Master Zheng's sake, I'll spare your life. If there's a next time..."

Li Chengfeng stood with his spear withdrawn, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Wei Zhong, who was clutching his left ear and wailing, his gaze icy.

"I'll kill you!"

After Li Chengfeng finished speaking, he looked at Wei Zhong with eyes filled with murderous intent.

The thought of stabbing him to death with one spear flashed through his mind, but when he thought of that Master Zheng, whom he had never met yet who could possess vast properties in this city, he still restrained himself.

As the steward of the Zheng Estate, although Wei Zhong was not a martial artist, when out and about he also represented the Zheng Estate to a certain extent, and represented the face of that Master Zheng whom Li Chengfeng had never met.

After all, he had already become a martial artist. If he only injured Wei Zhong and did not kill him, then the matter would still be within a controllable range.

But if he killed him, that would be a harsh slap to Master Zheng's face.

He was not certain what Master Zheng's cultivation was. If he ended up provoking the other party into a rage, and Master Zheng came straight to his door to fight him to the death, and Li Chengfeng could not beat him, that would be bad.

So... he would hold something back for now.

"Still not scramming? Are you waiting for me to kill you all?"

Li Chengfeng's thoughts flashed like lightning through his mind. He narrowed his eyes and swept a glance over the six people before him, then shouted in a low voice.

Hearing Li Chengfeng's words, Wei Zhong covered his ear in terror, gritted his teeth against the intense pain, and crawled up to leave.

"Pick up the ear!"

At Li Chengfeng's cold shout, Wei Zhong shuddered and hurriedly went trembling to pick up the ear that had fallen to the ground. His palm shook as he walked outward, one halting step at a time.

Seeing this, the five servants also climbed up from the ground with their whole bodies trembling, shivering as they tried to pick up their spears before leaving.

"Fuck, who told you to pick up the spears? Get lost!"

Li Chengfeng's eyes flared wide as he shouted angrily.

The five servants immediately trembled all over. They no longer dared pick them up, and with hunched backs, supporting one another, grimacing in pain, they left into the distance amid wails and groans.

Li Chengfeng gave a cold snort. Only then did he step forward and pick up the five spears, weighing them in his hands before nodding in satisfaction.

"The quality isn't bad. They can sell for some silver."

A faint smile appeared on Li Chengfeng's face. Then he looked at the backs of the six as they left and frowned.

"I wonder if that Master Zheng will come again, or when he'll come."

Li Chengfeng pondered inwardly, but a moment later, he shook his head.

"When soldiers come, a general blocks them; when water comes, earth dams it. I'd better hurry and practice martial arts first."

Just like at this very moment, after he had gained strength, all sorts of people came to his door, and their reactions and outcomes were completely different.

When the day came that his strength surpassed that of Master Zheng, so what if Master Zheng came?

His thoughts stirred lightly. Li Chengfeng glanced at Aunt Wang and Aunt Chen on either side, their faces full of horror, as well as some other neighbors who lived farther away, and the few unfamiliar passersby who had been so stunned they did not dare move from the roadside.

With an indifferent expression, he walked back into the courtyard, shut the gate, placed the spears in the yard, called Liu Yuniang out, and gently soothed her. Afterward, he continued practicing martial arts in the bamboo grove.

"Isn't that Li Chengfeng from Li Asheng's family? How did he become so imposing?"

"Li Asheng really had himself a fine son. So imposing, even Master Zheng's steward and servants were beaten by him?"

"More than beaten! Steward Wei's ear was cut off by him, and blood flowed all over the ground!"

"Heh, what do you lot know? Li Asheng's son has become a martial artist!"

"That's right. Didn't you see just now how Li Chengfeng was like a gust of wind? He knocked all six of them to the ground, unable to move. Other than a martial artist, what ordinary person could have that kind of ability?"

"Who else but a martial artist would have the ability to make Wei Zhong, steward of the Zheng Estate, not dare say a single word and beg for mercy while admitting his mistake?"

"Exactly, Li Asheng's son has become a martial artist!"

"Huh? A martial artist!"

Those neighbors who were not too far away and could still be considered acquainted with Li Chengfeng's family discussed it all at once, cries of shock sounding from time to time. Their faces were filled with astonishment.

"Li Asheng's son actually became a martial artist? He's really made something of himself!"

"Can common folk like us have a martial artist in the family too? I heard the apprentice fee at a martial hall costs five hundred taels of silver!"

"Strange, isn't it? That Li Chengfeng stayed home every day, and I never saw him go to any martial hall. I only ever saw him go hunting in the mountains, yet he actually became a martial artist."

"Ah, their days will be easy now. Once you become a martial artist, you don't have to pay taxes. You can sit at home doing nothing, and people will bring money right to your door. There'll be folks inviting you to eat and drink too. I can't even imagine how comfortable that life must be."

"I bet everything they eat is polished rice and fine flour, with meat at every meal, and all their clothes are that soft, delicate cloth!"

Voices discussing it kept rising from both sides. Aunt Wang and Aunt Chen's faces were stiff. Seeing that everyone around them was talking about it, neither of them said a word and silently returned to their own homes.

"Creak~"

Once the courtyard gates at their homes were shut, Aunt Chen's and Aunt Wang's faces instantly darkened, gloomy all over, blacker than the bottom of a pot.

They desperately wanted to curse. How could Li Chengfeng's family be living so well? What right did they have to live so well? Why weren't they the ones enjoying fortune? How could they live better than them? Why couldn't they be poor and destitute, forever living worse than them for the rest of their lives?

Thought after thought flashed through their minds. They badly wanted to curse out loud on the spot, but when they thought of how Li Chengfeng had beaten those six men just now, they still did not dare say a single word, afraid Li Chengfeng might hear them. They could only sit in their rooms with dark faces, stewing in anger.

"..."

Night.

Liu Yuniang looked at Li Chengfeng, who had pressed her onto the bed right after bathing, and couldn't help pursing her lips as she said, "Chengfeng, have you been hiding something from me lately?"

"What could I be hiding?"

Li Chengfeng's body paused. He smiled and spoke casually, but after the words fell, he raised his head and saw Liu Yuniang's serious expression, and his own expression froze slightly.

"Chengfeng, I treat you as my husband. We husband and wife are one body. Matters of our own household ought to be borne by us together."

"Even if I'm useless and can't help much, at least let me know what it is, so I can worry with you."

"Not have you alone over there training martial arts like your life depends on it, while I stay at home like a fool, knowing nothing, seeing nothing."

Tears shimmered in Liu Yuniang's eyes, and her soft gaze fixed steadily on Li Chengfeng, making his heart tremble.

Only at this moment did he suddenly understand.

This world he had transmigrated into was not some false game, but a living, breathing real world.

Every person here had flesh and blood, had their own soul. Even Liu Yuniang, who had always obeyed him in everything, was the same...

"Yuniang..."

Li Chengfeng's throat moved. In a low voice, he silently began to speak, telling her about Master Zheng.

He even told her about what his former self had done, and all the new thoughts he had after being struck with that sudden cudgel blow.

"Eh! Smack!"

When Liu Yuniang heard that Li Chengfeng had originally planned to sell her off, tears streamed from her eyes. Unable to help herself, she raised her jade-like hand and slapped Li Chengfeng across the face, then said through her tears, "This must have been our ancestors protecting us, teaching you a lesson for me."

"From now on, let's live our days well. Don't hide things from me anymore, all right?"

After hitting him, Liu Yuniang covered Li Chengfeng's face with her hand again, tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked at him and spoke.

"All right. I won't hide anything from you anymore. Whatever happens in the future, I'll tell you."

Li Chengfeng did not dodge Liu Yuniang's slap. Instead, when he saw her eyes, his heart was moved, and he slowly spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Good!"

Liu Yuniang nodded heavily, then wiped away her tears, lay down on the pillow, and looked at him tenderly.

"Chengfeng, shout however you want. Harder... mm..."