Black Six Runs Amok

Walking through the streets of the outer city, Zhou Ye's steps were light. The air carried the enticing aromas of all kinds of food, drifting out from the taverns and eateries on both sides. Shop hands called out to hawk their wares at every doorway, while children ran and played everywhere.

The buildings along the streets were neat and tidy, and passersby all looked well-fed and well-clothed. What a peaceful scene of people living and working in contentment.

Yet once one passed through the city gates, the inside and outside of the city seemed like two different worlds. Even the air was so filthy, without the slightest trace of the city's sweet fragrance.

Many people here were dressed in rags, their faces sallow and gaunt, looking as though they had suffered from malnutrition for a long time.

Incidentally: the average baseline stats for ordinary people on the panel referred to normal circumstances.

But the common folk at the bottom of society went hungry for so long that they were far below that standard. That was the true reality.

In other words, even if ordinary people ate their fill every day, their bodies would already be far superior to theirs. Beating a few skin-and-bones people would be effortless.

The streets were much the same, with garbage and filthy water visible from time to time. Wandering hooligans and clusters of beggars were common sights...

When he returned to the alley where his courtyard was located, things became even worse. It looked like a ramshackle slum. Or rather, it truly was a slum.

Yet interestingly, this was not even the worst of it. At least there were houses to live in, as well as little shops doing small business and the like.

He had heard that at the very edge of the outer city stood a disorderly sprawl of shacks, inhabited by refugees. Even the yamen runners patrolling the streets and the city defense soldiers on patrol were unwilling to enter. It was utterly a dark world of boundless chaos.

It could be said that relatively poor residents of the prefectural city, or people like Zhou Ye who could still pay to register their household in the prefectural city, counted as prefectural city residents. They were refugees who had been "washed clean," and they could still live here.

But those without household registration, refugees poor enough that coins did not even jingle in their pockets, could only live in the shacks. They were far worse off than even the residents of the slums.

On the other hand, this showed another benefit of Wind-Thunder Martial Hall—it was far enough from his home that, as long as he did not expose himself, people nearby would find it difficult to discover that Zhou Ye had already begun practicing martial arts.

After entering the alley, Zhou Ye first went to Old Gao's butcher shop. Old Gao was not there today; the one attending to customers was his only son, Gao Xiaoyi.

Gao Xiaoyi was about the same age as Zhou Ye, and the two had become somewhat familiar over the past few days.

"Brother Ye, what would you like? There's half a pig liver left, two pig kidneys, and three trotters."

"Xiaoyi, business is that good today?"

"Hehe. That's why my dad went out to restock!"

"Then pack all of it for me. I've been craving this."

"Sure!"

He could not eat salted meat and salted fish every day. He still needed something fresher now and then.

Yet just as Gao Xiaoyi finished wrapping up the goods, a burst of commotion came from the alley.

Black Six appeared with several hooligans, dragging a young girl toward a cart. The girl wailed to heaven and earth, but she had no strength to resist. She was quickly hauled to the side of the cart.

Zhou Ye and Gao Xiaoyi watched the spectacle. Gao Xiaoyi lowered his voice and said, "That's Old Geng's third daughter. That gambling-addict Old Geng sold his daughter Xinghua to a brothel."

Zhou Ye frowned slightly. Though he was not some indiscriminate do-gooder and would never get his hands tangled in this sort of trouble, especially not the mess of a gambling addict's family, witnessing such a human tragedy still left a bad taste in his mouth.

But at that moment, a young man suddenly rushed out from a nearby house. Agitated, he blocked the girl's path. "Stop! You can't take Xinghua away. How can you snatch someone off the street in broad daylight? Is there no law left?"

Before he could finish, two sharp slaps rang out. Black Six struck him with two consecutive resounding slaps, sending the young man straight to the ground. "Fuck! I am the law! You blind mongrel, how dare you block my way?"

The other hooligans immediately surrounded the young man and began kicking him in a circle as he lay on the ground.

As they kicked him, they cursed loudly. "Are you fucking looking to die?"

"I'll send you off to reincarnate!"

"You fucking dead pig, never heard of Brother Black Six from the Flower Snake Gang? He's an Internal Force expert!"

"..."

By then, a middle-aged man and woman had rushed out from the young man's house as well. They grabbed Black Six and begged bitterly for mercy, but Black Six impatiently shoved them aside.

"Today, I'm just teaching him a lesson. So ignorant of life and death—he'll get beaten to death sooner or later."

"Brother Black Six, Brother Black Six, please spare our Xiao Jie. I'll kneel before you!"

"..."

But then a new development arose. Amid the middle-aged couple's cries, more than a dozen young men had gathered around them at some point.

Sensing that the situation was not right, Black Six secretly made a gesture for the hooligans to stop beating him. He walked up to the group of young men and shouted at the tall, sturdy youth leading them, "Big Gold, Old Geng borrowed usury from me. I came to collect the debt today. He willingly gave his daughter to settle it. You fucking want to meddle in other people's business?"

Big Gold looked over the situation. "Brother Black Six, you can't go too far either. Why did you beat Xiao Jie?"

"Who the fuck wanted to beat him? That kid didn't tie his belt tight enough and jumped out to get beaten himself. Fine, I'll give you some face and let it end here! But don't you go ruining the Flower Snake Gang's business either!"

"What about Xinghua?"

"Eight taels of silver, principal and interest included. Don't say I'm bullying the neighbors. If you, Big Gold, give it to me now, I'll let Xinghua go. A bunch of fucking paupers—go on, where's the money?"

"..."

It was clear that Black Six was somewhat wary of Big Gold. After throwing out a few harsh words, he escorted the girl onto the cart and left.

Big Gold and that group of young men did not have much money either. They had their own misgivings—perhaps they feared the Flower Snake Gang behind Black Six?

So after helping Xiao Jie up from the ground and taking him home, they quickly dispersed as well...

At that moment, Gao Xiaoyi edged closer to Zhou Ye. With the excitement of gossip, he whispered, "Brother Ye, Xiao Jie probably had feelings for Xinghua all along."

"Hm? Are they a couple?"

"They probably haven't made it official yet. But they've always been making eyes at each other. Everyone else knows."

Zhou Ye gave a few soft chuckles. He had no interest in that pair of lovebirds. Instead, he was rather interested in Big Gold and his companions. When ordinary commoners faced oppression from a gang, very few dared to resist.

"Do you know Big Gold?"

Zhou Ye found it somewhat amusing. It seemed Gao Xiaoyi had quite the talent for knowing everyone's business. And he was very willing to share it.

But unexpectedly, Gao Xiaoyi suddenly hesitated. His expression struggled for quite a while before he leaned close and whispered, "Brother Ye, this is a secret. You absolutely must not spread it around outside."

"???"