Conflict

"Who is Lin Nan?"

Just then.

An old man's voice suddenly rang out from outside the training grounds. An elderly man entered, clutching a booklet in his hand.

"I am." Lin Nan raised a hand in response.

"Young man, your temporary lodging period at the martial school has expired. You must move out before noon today."

"So soon!"

Lin Nan's heart tightened. Those seven days of temporary residence at the martial school had nearly made him lose himself, as though he had returned to the peaceful rural life of his previous life.

Compared to the days of hunger and cold in that tiled house on the outskirts.

Comfortable, peaceful, safe...

But he knew very well that this was merely an illusion created by the martial school. All his sense of security came from the martial school; once its protection was gone, he would be nothing.

"One day, I'll create a place of safety with my own hands!"

After Lin Nan quickly packed his belongings, Liu Feng was already waiting for him at the door.

"Until another day." Lin Nan cupped his fists.

Unlike him, Liu Feng was one of the young masters of the Far Army Escort Bureau. His family was prosperous and had countless ties to the White Snake Martial School, so naturally he was not subject to the seven-day temporary lodging limit.

"Brother Lin, if your place is truly too dangerous, then why not move into our escort bureau?" Liu Feng scratched his head and smiled.

Lin Nan shook his head.

He and Liu Feng had only known each other for seven days. Their friendship was hardly deep.

If he truly moved into the escort bureau, how would that differ from voluntarily becoming a guard martial artist for the Far Army Escort Bureau?

"Farewell."

Lin Nan drew an advance on part of this month's wages and headed straight to the Talisman Hall in the outer city, where he exchanged it for a jade talisman and bought some polished rice and wild boar meat.

By the time he was nearing the tiled house on the outskirts, the sun was at its zenith, blazing fiercely.

Three burly men squatted outside the tiled house. The leader had a savage scar running across his face and a pipe clenched between his lips, endlessly puffing out clouds of smoke.

"Damn it, where did that kid go? Don't tell me the Door-Knocking Ghost really got him last night? What about our money, then?"

"Shut your crow's mouth, damn it."

"Why not go in and search again? Maybe he hid something valuable inside?"

"Search my ass. Besides a few sets of ragged clothes, what valuable thing could that brat possibly have?"

Scar Lord suddenly slapped the burly man across the face. The other two immediately shut their mouths, not daring to make another sound.

Just then.

"Scar Lord, look! Look! That brat's back!"

One of the lackeys had sharp eyes and spotted Lin Nan in the distance at once.

Not far away, Lin Nan had naturally already seen the men at his door. His eyes narrowed slightly.

What was coming would come eventually.

Yet he did not panic. Instead, he strode forward and laughed. "Isn't this Scar Lord? What wind has blown you to my humble abode?"

"So you're not dead."

Scar Lord sneered. "We had such a hard time looking for you."

"To find you, we waited outside Drunken Spring Pavilion for seven days. We nearly thought you'd already lost your life."

As he spoke, the three tall, burly men slowly closed in from three directions, completely sealing off every route of escape for Lin Nan.

"My life is tough. Even if you die, Scar Lord, I'll still be alive and well." Lin Nan's smile remained calm.

"You certainly have a sharp tongue. I hope you can still smile in a moment."

Scar Lord's expression darkened as he pulled a yellowed booklet from his robes.

"Shouldn't you be paying this month's interest?"

"Scar Lord, look at you, getting anxious again."

Lin Nan smiled indifferently. "Isn't it just this little bit of money?"

The three burly men froze. Then they saw Lin Nan reach into his clothes, pull out a bag of copper coins, and toss it into Scar Lord's hand.

"There are seven hundred coins in there. Principal and interest, paid off in one go."

Scar Lord counted the coins, and his eyes widened.

"It's really seven hundred coins?! You struck it rich, kid?"

"If the count is right, then leave."

Lin Nan sidestepped past him and lifted a foot, intending to enter the tiled house.

"Wait!"

Scar Lord's thick arm suddenly pressed down on Lin Nan's shoulder, his eyes overflowing with greed.

"Who told you that you only owed us five hundred coins?"

With his other hand, he raised the booklet. Before the five hundred coins Lin Nan had marked with his seal, two crooked words had somehow been added: "ten thousand."

A debt of five hundred coins had instantly become ten thousand five hundred coins!

"If you don't produce ten thousand five hundred coins today, don't even think about going anywhere!"

Scar Lord curled his lips and began looking Lin Nan up and down.

"Of course, if you can't repay it, your organs, blood, and bones can all be used to settle the debt. A martial apprentice's blood and bones should fetch a fine price on the black market."

The other two lackeys understood immediately. They drew gleaming daggers from their sleeves and advanced toward Lin Nan step by step.

Lin Nan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at how you, Scar Lord, have plenty of schemes but little wit. Why don't you use that pig brain of yours to think? I borrowed so much loan-shark money from you—would I dare come back this openly?"

"You... why?"

Scar Lord rubbed his chin and examined him closely. The brat before him really did seem far too calm.

Lin Nan smiled faintly and reached into his clothes, taking out a black iron token.

"This... this is... this is an inner disciple iron token from the White Snake Martial School?"

The instant he saw the token, Scar Lord's eyes flew wide open. The hand pressing on Lin Nan loosened unconsciously.

"An inner disciple? You? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"You three are merely outer disciples of the Blood Blade Sect, while I am an inner disciple of the White Snake Martial School."

Lin Nan swept his gaze across the three men, standing there with perfect composure.

"Before, I was only a lowly martial apprentice. You set me up and cheated me, and I didn't bother arguing with you. But now, what should you call me?"

Scar Lord's lips trembled several times, but no sound came out. In the end, his manner became respectful.

"Master Lin!"

Lin Nan gave him a satisfied glance.

"Take the money and get lost. Let's both keep this dignified."

Scar Lord's face gradually reddened like a fully ripe pig liver. He held it in for a long time, yet could not force out a single word.

An inner disciple had already entered the halls of martial practice. They were also core members the martial school focused on nurturing, existing on an entirely different level from ordinary martial apprentices and outer disciples.

"Let's go!"

Scar Lord stuffed the money pouch into his robes, then turned and left in embarrassed haste with his two lackeys.

Lin Nan watched the departing backs of the three men with a cold expression. If there had not been so many people around, he would have nearly been unable to resist killing all three of them.

At this time, quite a few neighbors had gathered in the alleys around the tiled house, all watching from afar.

Seeing the three Blood Blade Sect men, who normally ran roughshod over everyone, suffer a setback and flee, the crowd broke into low cheers, their faces filled with satisfaction.

Relying on his status as an outer disciple of the Blood Blade Sect, Scar Lord had lent money at usurious rates and ruined many ordinary people. Seeing him stumble today truly made everyone's hearts sing.

After they had gone some distance, one lackey, his face full of grievance, could not help speaking. "Boss, are we really just letting this go?"

"It's always been our Blood Blade Sect that cheats others. When has anyone ever come to the Blood Blade Sect to shear our wool?"

"Shut up!"

"Damn it, what else can we do if we don't let it go? Attack an inner disciple of the White Snake Martial School in the street? Do you think my life is too long?"

Scar Lord's expression gradually twisted as he gritted his teeth.

He took a deep breath and suppressed the surging fury in his chest, then said darkly, "I can't swallow this insult. When we get back, I'll tell my cousin and have him stand up for us!"

"Boss is wise!" The two lackeys raised their hands and cheered.

"But I'm burning with anger right now! Come on, let's go to Drunken Spring Pavilion!"