Already on the Path to Death!

Shen Xiuhan lowered his head and glanced at the padded coat he was wearing.

It was old and ragged, patches piled atop patches.

His blood and qi had surged earlier, and in his haste, he had thrown the coat into the snow. Melted snow had soaked through the cotton lining, leaving a large mottled stain. He looked utterly bedraggled.

I should find time to buy a couple of decent outfits.

"Then sorry for the trouble, Second Senior Brother."

"What trouble is there? It's Martial Hall rules. Any disciple admitted into the inner courtyard may collect a set of training clothes from the storeroom."

Xu Chuan waved it off without a care.

A moment later.

Shen Xiuhan had a white fitted training outfit in his hands, its stitching fine and its fabric supple yet tough.

Only then did he understand what Xu Chuan had meant by "getting in the way."

Because this training outfit was very thin.

If an outer-courtyard disciple who had yet to break through to Blood Qi dared wear it while practicing martial arts in the depths of winter, they would not last even half an hour before falling seriously ill the next day.

But for inner-courtyard martial artists, whose blood and qi coursed vigorously within them, the cold held no fear. Thick cotton garments were instead a burden.

A single garment separated ordinary people from martial artists by a heavenly chasm.

After settling the time for tomorrow's sparring drills with Xu Chuan at Mei Martial Hall, Shen Xiuhan set off through the dusk and hurried all the way back to Little Path Bay.

The moment he pushed open the wicker courtyard gate, a tiny figure rushed out of the thatched cottage.

"Big brother's back!"

Shen Momo, her hair tied into two little buns, pounced toward him with delight all over her face. She held something up in her little hand as though presenting a treasure. "Big brother, look!"

Shen Xiuhan took a closer look, and a smile unconsciously spread across his brows. "An egg? That old hen finally laid one?"

A few days ago, he had bought that old hen at East Market, hoping it would lay more eggs to help his mother and little sister make up for their depleted health.

Who would have thought that after being moved somewhere new, the beast had stubbornly held it in and refused to lay anything? Madam Zheng had been so angered that she spent every day clutching a kitchen knife and cursing that she would stew it.

Perhaps it had understood human speech and grown afraid, because it had actually squeezed one out today.

Shen Momo stood on tiptoe and pushed the cooked egg into his hand.

"Big brother, eat it..."

Shen Xiuhan took it. With a light tap of his fingertips, fine cracks instantly spread across the eggshell.

In just a few motions, he peeled out the tender, springy egg white and held it back to the little girl's mouth.

"Momo should eat it instead."

"Momo can't eat it."

The little girl swallowed, but she shook her head repeatedly and shrank back.

"Mother said big brother is practicing martial arts to accomplish great things, so you need eggs to nourish your body..."

"Oh my... what a touching scene of deep sibling affection."

A dull bang, accompanied by a sarcastic voice, shattered the warmth in the courtyard without warning!

The wicker gate was kicked open violently. Several wooden slats snapped, and splinters flew into the snowy mud.

Two figures swaggered into the courtyard.

They were the two Golden Dragon Gang informants who had not been seen for days!

A-Zhe and Tian Erhu!

Yu Zhe stood with his arms folded, his mocking gaze sweeping across the courtyard before settling on Shen Momo's young face. His eyes immediately lit up.

"What a lovely little girl..."

Shen Momo's little face turned deathly pale with fright. Clutching Shen Xiuhan's clothes, she hid behind him and only dared peek outside with one eye.

Madam Zheng, who had been busy in the kitchen, heard the commotion and hurried out. When she saw the scene in the courtyard, she immediately began trembling slightly in fear.

"Mother..."

Shen Xiuhan's expression did not change. He casually stuffed the egg into Shen Momo's hand and said in a low voice:

"Take Momo inside and bolt the door. I'll handle this."

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"...All right. Be careful, Da Lang!"

Madam Zheng's face was pale, but she still nodded hurriedly, picked up Shen Momo, and hid in the inner room.

Only three people remained in the courtyard.

Yu Zhe stood there with his arms folded, watching the scene with a cold smile curling his lips.

"Kid, you took my Senior Brother Ma's fishing rod. Why haven't you followed up? Where's the fish you were told to deliver?"

Shen Xiuhan lowered his eyes slightly, already understanding the situation.

Ma Xianyang had returned to Longcloud County.

The news that he had joined the outer courtyard of Mei Martial Hall had surely reached Ma Xianyang's ears and aroused his suspicions!

After all, eight taels for tuition was no small sum!

How had the son of a mere fisherman conjured up so much money?

And since he still did not know what Ma Xianyang was planning, he would retreat first to advance later, feel out the truth, and then decide.

Shen Xiuhan's eyes flashed as he cupped his fists.

"You two misunderstand. It is only because... the past half month happened to coincide with the Martial Hall examinations. I trained day and night without daring to slacken, which delayed my fishing work..."

"Pah! Don't fucking try to use Mei Martial Hall to pressure me!"

A-Zhe spat viciously and impatiently cut him off.

"You think I don't know your Martial Hall's rules? Outer-courtyard disciples who haven't received the true teachings think they can flaunt their sect's name outside and borrow a tiger's might?!"

It had been said before...

But those were rules for outer-courtyard disciples.

A-Zhe stepped forward and jabbed a finger hard into Shen Xiuhan's chest, utterly arrogant.

"Kid, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

"Mei Martial Hall won't wade into the muddy waters between our Golden Dragon Gang and Senior Brother Ma for a worthless outer-courtyard mud-leg like you!"

"Let me tell you the truth!"

"Senior Brother Ma already knows all about how you lucky bastard hooked a treasure fish and traded it for tuition!"

"But he is magnanimous and does not wish to argue with a junior like you."

"Otherwise, the ones here today would not be us two brothers. Senior Brother Ma would have come to your door himself!"

A-Zhe sneered repeatedly, raising two rough fingers as he delivered his ultimatum.

"Senior Brother Ma has spoken. For the sake of our past acquaintance, he'll give you two days of grace!"

"If you obediently hand over a treasure fish within two days as tribute to Senior Brother Ma, then the matter of taking the fishing rod and not doing the job will be wiped clean in one stroke!"

Shen Xiuhan frowned tightly, and panic appeared on his face at just the right time.

"Please see clearly, brothers... A treasure fish, a naturally blessed creature like that, isn't a broken stone on the riverbank that can be picked up whenever one wishes!"

"In merely two days, even if I had abilities that reached the heavens, where could I possibly conjure one up for Senior Brother Ma..."

"Stop fucking pretending to be pitiful!"

Tian Erhu, who had remained silent in the back all this time, suddenly drew the dagger at his waist. A flash of cold light split a gash into the water vat in the courtyard!

"Two days!"

"If we don't see a treasure fish after two days... heh heh!"

He turned his head and greedily glanced at the tightly shut wooden door of the inner room. Showing a mouthful of foul-smelling yellow teeth, he spoke like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"In this little patch of the outer city, when the Golden Dragon Gang wants to deal with someone, I've never seen anyone capable of protecting them!"

"When the time comes, your mother and that lovely little girl... don't blame us brothers for not knowing how to cherish women and children!"

"A-Zhe! Let's go!"

After throwing down those words, the two burst into arrogant laughter and turned to melt into the night.

Watching the two backs vanish into the wind and snow, Shen Xiuhan slowly straightened.

A mouthful of scorching white vapor burst from his nostrils.

His lowered eyes slowly rose. In the depths of his pitch-black pupils, the savage killing intent he had forcibly suppressed erupted like a volcano!

Ma Xianyang...

And you two mad dogs of the Golden Dragon Gang...

You insulted my mother and coveted my little sister... you have already stepped onto the path to death!

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