The Nighttime Knocking

Besides, the Blood-Qi Medicinal Herbs were gone too.

If he wanted to break through to Body Tempering, Third Heaven, he would have to buy another batch.

Better to be prepared for danger.

Feng Chen silently went over tomorrow's itinerary in his mind.

He tossed the meat slices into the pot, added water, then took the salt jar and ginger slices from the stove and threw them in as well before covering the pot to stew.

The firewood in the hearth had just caught, crackling and popping as the orange-red firelight flickered across the kitchen walls.

Not long after!

Crack! The courtyard gate was pushed open.

Lin Qing'er returned with a bamboo basket on her back.

The basket weighed heavily on her thin shoulders. When she entered, she had to turn sideways to squeeze it through the doorway.

When she saw Feng Chen crouching before the hearth, tending the fire, her face blossomed into a smile. She quickly set the basket down beside the courtyard wall, then trotted to the kitchen entrance. "Husband, I picked so many wild vegetables today. The ones by the mountain stream grew wonderfully. Aunt Li and I each picked half a basket, and she even said we should go again tomorrow."

Feng Chen saw them as well. The half basket of wild vegetables was indeed fresh, their leaves emerald green and plump, some roots still carrying damp soil and giving off a crisp scent of grass and plants.

He added another stick of firewood to the hearth, then walked over to help her sort through the vegetables in the basket.

Lin Qing'er wiped her hands and added, "Also, Husband, because we lent Aunt Li money to see a doctor, her little girl has taken two doses of medicine and is already much better."

"When I went over today, the little girl was already sitting up and even drank half a bowl of porridge. Aunt Li said that after the final dose, she should be completely well in a few days. She told me I had to come back and thank you. As she spoke, her eyes even turned red."

Hearing this, Feng Chen smiled and nodded. "That's good."

When they had been at their most desperate, Aunt Li had lent them two jin of coarse grain. She had been the one to send charcoal in the snow.

He also hoped Aunt Li and her little girl could live a little better.

Though these times were harsh on ordinary people, as long as good people lent a hand when they could, there would always be something to hope for.

Then Lin Qing'er rolled up her sleeves and made dinner together with Feng Chen.

She washed the wild vegetables and cut them into sections, stir-frying a plate of plain wild greens over the other small stove. Feng Chen's stewed meat was nearly ready as well.

The two carried the food to the table and ate by the oil lamp's light.

Feng Chen had practiced saber techniques all afternoon, and his appetite had grown again. He ate more than half of a large basin of stewed meat by himself. Lin Qing'er sat opposite him, eating unhurriedly and occasionally placing a chopstickful of wild vegetables into his bowl.

After dinner, neither of them hurried to clean up. Instead, they sat in the courtyard and chatted idly.

It was already dark outside. One star after another lit up overhead, shining a little brighter than they had in recent days.

The evening breeze blew in from the distant mountains, carrying the fresh scents of pine resin and grass from the forest. It brushed coolly against their faces, exceptionally pleasant.

Lin Qing'er sat on a small stool while Feng Chen sat on the threshold opposite her. The oil lamp shone out from the house, laying a faint, warm glow across the courtyard.

Feng Chen took the opportunity to explain the key points of cultivating the Tiger Fist to Lin Qing'er again.

He had Lin Qing'er assume the Tiger Fist Stance once more, then stood beside her and used his hands to adjust the angle of her knees and the balance of her waist and hips.

"Don't let your knees go past your toes, or you'll injure them if you hold the stance too long."

"Relax your waist downward. Don't arch it, and don't let it collapse either. It should have that slight sinking force."

"Yes, like that. Draw it inward a little more."

"Can you feel your Dantian?"

"Two finger-widths below your navel. When you inhale, doesn't your inner breath press against that spot?"

Lin Qing'er frowned slightly and nodded like a chick pecking at grain.

Just then, bang, bang.

The courtyard gate was hammered heavily.

It was not a rhythmic knock, but the muffled thunder of fists smashing fiercely against the door panels, making the hinges creak and groan.

The commotion was enormous, smashing the courtyard's quiet atmosphere to pieces in an instant.

Feng Chen and Lin Qing'er exchanged a glance.

Lin Qing'er frowned, a flash of nervousness crossing her face. Who would knock like this so late at night?

Feng Chen rose to his feet, and Lin Qing'er followed. Together, they walked to the gate.

A burst of arrogant shouting came from outside.

"Feng Chen, open the door already! I know you're home! If you don't open it, we'll kick this door down!"

Three hooliganish voices drifted in from outside, rough and unrestrained, their tones brimming with brazen confidence.

Feng Chen frowned. These men clearly had ill intentions, and their voices sounded familiar!

In his merged memories, every one of these voices had an owner.

Feng Chen pulled open the gate from within.

Moonlight from the courtyard spilled through the opening, illuminating the three men standing outside.

The leader was Liu Heigou, a man in his forties. His face was piled with fatty flesh, his features squeezed together like crumpled straw paper.

He wore a filthy sheepskin coat, its fur trim worn black and shiny, with a crudely made iron-bladed knife tucked at his waist.

The other two behind him were clansmen of his, one named Liu Dagou and the other Liu Xiaogou.

The three brothers were related to Tiger Liu. By reckoning, they were of Tiger Liu's paternal uncle generation. In Green Mountain Village, they committed every kind of evil under the protection of Liu Dagang's village chief connections and were notorious village thugs.

When Liu Heigou saw the gate open, one corner of his mouth curled up, revealing two rows of teeth stained burnt yellow by smoke.

He removed his hand from the knife hilt at his waist and stepped forward, nearly pressing his face against Feng Chen's. He lowered his voice, but none of its viciousness faded. "Kid, have you struck it rich lately? I heard you even had spare money to lend that widow Li. Hand over the money now and let us borrow it for a little fun."

The borrowing he spoke of was naturally the kind that would never be repaid.

"That's right, Feng Chen. Don't think of denying it. We already learned it from Li Cuihua. You were the one who lent her money."

"That woman didn't want to talk at first, but after we gave her a good hard lesson, didn't she still spill it?"

Liu Xiaogou said resentfully.

Liu Dagou at his side took half a step forward, bracing one hand against the doorframe while jabbing a finger at Feng Chen's nose as he added fiercely, "You're just a poor hunter. Where did you get spare money? If you know what's good for you, hand it over obediently."

Feng Chen understood at once.

Most likely, Aunt Li had been spotted by Liu Heigou and the other two when she took the money to the village doctor to buy medicine.

These three usually loitered all over the village. No household's affairs escaped their notice.

Aunt Li was a widow, yet she had suddenly gained enough money to visit the medicine shop and buy two doses. The three had seen it and grown suspicious. When they pressed her for answers, Aunt Li could not withstand their threats and had no choice but to reveal that he had lent her the money.

That was how this current scene had come about.

"Kid, hand over the silver. Otherwise, when our Brother Teng returns, you'll be in for a world of pain," Liu Xiaogou, standing at the edge, added viciously.

He was smaller and thinner than Liu Heigou and Liu Dagou, with loose folds of flesh sagging from his face, yet his tone was the most arrogant of all.

"Brother Teng? Liu Teng?" Feng Chen asked coldly.

"Of course it's him!"

Liu Heigou puffed out his chest, a smug look of a dog flaunting its master's power appearing on his face. "We've received definite news. Brother Teng will return tomorrow. He'll uphold justice for us and find the murderer who killed the village chief."

"Feng Chen, you'd better be smart. Hand over the money now, and perhaps we can put in a few good words for you before Brother Teng. But if you don't hand it over..."

So that was it.

Feng Chen understood.

Having learned that Liu Teng would return to the village tomorrow, Liu Heigou and the others felt that their backer was coming home, and their courage had swelled again.

"Kid! Why aren't you handing over the money?" Seeing Feng Chen remain silent, Liu Heigou pressed another step closer and reached out to grab at Feng Chen's shoulder.

His gaze passed over Feng Chen and landed on Lin Qing'er in the courtyard. A lewd grin spread over his face. "How about this? Your wife looks pretty good too. Hand over the money, and let your wife drink a couple of cups with us, and we'll let you off today. Otherwise, this Lin Qing'er will be handed over to us to deal with."