Thunderous Measures

Zhao Erlaizi made no attempt to hide the greed in his eyes. He stared straight at Su Yan as though eyeing a juicy slab of meat.

As far as they were concerned, Su Yan had lost both parents and was nothing but an orphan. Whatever abilities he might have, a lone tree could not hold up the sky.

"Get out of the way!"

Su Yan barked coldly, then strode forward and helped Xie Yuzhu up.

"Uncle, where are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Just took a kick... don't do anything rash."

Xie Yuzhu clutched Su Yan's sleeve until his fingers turned white, terrified that the young man would act impulsively and get hurt by thugs like Zhao Erlaizi.

But Su Yan took his hand, patted it, and freed himself. "Don't worry, Uncle. They'll have more than they can stomach today."

"Yan..."

Xie Yuzhu tried to stop him again, but Su Yan had already turned to face Zhao Erlaizi and his companions, who were seething with humiliation.

Su Yan's rebuke had cost Zhao Erlaizi face. Now he brandished his short blade viciously, making threatening gestures.

"Feeling cocky, you little bastard? Then don't blame me for what happens."

He swung his blade at Su Yan, hoping to frighten him.

"Stop him!"

Alarmed by the sight, the Village Head hurriedly called for the villagers to step forward.

Repaying debts was only right and proper, but to attack a child who had lost both parents right here in Yunqian Village—did they really think there was no one left in the village?

Several older men pushed out of the crowd, carrying farm tools and rakes, ready to intervene.

Then their eyes suddenly widened at an unbelievable sight.

Su Yan actually stepped forward to meet him and seized Zhao Erlaizi's wrist.

Zhao Erlaizi yelped. His wrist crackled, feeling as though it had been clamped in an iron band.

In pain, he dropped the short blade with a clang.

Su Yan's gaze was sharp as a blade. "You've been reaching too far."

He applied pressure and snapped the wrist outright. Zhao Erlaizi's face twisted and flushed crimson as he fell to his knees in agony.

The four men behind him were shocked and furious. They immediately lunged forward to attack.

Moving like an ape, Su Yan charged straight into them.

The man in front held a steel fork and had just raised it to thrust.

Su Yan sank into a half crouch, gathering his strength from top to bottom like a fully drawn bow, then drove upward with White Ape Offers the Peach.

A dull thud sounded from the man's chest. He flew three or four meters backward and slammed into an earthen wall.

The remaining three rushed in. Su Yan wasted no movement, dodging their blades and retaliating with heavy punches.

Within mere breaths, all five men who had come to collect the debt lay on the ground.

The crowd fell utterly silent, drawing sharp breaths. How had young Yan become so formidable?

"You... you owe money, and you still dare hit us?!"

Zhao Erlaizi's eyes brimmed with fear. He had never imagined Su Yan possessed such fighting skills.

"Repaying debts is only right and proper, but each matter has to be settled on its own merits."

Su Yan spoke unhurriedly. He bent down and picked up the steel fork from the ground, weighed it in his hand, then put it back when it felt awkward. Instead, he picked up a long hardwood staff.

"My father borrowed ten taels from Niu Han, with repayment agreed for after the summer taxes. I'll repay even seventeen taels and eight mace, but today isn't the due date."

Su Yan walked up to Zhao Erlaizi. The man seemed to realize something; fear seeped into his eyes as he instinctively backed away.

"You came to collect before the debt was due and injured someone. That makes this troublemaking."

He stared at Zhao Erlaizi and smiled. "And troublemaking comes at a price."

"You... what are you going to do?!"

Su Yan did not answer. He kicked him onto his back and planted a foot on his chest.

"You kicked someone, so I'll break your leg."

"No..."

Before Zhao Erlaizi could finish, the hardwood staff came down. With a crack, his right shin broke.

Zhao Erlaizi was in too much pain to speak. Su Yan stood up and, amid the other four thugs' pleas for mercy, broke one arm on each of them with a single blow apiece.

He remained utterly unruffled, even wearing a faint smile.

Everyone watching fell silent as cicadas in winter, too frightened to intervene.

Only the Village Head furrowed his brow as deeply as the wrinkles on his face. "Yan, don't let anger get the better of you. Don't land yourself in a murder case."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Village Head. I won't take their lives."

Su Yan tossed the hardwood staff onto Zhao Erlaizi with a clatter.

"Come back for the money after the summer taxes. If you won't accept that, come find me at the Golden Ape Martial Hall. The silver is all there."

Su Yan swept his gaze around. "I may be an orphan, but Heaven has shown me mercy. I have some talent for martial arts and know a little fighting. If you have a problem with that, tell Niu Han to come himself."

Zhao Erlaizi no longer dared say a word. He hurriedly had the men who had only suffered broken arms help him up, and they stumbled out of Yunqian Village.

They feared that if Su Yan's violent temper flared again, he really would beat them to death.

The old Village Head opened his mouth, but did not know what to say. He sighed. "Young Yan has made something of himself."

"He certainly has, he certainly has."

The villagers nearby let out long breaths of relief and quickly chimed in, their faces wreathed in smiles. "Young Yan becoming a martial artist is wonderful news for Yunqian Village. Don't forget us poor neighbors in the future."

"Grandpa Village Head, please have everyone head home. Thank you all for helping today."

The Village Head nodded. "Go on, everyone, move along. Young Yan is fine. Get back to your business."

The crowd dispersed, leaving only Xie Yuzhu and a few others.

"Ah... you..."

Xie Yuzhu had recovered somewhat by now. Looking at Su Yan, he did not know whether to feel glad or worried. "You've made progress in martial arts, but why provoke them? If Niu Han comes to cause trouble and ruins your future..."

Xie Yuzhu wanted to say more, but his wife, Li Lian, tugged hard on his sleeve, silencing him.

"Brother Yuzhu, your wife and young Yan will look after you. We'll head off."

Seeing the mood, his Mountain Trekking companions found an excuse and left one after another.

"Auntie, I'll help Uncle home."

Xie Yuzhu's home was not far from Su Yan's. That was why he had been able to intervene so quickly when Zhao Erlaizi and the others came to cause trouble.

They helped him inside and found a bamboo chair for him to sit on. When they opened his coarse hemp shirt, a purple-blue footprint showed on his chest.

Su Yan's gaze turned cold. With bruising like that, he had gone too easy on them.

"Dad, what happened to you?"

A boy with a round little head peeked in, his eyes full of concern.

He was Xie Yuzhu's son, Xie Bao, only eight or nine years old.

Xie Yuzhu managed a strained grin. "I'm fine. I took a tumble on the mountain."

"A Bao, don't bother your dad. Go fetch the medicinal wine."

Li Lian called A Bao over and sent him to fetch the family's medicinal wine.

For families who made their living Mountain Trekking, stumbling about and coming home black and blue counted as minor injuries. Broken arms and legs were the serious ones.

That was why they all kept medicinal wine steeped with herbs at home to treat ordinary injuries.

"A Bao, this is for you. Have a taste."

Su Yan quietly took a packet of pastries from the Insect Realm Space and handed it over.

A Bao accepted the brown paper package and opened it. "Dad, Mom, it's pastries!" he exclaimed delightedly. "Thank you, Brother Yan!"

"These..."

Xie Yuzhu recognized the pastries. Something so delicate could only have come from the city.

He instinctively chided him. "You silly boy, why waste money like this?"

"How is buying something for A Bao to eat a waste?"

Su Yan merely smiled, then looked at Xie Yuzhu. "Uncle, tomorrow I'll take you to the mountain market to find a physician and have that injury treated."

Xie Yuzhu frowned. "It's just a bruise and some swelling. Why would I need a physician? I'm fine..."

Su Yan interrupted him and said earnestly, "Uncle, let me arrange it. If it needs examining, we'll have it examined. While we're there, we can have your rheumatism and old injuries checked too. I still have silver."

Xie Yuzhu's pupils contracted. "Yan, what are you planning...?"

Su Yan cut him off with a slight shake of his head. "Uncle, listen to me. Everything will be fine."

Xie Yuzhu fell silent. Li Lian had just brought the liniment wine when he suddenly spoke. "Lian, put the medicine away for now. We'll use it tomorrow."

Seeing the way the two of them were acting, Li Lian parted her lips slightly, but in the end she nodded in silence and put the liniment wine away.

Su Yan wanted to speak but held back. He could only offer a few reminders before rising to leave.

As he reached the door, Xie Yuzhu's grave warning came from behind him. "Stay safe."