An Explanation

The old home their parents had left them stood at the eastern end of the village, a somewhat dilapidated courtyard house built of gray brick. Before Mo Yun reached the gate, he heard a commotion inside.

He quickened his pace. When he reached the entrance, he found the gate wide open and several people standing in the courtyard.

A burly guard had twisted his older sister Mo Yiyi's arm behind her back and pinned her beside the stone mill.

Her eyes were red, and she had bitten her lips white, yet she stubbornly held her head high without making a sound.

Another guard stood nearby with his arms folded, watching with a mocking expression.

In the center of the courtyard stood a fat man in an extravagant brocade robe, his hands clasped behind his back and his nose in the air.

The man was in his forties, with a greasy face, several gold rings on his fingers, and a gold chain around his neck. He looked every inch the nouveau riche and was presumably the so-called Shopkeeper Zhao.

Meanwhile, Mo Yun's second uncle, Mo Feng, stood beside Shopkeeper Zhao, nodding and bowing with a face full of smiles. His fawning manner was like that of a dog wagging its tail and begging for scraps.

"Debts must be repaid! That's only right and proper!" Shopkeeper Zhao's voice was sharp and grating. "Are you refusing to leave because you mean to welch on the debt? Move out, or don't blame me for using force!"

Mo Feng hurriedly offered an ingratiating smile. "Please calm down, Shopkeeper! Yiyi is a stubborn girl. Let me talk to her again..."

He turned toward Mo Yiyi, his obsequious expression instantly becoming cold, and lowered his voice. "Yiyi, don't turn your nose up at what's good for you! This is already settled. Clinging to this rundown house won't help! Move out now, and don't drag the lineage down with you!"

Mo Yiyi clenched her teeth and said nothing.

Her response made Mo Feng even angrier. He stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"What are you still waiting for? That short-lived wretch Mo Yun to come back? Don't be stupid! Crouching Tiger Manor is a place that devours people. That sickly weakling won't last! It's been a month without a word. He might already be dead!"

He sneered. "Accept your fate sooner rather than later! If you behave, I can still plead with Shopkeeper Zhao on your behalf and get you somewhere to stay. But if you keep refusing to see sense, don't blame your uncle for showing no mercy!"

Mo Yiyi's eyes grew redder, but she kept biting her lips, refusing to let herself cry.

Just then, the guard holding Mo Yiyi grinned, exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "This little wench has such soft, tender skin. Selling her to a brothel would cover some of the change. Shopkeeper, how about..."

"Shut up!" Shopkeeper Zhao glared at him. "I run a respectable business. I don't do such vile things!"

After clawing his way through so many years, Shopkeeper Zhao had risen from a lowly mud-legged peasant to his current position and survived in comfort because he understood the importance of leaving people a way out. He never pushed anyone too far.

The guard gave an awkward smile and fell silent.

Just then-

Creak.

The battered wooden gate made a faint sound, and everyone in the courtyard turned toward it at once.

A somewhat thin figure slowly walked in. It was Mo Yun.

"Yun?!"

Mo Yiyi was the first to see him. The tears she had been holding back instantly spilled from her eyes. She tried to rush toward him, but the guard held her firmly in place, leaving her unable to move.

Mo Feng froze as well. A flash of astonishment crossed his face before he put on a nauseating smile. "Well, Yun's back? You've got quite a stubborn life in you. You actually came back alive?"

Shopkeeper Zhao looked Mo Yun up and down, his gaze lingering briefly on his dusty gray servant's uniform, then said with a frown:

"You're that servant from Crouching Tiger Manor? I hear that place strips a layer of skin off you even if it doesn't kill you. You must be hard to kill, coming back so full of life."

Mo Yun ignored Shopkeeper Zhao's mockery and strode up to Mo Feng, his face dark.

"Second Uncle, isn't it a little improper to treat my sister and me this way?"

Mo Feng curled his lips as though he had not heard Mo Yun's challenge and spoke curtly. "You're back just in time. Talk some sense into your sister. Tell her to wise up and stop delaying Shopkeeper Zhao's business."

Shopkeeper Zhao could not be bothered to waste more words on a servant either. He waved a hand. "Get on with it. If I tell you to move, then move. Stop dawdling!"

Mo Yun frowned, took a deep breath, and walked toward Mo Yiyi.

"Sis..." He lowered his head and did his best to suppress his anger as he walked over to Mo Yiyi.

Seeing Mo Yun's thin build, and having already learned that both siblings were ordinary people, the yellow-toothed guard holding Mo Yiyi paid him little heed. Without thinking, he loosened his grip slightly.

But in that very instant-

Mo Yun moved!

His dangling right hand suddenly flipped over, and the iron ruler hidden in his sleeve slid into his palm!

"Spirit Monkey Snatches!"

With a flick of Mo Yun's wrist, the iron ruler shot out like a venomous snake leaving its den, striking the thick tendon at the guard's elbow with perfect precision!

The yellow-toothed guard felt his arm go numb, as though lightning had struck it, and his fingers involuntarily loosened.

Mo Yun seized the opening and pulled Mo Yiyi from the guard's grasp, shielding her behind him.

"Little brother, you-" Mo Yiyi stared at him in shock, unable to grasp what had happened.

The yellow-toothed guard froze as well. He looked down at his numb arm, then at the thin youth before him, his face full of disbelief.

"Brat, you're asking to die!"

The next moment, the yellow-toothed guard flew into a rage and swung a fist the size of a clay pot at Mo Yun!

At the same time, the other guard, tall and thin, reacted as well. Without a word, he drew a short saber from his waist and lunged at Mo Yun!

But instead of retreating, Mo Yun advanced!

With nimble footwork, he turned sideways to dodge the yellow-toothed guard's fist while thrusting out the iron ruler again, striking an acupoint on the tall guard's saber-wielding wrist with perfect accuracy!

The tall guard felt his wrist go numb. His fingers instantly lost their strength, and the short saber fell to the ground with a clang.

"What?!"

The tall guard was horrified. Before he could react, Mo Yun had already closed in and rammed into him!

"Black Bear Shakes the Tree!"

Mo Yun lowered his shoulder and sank his elbow, driving power through his waist and abdomen. Like a black bear crashing into a tree, he slammed into the guard's chest!

Bang!

The tall guard gave a muffled groan and flew backward, landing over twenty feet away. Clutching his chest, he could not get up for a long while.

Everything happened in a flash of lightning. From Mo Yun's first move to the tall guard hitting the ground, only two or three breaths had passed!

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Mo Yiyi covered her mouth, staring wide-eyed at the scene. She could not believe this youth with such an imposing presence was her little brother, who had been frail and sickly since childhood.

The smile froze on Mo Feng's face. His mouth hung wide enough to fit an egg, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Shopkeeper Zhao froze too, the fat on his face trembling. For the first time, apprehension entered his gaze as he looked at Mo Yun.

The remaining yellow-toothed guard turned deathly pale and instinctively stepped backward, no longer daring to approach.

Mo Yun moved, closing in on him in an instant, and lashed out with a kick that sent him flying several dozen feet.

The yellow-toothed guard traced a graceful arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, sending dust flying.

Blood spilled from his mouth, his limbs convulsed, and his expression wilted. He would not be moving anytime soon.

Then Mo Yun slowly eased out of his stance, slipped the iron ruler back into his sleeve, and turned to face Shopkeeper Zhao.

There was neither anger nor excitement on his face, only an extraordinary calm.

"Shopkeeper Zhao," Mo Yun said evenly.

Shopkeeper Zhao's pupils contracted, and he instinctively retreated half a step. Then, realizing he had lost his composure, his expression soured.

Mo Yun ignored his reaction. He reached into his robe, took out the token, and raised it slightly so everyone in the courtyard could see it clearly.

The palm-sized token was forged from dark iron. A fierce tiger descending a mountain was engraved on its face, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Shopkeeper Zhao, do you recognize this token?"

The instant Shopkeeper Zhao saw the token clearly, his expression changed.

As someone with connections in the inner city, he naturally knew what it meant.

Though Crouching Tiger Mountain Manor was only a manor, it wielded considerable influence in several nearby cities, and even in the inner city.

The Village Master was said to be a retired wandering hero, a grandmaster-level figure. Even the powerful gentlemen of the inner city had to show him deference.

Most importantly, Crouching Tiger Mountain Manor was famous for protecting its own. Anyone holding such a token belonged to the manor and enjoyed its protection. Outsiders could not touch them lightly!

Shopkeeper Zhao had never imagined that this seemingly unremarkable youth in a servant's uniform would possess a token identifying him as a member of Crouching Tiger Manor!

"You, you..." For a moment, he could not speak.

No wonder the brat was so skilled!

"My sister and I may be poor, but we are already registered under Crouching Tiger Manor." Mo Yun held the token high. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. "By forcibly seizing our property today, Shopkeeper Zhao, do you intend to make an enemy of Crouching Tiger Manor?"

Mo Yun understood well that making one's way in the world required powerful backing. When it was time to strike, he had to strike; when it was time to borrow influence, he had to borrow it. That could spare him a great deal of trouble.

At Mo Yun's words, Shopkeeper Zhao's face alternated between ashen and pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He glared savagely at Mo Feng, his eyes looking ready to devour him. "Didn't you say these siblings had no one to rely on?! Why didn't you tell me he belonged to Crouching Tiger Manor?! You even lied and said he was just a servant! Would a mere servant have that token?!"

Mo Feng was deathly pale, trembling all over and unable to utter a word.

He was stunned too. How could he have known that sickly weakling Mo Yun would actually make something of himself after just one month at Crouching Tiger Manor?!

"I, I..." Mo Feng opened his mouth but could not make a sound.

Shopkeeper Zhao took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, and cupped his hands toward Mo Yun, forcing out an awkward smile.

"Young brother, I was presumptuous today. May we meet again if fate allows..."

Before he had even finished speaking, he turned and hurried away, not even bothering with the guards on the ground.

The two guards hastily scrambled up and slunk after him.

Only Mo Yun, Mo Yiyi, and Mo Feng, who was hiding behind the millstone and trembling, remained in the courtyard.

Mo Yiyi could no longer hold back. She rushed over and hugged Mo Yun, tears streaming down her face. "Little brother... are, are you all right? How did you..."

"Sis, it's all right now." Mo Yun gently patted her back and comforted her in a low voice.

A moment later, he released Mo Yiyi. His face darkened, and an invisible force of presence burst from him as he looked toward Mo Feng, who was about to slip away. "Second Uncle, don't you owe your nephew an explanation?"