Chaos Erupting Everywhere

"Stop! Don't run!"

Zhang Yuan had just reached the intersection when a fierce shout and the pounding of running footsteps suddenly came from behind him.

The next instant, a man in coarse clothes sprinted past him, clutching a cloth sack with a hole in its bottom.

White rice scattered all along his path.

Whoosh!

The man had not run far before a crossbow bolt shot toward him, striking his right leg dead-on.

Squelch!

The sharp arrowhead pierced through the man's trousers and sank into his flesh, drawing an involuntary scream of agony from him.

He immediately lost his balance and pitched headfirst onto the ground.

Then two fully armed soldiers chased up after him. One held a hand crossbow and roared with curses, "I told you to stop, you little bastard, and you still dared run?"

Clutching his blood-drenched leg, the man rolled about on the ground and wailed, "Mercy, sir! This lowly one will never dare do it again. Please show mercy—I still have a sixty-year-old mother at home..."

Before he could finish, one of the pursuing soldiers grabbed him by the topknot and forcibly jerked his head up.

"By order of the County Magistrate, anyone causing trouble in the streets shall be killed without mercy!"

The soldier grinned savagely, drew his saber, and slashed open the coarse-clothed man's throat.

Crimson blood sprayed several feet away, droplets spattering the rice scattered across the ground. The sight was particularly horrifying!

With disgust, the soldier heavily tossed aside the lifeless corpse in his hand, then straightened and swept his gaze over the surroundings.

Every passerby on the surrounding streets stood silent as cicadas in winter. Not one dared meet his eyes.

The soldier sheathed his saber and shouted, "You yamen lackeys, get over here and clean this up! Damn it all!"

He called to his companion, and the two swaggered away.

Two yamen runners hurried over and began dealing with the corpse lying on the ground with its eyes still wide open.

"Move along, all of you. Nothing to see here!"

The people nearby whispered among themselves and dispersed one after another.

Zhang Yuan, who had witnessed the entire incident from the street corner, also quietly left with the crowd.

A chill ran through his heart.

How much time had passed? The gates of Linhe County Town had been closed for less than a day, yet signs of unrest had already appeared among its residents. It was vastly different from Zhang Yuan's prior understanding of the County Town.

Zhang Yuan had thought the County Town was very safe.

Yet the bloody reality before his eyes told him that no place was truly tranquil and peaceful!

Of course, Zhang Yuan felt not the slightest sympathy for the coarse-clothed man who had been killed.

Those who brought calamity upon themselves could not live!

He hurried back home.

"Mother, things are a little chaotic in town right now. Do not go out no matter what. If anything comes up, just tell your son."

Zhang's Mother, who was sitting in the small courtyard mending shoe soles, nodded at his words. "I understand."

She was even more worried about her son. "You shouldn't go out either."

Zhang Yuan smiled. "Don't worry. I'll check our food stores."

He ran over to inspect the kitchen.

As for the family's food reserves, Zhang Yuan could only say thank heaven and thank himself for always holding to the belief that "without grain, there is no peace of mind."

After moving to the County Town, he had bought a batch of firewood, rice, oil, salt, and other necessities and stored them in the kitchen.

Together with the dried meat he had obtained through hunting and smoked himself, it would be no problem supporting Zhang Yuan and his mother for two or three months!

There was enough for a dog as well.

As for drinking water, there was even less to worry about. A well stood in the corner of the small courtyard, inexhaustible and ever-flowing.

Zhang Yuan let out a great sigh of relief. The heavy stone in his heart sank considerably.

He did not leave the house again that day.

Linhe County Town was no remote mountain village. It had martial world gangs, great clans and aristocratic families, as well as the government yamen and the garrison troops.

Who knew how many martial artists were there?

Whenever Zhang Yuan had come to the County Town in the past, he had always been extremely cautious, afraid of accidentally provoking some important figure and being slapped to death.

Though he had now become an Entry-Level Martial Artist himself,

even with the extraordinary abilities bestowed by his three symbiotes, that did not mean he could do whatever he pleased.

He still had to keep his head down.

That afternoon, Zhang Yuan took a medicinal bath and continued practicing the Boulder Foundation Skill.

The Boulder Foundation Skill had nine forms. Of its three Entry-Level forms, he had already mastered two and gained quite a few insights from his training.

It was precisely through such unwavering persistence, come wind or rain, that his maximum vitality increased every day.

Even if it was only one or two points, maintaining progress was already precious!

Not only that, as his vitality rose, Zhang Yuan's skin, flesh, and muscles became tougher and stronger. Without relying on his symbiotes, he could unleash four or five hundred jin of force.

He was now capable of bearing the enhancement of the Black Giant Ant's Fourfold Strength!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just as he was practicing in the courtyard with complete absorption, the courtyard gate was suddenly pounded hard several times.

"Anyone there? Is anyone inside?"

Woof! Woof!

Da Hu, who had been lying in the corner watching Zhang Yuan practice martial arts, suddenly leaped up and barked furiously at the gate twice.

It had clearly sensed the ill intent of whoever was pounding on the door!

Hm?

Zhang Yuan's gaze sharpened. He immediately threw on an outer robe, stepped forward, and opened the courtyard gate.

By then, the sky had gradually darkened. Three men with green sashes around their waists stood outside the gate.

One of them was powerfully built and ugly-faced, with a deep scar across his left cheek. He coldly sized Zhang Yuan up before speaking. "You're the owner of this house?"

"That's right."

Expressionless, Zhang Yuan asked in return, "What do you want?"

"Heh."

Scarface chuckled, lifted his hairy palm, and patted his chest. In a deep voice, he said, "Fishmonger Alley is Green Robe Gang territory. From now on, you'll pay one tael of settlement silver every month. Otherwise, don't regret it if something happens!"

Zhang Yuan understood. They had come to his door to extort him.

He had visited the County Town many times before, yet had never heard of any Green Robe Gang. He did not know whether it had only recently been established or had always been some nobody outfit.

But either way, Zhang Yuan would never submit to their extortion!

He stepped over the threshold and roared, "Get lost!"

What sort of stray cats and dogs dared come looking for trouble!

The three men looked strong and fierce, with an aggressively menacing air.

But Zhang Yuan saw at a glance that they were all ordinary people.

They were merely strong and fond of fighting, with greater combat ability than most.

A true martial artist, even if reduced to collecting protection money from common households, would not stoop so low as to demand such a trifling amount of silver.

Scarface's face immediately went pale beneath Zhang Yuan's thunderous rebuke. His body swayed as he stumbled a step backward.

He bumped into the companion behind him and nearly fell to the ground.

The sudden burst of imposing presence from Zhang Yuan filled Scarface with terror.

It felt as though he were facing a Ferocious Beast poised to devour someone!

"Martial Artist, sir..."

He said in a trembling voice, "This... this lowly one failed to recognize your greatness and offended you. Please forgive me!"

The moment his words fell, Scarface violently shoved aside his companion and, without the slightest loyalty, fled for his life.

The other two men were dumbfounded, frozen like wooden chickens.

Having kicked an iron plate this time, they truly wished they could tear the person who had provided the information into ten thousand pieces.

But having offended a martial artist, they feared they could scarcely save themselves!

When Zhang Yuan's indifferent gaze swept over them, one of the men seemed to awaken from a dream and dropped to his knees with a thud.

He swung his palm and heavily slapped his own face.

Slapping himself as he cried and begged, "Forgive me, sir! Spare my life, sir!"

The other man hurriedly followed suit. Both knelt on the steps before Zhang Yuan's gate.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Their faces soon turned red and swollen!

"Enough!"

Zhang Yuan waved his hand in disgust. "Get lost."

He closed the courtyard gate again, but felt little satisfaction in his heart.

This was only the beginning, yet all manner of chaos had already emerged in the County Town. He did not know when it would become stable again.

But Zhang Yuan could do nothing about it for now.

All he could do was work hard to increase his strength!