Martial Artist

Liu Yuanzhou shoved through the crowd and took one look, and his heart filled with shock and fury. Liu Chuang and Zhang He were lying on the dirt-covered ground, with four or five burly youths pinning them down and laughing. The two of them roared and struggled, but could not break free. Li Mingzhong was in slightly better shape; someone had twisted his arm behind his back, forcing him to bend like a shrimp, his face full of anxiety.

A chubby boy stood nearby, his face covered in fat. He wore a smug expression as he said with a grin, "Hehe, weren't you all pretty arrogant? Oh? You're still not convinced? Come on, get up and fight your grandpa." As he spoke, he deliberately bent down and thrust his face forward. Liu Yuanzhou recognized him at once. He was the tyrant of Crouching Tiger Slope, Fatty Wang, whose real name was Wang Youcai. His father was the biggest landowner in Crouching Tiger Slope.

How did they provoke that bastard Fatty Wang? Liu Yuanzhou was startled and suspicious, but he had no time to think. Fatty Wang was only three or four steps away. In an instant, he made his decision. He sprang forward and lunged at Fatty Wang, wrapping an arm around his neck. Fatty Wang was nearly a head shorter than Liu Yuanzhou, but he was truly no lightweight. Liu Yuanzhou staggered back two steps with Fatty Wang before barely steadying himself, then swiftly freed one hand and grabbed Fatty Wang by the ear. "Fatty Wang, let them go right now, or I'll twist off your pig ear!"

Fatty Wang was dazed by the sudden turn of events. Then a tearing pain shot through his ear, and he screamed, "Ah! It hurts like hell! Master Zheng, save me!"

Liu Yuanzhou was just about to speak when a tremendous force slammed into his waist, as if a bull had viciously gored him there. Then he felt his body fly through the air before crashing to the ground. His vision went black, golden stars dancing wildly in his head. It felt as though a rod had been driven into his waist, and the pain was so fierce he could not draw breath. Am I going to die? That was his only thought.

Everything had happened too quickly. Before the surrounding spectators could react, a man had somehow appeared beside Fatty Wang. He was around forty, with utterly ordinary clothes and features, but his gaze was exceptionally sharp. Rubbing his ear, Fatty Wang hissed, "Thank you, Master Zheng. Otherwise, my ear wouldn't have been saved. Hiss, it hurts like hell." The man called Master Zheng gave Fatty Wang a faint smile. "Just lifting a hand." After speaking, he swept his eyes around. Wherever his gaze passed, the watching crowd unconsciously lowered their voices and backed away two steps. Then he lowered his eyelids and stood to one side, as still as an old monk in meditation.

The scene fell silent for a moment, then a low buzzing rose again.

"Who is that man? He's incredible!"

"Yeah, no one even saw him make a move. A young man weighing over a hundred pounds was sent flying!"

"I'd say he must be a martial artist."

"Hiss—"

Fatty Wang's next words seemed to confirm the crowd's speculation.

"You brat, are you tired of living? You dared hit your grandpa? Today, I'll tear off one of your ears and teach you a lesson." Fatty Wang stepped forward and kicked Liu Yuanzhou several times at random. Then he squatted down, yanked Liu Yuanzhou's ear, and sneered, "So capable, are you? So capable, are you?" Liu Yuanzhou had not yet caught his breath and could not move. He could only let Fatty Wang do as he pleased.

Liu Yuanzhou's being sent flying had stunned Liu Chuang and the other two as well. But when they saw Fatty Wang step forward and start beating Liu Yuanzhou, they finally came to their senses and began struggling desperately. "Let Second Child go! Fatty Wang, if you've got guts, come at your grandpa!" Liu Chuang shouted as he fought to break free.

Once Fatty Wang had twisted enough, he stood up, spat on Liu Yuanzhou, and shouted, "Do you know who hit you just now? No harm in telling you. He's my martial artist, the Wang family's household martial artist." He then put on an indifferent expression.

The crowd's guess had been confirmed, and another wave of sharp inhalations rose around them.

Feeling secretly delighted, Fatty Wang turned to Liu Chuang and the others on the ground. "I'll spare you today. If you dare offend your grandpa again, see if I don't break your dog legs." With that, he laughed heartily and swaggered away. The youths immediately released Liu Chuang and the others, laughing as they hurried after him and heaped flattery upon Fatty Wang. The martial artist surnamed Zheng glanced at Liu Yuanzhou on the ground before turning and leaving as well.

After a while, Liu Yuanzhou finally caught his breath. He felt as if his whole body had fallen apart, and his ear was so numb it seemed no longer to belong to him.

At that moment, Liu Yuanzhou considered the pain in his body secondary. The humiliation in his heart was like a needle viciously stabbing into it.

Fatty Wang, if I do not avenge this hatred, I, Liu Yuanzhou, swear I am not a man.

At that moment, Liu Chuang and the other two ran over and helped Liu Yuanzhou up, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

Seeing that Fatty Wang had left, the crowd did not disperse. They surrounded the four of them, pointing and whispering among themselves.

"Whose boy is that? He must have been beaten badly. Sigh."

"Why provoke that bastard Fatty Wang when you've got nothing better to do? Serves him right."

"Isn't that Liu Da's second son from Liu Li Village?"

Hearing the crowd's chatter, Liu Yuanzhou and the other three wished they could crawl into a crack in the ground.

Liu Yuanzhou said quietly, "Let's go. Are you staying here to let people laugh at us?" The other three came to their senses, supported Liu Yuanzhou, lowered their heads, and fled in disgrace.

The four of them ran out of the market as if escaping for their lives. They found an empty corner and cleaned the dirt off themselves. Then Li Mingzhong suggested they go rest for a while at the place he rented, and Liu Yuanzhou and the other two all nodded in agreement.

Li Mingzhong's parents had rented a Cave Dwelling in Crouching Tiger Slope for him to use when attending classes and resting at noon.

With Li Mingzhong leading the way, they soon reached the courtyard of his rented place. Once they entered the Cave Dwelling and sat down, Liu Yuanzhou asked what had happened.

"It was all Hu Wa's fault. He saw Fatty Wang laughing and chatting with a woman, so he went up to argue with him. He said Fatty Wang was molesting a decent woman, and he even pushed Fatty Wang." Zhang He spoke first. Looking at Liu Chuang with indignation, he said, "You got to play the hero saving the beauty, but you dragged us into getting beaten, especially Second Child."

Li Mingzhong said nothing. He merely looked at Liu Chuang, shook his head, and sighed. Clearly, he agreed with Zhang He.

"Fatty Wang really was molesting that girl. You, you..." Liu Chuang became agitated and stumbled over his words. But when he saw Liu Yuanzhou's miserable state, he lowered his head and fell silent. He felt unbearably wronged, and tears began falling with soft plops.

Liu Yuanzhou had been furious after hearing Zhang He's account, but when he saw Liu Chuang crying, his heart softened and his anger faded. He patted Liu Chuang on the shoulder and said bitterly, "What are you crying for? A real man repays hatred with vengeance and grievances with justice. We got beaten this time, so we'll beat them back next time."

Zhang He and Li Mingzhong felt somewhat guilty as well. They both knew Liu Chuang's temperament. Now that it had already happened, what use was there in blaming him? Since Liu Yuanzhou had said so, they nodded repeatedly and began comforting Liu Chuang.

"The Wang family actually hired a household martial artist. I never realized the Wang family was this powerful before," Li Mingzhong sighed.

"Yeah. Before, I only knew the Wang family had plenty of money and land. I never thought they were anything special. Who would have imagined they had a household martial artist? A martial artist." Liu Yuanzhou also felt a surge of emotion, but at the same time, he felt deeply stifled. "Are we really just going to take that beating for nothing?"

The four fell silent, as though each was thinking of something. No one mentioned revenge again. The Wang family's martial artist had clearly struck too great a blow to them. Li Mingzhong and Zhang He had already extinguished any thought of revenge. Only Liu Chuang glanced at the others and silently hardened his heart. What kind of bullshit martial artist? I'm not afraid. If you're afraid, then I'll avenge this hatred myself.

Liu Yuanzhou vaguely guessed what everyone was thinking. For a moment, he felt uncomfortable, but he quickly adjusted his mindset and could not help sighing inwardly. And am I not afraid of the Wang family's power myself? Especially now that a martial artist has appeared.

At the mention of a martial artist, Li Mingzhong and the other two remembered that Liu Yuanzhou had been sent flying. They hurriedly asked about his condition. After all, he had been struck by a martial artist; who knew what might happen? Liu Chuang even suggested taking Liu Yuanzhou to the clinic for an examination.

By then, Liu Yuanzhou felt completely recovered, aside from a dull ache in his waist and the burning pain in his ear. He thought that there was no great enmity between them, so the martial artist probably would not have tried to kill him. Thus, he said, "I'm fine now. There's no need to go to the clinic."

The four rested a while longer and drank some hot water. Only after Liu Yuanzhou said he was completely fine did they get up and head home. When they returned to the village, Liu Yuanzhou told Li Mingzhong and the other two before they parted, "Don't tell your families about what happened today. No need to make them worry." Everyone nodded in agreement.

By the time Liu Yuanzhou got home, it was already afternoon. His mother, Zhang Shi, was busy preparing dinner. Seeing his filthy clothes, she asked what had happened. Liu Yuanzhou lied and said he had accidentally fallen. He then asked about his maternal uncle. Zhang Shi said angrily, "He went back. I didn't even give him a meal."

"What happened? Was it because of Dan Dan Jie?" Liu Yuanzhou asked.

"Isn't it? Your Dan Dan Jie fell for an apprentice at the clinic in Crouching Tiger Slope and told your uncle about it. Your uncle absolutely refused to agree, saying that the apprentice was from out of town and might be a swindler. You know Dan Dan Jie's stubborn temper. She has her own mind and insists on marrying that apprentice. Now father and daughter are nearly enemies." The more Zhang Shi spoke, the angrier she became.

"An outsider with an unknown background really should be considered carefully. Uncle is doing it for Dan Dan Jie's own good, isn't he?" Liu Yuanzhou felt his cousin had gone a little too far.

"Hehe, do you think your uncle is thinking entirely of Dan Dan Jie? He already promised Dan Dan Jie to Old Gao's eldest son in the village and even accepted their betrothal gifts. You may not know Old Gao's eldest son, but two of his wives have already died. Can your sister marry into that family? Isn't he just greedy for their generous betrothal gifts?" Zhang Shi practically hated her own elder brother to death.

"What do we do now?" Liu Yuanzhou did not know what to say about this maternal uncle of his. He had heard before that the man loved eating and gambling, but now he was even worse—he was actually selling his daughter.

"What else can we do? Return the betrothal gifts. Let it be embarrassing if it has to be embarrassing; we can't let your sister jump into a pit of fire." Zhang Shi sighed. "Enough, let's not talk about them. I'm going to make dinner. Your father and brother should be back from chopping firewood soon."

Zhang Shi went back to busily preparing dinner. Liu Yuanzhou stood alone in the courtyard, staring blankly at the distant mountains. What had happened today had shaken him deeply. There was nothing in his heart but exhaustion. He did not want to think about anything. He only wanted to stand there quietly, just like that.