Eighteen That Year, Standing Like a Lackey!

Bang, bang, bang!

The urgent pounding on the door jolted Wei Sheng awake in bed.

He heard the front courtyard gate open, followed by a voice outside that instinctively disgusted him:

"Well, if it isn't Xiao He! Where's your brother? He owes me ten taels of silver. Isn't it about time he paid up?"

"N-Niu, Brother Niu, you only lent us five taels. Why do we have to repay ten?"

The youthful voice carried a trace of suppressed anger. It belonged to his younger brother, Wei He.

"Fuck, does interest not count as money?"

"But that's far too much! W-we can't afford that."

"Can't afford it? Then hand over this house to settle the debt. Or I'll sell you brothers to the Everlasting Spring Hall in the inner city. Plenty of gentlemen in town would be willing to pay your debt for you."

"Brother Niu, we... please give us a few more days."

"Since we're all disciples of the Fish-Dragon Gang, I'll give you two more days. In two days, principal and interest come to twelve taels. If you can't pay, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Niu Er spat, then swaggered off with his two men!

Wei He shut the gate and returned to the room. Seeing his elder brother Wei Sheng sitting on the bed, his face lit up:

"Brother, you're awake!"

"Mm. Xiao He, was that Niu Er just now?"

"That bastard! A dog throwing his weight around with his master behind him! Father borrowed ten taels from him back then, but he paid it all off ages ago! Now he's trying to extort us..."

The more Wei He spoke, the angrier he grew...

His words also stirred Wei Sheng's thoughts.

Wei Sheng came from a family of five: both parents were alive, and there were three siblings.

A month earlier, the court had conscripted laborers to dig a canal in Sishui Commandery. Their father and mother had both been among those conscripted.

Sishui Commandery lay far away, with bandits rising everywhere and evil demons running rampant. Digging a canal was also grueling work; whether they would ever return was an open question.

Their parents had wanted to pay silver in place of labor service, but that required thirty taels.

For an ordinary family, that was an enormous sum.

With no other choice, their parents borrowed ten taels from Niu Er and scraped together some more from relatives and friends, but they were still halfway short of thirty taels.

Left with no alternative, their parents abandoned the idea of paying silver in place of the levy. After repaying Niu Er in full, they left some money for Wei Sheng and his brother before setting off for Sishui Commandery.

Everything had been peaceful at first.

Until three days earlier, when Niu Er came demanding repayment. He claimed their parents still owed him five taels; now that they were gone, the debt fell to Wei Sheng, and he had to pay.

Wei Sheng asked to see the IOU. Niu Er accused him of trying to dodge the debt and had his men beat him unconscious.

By the time he woke again, three days had passed, and Niu Er had come to collect once more.

After grumbling for a while, Wei He calmed down:

"Brother, Niu Er joined the gang early, and he has people backing him. We can't afford to offend him. Why don't we sell the house to pay him back?"

The only valuable possession the brothers had was the courtyard house their parents had left them.

Wei Sheng shook his head gently.

How much could they get for the house?

Besides...

Niu Er was targeting them precisely because one brother was sickly and the other was too honest, making them easy to push around.

Under those circumstances, even if they paid him, he would not let things rest. His bullying would only grow worse!

"What should we do, then? How about I ask Second Grandfather's family for a loan?"

Wei He suggested.

Second Grandfather was their grandfather's younger brother. His family had once been so poor they could not fill their stomachs.

While their grandfather was alive, he had often helped Second Grandfather's family, bringing food and drink and paying for treatment when Second Grandfather fell seriously ill. Only then had their lives gradually begun to prosper.

Not long ago.

Trying to scrape together thirty taels, their parents had brought generous gifts to Second Grandfather's home to ask for a loan.

But they had been turned away at the door.

With that family's miserly, penny-pinching nature, getting money out of them was harder than climbing to heaven.

Wei Sheng did not say so outright. He had no other solution himself just then and could hardly dampen Wei He's enthusiasm.

After Wei He left.

Wei Sheng spread his fingers and gazed through them at the gloomy sky outside, murmuring:

"To think I've awakened memories of my past life..."

Throughout his coma, he had repeatedly dreamed the same dream.

In the dream, he lived among towering buildings and traveled by car and airplane. Later, pursuing his passion, he went to Southeast Asia to fight in kickboxing matches and made quite a name for himself.

After winning one match, he celebrated with his companions, got thoroughly drunk, and accidentally collided with a Dayun truck...

Those were memories of his previous life, long obscured. Only after Niu Er beat him unconscious had they unexpectedly awakened.

When the tidal roar came rolling down the Qiantang River, only today did I know that I was me!

"Father and Mother were conscripted to dig a canal. Whether they live or die is unknown!"

"Elder Sister married a merchant in the prefectural city. Fortune or disaster awaits her-we can't tell!"

"Xiao He was born frail, with a weak constitution. He needs medicine to sustain him!"

"All I wanted was to run a small business. First some rich brat toyed with me, then the bailiffs came collecting taxes, and finally gang thugs squeezed me dry. With no choice, I joined a gang, only to end up bullied by Niu Er anyway... What a fucking world!"

The more Wei Sheng thought, the angrier he grew, and the vicious gleam in his eyes intensified!

All I wanted was a peaceful life. Why did everyone have to push me?!

As his emotions surged, light blazed in his mind, and an Ancient Bronze Bell appeared out of nowhere.

Wei Sheng started. "Isn't that the little bell I picked up at an antique shop in my spare time in my previous life?"

He had never expected the Ancient Bronze Bell to follow him into this world.

As the Ancient Bronze Bell manifested, a translucent panel appeared before Wei Sheng's eyes-

[Name: Wei Sheng]

[Martial arts mastered: Savage Bull Fist (Entry)]

[Talent: Nine-Breath Qi Ingestion (inhale and exhale nine times, and a divine ability develops of its own accord, transforming the Dao power of heaven and earth into a source; one source condenses daily, each source equals one year of cultivation, with gains accumulating day by day)]

[Dao Origin: 1 point]

"So, my cheat has finally arrived?!"

He had read plenty of novels in his spare time in his previous life, so this scene was familiar to him. He merely found it novel to experience himself.

And his talent had clearly been bestowed by the Ancient Bronze Bell.

Simply put.

By breathing nine times each day, the ancient cauldron could refine the power of heaven and earth into one point of Dao Origin. Each point equaled a year of arduous cultivation.

"I can get stronger just by breathing? Well... it's not that I don't believe you. I just want to broaden my horizons!"

With a slight shift of thought, Wei Sheng focused his mind and poured the one point of Dao Origin freshly condensed that day into his sole martial art, Savage Bull Fist!

This was a basic fist art taught to him after he joined the Fish-Dragon Gang by Fire Ox, one of its Five Tiger Generals. It helped new disciples temper their bodies and condense their blood and qi.

Cultivation of the fist art had four stages:

Entry, minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection!

Savage Bull Fist was easy to learn but difficult to master. After learning it, Wei Sheng had practiced hard for over half a month just to reach the Entry stage.

Buzz!

The instant that point of Dao Origin was consumed, Wei Sheng felt his brain buzz. His consciousness seemed to be dragged into a dark space, where he began practicing Savage Bull Fist relentlessly, day after day. Only after a full year did his consciousness withdraw from that darkness.

Savage Bull Fist, major mastery!

A wealth of experience and insights into cultivating Savage Bull Fist flooded his mind. The muscles in his arms and legs swelled, and his strength surged!

A year of arduous practice without eating or drinking had long since turned the fist art into bodily instinct. Every move could be unleashed at will.

"Savage Ox Horn Thrust!"

Unable to restrain himself, Wei Sheng unleashed one of the fist art's killing moves. His feet gripped the ground, his arms swung, and his strength gathered within them as he thrust forward like a pair of ox horns!

Crack!

His fists bored through the air at astonishing speed. The air and resistance before him were squeezed aside in an instant, then crushed, producing a crisp explosive report in the empty air!

A thousand pieces of gold could not buy that single crack!

Joy stirred in Wei Sheng's heart. Producing an explosive crack with a punch was the hallmark of major mastery in Savage Bull Fist!

"Rampaging Ox Charges Across the Wilderness!"

Wei Sheng did not stop. Riding that momentum, he performed the remaining eight forms as well.

Every movement brimmed with savage, violent power!

Like a wild bull, he darted and wheeled through the courtyard, every motion erupting with astonishing might!

After completing the sequence, Wei Sheng looked invigorated.

Only now did he realize the true worth of that one point of Dao Origin.

"With normal cultivation, taking out time for eating, drinking, and relieving myself, practicing six to eight hours a day would already be good! But one point of Dao Origin is equivalent to practicing nonstop, twenty-four hours a day, for an entire year!"

In both time and efficiency, it amounted to three or four times normal cultivation!

One year equaled three!

"With my experience fighting underground in my previous life, I originally had only a fifty-fifty chance of killing Niu Er. Now I have nine ways to kill him! Nine!!"

Wei Sheng's gaze was icy.

Creak!

The gate opened.

Wei He walked in from outside, lingering indignation and undisguised disappointment on his face.

"They wouldn't lend you anything?" Wei Sheng looked at him.

Wei He nodded. "Brother, how can Second Grandfather's family be so coldhearted?

"If Grandfather hadn't helped him back then, his family would have fallen apart and died. How could they have enjoyed the prosperity they have today...

"But the moment Grandfather was gone, they saw our family was no longer useful and kicked us aside, without any regard for their old ties..."

At that moment, Wei He looked as aggrieved as a child.

Wei Sheng remained expressionless. He had expected this outcome.

He patted Wei He's shoulder:

"Xiao He, we have to rely on ourselves in life! Rest for a while. I'll go get something to eat."

With that, Wei Sheng fetched a short saber from the room. He had had it made for self-defense after some street thugs provoked him while he was running his stall.

"Brother, what are you going to do?" Wei He's heart tightened.

"Pay Niu Er a visit!" Wei Sheng said with a smile.

He could not produce twelve taels of silver, so he could only deal with the man who had created the problem!

"You've scraped together twelve taels?"

"No! But I'll give him an offer he can't refuse."

"Brother, don't be rash! Niu Er trained at a martial arts school. He's not like ordinary street thugs..."

Before he finished speaking, Wei Sheng had already vanished from sight. Darkness shrouded the heavens, and the night wind howled, seeming even more mournful than before.