Chapter 3: The Troublesome Ghost of Li Jiabao Fortress

Chapter 3: The Troublesome Ghost of Li Jiabao Fortress

Bang, bang, bang!

"The Blind Wolf King is dead!"

The sound of the gong, accompanied by shouts, shattered the tranquility of Li Jiabao Fortress. Not everyone had suffered from wolf attacks, but everyone loved a spectacle, especially in the village. Even a neighborhood brawl could draw a crowd.

Many people had already picked up their hoes to head to the fields, but upon hearing that the "Blind Wolf King" was dead, they quickly ran over.

"Tsk, tsk, so this is the 'Blind Wolf King'?"

"That's the beast, I've seen it!"

"I thought it would be something with three heads and six arms. Look how scared you all were..."

"Fu Gui, what nonsense are you spouting? If you had the guts, you would have caught the 'Blind Wolf King' instead of waiting for it to die and then talking big."

"I didn't have the time..."

"My pig, it died from fright, wailing..."

Black Egg's mother ran over, looking at the dead "Blind Wolf King." The suppressed sorrow welled up inside her, and she sat on the ground, wailing.

Black Egg's father, Li Baoquan, also arrived. After learning what happened, his face turned red with anger. He raised his hand and slapped Black Egg hard, shouting, "You little brat, who told you to act on your own?"

He seemed extremely angry and glared at the surrounding villagers, gritting his teeth. "Brother Hu Zi helped me a lot before he died. If anything happens to Little Yan, how will I explain it?"

"Let it go, let it go, it's over now."

The people around him quickly tried to calm him down.

But Li Baoquan still looked furious and was about to hit Black Egg again.

Li Yan raised his hand to stop him, giving him a cool look. "The money has been paid, one chicken."

"Chicken?"

Li Baoquan was taken aback, stopped his hand, and then rubbed his hands awkwardly. "This... how did this happen?"

It wasn't that Black Egg's father was being unreasonable. While a swordsman valued his word and acted with integrity, who among those who risked their lives was easy to deal with?

There were those who acted for justice, but there were also plenty who killed for money, and they never came cheap.

Li Yan's father, Li Hu, was known for his generosity. When people in the village asked for help, he would often agree without hesitation, and he was often taken advantage of.

But Li Yan's reputation wasn't as good. The reason was simple: he had different values.

Having lived in the modern world and died once, he no longer cared about clan rules or social norms. He wasn't bound by others' opinions and did things to please himself.

When it was time to act, he never held back.

When it was time to get paid, not a single coin was spared.

No one was going to take advantage of him.

What was normal to him seemed troublesome to others.

Unexpectedly, this time he had acted like a hero.

"I said it, only Little Yan could do it!"

"Just like his father, he'll be a great man one day!"

The people around him gave him a thumbs-up, praising him with many voices.

Li Yan chuckled but didn't say anything.

"The clan leader is here!"

At that moment, someone shouted.

A few people came down the village's dirt road, all of them elderly. The leader was a lean old man with a goatee and spectacles.

Although Li Jiabao Fortress had many families, the only major clan was the Li family, so the clan leader also served as the village head.

This generation's clan leader was Li Huairen, the only landlord in the village. He had passed the examination for a degree and was known for his attention to face and reputation. His reputation was generally good.

He approached the "Blind Wolf King's" corpse, walked around it a few times, and listened to the villagers' accounts. He stroked his beard and nodded. "Good, it's farming season, and with this menace gone, the villagers can work in peace. This is a good deed."

"Credit where credit is due. Zhou Juezi, your pig died, and I will buy it from you and give it to Li Yan's family as a token of the village's gratitude."

Li Yan smiled. "That's great, thank you, Clan Leader."

Martial arts training was exhausting, and he was like a bottomless pit. He had been lacking in food lately, and a big, fat pig would keep him full for a while.

This was the benefit of his reputation.

The village head knew he was troublesome and never assigned him any hard labor. He also made sure that Li Yan's family received their fair share of benefits.

Zhou Juezi was even happier. He had been planning to sell the pig for a good price at the New Year, and he didn't want to eat it himself.

The village head's decision was a pleasant surprise.

To avoid any issues, he immediately tried to take Li Yan away to kill the pig. Fresh meat was better, and he wanted to solidify the matter.

"Look at you, so eager!"

Li Yan teased him but still called Black Egg to help bring the pig.

After they left, the village head, Li Huairen, let out a slight sigh of relief.

A loafer in the village looked envious and said, "Clan Leader, Little Brother Yan did a great job, but the 'Blind Wolf King's' body can't just be thrown away. Why not skin it and eat the meat? It will satisfy our hunger and our anger."

"You greedy dog!"

Before he could finish, someone else scolded him, "How many people did this 'Blind Wolf King' eat? Can you even stomach it? I say we burn it."

Black Egg's mother burst into tears again, and the others sighed.

The clan leader, Li Huairen, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "In the old days, there were many wolves in Guanzhong. The old soldiers used to hang the bodies of wolves they killed on the village gate to serve as a warning, which kept the village safe for a while."

"Zhu Zi, take some men and hang this 'Blind Wolf King' at the village gate!"

"Yes, Clan Leader!"

Several men immediately stepped forward to drag the wolf's body.

"No! Don't!"

At that moment, a weak female voice sounded from the crowd.

Everyone looked over and saw a middle-aged woman standing at the back, her face pale and her hair disheveled. She was covered in dirt and stank, making people back away.

She was the village's widow, Wang Guifu.

To be honest, Wang Guifu was a pitiable woman. Her husband was from another family, and he had been a thief and a scoundrel since childhood. He was never respected in the village, and Wang Guifu herself had been bought from a human trafficker.

Even after getting married, her husband couldn't settle down. He often went to Chang'an to hang out with his friends, and when he was drunk, he would come home and beat her.

He died in a drunken fight last year on the road outside Chang'an, leaving Wang Guifu and a four-year-old daughter.

If Wang Guifu had remarried, the villagers wouldn't have said much, and they might have even been happy for her. After all, it was hard for a widow and her child, and there were a few bachelors in the village who were still single.

However, after her husband's death, Wang Guifu fell ill and, upon recovering, became listless. Her house was like a pigsty, and she smelled terrible.

Her daughter suffered as well, being locked inside the house all day.

They preferred an ugly wife to a lazy one.

The bachelors in the village lost interest and even mocked her in private.

No one in the village wanted to deal with Wang Guifu.

Seeing everyone's gaze, Wang Guifu shrank back but still whispered, "The 'Blind Wolf King's' body is unclean, filled with bad luck. It should be burned, and a ritual performed..."

"Silence!"

Before she could finish, the clan leader, Li Huairen, changed his expression and scolded her. "Don't spread such nonsense. You can burn incense all you want, but if you believe in any heretical teachings and bring trouble to the village, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Everyone's faces turned grim.

There were many fortune-tellers and shamans in the countryside, and the city temples were always bustling. The government would hold grand ceremonies on important festivals, led by the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao Taoists.

However, they were merciless towards heretical sects.

The most famous was the Maitreya Sect, which had many branches.

Two years ago, a village was secretly spreading the faith, and when the government found out, they sent troops to slaughter everyone and burn the village to the ground.

No one survived, and it remains a ghost village to this day.

Wang Guifu was usually unkempt and superstitious, burning incense every day, just like those heretics. Even without evidence, Li Huairen was wary of her.

For a moment, everyone's gaze turned dark.

Wang Guifu, seeing this, didn't dare to speak anymore.

The clan leader, Li Huairen, grunted and ordered the "Blind Wolf King's" body to be dragged away. He then hurriedly left with his men.

As the clan leader and village head, he wasn't idle. After the Grain Buds, the Grain in Ear season would follow, and the summer harvest was approaching. He had many tasks to handle in the village and his own home, as well as dealing with the grain inspectors from Chang'an.

The "Blind Wolf King" incident was just a minor distraction for him.

Without the excitement, the villagers dispersed to their fields.

Only Wang Guifu stood there, staring at the wolf's body being dragged away, her eyes filled with fear. She quickly ran home.

Back in her small yard, she slammed the wooden door shut.

The room was dark and dirty. Wang Guifu's eyes changed, no longer showing her usual weakness. She lit three incense sticks, placed them on her forehead, and knelt down, praying to the main hall, murmuring:

"Auntie, trouble is coming..."

...

Zhou Juezi worked quickly, and within an hour, the big, fat pig was neatly butchered.

Li Yan gave Black Egg a few pounds of meat and had him deliver some to their neighbors.

After finishing this, Li Yan carried the larger half of the pig home.

His home was on the eastern side of Li Jiabao Fortress.

It was a typical Guanzhong farmhouse, with a large yard. The ground was compacted but not planted with vegetables. Instead, it was filled with stone locks and stone balls.

Li Jiabao Fortress was originally a military fortress, and a few families, including Li Yan's, still maintained their old traditions of farming and martial arts.

What set his family apart was a wooden plaque hanging above the front door, inscribed with the words "Hundred Battles, Mighty and Valiant", in bold and powerful strokes.

Beside the threshold, an old man squatted, his white hair and hunched back, his face lined with wrinkles, and his eyes dull. He puffed on a large pipe, sending out clouds of smoke.

His right leg was empty, the pants leg hanging loosely.

This was his grandfather, Li Gui.

Li Yan grinned. "Grandpa, the clan leader gave us a pig. Do you want minced meat noodles or scalded noodles for lunch?"

However, Li Gui didn't even look at him, his face dark as he continued smoking.

Li Yan chuckled, said nothing, and carried the pig into the kitchen.

This half of the pig would take a while to finish. He and his grandfather would need to cure the meat and render the lard, which would take some time.

Li Yan wasn't in a hurry. After putting down the pig, he went into the yard.

The sun had risen, and he took off his shirt, wearing only a vest, revealing a muscular, sinewy body. He did some warm-up exercises, regulated his breathing, and then placed his fists at his waist, standing straight like a spear.

He then raised a single palm as if lifting a cauldron, slowly lowering it.

Hong Fist Ten Great Palms Practice: Overlord Lifting the Cauldron.

Guanzhong Hong Fist had an ancient heritage, with many branches and variations. Each village and martial arts school had its own unique tradition and techniques.

He practiced the family's old Hong Fist, which was taught by a general in the army to his ancestor. The general was a legendary figure often mentioned in teahouse stories, known for his prowess in battle.

His grandfather, Li Gui, was a seasoned soldier with extensive combat experience.

His father, Li Hu, was a Guanzhong swordsman, known for his travels and incorporation of various martial techniques, making his style even more formidable.

But regardless, the Ten Great Palms were the foundation of Hong Fist.

Hong Fist emphasized "expansion and contraction as the mother, hooking and hanging as the skill, transformation as the wonder, and grabbing and striking as the method." The techniques were endless, but without a solid foundation, they were all for naught.

The Ten Great Palms had both soft and hard variations, and Li Yan practiced them every day, regardless of the weather.

His training method was different from others.

Martial artists knew that "the body of a boxer is as precious as gold", so they had to train gradually. Rushing would only lead to problems.

But Li Yan seemed to have transcended this.

He raised his palm, stretching his body to the limit, as if truly lifting a massive bronze cauldron, his body taut like a bowstring. His body even made creaking sounds.

At the same time, Li Yan calmed his mind and focused his spirit.

In his Dantian, a stone statue slowly floated...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end