Volume One, Chapter 11: Kill Them All

"So it was you! Everyone, attack! Kill him and avenge our brother!"

Zhang Guang’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared and waved his hand. Two men beside him lunged forward instantly.

Li Chen’s gaze was icy. With a flick of his right hand, a homemade dagger shot out like a streak of light. It struck the man on the right directly in the left chest, sinking in almost to the hilt and piercing his heart.

The man on the left had just pounced, but the moment his eyes met Li Chen’s, he felt a sudden chill, and his body momentarily seized, unable to move.

How fast was Li Chen? He had already lunged forward a step earlier; a knee strike slammed into the man’s groin, followed by a vicious elbow strike to his right temple. With a soft "crack," the man’s skull shattered, and the force of the blow even dislodged his eyeballs, leaving them dangling from their sockets.

The two men hadn't even managed a sound before they collapsed to the ground, dead.

Li Chen kicked the dagger the man had dropped into his hand and charged toward Zhang Guang. Zhang Guang had never expected Li Chen to possess such skill, killing two of his brothers in a flash. Seeing Li Chen rushing at him like a fierce tiger, he scrambled backward in panic, only to trip and fall flat on his back.

Li Chen was already upon him, pinning him down with a heavy stomp to his chest. The force was so great that Zhang Guang couldn't move an inch.

"Brother, brother, it’s a misunderstanding! Everything is a misunderstanding! Let’s talk about this. Don’t kill me—I’ll pay you for my life!" Zhang Guang shrieked in desperation.

"Too late." Li Chen stared coldly at him and raised the dagger.

"Li Chen, if you kill me, the Black Wind Stronghold will surely avenge me! I’ll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!" Zhang Guang struggled wildly and roared.

"Die."

Li Chen’s expression remained ruthless. His hand did not hesitate, driving the blade precisely into Zhang Guang’s heart, killing him instantly. Afterward, he gathered everything from the three men, dragged their bodies into the house, and covered them with straw mats.

Having finished, Li Chen frowned at a portrait he had found on Zhang Guang. It depicted a beautiful young woman, but he did not recognize her.

*Could it be that this scout from the Black Wind Stronghold was in town looking for targets to kidnap, and wasn't specifically tracking me?* Li Chen pondered. He glanced at the bodies covered by the mats and narrowed his eyes. "The Black Wind Stronghold... it seems I need to prepare early."

He felt no regret for killing Zhang Guang. Whether he killed him or not, the Black Wind Stronghold would eventually come seeking revenge—why hesitate?

Besides, by killing him early, he could use the time before the stronghold realized what had happened to prepare himself. The bandits were outcasts; even if the authorities found them, without anyone to report the crime or verify their identities, they would simply be treated as drifters who died of natural causes and buried in shallow graves. Thus, he wasn't worried about the authorities coming after him.

He had also found seven hundred copper coins on the three bandits—a small windfall. He also kept several sharpened daggers.

Before long, Li Chen returned to the tea stall, carrying two bags, one large and one small. The large cloth bag contained a pile of refined arrowheads and bowstrings he had bought from a passing bowyer, along with a damaged infantry bow.

Sitting down, Li Chen handed the small oil-paper bag to Yu Qingwan.

"Master, what is this?" Yu Qingwan asked, taking it with curiosity.

"Open it and see," Li Chen smiled.

Yu Qingwan opened the small bag and let out a gasp of surprised delight. Inside was a pink *beizi* jacket and a pair of lake-blue trousers. Although made of linen, the style was novel and beautiful.

"Master, this... this must have been expensive, right?" she asked, both joyful and timid.

"Not expensive, only three hundred coins," Li Chen replied, placing the remaining two hundred coins back into the small bamboo basket—if not for the seven hundred coins he had scavenged from Zhang Guang and his men, he wouldn't have had enough for these items.

"Three hundred coins?" Yu Qingwan covered her mouth. Her master had spent three hundred coins just to buy her clothes? That amount could sustain a family of three for an entire month.

"When we have more money later, I'll buy you silk," Li Chen said calmly.

That single sentence brought tears to Yu Qingwan’s eyes.

"Let's go, let's go home." Li Chen stood up, left a few copper coins on the table, and pushed the wheelbarrow.

His young maid-wife quickly wiped her eyes and stood up to follow, clutching the clothes to her chest as if she were a little girl holding her favorite doll. On the way back, Li Chen could occasionally see her peeking into the oil-paper bag, her lips curling into a happy smile. He couldn't help but smile, his heart filled with warmth.

When they passed the settlement of refugees on the way back to the city, his wife grew tense again, grabbing the corner of Li Chen’s shirt and bowing her head, too terrified to even look.

Fortunately, the patrolling soldiers were still present and had just finished distributing porridge to the refugees, so nothing happened. After turning the corner and walking another mile, Yu Qingwan finally let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed.

Back home, they unloaded everything and put away the wheelbarrow. Li Chen sat on a stool, feeling truly exhausted.

"Master, sit, I'll pour you some water." Yu Qingwan set down the bamboo basket and hurried to fetch water.

"No rush. Put on the clothes and let me see," Li Chen said, waving his hand.

"Ah? Master, I still have chores to do, and those are new clothes..." she said softly.

"Change into them now," Li Chen said, handing her the clothes in a commanding tone.

The young wife quickly took the clothes and ran to the inner room. A while later, she emerged, shy and hesitant, her eyes filled with nervousness. "M-master, I'm ready."

Li Chen looked up. Under the warm noon sun, the vibrant young girl looked like a blooming flower, a magnificent radiance reflecting off her petal-like face.

So beautiful!

"Master..." Seeing Li Chen watching her like that, Yu Qingwan felt a wave of bashfulness and lowered her head, whispering. Yet, there was a hint of secret joy in her eyes.

Li Chen finally snapped out of his daze and nodded. "It looks wonderful on you."

At his praise, Yu Qingwan lowered her head in shyness, but her heart felt as sweet as if she had drunk a bowl of honey.

"Master, you rest well. I'll go dig some wild onions and garlic for seasoning, and I'll cook as soon as I get back." Seeing that Li Chen’s shirt was soaked with sweat, she hurried over to bring him a tattered palm-leaf fan.

"Go ahead, but don't go too far. Be safe. I’ll go up the mountain to chop some firewood in a while," Li Chen nodded.

"I won't go far. I'll just go to the small hillside where everyone digs for wild vegetables. There are many other women from the village there too," she replied, slinging a large bamboo basket over her arm and heading out.

Li Chen caught a glimpse of her adjusting her new clothes at the courtyard gate before she walked away with a light, cheerful step.