Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan had a bad reputation in Clearwater Village, but after learning their lesson, they wouldn't steal or cause mischief in their own village these past few years. If they did steal, one would keep watch outside while the other moved quickly on his feet, never getting caught in the act.

Winter was tough, with not even wild vegetables to forage. Thinking of Pei Yan in neighboring River Village, they'd heard that he had a vast vegetable field, often selling produce in town for money, and raised dozens of hens that laid eggs, making them envious.

But they also feared Pei Yan's reputation. Having gone without meat for a long time, when they met, all they talked about were which families kept ducks or chickens, or who was seen carrying meat home.

As they spoke, their hunger grew.

Liu Qingzi was short, slightly stocky, but he had it better than most, with elderly parents and an older brother. However, he was lazy and idle from a young age, stealing from others, and no amount of punishment could change him.

His father and mother were ashamed, their faces lost in the village forever. When he stole money meant for his nephew's medicine from his brother, his father nearly fainted in anger. His brother, furious, split the family, giving him a thatched hut and kicking him out.

His father and brother couldn't bear to see him, never acknowledging him if they met on the road. Only his mother sometimes softened, giving him food when he begged.

This led Liu Qingzi to become even lazier, knowing he wouldn't starve. When hungry, he'd sneak back home, crying to his mother, always managing to get something to eat.

As for Liu Shuan, he was poor, his parents long dead. He lacked ambition, squandering what little his father had left—a few acres of land—until only a meager plot remained.

These two, together, were up to no good except causing trouble.

They also feared Pei Yan. When Lou Jin gathered a large group in Lou Village, he was still taken down by Pei Yan, so they hesitated for days.

But the cold made them desperate, having gone too long without meat. Finally, they decided to take a risk.

Other families might be targets, but in winter, people stayed indoors, making it hard to strike. The freezing nights and lack of proper winter clothes deterred them from venturing out at night, so they planned to strike during the day, targeting those who left their homes.

Knowing Pei Yan often drove to town, they loitered around River Village, until this morning, when they finally got their chance. Both Pei Yan and his husband were away, leaving the house empty, making it easier for them to act.

They didn't expect, however, that Pei Yan's dog wouldn't touch bones or meat.

After fleeing River Village, Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan were filled with guilt, fearing Pei Yan would discover their theft. They wanted to run but had nowhere to go.

In summer, they could escape to town and find a place to sleep, but in winter, the freezing temperatures could kill someone sleeping outside.

Neither was welcome among relatives or had true friends, unable to seek shelter elsewhere. After discussing it, they decided to visit Lou Wu in Lou Village.

Lou Wu wasn't a good person, his hands not clean either. Since Lou Jin's death, his followers scattered, and Lou Wu barely left his home, terrified.

This year, though, there were signs of activity. Like dogs returning to their vomit, he and his brothers continued bullying villagers, but not as fiercely as before. They dared not touch anyone from River Village, fearing connections to Pei Yan.

Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan had once followed Lou Jin, but their cowardice and slippery nature made them unreliable. Sometimes, they'd join Lou Wu in stealing.

Arriving at Lou Wu's, they bowed and smiled, praising him excessively, not mentioning their theft from Pei Yan. Neither dared speak of it, afraid word would reach Pei Yan.

Lou Wu looked down on them but enjoyed the flattery. Seeing they wanted to stay, he waved his hand, arranging a woodshed for them and offering food.

Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan were overjoyed just to have a woodshed to hide from Pei Yan, let alone food. Their ingratiating behavior toward Lou Wu bordered on gratitude.

After lunch, while the Lou family wasn't paying attention, Liu Qingzi kept watch as Liu Shuan sneaked into the kitchen, hiding several coarse steamed buns.

"Infeasible, we need to switch targets."

*

In the room, Lou Wu and his cousins discussed plans with three underlings. Approaching the New Year, they needed more money for festivities. Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan's arrival reminded him of past schemes, stirring his thieving heart.

Some suggested the wealthy landlord in White Water Village, but the risks were high with many strong laborers protecting the property.

Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan were too cowardly for Lou Wu's liking; adding two more mouths meant sharing the spoils. Thus, only his trusted circle was present.

"Who is it!"

Lou Wu's wife carried firewood to the kitchen, hearing a knock on the gate. She called out loudly, not recognizing the voice.

"Sister-in-law, I'm here to see Brother Lou Wu." A strange voice replied.

Lou Wu had many unsavory friends, and his wife didn't know them all, so she opened the gate without suspicion.

Inside, Lou Wu and the others heard the voice but couldn't identify it, stopping their conversation to investigate.

To their shock, when the gate opened, Pei Yan stood tall and imposing, blocking the entrance. He glanced over Lou Wu's wife, directly meeting the eyes of those inside.

Their legs trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat breaking out on their backs. Lou Wu's face turned pale.

Even in dreams, the sight of Pei Yan killing Lou Jin could wake him up in terror.

Despite the time passed, the mention of Pei Yan still brought back the smell of blood. He was closest to Lou Jin then, splattered with blood.

When they carried Lou Jin back, the heavy scent of blood lingered, almost making him vomit. From then on, he refused to even kill chickens at home.

Gu Lanyu stood beside Pei Yan, almost laughing at Lou Wu's frightened appearance. He maintained a stern expression, directly asking, "Where are Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan?"

Lou Wu recognized this voice immediately. If Pei Yan spoke, he'd know instantly.

In the past few years, he hadn't dared approach River Village, finding Gu Lanyu unfamiliar. Under Pei Yan's icy gaze, he tried to speak but couldn't make a sound.

Lou Wu's wife, seeing a man at the door, opened it without a word. She didn't recognize any Liu, but remembering today's visitors, there were indeed two.

Thinking Lou Wu would speak, she was surprised to turn and see him trembling. She glanced again at the man outside.

Tall, with a scarred face.

It seemed oddly familiar, until she remembered Pei Yan from River Village. Her eyes widened suddenly.

Seeing no response, Pei Yan impatiently entered, looking around. Spotting a stick near the woodpile, he picked it up, asking, "Are Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan here?"

"Yes, yes," stammered Lou Wu, his voice shaking. He could only tell the truth, his mind buzzing. Seeing Pei Yan ready to attack, he felt dizzy, unable to move a step.

"Where is it?" Pei Yan asked coldly, never showing a good face to the Lou family gang.

Especially towards Lou Wu, who had once tried to persuade him. At that time, he hadn't bothered to respond, only to find out that Lou Wu had a filthy mouth, leading to two slaps across his face.

It seemed that the reason Lou Jin sought him out later was also due to Lou Wu's instigation.

Lou Wu dared not hide anything and glanced in the direction of the woodshed.

Inside the shed, Liu Shuan and Liu Qingzi each occupied a corner, lying on piles of straw. Having eaten their fill today, they crossed their legs, enjoying themselves immensely.

They hadn't expected Pei Yan to arrive so quickly.

Hearing the commotion outside, even though they weren't familiar with Pei Yan's voice, they knew it must be him, and they trembled, not daring to make a sound inside the woodshed.

Not until the door of the woodshed was kicked open from the outside did the scar-faced man drag them out, then gave each of them a kick, knocking them directly to the ground.

"Poisoning dogs with drugs? Stealing chickens?" Pei Yan weighed the wooden stick in his hand, his eyes cold.

Seeing the situation turn bad, Liu Shuan got up and immediately ran, but was blocked by Gu Lanyu.

He had never seen Pei Yan fight, assuming that as long as he escaped, he could avoid the beating. Seeing someone blocking his way, he clenched his fist and struck out.

Unfortunately, Gu Lanyu wasn't one to be trifled with, especially since she had a stick in her hand.

Seeing Liu Shuan run, Liu Qingzi tried to follow suit, but Pei Yan was faster, intercepting his path in just a few steps. With a grit of his teeth, he prepared to fight back.

Lou Wu, seeing that the attack wasn't directed at him, wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling as if he'd survived a disaster.

"Brother Wu, go for it! How dare he beat people up on our turf?" His cousin, Lou Qi, clenched his fists and said viciously.

Lou Wu was startled, his face twitching in disbelief as he looked at Lou Qi. "Are you crazy?"

"What's there to fear? There are only two of them, and we have seven or eight. Are we afraid of him?" Lou Qi had long found it absurd that Lou Wu feared Pei Yan. No matter how powerful he was, could he handle so many people?

"Have you forgotten how Brother Jin died?" Lou Wu was both scared and angry, fearing that these words would reach Pei Yan's ears and bring retribution. He scolded his cousin, worried that he might drag him down: "Damn it! Do you still want to live?"

Pei Yan was currently beating Liu Shuan, using only his fists. It was clear at a glance that he wasn't going all out, after all, he had witnessed the entire event when he had cut Lou Jin.

"He knows martial arts! A long stick in his hand is like a spear," Lou Wu whispered, taking a few steps back, unwilling to get involved under any circumstances.

Lou Qi snorted at this, calling on the others to arm themselves. Sticks and axes were in their hands, and he even found a long knife in the woodpile, pulling it out. The sharp blade reflected a cold light.

"Brother Yan!" Gu Lanyu kicked Liu Qingzi to the ground and stomped on him a few times. She didn't expect to see weapons when she raised her head. Her expression changed, and her heart raced. This group was truly vicious, no wonder everyone had been avoiding Lou Village recently.

Pei Yan lifted his gaze, his eyes showing no emotion. Picking up a long stick from the ground, the dormant ferocity in his heart began to surge.

Clang -

A stick fell to the ground, and the weaponless man was struck on the head, falling unconscious and collapsing to the ground.

The axe missed its target, dodged by a side step. Lou Ba reacted quickly, about to raise his hand again, but his wrist was seized and the axe taken away. Then, he was hit on the head by Gu Lanyu's approaching stick, leaving him dizzy.

Compared to fighting on the battlefield, the rural farmers only had brute force and no tactics, making them easy to deal with.

In the barracks, daily training was mandatory. The military was strict, allowing no slack. Besides martial arts, the spear and the large sword were the most commonly used weapons for soldiers.

Pei Yan was accustomed to using a red-tassel spear, even bringing back a spearhead, hidden deep within the woodshed, untouched.

Lou Qi's vision blurred; before he could even see clearly, his wrist suddenly ached unbearably. His hand went limp, and the long knife clattered to the ground. Before he could react, his knee was struck hard, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.

None of the Lou family members were standing.

Dog-er moved quickly, picking up the long knife on the ground. Firstly, he was afraid that the Lou family would pick it up, and secondly, he was also afraid that Pei Yan might lose control.

He had seen Pei Yan chop off Pei Sheng's fingers before, unable to stop him. If something like that happened again, it would be difficult to explain to Gu Lanshi upon returning.

Seeing Lou Wu sitting on the ground in a cold sweat, his crotch wet, Pei Yan glanced at him, ignoring him, and turned to break Lou Qi's leg.

A scream of agony echoed.

Gu Lanyu shook her head, showing no sympathy for Lou Wu. Hiding a long knife and having such a practiced stance for cutting people, it was clear that they were bullies in their daily lives, not good people.

Pei Yan threw away the long stick, picked up the axe on the ground, and walked toward Liu Qingzi and Liu Shuan at the door.

"Brother Yan!" Gu Lanyu was startled.

"Don't worry, I know my limits," Pei Yan said, grabbing Liu Shuan's hair and forcing him to look up from the ground. "Tell me, when did you start watching us?"

Liu Shuan was terrified, revealing everything, including how he and Liu Qingzi had run up the mountain to look down. That was when they had started scouting.

There were quite a few men gathered around Lou's house, all peering curiously. On the one hand, they were a bit afraid of Lou Wu, and secondly, they were also afraid of the living hellhound of Xiaohe Village. But upon hearing that the other party had been the first to commit theft, even if they didn't dare to speak up, they felt a sense of awe inwardly. No wonder he had come to beat them up.

The village chief of Lou Village didn't dare to intervene. Lou Wu was too outrageous, and he couldn't control him. In fact, he somewhat relied on Lou Wu's power to lord over others. Seeing that Lou Wu had wet himself in fright, he didn't dare to show his face at all.

Pei Yan asked if they had any intentions last year. Looking at the axe in his hand, Liu Shuan was almost driven mad with fear, frantically shaking his head. He indeed had only thought of stealing from that side for the first time.

After all the facts were clarified, Gu Lanyu thought they were about to leave, but unexpectedly, Pei Yan held down Liu Shuan and chopped off one of his fingers, doing the same to Liu Qingzi.

Lou Qi was still moaning softly. Pei Yan stood up, thinking of how this person was both mixed up and evil, and said, "Next time, it won't be so simple."

After saying this, he raised his hand and threw the axe in his hand.

Lou Qi's pupils instantly constricted. The blade nearly grazed his cheek, embedding itself in the ground behind him. Realizing that the axe hadn't embedded itself in his face, his body went limp, and he fainted with white eyes rolling back.

Seeing the gruesome scene on the ground, with people still watching outside, Gu Lanyu discarded the knife in her hand, after all, it wasn't theirs. She advised, "Brother Yan, let's go back."

"Mm." The ferocity in Pei Yan's eyes had yet to dissipate. He swept his gaze over the faces of all the Lou family members. He had a good memory and could remember their appearances at a glance.

Lou Wu's wife was so frightened that she fell to her knees on the ground, staring blankly at Liu Shuan and Liu Qingzi's severed pinkies. Suddenly, she noticed Pei Yan drawing near; she scrambled backward in a panic, her entire body trembling.

Gu Lanyu, witnessing this, let out a soft "tsk" but said nothing, only wishing to leave this place as soon as possible.

Pei Yan's gaze swept over her without any lingering. He wouldn't make a move unless provoked, especially not against a woman.