Wolf in the Town
Linshan Town, a small town nestled along the official road and closest to Kaoshan Village, exudes a chilling desolation amidst its bustling activity on a winter morning.
The cold wind swirled dust and withered leaves on the uneven cobblestone road, stinging people's faces.
The shop signs on both sides fluttered in the wind.
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked buns, the stench of livestock manure, and a suffocating tension unique to the struggles of the lower classes.
Ling Zhan, along with Hu Zi and Dou Ya, were like three silent pebbles thrown into the murky flow of people.
Tiger gripped Ling Zhan's clothes tightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
The memory of making a living on the streets made him instinctively tense, and his small body stood up straight.
Bean Sprouts were captivated by a steaming, fragrant steamed bun shop, their little feet rooted to the spot, their eyes fixed longingly on the plump white buns.
But she sensibly pursed her lips and remained silent.
Their target was "Jishetang", the largest pharmacy in town.
An old-fashioned signboard, a heavy wooden door pushed open, and a rich and complex aroma of herbs wafted out, instantly shutting out the noise and chill of the outside world.
Behind the counter, an elderly shopkeeper with gray hair and beard was slowly manipulating a brass abacus, making a crisp clicking sound.
Seeing that Ling Zhan and the other two were poorly dressed and travel-worn, he lazily raised his eyelids, hummed a muffled syllable from his nose, and then ignored them.
Ling Zhan said nothing, and placed the leaf package, which was tightly wrapped in damp moss, on the gleaming counter.
Open it layer by layer, patiently.
When the Golden Thread Spirit Grass, with its leaves shimmering with mysterious pale golden threads and its roots still bearing the cool black soil unique to the mountain peak, was fully revealed, along with the two icy blue, translucent Jade Mushrooms that sent a chill to the bone upon touch—
An indescribable, pure, and concentrated medicinal power, almost tangible, instantly spread and filled the entire pharmacy!
Even the strong medicinal fragrance was temporarily suppressed!
The old shopkeeper's fingers, which were manipulating the abacus, suddenly froze in mid-air!
He suddenly looked up, his previously dim eyes widening, and his cloudy eyeballs shot out an unbelievable glint!
He practically lunged at the counter, his withered fingers trembling violently as he carefully picked up a golden thread herb, bringing it to his nose as if holding a rare treasure, taking a deep sniff. His intoxicated expression suggested he was inhaling a divine elixir.
Then, facing the dim light streaming in from the window, he carefully examined the golden veins on the leaves that seemed to flow slowly as if they were alive.
He was so excited that his goatee was trembling.
"Heavens...a rare treasure! Top-grade! The best of the best! This golden thread...this spiritual energy...it's undoubtedly the Golden Thread Spirit Grass!"
His gaze suddenly shifted to the two Jade Frost Mushrooms, his voice changing drastically: "And this...this icy aura that doesn't dissipate...Jade Frost Mushrooms?! Miss...Miss, where...where did you obtain such a celestial treasure?!"
His eyes were filled with shock and fervor.
Ling Zhan remained expressionless, his voice calm and even: "Exchange for silver, exchange for thick cotton and grain."
Tiger felt a strange unease as he looked at his mother's overly "honest" attitude and lack of any intention to bargain.
Her little hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
"Good! Good! Good!" the old shopkeeper replied repeatedly, so excited that he was incoherent.
He carefully held the two medicinal herbs in his palms as if they were two mountains of gold, and rushed quickly to the back room, forgetting even to take his abacus.
A moment later, he emerged carrying a bulging, heavy indigo cloth money bag, his face plastered with an almost fawning smile, and beads of sweat even forming on his forehead: "Miss, these two items are truly rare finds! Especially this Golden Thread Spirit Grass, its quality is superb, and its spiritual energy is frighteningly abundant! The Cold Jade Mushroom is also of the highest grade! My shop is extremely sincere and is willing to offer... this amount!"
He gestured with trembling hands a shocking number that made Tiger and Bean Sprout gasp in shock!
Ling Zhan weighed the money pouch in her hand; it was cold and heavy, and the weight clearly told her that the money inside was enough to meet all her needs for supplies during this cold winter. She nodded. The more precious top-grade honey in the bamboo tube was not taken out at this moment.
Just as the old shopkeeper was rubbing his hands together, eagerly asking if she needed help exchanging her money for grain and cloth and to have it delivered to her door—
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching wail and extremely fierce and brutal curses erupted on the street outside the store!
The sound pierced through the door of the pharmacy and went straight to the eardrums!
"You little brat! You have some nerve! You dare steal your Black Tiger grandpa's meat buns?! You're asking for it!!"
"Waaah—! No! I didn't steal it! It's...it's just that the bun fell on the ground...I...I picked it up..."
A child's voice was completely distorted with terror as he cried out in uncontrollable fear.
"Bullshit! I saw it clearly with both eyes! You little bastard, you sly, dirty-handed scoundrel! Beat him! Beat him to death! Break his hands! Teach him a lesson!!"
"Stop! He's just a child! I'll pay for the buns! I'll pay double!!"
A familiar, slick voice, filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and forced suppression, made Ling Zhan's eyelids twitch. Ling Zhan's eyes instantly turned icy cold!
Without any hesitation, she turned around abruptly and strode out of the pharmacy, an invisible chill spreading out with her.
Tiger and Bean Sprout's faces turned pale. They looked at each other and saw the terror in each other's eyes.
He quickly jogged to catch up.
There, diagonally opposite Jishetang, was a shop with a greasy "Zhang's Meat Bun" sign hanging in front of it.
The area was completely surrounded by layers of onlookers, yet no one dared to take a single step forward; the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.
In the center of the crowd stood three burly men dressed in matching black outfits, with ferocious tigers descending a mountain embroidered in striking gold thread on their chests.
With a face full of scars and eyes gleaming with malice, he was pressing a child who was as thin as a bean sprout and at most six or seven years old firmly onto the cold, dirty, sewage-filled bluestone ground!
The child's face was swollen and red on one side.
Blood trickled from the cracked corner of his mouth, and a withered little hand was being brutally crushed by a large foot wearing a muddy black leather boot!
The child was in so much pain that his whole body was convulsing violently, and he was letting out incoherent, death-like screams!
Standing in front of the child, facing a burly man dressed in a black brocade outfit, deliberately with his chest open to reveal thick chest hair and a hideous centipede-like scar on his face, was none other than the leader, known as "Scarface Biao" or "Brother Biao." The man bowing and scraping, trying to hand over a few pitiful copper coins, was none other than Shen Yan!
The "new" cotton coat he was wearing, which Ling Zhan had just received before leaving home, was now covered in dust, mud, and even what appeared to be footprints.
His clothes were torn in several places, revealing his thin, worn-out garment underneath. His hair was disheveled, and there was fresh blood and obvious bruises at the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had been hit more than once before Ling Zhan arrived.
He forced a fawning smile, but his voice betrayed a barely concealed anger and pleading.
"Brother Biao! Brother Biao, please calm down! Please calm down! The kid was just being silly, he was starving and that's why he offended you! I'll pay for these buns for him! Double the amount! Please, you're so magnanimous, you can forgive him this time... I beg you..."
Scarface Biao, Brother Biao, didn't even glance at the few meager copper coins Shen Yan handed over, as if they were something dirty.
His fleshy face twitched, and his large, fan-like hand swung out with a sharp gust of wind!
"Slap—!" A crisp and loud slap sounded!
The powerful slap sent Shen Yan flying, causing her to stumble and fall sideways, crashing heavily into a nearby stall selling winter vegetables with a loud bang! The bamboo basket overturned, scattering frozen cabbages and radishes all over the ground!
More blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, stars flashed before his eyes, his ears rang, and the copper coins in his hand clattered and scattered everywhere.
"Disgusting!"
Scarface spat a thick, yellow, foul-smelling spit precisely onto Shen Yan's contorted face, pointed at the screaming child on the ground, grinned maliciously, and his voice was like a broken gong: "What the hell do you think you are? You dare to act like a good guy in front of me? This brat has dirty hands and has broken the rules set by our 'Black Tiger Gang'! If we don't chop off one of his hands today, will anyone in Linshan Town dare to run wild on my turf?! Huh?!"
As he spoke, he actually drew a gleaming, sharp-edged boning knife from the leather sheath at his back!
The blade gleamed with a deathly light in the bleak winter sun!
"Brother Biao! No—!"
Shen Yan's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to get up from the ground, but a grinning thug from the Black Tiger Gang kicked him hard in the lower back! The excruciating pain made him groan and curl up on the ground again, convulsing in agony.
The child on the ground, staring at the approaching blade, was so terrified he couldn't even scream. His face was ashen, his pupils dilated, and only desperate sobs and violent trembling remained. The crowd gasped and gasped in shock, their eyes filled with pity and unbearable sorrow as they looked at Chen Yan and the child, but no one dared to speak up and stop them.
The Black Tiger Gang's fearsome reputation was like a plague in Linshan Town, inspiring terror in all who heard of it!
Just as Scarface's grin widened, and he raised his boning knife high, its tip gleaming coldly, ready to chop down the child's deformed, mud-covered hand—
A voice, as cold as if from the deepest hell, devoid of any human emotion, pierced through all the noise, screams, and terror, resounding clearly and distinctly in everyone's ears:
"knife."
"lay down."
Scarface Biao's fierce downward slash suddenly stopped!
It felt as if I was frozen in an invisible ice!
Everyone, including the writhing, agonizing figures on the ground and the terrified children, looked toward the cold voice.
Ling Zhan was already standing at the front of the crowd, his face calm and his eyes sharp, piercing Scarface Biao!
Behind her were Hu Zi and Dou Ya, whose faces were pale and whose lips were tightly pursed, but who still managed to run over and help their father.
Scarface Biao recognized the newcomer as a simply dressed young woman with two teenagers. He was initially stunned, then his face erupted in utter rage and a lewd grin: "Ha! Where did this reckless woman come from? Daring to interfere with my Black Tiger Gang's business? Want to stand up for this piece of trash and his brat? Fine! Have some fun with us, serve us well, and I'll..."
Before he could finish his foul language, his gaze suddenly and fixed on Ling Zhan's eyes, which were devoid of any human emotion!
An indescribable, extreme chill, as if he were being targeted by a prehistoric beast, instantly shot up his spine like a cold, venomous snake, rushing straight to the top of his head! This made the words he was about to say get stuck in his throat!
Ling Zhan didn't give him a chance to finish speaking or even react.
Her figure moved like a ghost!
It was so fast that it left only a blurry afterimage in everyone's eyes!
Her target wasn't the arrogant Scarface Biao, but rather the thug who was still cruelly crushing the child's small hand! The thug felt an icy, bone-chilling, and terrifying killing intent instantly lock onto him!
My scalp instantly exploded, and I was terrified!
He didn't even see Ling Zhan's movements clearly. He only felt the ankle that was stepping on the child suddenly tighten, as if it were being held firmly by a red-hot iron clamp!
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible and overwhelmingly terrifying force came!
"Snap—!"
A chilling, crystal-clear sound of bone cracking suddenly rang out! It resounded clearly throughout the entire deathly silent street!
"Awooo—!!!"
The thug let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered, clutching his ankle which had suddenly twisted and bent at a ninety-degree angle, and rolled on the ground like a scalded shrimp, tears streaming down his face!
The child's little hands were instantly freed, and he instinctively curled up, trembling, unable to even whimper.
Scarface Biao and another thug were stunned by this sudden bloody turn of events!
They didn't even see how their comrade fell!
"court death!"
Scarface was filled with shock and rage, his eyes flashing with ferocity as he was completely enraged! Without hesitation, he thrust the boning knife in his hand, whistling through the air, straight at Ling Zhan's unsuspecting back!
Intending to kill with a single blow!
Another thug roared and pulled out a short, hardwood-covered iron club from his waist, smashing it down on Ling Zhan's temple with all his might!
The two worked together seamlessly, launching a fierce attack!
Ling Zhan seems to have eyes in the back of his head!
Just as the cold blade of the dagger was about to touch her clothing, her body twisted and spun unnaturally, as if boneless, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade at an incredible angle! At the same time, her left hand, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time, shot out with lightning speed and grabbed Scarface Biao's wrist holding the knife with perfect precision! Her five fingers were as hard as iron!
"Snap—!"
Another heart-wrenching, teeth-grinding cracking sound of bone breaking!
The ferocious grin on Scarface's face froze instantly, replaced by extreme pain and disbelief! He felt as if his wrist bones had been crushed by a massive water press! The indescribable pain made his vision go black, and he instinctively screamed in agony as he released the dagger!
At that moment, another thug's short stick whistled through the air and smashed down on Ling Zhan's head!
His brains were about to explode!
Ling Zhan didn't even look back!
She grabbed Scarface Biao's left hand, whose wrist was already shattered, and lifted it up with a swift, fluid motion, as if she were swinging a bundle of straw instead of a burly man! Scarface Biao's massive body, weighing nearly two hundred pounds, was lifted up by her single hand like a tattered sack, tracing an arc, and slammed with perfect accuracy into the thug wielding a stick who was lunging at her!
"Bang—! Crack!"
Two dull thuds were followed by the clear sound of bones breaking at the same time!
The thug wielding the stick was struck by this flying human cannonball, causing a large chunk of his sternum to collapse instantly. He coughed up blood and flew backward like a broken kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the thick rammed earth wall of the steamed bun shop with a muffled thud. Then, he slid softly to the ground like mud, without even uttering a sound. His fate was unknown.
Scarface, who was used as a weapon, was thrown around so hard that his internal organs were displaced. The excruciating pain from his broken wrist and the impact that felt like his whole body was falling apart left him without the strength to even scream. He could only twitch and groan on the ground like a dying maggot.
In the blink of an eye, the dust settled!
The entire street fell into a deathly, suffocating silence!
You could hear a pin drop!
Everyone froze, as if frozen by an invisible ice, mouths agape, eyes filled with utter terror and horror! The three men of the Black Tiger Gang, who had been so fierce and arrogant just moments before, were now three puddles of flesh on the ground, utterly powerless and groaning in agony! And that seemingly frail young woman…
She didn't even... breathe abnormally at all!
It was as if he had simply brushed off a few grains of dust!
Shen Yan struggled, using all his strength to get up from the cold ground. He stared blankly at Ling Zhan's terrifyingly calm profile, then at Brother Biao, who was howling like a dead dog on the ground, and the two thugs whose fates were unknown. Then he looked at the thin child curled up on the ground, too scared to cry, only trembling instinctively. His mind went blank and buzzed.
My lady… she… she actually… crippled the Black Tiger Gang?! Just like that… so casually?!
Ling Zhan bent down expressionlessly and picked up the boning knife that Scarface Biao had dropped from the puddle of sewage on the ground.
The cold blade twirled casually between her pale fingertips, reflecting the bleak and frigid winter sunlight and illuminating her deep, pool-like eyes.
She walked up to Scarface Biao, who was lying on the ground, clutching his broken wrist and convulsing in pain, defecating and urinating incessantly, and looked down at him.
"Black Tiger Gang?"
Ling Zhan's voice was not loud, but it entered the ears of every silent onlooker clearly and coldly, without a trace of warmth.
“If you dare touch any more children…” The sharp knife in her hand, its cold tip gleaming, lightly touched the scarred man’s wrist wound, a bloody mess with exposed bone, and then slowly, with pressure, she ground it.
"Ah—!!! Spare me! Heroine, spare me!! I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please, have mercy on me!!"
Scarface Biao let out a shrill, inhuman scream, tears streaming down his face, his lower body a mess, the immense fear completely destroying him.
“…This is a role model.” After Ling Zhan finished speaking, he casually threw the blood-stained and mud-covered dagger onto Scarface Biao’s face, which was distorted by pain and fear.
She held back; giving her a lesson was enough!
No longer looking at the people wriggling on the ground like maggots, Ling Zhan turned around and walked steadily to the terrified child.
She knelt down, extending the back of her relatively clean fingers. Her movements were somewhat clumsy, yet carried an undeniable gentle strength, as she gently wiped away the glaring blood from the child's mouth and the filthy mud from his face. The child stared blankly at her face so close to his, his eyes, which had been glazed over with extreme fear, slowly regaining some focus.
"Tiger, Bean Sprout," Ling Zhan stood up, his voice regaining its usual steady tone, "help him up."
She then looked at Shen Yan, who was struggling to stand up, his face still stained with fresh blood and his expression one of disbelief and disorientation, and tossed him the heavy, indigo-colored cloth money bag. Shen Yan caught it in a fluster; it was cold and heavy in his hand, and its weight made his heart tremble.
"Take it."
Ling Zhan's voice carried an unquestionable command tone as he clearly assigned the tasks: "Go buy grain, cloth, and thick cotton. Ten shi of refined rice, five shi of coarse grain, thirty jin of top-quality newly carded cotton, five bolts each of thick blue and indigo cloth, and two jars each of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Also…"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Shen Yan's tattered cotton coat with the cotton batting showing through, and the bruises on his face. "...Buy yourself a decent set of thick winter clothes, and go to the pharmacy to get some medicine to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and treat internal injuries."
Shen Yan gripped the cold, heavy purse in her hand tightly, as if it contained the hope of the entire winter. She looked at Ling Zhan's unfathomable black eyes, which seemed to see through people's hearts but were calm and still at this moment. Her lips trembled, and her heart was in turmoil.
Is it the ecstatic joy of surviving a catastrophe?
Was it the boundless fear brought about by stirring up a huge hornet's nest in Linshan Town?
Or is it an indescribable gratitude and a deep-seated awe for this incredibly powerful "wife"?
Even he himself couldn't tell the difference.
But one thing remained crystal clear, etched into her heart like a brand—to protect that complete stranger, she didn't hesitate to crush the arrogance of the Black Tiger Gang's henchmen with swift and decisive action!
“Tiger, Bean Sprout,” Ling Zhan’s gaze turned to the two children, her tone calm yet powerful, “Watch him buy. If he’s missing one item, or if he buys something of poor quality…” Her gaze swept lightly, almost imperceptibly, over Shen Yan.
When Shen Yan was swept by that gaze, it was as if ice water had been poured over his head. He shuddered instantly and subconsciously straightened his aching back. The movement of his wound made him wince in pain. He hurriedly made a promise, but his voice was no longer as smooth as usual. It was filled with the fear of surviving a disaster and an almost devout solemnity.
"Buy! I guarantee I'll buy the best! Nothing will be missing! I absolutely won't cut corners! Don't worry, my wife!"
He patted his chest forcefully, as if making a solemn pledge.
Ling Zhan ignored her, but his gaze, extremely subtle and swift as lightning, swept across the street to the second floor of the grandly decorated building with a gilded plaque that read "Drunken Immortal Pavilion." Just moments before, during the conflict and her attack, a carved wooden window facing the street seemed to have been slightly ajar, and a very subtle gaze, scrutinizing and with a hint of…amusement and inquiry, had briefly fallen upon it, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.
At this moment, the window had quietly closed, perfectly shut, as if it had never been opened.
The Black Tiger Gang... its ability to run rampant in Linshan Town suggests that its backers are far more complex than just a few local thugs.
The owner of that gaze was no ordinary onlooker.
Shen Yan's almost instinctive, selfless protection of the unfamiliar little beggar... also reveals an inexplicable strangeness.
This was definitely not the cowardly, glib-tongued person he usually was.
Ling Zhan's mind raced, but his expression remained impassive.
She turned and walked toward the largest general store at the other end of town. She still needed good seeds, suitable farming tools, some necessary equipment, a simple weapon for self-defense, and other miscellaneous necessities.
As for the Black Tiger Gang's retaliation? She'll wait and see.
Let's see just how deep this pool is.
Shen Yan watched Ling Zhan's resolute departure, his back seemingly capable of bearing everything. Then she looked down at the heavy, cold indigo purse in her hand, and then at the thin, shivering figure still curled up on the ground with empty eyes. Her gaze was extremely complex, filled with indescribable emotions.
He took a deep breath, enduring the pain, bent down, and carefully lifted the child's cold, stiff body, wrapping him as warmly as possible in his tattered cotton coat, whispering, "Don't be afraid...it's alright...it's all over..."
The sound was as soft as a sigh, yet as heavy as a thousand-pound burden.
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