The world was enveloped in a silent tranquility.
Only the relentless cold wind emitted a wailing sound.
East end of the village, in front of Wang Xi's house.
The villagers looked at the unconscious Wang Xi and swallowed hard.
Vicious, too vicious.
Legs would be broken at the slightest provocation.
First Lu San, then Wang Xi.
When the sound of bones fracturing echoed, the villagers felt as if their own legs had broken in tandem.
At this moment, Chen Mo turned around.
His stern countenance caused the villagers to retreat another half step in fear.
And those who previously claimed to follow Wang Xi quickly dissociated themselves from him.
Anyway, now that Wang Xi's leg was broken, there was no worry about his revenge.
Of course, Chen Mo couldn't possibly beat everyone up, he said loudly: "I, Chen Mo, am not an unreasonable person. As the saying goes, those who do not offend me, I do not offend. So let everyone know, the reason I struck them is that these scoundrels harassed my sister-in-law earlier and even tried to disgrace her this morning."
The villagers laughed awkwardly, none daring to argue, instead agreeably murmuring that he deserved it, that it was a good beating.
Chen Mo reattached the knife handle, tucked the hatchet at his waist, and was about to leave when he suddenly spotted the wild boar that had a portion of its meat cut off.
Naturally, Chen Mo wouldn't snatch it away; it was hunted by the whole village, everyone had a share, and if he took it away, the entire village would indeed go to great lengths against him.
What caught his interest was the wild boar hide stripped from it.
He heard from his sister-in-law earlier that this wild boar hide could fetch a good price.
He walked over, and the villagers in front hurriedly made way.
He picked up the wild boar hide, encased in a layer of pine resin two fingers thick, he swung it, it felt quite heavy, his gaze sweeping around: "Whose hide is this?"
"Xi, no, Wang the Pockmarked..." an old woman said.
"Then it's mine now." Chen Mo stuffed the wild boar hide into his pouch, then patted the hatchet at his waist, saying casually: "You guys don't mind, do you?"
"No."
"Nope."
Voices echoed sporadically.
"That's good then."
As Chen Mo passed by Liu Ergou, seeing him still wailing, he kicked him unconscious: "Noisy."
Having said that, he strode away, leaving the villagers to look at each other in speechless astonishment.
After quite some time, someone finally spoke.
"How did Brother Mo become so formidable?"
"I heard his family has someone who made achievements on the battlefield, maybe he left Brother Mo something potent, Xi couldn't even last a round against his hand."
"Wang Xi is finished now..."
...
In her own yard, Han Anniang craned her neck like a stone longing for her husband, she wanted to go over and take a look.
But she knew this was different from before, Uncle went over to fight.
If she went with him, she'd only become a burden to Uncle.
Though she hadn't read books, she was perceptive.
She waited for quite a while, then seeing Chen Mo returning, Han Anniang immediately greeted him.
Chen Mo knew what she wanted to ask, chuckled lightly: "Sister-in-law, rest assured, just broke one of Wang the Pockmarked's legs, didn't take his life."
Han Anniang: "..."
"All's well, all's well, Sister-in-law, is the meal ready?" Chen Mo said.
Seeing the matter already happened, Han Anniang could only sigh, thinking that when he broke Lu San's leg, Uncle was fine, this time should also be okay.
She softly said: "Uncle, wait a moment, the meal is almost ready."
At this time, she only noticed what Chen Mo was carrying: "Uncle, what's this?"
"Wild boar hide, Wang the Pockmarked's compensation."
"Hm?"
Han Anniang blinked, Uncle broke Wang the Pockmarked's leg, and Wang the Pockmarked even compensated Uncle with a wild boar hide?
"It's what he ought to give."
...
Breakfast was slightly worse than previous meals, wild boar meat plus wheat bran, which seemed to scratch the throat a bit.
Perhaps noticing the puzzlement on Chen Mo's face: "Uncle, apart from meat, there isn't much other grain left."
Chen Mo nodded: "In a few days, I'll go to the county to take a look, you can prepare this wild boar hide in the meantime, I'll take it to the county to sell."
Han Anniang responded softly.
Then fell into a brief silence.
Han Anniang bit her chopsticks, looking at the meat-devouring Chen Mo, couldn't help but mutter: "Uncle, I'm not blaming you, just thinking that Uncle in future dealing with people, should hold back a bit, don't always break people's legs..."
Han Anniang thought now the world is chaotic, the government wouldn't care about such matters, but when things stabilize, if Uncle acts like today, it might cause trouble.
Chen Mo knew Han Anniang was naturally kind-hearted, so he didn't argue with her, nodded his head.
"Then Uncle, listen to me." Han Anniang beamed.
"Yours in household matters, mine in outside matters."
Chen Mo looked up at Han Anniang: "Sister-in-law, Wang the Pockmarked harassed you time and again, even... breaking his leg was a bargain for him."
Chen Mo wasn't wrong, after all, the original person had died.
He occupied the original person's body.
"Anyway, Sister-in-law, as long as I'm here, no one will bully you." Chen Mo patted his chest.
Han Anniang turned her head, cheeks flushed, heart racing again, calmed down after a while, "Uncle, you broke his leg, what if he retaliates against us later, considering many follow him."
"Rest assured, Sister-in-law, just a group of rascals, not that loyal to Wang the Pockmarked, plus, today each one's courage is broken, complet..."
Speaking, Chen Mo's words paused, considering the so-called 'easy to dodge thrust, hard to ward off fatal shot.'
Wang the Pockmarked wasn't the same type as Lu San.
If later, when he's not home, they secretly pull tricks, he'd be too late to regret.
Before crossing over, he often saw such news.
"Sister-in-law, rest assured, such things won't happen." Chen Mo devoured a piece of meat large, eyes flashed coldly.
[Nutritional intake increased by 0.05, Blood Nourishing Technique experience increased by 0.05.]
...
...
That night, under a bright moon, frost covered the earth, temperatures dropped further.
Once he sensed Han Anniang asleep, Chen Mo sat up.
He could see his clothes were still on, took his hatchet, then clambered out the window, carefully shut it.
Binding a cloth around his face, he wound his way around the village houses, ghost-like, to the east end.
Fu Ze Village wasn't large, in such cold days, no one wandered outside.
Chen Mo easily reached the doorway of Wang Xi's home.
Wang Xi's house still had lights on, voices emanated from inside.
"Brother Wangxi, Yier, Iron Bull, they're just... bastards, no sense of loyalty, all ran away, yesterday eating meat, each spoke so nicely." Liu Ergou rubbed his swollen face, sat on the bed, missing a tooth, speaking was somewhat slurred, gritted in anger:
"And then Chen Mo, that kid, suddenly turned so powerful, this vendetta seems impossible to avenge?"
Wang Xi bowed his head, looked at his already broken right leg, face ashen, then said: "This vendetta must be avenged, if not overtly, then covertly.
Ergou, tomorrow go to the county and buy two packs of arsenic, then find a way to pour into their household water jar, I want to kill them."