Leaving Xie Yuzhu's house, Su Yan's eyes turned cold. He had originally planned to focus on his martial arts training at the academy first, then deal with Niu Han and his gang later to exact revenge. But he hadn't expected Niu Han's people to rush in, eager to cause trouble themselves.
'You brought this on yourselves.'
Su Yan first went home, cleaned up the chaotic courtyard, rebuilt the bamboo frame, and placed the baskets and winnowing fans in one spot. Only then did he return inside. He tidied up, started cooking dinner, put the rice in the pot, and then stood in the Golden Ape Stance Skill posture for an hour.
Time passed slowly, and night finally fell. The full, jade-like moon rose above the shadowy treetops, hanging high in the sky. The sky was dark, the stars sparse, and only the moonlight, accompanied by the strange insect calls of the mountains, sprinkled down onto the village and the small paths.
Su Yan changed his clothes, masked his face, and quietly slipped out of his yard. Using the light Ape Leap Step, he hurried along the quietest path out of the village. He didn't light a lamp and, under the cover of darkness, headed straight for Niu Xin Village, about seven or eight li away.
Niu Han was a local scoundrel who lent high-interest loans to the mountain people within a ten-mile radius, but he didn't have the influence to establish himself in Yun Cang Town. Firstly, he was a bully who preyed on the weak, relying on his group of thugs for muscle. His entire operation depended on the high-interest loans. If he moved to the city, he couldn't take all his subordinates. Furthermore, moving far from the mountains risked the rise of rivals like Zhu Han or Zhao Han, causing him to lose his base. Thus, he still lived in his hometown, Niu Xin Village.
'Zhao the Scabby and his men are injured and will surely go to Niu Han for help and to report. Given their broken hands and legs, they couldn't have walked fast. The seven or eight li journey should have taken them until evening.' Su Yan calculated his timing. Even if they arrived in the evening and Niu Han was furious, he wouldn't be able to gather people to retaliate overnight. Besides reporting the incident, they had to deal with Zhao the Scabby's injuries. Therefore, the night would likely be spent organizing and discussing their next move.
Su Yan hurried along and soon crept up to the outskirts of Niu Xin Village. From a distance, he could see a simple wooden archway at the village entrance. The paths crisscrossed, and the rice fields stretched out endlessly. The paddies were alive with the sound of frogs, and the mountain wind rustled the rice stalks.
Su Yan stood on a small hill, taking in the full view of Niu Xin Village. "It's much larger than Cloud-Front Village. It has a mountain stream and borders four or five mountain peaks." Using the moonlight, he estimated the location. Niu Han lived deep inside Niu Xin Village, beneath a cluster of bamboo groves near the foot of the mountain. Although Su Yan had never been here, he had heard the place mentioned countless times by the poor families who came here to borrow money.
He did not enter the village directly but circled around, sneaking up from the periphery. Although the village was quiet, many dogs lived there, and their hearing was sharp.
'It's quite spacious.' Su Yan saw Niu Han's compound not far from the bamboo grove. A large area was enclosed by a gray brick wall, whitewashed with lime, distinctly different from the surrounding yellow mud ground. The courtyard was huge, containing several brick and wood houses with black tiles, hardwood, and red bricks. Although not comparable to Yun Cang Town, they were much grander than the other houses in the village.
The compound was brightly lit, and many voices could be faintly heard. Su Yan released the Dark Water Centipede, which climbed the wall. He then found an inconspicuous spot, used the Ape Leap Step for a light jump, and quickly scaled the wall, using the crackling sound of the bamboo blowing in the mountain wind to cover his movements. He moved silently onto the rooftop tiles.
"Are you serious? Did that Su Yan really say he's been practicing martial arts?" Inside the room, Niu Han's eyes flashed with cold light as he stared at Zhao the Scabby, who was sitting slumped on the bed.
Zhao the Scabby had failed his mission, and being stared at by the burly, bear-like Niu Han made him panic. "Boss, I'm not lying. He really has been practicing. He took me and Niu Daqi down in just a few moves."
Niu Daqi and the others with broken hands quickly chimed in: "Boss, he said it himself, you can find him at the Golden Ape Martial Academy. He must really be practicing martial arts."
Niu Han frowned: "Someone from the Golden Ape Martial Academy? That's trouble. Using heavy-handed tactics might offend the wrong people."
"Boss, why are you afraid of him? He only just paid the tuition. He'd have to be a registered disciple for a year! He's only been successful for a few days; he definitely isn't an outer-door disciple. Would the Golden Ape Martial Academy really cause trouble for him—"
"You don't know a damn thing." Niu Han snapped at one of the village thugs he had summoned for the night. "If we cripple him right after he paid the tuition, do you think the Golden Ape Martial Academy will let it go? That's equivalent to attacking their academy!"
The thug who spoke fell silent. This was a matter of crushing the academy's reputation and profits. The martial artists of the Golden Ape Martial Academy wouldn't allow anyone to cut off their financial source.
"Brother, then... What should we do? The Small Mountain Association is pressuring us for the servants who trek the mountain. And that kid is handsome. Some of the masters in the Small Mountain Association might even want to..."
Niu Han glared at his subordinate, silently cursing: 'Idiot! That kid, after only a few days of training, could beat up four or five men. If we let him enter the outer door and reach the Skin Refining stage, will he spare us?'
Niu Han and his men were all involved in Su Dahe's death. Su Dahe's death had brought him three stalks of Black Rock Ginseng. He had used one to repay his debt to his subordinates, giving them twenty taels of silver. The remaining two stalks were used as capital for his own advancement, given to a prominent figure in the Small Mountain Association in exchange for a set of Earth Wolf Stance Skills, making him a peripheral member of the gang.
'No, I have to find a way to take that kid out. It took me months to barely reach Minor Accomplishment in Skin Refining. If I let him keep training...'
A chill ran through Niu Han's heart, and he grew afraid.
"Niu Dang!"
"Brother, what's the plan?"
"Go send a message. Tell everyone to come here for drinks tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will go to Cloud-Front Village to collect the debt."
"Cousin, what about the Golden Ape Martial Academy?"
"Bring more men. Make sure everyone in Cloud-Front Village keeps their mouths shut. What does it matter to us if that boy dies in the mountains? We'll deal with the cleanup afterward."
Niu Han was preparing to strike a fatal, underhanded blow. Although selling Su Yan would fetch a higher price, a more decisive action was needed now. If he was just dealing with poor, ordinary folk, grudges were manageable—no matter how capable, they couldn't overturn the established order. But that brat was different. He was annoyingly talented. So, he would simply send him to join his stupid father. A death in the mountains was the most normal thing.
Niu Dang left with two or three young men under the moonlight.
Su Yan, lying on the eaves, heard everything clearly and peered through the gaps to see the situation inside the room. A cold, knife-like sneer spread across his face, his eyes icy, as if looking at dead men.
'So much for the sentiment of "raising a tiger to suffer the trouble later". Even a loan shark is this decisive. It's truly a man-eat-man world, but it suits me perfectly.'
Only seven or eight people remained in the room: the five injured men, Zhao the Scabby among them, and two others who were visibly different from Niu Han's physique. Su Yan's eyes moved, and he silently sent a message to the Dark Water Centipede. The centipede's antennae twitched, committing the scent and aura of Niu Han and the others to memory.
With preparations complete, Su Yan quietly flipped over and left when Niu Han briefly stepped out of the room. It was a dark, windy night, the kind for killing, but unfortunately, it wasn't time yet. Not everyone was gathered, and he still had some loose ends to tie up. By the time the early morning bells tolled, he would send the Grim Reaper for them.