After killing three people, only then did Li Yuan feel that his heart was beating somewhat fast.

Pushing the cart, he quickly walked in the moonlight. Once his heartbeat settled, a sense of numbness arose.

Killing people and killing pigs... seemed not much different.

He could only think this way.

Back in the small courtyard at home, Li Yuan took off his clothes and repeatedly inspected them. There was a bit of bloodstain.

So, he took some soapwort and a wooden basin to wash away the bloodstains on the clothes.

Once he made a bit of noise, the door of the small house opened.

"Let me do it," Lady Yan said, leaning against the door frame looking at him.

"Let me do it," Li Yuan said, blocking the bloodstains with his hand.

Lady Yan walked behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and said, "What kind of man works hard outside and still comes home to wash clothes?"

Li Yuan remained still.

Lady Yan leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I'm used to my man coming home smelling of rouge and wine, a bit of blood smell doesn't matter."

"Ha..." Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh, he removed his hand revealing the bloodstains on the clothes, then his smile faded, and he said in a low voice, "I killed... three people..."

"Were you injured? Were you discovered?" Lady Yan asked.

"Neither."

Li Yuan sighed gently, "Only after killing did I realize how fragile life is in this chaotic world..."

Although he had killed Qian San before, the impact of the killing method then was completely different from just now.

Lady Yan said nothing, sat down next to her husband, and began to scrub in the wooden basin with the soapwort.

The cold winter wind and the chilly water reddened her face and hands.

After a while, Lady Yan chuckled and said, "Why are we washing clothes in the yard? To bask in the winter moonlight?"

Li Yuan replied, "I thought you'd want to be outside, after all, wind, flower, snow, moon, can be quite romantic."

"I thought it was you who wanted it..." Lady Yan laughed.

The two returned to the house.

Inside, it was warm and cozy.

...

...

The next morning, the weather was clear.

The golden sunlight shone on the dirt-yellow village paths and the mud-brick houses.

Li Yuan, just out the door, saw Uncle Youcai with red eyes, hands in pockets, pacing anxiously outside.

"Uncle Youcai, what's wrong?"

"Brother Yuan..." Uncle Youcai nearly burst into tears, "Go check on Ah Bao..."

Li Yuan was taken aback and quickly said "alright" before hurrying with Uncle Youcai.

Upon opening the door, the tall, thin young man, though still lying on the bed, had a face as pale as paper, looking on the brink of death.

Tian Bao, hearing the noise, barely opened his eyes and called out, "Brother Yuan... I... I don't think I can make it..."

Li Yuan glanced at Uncle Youcai, tossed two large coins to him, and said, "Uncle, quickly go to the county to fetch a doctor."

Uncle Youcai, holding the two large coins, said, "Thank you, Brother Yuan, thank you..."

"Go quickly!"

"Yes..."

Uncle Youcai dared not delay and hurriedly called someone to run with him to the county.

Li Yuan sat by Tian Bao's side.

"Brother Yuan, I... I wanted to follow you, I wanted to make a name for myself, I'm not afraid of anything.

But..."

The young man let out a bitter, sorrowful smile, fell silent for a long time, and sighed, "I'm too weak.

I want to break through the world with nothing but my passion, but my body won't give me the chance.

With just one eye blinded, I feel like I'm about to die...

Why am I so useless, why?"

Li Yuan held his hand and said, "Ah Bao, don't worry, wait for the doctor to come."

"It's no use, Brother Yuan...

No use..."

The young man murmured and began to groan painfully again.

After a long while, Lady Yan came with a lunch basket.

Li Yuan wanted to share some with Tian Bao, but the young man couldn't eat at all, having no appetite.

In the afternoon, Uncle Youcai returned with the doctor.

It was the same doctor as last time. Lady Yan asked upon seeing him, "Doctor, there are three packs of medicine left from last time, can they be returned? Even if it's cheaper."

The doctor impatiently replied, "Do you want me to see the patient or not?"

Lady Yan was a bit angry but held back from lashing out.

The doctor sat by the bed and began to examine Tian Bao. After a while, he furrowed his brows.

The small room fell into complete silence.

The doctor stood up, said nothing, and stopped outside the door.

Uncle Youcai quickly understood and ran out.

The doctor said, "He won't last long, medication won't help, prepare for his passing."

Uncle Youcai's eyes turned red, "Doctor, please, save him, he's my only son... My wife died early, my eldest son went to war, now there's only him. Please, save him, I'll give you anything you want, anything."

The doctor said, "It's useless..."

Uncle Youcai said, "Just one eye..."

The doctor said, "That's not wrong to say, but the wound has spread elsewhere; it's not just an issue with the eye anymore, his body can't take it."

Listening on the side, Lady Yan suddenly asked, "Wasn't the medicine you prescribed last time for replenishing energy and blood? Can it be used for him?"

The doctor said, "Try it, if it works, it works; if not, it doesn't..."

Lady Yan hurriedly ran home to get the medicine.

The doctor left as well.

Inside, Li Yuan sat quietly.

As a Ninth Grade Martial Artist, he could hear every word outside.

But the young man on the bed couldn't.

"Get some rest, Ah Bao, the doctor prescribed you some medicine.

Take your medicine, eat well, sleep well, you'll be fine," Li Yuan said.

Tian Bao responded; he was very tired and closed his eyes, his face pale, breathing faintly.

Li Yuan leaned closer, whispering, "If I tell you that the three who hurt you are dead, would you feel a bit better?"

Tian Bao suddenly opened his eyes, showing a trace of relieved smile.

"Thank you, Brother Yuan."

Not long after, Lady Yan returned, prepared the medicine, and gave it to Tian Bao.

After taking it, he fell asleep again.

...

The next day.

Tian Bao didn't wake up again.

He passed away in his sleep.

Uncle Youcai no longer cried, moving like a walking corpse.

Li Yuan gave him three taels of silver and some meat, then helped him lay the young man to rest and etched a simple stele.

Li Yuan didn't feel deeply for the boy, but he did have some hope for him, and now, with him gone, he felt a heavy and sorrowful weight in his heart.

Indeed, in this chaotic world, to protect one's interests, one must have the skills to match them.

If unworthy, one shouldn't even touch the fringe of these interests.

The silver taels from selling wild pigs never made it into Tian Bao's pocket; he only helped push a cart and did some manual labor, and because he got dragged into this, he died.

...

Meanwhile, by Silver Creek.

In a rather grand mansion, a handsome and slightly effeminate middle-aged man was sitting in a pavilion watching the water.

The water glistened, with the occasional passing yacht.

"Sect Leader, have something to eat..." A pretty maid beside him brought fruit to the middle-aged man's mouth.

The middle-aged man said coldly, "I am not the Sect Leader, but the deputy."

The maid didn't respond, acting as if she didn't hear.

The maids who responded to such comments were already dead.

Just at that moment, a disciple in a black robe with red trim hurried down the path towards the pavilion, holding a roster and said, "Sect Leader, here are this month's nominations."

The middle-aged man didn't even look, immediately saying, "Include those from Silver Creek Square in the Outer Sect to learn cultivation skills.

As for those from other places, let them stay in various workshops for a few years before assessing."

The black-robed disciple said, "This year, an outer disciple recommended a young man said to be strong enough to draw a mighty bow, supposedly possessing great strength and a promising prospect."

"Where's he from?"

"Little Ink Workshop."

"Heh..." The middle-aged man sneered, "Just a mere mud-leg, how much integrity can he have? Let him stay in the workshops, talk after a few years."

The black-robed disciple said no more, politely saluted, and then withdrew.

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