The next day, Lin Feng awoke just as the sky began to brighten. With such a significant event, no one was inclined to sleep until the sun had climbed high in the sky.
Upon waking, Lin Feng initially assumed he was still confined to that ten-square-meter rental room—even worrying about being late for work. It wasn't until he surveyed his surroundings that he remembered: he had transmigrated.
Glancing again at the attribute panel, a smile crept across his face. Bidding farewell to the monotonous life whose end was all too predictable, he felt that this new existence promised excitement—if only he could resolve the immediate troubles first.
The three others had not yet stirred when Lin Feng awoke. He tried once more to pull the log on the door, but it stubbornly refused to budge. If he weren't injured, the strength of a novice in Beast Hunting Fist should have allowed him to break it and escape.
Lin Feng gathered the firewood scattered on the ground, and soon movement emerged from the kitchen next door. It appeared that someone was about to kindle a fire and start cooking. The rich aroma of meat quickly wafted over, setting Lin Feng's stomach gurgling—a harsh reminder that he hadn't eaten enough in the past two days.
The one who rose to cook was Li San, who even took a moment to glance at the door of the woodshed. Mimicking the weakness he had displayed the previous day, Lin Feng croaked, "Water, food. I want water, I want food."
Li San retorted impatiently, "Damn it, all you know is eating. You're about to die, so save some food." With that, Li San departed.
Seated on the ground, Lin Feng pondered how to allay his hunger after adding points. Just after midnight the previous night—a breakthrough point had arrived. About half an hour later, Li San steamed a cage of large meat buns. The other two robbers soon arose, and the three of them began eating the buns with hot water.
Lin Feng was so ravenous that saliva dripped from his mouth. "Damn it," he thought, "when I get out, I must savor every delicacy this world has to offer."
A sudden knock echoed at the courtyard door as the three dined. Wang Gousheng went out to answer, holding half a bun in his hand. With a resounding bang, the door swung open. Taking a bite of his bun, Wang Gousheng greeted with a smile, "Yo, you're here so early. Did you bring the money?"
A voice from the other side replied, handing over a cloth bag, "It's all here. You must keep your word this time."
Wang Gousheng continued, "Don't worry; with the money in place, this kid is as good as dead. If you're concerned, come in and see how we kill him."
The speaker waved his hand dismissively, "No, I'm kind-hearted—I can't bear to watch. Just bury him after you kill him."
Lin Feng listened intently to the conversation outside. The voice sounded faintly familiar, though he couldn't place it exactly. It must be the employer intent on having him killed—likely also from Small River Village. After delivering the money, the employer departed.
Estimating that they planned to kill him after their meal, Lin Feng's heart began to race. It was peculiar how early people in this world rose.
Wang Gousheng returned to his meal with a bag of silver. With a clatter, the silver was poured onto the table. The large money bag contained only a few fragments of broken silver; the rest were copper coins. Zhang Er took a large bite of his bun and muttered, "This is the first time I've seen such a poor employer."
Wang Gousheng laughed, "Who cares if he's poor or not? We brothers earn money when we have it."
A look of longing crossed Li San's face as he mused, "When we've earned enough silver, we'll attend the martial arts school in the county to learn swordsmanship. After that, we'll join the Yunda Escort Agency in the prefecture city. Then, we brothers can enter the inner city and become superiors."
"Yes, and then we'll each marry several concubines."
"Yes, yes," agreed Wang Gousheng and Zhang Er in unison.
Lin Feng, overhearing next door, was both amused and skeptical. "You still aspire to be superiors? Perhaps you should focus on being human first!"
After finishing breakfast, the trio advanced toward the woodshed door. Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. Why the rush? He still hadn't devised a solution for the hunger induced by his breakthrough.
With a series of clangs, the three unlocked the woodshed door. Lin Feng clenched his teeth. "Damn it, never mind—I'll add points first."
He promptly allocated the breakthrough point to the Beast Hunting Fist, prompting the attribute panel to update:
Name: Lin Feng
Life: 6
Martial Arts:
Hunting Bow Six Shots (Unranked) (Not Started)
Beast Hunting Fist (Unranked) (Minor Accomplishment)
Breakthrough Points: 0
Memories of five years of rigorous practice in Beast Hunting Fist flooded back—a minor accomplishment in this art was enough to allow him to kill a ravenous wolf with his bare hands. The muscle lines on his body became more defined. Clad in his clothes, the three thugs could not discern the subtle changes in his physique; they still believed him to be fatally injured, perhaps due to his failure to eat enough after the previous breakthrough.
Lin Feng observed that after adding points, his life had momentarily increased to 8 before dropping back to 6, intensifying his hunger. He understood that this was the consequence of not eating—his body was severely overdrawn. Yet, he cared little about the pangs; saving his life was paramount, even if his body suffered.
Once he completed his breakthrough, the three robbers had already encircled him. Wang Gousheng narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Little brother, we bear no grudge against you. We're just doing this for money. Don't blame us, brothers."
At that moment, Lin Feng sensed something was amiss. He noticed some of the muscles on his body beginning to melt—an effect of extreme hunger causing his cells to self-cannibalize. Trembling all over, his chances of survival appeared to be a mere fifty-fifty. The three robbers mistook his trembling for fear and relaxed their vigilance slightly.
Then, inspiration struck. With a quivering voice, Lin Feng declared, "The yamen, beheading—they even have to give me a full meal. If you don't let me eat my fill, I won't let you go even as a ghost. I'll haunt you for generations to come."
"Damn it, you little bastard, you're too vicious," Li San cursed, raising his stick to strike—but he was stopped by Wang Gousheng beside him.
"Alright, then we'll let you eat your fill before you hit the road. If you're a full dead ghost, at least don't haunt us."
Lin Feng retorted, "I'd be satisfied to be a full dead ghost in this world. I won't haunt you."
"Old San, bring him the buns," ordered Wang Gousheng.
Li San reluctantly fetched the buns. With food, Lin Feng's chances of survival would increase significantly; yet, Li San maintained constant vigilance, wary of any sudden attack. Lin Feng's impromptu plan was born of necessity.
He had observed an incongruity in this world that struck him as unusual. While its inhabitants seemed accustomed to it, Lin Feng—with the soul of a modern person—found it peculiar. In this world, from the bustling city to the humble village, almost everyone worships the Supreme God statue on the wall after breakfast. They worship for nearly an hour—until the statue changes from gray to white—before ceasing their devotion.
Everyone in the martial arts realm worships gods. It is, quite frankly, abnormal. These god statues are embedded in the transparent holes on both sides of the surrounding wall. After worship, if one rotates the statue, it will face outward so that passersby can verify if it has turned white. If someone notices that a family's god statue remains unchanged, they risk being reported. Should the yamen verify the neglect, the family faces fines for minor offenses and beatings for serious ones.
Over time, the people of this world came to believe that neglecting the worship of the Supreme God statue was tantamount to disrespecting the gods—inviting misfortune upon themselves and those around them. Consequently, almost no one dares forgo the ritual, reinforcing a pervasive belief in ghosts and gods.
This, in turn, instilled fear in the three men. They dared not deny Lin Feng food, for fear of divine retribution—or perhaps, they were simply superstitious. Li San quickly delivered the buns, tossing most of the remaining ones onto the ground beside Lin Feng.
"It's all for you. Eat quickly, finish early, and get on your way," he instructed.