Someone knocked on the courtyard door, calling out, "Aunt Lin, are you home?"
Mother Lin heard the voice and wiped her hands on her patched apron.
"Coming," she replied.
With a creak, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man—perhaps in his thirties or forties.
"Oh, it's little Wang from next door," she said.
"Auntie, I heard the children crying all day, and I figured they must be hungry. I have a kind heart and can't stand to see that. Here are some freshly steamed corn buns—still warm. Take them and feed the children to tide them over.
Oh, right, is Chunlan's illness any better?"
At those words, Lin Feng suddenly turned toward the door. He vividly remembered similar words spoken when he was locked in the woodshed by the employer who sent the silver: "I have a kind heart and can't stand to see this; bury him after you kill him."
"Mom, who is it?" Lin Feng stepped to the door and saw a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard.
When the man saw Lin Feng, his eyes widened in disbelief for a moment before his face softened into a smile.
"Oh, isn't this little Feng? I heard your mother say you went out last night and didn't come back—worrying both your mother and your sick wife."
Lin Feng noted the change in expression and pretended not to notice as he turned to ask his mother, "Who is this?"
Mother Lin smiled, "This is your Brother Wang. He moved in next door half a month ago. You two haven't met much, but when you're not around, Brother Wang has been taking good care of us."
Lin Feng nodded, smiling politely, "Hello, Brother Wang, thank you."
He then mentally reviewed the man's attribute panel:
Name: Wang Shanxiong
Life: 8
Martial Skills:
• Overturning River Twelve Saber (Lower Grade) (First Level)
• Arhat Fist (Lower Grade) (Seventh Level)
• Stone Breaking Hand (Lower Grade) (Second Level)
• Iron Claw Wall Climbing Skill (Lower Grade) (Sixth Level)
• Swallow Water Skimming Skill (Lower Grade) (Fifth Level)
• Muscle and Marrow Cleansing Scripture (Lower Grade) (Third Level)
• Yin Gathering Art (Lower Grade) (Third Level)
This was a formidable person—one I couldn't afford to provoke. So many lower-grade martial arts suggested he had a master. Given his extensive training, his life should be more prosperous. Could it be that a serious injury now limits his actions, forcing him to hire small-time thugs? Yet, I bear him no personal grudge. Why, then, would he want to kill me?
After a few pleasantries, Mother Lin ultimately declined the corn buns.
Just as Lin Feng was about to close the door, someone rushed over and peered in through the crack, shouting, "Brother Feng, you're back!"
It was his cousin, Lin Hu. As a child, Lin Hu was mischievous—often playing in the small river ditch near the village. Once, when he cramped and nearly drowned, Lin Feng had fearlessly jumped in to save him. Their bond was strong, even as Lin Hu later descended into drinking.
Lin Feng opened the door wider. "Hu Zi, where have you been in such a hurry?"
Instead of entering immediately, Lin Hu paused, glancing at the departing Wang Shanxiong before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
He embraced Lin Feng. "Brother Feng, I'm relieved you're okay. Today, I secretly went to the county town to find you without telling my family. Along the way, I saw city guards chasing a group of horse bandits—it scared me stiff."
Lin Feng patted him on the shoulder. "Good brother, don't take such risks again."
Lin Hu nodded repeatedly. "It was really frightening. The city guards were merciless—one slash cut the bandits, people, and horses in two, scattering intestines and guts everywhere. Brother, fetch me some water; I'm parched."
Lin Feng quickly scooped a bowl of water, which Lin Hu gulped down in two mouthfuls. "Ah, refreshing!"
After drinking, Lin Hu surveyed the courtyard and noticed only the two brothers were present. He then tugged Lin Feng away from the house.
"What's the matter? You look so mysterious," Lin Feng asked.
Leaning in close, Lin Hu whispered, "Brother Feng, you must be wary of our neighbor—the one who just left."
Lin Feng's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"His eyes, when he looks at your wife, are not right. Yesterday, I saw him practically drooling at her."
"Really?" Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. Could this man intend to kill me and seize my wife?
"Alright, I understand. I bought some preserved meat in the city—you can have it tonight."
Lin Hu sniffed appreciatively as the aroma of meat made his stomach rumble.
"No, Brother Feng, I've already eaten," he protested.
Lin Feng stopped him. "Stay and eat; I don't mind an extra pair of chopsticks."
Lin Hu pulled back, "I really have eaten, brother. Let go, or you'll tear my clothes!"
The two tussled by the door. "How will you explain your absence when you go back?" Lin Feng chided.
"Hey, I'll get a beating if I don't come up with something," Lin Hu grumbled.
Lin Feng took out a few copper coins and pressed them into Lin Hu's arms. "Just say you went out for odd jobs. This is your earning—it will spare you a beating."
"Brother, what are you doing?"
"Take it. I promise I'll drink less and help you get rich someday. These few copper coins aren't insignificant."
If Lin Hu refused, Lin Feng warned, "Otherwise, you'll have me to answer to."
With that, Lin Feng pushed Lin Hu out and closed the courtyard door.
"Alright then, consider these few copper coins a loan from you, brother," Lin Hu muttered, not fully grasping his cousin's seriousness.
Inside, Lin Feng returned to boil the medicine—a concoction that needed to simmer slowly for at least an hour. As the pot bubbled, Hu Zi's warning about the neighbor deepened his suspicions.
"Wang Shanxiong," he muttered. The name rang familiar.
A sudden slap on his thigh reminded him of the wanted poster at the county town entrance—Wang Shanxiong, the flower-picking bandit, with a bounty of two thousand taels of silver. Yet the poster depicted a bearded monk, not the thin, unkempt man before him.
Stripping away the beard in his mind, the two did resemble each other—though the current Wang Shanxiong was much thinner. His mastery of the Arhat Fist, a renowned Buddhist martial art, confirmed his prowess. Could it be that, due to serious injuries, he had hired thugs to kill me?
He must have committed too many misdeeds and now plans to seize my wife and settle in Little River Village. Perhaps he was too impatient—choosing to act before fully recovering from his injuries. Or maybe his lust for my wife drives him to strike sooner rather than later.
Those three kidnappers, with their three-legged cat skills, were courting death. Once Wang Shanxiong recovered, he would undoubtedly deal with them decisively.
This man's greed and lewd intent—to snatch a young widow with five children and then dispose of her family—made him even more dangerous. A flower-picking bandit would never care for his elders and children. His relentless desire meant he would stop at nothing until he found a way to kill me.