Chapter 70: How Can a Horse Grow Fat Without Grazing at Night?

“Is it you?”

“It’s actually you?!”

The third chief needed a moment to react, then stared at Li Yuanjing as if he’d seen a ghost, utterly incredulous.

At this moment, countless possibilities had run through his mind. He’d guessed those who’d attacked him could have been the Fragrant Sect, soldiers under Prince Qi, or other bandits with whom he’d had grudges.

But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the person before him—Li Yuanjing, who seemed harmless and weak, a penniless scholar—would be the one.

In the next instant, cold sweat drenched the third chief as realization dawned. He hurriedly pleaded:

“Master Li, Grandpa Li, I know I was wrong, truly, I know I was wrong—please, spare me this once…”

“All these things, I’ll give them to you. Besides, I’m willing to offer five hundred taels of silver, just to buy my life…”

He sobbed and wailed, looking every inch a pitiful old dog begging for survival.

Li Yuanjing’s brows furrowed tightly, but then he laughed in spite of himself, feeling relieved.

It seemed he’d been far too tense lately—handling someone like this, he was actually a bit excited…

“Spare you?”

Li Yuanjing couldn’t help but laugh, then crouched down, his face gentle and innocent as he looked into the old eyes of the third chief:

“Third chief, you’re a veteran of the underworld. If I spare you, who will spare me?”

“Ah…”

Before he finished speaking, Li Yuanjing stood and delivered a fierce kick to the third chief’s face, then signaled to Zhao Zengjin beside him.

Before the third chief’s screams could fully escape his throat, Zhao Zengjin—impatient for too long—brought his blade down hard, severing most of the man’s neck in an instant.

“Master Li, Master Li, we had an agreement, ugh…”

As the thick scent of blood spread, Li Yuanjing simply walked into the swirling snow ahead.

Liu Dabiao, who’d been waiting anxiously for Li Yuanjing to honor his promise and reward him handsomely, panicked, struggling to cry out.

Yet before he could utter more than a few words, Zhang Kun beside him raised his knife and, with precise efficiency, severed his head.

Meanwhile, Li Yuanjing picked up a clean branch of wild jujube and held it between his lips.

He listened to the low, miserable cries and the heavy smell of blood behind him, but he was unaffected. Instead, he reveled in the pristine snow’s holiness and the pure air of the world.

True, Li Yuanjing had deceived Liu Dabiao this time—a minor breach of faith.

But Li Yuanjing felt no regret.

Only dead enemies are good enemies.

If a man isn’t ruthless, he can’t stand firm!

…

Having prepared in advance, Li Yuanjing had already chosen the site to bury the third chief.

Before long, all was handled, and Li Yuanjing and his companions skirted the small valley, following a seldom-used path back toward Quanzi Village.

When they climbed the low hill nearby and glanced back at the blood-soaked valley, they found it already shrouded in holy white, the carnage hidden beneath the snow.

Li Yuanjing exhaled a long, turbid breath, his dark eyes deep with thought.

In this world, if you’re going to walk this path, you must either be ruthless to the end, a true man; or you must be clever and humble, begging for a meal without shame—also a true man.

But if you rely on a little capital, hesitate, try to eat both the plaintiff and the defendant, and want every last scrap for yourself, leaving others no way to survive—

Do you think your father is Heaven itself?

…

Because the detour took extra time, by the time Li Yuanjing and his group returned to Quanzi Village, night had fallen, and the snow showed no sign of stopping.

This brought Li Yuanjing a sense of relief.

With the snow, he was safer.

On the way back, he gained a clearer understanding of the current situation and its consequences.

If—

If he hadn’t killed the short, burly, scar-faced man and his fellow soldiers by the Yishui river, he might actually have felt a bit uneasy now.

But—

Having taken care of those men, what did Li Yuanjing have to fear?

Quanzi Village and Iron Ox Town lay within a few dozen miles at the intersection of Fengcheng, Yicheng, and Boshan counties—a region that was somewhat outside the jurisdiction of any authority.

And in this tiny area, the powers were tangled and intertwined.

Li Yuanjing was certain.

By now, the disappearance of the scar-faced man and his comrades must have caused a stir among Prince Qi’s soldiers—they were surely searching for them.

And the disappearance of the third chief and his men would ferment in a couple of days.

Two ruthless gangs fighting and causing trouble—what did it have to do with Li Yuanjing, a poor scholar?

Especially since he’d already prepared solid measures to cover his tracks.

At this moment—

Li Yuanjing was experienced in handling the aftermath of such victories.

After giving his men a pep talk and rewarding each nearly a tael of silver, they returned home, exhilarated.

Zhang Kun, more excited than anyone, came to Li Yuanjing and whispered:

“Boss, we’ve struck it rich. The third chief’s old horse and two donkeys carried nearly eighty taels of silver cash, as well as cured meat, cloth, and even a few pieces of gold jewelry…”

“Hmm?”

Li Yuanjing was momentarily stunned.

He’d anticipated that the third chief, working so hard for the benevolent Xue, would surely have gained much.

But he hadn’t expected it to be so much…

By Zhang Kun’s account, the haul was worth at least one hundred and thirty taels.

Li Yuanjing quickly recovered.

Clearly, the bounty came not just from the benevolent Xue, but mostly from Chief Ma.

No wonder the sages of old said:

“A horse grows fat with night grass; a man grows rich with windfall.”

And so many are drawn to banditry.

It seems—this line of work makes money fast…

Li Yuanjing had been spending heavily of late and was anxious about increasing his income. Now the third chief had delivered it to his door…

“Brother Zhang, collect everything—we can settle accounts tomorrow or the day after. But tonight, I need you to do me another favor.”

After thinking for a moment, Li Yuanjing smiled and patted Zhang Kun’s shoulder.

Zhang Kun understood at once, nodding vigorously:

“Boss, don’t worry—I’ll head back to Iron Ox Town right now!”

…

As Li Yuanjing expected, the next morning the snow had not stopped—in fact, it had grown heavier.

At this rate, it might continue through tomorrow.

Though this hindered the work on Quanzi Village’s moat and earthen walls, with this windfall in hand, Li Yuanjing considered it a small matter.

He kissed his still-drowsy Jade and spent some time with the old village chief at the north gate, then led Zhuzi, Kui, Zhang Liang, Yang Da, Yang Er, and a dozen other young men straight to Iron Ox Town.

The previous night, Zhang Kun had sent word: Master Ma, Ma Huan, had finished collecting autumn taxes at Pi Family Village and arrived at Iron Ox Town.

Upon reaching Iron Ox Town, Li Yuanjing soon found Master Ma.

Before Ma could greet him warmly with an embrace, Li Yuanjing’s tears spilled first. Grasping Ma’s hand, he wailed:

“Old brother, old brother, I beg you to save my little life…otherwise, I truly cannot go on…”