Chapter Thirteen: Bullying the Weak with Power

Yang Yi and Madam Hu were both shocked. This young man was blatantly threatening them now; they could commit fraud, but so could Yang Cheng. If they could ask officials for help to make things seem legitimate, so could Yang Cheng. In the end, it was a contest of wealth. But a small house wasn’t worth much to begin with—there was no need for such a bitter struggle. Yang Yi was the first to falter, realizing that Yang Cheng was no longer the penniless pushover he used to be. It was best to give up any schemes against him.

With the money in hand, Yang Yi pulled Madam Hu along, ready to leave. But Yang Cheng spoke again, “Uncle, don’t be in such a hurry. We still have some accounts to settle.”

“What accounts?” Yang Yi asked, puzzled.

Yang Cheng pointed at Xiao Wu. “You struck one of my people. You can’t just walk away from that, can you? There has to be some compensation.”

At these words, Madam Hu flared up. “You want compensation for hitting a servant? Are you extorting us?” Yang Yi’s face darkened as well.

Xiao Wu, who had been feeling aggrieved—struck for no reason, as was the fate of lowborn folk—was now deeply moved to hear his young master speak up for him.

Yang Cheng continued, “I can’t speak for other households, but in mine, we have rules. No outsider may lay hands on my people. Aunt, look at this—these finger marks may not fade for days, and it’ll likely swell soon.”

Madam Hu unleashed her shrewish side, launching into a tirade of curses. Yang Cheng could hardly fend her off. Seeing this, Aunt Wang and the other women, no longer as respectful as before just because these were elders of the Yang family, saw their young master faltering and exchanged glances. They stepped forward, ready to drown the plump woman in a torrent of scolding.

Yang Cheng, seeing his numbers, did nothing to stop them and simply watched with a cold smile.

Yang Yi, faced with nearly twenty people closing in, grew timid. He called out for help; there were still two bodyguards waiting for him outside. Neither he nor Madam Hu had any cultivation, but Yang Cheng, though not highly skilled, was at least at the Qi Refinement stage and had numbers on his side. It would be a loss not to call for his guards. The two bodyguards, hired at a high price, were both at the Foundation Establishment stage and more than a match for these people.

The two guards came in, saw their employers surrounded, and in their anger released their auras. The crowd, intimidated, involuntarily wanted to retreat, but seeing Yang Cheng unmoved, they stood their ground.

At this moment, Yang Cheng’s heart pounded—these two were clearly far stronger than he was.

Seeing the others’ fear, Yang Yi grew arrogant. Pointing at the crowd, he ordered the guards, “Do it! Break their legs. Just don’t kill anyone.”

The two guards, ready to act at their employer’s command, drew their swords. But as the women screamed, their terrified eyes were not on the guards, but on something behind them. The guards felt a cold wind at their backs, filled with murderous intent. Realizing they faced a true expert, they dared not move, nor even turn around.

Yang Yi, who had just issued his harsh order, turned to urge his guards on, only to see them standing rooted in place, trembling, unable to look back. Behind them, at some point, a man in black had appeared.

The killing aura radiating from this man was terrifying. As Yang Yi looked closer, he couldn’t help but scream. The man’s face was covered in countless deep scars, as if he were a demon risen from the depths of hell. His mere presence was enough to chill the soul, leaving the two foundation-level guards quaking with fear.

Lu Baichuan had been staying inside these past days, meditating. He’d heard the commotion outside but, seeing it was a mundane squabble, had not bothered to intervene. Only when martial cultivators became involved did he feel compelled to protect the Yang family.

He now stood behind the two guards. Seeing their mediocre cultivation, he did not bother to act, considering it beneath his dignity. The two guards, sensing the countless deaths on the newcomer’s hands, wisely dared not make a move.

Yang Cheng, realizing Lu Baichuan had taken control of the situation, felt elated—this was his chance to use power for once. With a sigh, he said, “Uncle, we’re all family. There’s no need for violence. Let’s say a hundred spirit coins settles it: fifty for Xiao Wu to recover, and the other fifty to compensate these aunts and girls who were frightened.”

Yang Yi, wiping his sweat, nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, we’re all family. That’s how it should be.” Madam Hu, too, dared not say a word. For all their scheming, they had gained nothing—at least they hadn’t suffered. It was clear now that Yang Cheng was not to be trifled with; they would not return.

Yang Cheng had never wanted to make things too hard for them; he looked down on their paltry fortune anyway. He made Yang Yi personally distribute the spirit coins to those present, then saw them off. The four left, dejected and silent.

Xiao Wu and the others, holding their spirit coins, knew this was all thanks to their young master. Now that their honor was restored, they gathered the coins before him, intending to return them.

Yang Cheng refused. “These are for all of you. You’ve all been through an ordeal today. But let me say this: you all did well. When trouble came to the Yang family, you stood together. We may be weak, but unity is our strength. This is your reward. If anyone had been disloyal today, I might have sent her away.”

Everyone reflected on his words, then thanked him in turn. Yang Cheng continued, “Who will fetch some food and wine? I wish to share a drink with Senior Lu.”

“I’ll go, I’ll go!” Xiao Wu replied, dashing out to buy wine. The women, delighted, headed to the kitchen.

Yang Cheng warmly invited Lu Baichuan inside for a drink. He was overjoyed—who knew that wielding power could be so satisfying? Fortunately, it had only been family today; he didn’t want to be too harsh. In the future, when facing such people, he’d have to make use of his wealth, numbers, and influence.

In the blink of an eye, the first product launch was over, and the accounts settled. In the West and North districts, counting pre-orders, there were forty and thirty-seven shops respectively, yielding thirty-eight thousand five hundred in total. After deducting the cost of the supreme-grade Restoration Pills from previous days, he still had sixty-seven thousand five hundred spirit coins. With the current agreements in place, even if each shop only met the minimum daily quota, he’d receive two spirit coins per shop per day—one hundred fifty-nine shops bringing in three hundred eighteen coins daily, for an annual income of one hundred sixteen thousand seventy spirit coins.

Calculating his accounts, Yang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. His first battle was a success; he’d established his footing in the cultivation world. Of course, as more people joined him, expenses would rise, and his current resources only provided a modest guarantee. Security was still a major concern—hiring guards would be a significant cost.

These days, Lu Baichuan had taken to staying by Yang Cheng’s side, though the latter had not asked him to. Lu felt it was his duty to repay the favor. In this world where the strong ruled and the weak were as grass, he could not let the one he was protecting die within these ten years. He was known throughout Liuyun Kingdom for his sword; to let his charge be killed would not only disgrace his name, but trouble his conscience as well.

Yet, in these days, Yang Cheng’s abilities had also greatly impressed Lu Baichuan.