Chapter 17: The Will To Kill Arises

Outside the window, Lin Zheyu took a deep breath and concealed himself in the darkness. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a black pair of brass knuckles and slipped them onto his fingers.

Brass knuckles, also known as iron fists, fist guards, or iron four-fingers, were weapons designed for fist techniques. Worn on the fingers, they could greatly increase the killing power of a punch.

Despite his scholarly appearance, Lin Zheyu had in fact killed before. Back when he was among the refugees, he had taken down more than one man who tried to steal his food. Now that he knew these men meant him harm, there was no way Lin Zheyu would let them go.

Clenching his fists, Lin Zheyu felt a mix of emotions. He only wanted to live a steady life, quietly and at peace with the world. But the world was cruel; even if you didn't harm others, others would still set their sights on you.

Inside, even after finishing their secret plotting, the men didn't leave right away. They instead brought out wine and began to drink.

Houses in the outer city were not as tightly packed as those in the inner city. There was often a good distance between houses, and some stood alone in the middle of fields—making it a great place for getting someone alone.

The moon rose as a gentle breeze swept by. It was already winter, and the weather was a bit cold, but Lin Zheyu hardly felt it with his current constitution.

The three ruffians drank until late at night before staggering out of the house. They held their liquor well despite drinking for so long. They were only slightly drunk, and their steps were just a little unsteady. The place seemed to be their temporary hideout. After drinking and chatting, they each headed home.

One at a time, then. I'll take care of the two weaker ones first, and then I'll go to finish off the big guy,

thought Lin Zheyu.

He quietly followed the weakest of the three, intending to take him out as quickly as possible before catching up to the other two.

"

Sheesh...

Even after drinking, it's still so cold. I need to put on more clothes. Maybe I'll buy some new ones with that kid's money," said Wen Biao to himself, chuckling as he walked along the narrow path.

Wen Biao was a little timid. He coveted Lin Zheyu's silver, yet feared that something might go wrong.

Hic—

After letting out a hiccup, Wen Biao felt much more comfortable. Suddenly, seemingly from the moonlight, a dark figure closed in on him.

"What the—?" Before Wen Biao could process what he was seeing, a fist clad in brass knuckles smashed into his temple.

The powerful blow left Wen Biao dizzy, the sharp protrusions on the brass knuckles puncturing into his temple. He opened his mouth to call for help, but no sound came out as a cold, calloused hand clamped over it.

With his left hand, Lin Zheyu held Wen Biao's mouth shut while locking him firmly against his chest, while his right fist struck rapidly at his temple. After three consecutive punches, the body in his arms went limp. Only then did Lin Zheyu stop, his fists and clothes now stained with blood.

Looking at the corpse, his arm trembled slightly, but there was a flash of resolve in his eyes. In this chaotic world, good men would not be able to live long.

"

Hu—

"

Exhaling slowly, Lin Zheyu forced down the emotions in his heart. After searching the corpse for cash, his feet moved, and he quickly dashed in the other direction. Since he had already struck, he would eliminate every possible threat. Lin Zheyu refused to spend his days being targeted by a pack of sewer rats.

Meanwhile, Yan Ling was feeling a bit tipsy, staggering as he walked home under the moonlight.

"If I go back too late, my wife's going to nag again. What does a woman like her know? Times are tough, and it's hard to make money. If this job works out, it'll keep us going for a year or so," muttered Yan Ling, venting the frustration in his heart.

He stopped by a drainage ditch, unfastening himself to relieve his bladder. Too much wine meant the urge came quickly. As he gave himself a little wiggle, Yan Ling mumbled, "Why did it suddenly get dark?"

Bang.

A sharp pain exploded between his brows, and Yan Ling toppled into the drainage ditch. He struggled to get up, but a large hand pressed him down firmly, leaving him unable to move. Bubbles rose and burst in the ditch, but all movement ceased within moments.

Both of these men were mere ordinary people without the slightest martial skill, and not nearly as sturdy as Lin Zheyu was now. He had dealt with them easily.

"One more left," muttered Lin Zheyu, looking coldly at the man lying lifeless in the foul ditch.

You and I bore no grudge, but you chose to target me, so your deaths are your own doing!

He didn't bother to clean up the scene—though he was sure to search his body for money. After being delayed by these two, Gao Yu had already gotten some distance ahead. Lin Zheyu pushed off with force as his steps kicked up clumps of dirt.

Among the three hooligans, only Gao Yu had any real strength. He was a tall, powerfully built man, over 1.8 meters, and had a family background in hunting. In his youth, he had practiced some basic martial techniques, though he had let them lapse over the years.

"Heh, heh..." Gao Yu strolled along the road, chuckling and humming to himself in good spirits. He had found an easy fat sheep to pluck. Once this job was done, he could live comfortably for a while again.

"That kid's got talent... if only I could keep him under control and have him earn money for me," muttered Gao Yu to himself, though he knew it was impossible.

Sha, sha, sha.

The cold wind swept past, making the trees rustle. Gao Yu tightened his clothes and quickened his pace. It was already late, so he felt it better to hurry home where his wife had already warmed the bed for him.

Whoosh.

A dark figure darted past, its movement masked by the howling wind. Having had some wine, Gao Yu didn't notice anything amiss around him. He rounded a corner, passed a small house, and walked a dozen more meters into complete stillness.

At that moment, Lin Zheyu's figure burst forth. His fist struck toward Gao Yu's temple, a vulnerable point on the human body where a heavy blow could cause dizziness at best and instant death at worst.

Bang!

Gao Yu lost his balance and fell to the ground. Being the son of a hunter with experience fighting wild beasts, Gao Yu still managed to struggle and kick toward the approaching Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu sidestepped the kick, grabbed Gao Yu's leg with both hands, and used his body weight to force it downward toward his head. A cracking sound rang out as Lin Zheyu broke Gao Yu's leg. Because of the alcohol in his system, the pain was delayed for a few seconds. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, a rough hand clamped down tightly over it.

Bang, bang, bang.

A flurry of punches hammered into Gao Yu's forehead, and within a few seconds, he had stopped breathing. Lin Zheyu sat on the ground, breathing heavily, trying to suppress the indescribable feelings in his chest. This was his first time taking the initiative to kill. Back when he was among the refugees, all of his killings had been acts of desperate self-defense.

He didn't stay dazed for long before quickly getting to his feet.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Better clean this up fast," said Lin Zheyu to himself. Although he knew the chances of the murder being traced back to him were low, he decided it was better to be safe. He hoisted Gao Yu's body onto his shoulder, found a deserted spot, and dumped the corpses in the wilderness.

Holding the silver he had taken from each of their bodies in a hurry, Lin Zheyu couldn't help but shake his head as he said, "So poor... not even a hundred wen between them."

***

Back home, Lin Zheyu lit a fire and burned his bloodstained clothes. He then went to the courtyard and washed himself several times, yet he still felt as if the blood of his own kind clung to him.

Having lived a stable life in his previous world for so long, and having received decades of civilized education, it was impossible for him to quickly embrace the idea that human life was as cheap as grass or to kill another without any psychological burden.

Lin Zheyu lay down to sleep, but when he couldn't, he got up to shower again. He repeated the cycle several times until finally falling asleep late into the night.

Cluck, cluck, cluck.

Morning came, and the rooster with its raspy voice crowed again, waking Lin Zheyu from his sleep. He groggily opened his eyes, pulled the blanket over himself, and went back to sleep. He slept straight through to the afternoon before realizing it was time to go to work.

Yawning, Lin Zheyu made his way to the Jade Pill Teahouse.

"Were you at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion last night, boy? You look exhausted," said Manager Wu, teasing Lin Zheyu.

"Just feeling homesick. Didn't sleep well last night," replied Lin Zheyu.

He had spent the whole night tossing and turning from one messy nightmare to the next, barely sleeping at all.

"It's still early, so why don't you go get some more rest?" said Manager Wu.

"Alright then. Wake me when it's time," replied Lin Zheyu. He didn't refuse as he really did need to catch up on sleep.