Chapter 015 - Don't Mess With Li Yuan

Before, Li Yuan would occasionally bring home a small pheasant or rabbit, weighing maybe one or two kilograms, and nobody bothered him about it. But now, with a big, bulging sack slung over his shoulder, a few local troublemakers had taken notice.

He was just about to walk off when two idle teenage boys from the village jumped out and blocked his way.

Li Yuan tried going left, they shifted left. He veered right, they blocked his path again. Clearly, they weren’t letting him pass.

He stopped. One of the teens lifted his chin and said, “Pipsqueak, share some. You’ve got so much. No way you can finish all that at home.”

Another one chimed in, “We’re all from the same neighborhood. You’d look bad if you didn’t share. I don’t need much. Just give me a kilo and a half.”

Others, who had been hovering a short distance away, now gathered around.

“Pipsqueak, I’m out of rice at home. You wouldn’t want your uncle going hungry, would you?” one villager said, playing the pity card.

“If you want to keep the peace, you’d better split the spoils.” One more villager stepped up, puffing up his chest and glaring at Li Yuan.

Finally, another villager walked up, acting like a self-appointed elder. “Look at you, all grown up. Let your dear old uncle step in and settle this f—”

“Fairly?” Li Yuan cut him off before he could finish.

That middle-aged man paused, then said, “Everyone’s here, so we should all get a share. Just give us 13 kg. That’s not too much to ask, right?”

Li Yuan gave a cold laugh.

The man continued, “You and your wife are just two people. Two kilos of meat is all you need. Why be so greedy?”

Somebody else agreed, “He’s right Pipsqueak. Don’t be too stingy.”

A crowd had formed around him. Li Yuan glanced off to the side and noticed an old wooden stump. He pointed and said, “Let’s settle this by arm wrestling. If you beat me, you get a kilo and a half of meat.”

The teens blocking his path instantly lit up.

A certain middle-aged man looked worried. Another boy whispered something into his ear, and the man suddenly beamed.

We’ll wait till his arm’s tired, then have another go, huh?

Li Yuan inwardly smirked.

Another teen raised his voice and laughed, “Remember, Pipsqueak. You said it yourself. Everyone here is a witness!”

Without more talk, Li Yuan hefted his sack and walked over to the old stump by the village road. He settled down as if he had all the time in the world, then said, “All right, who’s first?”

“I’ll go!” one of the brash teens shouted. He dropped down beside Li Yuan, elbow braced against the stump, eyes fixed on the hunter. “Just so we’re clear. I get to pick which cut of meat I take. I don’t want you handing me scraps.”

Everyone crowded around to watch. People who hadn’t shown any interest before joined in once they heard the commotion. After a few quick explanations, all eyes were on Li Yuan—some with glee, some with sympathy, and still others were silently planning their own turn at the stump.

Li Yuan cast a calm glance around the crowd. Most of these people were at best 0~1, while the young man in front of him was more like 1~2—a crane among chickens.

“Let’s begin,” Li Yuan said flatly.

The youth let out a sinister laugh. “Bagging a big catch makes you think you’re some hotshot now? Feeling cocky?”

The two locked hands. Someone on the side counted down, “Three, two, one...”

Before the countdown was even over, the youth threw his weight into the match, hoping to slam Li Yuan’s arm onto the stump.

In his mind, Li Yuan was just a shut-in good-for-nothing who hadn’t even been recruited by Bear. Surely, a single forceful push would crush him, maybe even leave him with a bruised hand.

But he felt as though he’d slammed into solid iron. Li Yuan’s arm didn’t budge an inch, and the youth’s own wrist began to go numb. He paused in disbelief and muttered, “Huh, you do have a little strength.”

Then he tried again, straining harder and harder until his face turned beet red. “Ugh... Rgghh... Nghh!” He peered left and right to see if Li Yuan was pulling some trick. But all he saw under Li Yuan’s clothes was thick, iron-hard muscle—solid, full, and brimming with raw power.

Realizing nothing was working, the teen went silent and summoned every ounce of strength he had. Still, Li Yuan’s arm didn’t budge, and Li Yuan himself sat there, casually upright and unmoved.

Those who had been watching for a laugh began to sense something was off; the chatter faded as people realized something serious was happening. Those at the fringes of the crowd who couldn’t see well kept asking, “Is it over yet?”

At that moment, Li Yuan suddenly tightened his grip.

Crack... Crack, crack, crack...!

The youth felt his hand clamped in a vice, pinned in place. Pain surged through him; he tried desperately to pull away, but Li Yuan wouldn’t let go. Rage and terror flooded his eyes as he gasped, “L-let go..."

It felt like his fingers were caught in an iron trap. The agony was overwhelming, and he let out a shrill, pig-like scream.

“Let go, let go! AHHH!!”

Everyone jumped. The entire place fell silent, and all eyes darted to the stump.

Then came a heavy thud, like a massive drumstick slamming into the crowd’s hearts. Everyone froze in place, too startled to utter a word.

Only the boy’s wails broke the silence. Tears and snot streamed down his face as his arm lay crushed against the wooden block, swollen and unrecognizable.

“Quit crying. It’s not permanent.” Li Yuan glanced down at him. He lifted his eyes and looked around. “Next. Who’s up?”

No one dared answer.

Li Yuan’s gaze landed on another teen who’d blocked his way before. “Weren’t you the one who asked for a kilo and a half of meat?”

The boy’s face went pale. “Uhhh, I-I...”

Before he could finish, Li Yuan sprang up like a raging ape. In a single step, he closed the distance, seized the teen’s right hand, and yanked him forward.

Li Yuan gave a sharp tug.

The teen felt as though he’d been slapped by a bear. He flew forward and landed right beside the stump.

“Pipsqueak, I’m not wrestling anymore!”

“You think you can just back out?” Li Yuan frowned.

The teen looked up at the fearsome hunter. Li Yuan’s fierce eyes, combined with the sight of the youth still rolling on the ground in agony, made him feel like he was staring at a man who had the raw power of a bear trapped in human skin. His bravado collapsed in an instant. “I...I was wrong... I really don’t want to do this anymore.”

“You did nothing wrong,” Li Yuan countered. He had no intention of letting the kid off so easily. Strength alone was worthless if you didn’t show people you were willing to use it.

Today, he planned to teach the village a lesson. He had the right to bring home bigger prey, the right to eat more meat.

“Pipsqueak. No, Big Bro, I’m sorry. I was wrong.” The teen’s legs started shaking. In these parts, if you ruined your hand, your entire life could come crashing down.

Li Yuan’s expression remained calm. “Tell me exactly what you did wrong.”

The teen hesitated, too scared to speak.

Li Yuan flexed his fingers.

“Ah, ahhhh! Please!” The teen forced a grin, sounding nothing like his earlier self. “We just thought you were weak, so we tried to bully you into sharing. We didn’t mean anything else. If we’d known you were so strong...we never would’ve dared.”

He mustered a flattering smile. “How’d you get so tough? Teach me! Let me tag along with you! My name’s Xiao Hu.”

Li Yuan let go of his hand.

Xiao Hu immediately spun around and glared at the bystanders. “What are you all staring at? You saw it, didn't you!? My big bro isn't so easy to bully!”

Everyone hurriedly scattered, especially the so-called elders who had been trying to play the seniority card. They bolted in fear. Bullies only thrived when they were sure their target couldn't fight back; once someone displayed strength, they would all run for cover.

“Big Bro,” Xiao Hu went on, “I’ve always looked up to real heroes. You look like one.”

Li Yuan asked, “Aren't you running with the Qian Family?”

Xiao Hu shook his head. “Those lowlifes? No way. We were thinking of joining Bear, but he wanted nothing to do with a bunch of petty hooligans... If I had half your skills, my life wouldn’t be such a mess.”

“You mean you and your friends?” Li Yuan pressed.

“Yeah,” Xiao Hu said, “a few guys my age who hang out together...”

Suddenly Li Yuan asked, “Do you have any connections at the black market?”

Xiao Hu’s eyes lit up. “I do. My cousin has a stall there. But he’s a ranked martial artist now, and he won’t get me involved. The black market’s complicated. Every stall’s got its own turf.”

Li Yuan nodded. “If you come by later, I’ll give you a kilo and a half of venison. No charge. But there’s no need for you to tag along with me.”

With that, he slung his sack over his shoulder and headed home.

He’d only gotten halfway back when he saw Yan Yu in the distance, gripping a wooden laundry paddle. She was rushing over with a panicked look, obviously having heard he’d been cornered.

Li Yuan broke into a smile and strode toward her.