Courtyard House: Home Alone

Lin Yifan's heart skipped a beat; so this was indeed the matter. He feigned surprise, opening his mouth wide: "What? There's such a thing? I slept soundly last night and didn't hear a sound. Then... what does the Imperial Army's search have to do with me?"

"How can it be alright?" Jia Gui lowered his voice and leaned closer. A strong smell of cheap tobacco and sweat wafted over him. "Xiao Fan, you're a smart man. The Imperial Army said that anyone who wasn't home last night or acted suspiciously should be thoroughly investigated."

I heard that someone saw some dark figures loitering around here last night, acting very suspiciously. If the Imperial Army comes, they'll have to search every house, which will be such a waste of time, right?

Lin Yifan knew perfectly well that Jia Gui was clearly trying to extort money from him. He subtly took a half-step back, creating some distance, and asked, "What do you mean by that, Uncle Jia? I don't quite understand."

"Hey, kid, why are you pretending to be confused when you know the truth?" Jia Gui's smile faded a bit, revealing a hint of greed. "Look, I have some connections with the Imperial Army squad leader in charge of searching this area."

"If you trust me, give me a little 'service fee,' and I'll put in a good word for you with the Imperial Army. I guarantee your family will be safe and sound; the Imperial Army will definitely not come knocking. What do you say?"

The two men behind him chimed in, "That's right, kid, Brother Jia is only helping you out of respect! Be smart, or you'll be in for it when the Imperial Army comes!"

Looking at Jia Gui's despicable face, Lin Yifan felt a fleeting surge of murderous intent. This kind of traitor and scoundrel truly deserved to die.

But he knew now was not the time to make a move. The street was right outside the door, and if he made a big fuss and attracted the Japanese patrol, he would be in big trouble.

He suppressed his anger and put on a troubled expression: "Uncle Jia, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just... it's just that my family is short of money lately, we really don't have much money."

As you know, my parents passed away suddenly, leaving me nothing. Now I'm all alone, and I'm struggling to make ends meet..."

"No money?" Jia Gui's face immediately darkened, his eyes glaring. "Kid, you're trying to play the poor card with me? Everyone knows your parents earn high salaries, and this house is huge! Who would believe you if you said you had no money? Let me tell you, don't push your luck! You're paying me today, whether you like it or not!"

The two men stepped forward, rubbing their fists together, looking ready to fight.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yifan's eyes. Since reasoning with him hadn't worked, he'd have to resort to some tactics. He deliberately feigned weakness, shrinking back and saying with a pained expression, "Uncle Jia, please don't do this. I really have no money... Or, I do have some grain in my house, you see..."

"Grain? Who cares about your lousy grain!" Jia Gui sneered, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the house behind Lin Yifan. "Stop talking nonsense! Hand over the money now! Otherwise, we'll search it ourselves!" With that, he tried to push Lin Yifan aside and barge inside.

Just as Jia Gui's hand was about to touch Lin Yifan's shoulder, Lin Yifan moved. He slightly turned his body to the side, nimbly avoiding Jia Gui's push like a willow in the wind. At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning, his index and middle fingers joined together, accurately poking Jia Gui's "Zhangmen" acupoint under his ribs.

"Ouch!" Jia Gui felt a tingling and numb force surge through his body in an instant, and half of his body lost sensation. He grimaced in pain, bent over, and cold sweat instantly poured down his back.

He never expected that this seemingly frail child would actually know kung fu!

"You...you dare to hit me?" Jia Gui was both shocked and angry, pointing at Lin Yifan, his voice trembling.

Seeing this, the two men behind him shouted, "Kid, you're asking for it!" and charged at Lin Yifan with their fists raised.

Lin Yifan snorted coldly, advancing instead of retreating. His figure flickered, weaving between the two men like a ghost. He silently activated his [Treading Snow Without a Trace] lightness skill, his steps light and his movements swift. To him, the two men's fists seemed as slow as snails; he could even clearly see the veins on their knuckles.

Two muffled thuds were heard, followed by two screams. Before the two men could react, they felt a sharp pain in their lower abdomen. Their bodies flew backward like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily into the yard. They rolled on the ground in pain and couldn't get up for a long time.

Lin Yifan's two punches just now, though seemingly light, contained the powerful and hidden force of Bajiquan (Grandmaster level), which directly caused their blood and qi to surge and their internal organs to shift.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that it was dazzling.

At that moment, in the next room, the deaf old woman watching from behind the window narrowed her eyes, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in her cloudy old eyes. Her withered fingers unconsciously stroked the windowsill, and she murmured, "Such superb skills... This kid has been hiding his abilities well... It seems..."

Hearing the commotion in the middle courtyard, He Daqing ran to the backyard and asked Lin Yifan, "Xiaofan, what happened?"

Lin Yifan glanced at Jia Gui and said, "Uncle He, that bastard Jia Gui brought two thugs to extort money from me. I just taught them a lesson." He Daqing glanced at Jia Gui, who was slumped on the ground, and said,

"Jia Gui, you're a terrible person! Xiao Fan is just a child, and you actually brought people to bully him!" He Daqing was both shocked and furious, pointing at Jia Gui and shouting angrily. Although he was usually a bit timid, he still had a sense of justice deep down, and seeing Jia Gui's behavior, he couldn't help but get angry.

Jia Gui was in so much pain that he grimaced. After finally catching his breath, he was even more ashamed and angry when he heard He Daqing's words, but he dared not retaliate.

Looking into Lin Yifan's icy gaze, he felt fear for the first time. This kid was no longer some weak scholar; he was practically a demon!

He tried to stand up, but found that he still couldn't use his strength on one side of his body. He could only sit on the ground in a sorry state, his eyes darting away, not daring to meet Lin Yifan's gaze again.

Lin Yifan walked up to Jia Gui and looked down at him. Jia Gui collapsed to the ground, looking at his subordinate lying outside the door groaning, and then at Lin Yifan standing calmly and coldly in front of him. He was terrified.

He then realized that he had not kicked a soft persimmon, but a hard plate, a hard plate that could kill him!

"You...you...who exactly are you?" Jia Gui's voice trembled, his teeth chattered, and his face was drained of color.

Lin Yifan slowly walked up to him, looking down at him as if he were an ant.

"Jia Gui,"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling aura. "Don't you know who I am? I'm the one you said I am. My parents have high salaries, so they hired martial arts instructors for me when I was young."

I didn't want to hold a grudge against you for what happened last time, considering we were neighbors.

But you shouldn't have let the wolf into the house, and you certainly shouldn't have tried to take advantage of me. I can let this matter go, but you better listen to me!

He crouched down, grabbed Jia Gui by the collar, and lifted him up. "Take your men and get out! Don't you ever set foot in my yard again! Otherwise, next time it won't be as simple as lying on the ground! I'll smash every single bone in your body."