The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

A thug stood with his hands on his hips, yelling at the crowd:

"See that? This is what happens when you don't offer incense to the mountain god! The mountain god will punish you, and your life is in danger!"

The onlookers' faces were filled with fear, but also concealed a hint of barely suppressed anger.

The incense offerings to the mountain god are nothing more than a monthly "peace money" collected by the Black Tiger Gang, just under a different name.

Ironically, the incense money was collected in full, yet the Lanshan Town area suffered from consecutive years of drought, with no harvest in the land without wells.

The townspeople all knew exactly how these people on the ground died.

Li Yuan didn't linger; he spurred his horse and galloped straight home.

Wutong Lane.

Only when I saw wisps of smoke rising from my own chimney did my heart finally settle down.

The courtyard gate was ajar.

"Sister Lan!"

His voice was hoarse, carrying the dust and anxiety of a long journey.

A soft sound came from the kitchen, and familiar footsteps approached.

The curtain was lifted, revealing the face that had been on my mind for days.

It was indeed Sister Lan.

Li Yuan's heart was finally at peace.

But Yuan-jie did not pounce on her as expected.

She paused slightly, then cautiously took two steps back, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her eyes darting away.

Li Yuan was stunned.

He realized that he had become even more muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick chest, and was a completely different person from when he left home.

But that's not the key point.

Lan Jie'er's gaze remained fixed on the purse at his waist.

The embroidered pattern of twin lotus flowers swayed gently in the morning breeze, and the faint scent of perfume was pungent in the small courtyard.

She didn't embroider this purse.

Lan Jie kept her head down, not saying a word, but her eyes gradually reddened.

"I'm hungry, hurry up and cook!" Li Yuan said fiercely.

Lan Jie'er trembled, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and turned to run back into the kitchen.

The fire in the stove was blazing.

"what!"

A suppressed scream.

A large hand covered her buttocks.

"What are you doing?!"

Lan Jie pushed Li Yuan's hand away, becoming embarrassed and angry.

But before she could finish speaking, she was lifted up by the waist.

The world spun around.

She leaned against his broad shoulders, her nose filled with his familiar scent.

"Lan-jie, I've been so bored these past few days, I'm about to die."

"Waaah..."

She used her fists to strike as hard as she could.

Lan Jie'er cried and then laughed.

"Mmm..."

Inside the cabin, the temperature gradually rose.

An hour and a half later.

"Has nothing been happening at home these days?" Li Yuan gently stroked Lan Jie'er's hair.

Lan Jie'er, still with her eyes closed in blissful reverie, snuggled closer to Li Yuan. "It's nothing. Oh, by the way, the Black Tiger Gang came to collect the incense offerings from the Mountain God a couple of days ago."

"Why didn't you write to tell me?"

"I borrowed some money from my neighbors and managed to pay it off. I'll pay them back once the harvest is done."

"oh."

......

The next day.

bang-

The gate to the Zhou family compound was kicked open.

Several burly men dressed in tiger-head short jackets and carrying ghost-head knives stormed in, looking fierce and menacing.

"Bring out the incense for the mountain god!"

Zhou Yanqiu was smoking a pipe when he heard the sound and shuddered.

Upon recognizing the visitor, he quickly put on a fawning smile: "Master Qin, weren't the incense offerings just received a couple of days ago?"

His voice trembled, sounding pitiful.

"We ate together a couple of days ago, are we eating today?"

"We really have no money left at home. The incense money we paid last time was borrowed. Please, Master Qin, have mercy and give us a few more days..." Zhou Yanqiu's voice was almost pleading.

"Shut the fuck up!"

A thug stepped forward and shoved Zhou Yanqiu, causing him to stumble.

"What are you doing?!" Lan Jie'er was coming out of the kitchen and quickly helped her father up.

Qin Biao sized Zhou Xinlan up and down, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He then pretended to kick the thug, shouting, "Vulgar!"

Then he turned his head and stared intently at Lan Jie'er's face.

"Miss Zhou is even more beautiful now."

The malice in that smile was blatantly obvious.

Lan Jie glared at Qin Biao, spat fiercely, and turned away without saying another word.

Qin Biao stepped forward and put his arm around Zhou Yanqiu's shoulder. "It's fine if you don't want to pay... Old Zhou, let this girl come with me. Not only will the incense money be waived this time, but you and your daughter won't have to eat coarse food anymore. You'll have meat every meal..."

Zhou Yanqiu was so angry that her face turned red and her lips trembled.

"Master Qin, the incense money has been prepared long ago." Li Yuan was already standing at the doorway.

Qin Biao turned his head and frowned.

In this rural area, whether a family has able-bodied young men or not is a completely different matter.

Qin Biao had practiced a few rudimentary farming skills, only slightly better than the average person.

Especially when he saw Li Yuan's tall and burly figure, his eyes involuntarily twitched, and his imposing aura subsided by three points.

"Today's payment is for next month's harvest. Master Meng is pressuring us, so we had no choice..."

This filthy fellow suddenly became a bit more polite in his speech.

But at the same time, they also brought up Master Meng.

Master Meng is the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, a genuine peak-level body cultivator, and three or five ordinary men cannot get close to him.

Even the town's yamen runners would have to give him some face.

Li Yuan didn't say anything, silently took out his purse, took out one tael of silver and handed it over.

Qin Biao couldn't help but feel smug. This kid in front of him was all show and no substance; he was just a paper tiger. He looked intimidating, but he was actually a spineless fool.

"Not enough! The incense offerings to the mountain god have increased by 30%, didn't you know?!" a thug immediately shouted arrogantly.

Qin Biao had been staring at the purse in Li Yuan's hand for a long time, his eyes shining, and he even swallowed hard.

"Give it to me!"

He snatched it, weighed it in his hand, and said with satisfaction, "Brothers, let's go!"

Li Yuan remained calm and saw him off with a smile.

"Farewell, Master Qin."

......

......

......

The moon rises above the willow branches.

Three miles outside the city, in a dilapidated mountain god temple, a bonfire flickers.

"Master Qin, now those scum from the Four Seas Society are biting us like hyenas, I think our Black Tiger Gang is doomed sooner or later."

"I wonder what Third Master Meng's plans are?"

"Ha, Master Meng is enjoying a life of luxury and sleeping with women in his secluded mansion in Old Locust Lane. Who cares about our lives?"

"Shh, how dare you say that? You're asking for it!"

"Isn't there no one else here?"

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation turned to the day's achievements.

Qin Biao pulled out his purse and poured out two taels of silver and a few copper coins: "That old fellow surnamed Zhou has given birth to a beautiful daughter, her face is so delicate, you could pinch water out of it..."

"How about we tie him up another day, hehe..."

"Didn't I see any men in her house?"

"What's there to be afraid of! Didn't you see him not dare to utter a sound today? What a coward!"

After downing a glass of strong liquor, Qin Biao said, "It's settled then! Once we're done having fun, we'll send them to a brothel, hehe, and make another killing!"

Bang!

A huge hole suddenly appeared in the roof, and a figure descended from the sky.

"Who is it?!" Qin Biao shuddered, instantly sobering up considerably.

A cold voice responded:

"The one who'll take your life!!"

Qin Biao opened his eyes wide, trying to see who it was, but instead saw a handful of lime being thrown at his face!

"Ah—my eyes!"

A bloodcurdling scream, heart-wrenching and agonizing.

However, Qin Biao, who had been a prominent figure in the underworld for over a decade, was no pushover.

He immediately closed his eyes and, relying on his intuition, swung the ghost-headed cleaver down, the wind whistling through the air.

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes and stepped aside to avoid it.

The tip of the knife grazed the hem of the clothes, the sound of tearing fabric was ear-piercing.

"ah--!"

Another scream.

The thugs rushing up from behind couldn't dodge in time and were slashed diagonally across the shoulder by the ghost-head knife. The blade embedded itself in the flesh, and blood gushed out, instantly staining half of his body red.

I can't worry about that anymore.

Qin Biao's eyes burned with pain, tears mingling with lime plaster and streaming down his face, leaving two white streaks. Instinctively, he drew his knife and retreated, the ghost-head blade dancing in front of him like a ball of light, protecting his vital points.

"You little bastard! I'll kill you!"

Li Yuan held his breath as if crouching a tiger, and quietly circled around to its left.

Qi and blood are activated, and strength surges through the limbs.

Seizing the opening in the flash of the blade, he moved swiftly.

With a sinking right shoulder and a slamming left shoulder, the entire body descends like a tiger, aiming straight for the opponent's waist.

Tiger-like ferocity!

boom!

The muffled thud was like thunder, while the sound of bones cracking was crisp and clear.

Before Qin Biao could react, his fist was already upon him.

Tiger-style Fist, the Fierce Tiger Hammers the Heart!

His five fingers, brought together like a tiger's claw, unleashed a burst of powerful force, aimed straight for the heart. If this punch landed, the sternum would shatter, and even a god couldn't save him.

Qin Biao was, after all, a trained fighter, said to have reached the peak of physical cultivation. Years of fighting had honed his courage and experience. He suddenly tilted his head back and swung his right elbow upward, striking Li Yuan in the ribs—a mutually destructive tactic to force him to change his move.

Li Yuan smirked, and instead of retreating, he advanced, taking the elbow strike head-on with his left knee.

click-

A crisper sound of bones cracking.

"ah--!"

A more mournful wail followed.

Qin Biao's elbow was bent strangely, with white bone fragments piercing through the flesh and protruding.

This force is something no ordinary person could generate.

"Who exactly are you?"

No one answered.

Boom!

A fist-shaped mark suddenly bulged on Qin Biao's back, his clothes ripped open at the front, and shreds of fabric flew everywhere. His feet left the ground, and he flew backward, knocking over the food and drinks, crashing into the stone wall, and sending debris flying.

puff--

His chest caved in, several ribs broken. He spat out blood mixed with bits of flesh, wiped his bloodshot eyes, and forced them open a crack, gurgling in his throat: "You...you are..."

"You are... the Zhou family's son-in-law?!"

Li Yuan said calmly, "He's someone you can't afford to offend."

Qin Biao tilted his head, and his pupils dilated suddenly.

The remaining henchmen were already weak-kneed and collapsed to the ground. When they saw Li Yuan's gaze sweep over them, their lips trembled, their bodies shook like leaves, and they scrambled to escape.

Li Yuan took a deep breath, pushed off the ground with one leg, and shot forward. His blood and qi, like mercury, surged up his spine to the back of his neck, then crashed down his right arm—

Tiger Style Fist, the roar of a tiger in the mountains and forests!

His right fist slammed out, the force of the punch creating a powerful gust of wind that exploded in the air with a low, booming sound, like the roar of a tiger.

The skinny henchman had barely opened half of the courtyard gate when he was struck hard on the back.

His clothes were ripped to shreds, the force of his punch penetrated his body, and shattered his heart and lungs.

He collapsed onto the threshold, his limbs twitched twice, and then he stopped moving.

The last henchman's crotch was soaked and reeked of a foul stench.

He slumped onto the muddy ground and saw the figure stretched long by the moonlight, like a real tiger approaching its dying prey.

"No, don't kill me..." he stammered incoherently, "The mountain god's incense... take it... it's all yours..."

"It's too late."

The voice was flat, like a verdict.

"Then die!"

The henchman's pupils constricted sharply, and he suddenly pulled out a dagger from his pocket and stabbed it into Li Yuan's lower abdomen.

"You forced me to do this!"

A cold light pierced the void.

Li Yuan reached down with his left hand, precisely gripping the wrist, and exerted force with his five fingers.

Crack! The wrist bone shattered.

The dagger fell to the ground, embedded itself in the soil, and the hilt trembled.

"ah--"

Before the scream could even escape his lips, Li Yuan's right fist had already struck the top of his opponent's head.

Bang!

The fist struck the skull with a dull thud that made one's teeth ache. The henchman's head snapped back, his neck creaking under the strain, his skull twisting at an unnatural angle.

Li Yuan slowly withdrew his fist and stood up straight.

The stench of blood permeated the air, mingling with the earthy scent carried on the night breeze to create an eerie atmosphere. Blood trickled into a stream, flowing into a crevices in the corner of the wall.

In the distance, dogs barked, and further away, faint shouts of killing could be heard.

This world is not peaceful.

Li Yuan trembled slightly.

"I'm not afraid," he muttered to himself. "The Black Tiger Gang is committing heinous crimes, and I'm doing this to rid the people of this scourge."

Struggling to stop his trembling hands, he knocked the four people's money bags to the ground with a clatter.

One tael, two taels... a total of three taels and eight mace!

Qin Biao had a tattered blue book in his arms.

"Yuan Sha Gong"

After confirming that nothing was missing, Li Yuan picked up the pink purse that Qin Biao had dropped on the ground and stuffed it into his pocket.

How should the situation be handled on-site?

Burning it all would be unsightly.

In today's chaotic world, who cares about the life or death of a lowly nobody?!

With his mind made up, Li Yuan slipped away and disappeared into the night.

The moon rises above the willow branches.

Zhou house.

wow-

A bucket of cold water was poured over him, and Li Yuan gradually calmed down.

Squeak.

The door was opened a crack, revealing a sleepy-eyed face.

"Yuan-ge'er, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Lan asked sleepily.

"I'll practice a few more times, you go to sleep first," Li Yuan said calmly.

"Go to sleep early, practice again tomorrow, don't overwork yourself." Fortunately, she didn't suspect anything.

Click, the door closed.

"If the body in the ruined temple is found, they shouldn't suspect me, right?"

Li Yuan thought it over carefully and found nothing missing.

By the moonlight, he unfolded the "Yuan Sha Gong" manual. He gasped as soon as he read the first sentence.

"To practice this skill, one must have a pure and clear mind to assist in its practice; otherwise, the evil energy entering the body will cause irreversible damage."

The name itself sounds sinister, so Li Yuan had no doubt that such a request was genuine.

Besides, if he could practice freely, Qin Biao would have already mastered the evil arts.

"The Yuan Sha Technique has thirteen levels. Each level, when fully mastered, increases one's strength by 20%, including power, agility, and more..."

Twenty percent?!

If all thirteen levels are perfected... the effect will be unimaginable!

Li Yuan licked his lips and swallowed.

Faced with a delicious sea urchin, he wanted to swallow it whole, but didn't know where to start.

It seems that a pure and clear mind is the key.

But where can one find a pure and clear mind?

People like Qin Biao could not possibly possess such heaven-defying skills.

As for the martial arts manual in his hand, where did it come from?

A serendipitous encounter?

plunder?

Or perhaps...theft?

Unable to guess the answer, Li Yuan suppressed his excitement and quietly tucked the "Yuan Sha Gong" into the innermost layer of his clothes.

......

The next day.

The news of Qin Biao's murder spread like wildfire throughout Lanshan Town.

In the shadows, everyone clapped and cheered.

"Serves them right! Bullying men and women, oppressing the villagers, utterly devoid of conscience, they should have died long ago!"

"Heaven has eyes! The mountain god has finally shown his power and taken him away!"

......

Deep within a narrow, deep alley, the locust blossoms are so sweet they're almost cloying.

Inside the main room, seven or eight elite members of the Black Tiger Gang sat around.

The candlelight flickered, casting ghostly shadows on the wall.

A tall man, holding a long, crescent-shaped knife, held it to the woman's neck.

"Be smart and hand over the stuff!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as if it had been quenched with ice.

He was around thirty years old, in the prime of his life, with long arms and a slender waist, a tiger-like head and sharp eyes, and a slight mustache, showing a maturity and shrewdness that was beyond his years.

This man was none other than Meng San, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang.

He searched Qin Biao's residence from top to bottom, but found nothing.

This woman, Qin Biao's mistress, is the last clue.

The woman trembled violently, her throat making gurgling sounds: "Master Meng, I really don't know... Ah Biao has never given me any books..."

Meng San said expressionlessly, "You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin?"

With a slight dip of the wrist, the blade penetrated three-tenths of an inch into the flesh.

Blood trickled down his neck, forming a thin red line on the scimitar.

"I'll talk! I'll talk—" the woman screamed, her voice ripped apart by fear, "The murderer must have taken it!"

Meng San frowned, the candlelight flickering in his eyes.

"The murderer? You fucking tell me who the murderer is?!" He sneered.

The woman shuddered. "Master Meng, although I don't know who the murderer is, the day before Ah Biao died, he went to Wutong Lane to collect the incense offerings for the mountain god for the next month... The families there must be involved..."

Wutong Lane?