Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

noon

The sky was so dark it seemed about to collapse, and snowflakes began to swirl in the air again.

Li Ping sat in the county government office's duty room, holding a chipped, rough porcelain teacup in his hand; the tea had long since gone cold.

Two pitiful tea stalks floated on top.

Uncle Zhou stood beside the desk, holding a thick notebook in his hands, fiddling with the abacus beads, which made a crisp, clattering sound.

"Sir, we only have eighty taels of silver left."

Uncle Zhou sighed and pushed the abacus forward.

"A few days ago I went to the black market to buy steel crossbow bolts and fireball talismans, spending money like water."

"If this continues, we'll have trouble feeding the brothers next month."

Li Ping put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Earn more money when you run out."

"If you lose your life, leaving behind a house full of gold ingots is just a waste of time and resources."

"Has any news come back from Wild Fox Ridge?"

Uncle Zhou shook his head

"Shi Gan and his brothers lay in the snow pit for two hours, but they didn't see a single ghost."

As they were talking, Qian Duo pushed open the door, bringing in a gust of biting cold wind.

He rubbed his hands together and went to warm himself by the fire.

"My lord, that grandson Hu Lie must be scared and dare not keep his appointment."

Qian Duo grinned.

"The rumors we spread had an effect; he knew Wild Fox Ridge was a trap, so naturally he wasn't willing to fall into it."

Li Ping frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Hu Lie was a brainless brute, but Miao Jun, who was by his side, was extremely shrewd.

Now that Hu Lie has declared he will take action, there is absolutely no way he will back down.

If he doesn't go to Wild Fox Ridge, where will he go?

Just then, Hu Jiu rushed into the duty room like a gust of wind, losing a shoe in the process and covered in sweat.

"Sir! Something's gone wrong!"

Hu Jiu didn't even bother to pick up his shoes; he hopped on one leg to the table, panting heavily.

Li Ping's eyelids twitched.

"speak"

"West of the city! My informants spotted One-Eyed leading a dozen or so unfamiliar faces, carrying knives, heading towards Willow Alley in the west of the city!"

Li Ping suddenly stood up, knocking over the chair behind him.

Willow Tree Alley in the west of the city, that's his home.

"Where is my elder brother working today?"

Li Ping's voice was so cold it felt like ice crystals.

Qian Duo was startled and quickly answered.

"They're repairing the city wall at the south gate! My sister-in-law went out to deliver food with a food box half an hour ago!"

A surge of violent killing intent rose in Li Ping's heart.

Hu Lie was driven to desperation by the rumors and was planning to directly target his family.

"Where is Shi Gan?"

"Just got back from Wild Fox Ridge, and I'm having hot water in the backyard."

Li Ping rushed out of the duty room and kicked open the backyard door.

Shi Gan was holding a large bowl, gulping down hot water.

"Stop drinking! Take the shortcut to the south gate! Protect my sister-in-law! If she loses a single hair, I'll hold you responsible!"

Shi Gan was taken aback, then dropped the large bowl, drew the short knife from his waist, and darted out like a cheetah.

Li Ping followed closely behind, casually pulling out two cheap fireball talismans from his sleeve, and also grabbing a packet of lime powder.

Outside the South Gate, a secluded narrow alley

Zhang carried a bamboo basket filled with steaming hot cornbread.

She walked very fast, wanting to get the pancake to her husband before dinner time.

Three men blocked the way in front of the alley.

The leader was One-Eyed

His only remaining right eye looked Zhang up and down, then he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Young lady, why are you in such a hurry? Come with us to the mountains for a few days of fun."

Zhang was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale, and she retreated repeatedly, turning to run away.

Two more men blocked their way from behind, carrying gleaming steel knives.

"What are you doing? In broad daylight, is there no law anymore?!"

Zhang's voice trembled as she clutched the bamboo basket tightly in her arms.

The one-eyed man sneered and reached out to grab Zhang's arm.

"The law? The knife in my hand is the law! Come with us obediently, or you'll suffer!"

A sharp whistling sound came from mid-air.

A finely crafted steel crossbow bolt grazed the one-eyed man's scalp and embedded itself in the nearby brick wall, its fletching whirring.

Shi Gan leaped down from the wall like a tiger descending a mountain, crashing directly into the crowd.

"Touch her? Ask my knife first!"

Shi Gan raised his knife and felled one man on the spot.

Blood splattered on the snow, a glaringly red color.

The one-eyed man was enraged and swung his sword to strike.

"Where did this stray dog ​​come from! Chop him up!"

The other three men also gathered around.

Although Shi Gan was brave, he was no match for four hands.

He stood firmly in front of Zhang, refusing to budge an inch.

The flashing of blades and the clanging of metal were incessant.

The one-eyed man found an opening and slashed at Zhang.

Shi Gan roared and lunged forward, using his back to block the blow.

The skin and flesh rolled back, and fresh blood gushed out.

Shi Gan grunted, knelt on one knee, and still pointed the short knife in his hand firmly forward.

"Sister-in-law...run!"

Shi Gan gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

hurried footsteps came from the alley entrance.

Li Ping arrived.

Using the wisp of spiritual energy within him, he could smell the stench of blood from afar.

Turning the corner, one's eyes are met with the sight of Shi Gan, covered in blood, kneeling and fighting to the death.

Zhang huddled in the corner, so frightened she forgot to cry.

Li Ping remained silent.

Without a word, he raised his hand and threw a fireball talisman at the one-eyed man.

The talisman exploded in mid-air, turning into a blinding burst of fire and thick smoke.

The one-eyed man instinctively raised his hand to cover his eyes.

Under the cover of the smoke, Li Ping charged forward, scattering lime powder in his hands.

"Ah! My eyes!"

The one-eyed man screamed, covering his face with his hands, and the steel knife clattered to the ground.

Li Ping lunged forward, his short knife flashing like a viper's tongue, precisely plunging into the one-eyed man's throat.

Sword drawn, blood spurting.

Li Ping didn't stop, turning around and lunging at another man.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the man turned to run away.

Li Ping kicked up a steel knife from the ground, the hilt striking the man squarely in the back of the head.

The man stumbled and fell to the ground.

Li Ping stepped forward, stomped on his back, and plunged the dagger into his heart.

He killed two people in quick succession, swiftly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

The alleyway quieted down.

Only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the snow could be heard.

Zhang collapsed to the ground, her bamboo basket overturned.

Cornbreads rolled all over the ground, covered in mud and blood.

She looked at Li Ping

Li Ping before me had blood splattered all over his face, and his eyes were as cold as ice.

Is this still the same brother-in-law who was always smiling, gentle, and easy to talk to?

Zhang was trembling all over, and her gaze towards Li Ping contained not only terror but also a hint of fear.

At the other end of the alley, Li Da, carrying a shovel, stumbled and ran over.

He saw corpses strewn across the ground, and his wife covered in blood; he dropped the shovel.

He rushed over and hugged Zhang tightly, bursting into tears.

Li Ping stood there, looking at his brother and sister-in-law who were weeping bitterly, and at the bloodstains on the ground.

He looked down at his hand holding the knife.

My hands are shaking

He always believed that by scheming and leveraging power, he could protect his family in this cannibalistic world.

This blow today shattered his illusions.

As long as he's still on this path, as long as he still wants to climb higher...

His family will always be seen as a weakness by others.

Concessions won't bring peace, and scheming can't stop open attacks.

Into the night

The guest rooms in Li Ping's residence smelled strongly of medicine.

The best doctor in town just left

The knife wound on Shi Gan's back was deep enough to expose the bone, but fortunately it did not damage his heart.

After applying wound medicine, he barely survived.

Shi Gan lay sprawled on the couch, his face deathly pale, yet he still managed a wide grin.

"My lord, I have not disgraced you."

"Not a single hair of your sister-in-law is missing."

Li Ping sat down in front of the couch, wrung out a towel with warm water, and handed it to Shi Gan to wipe his sweat.

"I'll remember your life."

"Take good care of your injury, and your reward will be doubled next month."

Shi Gan chuckled, which aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.

Li Ping stood up, walked to the window, and opened the window.

The snowstorm outside had stopped, and the night sky was as black as a sheet of iron.

Qian Duo, Uncle Zhou, and Hu Jiu stood outside the door, not daring to breathe.

Li Ping turned around, his gentle and playful expression vanished, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

"Hu Jiu, have you figured out the terrain of Black Wind Stronghold?"

Hu Jiu quickly stepped forward and reported in a low voice.

"I've figured it out"

"Black Wind Stronghold has three gates; the front of the mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"But there is a secluded path on the back mountain used by herb gatherers, which leads directly to the back courtyard of the Hall of Righteousness."

Li Ping drew the short knife from his waist and used a clean cloth to carefully wipe the blood off the blade.

"Qian Duo, go and call all the brothers from Wild Fox Ridge back."

Qian Duo was taken aback: "Sir, why are you calling the brothers so late?"

Li Ping sheathed the cleaned dagger, making a crisp ringing sound.

"Hu Lie has lived too long."

"Tonight, we're going to Black Wind Stronghold."

"Send him on his way."