11: Chapter 11 An Irreconcilable Feud

Bug Catchers all practice martial arts to temper their bodies from a young age.

Xia Shaoxin was young and strong, and Li the Toad was in his prime. Once the two started fighting, all their flowery, showy moves were useless; it looked completely devoid of technique, just a clash of brute force.

For a moment, the city gate was a scene of uproar.

In this world, there are cultivators, and the imperial court also has Qi Refiners.

But cultivators are few after all, and Mortals, having no path to cultivation, have no choice but to practice martial arts.

If practiced well, one can fight ten, but as one ages, their Qi and blood decline, and it all comes to nothing.

Therefore, Martial Artists are regarded as inferior things.

These two didn't even count as Martial Artists; they just wanted to kill using brute force.

Unexpectedly, Li the Toad was sturdier. Xia Shaoxin, a novice, couldn't beat him. After a few punches, he was knocked down, and Li the Toad stepped on his chest, leaving him unable to catch his breath.

Li the Toad clenched his fist, about to smash it down onto Xia Shaoxin's head.

"Stop!"

A thunderous shout came from afar.

A figure descended from the sky; it was none other than Liu Xinglong of the Gu Bureau.

He reached out and grabbed Li the Toad's hand, preventing the punch from landing.

Xia Shaoxin hadn't expected Liu Xinglong to be an expert as well.

"Are you trying to kill someone right under my nose?"

Li the Toad put on a wronged expression: "It's this kid who keeps pestering me."

Liu Xinglong said to Xia Shaoxin: "Poisonous Insects don't have names written on them. Once they leave your hands, how can you claim them as yours? You have no evidence, so no matter where you report it, it won't be resolved."

Li the Toad pressed down on Xia Shaoxin with hidden strength, causing Xia Shaoxin's eyes to roll back.

Liu Xinglong of the Gu Bureau saw through Li the Toad's intentions and growled: "If Bug Catchers fight each other, the imperial court will blame me for poor management. If you beat him to death in the street, you will be guilty too."

Li the Toad eased the pressure on his foot but didn't move it away, saying aggrievedly: "What should I do if he keeps pestering me?"

Xia Shaoxin gasped for air, knowing his strength was insufficient. If Liu Xinglong hadn't arrived, he would have been beaten to death.

Calming down now, he realized a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him; there was no point in continuing the argument.

Gritting his teeth, he lied against his conscience: "I must have been mistaken."

Li the Toad was stunned; he hadn't expected Xia Shaoxin to change his tune so quickly.

Liu Xinglong roared: "Let him go!"

Li the Toad had no choice but to lift his foot. He pointed at Xia Shaoxin's nose and said: "Your grandfather just died, so you're letting your imagination run wild. I won't hold it against you! If you keep pestering me again, I won't be so polite."

After saying this, he walked away.

Xia Shaoxin lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, and let out a long breath.

He was furious, nine parts of which were hatred for his own incompetence.

Liu Xinglong said coldly to Xia Shaoxin: "You can't produce evidence, and you can't beat him. It's best to let this matter drop, lest you bring disaster upon yourself."

Without saying another word, he also left.

Zhang Yan glanced at him from afar, his expression meaningful. He didn't speak and left as well.

Xia Shaoxin climbed up from the ground, having completely calmed down.

After turning through a few alleys in Li Family Hollow, he entered Zhang Yan's private residence.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yan was waiting in the courtyard.

"Your grandfather was indeed killed by Li the Toad; we could all see it," Zhang Yan said straightforwardly. "The evidence is in the heart, not in the object."

"Then why didn't you speak up for me?"

"If I had spoken up, it wouldn't have been for you, but rather to offend someone else."

Xia Shaoxin snorted coldly: "Forget it, I never expected the Gu Bureau to uphold justice for me."

"Very good, thinking that way is correct. If you want justice, you must have strength."

Xia Shaoxin remained silent.

He had been well protected by his parents since childhood and had never encountered real trouble. After his whole family died, he had to face everything himself, only then realizing how messed up this world was.

"If you had a strength pill, you wouldn't have suffered today."

"I will have a strength pill soon."

"Once you have a strength pill, what will you do?"

"A blood debt must be paid in blood."

"He killed your grandfather, you kill their father, both demanding blood for blood—when will it end?"

Xia Shaoxin gritted his teeth and said: "Until one side is wiped out."

Zhang Yan shook his head with a bitter smile: "You Bug Catchers always have such simple and crude ways of solving problems! You just got me such a large batch of dried goods, I really don't want you to suffer."

After speaking, he patted Xia Shaoxin on the shoulder: "Don't be afraid, go ahead and do what you need to do. As long as you don't make too much of a scene and don't involve the Gu Bureau, whether one person dies or an entire family is wiped out, it can be handled."

This was meant to reassure Xia Shaoxin.

"Many thanks for your advice, Brother Zhang."

Xia Shaoxin was genuinely a bit grateful.

He hadn't experienced much; acting on instinct could easily lead to trouble.

Zhang Yan sneered: "You Bug Catchers are of slave status; as long as it doesn't affect the annual harvest, no one really cares whether you live or die!"

Xia Shaoxin quickly withdrew that bit of gratitude he had just felt.

He said coldly: "Understood, Lord Zhang."

Zhang Yan glared at him, then chuckled.

"Kid, this isn't my opinion of you. I'm just telling you what status you Bug Catchers hold in the eyes of the Gu Bureau and the imperial court."

Xia Shaoxin once again felt grateful for Zhang Yan's candor.

For an imperial official and someone of slave status to sit together as host and guest in this luxurious residence, drinking tea and talking, was already no small feat.

"Whenever you Bug Catchers fight over Poisonous Insects, it's always to the death."

Xia Shaoxin suddenly asked: "If I kill Li the Toad, will it affect any official's purse?"

Zhang Yan waved his hand: "You don't need to worry about that. Didn't I just say? Bug Catchers are of slave status; not many live long anyway. If one dies, someone will naturally take their place."

Xia Shaoxin felt stifled hearing this.

This Zhang Yan was indeed candid—too candid, making one unwilling to get close to him.

The people of the Gu Bureau were smuggling, violating the laws of the Yue Kingdom, but they were people of the imperial court; how to deal with them was the court's business.

In their eyes, Bug Catchers were just tools who ran into the mountains.

"Take this."

Zhang Yan suddenly produced a dagger.

The blade gleamed.

"This dagger was forged by a master craftsman and can cut through iron like mud. You won't find such a good defensive weapon in Li Family Hollow."

Xia Shaoxin felt a warmth in his heart and took it.

"It's worth ten thousand coins, no discount, because I originally intended to keep it for myself."

"Uh..."

The little bit of good feeling in his heart diminished once more.

Li the Toad hurried home, feeling restless.

He gathered his three sons to inform them of the matter.

"Never would I have expected that when I went to the Gu Bureau to deliver goods today, that kid from the Xia family recognized the Five-colored Scorpion."

The eldest son couldn't help but say: "I heard that a few days ago, that kid was the first to go to the Gu Bureau to deliver goods. Where did his family get the goods?"

"It might be black-market goods his old man saved up," the third son said.

The second son complained: "If we had known that day, Father should have searched properly and taken everything."

"Idiots! If we had cleaned them out back then, wouldn't that have been a blatant admission that a home invasion robbery and murder had occurred at the Xia family's place?" Li the Toad roared.

"Besides, you idiots, we aren't discussing the delivery now; it's that he recognized the Five-colored Scorpion I delivered as belonging to his family!"

The third son said: "Since he admitted in front of the Gu Bureau that he was mistaken, why are you still so terrified?"

Li the Toad slammed the table: "That brat is not convinced at all."

The eldest son: "You should have beaten him to death on the spot."

Li the Toad slapped him: "Kill someone in front of the Gu Bureau? Even if I were in the right, I'd be in the wrong."

The eldest son covered his face and hurriedly retreated: "Then what do you want to do..."

Li the Toad's face darkened.

"Thirty years ago, for the sake of a Three-flowered Bamboo Viper, the Chen family killed someone from the Wang family in the mountains, thinking no one would know."

"The following year, the Wang family took advantage of the Chen family's able-bodied men going into the mountains and slaughtered all the old, weak, women, and children of the Chen family."

Everyone gasped.

"I cannot take the risk. That kid from the Xia family is all alone; I must resolve this trouble before we go into the mountains again." Li the Toad's eyes shot out a venomous light.