5: Zhao Erming

Jiang Chen did not remove the bandage from his head.

Along the way, many villagers were already up early.

"Xiao Chen, so diligent again, going up the mountain to hunt?"

"Yes."

"Your injury hasn't fully healed, so you must be extra careful."

"It's very foggy in the mountains today, remember to come back early."

"Alright!"

The atmosphere in Da Huai Village was quite good; most of the villagers were simple and sincere, looking out for each other.

They helped each other out in times of difficulty.

When Jiang De, Jiang Chen's father, passed away, everyone came to offer their help.

Although life outside was chaotic, Da Huai Village was relatively better because it was close to the mountains and had abundant hunting resources, making it neither the best nor the worst.

Even the Village Chief, Jiang De, had been named one of the top ten village chiefs in Dongfeng Town for several consecutive years.

Da Huai Village was built at the foot of Wu Huai Mountain.

Wu Huai Mountain was vast, covering an area of over five hundred li.

Not only were its resources abundant, but it was also said that some Essence Spirits who had achieved success in Cultivation resided within the mountain.

There were six villages at the foot of Wu Huai Mountain alone, and Da Huai Village was one of them.

Adjacent to Da Huai Village was Xiao Huai Village.

The area between the two villages had a small cluster of hills, known as Xiao Xing Mountain.

It was a necessary passage.

Many villagers from the six nearby villages had fallen into the trap of the Black Tiger Gang, accumulating debts they could never repay in their lifetime.

The Black Tiger Gang was very cunning; they would not let you pay off the debt all at once.

If you died, your family would have to repay your debt.

They would exploit you for a lifetime.

Today was also the day the Black Tiger Gang came to collect debts.

Jiang Chen put on his usual hunting bow and found that his hunting bow could also be placed into his System space.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that although the panel only had twenty slots, each slot was an independent space, and the space inside each was very large.

This was equivalent to twenty Storage Rings.

Dividing it into so many slots was simply for better categorization: Medicinal Pills went with Medicinal Pills, weapons with weapons.

Jiang Chen moved through the jungle; his Physical Body had now increased a hundredfold.

Both his hearing and eyesight were enhanced.

He could even clearly hear the rustling of an inchworm's limbs against a tree trunk as it crawled hundreds of meters away.

As a hunter, one must know how to conceal oneself and wait for the right moment.

Jiang Chen targeted a seven-zhang-tall tree; its dense leaves were enough to hide his figure.

Moreover, the view from here was the best.

Both sides were dense jungle, with only a narrow dirt path.

In the past, climbing this tree would have taken a lot of effort.

This time, Jiang Chen stood at the base of the tree and took a deep breath.

Then, his legs bent slightly.

Bang!

Jiang Chen's body instantly shot up three zhang from the ground.

He grabbed the nearest tree trunk, then swung his body, easily landing on a branch about six zhang from the ground.

He looked down at the height.

Even Jiang Chen couldn't help but gasp.

With this kind of agility, if he were to Cultivate, the light body techniques from ancient novels could be easily achieved.

Flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth would no longer be an unreachable dream.

Suppressing the joy in his heart.

Jiang Chen leaned against the tree trunk with his hunting bow, closed his eyes, and amplified his hearing, trying to extend it towards Xiao Huai Village.

Finally, as noon approached.

Jiang Chen heard cries, smashing sounds, and other chaotic noises coming from Xiao Huai Village in the distance, mixed with pleas for mercy and dissuasions.

They're here!

Jiang Chen's spirits immediately lifted.

He put away his old hunting bow and took out the Dragon Horn Bow.

As the chaos in Xiao Huai Village gradually subsided.

Jiang Chen's gaze saw four figures slowly approaching in the distance.

The leader was burly and muscular.

He was bare-chested, with a black tiger head tattooed on his chest.

He was gnawing on a green sugarcane, his teeth quite sharp.

Jiang Chen had never seen this person before, and based on his many years of hunting experience, this bare-chested man possessed considerable strength.

The veins on the back of his hands protruded.

He was a martial artist!

Jiang Chen's expression was grave, not daring to be careless.

As for the other three, Jiang Chen had seen them before; they were all small-time thugs from the Black Tiger Gang, led by Zhao Erming.

The other two were Zhao Erming's followers.

The weather was hot, and Zhao Erming's two followers were fanning the strong man from behind.

The collected money was all on Zhao Erming's body, his waist bulging.

"Zhao Erming, is that little daughter-in-law from the Jiang family really as charming as you say?"

"Of course, Brother Hu!"

Zhao Erming quickly said eagerly, as if seeking credit.

"I can guarantee that Cheng Yurou's beauty is first-class in the entire Dongfeng Town; even the Town Guard's daughter pales in comparison."

"Damn it, do you think I'm a fool? How could such a good catch end up in this village?"

Hu Quan spat, he wasn't a brainless brute.

"It's true. Cheng Yurou was originally a sickly girl who couldn't work and needed money to stay alive. No family wanted such a burden, so she was sold cheaply to Da Huai Village. Who knew that after a few years, under the care of her younger brother-in-law, Jiang Chen, her health actually got better and better."

"By the way, Brother Hu, that Jiang Chen is a ruthless person. His father was killed by an eight-hundred-pound black bear back then. On the seventh day after his father's death, Jiang Chen went up the mountain alone and chopped off the black bear's head. Even the Big Boss praised that kid highly at the time."

Zhao Erming said.

However, precisely because Jiang Chen was ruthless, whenever Zhao Erming came to collect debts, he felt inferior. He was just a smelly hunter, what was he being so arrogant about?

Once, Zhao Erming tried to molest Cheng Yurou and was beaten by Jiang Chen, who also cut off one of his fingers.

Thus, this grudge was formed.

Mainly because Jiang Chen always paid the full amount, it was Zhao Erming himself who wanted to stir up trouble, so the Black Tiger Gang didn't help settle this matter.

"Heh, just killed a black bear, what's there to be arrogant about?"

"My Iron Body Art is so strong that even if I stood there and let that black bear hit me, it wouldn't move!"

Hu Quan said confidently.

"Of course, Brother Hu, you are the Undefeated Heavenly King! With your Body Tempering Realm Fifth Layer Cultivation and this martial art, even the Town Guard would be polite to you."

"Get out of here, you're just spouting nonsense!"

Hu Quan backhanded him with a sugarcane.

Although he had some skills, he wasn't qualified to be presumptuous in front of the Town Guard.

Zhao Erming was clearly just flattering him.

Zhao Erming wasn't angry; instead, he smiled and handed him a new sugarcane.

"But you're a sensible kid, knowing to save the good stuff for me."

"Don't worry, if that Cheng Yurou is really that charming..."

"After I'm done, I'll let you guys 'wash the pot'."

Hearing Hu Quan's words, Zhao Erming's eyes immediately lit up.

The other two also grinned.

Not only would they have their fun.

They would also do it in front of that kid, Jiang Chen!

They would break Jiang Chen's limbs and watch his angry yet helpless expression.

Just thinking about it made them incredibly excited.

Just as Zhao Erming was lowering his head, lost in his fantasies.

Suddenly, he heard a piercing whistle.

Bang!

The next moment.

Hu Quan, known as the Undefeated Heavenly King.

Was directly shot in the head.

His brains splattered everywhere.

Zhao Erming and the others were splashed with blood and instantly froze in place.

"Ding... Enemy Kill Value +1"