Chapter 4

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"Hmph, it'll take at least twenty years for Hong's son to pass the imperial examination. You can wait, but I can't." Liu Jun sneered and interjected.

He had been standing there listening for a while, unable to accept the old man's and Liu Zhao's thoughts, as well as those of his sister-in-law. They just wanted to endure the humiliation and wait for twenty years?

This was not his style, nor his character. Liu Jun had always been the type who wouldn't provoke others unless provoked, but if someone rode on his neck and defecated, would he still endure the humiliation and wait?

No, absolutely not.

"Father, did Mr. Zhang really say that our pig belongs to him, and that we need to pay five taels of silver to redeem it?"

"Um." The old man sighed helplessly. "Forget it, we can't compete with the Zhang family. Let's just endure this for now."

"I'll go and reason with Mr. Zhang. I believe he's not the kind of person who doesn't listen to reason." Liu Jun said, then turned and walked straight toward the Zhang family's house.

Liu Zhao looked at his brother's back and shrugged. "The Zhang family isn't the kind of people who listen to reason. How can Jun not understand this after living outside for a few years?"

Mei Shi glanced at her husband, holding her son's hand without a word, but she was inwardly dissatisfied with her husband's dullness. Didn't he see that Liu Jun wasn't really going to reason with them? How could brothers from the same mother be so different?

Liu Jun left home and walked straight to the Zhang family's house. The Zhang family's door was open, and Zhang the Butcher's two grandsons, around seven or eight years old, were standing at the door eating chicken claws. Seeing Liu Jun storm in, they quickly ran inside, shouting, "Liu's second fool is coming!"

After the shout, several men from the Zhang family came out, led by Zhang the Butcher's third son, accompanied by a few butchers. They looked unfriendly. "Hey, did you bring the silver? Five taels, not a single coin less."

Liu Jun walked up to Zhang San and gave him a cold look. "Is it really necessary to go this far? We are neighbors, why can't we live in peace and harmony?"

"Damn, are you stupid? If you have the silver, take your pig. If not, don't talk nonsense. Get lost." Liu San sneered and cursed. Liu Jun's second brother was a fool, and Liu San used to be a bit afraid of him. But in the past two years, since Liu Jun had been in the city, his fear had faded. Moreover, Liu Jun's polite words just now made him believe that Liu Jun was afraid.

"Didn't you say that if I give you five taels of silver, I can take my pig back? I didn't get it wrong, did I?" Liu Jun said coldly, emphasizing the words "my pig."

"Right, do you have the silver?"

Liu Jun shook his index finger. "With your words, it's easier to handle. Everyone here is a witness, but even if you're not, it doesn't matter." He then pulled back his right arm and punched like a cannonball. The iron fist hit Liu San's nose, and his face instantly turned bright red.

After knocking Liu San down, Liu Jun quickly beat the other butchers to the ground.

Amidst the groans, Liu Jun clenched his fists and continued walking into the Zhang family's house. He marveled at how this body, which had trained for two years in martial arts, was indeed tough. The combat skills in his mind worked perfectly, and his fists felt no pain after hitting flesh several times. This was the toughness of a trained fighter, with calloused and hardened fists.

The Zhang family's house was similar to the Liu family's, with a large courtyard in the middle and houses on all four sides. At that moment, Zhang the Butcher was directing a few butchers and servants to tie up the Liu family's fat pig, preparing to slit its throat and let the blood out.

"Master, it's bad. Liu's second fool knocked out the third young master, and his nose is broken." A servant rushed in and reported loudly.

Holding a sharp knife, Zhang the Butcher turned around and saw Liu Jun approaching. He said sternly, "Liu's second fool, I heard you came back. It's been two years, and I almost didn't recognize you."

"I'm still me, but you, after two years, have become Mr. Zhang, and now you bully the weak and oppress your neighbors. Haven't you been away from slaughtering pigs for too long, and now you want to practice on my pig?"

Liu Jun had no kind words for the fat and tall Zhang the Butcher. He had seen many such bullies in his past life, all of whom bullied the weak and feared the strong, thinking they were the whole world.

"I heard you entered the martial academy and became a martial student. I didn't believe it at first, but now I do. But young man, I advise you not to say things recklessly or offend people. Our Zhang family is not someone you can provoke."

Zhang the Butcher said viciously. Since his son-in-law became the county magistrate and his sons became a supervisor and a scholar, he no longer feared anyone in Xibay. Not to mention the Liu family, with just an old scholar and a young martial student, who would he fear?

"Man does not offend me, I do not offend man. But since your Zhang family has offended me first, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Brat, don't be too arrogant. My son-in-law is the county magistrate, my eldest son is a supervisor, and my second son is a scholar. If you offend my Zhang family, you'll regret it. Now, kneel down and kowtow three times, and pay a hundred taels for my son's medicine. I'll let you off this time. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Liu Jun said, then rushed forward, grabbed Zhang the Butcher's right hand holding the knife, and twisted it, dislocating his shoulder. He then took the knife and threw it aside, kicked Zhang the Butcher to the ground, and when the Zhang family's people rushed over, Liu Jun coldly snorted, stood firm, and punched and kicked, quickly knocking them all down.

Liu Jun walked to the side, picked up the knife Zhang the Butcher had prepared to kill the pig, and slowly approached Zhang the Butcher.

"Don't kill me, I was wrong." Zhang the Butcher cried in fear. He remembered that Liu's second brother was a fool, not someone who would listen to reason, and would fight to the death. He was truly afraid that Liu Jun would fight to the death. It wasn't worth it for him to exchange his life with a fool.

Liu Jun ignored him and continued forward. Zhang the Butcher panicked. "I'll pay you, ten taels, no, fifty taels, a hundred taels!"

The knife was already raised high. Liu Jun sneered at Zhang the Butcher and stabbed down fiercely.

Zhang the Butcher screamed, and a foul smell spread as he wet himself.

Liu Jun's knife stabbed down, and a gush of blood splattered. The Liu family's pig squealed loudly, and its blood sprayed, covering Zhang the Butcher's face.

Wiping the pig's blood from his face, Zhang the Butcher realized that Liu Jun wasn't trying to kill him but had stabbed the pig. Looking at the dead pig, which was still bleeding, Zhang the Butcher swallowed hard. He had been slaughtering pigs for years and prided himself on his strength, but such a clean and precise stab to kill a pig and let the blood out was impressive. This Liu Jun was not simple.

"Zhang the Butcher, don't worry, killing people is illegal, I won't kill you. But this pig is ours, and slaughtering our own pig is not illegal, right?" Liu Jun asked with a smile.

Zhang the Butcher nodded helplessly.

"Very good. Oh, right, I heard you said you would pay a hundred taels for our pig. Is that correct? Please pay now, a hundred taels in cash. Also, write a contract stating that you voluntarily paid a hundred taels for our pig. Is that okay?"

Zhang the Butcher hesitated but finally nodded, hardening his resolve. Liu Jun, holding a bloody knife and talking calmly, was truly terrifying.

Two fifty-tael ingots were presented, and Zhang the Butcher wrote the contract as Liu Jun requested, even pressing a blood handprint. Liu Jun was satisfied and put the contract in his pocket.

"Selling a pig for five taels, I thought it was a bit expensive, but someone insisted on paying a hundred taels. This world is truly incomprehensible. Rich people are so capricious."

Liu Jun smiled and chopped the knife into the wooden basin.

"By the way, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. Don't think that having a son-in-law as a county magistrate or a son as a scholar is impressive. Let me tell you, do you know that I entered the martial academy in the city for two years?"

"You should know that martial students in the martial academy are all military officers under twenty-five years old, or the heirs of military officials, or their younger brothers and nephews over ten years old, right? Think about it, why could I, from a poor family, enter the martial academy as a martial student?"

Zhang the Butcher was thinking about the hundred taels and planning how to take revenge, making the Liu family suffer. Hearing this, he was stunned.

That's right, not everyone can enter the martial academy, and not everyone can be a martial student. You can enter the Confucian academy and become a scholar by passing the exam, but the martial academy is for the military, and outsiders can't get in. The martial students are either heirs or young military officers. How did this Liu Jun enter the martial academy and become a martial student? Could his family be a branch of a military family?

"Do you know Commander Liu Jinwu of the Jinyiwei?" Liu Jun asked with a light smile.

Zhang the Butcher nodded repeatedly. How could he not know the Liu family, one of the four major families in Macheng, with the imperial plaque 'Jinghu Dinzhu' in Suikou River? Not to mention the numerous scholars and officials, just the generations of Jinyiwei commanders were enough to make them famous. The current leader of the Liu family, Liu Qiao, was the Left Commander of the Jinyiwei and the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Could the Liu family in Xibay be related to the Liu family in Suikou River? He had never heard of it.

"Liu Feng, the son of Liu Jinwu, is my brother." After saying this, Liu Jun left without another word, leaving Zhang the Butcher sitting in his own excrement, pale-faced and heartbroken. If the Liu family in Xibay was really related to the Liu family in Suikou River, he was in big trouble.