Chapter 13: Prudence

"Mr. Mayor, stop. I am a resident of Lakeside Town. Life under the rule of the Fish and Dragon Gang is hard, but reasonably stable. I have no intention of breaking their rules.

Uncle Wang, you should return home."

Chen Yi interrupted immediately. Wang Dachui had held the village chief position for over a decade using dubious means, and regardless of what those were, Chen Yi didn't want to involve himself.

The Fish and Dragon Gang that charges 40% admission fee at the market's gate, you casually reduced it to 10%. Do you think the gang is made of vegetarians?

However, even after being rejected, the village chief stubbornly insisted:

"Xiao Yi, listen to me. What we're doing isn't against the gang's rules.

Hu Ye, you know him, right? He's an elder in the gang. There was a rumor of him illegally trading big fish which got reported by Scabby Liu, and guess what,

Scabby Liu was dead the next day!

Do you think an aged Jin-entering martial artist like Hu Ye would dare commit such a serious crime?

I'll tell you a secret, it's rumored that the deputy gang leader is involved..."

Wang Dachui hinted sneakily by pointing upwards,

But the more Chen Yi listened, the darker his expression became.

It seems Hu Ye resumed his old tricks after being expelled from the gang.

He's stripping the Fish and Dragon Gang of their profits!

Whether it's true or not, it involves the deputy gang leader and is beyond the involvement of us ordinary civilians. Even if I can now control my Vitality and blood and am comparable to a martial artist of Mingjin, I would still be brutally killed. You should know that the powerful Huajin could only submit beneath the Fish and Dragon Gang in this town!

Besides, why do they call him the deputy gang leader instead of the gang leader?

Even as strong as the deputy gang leader, he couldn't protect Hu Ye, could he?

And the death of Scabby Liu has nothing to do with Hu Ye. I was the one who killed him.

"Uncle Wang, stop talking. Pretend you never came here today. I don't know anything about Hu Ye or the deputy gang leader. I just want to live my life peacefully, and I will not participate in anything you've mentioned."

Wang Dachui's face started to darken. His son promised a reward of ten coppers for a steady client who could buy big fish, not to mention half the potential future fish sales!

Lately, Wang Dachui had been observing the villagers and indeed discovered that Chen Yi, a young kid, had an unknown fishing technique which allowed him to catch big fish weighing more than five pounds, and once, he even caught a Blue Fish weighing ten pounds!

Being a team of one single parent and one orphan, Chen Yi's father's death making him young, yet possessing such skills, how could he, Wang Dachui, not exploit him and still live up to the title of village chief?

"Xiao Yi," Wang Dachui smirked coldly, "I've mentioned names like Hu Ye and the deputy gang leader, yet you're still unappreciative. You're not thinking of reporting us, are you?"

Wang Dachui said while staring Chen Yi down,

"This deal today, you will agree whether you want to or not, hmmm... what are you doing, put me down!"

Chen Yi grabbed Wang Dachui by the collar with one hand and effortlessly lifted him around a foot off the ground,

All at once, the cruelty in Wang Dachui's face faded.

"Wang Dachui, I call you uncle as a sign of respect. I don't care about whatever you do, and I have no interest in reporting your dirty activities,

But if you dare plot against me, I can crush you as easily as I crush an ant!"

Wang Dachui grabbed Chen Yi's arm with both hands trying desperately to pull it down, but didn't move an inch.

At that moment, he was terrified beyond belief. This young man, Chen Yi, must be a highly skilled martial artist, a master of Mingjin!

My God, wouldn't that make him just as powerful as Hu Ye?!

What nerve have I worked up?!.

In the air, Wang Dachui's eyes filled with fear, but he couldn't speak due to Chen Yi's grip around his neck, so he could only keep patting Chen Yi's arm, pleading for mercy.

"Uncle Wang, Er Chui from your house, who served as a servant in the Wang Family a few years ago, he must be 13 or 14 years old now, right? The young master of the Wang Family even invited me to serve as an offering at his house. How do you feel about this?.

The Widow Sun from our village who you regularly support, her son turned five this year, doesn't he look quite similar to you? Should I call him Third Hammer?

Oh right, five years ago, Widow Sun's husband who went fishing with you died in the Deep Marsh. Is that a coincidence?"

"Hmph! Uncle Wang, let's pretend that this conversation didn't happen today, and I will stay out of this as well.

But, I must warn you!

If you and Little Hammer run into trouble, don't cry for help. Otherwise, I can easily kill Er Chui and Third Hammer and make sure you don't have a future generation!

From now on, in West Lake Village, the Chen Family and the Wang Family will mind our own businesses. As long as you don't bother me, I will ignore you.

However, if you dare upset me, I will destroy your family and wipe out your future generations! So that even in your afterlife, you won't face your ancestors!"

Wang Dachui went pale, listening to Chen Yi's words!

Disaster! The secrets of his family were all in the hands of the enemy,

The Chen Family has been quietly staying in this village for so many years, and they were actually raising a tiger!

This little guy, who is only in his teens, even knows about my two illegitimate sons?!

After listening to Chen Yi, any remaining hope Wang Dachui had evaporated,

Originally, he had thought that if anything went wrong with Hu Ye's situation, he could use Chen Yi as a scapegoat to lessen his own punishment,

But it turns out that this kid from the Chen Family is even tougher than he thought!

After he had finished talking, Chen Yi put Wang Dachui down, Wang Dachui covered his throat and coughed for a while:

"Cough...cough... Ah Yi, no, my lord Yi, I swear, I wasn't here today, and no matter what happens in the future, I won't rat you out.

My two sons, could you spare them, my lord Yi?!"

Wang Dachui looked at Chen Yi pleadingly, not even realizing that his back was soaked in a cold sweat.

"Get out!"

After Chen Yi drove him away, he began pondering the consequences of his actions today.

He couldn't possibly wipe out an entire family just because someone wanted to recruit him. Wang Dachui certainly didn't openly threaten his mother and younger sister as Scabby Liu did,

Even after living in this lawless world for 16 years, Chen Yi still had some moral bottom lines.

Issuing such a warning now, he could ward off trouble. Besides, he always paid his taxes honestly every time he sold fish, so he had a clean record to fall back on.

Speaking of which, it's high time he updated his ledger for the taxes paid from selling big fish. If the Fish and Dragon Gang were to investigate, this would be his bargaining chip!

About the matter of Wang Dachui's family's line with Hu Ye,

Hmph, Hu Ye and the deputy gang leader are powerful martial artists who might survive if things go sideways,

But who are you, a little village chief, in their eyes? If anything happens, won't you be the first one thrown out as a shield?!

However, the town has always been managed by the Fish and Dragon Gang. It seems like there's an internal power struggle between the gang leader and his deputy now,

If they start fighting, hopefully, that chaos won't affect me.

No, the house still isn't safe enough,

I'll have to find a way to save some money, buy a bigger boat, and in case of any problems, move all the possessions onto the boat and hide in the Great Swamp for a few months!

Sigh, the crux of the problem is I'm too weak. If I were a Huajin master now,

Then I wouldn't be afraid of a fight between a couple of gang leaders. Whoever dares provoke me, I'll destroy them!

I must focus on training and improve my abilities quickly!