Chapter 42: A Lesson

"The scholar is here, the scholar has arrived."
"The scholar is here to bring justice."
"Scholar…"

Outsiders usually addressed Fang Yue as Scholar Fang, but since all the villagers present shared the same surname and were part of the Fang clan, they simply called him "Scholar." In the villagers’ eyes, a scholar was a person of knowledge and insight; whenever significant matters arose in the village, they would always invite Fang Yue to participate and offer his opinion.

That dark-skinned youth from the village, upon seeing Deng Yurong bring men to propose marriage at Li Zhilian’s house, had specifically run to find Fang Yue, because Fang Yue was someone whose voice carried weight in the village.

Fang Yue’s arrival, however, was both a surprise and a shock to the villagers. While they were glad to have found their pillar, they were also astonished—Deng Yurong, though scrawny and sly, was still a grown man, yet Fang Yue had seized him by the collar with a single hand and lifted him clean off the ground.

Was this really the same scholarly, gentle man whom everyone knew to be unable to even truss a chicken?

Deng Yurong, caught by the collar and choked, turned red in the face, unable to utter a word as he struggled desperately, looking for all the world like a turtle flipped on its back.

"Scholar, please, put Deng Yurong down. Let’s talk this through," one of the Qian family’s guards spoke up. He didn’t know Fang Yue personally, but hearing the villagers address him as "Scholar," he realized it would be unwise to provoke him outright.

Moreover, Fang Yue had picked Deng Yurong up with such ease that he evidently was not someone to cross lightly. Thus, the Qian family’s guards, though usually quick to resort to violence, tried to reason with Fang Yue instead.

Fang Yue glanced at the two guards. "Who are you? You’re not from our village—are you with this Deng Yurong?"

One of the guards replied, "We are the Qian family’s guards from the town. Master Qian sent us to lend Deng Yurong a hand. If you want to call that being in league with him, so be it."

He was hoping to intimidate Fang Yue with the Qian family’s name, which held considerable sway in Yutou Town.

Fang Yue’s expression grew cold. "So Qian Daguai can bully and oppress in town, but now he’s sent you dogs to back up this scoundrel and swagger into our Fangqiao Village?"

His grip tightened on Deng Yurong’s collar, making the latter’s tongue loll out.

The villagers, hearing Fang Yue’s words, felt a surge of satisfaction.

"That’s right! You already throw your weight around in town—now you come here to our Fangqiao Village to make trouble?"
"You think we’re all dead? Scholar, you should teach them a lesson."
"Exactly! Let them know that Fangqiao Village is not to be trifled with!"

The Qian family’s guards looked displeased. In truth, they were not mere gatekeepers but seasoned enforcers, no strangers to bloodshed. For the sake of Master Qian’s monopoly on the fish market in Yutou Town, they had done more than their share of dirty work—every year, some unlucky soul ended up at the bottom of the river because of them.

They were used to being the bullies, not being bullied themselves.

They ignored the angry villagers—these people were easily dealt with; what mattered was this "Scholar" who led them.

"Scholar, are you really going to set yourself against Master Qian?" one of the guards challenged.

"And if I am? He’s nothing but a petty tyrant, using underhanded means to squeeze the fishermen dry, lining his pockets with ill-gotten gains. Does he truly think himself a man of importance?"

The two guards’ faces alternated between pale and angry. One of them snorted, "Don’t think you’re so great just because you’re a scholar. Master Qian is well acquainted with Magistrate Zhao at the county. Don’t bring ruin upon yourself. Besides, that man you’re holding is rumored to be the reincarnation of the Mountain God, or at least under its protection. Aren’t you afraid of retribution for treating him so?"

Fang Yue replied, "Don’t try to scare me with empty threats. For your information, the county magistrate is my old teacher. As for this so-called Mountain God, I have questions of my own."

He flung Deng Yurong to the ground, fixing him with a cold stare. "What’s this story about the Mountain God?"

Deng Yurong, unable to stand after being thrown down—his breath choked for so long and his blood not circulating—lay sprawled on the floor for quite a while before he managed to recover.

Hearing Fang Yue’s question, his first instinct was to boast about the fearsome Mountain God, to scare everyone present. But Fang Yue’s icy gaze told him that such tales would do him no good, and that a wrong answer might mean he wouldn’t walk out of Li Zhilian’s house today.

"I don’t know what’s going on with the Mountain God," he stammered, "That’s just what people say—that I’m its reincarnation."

"Are you the Mountain God’s reincarnation or not? And does Fang Baikuan’s death have anything to do with you?"

"Scholar Fang, I swear I’m innocent! I’m not the Mountain God’s reincarnation—those are just wild rumors! I have nothing to do with the Mountain God, nor with Fang Baikuan’s death."

"I heard that two people from your Bo Tou Village were crippled by wild beasts after offending you."

"That had nothing to do with me either—it was pure coincidence," Deng Yurong denied everything.

Seeing Deng Yurong’s shifty eyes, Fang Yue knew he was hiding something and plotting mischief. He sneered. "Fine. If the Mountain God has nothing to do with you, then what about you bringing people to propose marriage at a mourning hall? Such a shocking and shameless act cannot go unpunished."

At the words "cannot go unpunished," Deng Yurong was so terrified he nearly lost control of his bowels, crying out for help.

The two Qian family guards stepped protectively in front of him. "Scholar Fang, what do you intend? A man should know when to give mercy—don’t go too far!"

Fang Yue found their words grating. "You dare speak of mercy? You come to a widow’s mourning hall to propose marriage, bullying the weak and helpless—never have I seen such shamelessness!"

As he spoke, he strode forward, ignoring the two men blocking his way.

The two guards exchanged a glance, a ruthless glint in their eyes. Instead of yielding, they moved to shoulder Fang Yue from either side, intending to injure him internally in a way that would leave him unable to protest.

"Scholar, look out!" someone shouted, seeing their intent to sandwich Fang Yue between them.

But it was too late—the guards collided with Fang Yue.

The villagers gasped in horror. The size difference was obvious: though Fang Yue was tall, he looked delicate and bookish, while the two guards were broad-shouldered, burly as bears. Two against one—surely Fang Yue would come to harm.

Instead, a sickening crack was heard, followed by screams.

To everyone’s astonishment, it was not the seemingly frail Fang Yue who went flying, but the two hulking guards, crashing into tables and chairs with howls of pain.

Fang Yue, angered by their willingness to aid the wicked, had not held back, using the internal energy he possessed.

How could the two guards match a man with inner strength? Their attempt had backfired—they’d tried to harm him, but instead both had their shoulders broken, collapsing to the ground with their arms hanging limp and useless.