Chapter 1: Associations Are Not Spoken Of

On the outskirts of Yulin County, at the foot of a mountain.

Li Lin squatted motionlessly in the grass beside a country road.

From time to time, farmers carrying hoes or shouldering goods passed by, yet not a single one noticed him.

And in the lower right corner of his vision, lines of text were continuously appearing.

[Stealth +1]

[Stealth +1]

[Stealth +1]

Although his legs had gone numb from squatting, watching these words appear without end filled Li Lin with a sense of accomplishment.

As long as he squatted like this for a few hours every day, after some time, half a year or a year from now, he would have enough ability to protect himself even if he spent a night outdoors in the wilderness.

Just as he was basking in satisfaction, a pair of large hands parted the grass, and a bearded face appeared before him.

“Brother Lin, why are you squatting here?”

How did this brat spot me!

Li Lin found it baffling.

Supporting himself on his knees, he stood up, but the numbness in his legs prevented him from fully straightening immediately.

At that moment, the bearded face showed an expression of sudden understanding.

“I get it. You must be here to take a sh...”

“Shut up.”

Li Lin interrupted without hesitation.

“If you dare say the next word, I’ll rip every hair out of your beard.”

The bearded man immediately covered his face and backed away in fright.

Taking advantage of the moment, Li Lin finally straightened up. He stamped his feet and walked a few steps. Once the numbness had eased somewhat, he asked, “Xiaohu, what did you come looking for me for?”

“Today’s the day the county town distributes public grain.”

Xiaohu looked at Li Lin with admiration.

“And Da asked me to beg you. He said that if you’re going to collect grain, I should follow you to the county town and help everyone buy some household goods to bring back.”

“Fine.”

Li Lin started walking back toward the village along the country road.

“You know the rules.”

“I know, I know. I’ll definitely behave.”

Zhao Xiaohu nodded repeatedly.

Then, delighted, he skipped and hopped all the way back toward the village.

Yet no matter how one looked at it, this cute behavior did not match his face at all.

Li Lin thought that was perfectly normal. After all, the boy was only thirteen years old. Looking older than his age was not his fault, it was his father’s fault.

Following the country path back into the village, he returned to his simple home.

He first drank some water to quench his thirst, then took a white jade token from beneath his pillow, fastened it to his belt, and walked outside.

By then, Zhao Xiaohu had come running over carrying two empty baskets on a shoulder pole.

“Brother Lin, Brother Lin, I’m ready.”

At that moment, an even larger version of Xiaohu walked over from behind.

The man spoke in a deep, booming voice.

“Young Master Li, my Xiaohu is in your care. Old Zhao thanks you in advance.”

“You’re too polite, Uncle Zhao.”

Li Lin smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute.

Zhao Xiaohu looked extremely similar to his father. The only difference was that one was large and one was small.

Leaving the village, Li Lin walked in front while Zhao Xiaohu carried the empty baskets on a shoulder pole, skipping along happily.

The village was not far from the county town. Walking there took roughly half of a shichen

Entering through the city gate, they saw a fairly lively area. Unlike the village, where dirt roads were everywhere, the main roads in the county town were paved with blue stone slabs.

Carrying the empty baskets, Zhao Xiaohu looked around at the bustling scene with eyes full of curiosity and envy.

Completely unaware that many people were staring at him mockingly.

Li Lin walked ahead and soon arrived outside the yamen.

A yamen runner standing guard outside spotted him and immediately came forward.

“Master Li, here to collect your public grain?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s already been prepared for you. Please wait a moment.”

After speaking, the runner hurried inside. Before long, he returned carrying a yellow cloth sack in both arms.

Breathing somewhat heavily, he handed the sack to Li Lin and then brought over a register.

“Master Li, please.”

Li Lin pressed a red handprint onto it, then said, “Thank you for your trouble.”

The runner looked flattered.

“It’s only proper, only proper.”

Li Lin lifted the fifty-jin sack, about 25 kg (~55 lb), with one hand and headed toward the marketplace with complete ease.

Following behind, Zhao Xiaohu said, “Brother Lin, you’re really impressive. Even the officials treat you so respectfully.”

Walking ahead, Li Lin replied, “It’s not really impressive. There’s a price to pay for it.”

Zhao Xiaohu did not quite understand.

After walking for a while, he said, “Brother Lin, why don’t you put that bag of rice into my baskets?”

“No need to make things complicated. This thing is very light to me.”

Li Lin smiled.

“And if only one end of your baskets is heavy, carrying them won’t be comfortable either.”

Zhao Xiaohu naturally understood and said nothing further.

After walking for a while, they reached the marketplace.

They immediately noticed that the market was not as lively as usual. It seemed considerably quieter.

It was not because there were fewer people. There were just as many as before.

Rather, everyone had formed a circle and was facing inward.

Li Lin’s hearing was sharper than most people’s, and he could hear screams coming from within the crowd.

He walked over, pushed through the human wall, and saw a young man dressed in fitted martial clothing kicking a dark-skinned middle-aged man.

Each kick drew another scream from the man.

Nearby, several attendants were forcing a teenage boy to kneel on the ground.

Watching the middle-aged man being beaten, tears filled the boy’s eyes.

He stared at the young man with venomous hatred.

“Brother Lin, he’s the same as you. A Spirit Hunter.”

Li Lin nodded lightly.

A white jade token also hung from the young man’s waist.

Then he asked a nearby spectator, “Sir, what happened here?”

“I don’t know either.”

The wrinkled old man beside him shook his head.

“That noble fellow came over and started beating Old Wu without saying a word.”

Li Lin raised an eyebrow.

The matter was unclear, and he did not want to get involved. Moreover, he could tell that although the young man looked brutal, he was actually striking areas with plenty of flesh, places unlikely to leave lasting injuries.

Old Wu looked miserable, but after a few days of rest, he would probably be fine.

However, Zhao Xiaohu beside him looked indignant and seemed to want to speak.

At that moment, the young man grabbed the injured old man’s hair and hauled him upright.

His throat rumbled as he prepared to spit a mouthful of phlegm into the old man’s face.

“Stop!”

A powerful shout rang out, shaking the entire marketplace.

Everyone’s gaze shifted over.

Then all eyes landed on Zhao Xiaohu.

There was no helping it. The voice had come from this direction, and Zhao Xiaohu’s eyes were as large as brass bells. With his thick black beard and imposing physique, he looked every bit a fierce warrior. Everyone naturally assumed the shout had come from him.

The young man in martial attire also looked at Zhao Xiaohu, displeasure evident in his eyes.

Seeing everyone staring at him, Zhao Xiaohu panicked.

He shook his head frantically and shouted, “Not me! Not me!”

Then he hid behind Li Lin.

At that moment, a young scholar dressed in literary robes squeezed through the crowd.

Li Lin looked surprised when he saw him.

He knew this person.

The young scholar walked up to the martial-clad youth and cupped his hands.

“Sir, as a Spirit Hunter, isn’t it somewhat inappropriate for you to bully common civilians?”

“Bully?”

The young man tossed the old man aside and laughed.

“It seems you’re the ones bullying me, an outsider.”

The scholar looked puzzled.

“What do you mean by that?”

“This old fellow sold his daughter to me yesterday and accepted ten taels of official silver.”

The young man smiled.

“But now his daughter is gone. I came to ask about it, and he claims he doesn’t know. Yet he refuses to return my money. Tell me, shouldn’t he be beaten?”

The scholar’s expression became rather complicated.

The surrounding spectators also began discussing the matter.

The old man offered no rebuttal, so it seemed the story was true.

In that case, he really did deserve a beating.

The martial-clad youth continued smiling.

“Ten taels of silver is nothing to me. I already beat him, so my anger’s gone. But you, stepping forward to defend someone without knowing right from wrong, you’re bound to suffer for it someday.”

The scholar looked embarrassed.

“Release that little wolf cub.”

The young man called out.

Several attendants threw the boy down beside the old man.

The martial-clad youth walked over and placed his right foot on the back of the boy’s right hand.

“I can tell you hate me. You may even want to kill me.”

The boy concealed the murderous glare in his eyes.

“But since you didn’t make a move, I have no reason to deal with you. After all, I’m a kind-hearted man.”

The youth did not actually apply much force. He was merely restricting the boy’s movement.

“Remember this. My surname is Wang. My name is Tianyou. When you grow up and become capable, you can come find me. Either you kill me, or I kill your entire family. Understand?”

Wang Tianyou wore a sinister expression that made people uneasy.

The boy did not dare look at him and trembled from head to toe.

Wang Tianyou straightened up and laughed loudly.

His gaze swept across the crowd.

When he saw Li Lin, his eyes lingered briefly before he turned away and departed with his attendants.

Once the vicious man had left, several acquaintances of Old Wu hurried over to help him up.

Meanwhile, the young scholar walked over to Li Lin and smiled while cupping his hands.

“Brother Kunge, it has been some time since we last met.”

Li Lin returned the salute with a smile.

“Indeed, it has been quite some time. Zijing, what brings you to the marketplace today?”

The young scholar was Huang Qi, courtesy name Zijing, eldest son of the local county magistrate Huang Yan.

As the descendant of an official family, he possessed noble status. Ordinarily, there was no reason for him to come to a chaotic place like the marketplace.

“I came here specifically to find you, Brother Kunge. The yamen runner said you had probably come here.”

Huang Qi made a gesture of invitation.

“Would you be willing to sit with me at the tavern nearby and chat for a while?”

Li Lin nodded.

Removing the white jade token from his waist, he handed it to Zhao Xiaohu.

“Take this and go buy your things in the market. If anyone gives you trouble or tries to cheat you, tell them my name and let them take a look at this.”

The marketplace was full of dishonest merchants who enjoyed taking advantage of villagers visiting from the countryside.

Overcharging was normal. Giving short weight was even more common. Some might even take payment without delivering the goods.

With a Spirit Hunter’s jade token, no one would dare bully Xiaohu.

“Alright, Brother Lin.”

Holding the jade token and carrying his baskets, Zhao Xiaohu left.

Huang Qi and Li Lin sat down in a tavern.

After the waiter brought wine and food, Huang Qi raised his cup.

“Brother Kunge, allow me to drink first.”

“Together.”

The yellow wine slid down their throats.

Setting down his empty cup, Huang Qi said, “Half a month ago, I made a trip to Jin City and became acquainted with a man of exceptional virtue.”

Jin City was a large city that governed Yulin County.

Li Lin also set down his cup and listened quietly.

“He possesses the heart to save the world, the talent to rescue the people, and the willingness to devote himself to that cause.”

Huang Qi spoke with admiration.

“Compared to him, I fall far short.”

Li Lin still said nothing.

Huang Qi had intended to arouse his interest, but seeing that Li Lin would not take the bait, he thought for a moment and continued.

“Brother Kunge, in Yulin County, you are the person I admire most. But don’t you think it’s somewhat wasteful for someone of your abilities to remain hidden away in such a small county?”

“I quite like it here.”

Li Lin chuckled softly.

Seeing that Li Lin remained unwilling to engage, Huang Qi stopped beating around the bush.

“Brother Kunge, this virtuous gentleman feels that one person’s strength is limited. He is gathering like-minded people in hopes of helping more suffering individuals. I have already joined him, and I hope you will join us as well, to save the common people from misery.”

“You plan to form an association?”

Huang Qi glanced around. Only after confirming no one was paying attention did he lower his voice.

“It can’t really be called an association. We’re simply discussing ways to work together for a shared ideal and help more unfortunate people.”

Li Lin laughed softly.

“Brother Zijing, I am not like you scholars. I’m a martial man who doesn’t understand grand principles. Besides, I’m a Spirit Hunter. According to the laws of Great Qi, Spirit Hunters cannot join associations except...”

“The Demon Suppression Bureau.”

“I know that, of course.”

Huang Qi looked directly into Li Lin’s eyes and spoke slowly.

“But does this government still have the strength to supervise you Spirit Hunters now?”

“But I can still supervise myself.”

Looking at Li Lin’s calm expression, Huang Qi sighed softly.

He stood up, bowed deeply, and departed.

Li Lin remained in the tavern, drinking wine and eating side dishes.

About one and a half shichen later, roughly three hours, Zhao Xiaohu returned carrying his baskets.

Both baskets were packed to the brim with goods.

Some belonged to the Zhao family, while others were daily necessities entrusted to him by other villagers.

“Brother Lin, I’ve bought everything. Are we heading back to the village now?”

As he spoke, he returned the white jade token to Li Lin.

Li Lin glanced at the sky outside and said, “No rush. There’s still time. Have something to eat as well, otherwise you won’t have the strength for the journey. Besides, a distinguished gentleman has already paid for the food and wine.”

“Alright.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Xiaohu sat down and began eating and drinking heartily.

Before long, every dish on the table had been devoured.

The two then set off for home.

Compared to when they had arrived, their pace was noticeably faster.

Many villagers from other villages were also leaving the county town at the same time.

Moreover, they were hurrying along just as quickly.

On the road back to the village, Zhao Xiaohu did not dare look toward the valleys and forests on either side of the road.

He simply followed behind Li Lin with his head lowered.

After a little more than half a shichen, they reached the village entrance.

Uncle Zhao was already waiting there.

That massive beard was easy to recognize. One could identify him from far away.

Seeing the two return, Uncle Zhao visibly relaxed.

He hurried over, took the shoulder pole from his son, and carried it himself.

“Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Li. I’ll take Xiaohu home now.”

“Alright. Give my regards to Aunt Hua.”

“Will do.”

Zhao Xiaohu waved at Li Lin before following his father home.

As soon as the two entered their house, they shut the door tightly.

By this time, no one in the village was walking outside anymore.

Li Lin did not return home.

Instead, he went to the center of the village, where he found a withered tree.

Beneath it stood a blue stone altar.

Strange lines were carved across the altar, and it exuded an evil aura.

Li Lin pressed his left hand onto it.

Before long, a translucent woman dressed in palace robes appeared atop the altar.

A black leather mask covered her face, concealing her features.

The moment she appeared, she sprawled across the altar and wrapped herself around Li Lin’s left arm.

Extending a long forked tongue, she repeatedly licked his palm.

She seemed extremely enthusiastic about it.

Each lick drew away a faint crimson glow.

The glow was carried off by her tongue and swallowed into her stomach.