VIP Volume, Chapter 24: The Aging Martial King

Outside an earthen house on the eastern edge of the village, there were indeed more than a dozen dark figures. Each wore a black vest, exposing two sturdy arms covered in various tattoos, holding a machete in one hand and a flashlight in the other, all eyes fixed on a burly young man sitting by the door.

The young man flicked away his cigarette butt, stood up lazily, then turned and kicked the wooden door into splinters with one swift motion.

Ever since these men entered the village, the dogs had been barking nonstop, making any attempt at stealth impossible; so they might as well mount an all-out assault.

Hiding in the shadows, Ye Xiaoxuan let out a cry of alarm, quickly covering his mouth, then whispered to Hao Sixfingers beside him, “Go back and fetch my brother, tell him that Chen Tianlei has brought people to attack his master!”

Hao Sixfingers puffed out his chest and replied, “Come on! Are you still treating me, Hao the Brave, as your brother? At a time like this, you want me to run? If they spot you, you’ll be in real danger. You can’t even handle a sixth-grader, and these guys all look like they’re at least Martial Guard level!”

Ye Xiaoxuan clapped him on the shoulder and nodded, “Good brother! Then you keep watch here, I’ll go and get my brother!”

He hadn’t finished speaking before Hao Sixfingers had already dashed five steps away, turning back to call, “I’ve changed my mind! It’s better to call the whole gang. I run fast—let me take this one for the team!”

The dozen or so men in black vests were clearly the muscle that Chen Tianlei had gathered from the township. He’d suffered a hidden loss to Old Shepherd just a few days before, and, nursing the grudge, had rallied his crew tonight to take revenge.

Chen Tianlei already knew Old Shepherd was highly skilled, so all the men he’d brought were at least Martial Guard level. Even if Old Shepherd was a Martial King, surrounded and beaten by more than a dozen Martial Guards, he wouldn’t come out unscathed.

Chen Tianlei wasn’t worried about anyone else in the village hearing or seeing what was happening. The people of Scholar Village all had the same flaw: many practiced martial arts, but just like peasants anywhere else, they were honest and timid.

They trained for health, not for victory or pride. So when trouble came, nobody wanted to stick their neck out—as long as it didn’t concern them directly, they didn’t even dare to watch.

The dozen thugs barged through the battered wooden door into the earthen house, sending chickens and dogs scurrying, cows snorting and sheep bleating—a veritable uproar.

They hadn’t yet reached the main room when a long whip lashed out from within, snapping around the leg of the leading thug. With a stumble, he crashed into the man beside him, who then collided with another, and in a chaotic domino effect, four or five of them hit the ground, the formation instantly thrown into disarray.

“You little brats, sneaking out in the middle of the night to bully an old shepherd like me!” Old Shepherd stood in the doorway draped in a coat, his right hand flicking the whip back, his eyes coldly glaring at the crowd before him.

Chen Tianlei snorted, pointing at Old Shepherd. “Elder, let’s not beat around the bush. Who are you, really? No need to keep secrets. I, Chen Tianlei, have seen a thing or two—someone with your skill must have a reputation. Say the word, and I’ll take my men home to bed! Otherwise… well, I don’t take such slights lying down!”

Old Shepherd’s goatee bristled with indignation as he cursed, “I’m just an old man who’s herded sheep in this village for twenty years—what reputation could I possibly have! You, with your martial talent, still walk the crooked path, and you don’t feel ashamed bullying an old man like me?”

Chen Tianlei waved a hand, gritting his teeth. “Since you won’t say, I’ll just have to test your strength myself! Brothers, don’t hold back—hit him!”

The thugs charged in without a word. Old Shepherd’s face darkened; he knew tonight would be rough. The truly dangerous dogs don’t bark—those who bluster before a fight are usually fakes. But these men, ever since Old Shepherd appeared, had automatically formed a semicircle around him, no longer rushing forward recklessly. This limited the reach of his whip—these were real enforcers, men who’d fought countless battles and developed the instincts and coordination to match!

As expected, when Old Shepherd cracked his whip again, he forced one man back but couldn’t stop the rest from swarming him. Once they closed in, the whip became a hindrance, so he discarded it, striking out with his palm and felling a thug in front of him.

In close combat, martial prowess becomes plain to see. Chen Tianlei’s guess was accurate—Old Shepherd was indeed of Martial King caliber. Yet he was already old and frail; no matter how high his skill, faced with the assault of a dozen strapping young men, he was clearly struggling, stretched to his limits!

Chen Tianlei stopped, folding his arms and watching Old Shepherd’s predicament with a cold sneer. There was no need for him to join in now. If Old Shepherd were ten years younger, even twice this number would be mere punching bags for a Martial King. But now, age had caught up with him; stamina would not last. This is the most helpless fate for any martial artist—training might delay aging, but it can never halt it.

“Hey, bringing a gang to bully an old man—aren’t you ashamed?” Just as Chen Tianlei was enjoying the show, he felt a tap on his shoulder and a voice whispered these words in his ear, sending a chill down his spine.

Hubris truly blinds the senses—he hadn’t even noticed someone sneaking up on him. If the intruder had meant to kill, it would have been too late.

Startled, Chen Tianlei spun around, only for his anger to surge—wasn’t this the worthless wretch from Reed Village? But before he could speak, Ye Xiaoxuan clenched his fist and drove it straight into Chen Tianlei’s nose.

Bang! The punch left Chen Tianlei reeling. This good-for-nothing, famous throughout the village for his incompetence in everything, a fool who once idolized him—had just punched him?

Chen Tianlei wiped the blood trickling from his nose, stunned. “Was that you, you loser?”

Ye Xiaoxuan looked at him with utter disdain, as though the village’s leading bully was the real waste of space. Coldly, he replied, “What I hate most is people who bully the elderly!” With that, he landed two more punches, giving Chen Tianlei a pair of black eyes.

No mistake—it was this brat who hit him! But Chen Tianlei’s vision was now spinning with stars; he could barely see.

A fury so intense it nearly brought him to tears erupted within him, and with a guttural roar, “I’ll kill you!” he smashed Ye Xiaoxuan with a single punch.

A Martial Guard’s strength might not split stone, but it could certainly crack it. That punch was like a sledgehammer, hurling Ye Xiaoxuan several meters through the air, crashing into two of the thugs along the way.