Chương 7: Vengeance for the Slightest Grievance

Yellow Leaf Town. Following the caravan through several twists and turns, they entered the market district. The atmosphere here was bustling, a stark contrast to the dreary and lifeless town gates. Zhao Cairong stopped in front of a storefront, exchanging pleasantries with a middle-aged manager. A moment later, he bowed with a flattering smile and turned to bark at the men:"Everyone, unload the goods into Boss Zhao's courtyard!"

"Quickly now, you brats, don't block the boss's business." Song Que and the others hurriedly got to work, not even daring to look up. A while later, panting heavily like exhausted dogs, they finally finished unloading all eight carts. A few men led the empty carts to the back door to wait, while the rest were allowed a short break.

"Alright, you're free to wander around. Be back here in two hours. Latecomers will be left behind. Don't cause any trouble. Dismissed!" The Village Chief followed Boss Zhao inside to negotiate the supply purchases, while Zhao Hu tossed out his orders before disappearing into the crowd. Zhong Kui glanced at Song Que, who was peering around with immense curiosity.

"Kid, if you want to wander, it's best to have someone with you. Li Hui, take Song Que around the town. Keep your eyes peeled and don't cause trouble." Song Que and Li Hui nodded in agreement. Seeing Zhong Kui leave, the two turned and began wandering the town aimlessly.

"Brother Li, how many times have you been here?" Song Que asked curiously.

"Only three times. I just joined the team this year. You're the real monster here."

"You flatter me, Brother Li. I just have brute strength. Have you eaten? My treat." Li Hui had eaten a rice ball that morning, but hearing there was a free meal, he happily agreed. One copper coin for a steamed bun. Song Que bought ten. This was his first time spending money since transmigrating, giving him a rough estimate of this era's currency value. The two strolled while munching on their buns, curiously taking in the sights. A moment later, Li Hui asked:"Little Song, is there anything you want to buy?"

Song Que had plenty he wanted to buy, but what could he do without money? With only 90 copper coins left in his pocket, he could only afford a bit of salt and some sweets for Gou'dan and Er'ya. Since the Village Chief was handling Uncle Li's supplies, he replied:"Don't worry about me, Brother Li. Yellow Leaf Town is so small, I'll memorize the layout after one lap. Go do your own thing, I'll just look around and head back to the gathering point." Hearing this, Li Hui didn't stand on ceremony and quickly dashed off.

Watching his hurried figure, Song Que couldn't help but maliciously assume he was heading to a brothel to find some young ladies. Nodding to himself in amusement, Song Que began wandering the town alone. Strolling aimlessly, he bought a few sticks of candied hawthorn and honey cakes. Finding a secluded spot, he tossed them into his Storage Space, then continued his walk, absorbing the ancient atmosphere. Suddenly, a continuous clink-clank rang out. Looking up, he saw an open storefront ahead.

Flanking the door were two bear-backed, wolf-waisted brutes with sabers at their waists and fierce glares. Peering inside, he saw several display racks filled with various iron tools and weapons. Sabers, swords, axes, knives, and hoes—they had it all. Remembering the rusty heirloom knife back home brought tears to his eyes. Curious about the metallurgy of this era, Song Que stepped forward to enter.

"Kid, roll away and play somewhere else!" Before he even reached the door, one of the brutes barked at him. Song Que quickly put on a flattering smile: "Big brothers, I just came down from the mountains. I've always admired the martial world's flashing blades and sword shadows. But alas, I've never seen them since I was born, so I just wanted to take a quick peek to satisfy my craving. Please have pity on this little brother." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

The two glared at him a few times before looking away, giving a cold snort that served as tacit approval. Overjoyed, Song Que was about to step inside when a shrill voice rang out:"Oh my, where did this beggar come from? Scram! Are you trying to curse my shop's luck first thing in the morning?" A scrawny, pale-faced fifteen-year-old with slanted eyes walked out holding a broom, aggressively shooing him away. Song Que hurriedly pleaded: "Young brother, I just want to take a quick look and I'll leave right away.

I won't affect your business." Unexpectedly, the boy flared up, raising the broom and swatting it down on him:"If you cheap, rustic trash break anything, selling you wouldn't even cover the cost! Kid, do you know who runs this shop? Begging in the Black Tiger Gang's territory? Believe it or not, I'll break your legs! Scram!" The boy's unreasonable tyranny ignited Song Que's anger. His instinct was to strike back, but remembering where he was, he swallowed it down.

Only a cold glint flashed in his eyes before vanishing. Taking a few hits, he pulled out his remaining fifty copper coins from his space and shoved them into the boy's hand with a wide, apologetic smile:"Young brother, please be magnanimous and calm your anger. I really just want to take a look to satisfy my craving. Besides, these are iron wares, they won't break just by looking. I know I'm imposing, so here's a little tea money for you."

It was a trivial matter to begin with; the boy had just been scolded by the shopkeeper that morning and merely wanted to vent his frustration. Seeing the money, the slanted-eyed youth weighed the coins in his hand and nodded:"I'll give you fifteen minutes. Be careful not to damage anything, otherwise, no one will be able to save you." Pocketing the money, he gave a nod to the two brutes at the door and turned back into the shop. If you're heartless, don't blame me for being unrighteous.

Song Que muttered inwardly, his eyes turning icy, though his face maintained a fawning smile as he entered. He was furious; no one enjoys taking a beating for nothing. Originally, he merely wanted to broaden his horizons, but now, his mind had changed. He wasn't some pedantic saint—he firmly believed in an eye for an eye. His Storage Space was only about a cubic meter, but it wasn't a fixed shape; it could stretch and distort. Thus, he could easily store long objects inside.

He didn't wander the shop for long, stroking the items and clicking his tongue in faux awe. After fifteen minutes, Song Que voluntarily walked out, not forgetting to sincerely thank the two brutes at the door. The shop boy was nowhere to be seen. The two guards merely glanced at him before coldly turning away, returning to watching the clouds or the street. Regardless, they had absolutely zero suspicion of "Thief Song."

The few rags on his body could barely cover his modesty, so hiding anything was impossible under their piercing gazes. Little did they know, just a few steps away, Song Que was already smirking. Inside his space lay several new additions: a saber, a spearhead, a dagger, and a hoe. Though he didn't know their exact worth, Song Que knew he had made a massive profit off that beating.

Seeing that the village's hunting team only possessed two bows—belonging to Zhao Hu and Zhong Kui—while the rest used wooden javelins and iron knives, it was obvious iron wares were incredibly valuable in this era. As for whether that shop boy would be punished by the Black Tiger Gang? Who cares? To be fair, he had been very careful when taking the items, only selecting things they had in bulk and adjusting the spacing of the remaining goods to look natural.

Unless someone specifically did inventory, it wouldn't be discovered anytime soon. Song Que whistled cheerfully. Realizing he was now entirely broke, buying salt was a pipe dream, so he happily skipped his way back to the gathering point.... Zhao Family Merchant House. Arriving early, Song Que didn't see anyone from his village. Figuring it was too early to shamelessly wait inside the shop, he found a secluded corner nearby and sat down to rest.

Closing his eyes, he swapped his vision with the Mountain Sparrow, controlling it to soar over Yellow Leaf Town for a scouting run. The town had four gates, three of which looked just like the one he entered that morning. The streets were lined with low, dilapidated houses, barely better than those in his village. However, past the blacksmith shop, the street evolved. Grand storefronts lined the road, backed by clean, stone-paved courtyards and manors.

This was clearly the wealthy district for officials, merchants, and the elite. Guards patrolled the intersections, and the pedestrians here wore neat, tidy clothes. It was like two different worlds. He also spotted a large courtyard where a group of teenagers stood in formation on a martial arts training ground, their rhythmic shouts exuding quite the imposing aura. He directed the sparrow to perch on a branch and watched intently.

In the center of the yard hung a large banner depicting a majestic black tiger, alongside some characters he couldn't read. A burly man with his hands clasped behind his back was drilling the youths. Song Que watched with great interest. While he couldn't discern any profound techniques, the kids were training with deadly seriousness. And how could they not? The slightest slip-up earned them a swift kick or punch from the burly instructor. So this must be the Black Tiger Gang.

What a coincidence, Song Que chuckled darkly to himself. Suddenly, he felt someone shaking him. Opening his eyes, he saw Li Hui tugging his arm:"Little Song, wake up, we're heading back to the village."

"Didn't you buy anything?" Li Hui asked with a smile, noticing Song Que's empty hands.

"Brother Li, I wanted to, but I didn't have enough money, and they wouldn't sell it to me anyway."

"Hehe, things will get better. Just wait a while and apply to join the hunting team. I'll show you the ropes. In the Great Ridge Mountains, as long as you're willing to work hard, you won't ever starve." Song Que smiled, politely declining to comment, and simply nodded. At the gathering point, Zhao Hu began doing a head count. Confirming everyone was present, he turned and nodded to his father. With a loud shout, the caravan of eight heavily loaded carts rolled out, making its way back toward Giant Willow Village.