Chapter 6: A Duel of Knives

Wang Cuiyun looked at Xu Lian, then at the burly man, hesitated for a moment, and said to him carefully, “Why don’t you go back first? If my daughter Xiya ever needs a husband, I’ll definitely find you.

The burly man’s face immediately darkened. “When you need me to marry in, you call me with a shameless face, but when you don’t, you just chase me away. What do you take me for?”

It’s easy to summon a god, but hard to send one away. This burly man clearly wanted to stay.

“If you don’t want to leave, then leave your life behind.”

Xu Lian’s voice was cold as he stepped in front of Li Xiya, drawing the sharp knife from his belt. It was clear – he was ready for a duel!

The burly man’s face changed drastically. He quickly stood up from the table and drew a defensive knife as well. “You’re a bold one, challenging me to a knife duel. Let me see how much you weigh.”

Li Xiya nervously placed her hand on Xu Lian’s back. “Brother Lian, don’t do this, I’m fine. Let him go.”

In this world, almost everyone carried a knife for self-defense, but very few dared to engage in a knife fight.

When both sides had knives, the outcome was hard to predict.

Even if one could kill the other, they’d be injured as well, and once injured, they’d lose the ability to work and earn a living, which was almost the same as being dead.

So unless it was absolutely necessary, no one would choose to engage in such a fight.

Of course, Xu Lian understood this very well. However, having reached the Skin Refining Stage as a martial artist, his skin was tough, and in a knife fight against an ordinary person, he had a significant advantage.

The burly man sneered at Li Xiya. “If you want me to leave, fine. Either let her have some fun with me, or compensate me with ten catties of grain.”

“Damn it!”

Xu Lian was already filled with murderous intent. Upon hearing this, his killing instinct surged. He grabbed the sharp knife and charged at the burly man.

It was a duel!

Frightened, Li Xiya began to cry. She wanted to help, but she was afraid of hindering Xu Lian.

Wang Cuiyun quickly grabbed her and pulled her to the corner by the clay stove to hide. “You stupid girl, don’t do anything stupid. Knife fighting is for men. Women just have to wait for the result. Whether it’s life or death, women won’t lose. This is how women survive.”

The sound of fabric being slashed, followed by the splash of blood, filled the air. Li Xiya cried uncontrollably, her body shaking as Wang Cuiyun held her tightly to keep her from moving closer.

“You!”

The burly man quickly realized that something was wrong. The blade had slid across Xu Lian’s body like it was cutting through coarse cloth, doing no damage. Moreover, Xu Lian was incredibly strong, nothing like a 16-year-old boy. Suddenly, a terrifying possibility crossed his mind, and he felt a wave of panic.

A knife duel with a martial artist?

Wasn’t that the same as seeking death?

He panicked and tried to flee.

Xu Lian didn’t give him a chance. With a quick step, he caught up and tackled the man to the ground, stabbing him wildly.

Soon, a pool of blood formed on the ground, and the burly man stopped moving altogether.

Seeing that Xu Lian had won the battle, Li Xiya cried tears of joy.

Wang Cuiyun also stared blankly at Xu Lian.

Li Xiya quickly came to her senses, scrambling to find strips of cloth to tend to Xu Lian’s wounds. However, she only found a few shallow red marks on his skin, and he hadn’t been seriously hurt.

“I’m fine.”

Xu Lian threw the burly man’s body over his shoulder, preparing to discard it.

“Wait a moment.”

Wang Cuiyun called, bringing over a small ceramic cup to collect the blood.

Xu Lian didn’t know what to say. She really understood how to survive…

“That’s enough.”

After filling the cup, Wang Cuiyun waved her hand.

Xu Lian carried the body out of the house and threw it into the river. This river ran through Green Bamboo Town, and nearly anything was discarded into it, comparable to the Ganges River.

Wang Cuiyun lamented, “Too bad, the Night patrol only drinks fresh blood. Otherwise, if we had saved half a bucket, we would have been set.”

Seeing Xu Lian’s silence and seeming annoyance, Wang Cuiyun continued to chat. “You’re back so late. I thought you were dead. I let that man come in, but don’t blame me. The world is like this, and we both have to survive somehow, right?”

Xu Lian didn’t feel like talking to her. He washed the blood off his body, cleaned the dust from working at the mine, and changed into fresh clothes.

Wang Cuiyun chattered on. “There is no need for a family to have lingering words. Once all is said and done, it’s good. If I’d known that you had this knife skill, that it wouldn’t be so easy for you to die, I wouldn’t have called this man over so soon. Next time, I’ll wait an extra day for you, okay?”

Xu Lian raised his hand and pointed to the ox’s leg leaning against the door. “I’m hungry. Get the beef stew going.”

Wang Cuiyun didn’t mind his tone. Upon hearing “beef,” her eyes lit up and she squealed, “Beef?”

Half-believing, she hurried to the door, untied the cloth wrapped around the ox’s leg, and when she saw how large it was, she nearly fainted from excitement. Her wrinkled face scrunched up into a grin, and her mouth split into a broad smile. “Brother Lian has really made a name for himself, getting such a large piece of beef! Xiya really made the right choice in bringing you into the family!”

Xu Lian was impatient. “Stop talking, hurry up, I’m starving.”

Wang Cuiyun didn’t care about his attitude and cheerfully replied, “Alright, alright! If you feed me well every day, I’ll call you ‘sir’ every day!”

Li Xiya looked at Xu Lian suspiciously. “Where did you get the beef?”

Xu Lian pulled her into his embrace, “Of course, I cut it from the ox…”

Li Xiya’s concern deepened. “I’m serious. Beef is rare, don’t get into trouble.”

Xu Lian reassured her, “Don’t worry, no one saw me when I took it.”

“Stole it?” Li Xiya gasped in surprise.

Wang Cuiyun, who was cutting the beef, turned around and said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s stolen or taken by force. In these times, if you can get meat to feed a woman, then you’re a capable man!”

Xu Lian smirked, “Say it again. Call me ‘sir.'”

Wang Cuiyun didn’t hesitate. “Sir.”

“Not enough, say it again.”

“Sir…”

“Ah.”

Li Xiya, her face reddened with embarrassment, gently smacked Xu Lian. She knew he was upset but didn’t say anything.

Xu Lian smiled, feeling much better inside.

About half an hour later, the beef stew was ready.

The three of them ate heartily.

“Sir, eat more,” Wang Cuiyun placed a large piece of meat on Xu Lian’s plate.

Li Xiya couldn’t take it anymore. “Mother, stop talking.”

Xu Lian chuckled inwardly. Sometimes, he thought that Wang Cuiyun’s old age made her adorable, almost like a child in her ways.

After dinner.

Wang Cuiyun rubbed salt on the ox’s leg, preserving it, and then carried it to the inner room as though it were a treasure.

“It’s getting late, go get some rest,” she said, closing the door to the inner room and leaving Li Xiya in the outer room.

Xu Lian looked at Li Xiya, their eyes locked with intensity.

Li Xiya blushed.

No more words were needed. Xu Lian determinedly blew out the candle.

In the dark room, two figures slipped under the covers, followed by the rustling of sheets.

A while later, a cold wind blew from outside. Xu Lian knew that the night patrol had arrived. He quickly stood still and waited.

After the Night Patrol drank their fill of blood and left, everything returned to normal.

[Name: Xu Lian]

[Status: Skin Refining Stage].

[Skills: None]

[Items: None]

[Note 1: Li Xiya’s affection for you has reached 91/100. You’ve gained 1 Progression Point, which you can use to upgrade your level, skills or items.]

[Note 2: If the affection is above 90/100, you will gain 1 progression point for each additional point of affection. If your affinity decreases and then increases again, you will no longer be able to gain progression points repeatedly.]

[Note 3: As long as your affection remains above 90/100, every time Li Xiya bears a child for you, you will gain an additional progress point.]

“Another chance to level up.”

Xu Lian was pleased.

Since he didn’t have any skills or items yet, there was nothing to consider but leveling up his stage.

“Give me an stage upgrade!”

[Stage upgrade complete: Add a snake tendon to advance to the Bone Refining Stage.]

“Snake tendon?”

Xu Lian frowned. The materials needed to advance were becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find.