The old woman's command did not receive an immediate response. A burly man in the courtyard, holding a knife, glanced at the Old Lady who had just been thrown out of the door and was now lying on the ground. He hesitated slightly, cupped his hands to Samuel Green, and said, "Sir or madam, there are no nuns in our courtyard. You've come to the wrong place. We just rented this place to stay temporarily. You... have entered the wrong courtyard."

　　One Old Lady scolded, "What happened to Song Momo? Why are you all standing there? Hurry up and seize this person!"

　　Samuel Green stepped over the threshold, and several Old Lady quickly covered their eyes with their hands. The Old Lady who had spoken earlier continued to shout, "Don't alarm the others, seize him quickly."

　　Ignoring the shouting, Samuel Green continued to step out onto the porch, looking around—this was a small, ancient-style courtyard. A row of U-shaped buildings surrounded a central open space, with a stone path stretching from the gate to each house. Beside the path were low flowerbeds and some tender green grass just sprouting.

　　The courtyard walls were vermilion, with blue glazed tiles covering the eaves. Looking further out, a branch of peach blossoms extended over the wall, painting the outside in a sea of pink, with the fragrance of peach blossoms drifting in the wind. As the breeze blew, a few petals fell from the tree, infusing the scene outside the courtyard with poetic charm.

　　The burly man with the knife stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Sir or madam, are you here for a secret meeting with a Taoist nun? This Lotus Courtyard was rented by us a month ago..."

　　As he spoke, Samuel Green suddenly sensed a gust of wind rushing toward him. He quickly leapt aside, and when he turned back, he saw that the man who had just spoken to him in a softer tone had swung his broadsword at the spot where he had just been standing.

　　This attack seemed to be a signal. The other burly men immediately charged in silence, brandishing knives, spears, and clubs in all directions. Samuel Green leapt about among them, growling in anger, "What's going on? Just now I was only acting in self-defense, and now you all attack without a word... I'm warning you, don't mess with me! Can't you see I'm already annoyed?!"

　　Once again, a weak voice came from the doorway: "Are you here to save me?"

　　Samuel Green looked back. The young beauty of about twelve or thirteen was standing by the door, one hand holding the doorframe, standing inside, looking at him with pleading, cautious, and expectant eyes. Her whole body was tense, and the veins on her small hand gripping the doorframe stood out.

　　The Old Lady who had spoken earlier in the courtyard immediately shouted, "Little whore, so you really lured him here! I knew you were trouble—hurry up, kill this man, and don't alert the outsiders."

　　The knives danced more fiercely, the spears thrust more savagely, and the swords flashed back and forth... Samuel Green grew more and more furious, more and more enraged. The wildly swinging weapons made him feel as if he was seeing all sorts of shifting colors again, and the increasingly agitated Samuel Green was on the verge of exploding.

　　At that moment, another Old Lady brandished a short knife and rushed at the little girl standing by the door, cursing as she went—this finally lit the fuse.

　　The little girl by the door saw the Old Lady coming at her with a knife out of the corner of her eye, but she still stood there, looking at Samuel Green with hope and asking, "Are you here to save me?"

　　Samuel Green reached out and grabbed—the knife in the man's hand was now in his own.

　　With a casual swing, Samuel Green's blade flashed like lightning, slashing down savagely from midair, colliding with a thrusting sword. With a thunderous crash, the spot where blade and sword met seemed to explode, both shattering, leaving only the hilts.

　　The swordsman's arm was already twisted out of shape, and the intense pain made him grunt and collapse to the ground.

　　Samuel Green's figure flickered, and he appeared beside the Old Lady who was rushing at the little girl with a knife. He slapped her on the shoulder, and the Old Lady's body spun in place like a top, then collapsed to the ground like a rag doll.

　　The little girl by the door bent her knees gracefully in an ancient gesture of thanks, then earnestly asked again, "Are you here to save me?"

　　There was no time to answer. A fierce gust of wind from a spear came from behind—a fine red-tasseled spear thrust viciously at his back.

　　The spearman was highly skilled, his spear moving with his body, his steps agile—this time, Samuel Green was standing still, his back a perfect target. The spearman thought, if I can't hit such a target, then twenty years of rising before dawn and training have been wasted.

　　The spear thrust smoothly, the target right ahead... Suddenly, the spear shaft seemed to turn into a branding iron, burning hot. The spearman had no time to wonder why the shaft was so hot before he suddenly felt it vanish from his hands, and a big, pale foot flew toward his face—he could even see the five toes.

　　The big foot kicked the spearman hard in the chest, sending him flying straight into the courtyard wall. The wall didn't budge, but the spearman stuck to it like a lump of mud, then slid down limply.

　　Samuel Green was furious—couldn't they let him speak? He had finally found a place with people, finally seen some living souls, and yet these people attacked him without rhyme or reason.

　　If you won't let me live, then I won't let you live either.