Then he returned to the Medicine King Sect to diligently practice martial arts. After twenty years, he became a great hero. Wielding a green sword and stepping on the ripples of Lake Tai, he fiercely beat up the gang of Giant Whale Bandits who had been plundering Lake Tai, making them cry for their parents and flee in disarray, venting the hatred in his heart. From then on, no gang in the martial world dared to bully the fishermen and villagers of Zhouzhuang.

The thatched hut was very cold, and Ethan Brooks was often woken up by the cold, only to drift back into a groggy sleep.

Ethan Brooks curled up his thin, frail body in the pile of straw, and the thought of seeking refuge with the Medicine King Sect became clearer and stronger in his mind.

Chapter 006: Venturing into the Jianghu

At the break of dawn, the backyard of the Tianying Inn began to bustle with activity. In the large courtyard, the sound of Mr. Bolton sharpening his knife could be heard, along with the noisy clamor of pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks, while the odd-job workers helped several chefs with their preparations.

Several chefs were preparing ingredients, scolding the clumsy helpers harshly.

An old fireman rubbed his frostbitten red hands, pushed open the woodshed door, and carried a few bundles of firewood and straw to the kitchen to light the fire and cook. Seeing Ethan Brooks also sleeping in the woodshed, he was surprised, “Oh, Little Ethan, why are you here today? Came to play with Sam and didn’t go back to Zhouzhuang? It’s freezing cold, you can’t sleep well in the woodshed!”

Ethan Brooks was startled awake by the sound of the fireman opening the door, and quickly crawled out of the warm straw pile, rubbing his sleepy eyes and greeting the old fireman, “Uncle Thompson! Up so early to start the fire and cook?”

He often came with the fishermen from Zhouzhuang to sell fish at the Tianying Inn, so most of the inn’s workers recognized him.

Ethan Brooks quickly woke up Sam, who was still sleeping soundly beside him.

“It’s not early anymore. In a little while, the head manager will be here.”

The fireman Old Thompson smiled politely, then turned and saw Sam still sleeping in the woodshed. His face darkened as he scolded, “Sam, you lazybones, get up and work! When the head manager comes and sees you still lazing around, he’ll twist your ear off!”

Sam woke up too. Hearing the old fireman’s scolding, he crawled out of the straw nest and grumbled defiantly, “Old Li, don’t look down on me. From today on, I’m not working at the inn anymore, and I won’t take your crap. I’m going to venture into the Jianghu and join the Tianying Sect. Once I master martial arts and become a great hero, not to mention you, even the head manager will have to respectfully call me ‘Master Chou’! Let’s see if he still dares to beat me or pull my ear!”

“Oh, you haven’t even killed a chicken, and you want to venture into the Jianghu? How many heads do you have to spare? If you have the guts, say that in front of the head manager and see if he doesn’t slap you to death. Mr. Bolton is butchering a pig right now—why don’t you try helping him? If you dare to kill a pig, I’ll call you Master Chou right now, no need to wait for the future!”

The old fireman shook his head and laughed, not believing Sam at all. He just thought Sam had listened to too many storytellers on the street and got carried away. Hugging the firewood, he went out to the kitchen in the backyard to light the fire and cook.

“Hmph!”

Sam thought of the fierce head manager and immediately wilted, not daring to boast any further.

Ethan Brooks wasn’t discouraged by Old Li’s words. Seeing that it was getting light, he thought of going to the Medicine King Sect as soon as possible, so he quickly pushed open the woodshed door and stepped outside.

Outside, the eaves and the ground in the backyard of the Tianying Inn were covered with a thin layer of white snow.

The wind was strong last night, and at some point, a heavy snow had fallen, making the world look brand new. The eaves were all white, wrapped in silver, looking especially enchanting.

Unfortunately, the snow in the backyard had long been trampled into a messy slush by Mr. Bolton, the chefs, the helpers, and all the pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks in the yard.

Ethan Brooks’s body was thin, dressed in a short, thin hemp robe, and wearing a pair of worn straw sandals with his toes sticking out. The cold morning wind made him shiver all over.

Sam followed him out, sneezing in the cold and shrinking his hands and feet.

In the big courtyard, Mr. Bolton and his chubby son Jack Bolton, along with several adult helpers, were chasing a fat pig that was running around, finally tying it up and hanging it upside down on a wooden frame.

Three or four strong helpers struggled for a long time before they managed to tie the pig securely to the frame.

The fat pig seemed to sense its impending doom, struggling desperately with its four hooves and letting out shrill squeals.

Mr. Bolton didn’t dare to delay. With a swift motion, he brought the butcher’s knife down precisely on the pig’s throat. The pig struggled and squealed, and with a “squelch,” bright red blood spurted everywhere, looking especially striking against the snow.

Ethan Brooks was startled by the brutal sound of the pig being slaughtered, not daring to look, his heart filled with dread, and his brow twitching even more.

Old Li was right. He and Sam hadn’t even killed a chicken before; just the thought of butchering a pig made their hands and feet go weak, let alone venturing into the Jianghu.

In the Jianghu, killing people is countless times harder than killing this stupid pig.

Ethan Brooks’s lips were pale.

But he was already homeless, with no way back. He also had a strange illness and needed medicinal herbs to survive, so he could only move forward and seek refuge with the Medicine King Sect. This was his best way out.

Either he would make a name for himself in the Jianghu and achieve wealth and glory,

Or he would die in the streets, with no one to collect his body, dying more miserably than this pig.

Ethan Brooks glanced at Sam, his eyes asking if he regretted it and wanted to stay at the inn.