Early in the morning, the cold wind in Qingshui Village was still biting, but the Lin family’s dilapidated courtyard was filled with a sense of renewed vitality.
Normally, Lu Yuan had just recovered from a serious illness, and after being exhausted for most of the previous night, the whole family had ordered him to stay in bed and recover.
But how could Lu Yuan lie still?
“Father, Big Brother, let me go to town with Second Brother.”
As Lu Yuan tied the strings of his ragged cotton-padded coat, he walked out of the main room, his eyes filled with unmistakable determination.
“Those two fish are rare treasures. The town is full of all kinds of people, and I’m worried that Second Brother might get bullied if he goes alone.”
Besides, Lu Yuan was thinking that he could use this opportunity to learn about the town’s market and make some long-term plans for earning a living.
In the courtyard, his father-in-law, Lin Dashan, and his eldest brother-in-law, Lin Daniu, were still holding thick hemp ropes.
Although last night’s fish soup had warmed their stomachs, the family’s firewood supply was almost gone.
“Brother-in-law, it’s freezing in town, and your health…” Lin Daniu said worriedly.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother. I know what I’m doing.” Lu Yuan smiled, then looked toward Lin Dashan, who was sharpening a machete nearby. “Father, are you and Big Brother going into the mountains?”
Lin Dashan sighed, exhaling a cloud of white vapor.
“The deadwood around the mountain behind the village was picked clean long ago. Your Second Sister-in-law is pregnant, and Qingyue is about to give birth. We have to keep the kang warm around the clock.”
“Your brother and I are strong. We’ll go to Deepwater Gully twenty li away and carry back some hard firewood so we can burn it for several days.”
Hearing this, Lu Yuan felt warmth in his heart. In his previous life, he had been an orphan. He had always studied hard and had never really taken the time to appreciate human emotions.
He had no close friends either, partly because he had always been cold and distant toward others. He had firmly believed that knowledge could change one’s destiny. Before he even had time to fall in love, he had transmigrated into this world.
The people of the Lin family would rather brave the snow and cold to enter the mountains themselves than let the women and children in the family suffer even the slightest hardship.
“Then Father and Big Brother must be careful of the snow.”
Lu Yuan turned toward his second brother-in-law, who was cleaning the carp nearby.
Of the three Lin brothers, the eldest was honest and simple, the youngest was impulsive, while the second brother, Lin Erniu, was the most quick-witted.
Whenever the family had dried goods to take to town and exchange for money, Erniu was usually the one who handled the negotiations.
Lu Yuan deliberately wanted to cultivate him, so he patted him on the shoulder.
“Second Brother, bring the bucket. Let’s go.”
Lin Erniu hoisted the wooden bucket containing the two large carp onto his shoulder and followed Lu Yuan out of the house with a heroic stride.
Yuanhe Town was located between Qingshui Village and Lu Family Village and was the largest marketplace within ten li of the surrounding villages.
The two men braved the cold wind and walked for more than half an hour before finally reaching the bustling center of town.
Although it was snowing heavily, the New Year was approaching, so the streets were still packed with people.
The two found a sheltered corner and set down the wooden bucket. Lin Erniu rubbed his frozen hands together and leaned closer.
“Brother-in-law, how much should we charge for these big carp?”
Lin Erniu was nervous.
“Pork only costs about twenty copper coins per jin in town. These fish have so many bones. How about… fifteen copper coins?”
Lu Yuan smiled faintly.
“Second Brother, remember this. When doing business, rarity determines value. If it were summer, fifteen copper coins would be reasonable.”
“But now it’s the dead of winter, with the river completely frozen. These live golden-scaled carp are practically a good-luck omen in the eyes of wealthy families.”
“A carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.”
Lu Yuan held up four fingers and declared firmly, “Forty copper coins per jin! Not a single coin less!”
“Hiss!”
Lin Erniu sucked in a breath and nearly bit his tongue.
“Forty copper coins?! Wouldn’t these two fish be worth nearly two hundred copper coins? Who would spend that kind of money just to eat bony fish?”
The two large fish splashed around in the wooden bucket, immediately attracting a crowd of curious townspeople.
“Hey! Where did you get live carp in the middle of winter?”
“Look at the scales. They’re shining like gold!”
“With fish this big, one must weigh at least six jin. Young man, how much are you selling them for?”
Lin Erniu swallowed nervously and shouted, “Fo…forty copper coins per jin!”
As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in jeers.
“Have you gone crazy for money? Forty copper coins could buy two jin of good fatty pork!”
“Exactly! Let’s go. He’s trying to swindle some fool!”
Although many people had gathered around, everyone shook their heads and walked away as soon as they heard the price.
Lin Erniu became anxious and tugged at Lu Yuan’s sleeve.
“Brother-in-law, what do we…”
“Don’t worry.”
Lu Yuan folded his hands inside his sleeves and calmly closed his eyes, not even lifting his eyelids.
At that moment, a middle-aged, portly man wearing a cotton robe suddenly pushed his way through the crowd.
The man’s forehead was covered in sweat. The moment he saw the fish, his eyes lit up.
“Make way! Make way!”
The fat man squeezed to the front and stared at the fish in the bucket, delighted.
“What an auspicious sign! Heaven really has blessed us!”
“I am the purchasing manager of Yipinxiang Restaurant. The county magistrate happens to be dining at our restaurant today!”
The manager pulled a heavy money pouch from his waist and slapped it into Lin Erniu’s hands.
“These two fish are perfect for our main dish, ‘Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate’! Forty copper coins per jin, right? Ten and a half jin in total. Four hundred and twenty copper coins. I’ll take them both!”
Lin Erniu held the heavy pouch of copper coins and was completely dumbfounded.
Four hundred and twenty copper coins!
That was more money than the entire Lin family could save in half a year of farming!
“Sold! Sold! Thank you, Manager!”
Lin Erniu was so excited that he could barely speak.
Just as the manager bent down to pick up the wooden bucket and Lin Erniu happily prepared to count the money—
“Bang!”
A large foot wearing an old leather boot suddenly kicked the wooden bucket from the side.
Water splashed everywhere, soaking Lin Erniu.
“Ow!”
The manager of Yipinxiang Restaurant stumbled backward in fright. But when he recognized who had come, he immediately fell silent.
The crowd scattered like they were avoiding a plague.
A burly man with a face covered in flesh and a vicious scar running from the corner of his left eye down to his chin swaggered over with three rough-looking thugs.
The scar-faced man spat onto the ground and glared viciously at Lin Erniu.
“Are you blind? You dare set up a stall on my territory without even asking about the rules?”
“Since you’re new here, I’ll show some mercy today.”
He extended his broad hand and rubbed his fingers together.
“Pay one hundred copper coins for the stall fee. Then you can sell these fish to whoever you want.”
“But if you dare say no…”
The scar-faced man sneered.
“Today I’ll take these fish home to feed my dogs, and I’ll break your legs while I’m at it!”
The surrounding townspeople lowered their heads, their faces filled with sympathy, but no one dared speak up.
The scar-faced man was a local tyrant who bullied everyone in the area. Nobody dared provoke him.
“One hundred copper coins? Why don’t you just rob us!”
Lin Erniu’s eyes instantly turned red.
These were fish they had risked their lives to pull out of the frozen river!
This was money their family desperately needed to buy food!
Even the most honest person could turn violent when pushed too far.
Lin Erniu ignored the fact that the other side had more men. He grabbed the thick wooden carrying pole and charged forward like an enraged bull.
“Fuck your mother! I’m fighting you bastards today!”
At this critical moment—
A hand firmly seized Lin Erniu’s wrist.
“Second Brother, put the pole down.”
Lu Yuan stepped in front of Lin Erniu.
“Brother-in-law! Don’t stop me! They’re trying to take our lives!” Lin Erniu trembled with rage.
“Put it down!”
Lu Yuan’s tone was firm, even stern.
As a highly intelligent modern researcher, he understood the rules of survival in ancient society all too well.
The common people could never fight the authorities, the poor could never contend with the wealthy, and the honest could never win by fighting evil head-on.
If Lin Erniu struck someone today, even if he won, these thugs could turn around and report him to the authorities.
The Lin family could never afford the medical expenses, and Erniu could even end up in prison.
Fighting these low-level gangsters head-on was the worst possible strategy.
He needed to defeat them with his mind.
Lu Yuan pulled Lin Erniu behind him and faced the four fierce-looking thugs alone.
At that moment, Lu Yuan keenly noticed that the biting northern wind had suddenly stopped.
The air was filled with an oppressive, damp chill and the earthy smell of wet soil.
He raised his head and discreetly glanced toward the northwest sky.
The winter sky, which had been clear only moments earlier, was now gathering layers of heavy black clouds.
The bottom of the cloud layer was flat, while its top resembled a gigantic anvil, pressing toward the town at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Anvil-shaped thunderclouds.
The air pressure was dropping rapidly.
Lu Yuan’s heart suddenly jumped.
Modern meteorological knowledge raced through his mind.
During the depths of winter, when warm, moist air collides violently with a powerful cold front, clouds like these can form under extremely unusual conditions.
Within at most three to five minutes, a violent winter storm accompanied by hail and torrential rain would come crashing down.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, and a faint, cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
His opportunity had arrived.
In this feudal ancient world, physics and chemistry could be dismissed as sorcery.
But “the will of Heaven” and “the gods” were fears deeply engraved in everyone’s bones.
Lu Yuan slowly brushed the dust from his sleeves and adopted the arrogant, aloof demeanor of a scholar.
“One hundred copper coins for a stall fee? I, Lu Yuan, can afford it. I’m only afraid you won’t live long enough to spend them.”
The entire crowd erupted in astonishment.
The scar-faced man froze for a moment before bursting into laughter as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Hahaha! Did you hear that? Is this man frozen stupid? He actually dares curse me?”
The thug beside him joined in.
“Boss, stop wasting time with him. Just break his legs!”
Lu Yuan remained completely calm. Instead, he stepped forward.
His eyes were sharp as he stared directly at the scar-faced man’s forehead.
“I observe the heavens and study the movement of the stars. Your forehead is dark, and your body is surrounded by murderous energy. You bear the appearance of a man whose evil deeds have reached heaven itself!”
Lu Yuan raised one slender finger toward the sky.
“Heaven and earth have spirits. The gods do not lie.”
“Within half an incense stick’s time, thunder will descend in divine fury, and stones will fall from the heavens as punishment!”
“If you continue to commit evil, Heaven’s wrath will surely descend upon you. Your head will be shattered, and your soul will be scattered!”
The moment these words were spoken, even the surrounding townspeople began looking at Lu Yuan strangely.
“It’s over. That scholar must have gone crazy after failing the examination a few days ago.”
“How could there be thunder in the middle of winter? And now he’s saying stones will fall from the sky. He’s clearly studied himself stupid.”
Lin Erniu was even more anxious. He desperately tugged at Lu Yuan’s clothing.
“Brother-in-law! What nonsense are you talking about?”
The scar-faced man was unnerved by Lu Yuan’s mysterious manner, but unwilling to lose face.
He suddenly pulled the short knife from his waist and waved it viciously.
“Stop pretending to be some divine mystic! I’ll split your skull open today and see whether Heaven comes to save you!”
Lu Yuan stood motionless.
Inside his mind, he silently counted down.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight…
Just as the scar-faced man raised his knife and prepared to bring it crashing down on Lu Yuan’s head—
“Whoosh!”
A violent gust of wind suddenly swept across the street, overturning the cabbage vendor’s stall nearby.
The previously bright sky seemed to be covered by an enormous black hand, instantly turning as dark as ink, as though night had suddenly fallen.
Everyone froze in terror at the bizarre change in the heavens.
The scar-faced man’s movement also stopped in midair.
He instinctively looked up, fear flashing across his eyes.
“You… you really know sorcery?!” the scar-faced man shouted harshly, though the knife in his hand trembled uncontrollably.
Just as he opened his mouth—
“Crack—!”
A deep, thunderous boom, like the furious roar of a heavenly god, exploded from within the thick black clouds.
Then, what exactly came crashing down from the sky?