Bully 01

Fang Zhiyi fought desperately and killed his own "boss," thus becoming the new overlord of the western outskirts of the city.

His gang numbered around twenty men, but it was only a matter of quantity. There were boat trackers with broken hands, servants who had escaped after a severe beating from their masters... They were all people Fang Zhiyi had picked up. Each one remembered Fang Zhiyi's life-saving grace and called him "Master Fang," though other folks in the neighborhood secretly called Fang Zhiyi the "local tyrant."

Nian'an was picked up by Fang Zhiyi on a day of heavy rain when he was entering the city. Huddled in a corner like a kitten, Fang Zhiyi saw him and was reminded of his own childhood self, his heart softening involuntarily.

"Hey, come with me. I'll feed you!"

Seeing the scar on Fang Zhiyi's face, Nian'an trembled inwardly, but he had no choice at the moment and could only follow behind him.

The name Nian'an was one he gave himself. He told Fang Zhiyi that he only longed for a stable, peaceful life.

Fang Zhiyi had never studied or learned to read, yet he inexplicably felt it was a good name.

As time passed, everyone in the western outskirts knew Fang Zhiyi had picked up an adopted son, treating him better than a biological son, providing him with the finest food, clothing, and provisions. Fang Zhiyi didn't deny it; that was truly what he thought. Ever since climbing up from the bottom, he had given up the idea of marriage. If he could raise a son, having someone to perform the funeral rites for him in the future would be enough.

The times were not good, but Fang Zhiyi protected Nian'an very well. His men also consciously looked out for him. Precisely because of this, as Nian'an grew up, he began to develop other ideas.

Like all passionate and naive youths, he couldn't stand Fang Zhiyi slamming tables when collecting protection money, couldn't stand Fang Zhiyi's men beating up those ruffians, and couldn't bear to see Fang Zhiyi throw the medicine shop owner, who couldn't pay up, out into the pouring rain.

"Foster Father, they are so pitiful," Nian'an said, his eyes reddening.

Fang Zhiyi glanced at him and explained patiently, "Pitiful? Shopkeeper Li just lost dozens of taels of silver gambling at the den a few days ago and even sold his daughter for money. I was the one who went and brought her back."

"But you still shouldn't collect protection money!"

"The protection money isn't for me; it's to buy rice for these twenty-odd brothers."

Nian'an couldn't listen at all. He secretly made a decision and, taking advantage of his privilege to move freely everywhere, stole two strings of cash that very day, then secretly gave them to Shopkeeper Li.

When someone discovered the missing money, they immediately told Fang Zhiyi. After a brief thought, Fang Zhiyi knew exactly who had done it. He smiled helplessly, cursed under his breath, and waved for his men to go about their business.

Anxious and uneasy, Nian'an, seeing no punishment, couldn't help but feel somewhat smug. It was from this point that he increased the frequency of his thefts. All those he deemed "pitiful" received his charity. Hearing their gratitude filled Nian'an's heart with satisfaction.

Whether these people were genuinely thankful, he didn't care.

It was precisely his actions that stirred the thoughts of those who already harbored resentment towards Fang Zhiyi. The ruffians gathered, muttering about Fang Zhiyi's wealth and his rise to power. Their hearts hardened, and they decided to rebel.

They just tearfully pleaded with Nian'an, saying they wanted to retrieve their belongings. Nian'an then agreed to open the gate for them at midnight. That night, Fang Zhiyi's residence was filled with the clash of steel, screams, and curses rising and falling.

Nian'an stood frozen in terror. After a moment's thought, he made his own decision: to flee.

After all, Fang Zhiyi had climbed up through sheer force. In the end, he suppressed the rebellion. Then, frantic with worry, he searched for his foster son. Even at this moment, he held no blame for Nian'an; the boy was just too naive.

However, he never expected that the next time he saw Nian'an would be with an official's blade at his own throat.

He looked at Nian'an standing behind the crowd, a girl gripping his hand tightly beside him. Nian'an's expression was resolute: "It was him! Two years ago, Fang Zhiyi led the raid on the government granary!"

Fang Zhiyi's ears rang, gradually drowning out Nian'an's words. He only knew that Nian'an was laying out everything he had done one by one. That very day, he was thrown into prison, and his brothers met the same fate.

Through fragments of conversation from the jailer, Fang Zhiyi learned what had happened.

The fleeing Nian'an had encountered Lin Yanqing, the daughter of the dyehouse owner. Under Lin Yanqing's "guidance," his sense of justice was fully awakened, leading to his voluntary reporting of Fang Zhiyi.

He laughed.

"You little brat."

Fang Zhiyi died. It seemed someone had paid money; he was even poisoned in his cell without ever seeing the courtroom. For a local tyrant like him, whether he lived or died was of no concern to anyone. The officials hastily closed the case.

The western outskirts he had dominated were taken over by Lin Kunyuan, the owner of the Kunyuan Dyehouse. The original order was completely disrupted. Ruffians and scoundrels ran rampant once more, and the officials' exorbitant taxes and levies never ceased. Lin Kunyuan used this area to build an even bigger business.

Fang Zhiyi reached up and touched the scar on his face: "Robbing the official granary to aid the common people, intimidating the ruffians and scoundrels, using the saved money to help orphans and widows... Apart from poor judgment of character, the original owner was actually a decent man."

Xiao Hei laughed: "Want to see the protagonist's perspective?"

Fang Zhiyi squinted towards the direction of the main gate: "Idle time is idle time. Let's have a look."

Nian'an lost his parents at a young age and was picked up by a local tyrant. To survive, he had no choice but to live under another's roof. Fortunately, the tyrant had no children and considered adopting him as a foster son. However, Nian'an often witnessed the tyrant and his men acting like bullies, oppressing the neighbors. Thus, he could only help the people in his own way.

In his view, a conflict was inevitable. His reason for fleeing was simple: opportunity.

Now he had grown up and could make a living. He had to leave this filthy place.

During his escape, Nian'an met Miss Lin. From their very first meeting, he was captivated by Lin Yanqing. Listening to the ideas he had never heard before from her lips, Nian'an was utterly impressed.

They also had arguments, one being when Lin Yanqing learned he was Fang Zhiyi's foster son.

"Formerly!" Nian'an argued.

"Who doesn't know Fang the Overlord? He preys on the villagers, commits every evil, extorts merchants, beats common people. How could you live with such a person?"

It was this argument that stirred thoughts of repentance in Nian'an. He wanted to make amends.

So, with the help of Lin Yanqing's father, he went to the authorities and reported everything he knew.

The outcome, naturally, was that the tyrant Fang Zhiyi was brought to justice. Nian'an, in turn, received funding from Old Master Lin to begin studying for the imperial examinations. After achieving success in the exams and gaining an official rank, Old Master Lin nodded in agreement to his marriage with his daughter. Backed by the wealthy Old Master Lin, Nian'an rose all the way to the position of a first-rank official. The couple lived in harmony and happiness, raising five children.