Bully 02

After finishing the plot review, a figure sneaked back from outside the door. Fang Zhiyi happened to come out from the inner room and saw from a distance a young man dressed in a neat long robe.

He looked down at his own clothes—just a sleeveless jacket, already washed to a faded white.

"What's the point of picking up this stuff," Fang Zhiyi sighed with a sigh.

The man in charge of the money was named Chen Huaimin, who had only one leg. Before fleeing here, he was a diligent clerk at a money shop. He never dreamed in his wildest dreams that one day he would be associated with bandits. He had merely exchanged a few words of hometown gossip in his dialect with a childhood friend who had come from afar. When he turned around, five taels of silver were missing from the accounts. The shopkeeper insisted that he had colluded with his friend to steal those five taels. So, he was tied up and taken to the magistrate's court. By the time he was released from the prison, his leg had already been broken.

When he returned to his dilapidated hut, he learned that his wife had already taken up with the money shop's assistant manager.

When Fang Zhiyi found him, Chen Huaimin was burning with fever, and the leg wound had become infected. A wandering physician said Chen Huaimin's life was probably beyond saving.

Fang Zhiyi wasn't an educated man. Of course, even if he were, in these times there was no such thing as surgery. So, he used the simplest method: he amputated Chen Huaimin's leg—essentially chopping off the rotten limb with a firewood axe.

Chen Huaimin was not destined to die. He pulled through. Although he lost a leg, he remained eternally grateful to Fang Zhiyi. He knew the difference in weight between a leg and a life.

Chen Huaimin was also the only one among these men with a bit of learning in his belly, so Fang Zhiyi entrusted the accounting to him.

"Big Brother, the money... the money is missing," Chen Huaimin said, leaning on his crutch, a bit breathless.

Fang Zhiyi glanced at his empty trouser leg. "How much is missing?"

Chen Huaimin replied, "Two strings of cash."

Fang Zhiyi nodded. "Hmm."

"I'll investigate right away." Seeing Fang Zhiyi's expressionless face, Chen Huaimin felt ashamed. Big Brother had entrusted him with such an important task, and he couldn't even guard the money properly.

"Wait!" Fang Zhiyi stopped him, his eyes still fixed on his severed leg.

Chen Huaimin felt uneasy. "What are your orders, Big Brother?"

Fang Zhiyi reached up and rubbed his nose. "Hey, do you want to learn the blade?"

Chen Huaimin was taken aback. He knew Fang Zhiyi and his crew were in the business of swords and shadows. If possible, he wanted to contribute too, but now... He grabbed the empty fabric of his trouser leg with one hand.

"Don't worry about that missing leg. I have a way, though it'll be tough. What do you say?"

Looking into Fang Zhiyi's eyes, Chen Huaimin felt he wasn't being deceived. He nodded fiercely.

"Alright. You'll have to wait for me to make some preparations."

Fang Zhiyi narrowed his eyes. "Bring Liu Acai to me."

Chen Huaimin immediately hopped away. Even Little Hei couldn't stand it anymore. "You're being a bit too much. He's already missing a leg, and you're still ordering him around."

Fang Zhiyi looked at it. "You don't understand. Should I pity him just because he's disabled? Remember this, Little Hei: except for those who demand special treatment because of their disability, most disabled people don't want to be treated differently. This is the respect I can give him."

Little Hei seemed thoughtful.

Before long, Liu Acai came scurrying over. He was also wearing a sleeveless jacket, but unlike Fang Zhiyi's, his was dirty and stained—clearly the mark of someone with poor hygiene.

"Heh heh, Big Brother, what's up?" Liu Acai could be considered Fang Zhiyi's right-hand man. The guy was bad, but it wasn't entirely his fault. Liu Acai's family was originally quite wealthy, but because he did a single good deed, his family was utterly ruined. If he hadn't escaped here, he probably would have lost his life.

Liu Acai followed Fang Zhiyi, who had helped him fight off some ruffians, and his personality gradually turned ruthless and cunning. However, the original host often kept him in check because the original host was upright and felt Liu Acai simply didn't seem like a good person. Yet, it was this very bad guy who, after Fang Zhiyi's death, secretly broke out of prison successfully and immediately went seeking revenge, ultimately meeting the same fate as Fang Zhiyi.

"Aiyo." Fang Zhiyi reached up and held his forehead, glancing at Chen Huaimin who had just hurried back, panting. "We have a thief among us."

Upon hearing this, Liu Acai's previously grinning face turned serious, then took on a fierce expression. "Big Brother, just say the word. What do you want done?"

Fang Zhiyi looked at the ashamed Chen Huaimin. "I've fed and housed him well, never expecting he'd turn around and bite the hand that feeds him."

Liu Acai's hand went to the short knife at his waist, waiting for Fang Zhiyi to utter the name.

Chen Huaimin was also surprised. Did Big Brother already figure out who did it so quickly? He had thought long and hard, feeling that everyone here was a brother, none seeming like the type to steal money. Besides, whenever anyone needed money, Big Brother would usually agree without hesitation.

"Nian'an." Fang Zhiyi spoke the two words.

The hand Liu Acai had on his knife hilt trembled, then loosened. His expression relaxed. "Big Brother, you're joking. Nian'an is very filial. How could he do such a thing?" Seeing Fang Zhiyi staring at him expressionlessly, he continued, "Even if it was Nian'an, he was probably fooled by someone. He's inexperienced in the world. We just need to teach him more in the future."

Fang Zhiyi didn't reply. If Nian'an weren't the male lead, he might have the heart to teach him. But it was clear that this Nian'an looked down on Fang Zhiyi and his crew from the marrow of his bones. Stepping on them to rise up was only a matter of time.

Chen Huaimin also advised, "It's just two strings of cash, Big Brother. Let it go."

It seemed Nian'an had quite a good reputation here.

Fang Zhiyi was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Rules are rules. No one can break them."

After all, Liu Acai was Fang Zhiyi's confidant. He licked his lips. "Should I go have a word with him then?"

Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I just want to ask you one thing: what can two strings of cash do?"

Liu Acai was stunned, his eyes darting around.

Chen Huaimin answered, "Now that you mention it, it's strange. Today, when you all came back from collecting rent, one household, including repaid debt, happened to pay exactly two strings of cash."

Liu Acai remembered. "Damn it, that Old Dog Li!" He turned to leave.

Fang Zhiyi called him back. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to smash his rotten medicine shop! How dare he trick Nian'an!" Liu Acai shouted.

Fang Zhiyi reached out and smacked him. Liu Acai looked wronged. "Big Brother, why did you hit me?"

"I find you really have no brains sometimes," Fang Zhiyi said, feeling frustrated at his lack of progress. This guy was bad, but sometimes he really didn't use his head.

"Then... should I secretly go set his shop on fire?" Liu Acai thought for a moment and whispered.

Chen Huaimin frowned. "Acai, the houses in this area are all crammed together. How many people would you burn to death if you start a fire?"

"Uh... then I..."