Chapter 18: My Brothers
And quite a few came, directly starting to work with the materials.
This kind of upgrade isn't magical at all, it doesn't fit the game's rules.
Small Knife watched Xiu'Er busily helping out like a happy little butterfly, then logged off after giving some instructions.
He opened his eyes, and it was morning here.
After a simple breakfast, he bid farewell to the townsfolk and set off.
There was hardly any road behind, too few villagers in Taishu Hao's place, the traces long eroded away, and instead some small animal tracks appeared.
It is said that Taishu Hao was initially formed as a refuge during an escape.
He shook his head, stopped thinking much, and carefully discerned the direction, recalling some special landmarks from memory – mountains, deeply carved trees, and oddly shaped boulders.
Fortunately, even though it had been a few years since he left, he didn't get lost. It was still early before dark when he saw familiar fields.
He was back home.
Did it only take half a day?
The road isn't shorter, I'm just stronger now.
"I'm back!" Small Knife shouted, and dog barks echoed from afar.
Very quickly, a big dog appeared in view, madly running over.
"Haha! Ah Shan still remembers me, his owner." Small Knife hugged the dog and laughed.
Ah Shan jumped around joyfully.
He had paid a lot for this purebred Mountain Dog pup back then, but unfortunately, he couldn't take him away from here.
This kind of dog, accustomed to the wild mountain life, would never adapt to city living.
Injuring people can't be avoided; it's the dignity of Mountain Dog Ah Shan.
If it ever adapted, it wouldn't be itself anymore.
"It's Small Knife! Back after so many years, did the city's charms not hold you?" The old man in the field laughed heartily.
"Back! There's no place like home." Small Knife laughed heartily.
"Did you come back alone? So careless about safety? What if you got snatched by a wild boar?" The old man lectured sternly.
Small Knife just had to endure it.
"I knew it, with Ah Shan so excited, it must be Knife coming back." A joyful voice rang out.
"Knife! You still remember to come back, huh? Forgot your brothers, been gone for a few years." Two young men walked out excitedly, giving him a tight hug – they were brothers who grew up together in the village wearing open-crotch pants.
"Call me Brother Dao, show some respect." Small Knife huffed.
"Haha! Calling you Brother Dao works too, by our mountain rules, beat me first." The burly Stick laughed, flexing his muscles.
All influenced by TV from the outside.
"Alright, seems like you're itching for a fight, let's spar." Small Knife chuckled.
"Knife! You're good at making money, clever-minded, that one's still a bit off." Stick flaunted even more, taking off his shirt and showing off his muscular body.
By comparison, even Mountain Grass, who was slightly shorter, was much stronger than the slender Small Knife.
No choice, since birth Small Knife had been frail, as his mother was injured during pregnancy. The Earth's practices passed down in Taishu Hao trained other kids into strong youths, but not Small Knife.
"Are you ready?" Small Knife proudly said.
"Thinking I'm no good, but in action, you are no match for me; I'll even fight with one hand." Stick smugly put one hand behind his back, then posed.
Though the pose looked simple and crude, without ten years of hard work, one couldn't reach that realm, and those with skills could see it at a glance.
"Needs a beating." Small Knife dashed forward.
"Damn!" The moment action was taken, the skilled ones knew immediately, and Stick's expression changed instantly, this speed was unbelievably fast.
Unfortunately, by the time he reacted, it was too late. His attempt to block failed miserably.
One kick, Stick instantly toppled to the ground.
How satisfying, this heartless thing, let me show you why the flowers are this red.
"Ah!" Stick shouted, but he gritted his teeth and got back up.
Being beaten by this Knife, this sickly guy, would absolutely make him Taishu Hao's laughingstock forever, a joke passed among three or four generations during tea time.
Just got up, another kick, Stick was knocked over again.
Taishu Hao's Earth's practices aren't simple, but unfortunately, all Martial Arts are invincible to speed, and Small Knife knew these Earth's practices all too well.
He had a thousand strategies to counter, but it was too late to use them, still rendered useless.
Small Knife was so fast he couldn't evade or retaliate, and his strength was shockingly great, with incredibly heavy strikes.
This left Mountain Grass dumbfounded.
"Old Chinese medicine, it must be an old Chinese doctor outside the mountain who healed Brother Dao!" This one clearly read too many novels.
After the fourth time being defeated, Stick couldn't get up anymore, the footprints on his body turning into bruises that wouldn't heal without ten to fifteen days.
This was with the help of local herbs.
"So satisfying, damn it!" Small Knife let out a breath.
Really satisfying.
"Brother Dao, you've changed; you didn't fight before." Mountain Grass said naively.
"Nonsense!" Small Knife muttered to himself, in the past, even those much younger than me weren't a match, would I be dumb to make a move?
"Before, you were all kids, so I let you be. This time coming back, I feel like you've grown up, and you need to know how cruel the world is." Small Knife said proudly.
This left Mountain Grass speechless, feeling something was off, yet somewhat reasonable.
Very soon, other young folks from Taishu Hao arrived, just three of them.
There aren't many villagers here anymore; most have moved out, thanks to Small Knife.
Fewer young people.
However, safety improved over the years, along with various high-tech, otherwise, it would be tough for this few to survive.
"Knife is back! Missed you so much."
"Yeah, without Knife, our days were tougher." Everyone shouted.
"Call him Brother Dao." Stick grumbled.
"Who beat you up?" The others finally noticed, each looked differently, because Stick was the best fighter among them.
In the past, by village custom, he would absolutely be the king of young folks, the boss.
But, there was this genius Knife, who led the young folks to make money, though he couldn't fight himself.
This led to no kid-king in this generation.
The next generation? Traditional ways were lost, city kids were different.
"All of you come at me together."
Small Knife said arrogantly.
Soon, each one was on the ground moaning, full of disbelief.
Remember to call him Brother Dao going forward.
"Knife, oh! It hurts!"
Suddenly wasn't used to it.
But soon, Small Knife taught them to get used to it.
With the most honest method of the mountains.
Afterwards, everyone sat together, eating meat and drinking alcohol.
The five remaining were the little tyrants of Taishu Hao, the best fighters, once the village's elites.
Now they're all bachelors, with no young women willing to marry in.