The remaining tiger wanted to escape.

However, just after it had dashed a few steps, its hind leg was abruptly struck with a 'whoosh', causing it to lose its balance and crash to the ground.

At this point, everyone realized that what had broken the tiger's leg was merely an ordinary pebble.

"This, could it be..." Tiger-Striped Man Shi Zhan's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, and his head turned to search around.

A figure clad in black attire suddenly appeared among the tigers.

Compared to the large size of the tigers, he seemed particularly small.

Yet upon seeing him, the tigers displayed fear in their eyes, let out uneasy howls, and retreated.

The figure raised a silver axe, several shadows flashed by with a 'swoosh swoosh', and the tigers were immediately killed on the spot, as easily as slicing melons and vegetables.

And none of the people present could see his movements clearly.

"Landlord, long time no see."

Before the sound had faded from their ears, the person had already come close to everyone.

"Ah Yi!" Landlord Jia was overjoyed.

...

In a certain room in Jia Family Manor.

A golden carpet spread across the floor, red lacquered columns stood erect, and a black and white landscape painting hung on the adjacent wall, with curling white smoke rising from a bronze incense burner.

On a purple sandalwood table, delicate teacups were skillfully filled with tea, held by a slightly coarse hand, then handed to the young man opposite.

"Ah Yi, how come you have the time to return? It's been a long time since we've heard from you," Landlord Jia asked, "Are you still staying at Sunset Mountain?"

The dungeon riot, prisoners broke out of their cells, led by the master of Sunset Mountain, killed Inspector Cao.

This was a matter that shook the entire Xinxiang, something Landlord Jia naturally knew about.

"Sunset Mountain is not a place to stay long," Lou Yi smiled and shook his head, "I joined the city's martial arts hall early on and received the true inheritance."

"Oh?" Landlord Jia listened, his expression changed as he appraised Lou Yi up and down, "You've become a Martial Artist?"

"Just broke through recently."

Lou Yi concealed his cultivation, for fear of shocking the other, but Landlord Jia was already profoundly shaken.

His lifelong wish was to free the Jia family from being mere country squires.

And the mark of achievement was for the family to produce a Breaking Through Martial Artist, which had been the direction of generations of effort by the Jia family, yet it had never come to fruition.

Little did he expect, it was achieved by a guard he previously recruited.

After chatting for a while, Lou Yi then stated his purpose.

"Now the beast tide is raging and could affect Xinxiang at any time. Only moving to the city is relatively safer.

I have a few entry slots for the city; would you consider moving to the city to avoid the beast tide?"

Landlord Jia listened, he paused for a moment, then said: "Ah Yi, I accept your kind offer.

But the Jia family's century-old foundation, if I flee, it will surely be destroyed..."

The two talked at length, and Lou Yi regrettably got up, to bid farewell.

In the end, he still left several recommendation letters for Cui Yuan and Shi Zhan.

Earlier, when Qi Hu blocked his path with men, those two staunchly supported him and led the team to fight.

Leaving Jia Family Manor, Lou Yi then went to the tea house 'Gathering Lodge.'

Old Yan, the shop assistant Wang Kang, the locksmith Liu Si, and others, once took great risks to come rescue prisoners.

Now with disaster approaching, he could not abandon them.

Unfortunately, the tea house doors were tightly closed.

A thick layer of dust had settled on the steps at the entrance, and Old Yan and others were nowhere to be found.

Lou Yi asked several nearby households.

They told him that Old Yan had left Tai City with a team a few months ago, to seek new ventures outside.

Leaving Lou Yi completely in vain.

Lou Yi was not discouraged and continued to the next place.

West Bridge Village, a worn-out adobe house, with a tail-less yellow dog tied at the door.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The yellow dog barked excitedly as someone approached.

"What are you barking at, barking every day?" A figure walked out impatiently.

His hair was disheveled, bare-chested, with snake tattoos on both arms, his pants had several holes.

But at this moment, he was hobbling with a cane, limping as he walked.

Looking up he froze when he saw who had come.

"Brother, you came down from the mountain?"

Lou Yi chuckled, "Who told you I was on the mountain, I couldn't possibly stay there for a lifetime."

"What happened to your leg?"

"Ah, don't mention it, got drunk one day and rolled down a slope."

"Come in and have some tea." The tattooed man was indeed the ruffian Wu Biao, hurriedly inviting Lou Yi inside.

Inside his house was even worse than outside, with piled items like broken straw sandals, sticks, machetes, rice containers, hemp ropes, all stacked disorderly.

The stench of sweat, mildew on clothes, and leftover food smell hit you, truly appalling.

After searching for a while, he found the bowls were not washed, smiled awkwardly at Lou Yi, "I'll take a bath first."

Lou Yi was not really there for tea, frowned and said, "Your house needs a good cleanup, it's not fit for living."

"Brother is right," Wu Biao nodded repeatedly.

"I came this time to ask if you'd be willing to go to the main city. The beast tide is getting closer, and this place will soon be unsafe."

"Willing, willing!" Wu Biao nodded incessantly.

Following that, the big man actually cried.

"Dear brother, I'm thankful you still thought of me."

"Sigh, these days have been so wretched..."

As Wu Biao recounted, Lou Yi also learned about the recent events that happened to him.

His brother committed a crime, Wu Biao apologized and reconciled, drank with the other party, finally settling it.

Unexpectedly, on his way back he fell down a steep slope, breaking his leg.

Had just accepted a debt collection job, but due to the accident, couldn't fulfill it, and offended his client.

His long-time partner also left him, went with someone else...

Summed up in a phrase, bad luck opened the door for the grandson, total misfortune.

"Stop crying, misfortune doesn't last forever, things will get better." Lou Yi comforted him.

"Sorry for making you laugh," Wu Biao, this big man, wiped his eyes, somewhat embarrassed.

"Where's Yang Er, didn't see him at home."

"He left earlier with Mrs. Cheng and the kid, went to Jiang City to live." Wu Biao explained.

Lou Yi nodded, he already guessed.

Yang Er is not inherently bad, plus strong and healthy; if he works hard, he won't live poorly anywhere.

As for Mrs. Cheng and the child, he can only hope to find them later.

"Once in the main city, remember to find me, I live..."

Before leaving, Lou Yi told him his rented location and handed him dozens of taels of silver.

Wu Biao had a lame leg, unable to do regular work.

Just right to introduce him to Liu Yuan and Lu Yang, let them arrange something.

Wu Biao had always helped him, even accompanied Yang Er to find Old Yan, risking decapitation to rescue him.

Such people, Lou Yi would never treat unfairly.

Riding away from West Bridge Village, the scenery grew more familiar along the way.

The old bridge worn and pitted by wind and sand over the years.

The grass-covered cemetery, tomb hills as far as the eye can see.

And the adobe houses from which wisps of smoke rose one by one.

Familiar faces such as Fool Zhou, Cheng Chen, Aunt Gu, Carpenter Xu, Sister Gao, Madame Chang...

Many faces flashed through his mind.

Lou Yi pulled his horse to a stop, paused for a moment on a hill several hundred meters from Erhe Village.

With his eyesight far surpassing common Martial Artists, he could naturally see familiar figures moving within the village.

'Wish you all good luck.'

The city slots were few, impossible to give each person.

Also, what he owed them before, had been paid back then.

With that thought, Lou Yi didn't linger, with a 'Hyah', the horse galloped toward Sunset Mountain.

...

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