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He had wandered the outside world for many years and knew full well the dangers it presented.

Even though his current level of cultivation was higher than Qin Niu’s, he would never dare to confront an Insect Master head-on.

Not to mention whether Qin Niu had any formidable insects to deal with him, even if he could defeat him, killing or injuring Qin Niu would invoke the wrath of the Insect Master Association, an entity Wang Yue could not afford to provoke.

In the past, it was Qin Niu who had to be wary of Wang Haikun’s elder brother, but now it was Wang Yue’s turn to be cautious of the Insect Master Association behind Qin Niu.

This truly was a case of what goes around comes around.

There was another reason why Wang Yue was so fearful.

Qin Niu first severed his brother’s arm, and then, when he brought a generous gift to apologize, Qin Niu left him waiting outside for nearly half an hour. And upon meeting, Qin Niu appeared extremely composed.

All of these convinced Wang Yue that Qin Niu must be absolutely confident in dealing with the two of them.

It made him even more fearful of Qin Niu.

The two sides were engaged in a psychological battle; Qin Niu sat calmly on his seat, while Wang Yue was completely unarmed and scared by his own imagination.

But speaking of which, if Wang Yue didn’t know to act wisely, it was indeed possible that he and his brother would be exterminated together.

“Bring your brother in!”

Qin Niu accepted the soft armor that Wang Yue presented with both hands.

It allowed Wang Yue to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Qin Niu’s willingness to accept his gift indicated a turning point in the situation. It meant that the lives of the two brothers were spared.

“Thank you, Master Qin, for your forgiveness!”

After bowing deeply to the ground, Wang Yue straightened up and went outside. He grabbed Wang Haikun’s clothes and carried him in like carrying a little chicken.

To become a reserve soldier of the Black Armored Army, one’s cultivation was certainly not weak.

Lifting a nearly 200-pound strong man seemed effortless.

“Kneel down and wait for Master Qin’s judgement!”

Wang Yue shouted sternly at his brother.

Wang Haikun surreptitiously raised his eyes to gauge his elder brother, only to see Wang Yue standing with his hands hanging by his sides, his shoulders slightly sagging, facing Qin Niu.

And the Ah Niu, whom he used to manipulate at will, now sat on the main seat with an indifferent face, a hint of authority emanating from that still youthful face.

His own brother, after all, was a soldier of the Black Armored Army’s reserves, yet he respectfully addressed Qin Niu as “Master Qin,” with every word filled with deference.

What exactly was Qin Niu’s status?

How did he suddenly become such a high-ranking and important figure?

Seeing that even his brother was afraid of Qin Niu, Wang Haikun dared not cause further trouble and got up to kneel before Qin Niu.

“Please, Master Qin, decide my fate!”

He lowered his head, propped himself up with his one arm, and did not dare to move.

ii

If it weren’t for your brother’s sake, given the crimes you’ve committed in the village, you would have been slaughtered a hundred times over. Today, your brother has pleaded on your behalf to spare your life, so I’ll only say three things. First, you stole my wolf skin and hill fertilizers, which together with interest amounts to four taels of silver—will you repay it or not?”

Qin Niu had initially asked him to repay three taels and four coins of silver.

He had failed to repay it.

Now, the amount had risen to four taels.

It wasn’t really about the money, but it was a matter of principle.

h

You beast, to actually dare steal Master Qin’s things—you must be tired of living! Will you not quickly thank Master Qin for his great leniency?”

Wang Yue, standing beside him, was so angry he wanted to hit his brother.

Of course, that was likely just for show.

He had to have been aware of his brother’s usual behavior.

“I’ll send the silver over to Master Qin later! Thank you, Master Qin, for your great magnanimity.”

Wang Haikun’s heart was bleeding.

The last time he stole the wolf skin, he had sold it for only one tael and two coins of silver.

And the hill fertilizers he stole, when applied to the fields, not only did the crops fail to grow, but they began to turn yellow and wilt.

Now, he had to give Qin Niu four taels of silver, leaving him in tears.

He was indeed the epitome of suffering a big loss for the sake of a small gain.

“Second, severing your arm was a light punishment. If you feel resentful and think of revenge, know that next time, the treatment will not be the same.”

“I dare not, 1 would absolutely not entertain any thoughts of revenge!”

After being kicked by his own brother, Wang Haikun immediately succumbed.

“Please be assured, Master Qin. If he dares to think of revenge, there is no need for you to act—I will send him to his death.”

Wang Yue hastily assured on the side.

This elder brother was truly ruthless.

But it was necessary to dispel any thoughts Qin Niu might have had of cutting them down once and for all.

“Third, if there are any more incidents of bullying men or dominating women, or doing evil to the neighbors, I won’t show mercy.”

“I will definitely reform and never dare to do evil again,” vowed Wang Haikun without hesitation, promptly stating his stance.

“You may go now!”

Qin Niu said to the brothers.

Both felt as if they had been granted amnesty, and after thanking him, they fled with their tails between their legs.

The onlooking villagers, witnessing the once-arrogant Wang brothers exit cautiously from Qin Niu’s dilapidated house, were all filled with awe. They realized that Shuangfeng Village had changed without them noticing.

Qin Niu had now become the most esteemed person in Shuangfeng Village.

His status was even higher than that of Wang Yue.

“How did Ah Niu suddenly become so powerful?”

“Did he become an official?”

“If he were an official, there should be an entourage from the government beating drums and praising him along the streets. It doesn’t seem like he’s become an official. His crops at home are growing so well; perhaps he has been promoted to a high-ranking farmer,” speculated the crowd.

There was a range of opinions as everyone guessed Qin Niu’s current status.

At the same time, everyone became even more reverent towards Qin Niu.

Just then, Tang Fang from Daoyuan Village brought his younger brother to inspect Qin Niu’s old residence.

Tang Fang was a clever man and should have arrived earlier.

Curiously, he chose to ‘arrive’ just after the departure of the Wang brothers, which was very astute.

“Master Tang, what brings you here?”

“To help build a new residence for Master Qin of your village!”

“All…”

Upon hearing this, a murmur of astonishment spread among the onlookers.

Qin Niu was truly on the rise, with a status and position even more formidable than Wang Yue, and now he was constructing a new house. It was truly enviable.

“Master Qin, may 1 ask if now would be a convenient time to inspect your old residence?”

Tang Fang didn’t bother with the others, and directly stood outside the gate and respectfully posed the question.

“Convenient, very convenient! Master Tang, please come in!”

Qin Niu stepped out of his house to personally receive him.

He was still clad in coarse cloth garments patched up in many places, but he seemed to carry a bit more authority now.

“This is my younger brother, Tang Jun, who has been working with me as a roofer since he was twelve, and later went to the city to study for two years. His skills have even surpassed mine. Moreover, some of his clever layouts and building methods are at the forefront of the latest trends.”

Tang Fang introduced the middle-aged man beside him.

About thirty years old, he looked extremely composed, his eyes and forehead gleaming with the unique wisdom of a craftsman.

“I’ve met Master Qin!”

Tang Jun greeted him with clasped hands and a respectful bow.

“No need for formalities! I will be relying on you and your brother for my new residence, please do take care, and rest assured that you will be treated fairly for your efforts.”

With a gesture of his right hand, Qin Niu signaled to Tang Jun that further courtesy was unnecessary.

He then took the two brothers to inspect the old house inside and out.

When they inspected the side adjacent to Wang Furen’s home, Wang Furen himself came out.

“Master Qin, are you planning to build a new house here?”

Wang Furen addressed Qin Niu with respect.

It appeared that the cunning Wang Furen had been eavesdropping from inside the house all along.

“Uncle Wang, you can just call me Ah Niu. When I was destitute, not only did you refrain from oppressing me, but you also helped me a great deal. Our relationship is, of course, special.”

Qin Niu was a person who remembered past kindnesses.

He had always been grateful to Wang Furen’s family.

“Master Qin, I am truly grateful that you remember our past kindnesses, but social decorum is strict. I’m a commoner, you’re the nobility, 1 wouldn’t dare overstep.”

Wang Furen’s face was filled with contentment, but also a great sense of emotion.

Who could have imagined the once underestimated Qin Niu would become so noble?

Indeed, one should not despise the poor youth.

The growth of children is unpredictable to everyone.

“If the land for building your house is insufficient, my family’s land is at your disposal.”

Wang Furen’s home was separated from Qin Niu’s by about three meters, consisting of a piece of land in between.

Two meters of it belonged to Wang Furen’s family, and one meter to Old Man Liu.

This was a division made by the previous generation.

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Wang! If I really need it, 1 will certainly buy it from you with money, not take it for nothing.”

Back when Qin Niu was weak, Wang Furen had never bullied him or encroached on his homestead.

Now that Qin Niu was strong, he naturally would not bully Wang Furen either.

While they were surveying the homestead, another neighbor, Big Sister Mo, came over with a basket full of chicken eggs.

Big Sister Mo was of medium height, with robust arms and legs, and her eyes were as cold as a wolf’s. She was known in the village for being a formidable character.

No one could withstand her barrage of curses in a quarrel.

Her other neighboring household, Wu San, had been literally sickened by her curses on several occasions.

It should be noted that Wu San was her husband’s own brother.

Qin Niu usually gave Big Sister Mo a wide berth, not wanting to provoke this woman.

Wang Furen and Big Sister Mo were his next-door neighbors, but he had no interactions with Big Sister Mo’s family.

Instead, their homestead kept encroaching on his own.

It wasn’t an outright grab; rather, it was subtle encroachment, little by little.

“Ah Niu, these are chicken eggs my family had saved up. 1 had intended to sell them for money, but now I’m giving them to you.”

Although Big Sister Mo’s face was filled with an ingratiating smile, the arrogance in her heart still made her speak to Qin Niu with a condescending attitude.

A gift of chicken eggs was now somehow presented as an act of charity.

Qin Niu gave her a detached look.

That one look sent a shiver through Big Sister Mo as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Without saying a word, he continued surveying the homestead with the Tang brothers.

After inspecting Wang Furen’s side, they proceeded to the left side.

Big Sister Mo followed, her face betraying a certain amount of embarrassment.

“All Niu, I have two children, and our homestead is already small; you can’t encroach on our land!”

She forced a smile as she greeted him.

Only a woman as tactless and oblivious as Big Sister Mo could be suited to being a scolding fishwife.

“Master Qin, this side seems a bit tight! If we build with three rooms and seven bays, I’m afraid the entranceway in the front yard will become too narrow.”

After inspecting, Tang Jun suggested with some difficulty to Qin Niu.

“Could some kind villager please fetch the village head for me? Here’s five wen as a tip for the trouble.”

After hearing this, Qin Niu glanced at his homestead that had been heavily encroached upon by Big Sister Mo’s family.

Yet, he did not resort to force.

The Yan Family’s way of winning people over with kindness appealed to him.

So, he decided to follow their example.

I’ll go, I’ll go! No need for money! It would be my honor to serve Master Qin!”

It was Liu Shengli from the Liu Family.

He had been thinking of getting his hands on Qin Niu’s secret fertilizer formula, but upon seeing how formidable Qin Niu had become, he completely abandoned that idea.

Now his sole intention was to find an opportunity to cling to Qin Niu’s coattails.

“Brother Ah Niu, just leave this kind of task to me!”

Er Dan reacted even faster and dashed off without a trace.

Liu Shengli cursed behind him, “You blockhead Er Dan, why do you compete with your Uncle Liu over this!”

Before long, Village Head Xu Zhenchang was summoned.

Indeed, the village head of Shuangfeng Village was Xu Zhenchang.

Ever since the old village head passed away, the villagers had elected Xu Zhenchang as their village head.

Naturally, this was not without the support of the Yan Family.

The Yan Family, being one of the most dominant forces in Jade Stream Town, had already extended its influence into every corner.

It’s no exaggeration to say that when it came to the control of public opinion, the Yan Family’s influence locally far exceeded that of the government..