Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist-Chapter 51: Subduing the Evildoers

"Younger Brother Su, be careful! Their leader is a man named Hu Hu, and he’s skilled at the first gate-crash!" Village Chief Wang Yuechi leaned in close to Su Yu and whispered.

Su Yu gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over the trashed courtyard, and his eyes turned to ice.

’I don’t care about the others, but I can’t ignore my older brother, Su Hong, and his family!’

Su Hong was sprawled on the ground, his hands clutching fistfuls of dirt. A desperate glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes. "Second Brother... save Third Aunt!"

He knew Su Yu had broken through the first gate-crash. ’Even if he can’t beat all three of them, at least he can keep our family safe. I can’t just stand by and watch my own kin die because of me!’

Su Manjiang struggled to his feet and leaned against the bottom step. When he saw Su Yu arrive, a flicker of something stirred in his cloudy old eyes, only to quickly fade away.

’It’s over. It’s all over.’

’The IOU is real, and so is the compounding interest.’

’To ensure the Su Family could produce a Martial Artist and finally claw its way out of this rock-bottom quagmire, he had bet everything!’

’But Su Can still failed his breakthrough. After this failure, the hope of a second attempt was slim to none. The Su Family’s last hope was shattered.’

’What good was it that Su Yu had learned a little martial arts? Unless he became a Martial Artist, he couldn’t solve the Su Family’s crisis.’

His heart was filled with the numbness that follows despair.

He recalled the days of his youth, fighting wild dogs for scraps of food. He recalled the old-timers at the village entrance, chatting just days ago, who then vanished without a trace...

’He had poured the blood and sweat of generations of the Su Family into this gamble, betting that Su Can would become a dragon and lift the entire family out of this quagmire. But now, the dream was over, leaving only a complete mess and devils pounding at the door.’

"You with the Su Family, kid?" Hu Hu narrowed his beady eyes, looking Su Yu up and down while smacking an IOU against his palm. SLAP. SLAP. "Since you’re one of them, you can pay back the old bastard’s debt! If you can’t cough up the cash, don’t blame me for what comes next!"

Su Yu ignored him. He walked straight to Su Hong, helped his older brother to his feet, and then gave his aunt a reassuring glance.

"Second Brother..."

"It’s okay, Brother. Leave this to me."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring strength.

"Hey, kid! Didn’t you hear what I said?" Hu Hu’s anger flared at being ignored. He jerked his chin at one of his men.

One of the gang members stepped forward with a vicious grin and swung a fist at Su Yu’s face. "You’re asking to die, kid!"

The punch whistled through the air, heavy and powerful.

But to Su Yu, the motion was as slow as a snail.

Without even moving from his spot, he lashed out with a backhand.

SLAP!

A pained scream echoed as the gang member’s eyes bulged. The force of the blow sent him flying, and he crumpled to the ground like a dead dog, unable to get back up.

Su Yu had held back on that slap, not using even half his full strength. ’Since Cao Bin isn’t here,’ he thought, ’it’s best to keep my true power hidden and see what happens.’

"A Half-Step Martial Artist?"

Hu Hu’s pupils constricted. ’An expert reveals their skill with a single move.’ He couldn’t tell what level of gate-crash strength was behind that slap, but this kid was definitely a trained fighter!

Seeing this, the other gang member with the dagger had a vicious glint in his eye. Seizing the opening as Su Yu’s hand returned to his side, he crouched low and lunged in a sneak attack, aiming his dagger straight for Su Yu’s kidney.

But Su Yu had been watching his every move. Bending his knees slightly, he pushed off the ground.

SWOOSH!

His body shifted a half-step sideways like a phantom, dodging the blade as he smoothly delivered a side kick.

"Argh!"

The man felt a blow like a sledgehammer to his lower back. He screamed as he was sent flying nearly ten feet, landing sprawled on the ground. He was unable to get up for the longest time, his kidney clearly injured.

"You’re dead!!!"

Hu Hu roared, his Qi and Blood surging as he unleashed the full power of the first gate-crash. He charged forward, throwing a heavy hook punch at Su Yu’s temple. The wind from his fist was sharp, carrying a genuine threat.

’Too slow. Too weak. Full of openings!’

Instead of retreating, Su Yu advanced. With a ripple of his spine like a great dragon, he dodged the attack with the agility of a Spiritual Ape, smoothly arriving at his opponent’s side. A single punch, "White Ape Asks for the Way," landed squarely on Hu Hu’s chin.

CRACK!

The sound of shattering teeth was enough to set one’s own on edge.

The punch lifted Hu Hu completely off his feet. He fell backward, crashing hard into the dust, and half his face instantly swelled up like a pig’s head.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

The entire exchange, from start to finish, lasted only a few moments.

The three men from the Water Snake Gang, so vicious and menacing moments before, were now all on the ground, groaning in pain.

Hu Hu, in particular, was at the first gate-crash level—strong enough to easily take down two or three ordinary men—yet he hadn’t lasted a single move against Su Yu!

"S-Second Brother, you... you beat them all? What... what level are you at?" Su Hong’s eyes were wide, as if he were seeing his younger brother for the first time.

"Third gate-crash?"

Hu Hu struggled to his feet, clutching his mangled, toothless mouth, his eyes filled with utter shock.

’To take me down so easily in one hit... that kind of power has to be at the third gate-crash level! I didn’t even consider him being a Martial Artist, because if he were, that single blow would have killed me!’

’Didn’t the Su Family only have Su Can training in martial arts? Where in the hell did this monster come from? And from the looks of his skills, he’s no ordinary third gate-crasher!’

Though terrified, Hu Hu shouted with false bravado, "So what if you’re at the third gate-crash? You’re messing with the Water Snake Gang! You’re asking to be killed!"

Su Yu dusted off his sleeves, his tone detached. "The silver the Su Family borrowed will be returned in three days. Now, get out."

"Three days just because you say so? Did I fucking agree to that?" Hu Hu’s expression turned vicious.

Su Yu didn’t say a word. He just started walking toward Hu Hu, one step at a time.

"Three days! Fine, three days! I agree!"

’A wise man knows when to back down. Just you wait, you bastard!’

Hu Hu didn’t dare waste time on any more threats. He kicked his men on the ground, and the three of them helped each other up, scrambling away in a pathetic retreat.

But the venomous, parting glare he shot back clearly said: *You’re all dead in three days!*

Su Yu watched the three Water Snake Gang members flee but didn’t give chase. ’Beating them up in public is a direct challenge to their gang,’ he thought. ’That’s not the right way to solve this problem.’

...

「The crowd dispersed.」

The villagers’ gazes toward Su Yu were filled with awe, but also a great deal of pity.

"That Su Yu is incredible, but he’s up against the Water Snake Gang... I hear their leader, Cao Bin, is a real Martial Artist."

"Sigh... I’m afraid the Su Family won’t make it through this, even with three days."

Back in the courtyard, Su Yu helped Su Hong up and then called Yaya over.

"Yaya, go into town and bring back a doctor." He pulled one tael of silver from his robes and handed it to her.

"Don’t you dare!"

A sudden shriek cut through the air.

Mrs. Chen, the third aunt, who had been lying limp on the ground, found a sudden burst of strength. She lunged forward, snatched the silver from Yaya’s hand, and clutched it fiercely to her chest.

Her hair was a mess and her face was smeared with blood and dirt, but her eyes shone with a frightening intensity.

"We can’t call a doctor! This money is for Can’Er! He’s about to become a Martial Artist! We have to save this to buy him his Herbal Decoction!"

Su Yu looked at his clearly unhinged aunt, let out a sigh, and said nothing.

He simply walked to the doorway, gave Yaya another tael of silver, and told her to go find the doctor.

In the courtyard, Su Manjiang watched Su Yu from a distance. His lips moved as if to speak, but in the end, he just heaved a long sigh and turned his head away.

...

「Night fell.」

After making sure his older brother was settled, Su Yu went to the village chief’s house to ask about the Water Snake Gang. He accepted the chief’s hearty invitation to stay for dinner and afterward staggered home, seemingly drunk.

Along the way, villagers greeted him warmly. Su Yu mumbled his replies, his steps unsteady.

The moment he pushed open the door to his own home and slid the bolt shut...

...the drunken haze in his eyes vanished, replaced by an ice-cold clarity.

’As long as Cao Bin lives, the Su Family will never know peace!’

The moon was dark and the wind was high. It was a perfect night for killing.