Chapter 33 All of You Come at Once

He rekindled the fire. Li Yi helped Liu Zongmin over to warm themselves by the flames. Meanwhile, he stripped the archers of their clothes, piling them with their valuables and weapons onto the mule cart. Though the skirmish had been straightforward, the spoils were generous, easing Li Yi’s most pressing troubles. From the bodies, he gathered a total of seven taels of silver and over three hundred copper coins—a windfall for someone who had been utterly penniless. Not to mention the six sabers and three spears, all of which were sorely needed by the militia. With this in mind, Li Yi almost felt grateful to Inspector Xu. Especially with the iron armor Xu wore, handed down through his family: the plates were intact, the leather well-maintained, clearly cared for over the years. In a critical moment, it could prove invaluable. Li Yi’s heart brimmed with satisfaction.

He deliberately found a broad, secluded mountain gully, tossed the bodies in, then collapsed the earth to inter them properly. Returning to the scene of the fight, he removed the blood-soaked earth and swept away the footprints with bundled dead branches. Looking up at the sky, where heavy snow was falling, he thought by tomorrow this land would be buried under a thick white cover.

Watching Li Yi’s practiced movements, Liu Zongmin began to wonder if this youth was a seasoned highwayman, well-versed in murder and the art of erasing all traces. Generous and upright, skilled in arms, and meticulous in mind—Li Yi had surprised Liu Zongmin too many times. In his heart, Liu Zongmin began to feel that following this young man might lead to great things indeed.

With the battlefield tidied, Li Yi helped Liu Zongmin onto the mule cart. It had barely been a quarter of an hour since the fight, yet Liu Zongmin, having lost so much blood, was already deathly pale. Clearly, his wounds needed urgent care. Li Yi had no time to spare a thought for the mule’s well-being; he cracked the whip and drove hard toward Lijiazhuang.

What was normally a two-hour journey took only one. By the time they reached Li Yi’s home, the mule was foaming at the mouth, utterly spent. Liu Zongmin, pale-lipped and barely conscious from blood loss, was in a dire state. Alarmed, Li Yi hurriedly supported him into the courtyard.

Yun Niang saw them and was startled, hurrying over with a face full of worry. “Brother Yi, what has happened?”

Li Yi had no time for explanations and said urgently, “Prepare hot water, needle and thread, spirits, and wound medicine.”

Yun Niang asked no more, quickly turning to her tasks. Li Yi laid Liu Zongmin on the bed and tore away the blood-soaked cloth strips. The wounds were still bleeding freely. When Yun Niang brought the supplies and caught sight of the horrific gashes, she let out a low scream of fright.

“Don’t be afraid, go outside for now,” Li Yi said gently, ushering her away. Then, threading the needle, he stitched Liu Zongmin’s wounds closed. Once the three gashes were sewn, he washed them with spirits, applied medicinal powder, and bound them tightly with clean cloth. Whether Liu Zongmin survived now depended on his own strength. The wounds themselves were not fatal, but infection or inflammation had claimed many before.

Feeling weary, Li Yi stepped into the courtyard. Before he could react, Yun Niang rushed into his arms. He knew she had been terrified, and patted her back gently.

“Don’t worry, it was just a few petty thieves,” he soothed.

“Were you hurt?” Yun Niang looked up at him, eyes clear and full of concern.

Shaking his head softly, Li Yi reassured her. Only then did Yun Niang relax. Glancing toward the inner room, she asked, “Who is the man you brought back?”

“Liu Zongmin, a blacksmith making weapons for the militia. He got slashed a few times by accident.” Here, Li Yi could only sigh—he had told Liu Zongmin to stay far away. If anything happened to such a valuable craftsman, he would truly be left to weep in regret.

Li Yi told Yun Niang all that had transpired over the past two days, then went to check on Liu Zongmin. Seeing some color returning to his face, Li Yi felt a weight lift from his heart and made his way to the granary.

From a distance, he heard shouts and laughter. Approaching, he saw the young men wrestling. The burly Gou Dan had just thrown two opponents in succession and was now raising his arms in triumph, elated. Around him, the others cheered, making the place lively.

Li Zijin grinned at the scene. When he noticed Li Yi, he hurried over. “Captain, when did you return?”

“Just now.” Li Yi pointed at Gou Dan. “Whose idea was this?”

Li Zijin laughed, “Didn’t you teach us? The militia is new. We need everyone to bond.”

Looking at the young men tussling together, Li Yi burst out laughing. “Brother, you’ve certainly got them bonding—literally!”

Feeling the urge to join in, he helped one man to his feet and pointed at Gou Dan. “You’ve got some strength—care to take me on?”

“Why not?” Gou Dan replied eagerly.

Seeing it was Li Yi, Gou Dan’s mouth nearly stretched to his ears; he still remembered being struck five times by Li Yi the other day—now was his chance for payback. The two squared off, surrounded by a ring of eager faces. Everyone had heard of Li Yi’s skill and wanted to see it for themselves.

With a low growl, Gou Dan lunged at Li Yi’s waist—a surprisingly strategic move for such a simple fellow. Li Yi shifted his left foot back, letting Gou Dan lock his arms around his waist. Gou Dan’s heart leapt; all his life, whenever he managed to grab someone’s waist, no one could break free.

“Captain, you’re done for!” he roared, using all his strength to try to topple Li Yi. But Li Yi was solid as iron, utterly unmovable; Gou Dan’s face reddened with exertion, but not an inch did Li Yi budge.

Just as Gou Dan’s grip was loosening, Li Yi pressed his left hand to the back of Gou Dan’s neck, grabbed his lower back with his right, and effortlessly hurled him aside.

“Well done!” The crowd cheered Li Yi’s clean, decisive throw.

Clambering up, face flushed, Gou Dan glared at Li Yi. He felt certain he’d just been careless—if he used all his strength, surely he could topple him.

“What’s wrong, not convinced?” Li Yi teased, beckoning him forward. “Come again, if you dare.”

Infuriated, Gou Dan charged with a roar, but Li Yi sidestepped neatly, grabbed him from behind, and sent him flying once more.

Still not satisfied, Li Yi called to the onlookers, “All of you—come at me together! Whoever throws me down gets five hundred coins!”

The prospect of five hundred coins lit a fire in the young men’s eyes and they charged as one. Laughing heartily, Li Yi tossed them aside one by one. Even when six or seven clung to his arms and legs, with a mighty heave, he sent them tumbling back in a heap.

When all lay sprawled on the ground, Li Yi reached between his legs and seized Li Guo’s hand. “And who taught you such a sneaky trick?”

Li Guo grinned sheepishly and tried to slip away, but Li Yi lifted him like a sack, making him holler in fright before tossing him into a snowdrift.

At that moment, Gao Laoshi and Li Zijin arrived, carrying a load of wooden weapons.