Chapter 17 — The Iron Stance and The Mob at the Gate
The Foundation of Power
The next morning, the sun shone brightly on the snow-covered courtyard.
Baby Hao was asleep in his crib near the window, wrapped in warm furs. Outside, the air was crisp.
Long Tan stood in the snow, his hands behind his back. In front of him stood Su Lan and Little San.
"Martial arts does not start with punching," Long Tan said, his voice serious. "It starts with standing."
He demonstrated the pose. Feet wide apart, knees bent deep, back straight as a spear.
"The Horse Stance (Ma Bu)," Long Tan explained, reciting the knowledge from the Iron Mountain Manual he had studied. "Power comes from the earth. It travels up the legs, through the waist, and releases at the fist. If your legs are weak, your punch is just wind."
Su Lan blushed. To perform the Horse Stance, she had to spread her legs wide under her long skirt. It felt unladylike and embarrassing for a village woman who usually kept her head down.
"Tan... do I really have to?" she whispered, looking around to ensure no neighbors were watching.
"Yes," Long Tan said gently. "Modesty will not save you from a bandit. Strong legs will."
Su Lan took a deep breath. She thought of Baby Hao. She pushed down her embarrassment and sank into the stance. Her legs shook immediately.
"Lower," Long Tan tapped her knee. "Hold it."
Next to her, Little San was trembling with excitement. He dropped into a deep stance, his small face scrunched up in concentration.
"I am a mountain! I am a mountain!" Little San chanted, trying not to fall over.
"Good," Long Tan nodded. "Hold it for the time it takes to burn half an incense stick. If you fall, you start over."
Sun-Moon Refining
While his wife and son struggled with the basics, Long Tan walked over to the Spirit Peach Tree in the corner of the yard.
He could feel the tree humming. It was collecting the winter sunlight.
Long Tan closed his eyes. He synced his breath with the tree.
Inhale. The cold air entered.
Exhale. The waste heat left.
He practiced his Sun-Moon Breathing Technique. He wasn't just resting; he was refining the chaotic energy left over from the [Sun Burst] he used against the wolf.
His muscles tightened and released. His bones absorbed the energy.
Crack.
A small sound echoed from his spine.
Long Tan opened his eyes. He squeezed his fist. The air whistled.
"465 Jin," he noted with satisfaction. "I gained another 15 Jin just by breathing near this tree. My foundation is becoming solid."
He looked at Su Lan and San. They were sweating in the cold air, legs shaking violently, but neither of them had given up.
"Rest," Long Tan called out.
Su Lan collapsed into the snow, breathing hard, but she was smiling. Little San cheered, running to hug his father's leg.
Soap and Silver Dreams
The afternoon was peaceful.
Long Tan and Su Lan sat by the fire, working. The raw fat and oil Long Tan brought from the Yan Merchant needed to be processed.
"The Yan Manager wants 50/50," Long Tan told her as he stirred the mixture. "But we need to make a big batch. In two days, I go back to finalize the contract."
"If we sell this batch," Su Lan calculated, her eyes shining, "we could earn 20 or 30 silver coins. We could fix the roof. We could buy new clothes for San."
"We will buy everything," Long Tan promised. "We will build a wall so high no one can look in."
They worked in a rhythm—husband and wife, building their future. It was a perfect, warm moment.
Until the banging started.
The Mob Arrives
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Someone was hammering on the wooden courtyard gate.
"Long Tan! Come out!"
It wasn't a friendly call. It was a command.
Long Tan's face went cold. The warmth in his eyes vanished instantly. He wiped his hands on a rag.
"Stay inside," he told Su Lan.
"Tan..." she grabbed his arm, terrified.
"Stay with Hao and San. Do not come out."
Long Tan walked to the corner of the room. He picked up his Woodcutter's Hatchet. It was heavy, with a rusted iron head, but he had sharpened the edge to a razor shine.
He walked out into the snow and opened the gate.
The Demand
A crowd stood there.
It was the Village Elder, a wrinkled man leaning on a cane. Behind him was Zhou Gou (the liar), his leg bandaged. And behind them were twenty villagers—men and women, their faces twisted with hunger and anger.
The lie had spread. They looked at Long Tan not as a neighbor, but as a thief who stole their winter food.
"Village Elder," Long Tan nodded, stopping in the doorway. He held the hatchet loosely at his side.
The Village Elder cleared his throat. He looked uncomfortable, but the angry mob pushed him forward.
"Long Tan," the Elder said sternly. "There is a grievance against you. Zhou Gou says you interfered with the hunt. You spooked the Iron-Hide Bear and caused the injury of three men."
"He is lying," Long Tan said calmly.
"Liar!" Zhou Gou screamed from the back, safe behind the mob. "I saw you! You stepped on the branches! You ruined everything!"
The villagers shouted in agreement.
"Because of you, we have no meat!"
"My children are hungry because you were clumsy!"
"You selfish loner!"
The Elder raised his hand to silence them. He looked at Long Tan with cold, greedy eyes.
"The truth is unclear," the Elder said diplomatically. "But the damage is real. Three men are hurt. The winter supply is gone. As a member of this village, you must take responsibility."
"Responsibility?" Long Tan raised an eyebrow.
"Compensation," the Elder said. "You have been selling rabbits. We know you went to the city. You must pay 10 Silver Coins to cover the medical fees of the injured men. And you must share your remaining food with the village to make up for the lost bear."
10 Silver.
It was robbery. It was everything Long Tan had, plus more. They wanted to strip him naked.
The Hatchet
Long Tan looked at the Elder. Then he looked at Zhou Gou, who was smirking.
Long Tan didn't shout. He didn't argue.
He slowly lifted the hatchet.
The sunlight glinted off the sharp edge.
The mob went silent. The Elder stepped back, his eyes widening.
"You want compensation?" Long Tan asked softly.
He took a step forward. The mob took a step back.
"I hunt alone. I eat what I kill. I owe this village nothing," Long Tan's voice rose, carrying the pressure of his 465 Jin strength.
He walked to the wooden post of his gate.
THWACK.
He buried the hatchet deep into the wood with a single, casual swing. The post cracked.
"Zhou Gou failed because he is weak," Long Tan said, staring directly at the Elder. "If you want my silver, come take it. But know this..."
He yanked the hatchet out of the wood. CRACK.
"The first hand that touches my door will be chopped off."
His Killing Intent, refined from the wolf slaughter, rolled over them like a cold wind.
The Elder trembled. He saw the look in Long Tan's eyes. It wasn't the look of a farmer. It was the look of a killer.
"You... you reject the village's authority?" the Elder stammered.
"I reject thieves," Long Tan said.
The Outcast
The tension was thick enough to choke on. The villagers were angry, but they were cowards. No one wanted to be the first to attack a man holding an axe.
"Fine," the Elder spat, trying to save face. "If you refuse to help your neighbors, then you are no neighbor of ours."
"From this day forth," the Elder announced loudly. "Long Tan is an Outcast. No one buys from him. No one sells to him. If his house burns, no one brings water. If he starves, no one gives rice."
"Let us see how long you survive alone in the winter."
The Elder turned and marched away. The mob followed, throwing hateful glares at Long Tan.
"Selfish monster," one woman spat on the ground.
Long Tan watched them leave. He didn't blink.
He was now an enemy of the village. He was completely isolated.
He pulled the hatchet from the wood and turned back to his warm house.
"I don't need the village," he whispered to himself. "I have my family. And I have my strength."
He closed the gate and barred it tight.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
The Village has turned its back on Long Tan! 🚪
He is now truly alone against the world.
But they forgot one thing... He has the Yan Merchant Deal in 2 days.
While they starve, Long Tan is about to get RICH. 💰
Next Chapter: The Forbidden Hunt. (The Bear attacks!)
👉 Add to Library if you stand with Long Tan! 📚
💎 Power Stones for the Hatchet Chop! 🪓