Li Yi walked out of the pawnshop with a small bag of silver dollars, feeling satisfied. He hadn’t expected the bottle to be worth so much. There were three bottles in total; he kept the one with the "First Bloom Flower Seed" inside, and sold the other two for one hundred silver dollars. Right now, silver dollars were the real currency—gold-backed paper money and silver notes were unstable, changing value every day, and it was anyone's guess if they'd become worthless at some point.

One hundred silver dollars was a huge sum in this era. A decent house, like a Beijing courtyard, could be bought for just a few dozen silver dollars. A typical family spent around five silver dollars a month, which was considered comfortable. With money in hand, Li Yi no longer had to worry about survival. Without it, he wouldn’t even know where to go at night.

Ahead at the intersection were several rickshaw pullers, their vehicles waiting for customers. Along both sides of the street, numerous small vendors were setting up shop. It looked like a bustling commercial street, and the mood of the people here seemed better than the previous streets.

But as soon as Li Yi stepped onto the street, the lively atmosphere froze. Many people immediately stopped in place and stared at him. They quickly glanced away, and the street’s earlier buzz turned silent as people seemed to be avoiding him.

Li Yi briskly walked up to a vendor selling various pastries and candies. Taking out a silver dollar, he said, “Give me two dimes’ worth.”

The vendor, though fearful, had no choice but to accept the business. He worried that if he didn’t quickly pack the order, Li Yi might flip his stall or even harm him. Soon, the vendor handed him a full bag of assorted pastries, nervously saying, "Here you go, sir! No need to pay."

“Pay what is owed,” Li Yi said, pushing the silver coin towards the vendor.

The vendor hesitated for a moment, then gave Li Yi the change, consisting of a smaller silver coin and some copper coins. These metal currencies were the true solid purchasing power; paper money, like the gold-backed or silver notes, was rejected by the majority because no one knew how their value would fluctuate the next day.

Li Yi took the change and the pastries, then quickly walked away. He realized he had already started impacting the local vendors—if he stayed any longer, their business would suffer, and their families would go hungry.

He approached a rickshaw, with no intention of bargaining, and simply said, “Take me to Pigpen City.”

The rickshaw puller didn’t haggle either. After all, the aura from Li Yi made him feel like a blade was pressed against his back, so he quickly started running, eager to get the man to his destination as fast as possible.

Within half an hour, they arrived at Pigpen City.

However, as soon as they entered, everyone in the area stared at the rickshaw. This place was full of impoverished people; no one here could afford a rickshaw. Those who could were unlikely to come to such a place.

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“How much?” Li Yi asked as he got out of the rickshaw.

The rickshaw puller didn’t ask for payment; he turned and ran off, as if escaping from a disaster.

The environment in Pigpen City was poor, but surprisingly clean. The people here were all from destitute families, yet none of them looked filthy. Though their clothes were full of patches, they were kept neat. The ground was well-maintained, indicating someone cleaned it every day, otherwise, the filth from chickens and ducks would have made it impossible to walk here.

As Li Yi walked deeper into Pigpen City, the people around him behaved just like the ones he passed earlier—avoiding him as if he were a plague. Only three people didn’t react: the owner of the breakfast stall, You Zha Gui, Kuli Qiang who was carrying a bag, and Hong Caifu, the tailor.

These three had practiced martial arts for years, and before they retired from the martial world, they were figures who had tasted blood. They had encountered people with even more terrifying auras than Li Yi’s, so they weren’t afraid of him.

There was another person, however, who showed a delayed reaction: the landlord. He too had the reflex to avoid Li Yi but was a step slower than the others. Only You Zha Gui and Li Yi noticed this.

On the fifth floor, a woman with curly hair, smoking a cigarette, watched Li Yi and muttered to herself, “He’s not here for good intentions.”

People who exude such a sharp aura are often well-practiced martial artists. If a martial artist can’t control their aura, it’s almost laughable. Even though the landlord’s wife couldn’t fathom how someone could reach such a level of power in less than ten days, she could tell he was likely an experienced fighter, and she thought he was deliberately provoking trouble by showing off his power.

The landlord, on the other hand, reluctantly retreated to the bathroom, too troubled to think about peeking at the situation. He was silently cursing himself, wondering if he’d need to move again. After all, they had been in Pigpen City for ten peaceful years. He had hoped to settle down, but now it seemed that trouble might come knocking once more.

Li Yi walked up to the breakfast stall, taking a seat. At this point, You Zha Gui finally showed fear, but his fear was visible to Hong Caifu, who had been watching him all along.

It was only now that Hong Caifu realized that his long-time neighbor was not an ordinary person and had some martial skills himself.

“Ten pan-fried buns, three oil sticks, and three bowls of soy milk,” Li Yi said. He was genuinely hungry. Though it wasn’t breakfast time, it was already afternoon.

As Li Yi drank the soy milk, he kept an eye on You Zha Gui, who was trying to act like he was cleaning up but was constantly watching him. Li Yi mused, “You’re not afraid of me?”

You Zha Gui turned around, forced a smile, and said, “You’re not a tiger that eats people. Why should I be scared?”

Though his words seemed calm, his posture suggested he was ready to flee at any moment.

“No, they’re all afraid of me. You’re not afraid of me, so you must be a master. Can you teach me how to control my aura?” Li Yi asked sincerely. He really wanted to know how to do it. The constant bloodlust and fierceness around him made everything difficult.

“Aha! What are you saying, guest? I don’t understand at all,” You Zha Gui said, pretending to be clueless, trying to test Li Yi. If Li Yi was truly seeking revenge, he figured it wouldn’t matter what he said, but if not, then maybe he could make Li Yi leave.

He backed away nonchalantly, trying to blend in with the others.

Their voices were low, but the landlord and his wife on the fifth floor, as well as Hong Caifu beside the stall, heard everything. They were still on edge, despite having retired from the martial world years ago. Their vigilance hadn’t faded.