Streams of blood fell down Sol's nose and dropped onto the floor, making a spectacular sight for the villagers to gossip about.
"Woah it's another victim of the aristocratic families arrogance."
"It's lucky he only got of with a broken rib, I've heard that sometimes the skin the flesh of mortals who dare to disrespect them."
"We obviously come from the same source but they disdain us so badly, look this one just barely brushed his sleeves but that young master broke his ribs."
"Shut up do you want to die?! Those of the aristocratic family are known to have supernatural powers that surpass our understanding and can easily hear words spoken thousands of miles away and this guy is no easy person either, taking a blow from an aristocrat and only taking a few steps back, he might be a warrior and if he hears you dirtying their name he might just decide to kill all of us."
"Ah you're right, It was me who was negligent."
Sol looked behind him staring a the faded back of the
young man who was responsible for his cracked ribs.
There was no malice in his gaze;it was as if he was not the man whose ribs just got blown out.
All that his gaze contained were an eerie calmness and a faint suprise.
"Did he just say 'Flawless ice jade'?"
Flawless Ice Jade
That was the type of Jade Sol had sold to Maruim.
'It seems I underestimated how much that jade is really worth.'
For an aristocrat; the ruling class of the warrior society, to go after it, it meant the piece of Jade he sold to Maruim was incredibly rare and peaceful.
"But it seems I should be more careful in the future, this Jade might bring more troubles than it's worth."
After warning himself to be more careful in the future, he continued to walk forward.
"Ptew, how cowardly." Someone from the crowd spat.
"Obviously you're a warrior but you can't stand up for yourself, just standing there mumbling to yourself like a fool."
Amongst the vibrant chatter of the neighbouring crowd it was hard to spot who exactly said those words.
But when Sol turned around it was apparent who the person who said those words was,
An empty spot in the crowd had been pushed open, inside which an old man in tattered clothes sat.
"How dare this old man speak ill of the warrior, I'll teach him a lesson right now." A shrewd old shopkeeper in his forties burst out of the crowd, intending to earn Sol's favour.
"Leave him alone." Sol spoke his voice cold and deep.
"Young Warrior…No…Master leave it to me, no need to get your hands dirty with a lowly beggar like him, we'll deal with our own people ourselves."
He said obsequiously
"Didnt you hear me? I said go away." Sol replied his tone the same.
"But–But I was obviously trying to help you? Then why are you–" He stuttered more and more as Sol's outstretched arm came closer and closer to his face.
Sol's fingers lightly tapped the middle of the shrewd shopkeeper's forehead.
According to the book of martial arts, the human body haas one hundred and eight acupoints and three hundred and sixty meridians through which the flow of vitality is regulated and utilised.
By controlling these acupoints one can exert various effects on the human body for example; strengthening the body and being impervious to fire and sharp objects or even suppressing the acupoints to prohibit the flow of vitality. That was what Sol was doing right now.
THUD!
The body of the shrewd shopkeeper fell to the ground with a thud, still twitching for a while after it fell.
'Did I use too much force?' Sol sighed
'It can't be helped it's my first time after all.'
The crowd of villagers backed off even more fear apparent on their face, but in the face of all this the old beggar still remained as snide as ever.
"Hmph ~ There's no difference between you and that aristocrat, you both bully the weak."
But in the face of the world old man's taunting Sol did not break out in anger like most of the crowd thought he would but instead he cupped his fists and bowed slightly.
"Surely senior is joking if I really let this young man do as he says and teach you a lesson I'm afraid you won't leave his body intact for the rest of his life."
"wha-!" The expression on the old man's face ranged from shock to confusion and then back to normal.
"It seems you can see the trick in this, but you didn't have to worry, I'm not like those aristocratic scum that take mortal lives as trash."
After those words came out the crowd took a few steps back in recoil.
"Why is this beggar insulting the aristocrats, Is he so brave?"
A refined young man, perhaps a trainee scholar stood up to reply.
"Fellow villager haven't you heard the phrase 'those who already have one foot in the grave have no fear of taking the other step' this is obviously the same with this old man."
"You, do you still have time to be quoting? With your big nose and your freckled face, when the city officials come you'll likely be first ones to get interrogated."
Sol looked around in morbid curiosity, the vivid expression of human nature, the reactions of people when oppressed higher power, he was ever so fascinated with it.
"Young man, there's no need to worry about those aristocrats, with me here they don't dare to do anything." He said, a hint of a noble spirit overflowing.
'Does he think I'm scared? Did he take my earlier reaction as cowardice, is that why he's reassuring me?'
As Sol looked at the ragged old man Infront of him, a faint smile bloomed,
Obviously he's so soft deep inside but puts up a cold and uncaring exterior.