Yan Shouyi subtly shifted his body, covertly observing the situation outside through the rearview mirror.
Brother Yang lay sleeping soundly on the fuel tank. Three furtive figures crept from the roadside grass. One carried a fuel barrel, and another held a bundle of pipes.
These were clearly fuel thieves; their tools indicated they were habitual offenders.
They cautiously approached the fuel tank. Upon seeing Brother Yang asleep on top, their faces showed hesitation.
Brother Yang was an experienced driver. Not only was the fuel tank locked, but he also slept with a half-meter screwdriver clutched in his arms. Though he slept deeply, this posture was intimidating.
The three men stood around Brother Yang, exchanging confused glances, seemingly debating whether to tackle this tough nut.
Yan Shouyi watched silently. He had no intention of revealing himself unless absolutely necessary.
The eyes and ears of renowned sects were everywhere. If Yan Shouyi made a move, it would easily expose his departure from Rongcheng, attracting not three petty thieves but a swarm of ruthless sect powerhouses.
The three thieves were all young. The oldest, with a full arm tattoo, was barely in his early twenties. The other two, likely minors, were as thin as monkeys and wore ill-fitting flip-flops.
They exchanged a look, seemingly deciding to go after Brother Yang.
So, they put down the fuel barrel and pipes, unbuckled their belts, surrounded Brother Yang, intending to tie him up, forcefully steal the fuel, and then flee.
At the command of the tattooed leader, the two younger ones firmly pinned Brother Yang's hands on either side, while the leader immediately covered his mouth!
"Huh? You... Mmph mmph mmph!!"
Brother Yang jolted awake, unable to move his limbs, his mouth gagged. His face contorted in fear.
He instantly realized what was happening. He glanced towards the passenger seat and began to struggle violently.
"Hold still, we only want money, not your life!" the tattooed leader snarled.
Brother Yang, tightly bound by their belts, was tossed into the roadside grass. The trio then excitedly pried open the fuel tank cap, inserted the pipes, and with a practiced pull, the oil gushed into their barrels.
Yan Shouyi continued to watch. He had even decided to stand by and let events unfold, planning to compensate Brother Yang for his losses after the thieves left.
Exposing himself for such a small sum of money wasn't worth the risk.
Under the influence of his inner demons, Yan Shouyi made a "rational" judgment.
However, what should have proceeded smoothly took an unexpected turn. Brother Yang suddenly broke free from his bonds, scrambled out of the grass, and with a shout, rammed his shoulder into the tattooed leader!
"Damn it, you dare steal my fuel, I'll fight you to the death!!!"
The tattooed leader, caught off guard, was knocked down, losing a front tooth.
Seizing the opportunity, Brother Yang stood before the fuel tank, his expression fiercer than any of the thieves.
"Come on! Anyone who takes a step forward, I'll kill them!"
Seeing the usually meek Brother Yang exhibiting such ferocity at this moment.
The two younger thieves were intimidated and hesitated to act.
The tattooed leader scrambled up, spitting out broken teeth, his face a mask of displeasure.
"We're short on cash lately, a little toll fee isn't too much to ask. Be sensible and move aside!"
Brother Yang remained unmoved. His bound hands clutched the screwdriver, and he gritted his teeth, "You want a toll fee? Go to hell!"
"Your mouth is really foul!"
The tattooed leader also grew desperate. He pulled a switchblade from his pocket.
Seeing this, one of the younger thieves plucked a stick from a nearby gourd patch, while the other grabbed a large rock.
"You won't take the polite offer, so you'll get the punishment. Attack!"
The younger thief hurled the rock, hitting Brother Yang's calf. Brother Yang cried out in pain. Before he could react, the stick landed a heavy blow on his back.
The pain flushed Brother Yang's face, but he didn't budge an inch, stubbornly guarding the fuel tank.
"What a tough bone to crack, then don't blame us!"
The tattooed leader also lost his composure. Retreating now would mean losing face in front of his subordinates.
He gripped the knife, took a few steps forward, raised his right hand, and lunged, thrusting the dagger fiercely towards Brother Yang's chest!
Brother Yang's pupils contracted. Even sensing the fatal danger, he did not move.
"Alas."
Suddenly, a sigh echoed.
The tattooed leader jolted, realizing a young man had appeared beside him at some point.
The young man gripped the tattooed leader's arm with one hand, preventing the dagger from piercing any further.
"You, who are you?!" the tattooed leader stammered, as if seeing a ghost.
Yan Shouyi said calmly, "No one of consequence."
Recognizing Yan Shouyi, Brother Yang cried out, "Why did you come out? Hurry back!"
The tattooed leader, regaining some composure, felt the warmth of Yan Shouyi's hand and visibly relaxed.
He sneered, "Judging by your accent, you're not from around here. Everyone here owes me some respect. Let go, back away, and I can pretend today never happened. Besides, it's just a tank of oil, not worth risking your life for, is it? You're an idiot."
Just seconds earlier, Yan Shouyi had also thought it was merely a tank of oil, and Brother Yang shouldn't be risking his life.
But then he realized Brother Yang wasn't protecting oil; he was protecting his daughter's life.
And so, he intervened.
"I'll give you three seconds to get out of my sight, or else..."
The tattooed leader burst into laughter. "Stupid idiot, you must read too many novels and think you're some kind of... *Pfft!*"
Before the tattooed leader could finish, Yan Shouyi kicked him in the chest.
The tattooed leader flew backward three meters, landing in a roadside drainage ditch, blood spewing from his mouth.
"You truly have bad luck. My temper is getting worse."
Yan Shouyi then turned his attention to the two younger thieves.
Never having witnessed such a scene, the younger thieves' legs turned to jelly. They stumbled and fell after only a few steps.
Yan Shouyi leisurely walked forward, grabbed each by the ankle, and dragged them back in front of Brother Yang.
"You, you..."
Brother Yang had thought Yan Shouyi was a simple, honest young man. He never expected him to be so ruthless in a fight.
Having traveled far and wide for years, he had never seen anyone fight like this.
"Apologize to my Brother Yang!" Yan Shouyi said coldly.
The two younger thieves were terrified. They immediately knelt and kowtowed to Brother Yang, stammering apologies.
However, Yan Shouyi was not satisfied.
He grabbed the heads of the two younger thieves and slammed them forcefully onto the ground.
"Is this how you apologize? I don't see any sincerity. Perhaps I should help you!"
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
After just three impacts, both younger thieves' heads were bleeding, and pebbles were deeply embedded in the flesh of their foreheads!
"There, that's the attitude of admitting a mistake."
Yan Shouyi sneered and released them. The two younger thieves immediately passed out.