Chapter Three: Escape from Despair

Lin Yan traveled for days, his journey taking him through winding mountain passes and across vast, sun-drenched plains. He encountered small villages and bustling towns, each with its own unique character and its own share of hardship and injustice. He did his best to help where he could, remembering Grandfather Li's words about using his skills to protect the weak.

One evening, as he was passing through a small town nestled beside a misty mountain range, he heard whispers of a local magistrate who was abusing his power, extorting money from the poor and terrorizing the local populace. Lin Yan's blood boiled at the injustice, and he decided to investigate.

He soon discovered that the rumors were true. The magistrate, a portly man with a cruel face and a taste for fine silks, was indeed a tyrant. He had surrounded himself with a group of thugs who acted as his enforcers, silencing anyone who dared to speak out against him.

Lin Yan knew he couldn't stand by and watch this injustice continue. He donned a simple disguise and infiltrated the magistrate's compound, observing the situation and formulating a plan.

That night, under the cover of darkness, he moved like a shadow through the compound, silently taking down the guards one by one. He reached the magistrate's chambers and found the man counting his ill-gotten gains, oblivious to the danger that lurked nearby.

Lin Yan stepped into the room, his presence startling the magistrate. The man's eyes widened in fear as he recognized the young stranger who had infiltrated his stronghold.

"Who are you? How dare you break into my house?" the magistrate stammered, his voice trembling.

"I am here to bring justice," Lin Yan replied, his voice cold and resolute. "You have abused your power and preyed on the innocent for too long. Your reign of terror ends tonight."

The magistrate panicked and reached for a hidden dagger, but Lin Yan was too quick. He disarmed the magistrate with a swift move and then subdued him with a series of precise strikes, leaving the man groaning on the floor.

Lin Yan didn't kill the magistrate. He believed in justice, not vengeance. Instead, he tied the man up and left him for the townspeople to find in the morning. He knew they would know what to do with him.

As he slipped away from the compound, he heard the sounds of the townspeople stirring, their voices filled with a mixture of confusion and excitement. He knew that the magistrate's reign was over, and a sense of satisfaction washed over him.

He continued his journey the next morning, leaving the town behind. He knew that there were many more injustices to be found in the jianghu, and he was determined to face them all. He was no longer just a boy seeking revenge. He was a warrior, a protector, a force for good in a world that desperately needed it.