Chapter 5: One-Punch Knockdown

Smack! With a single slap, Troy went sprawling across the ground. "Aaaah!" He howled. "You really dare to hit me? Damon Barlow, you've got a death wish!" He couldn't believe it.  For the past two years, Damon had kept his head down, making it clear he wouldn't fight anymore.  Yet here he was, throwing a punch and not holding back.  Troy's face was already puffing up. The other burly man gaped and barked, "Damon, what are you doing? You hit Troy? Do you know..." Damon's head was buzzing. He had no patience for their noise.  He lunged. His left hand shot out, and he hoisted the burly man clean off the ground with one hand. "You really think I'm easy to push around, huh? Back when I ran with the thugs, you were all kissing my ass back then. Now you're strutting around in front of me, huh?" He held the man up as if he weighed nothing. The crowd gasped. Damon slammed the guy onto the pavement. "Aaaah!" The man shrieked.  His back hit hard, and he rolled, groaning, unable to get up for a while. A sharp, heady satisfaction surged through Damon.  This kind of strength had been beyond anything he'd imagined before.  This time, it had come with almost no effort.  Who would he fear after this? As for whatever Ailee had to say, he didn't want to hear it.  He just wasn't in the mood. People around them looked taken aback.  Then a few folks quietly murmured their approval. "This kid is something!" "Troy and his lot really are disgusting. They raised the rent again." "What can you do? Their boss runs the entire market. Who dares not pay?" "This kid took down two of them. Feels like someone finally stood up to them." "He's strong. A grown man, hoisted with one hand like it was nothing." "Impressive!" Damon stepped over and kicked Troy. Troy yelped again. "Damon, I'm wrong, I'm wrong! Please don't hit me! I really messed up!" Damon looked down at him, his voice cold.  "Troy, you must be itching for a beating, picking a fight with me. Listen up. From now on, when you see me, you walk the other way. Otherwise, every time I see you, I lay you out." "Huh?" Troy flinched. "Damon, I... I get it, I really do. Please let me go. I'll get out of here right now. You can sell here as long as you like..." Damon had always hit hard. He never pulled his punches.  He'd only stopped fighting because he listened to Ailee.  Now that edge had come back, sharp as ever. Troy couldn't handle it. "Think you get just to walk away?" Damon's tone went flat.  "You came to my stall. You're not leaving empty-handed. A pound of boar meat for ten bucks. How much do you want?" "What?!" Troy's face fell. "Damon, isn't it four bucks a pound?" The going rate in town was four bucks per pound.  Since when was it ten? Who would buy it? "For you two, it's ten. How many? Pay up, right now." Damon had no interest in coddling them. Troy's face went dark.  He had come to collect money, but now he had to buy meat at a markup.  Not buying wasn't an option.  He hesitated, then muttered, "I... I'll take one pound." "Ten pounds?" Damon raised his voice.  "Ten is not much, but I run a business. I'm not gonna strong‑arm you. Fine. Ten pounds it is." He shot Stefan a look. "Stefan, give them ten pounds of boar meat." Troy and his buddy looked ready to cry.  Ten pounds of wild boar would be a hundred bucks. Their hearts bled.  But they thought of how Damon used to fight, and the courage to argue evaporated.  It was best to placate him for now. Stefan didn't need telling twice.  He chopped two slabs, weighed them, and they just over ten pounds. "Let's call it ten." Damon stared down at Troy. "Get up and pay." Only then did the two of them haul themselves to their feet.  Sour-faced, they handed over the cash, grabbed the meat, and bolted. Once they were a good way off, Troy looked back and shouted, "Damon Barlow, you just wait! Red Starry Town isn't what it used to be. You hit me, and my brother-in-law will sort you out soon!" Damon raised his butcher's knife. Troy and his buddy immediately tucked their tails and ran. Around them, people let out the breath they had been holding. Damon scanned the crowd and called out, "Back to business. Four bucks a pound. Not much left! First come, first served." He sold wild boar until it was gone in under half an hour. He and Stefan loaded up the three-wheeled vehicle.  Stefan grinned. "Damon, we hit the jackpot today. Come on, let's eat at a restaurant." "What restaurant?" Damon gave him a look.  "Too pricey, not worth it. Better to buy a few things and cook at home." "Right. We still have some meat and a boar's heart. Let's buy some vegetables and cook for ourselves. And get some booze. If we don't get drunk, it'd be a shame." Stefan's eyes lit up.  Damon cooked better than the cooks at the two restaurants in town.  When Stefan had nothing to do, he often went to Damon's place to mooch a meal.  If Damon felt like cooking, all the better. They were at the market. Shopping was easy.  They bought a two‑pound fish and some seasonal greens. At a general store just outside the market, they bought a case of liquor.  They stacked everything on the three-wheeled vehicle and were about to leave. Just then, Troy strode back with five men in tow.  Before they even reached the vehicle, Troy jabbed a finger at Damon.  "Damon Barlow! You think it's still your glory days? You hit me and think you'll be fine? No way in hell! Today..." The fat man beside him lifted a hand, cutting him off.  He addressed Damon in a low, hard voice.  "Damon, you're the first to refuse to pay. You're breaking the rules here. If others follow you..." "You think you can push me around?" Damon's gaze chilled.  "Eddie, let me be clear. Say one more word and I'll beat the crap out of you." The fat man was Eddie, a local thug who lorded it over Red Starry Town.  Hearing that, his face clouded.  In front of his men, he couldn't back down.  He gritted his teeth and snarled, "Damon, you..." Damon was already moving. He exploded forward.  They didn't even have time to react. Thud! Eddie went down from a single punch.