Farming boy with a magic ring

"Geez! I was just about to look for you, and now you've come knocking on my door! How dare you try to ambush me? Let's see how you like it." A cold glint flashed in Ethan Yang's eyes as he glanced at the van tailing him.

Up ahead, he spotted a crossroads where the north and south roads were completely dark, with no streetlights or pedestrians. It was the perfect spot for an ambush — or in this case, a counterattack.

"Boss, he's noticed us! He just turned down the south road. Should we follow?" The driver, Blondie, had bleached hair and a nervous edge to his voice. In the passenger seat sat a bald, gold-chain-wearing thug named Baldy, while Greenie, the third thug with dyed green hair, lounged in the backseat.

"No need to ask. That road is pitch black and deserted — perfect for breaking his legs. Step on it!" Baldy gripped his aluminum alloy baseball bat with anticipation.

"Yeah, break his legs and get the rest of the cash. Two hundred grand split three ways — 100k for you, 50k each for Blondie and me — and we can take it easy for a while," Greenie added, grinning.

As they drove down the dark road, they suddenly realized Ethan's car had vanished.

"Boss… where'd he go?" Blondie blinked in confusion. "How does a van disappear like that?"

"Idiot! He must've sped up. Just keep driving. There's nowhere else to go but forward."

They pressed on for another mile before hitting a dead end. Beyond that was a wide ditch, a patch of wild grass, and an eerie-looking graveyard.

"How the hell did he get across this?" Blondie muttered, staring at the meter-wide ditch. "There aren't even any tire tracks. Did… did we run into a ghost?"

"Ghost, my ass! He's probably hiding nearby. Keep looking," Baldy barked, though he shifted uneasily.

Suddenly, a strange humming sound echoed through the darkness. The thugs turned toward the graveyard — and froze.

A massive black pig hovered a meter off the ground, flying slowly through the air while emitting a low grunt. Its dark body glistened in the moonlight, and its eyes glowed faintly red.

"B-Boss…" Blondie stammered, his body trembling. "That pig… it's flying."

Greenie gulped. "It's not a pig… it's a pig spirit. The Second Senior Brother from Journey to the West must've descended into the mortal realm. Boss, we should leave. This place is cursed!"

"Shut up!" Baldy snapped. "You're grown men scared of a pig? I've been in the game for years — I'm not afraid of some flying pork."

Yet before he could take a step forward, the black pig floated closer, its low grunts growing louder.

Blondie screamed and bolted back to the van. "Pig spirit! We're gonna die!" In his panic, he tripped twice, scrambled to his feet, and dove into the vehicle. A dark stain spread across his pants, but he was too scared to care.

Greenie collapsed to his knees, palms pressed together in prayer. "Grandpa Pig! Please spare me! My grandfather's surname is Zhu too — we're practically family!"

Baldy, clutching his bat, tried to stand his ground. "Come on, you flying freak! I'll turn you into bacon!" He swung his bat at the pig — only for the creature to vanish into thin air.

"Wha—?" Before Baldy could react, WHAM — an invisible force smashed into the right side of his face, sending his teeth flying. He spun in a circle and dropped to his knees. Another blow cracked into his left cheek, knocking him out cold.

The baseball bat hovered in the air, swinging menacingly toward Blondie. The terrified thug scrambled for the ignition, but before he could start the engine, the bat shattered the driver-side window. Then, as if controlled by some unseen hand, Blondie was yanked from the van and thrown onto the ground.

"Please, Grandpa Pig! We didn't mean to offend you!" Blondie sobbed. "We were chasing Ethan Yang! It was Leo Yu who hired us to break his legs — he promised us two hundred grand!"

A cold, disembodied voice echoed through the darkness. "Where does Leo Yu live?"

"C-Clearwater Bay! The third villa!" Blondie stammered.

"Hmph." The voice sneered. "I don't care who you're after, but disturbing my rest comes with consequences. I'll spare your lives — but your legs are forfeit."

"NOOO!" Blondie wailed, but the invisible force was merciless. The bat came crashing down, and with a sickening crack, his legs were broken.

Greenie shrieked as the bat hovered over him next. "Wait! I'm a pig too! My grandpa's surname is Zhu! Don't do this, we're family—AHHH!" The bat silenced him with two sharp cracks, and Greenie collapsed beside Blondie, unconscious.

Baldy stirred awake just in time to catch a final blow, screaming as his legs snapped beneath him.

With the thugs incapacitated, Ethan reappeared from the shadows, retrieving the bat and slipping it into his magic ring's space. It was a fine weapon, lightweight and strong, perfect for channeling his powers. He even scooped up a basin of spirit water and soaked the bat, imbuing it with a touch of magic.

Satisfied, he hopped back into his van and drove off, leaving the three broken men to tremble in fear of the Immortal Pig that haunted the graveyard.