Chapter 137

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Seeing that his attack was effective, Zhang Xiaohua’s confidence surged, and his movements became more relaxed, almost as if he were strolling leisurely.

Speaking of Zhang Xiaohua’s combat experience, his first real battle was that rainy night. Unfortunately, the urgency of the situation didn’t allow for much actual fighting, and against the black-robed elder, it had only taken inexplicably one sword strike to win, leaving Zhang Xiaohua victorious but with little combat experience. In reality, he had gained almost no experience at all.

Therefore, when confronted by these local thugs wielding daggers, he couldn’t help but feel some anxiety.

But now, after disarming one of the men, Zhang Xiaohua had turned the tide of the battle and taken the initiative. He began to appreciate the “art of combat”, and while fighting the remaining four, he carefully practiced the techniques of his Big Dipper Divine Fist. As the saying goes, “Practice is the only test of truth”. The more Xiaohua fought, the more pleased he became, and the more at ease he felt. It was almost as if the thugs were feeding him practice moves. His experience level soared like a Kongming lantern, steadily increasing.

These local ruffians had never received formal martial arts training. Their attacks were purely instinctual, without any technique or strategy, making them perfect stepping stones for Zhang Xiaohua, who was still a beginner in martial arts. But the thugs themselves were unaware of this, they simply kept hacking and stabbing, barely touching even the hem of Zhang Xiaohua’s clothes.

As time dragged on, Brother Fan, the wretched leader, began to sense that something was wrong. He had initially thought Zhang Xiaohua was just a young country bumpkin who would be easy to intimidate and exploit. But when Zhang Xiaohua remained unfazed, Brother Fan’s pride was wounded, forcing him to abandon any hope of using persuasion and resort to violence. However, things quickly spiraled out of control. Not only had his group resorted to using their ultimate weapons, daggers, but worse still, this young man seemed to be getting more and more comfortable under their assault. This was not the outcome Brother Fan had hoped for.

As a leader, Brother Fan had a sharper eye than his subordinates. While the others were still attacking Zhang Xiaohua with full force, he had already begun to withdraw subtly, preparing to retreat.

Zhang Xiaohua, now in full control of the situation, noticed Brother Fan’s attempts to retreat. This man was the ringleader, how could Zhang Xiaohua allow him to escape? Moreover, dealing with these thugs was merely a way to sharpen his skills and stretch his muscles. Growing impatient, Zhang Xiaohua decided to end it swiftly. He leaped into the air, his body suspended as his legs spun like a whirlwind. In a series of rapid strikes, he landed four kicks to the chests of the men surrounding him. The move resembled the “Great Slaughter of Four Sides” from the Six Harmonies Fist.

The force of Zhang Xiaohua’s kicks was perfectly measured. The men collapsed to the ground, unable to move, gasping for breath. Only Brother Fan remained standing, suddenly alone and vulnerable.

At that moment, the sound of clapping echoed nearby, followed by someone cheering: “Great move!”

Zhang Xiaohua turned his head and saw that it was the group of men who had been dining and chatting at the Food as Heaven restaurant earlier!

Frowning, Zhang Xiaohua was about to speak when the wretched Brother Fan suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, flinging his dagger far away. Bowing repeatedly, he begged: “Please spare me, young master! Spare my life! I have an eighty-year-old mother bedridden at home, and a newborn baby who hasn’t even had their third morning. If you take my life today, they will have no one to depend on. You would be ending three lives with one stroke!”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback. For a moment, he hesitated. If what Brother Fan said was true, what could he do? This man had committed such a despicable act, trying to rob and even wielding a dagger. If Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t known martial arts, wouldn’t he have been gravely injured?

But if he let them go, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but recall what his family had endured in Lu Town, this was exactly the kind of behavior that had caused his own suffering. His heart filled with frustration.

Just as he found himself torn between these thoughts, the men who had been cheering approached him.

The leader, a square-faced man, clasped his hands in respect and said: “This little brother, I am Yuan Changqing. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Seeing the man’s politeness and unsure of who these people were, Zhang Xiaohua returned the greeting out of courtesy.

Yuan Changqing noticed Zhang Xiaohua’s furrowed brow and, with a hearty laugh, said: “Young brother, don’t be offended. I may have been a bit abrupt earlier, but I am not familiar with this man. Rest assured, I am not on his side.”

After hearing Yuan Changqing’s explanation, Zhang Xiaohua grew even more puzzled. If he had known Brother Fan, he could have interceded as a mediator, allowing Zhang Xiaohua to let them go. But since he didn’t even know this man, why had he gotten involved?

Yuan Changqing then proceeded to explain everything in detail.

As it turned out when Zhang Xiaohua was asking the waiter for information in the “Food as Heaven” restaurant, Yuan Changqing had overheard the conversation. He also noticed Brother Fan’s actions and malicious gaze, which did not escape the sharp eyes of this seasoned escort. Perhaps he could have ignored the situation if it were someone else, but Zhang Xiaohua seemed to be asking about Pingyang City, leading him to suspect that Zhang Xiaohua was from Pingyang City. And since he was from the same place, Yuan Changqing couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

When Zhang Xiaohua left the restaurant, Yuan Changqing and his companions had already finished their meal. Upon his suggestion, they settled the bill and followed Zhang Xiaohua from a distance.

Brother Fan’s deliberate bump into Zhang Xiaohua and the thugs surrounding him were all observed by Yuan Changqing and his group. Some of the more impulsive men wanted to intervene immediately, but Yuan Changqing noticed that Zhang Xiaohua appeared relaxed and unfazed, so he held them back to watch the situation unfold. It wasn’t until Zhang Xiaohua used his Big Dipper Divine Fist to defeat the thugs that they couldn’t hold back their applause.

After hearing this explanation, Zhang Xiaohua understood. It turned out that there were still good-hearted people in the martial world. However, he was even more curious now, why had he been so compelled to help him just because he was from Pingyang City?

So Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Brother Yuan, helping someone in need should be second nature to anyone in the martial world. If you saw me being bullied by local thugs, shouldn’t you have jumped in without hesitation? Why would you say that you might not have helped?”

Yuan Changqing and his companions looked slightly embarrassed, their faces turning a bit red. He replied awkwardly: “Young brother, you might not be aware, but we’re also travelers from afar, just like you. As the ancients said, ‘A powerful dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake’. We simply try to avoid unnecessary trouble whenever possible.”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood and then asked: “Then why did you decide to help me?”

Yuan Changqing smiled and said: “Haha, it’s quite simple because we’re also from Pingyang City!”

Zhang Xiaohua was surprised and delighted: “Really? That’s great! I’ve been worrying about how to get home. Now that I’ve met you, we can travel together, right? Haha, at the very least, you can tell me where we are and how I can get back to Pingyang City.”

Yuan Changqing smiled and said: “Of course! As the saying goes, ‘When fellow townsmen meet, there are tears in their eyes’. How could we not help? By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, you know that last move you used? It looked so familiar, but I just can’t remember where I’ve seen it before. Can you tell me what it was?”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and then responded somewhat sheepishly: “The move you’re referring to, I believe, is from the Six Harmonies Fist’, though I can’t recall its exact name. But I haven’t fully learned it. What I performed is not exactly the standard Six Harmonies Fist, so if you think about it more, you might recognize it.”

Yuan Changqing suddenly realized, nodding in agreement. “You’re right, little brother. Now that you mention it, I think that move is called ‘Great Slaughter of Four Sides’. However, the Six Harmonies Fist is notoriously difficult to master. I’ve been practicing for a long time and still haven’t perfected it. Only our leader, Boss Zhang, has truly mastered it.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t seem to mind, laughing as he said: “Well, you’re certainly much better than me. I tend to forget everything I learn, so you should be proud of yourself.”

Yuan Changqing was surprised and remarked: “But just now, you displayed incredible skill! Your fighting techniques seemed quite impressive.”

Zhang Xiaohua waved off the compliment, saying: “That was just a mishmash of moves I put together. My skills are only good enough to deal with petty thugs like these. In a serious match, I’d probably lose quickly.”

With that, Zhang Xiaohua cast a stern glare at Brother Fan and his cronies, who were still kneeling on the ground.

Seeing that these men knew each other, Brother Fan became even more submissive. He continued kneeling obediently, smiling nervously. Zhang Xiaohua, unsure of what to do with them, turned to Yuan Changqing for advice.

Yuan Changqing thought for a moment and then smiled. “Little brother, you don’t need to take his words seriously. He’s just trying to deceive you. At his age, there’s no way he has an eighty-year-old mother. As for a newborn son, that could be true, but it’s likely exaggerated. These are just local ruffians who swindle idle people. I doubt they’ve committed any serious crimes.”

Brother Fan quickly nodded in agreement, saying: “Yes, exactly, young master! Please spare us. We only seek a bit of spare change here and there. We haven’t committed any serious wrongdoings.”

Zhang Xiaohua, however, was angered and retorted: “Then why did you pull out knives? Aren’t knives meant to take lives? Can you truly claim that you’ve never hurt anyone?”

Panicked, Brother Fan scrambled to explain: “Young master, you must understand! I was desperate! I never expected to lose face in front of someone as powerful as you, and that’s why we drew our weapons. But look at us, do you really think we’re capable of committing heinous crimes? Our hands are clean, I swear. We’ve never taken a life.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t quite believe him and glanced at Yuan Changqing, who nodded in confirmation, indicating that the claim was credible. He then leaned in and whispered in Zhang Xiaohua’s ear: “Even if they have done some wicked things, we’re outsiders and don’t fully understand the local situation. Even if we sent them to the authorities, it would just be a formality, nothing meaningful. Better to give them a lesson and let them go.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua had a better sense of what to do. He kicked Brother Fan lightly and said: “I’ll believe you for today, but don’t do these harmful things again. If I catch you next time, hehe, it won’t end so easily.”

Brother Fan was overjoyed and quickly responded: “Understood, understood. Thank you for sparing me, young master. I’ll take my men back now, rethink my life, and avoid such deeds in the future.”

Zhang Xiaohua listened, smirked, and thought to himself: “His words sound sweet, but who would believe them?”

At that moment, the other thugs began to regain consciousness. They helped each other up and, seeing that Zhang Xiaohua was letting them go, prepared to leave with Brother Fan.

But before they could take a step, Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes gleamed, and he called out: “Wait a minute, I still have something to say.”

Brother Fan froze, his face turning pale as he turned back with a forced smile. “Young master, what else would you like to say?”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled darkly and said: “Letting you all go without any consequence seems too easy, and you wouldn’t learn anything from it. Out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to give you a lesson to remember.”

Brother Fan’s face grew even more troubled, and he asked nervously: “As you wish, young master. How do you plan to teach us?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “Since you lot wanted to rob me and steal my money pouch, it’s only fair I return the favor. Also, your actions have deeply hurt me, ruining my beautiful impression of this town. That damage is significant, and you must compensate me for the emotional distress. I’ve made my decision.”

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xiaohua continued: “I’ve decided to confiscate all of your money pouches, so you can experience the feeling of being robbed for yourselves!”

Upon hearing this, everyone nearly fainted. Just say you want compensation, why make up all these excuses?

Brother Fan naturally had no objections and quickly urged his men to hand over their not-so-full money pouches, one by one, to Zhang Xiaohua. He accepted each one without complaint, casually stuffing them into his pockets.

Finally, Brother Fan carefully offered his own slightly more filled pouch. Zhang Xiaohua weighed it in his hand and said: “Not very heavy, huh? Looks like business hasn’t been great for you.”

Fan Ge chuckled awkwardly and said: “You’re teasing me, young master. This is just a small-time operation, enough for amusement but not for getting rich.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled slyly: “Are you sure there’s nothing left in your pockets?”

Fan Ge laughed nervously and said: “Absolutely nothing left.” As he spoke, he patted his pockets to prove it.

However, his hand suddenly stopped, and with some embarrassment, he pulled out a palm-sized light green jade pendant, handing it to Zhang Xiaohua. He said: “Oh, I almost forgot, I still had this thing in my pocket!”

Zhang Xiaohua raised an eyebrow and asked: “Where did this come from? How could you just forget about it?”

Fan Ge, looking sheepish, replied: “I picked this up from a wealthy merchant yesterday. I had it appraised by a local jade dealer, and they said it was a worthless fake. Hehe, I just tossed it in my pocket. If you don’t mind it being a fake, young master, please feel free to take it.”

Zhang Xiaohua, without hesitation, accepted the pendant and said: “Clearing out evil to the last bit! Even if it’s fake, I’ll take it as part of your lesson.”

And so, with Zhang Xiaohua’s righteous justification, he managed to collect the money pouches and the fake jade pendant from the six or seven thugs, only then letting them leave.

Yuan Changqing and the others stood there in stunned silence, not quite sure what to say. The reasoning was solid, after all. You tried to rob me, so I’m teaching you a lesson. If it’s about curing your bad behavior, then strong medicine is needed. Sorry, but the money pouches are mine, and as for any injuries, you’ll have to take care of those yourself. Hopefully, this lesson sticks with you!

Zhang Xiaohua, now with the money pouches and fake jade pendant in his pocket, felt satisfied and smiled contentedly, his eyes curving into crescent moons. He cheerfully said: “So, why are you all standing there in a daze? Where are you staying? How about we head to Feichi Carriage and Horse Service together?”

Yuan Changqing and the others snapped out of their reverie and quickly responded: “No need, no need. We have our own lodging. How about you come along with us, little brother?”

Zhang Xiaohua grinned: “Well, in that case, I won’t refuse.”

With that, he followed Yuan Changqing and the group as they walked through the snow.

Everyone walked in silence, seemingly still processing what had just happened, but Zhang Xiaohua was carefree. As they walked, he casually asked: “Brother Yuan, we never finished our conversation earlier. May I ask where in Pingyang City you all are from?”

Yuan Changqing replied: “We are escort guards from the Lotus Escort Agency in Pingyang City. Before the new year, we took on a long-distance escort mission and ended up in this remote town. We should be heading back in a few days.”

“Lotus Escort Agency? Escort guards?” Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed in delight, practically jumping three feet in the air, nearly startling everyone.

Immediately after, Zhang Xiaohua grabbed Yuan Changqing’s hand excitedly and asked: “Brother Yuan, do you happen to know someone named Zhang Xiaohu?”

“Zhang Xiaohu?” Yuan Changqing and the others were equally surprised and responded in unison: “Of course we know him! He’s our Boss Zhang!”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood. No wonder they had mentioned that their leader was skilled in the Six Harmonies Fist, isn’t that Zhang Xiaohu’s signature technique?

Yuan Changqing then asked: “Little brother, do you know our lead escort, Zhang Xiaohu?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Not only do I know him, but I’ve known him for thirteen years.”

Yuan Changqing was puzzled: “What do you mean by that?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “I’m his blood brother, thirteen years old this year. Do you think I’m right?”

Yuan Changqing suddenly understood: “Oh, I see! I’ve heard that Boss Zhang has a younger brother who’s very strong. What was his name again?”

Zhang Xiaohua proudly said: “Zhang Xiaohua! Such a handsome and mighty name, you better remember it.”

Yuan Changqing laughed_ “Yes, Zhang Xiaohua! Last year, you came with Boss Zhang to the escort agency for a job interview. I heard you even lifted a 500-jin stone lock! Unfortunately, I wasn’t here at the time, or I would have recognized you right away. Please don’t hold it against me, little brother.”

Zhang Xiaohua laughed: “No problem, no problem. Just look at me, don’t I resemble my second brother?”

Yuan Changqing carefully observed and said: “Yes, there is some resemblance. But you’re still small and thin, while Zhang Tou’s face has filled out with some muscle. You both have a similar look in your eyes, but at a glance, it might not be immediately obvious.”

Since Yuan Changqing and the others were Zhang Xiaohu’s subordinates, they weren’t considered strangers. Zhang Xiaohua had spent a long time recovering from his injuries at the escort agency last year, so he already regarded it as his second home. Feeling a natural sense of familiarity, he quickly dropped any lingering doubts he had.

Sure enough, after a short while, they arrived at a slightly secluded alley on the east side of the town. At the end of the alley stood a half-closed courtyard gate. Yuan Changqing and the others pushed the gate open and called out: “Boss Zhang! Boss Zhang, are you here?”

Before Zhang Xiaohu could respond, another loud voice rang out: “Why are you shouting so loudly? Have you no manners? Was all that training for nothing? Your Boss Zhang isn’t here, he went out on some business. If there’s anything you need, speak to me.”

As Zhang Xiaohua followed Yuan Changqing and the others into the small courtyard, the owner of the booming voice stepped out from the main hall. It was a burly man with a shaved head and a face full of fierce muscles. When Yuan Changqing and the others saw him, they quickly bowed and greeted: “Head Escort Luo, you’re here.”

Head Escort Luo approached, sniffed the air a few times, and frowned: “Have you been drinking again?”

Yuan Changqing chuckled awkwardly: “Chief, we’ve been stuck in this godforsaken place for so long without anything to do. The brothers were just a bit bored and went out for a drink.”

Head Escort Luo grunted: “Drinking is fine, but don’t cause trouble. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

Then his eyes landed on Zhang Xiaohua, and he impatiently asked: “Who’s this? Why are you bringing a stranger here?”

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