Promise!

Chapter 96, Series

What happened to Jiao Kun was just a small matter. In the eyes of Zhuang Jin, who was at the Five Classics level and at the street guard level, it was just a trivial matter and not worth mentioning. Recently, in addition to practicing martial arts hard, he focused more of his mind and energy on the current situation in the north of the city.

Now, those small gangs have been completely cleared out. The Shen family occupies two-thirds, and the Medicine King Gang only occupies one-third. Obviously, they will not accept this... However, both sides are now exercising restraint and have not really taken action yet.

The current depressing atmosphere is like the gloomy low pressure before a summer rainstorm. It is temporarily calm, but when it starts raining, it will be a torrential downpour!

Before a heavy rainstorm, ants would move to cope with the crisis. Now, sensing that the "storm" is coming, the street guards in Dongqiaowu and other places will not sit idly by and wait for death. In order to protect themselves, they will move around and form small groups.

The Medicine King Gang's advantage lies in their veteran warriors, their strong combat awareness, and their ruthless tactics. The Shen family's advantage lies in their deep heritage and numerous warriors, enabling them to outnumber the enemy. However, the Shen family's warrior numbers are not several times greater than the Medicine King Gang's. In actual combat, those with good relationships and small groups can outnumber the enemy; those with poor relationships, solitary, and isolated individuals can only fight alone. It goes without saying that the former is far safer than the latter.

Zhuang Jin was well aware of this, and he didn't know whether a war would suddenly break out before he broke through the Six Classics. Moreover, even if he broke through the Six Classics, a gang attack was better than fighting alone. He would not act alone and would follow Heguang Tongchen, devoting some of his energy to participating in the coordinated movement.

At the beginning, the guards of various streets in Dongqiaowu visited each other, and Zhuang Jin also went to other places. Later, they gradually came to his side.

The credit for this goes to Chen Yun. She is an excellent cook and can make simple things delicious. She has never been perfunctory or casual. She is also good at observing people's words and expressions and thinking carefully. Therefore, she understands Zhuang Jin's every move and every glance, and everything goes well.

People naturally have comparisons in their minds. They feel comfortable and at ease with Zhuang Jin, so they naturally gather around him.

There are advantages to this. Being at home, guests will give him some respect, and Zhuang Jin won't have to travel all the time, so he can have more time to practice martial arts.

It can only be said that Chen Yun is indeed a good wife. She takes care of all the trivial matters so that he can concentrate on practicing martial arts. At this time, she is of great help.

Of course, birds of a feather flock together, and not all the six street guards of Dongqiaowu can gather together. Xue Yandao has an arrogant personality and has never come again after coming here once. Du Shiyuan wants to integrate into the circle, but among warriors, strength speaks. Feeling the cold attitude of others, he gradually came less and less.

Wei Xun was also only a fourth-level scholar, but he, along with Duan Tao and Miao Lun, was one of Xing Yan's trusted aides. As old friends, although he had a street dispute with Zhuang Jin on the first day of this month, it was not a big deal. He had originally begun to be accepted, but was eliminated because of one incident.

I'd mentioned before that there was a pot of orchids, a gift from a Long garrison commander when we were at the medicinal fields outside the city. Chen Yun, a plant lover, was delighted to see it, lovingly tending it until it flourished. Wei Xun, also a pretentious, or rather, self-proclaimed street garrison commander, tinkered with flowers and plants, gradually gaining some understanding. He came over and saw this pot of orchids and liked it, wanting to divide them. Chen Yun said, "Now isn't the best time to divide; March or April of next year would be better," so Zhuang Jin politely declined on her behalf.

Unexpectedly, after a few days, the orchid suddenly died, and Chen Yun felt quite sorry about it.

Zhuang Jin thought of something and dug out the roots of the flower. The roots were as white as jade. Chen Yun was surprised to see this: "How could it die suddenly when it was so full of vitality?" After hearing him say that he saw Wei Xun watering the flower, she understood. It seemed that the other party used the boiling water for their tea to water it, which was why it died.

After all, this is just a pot of orchid, and there is no real evidence, so Zhuang Jin can't do anything about it.

After the orchid incident, Wei Xun probably knew he was guilty and stopped coming. Duan Tao and Miao Lun came and asked about the orchid once. Zhuang Jin did not elaborate, only answering, "I don't know why it suddenly died. I asked a professional and found out that someone poured boiling water on it." Duan Tao and Miao Lun had reached the current level of street guards because they had experienced many ups and downs and seen the wickedness of human nature. They did not say anything on the surface, but from then on they never mentioned taking Wei Xun into their small circle again.

Thus, in Dongqiaowu, Zhuang Jin, Duan Tao and Miao Lun, three of the Five Classics, gradually formed a small group.

……

August eighth.

That evening, the three of them had another small gathering.

"It's been seven or eight days, and the Medicine King Gang hasn't made any moves. This kind of torment of being stuck in this suspense is really not as satisfying as a direct war." Duan Tao sighed.

"Once the war really starts, Duan Zhenshou, you won't think so. Look at the south side of the city... those wolf cubs of the Medicine King Gang are ruthless and difficult to deal with!"

Miao Lun sighed and said, "Only our Shen family has a deep foundation and more warriors..."

Zhuang Jin listened more than he spoke, and he gathered a lot of information. "The Shen family has dominated the city for years, but the Medicine King Gang has suddenly risen to prominence. The upper echelons don't know, but at least the middle and lower echelons are being overwhelmed by the Shen family. Even when recruiting the same martial artists, the Shen family is more attractive. The Medicine King Gang's warriors are certainly ruthless, and the Shen family can easily defeat them with their sheer numbers. However, the Shen family seems to be wary of something, maintaining a tacit understanding. I wonder what this is?"

He didn't know the specific reason, but he was sure there was something going on, or maybe some grand scheme: "Back in the north of the city, the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang are in a standoff. The Shen family seems to be waiting for the Medicine King Gang to make the first move, then taking advantage of the situation to counterattack. Or in other words, waiting for a pretext to attack."

They ate and talked, exchanging information for about half an hour before Duan Tao and Miao Lun said goodbye and left, leaving behind a mess of cups and plates.

Chen Yun packed up and Zhuang Jin went to practice martial arts.

After some time, Zhuang Jin stopped to take a rest. Chen Yun brought warm exotic beast meat and side dishes, and poured him a cup of tea.

The two sat side by side and looked outside: the moon was at its zenith, clouds were flying across the sky, changing in countless ways, the moonlight like smoke and gauze was reflected in the river, making the waves sparkle, the fireflies on both sides of the river flickered, flowing like a weave between the willow banks and the islets, and further away, the distant mountains were hazy and shadowy in the night.

"The breeze and the bright moon are priceless, and the nearby water and distant mountains are all full of affection."

Zhuang Jin sighed, "If we have the chance in the future, we can go to the state capital, the county town, the mountains, lakes and rivers together, and see all the endless treasures of nature."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yun also revealed a look of longing: "I don't know how long we have to wait. I'm afraid that by then we will be old, with gray hair and a hobbled gait."

"I'm a warrior, and I'll carry Yunniang on my back when the time comes... But I've heard that warriors lose strength as they age. I hope I don't end up rolling down the mountain with Yunniang on my back like a pumpkin... Passersby will be amazed to see two silver moons rolling down the mountain..."

Zhuang Jin was talking nonsense and speaking casually. Chen Yun had a very low sense of laughter and laughed until tears came to her eyes. She fell into his arms and could not speak. He smelled the fragrance of flowers in her temples, which was light and distant. As if intentionally or unintentionally, he put his chin on her shoulder, patted her back, and spoke to comfort her.

The night passed with the chirping of cicadas and the croaking of frogs.

……

These days, Zhuang Jin has been working very hard, naturally wanting to break through the Six Classics before the war breaks out. But with this kind of thing, no one can tell which will come first, tomorrow or an accident.

On the ninth night, he was secretly sighing that he would be able to break through the Six Classics in three days at most.

Chirp—pop!

A flare was fired and fireworks exploded.

"Is this Fuqing Street where Du Shiyuan is?"

Zhuang Jin walked out of the door with a solemn expression, not only because of the attack on Fuqing Street, but also because of the meaning behind it: "The peace is broken, and the storm is coming!"

Before he finished speaking, fireworks signaled the other side. This was Fuchang Street where Wei Xun was.

By the time Zhuang Jin met up with Duan Tao and Miao Lun and rushed over, the warriors from the Medicine King Gang who had launched the sneak attack had already retreated: in Fuqing Street, Du Shiyuan was seriously injured, and nearly two squads of his men were killed; Wei Xun was also in a rather miserable state, having suffered minor injuries, and more than one squad of his men were killed.

……

That night, not only Dongqiaowu, but also many places in Shenjia Street in the north of the city were attacked. The Yaowang Gang broke the peace and took the lead in firing the first shot since the gang was liquidated and the confrontation began.

……

(End of this chapter)