The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 38 The Invincible Master and Junior Brother

Her jade-like arms wrapped around him like water snakes, and she tilted her head slightly, bringing her sweaty, sweet-smelling neck to Ximen Qing's nose, choking back tears as she said, "This servant...this servant is Master's woman...Master, you can punish me however you want...you can hurt me however you want...it's all up to you...I only beg you...please don't treat me...like an object...selling me around..."

She raised her tearful eyes, glistening teardrops still clinging to her eyelashes, her gaze carrying seven parts allure and three parts grievance.

Tiny beads of sweat covered his fair skin, making it glisten with a fleshy sheen.

"How cruel you are, beating me so badly... this flesh... this flesh is cooked through... it's hot and painful... my heart is trembling... Master, feel it... here... and here."

That vixen!

Master Ximen sighed deeply. He wanted to say a few more words of reprimand, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The land of gentle pleasures is the graveyard of heroes!

The boudoir of hibiscus is a place of heartbreak!

A beautiful woman could be in your arms!

Delicate and shy, fragrant and sweet, soft and tender, so pitiful!
Which hero could withstand that?
The man scooped up the soft, boneless, and fair body in his arms: "You little hussy! You dare to provoke me after just being beaten! I'll heal your wounds!"

Meanwhile, outside the city gate of Qinghe County, the sky was overcast, and the autumn air had not yet dissipated.

Lai Bao, along with a few servants, hired several helpers.

Several large soup kitchens were set up.

The place was already bustling with people, and several long, winding queues had formed.

Ragged refugees and emaciated impoverished families, carrying their shattered bowls and blackened earthenware pots, gaze longingly at the steaming pots.

The air was filled with the faint aroma of rice porridge, mixed with the smells of sweat, dust, and decay.

The two walked over from a distance and stood at the edge of the crowd.

One old and one young.

The old man was around sixty years old, with white hair and beard, but his figure was still as upright as a pine tree. He wore a faded blue cloth robe.

Although his face bore the marks of time, his old eyes still shone with a sharp, restrained light, revealing a hidden edge as they opened and closed. His gaze carried the imposing air of a seasoned veteran of the battlefield.

The boy beside him looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, but he was already half a head taller than his peers, with a broad frame. Although he was dressed in coarse cloth and short brown clothes, he could not hide his vigorous spirit.

His bright, piercing eyes were now furrowed, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the dense crowd and rising steam from the porridge stall. His small face held a solemnity beyond his years. The old man stroked his white beard, looking at the banner hanging high above the porridge stall that read "The Benevolent and Charitable Master Ximen Qing." A complex light flashed in his cloudy old eyes, and he sighed softly, his voice hoarse and desolate.
"Alas... Qinghe County, right under the emperor's nose, has fallen to such a state. Refugees are like locusts, and the starving are starving, while in the capital, the mansions of dukes and nobles, the families of the wealthy and powerful, are still adorned with painted beams and carved pillars, reveling in nightly revelry!"

"The crab feast of the Rong and Ning mansions alone is equivalent to a year's worth of food for an ordinary person; the old lady of the Jia family, Lady Shi, could probably feed half the starving people of Qinghe County for a year with just one gold-threaded eight-treasure pearl hairpin she wore!"

"Not to mention those kings and nobles, whose mansions and gardens cover thousands of acres, filled with rare and exotic animals, singing girls and dancing girls, spending money like water! It's truly a case of 'the rich feasting while the poor freeze to death on the streets'! This world... is ravaged by disease, and the people have been suffering for far too long!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the people shivering in the cold wind, vying for a bowl of hot porridge, a hint of barely perceptible approval in his voice:

"However, this Mr. Ximen is indeed a kind-hearted person. In these difficult times, he has taken out so much rice to help the poor and save countless lives, which is truly rare. Although we do not know his background, just seeing that the porridge is so thick that chopsticks can stand upright in it is better than many rich but heartless people and hypocritical people who seek fame and fortune."

Upon hearing this, the young man's thick eyebrows furrowed even more. His fierce eyes swept over the emaciated and listless people, and he felt a surge of resentment rising in his chest, as if a hard stone were lodged inside.

His voice was clear and bright, carrying the unique indignation of a young man and a hint of rebuttal to his master's views:
“Master is right! What I have seen and heard on my journey has been appalling! The taxes imposed by the court are increasing day by day, and the officials are exploiting people without restraint. The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand! Moreover, there are corrupt officials, powerful and tyrannical people who prey on the local people and treat them like dirt! Such a porridge distribution is like a drop in the ocean. How can it possibly save the countless starving people in the world?”

He pointed to the soup kitchen, his tone revealing the straightforwardness and indignation of a young man: "This Master Ximen's actions have indeed saved the people in front of me from hunger and cold for a while, and I admire his kindness. However, this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause!"

"If we cannot cleanse the court of its corruption and eradicate injustice in the world, even if thousands of officials like Ximen Daren distribute porridge, it will be difficult to relieve the suffering of the people! Whenever I think of this, my heart burns with rage. I wish I could grow up immediately, take up a three-foot sword, sweep away the filth, and protect all living beings!"

Looking at his disciple's face, which was slightly flushed with anger, and the sharpness that was about to burst forth in his eyes, a trace of satisfaction and emotion flashed in the old man's eyes.

He stroked his white beard, his gaze deep and distant, and said to the young man beside him, "Disciple, this time I'm taking you away from Tangyin, heading north, passing through prefectures and counties, so that you can see with your own eyes the ravages of this world and the state of human nature. The world is full of turmoil, and the human heart is more treacherous than mountains and rivers."

"Theory without practice is ultimately superficial; only through personal experience can one truly understand the hardships of the people. When you return to your hometown, you should devote yourself to martial arts training, diligently study military texts, and, more importantly, temper your character and cultivate your mind, so that you may one day be able to shoulder the great responsibility of governing the country!"

The young man stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his eyes gleaming. Upon hearing this, he solemnly replied, "Disciple will remember Master's teachings! What I have seen along the way is that displaced people are homeless, the roads are littered with corpses of the starving, officials are like tigers, and powerful figures are like wolves! I will definitely work harder when I return, and live up to Master's expectations!"

The old man nodded: "I am very pleased that you have such a heart and such ambition. Such a mindset is quite similar to that of your senior brother."

Upon hearing the name "Senior Brother," the young man's eyes lit up, and his face showed sincere admiration: "Although I have never met you, I have often heard Master mention that Senior Brother is a master of martial arts, unparalleled in the world in spear and staff fighting, and also chivalrous in helping the needy and relieving the distressed. You are a hero of our time! In my heart, I have always regarded Senior Brother as my role model!"

His tone was full of longing.

The old man stroked his beard and nodded: "Your senior brother is not only a master of martial arts, but more importantly, he is upright and righteous, hates evil as if it were his enemy, and has the style of an ancient knight-errant. He is generous and charitable, helping the villagers and is famous in the area."

He then sighed, "But his nature is like a raging fire, too strong and easily broken; he acts on impulse, too sharp and unassuming, not knowing how to conceal his true intentions. Those who are too rigid are easily broken, while those who are good at gentleness will not be defeated. In this world, his temperament makes him very easy for villains to take advantage of, and I'm afraid it won't be a long-lasting blessing for him."

[Gentlemen, please reward our invincible master and invincible junior brother with monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)