From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Jin Buhuan looked quietly at the widened road to the east and laughed out loud:

"Jinyang has been quiet for too long. Today it's finally stirring up trouble." He habitually narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in them: "This stagnant pool has been stagnant for over a hundred years. It's time for a few waves to rise. After tonight, whether they are fish or turtles, dragons or worms, a few will rise to the surface."

This statement is undeniable.

He was once known for his ability to stop children from crying, but when he was by Liu Kui's side, he was the most ruthless blade. If the boss pointed at ten people, he would kill ten of them. From the moment the blade was sheathed until the blood was cold, he never asked why, nor did he ever look back at the fallen corpses.

Over time, the number of people killed was countless.

Even if Jin Buhuan simply stood there with a smile and his hands in his sleeves, the children would cry incessantly. So much so that later on, whenever a child misbehaved, the mother would simply scare them by saying, "Jin Buhuan is coming!" and the crying would immediately stop. It was more effective than any magic pill.

However, although he was naturally violent, Zhu Hong felt that he was better than Wei Qing and the other two.

He gave a slight smirk, as if he had already smiled, and not wanting to linger any longer, he turned and walked straight towards the familiar earthen house.

"Knock knock".

There were two knocks on the door, but no one answered immediately.

"Uncle Liu, it's me."

When Zhu Hong finally spoke, the dilapidated wooden door, which couldn't stop anyone, opened a crack. "Is it... Hongwazi?" Uncle Liu peered out by the moonlight, but couldn't see the person clearly. He could only vaguely make out a strong figure. He hadn't heard the voice clearly either, so he didn't dare to open the door wide.

"it's me."

Zhu Hong took a few steps back so that the moonlight could completely cover everyone.

"Dad, it's Brother Hong!"

Liu Ci, who had just gotten out of bed, squeezed to the door, pushed it open, and muttered, "How come you can't even recognize Brother Hong's voice? Really. Besides, Brother Hong's men are guarding outside. If those bad guys came, they would have been caught long ago."

As he spoke, he turned to Zhu Hong, and his face immediately lit up with joy:

"Brother Hong!"

The boy's shout was very loud.

Zhu Hong nodded slightly, stepped forward, reached out and touched the top of his head, and said with a smile, "It's been a while, you've gotten a bit stronger than before."

Liu Ci grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and chuckled:

"It's all because the food at the martial arts school is so good."

As the boy spoke, the admiration in his eyes was impossible to hide and was fully revealed. He came from a poor family and had never been to school, but he understood a principle beyond books: apart from his parents, no one in the world is obligated to be good to him.

But Zhu Hong's appearance defied this logic.

He treated Liu Ci as neither a relative nor an acquaintance, but merely a casual acquaintance with his parents. Yet he took care of him in every way, caring for him in everything he did, without expecting anything in return or showing any gratitude. It was as if he had just done something very ordinary. But this "ordinariness" made the young man's heart feel heavy.

In the future...

How can I repay this kindness?

"Hey, it really is Hongwazi." Uncle Liu then moved closer and looked him over again in the moonlight. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and said with a hint of self-reproach, "My old eyes are so dim that I can't even recognize you." As he spoke, he laughed first and reached out to pat Zhu Hong's arm. After patting him, he realized that he had hit too hard and quickly withdrew his hand, rubbing his palms together awkwardly.

"Old man, stop blocking the doorway."

Just then, Aunt Liu's cursing came from inside the house.

She shuffled her disheveled hair in her slippers, holding an oil lamp in the other, and rushed to the door. "Hongwazi!" she called out, pushing Uncle Liu aside and beaming with a smile. "You silly boy, running here in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of bumping into something on the way?"

As she spoke, she turned and began to ramble on about how she had scolded Uncle Liu:

"You big brute."

"Can't you even recognize Hongwa's voice? You've made them stand outside for half a day."

Zhu Hong laughed:

"It's alright, Aunt Liu."

"How can it not be a problem? You child, always saying such comforting things." Aunt Liu complained, but the corners of her eyes curved down. "You've gotten thinner, thinner." She reached out and pinched Zhu Hong's sleeve, then looked him up and down again, muttering:

"The food served in the government office must not be to our liking."

"Wait, Auntie will cook you a bowl of noodles." With that, she grabbed Zhu Hong's wrist and tried to drag him into the house.

"Aunt Liu, there's no rush."

Zhu Hong raised his hand to stop her, "I'm here tonight because I have something to discuss."

Aunt Liu paused and turned to look at him.

Uncle Liu also stopped smiling, shielding Aunt Liu with half his body behind him, and said in a deep voice, "Hongwa, you speak."

Zhu Hong's expression softened slightly:

"It's not safe here. I'll trouble you to come back to the yamen with me tonight." He paused, a hint of guilt flashing across his face. "I'll tell you all the details once things have calmed down."

Aunt Liu didn't react for a moment.

Uncle Liu immediately understood and realized it was related to the group of thieves from yesterday. He turned around, patted Liu Ci on the back of the head, and said gruffly, "Go, put your clothes on." He didn't ask any more questions from beginning to end.

Liu Ci exclaimed "Hey!" and dashed into the inner room.

"Hongwazi".

Aunt Liu understood. Her lips moved a few times, unsure whether to ask or not. Just as she was hesitating, Uncle Liu grabbed her sleeve and urged, "Alright, things are urgent. Hurry up and help Brother Ci get ready. Don't dawdle."

Aunt Liu swallowed her words after being pulled, and turned to go inside.

……