From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Zhu Hong was both amused and exasperated.

He ignored Lin Jizhi and Liu Ci, who were joking around, and looked over their shoulders to Aunt Liu, who was being supported by Uncle Liu.

The woman was just a poor woman from the marketplace.

She had spent her entire life tending to her small alley and courtyard, dealing with the mundane details of daily life, and had never witnessed a large-scale battle. The deafening shouts and cries of killing that had just echoed in the alley were still vivid in her mind, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Aunt Liu, it's alright now."

It's all in the past now.

Zhu Hong spoke softly and calmly, his voice low but conveying a sense of peace.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu's lingering fear subsided slightly. She moved her lips and softly replied, "Alright, alright." Uncle Liu also reassured her, "That's right. You old woman, with Hongwa and Master Jin here, what is there to fear?" Then, he added with a helpless sigh:

"I just told you not to peek out."

You insisted on peeking out of curiosity, and now you're frightened and uneasy.

Aunt Liu lowered her head and remained silent.

"Hahaha, it's alright." Jin Buhuan strode over, laughing loudly. His laughter was deep and resonant, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, echoing through the alley: "With knives and swords everywhere, and blood all over the place, can't people even catch their breath?"

Uncle Liu quickly smiled apologetically, "Please forgive my rudeness, Officer Jin."

"Hey, don't laugh."

Jin Buhuan replied casually, then glanced at the deep night, "It's getting late." He turned to Zhu Hong, his smile fading, "We should first return to the yamen and settle the people in. Then..." He paused:

"Set off immediately for Xifuju."

Zhu Hong nodded slightly:

"Let's go."

……

The night was as dark as ink, and the long street was quiet.

Under the dappled moonlight, the group returned along the streets and alleys. No one spoke loudly; only the soft sound of their footsteps on the bluestone pavement could be heard. Uncle Liu walked steadily, but he couldn't hide the unease in his heart. He would occasionally turn his head to look at Zhu Hong beside him, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

He suddenly felt something about the boy in front of him.

At such a young age, he has already borne a heavy burden of bloodshed, which is both admirable and heartbreaking.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the government office.

Zhu Hong stopped and stood there, while Chao Jinbu nodded slightly.

Jin Buhuan then turned to the two constables in the team and instructed them in a calm and measured tone: "You two take Liu Housheng's family to the side courtyard, prepare food and lamps, take good care of them and make sure they are settled in properly. No outsiders are allowed to disturb them at will, and you are not allowed to neglect them in the slightest."

The two constables immediately obeyed:

"yes!

"Master Jin!"

After saying that, he politely led the people towards the yamen (government office).

Liu Ci walked to the threshold, then suddenly stopped, turned around abruptly, and ran to Zhu Hong in a few steps. He raised his stubborn face, his eyes full of expectation: "Brother Hong, can I come with you? I'll just watch from afar, I won't hold you back."

"That's utterly unreasonable!"

Seeing this, Uncle Liu stepped forward and grabbed him, scolding him in a low voice with a hint of sternness: "Those are all thugs and vicious men over there. You're just a kid. Going over there will only cause trouble. Stay obediently by your father's side and don't be willful."

Liu Ci immediately lowered his head, his face full of grievance.

He pursed his lips and refused to answer, but he still stared at Zhu Hong stubbornly, his eyes full of resentment.

Listen to your father.

It's too chaotic outside, so it's best to stay here.

Looking at the boy's appearance, Zhu Hong softened his tone and said gently, "The evil people in this world don't care about your age or height. Why would someone so young risk their life?" He then added sarcastically.

"No, you are bigger than me."

Liu Ci blushed.

"no."

However, he seemed not entirely resigned. After a long pause, he finally uttered a confident sentence: "Then... Brother Hong, you must be careful and take care of all those evildoers!"

Zhu Hong chuckled and ruffled his hair:

"nature."

Uncle Liu glanced helplessly at his stubborn young son, bowed to Zhu Hong and whispered, "Be careful in everything," before pulling the reluctant Liu Ci along with the yamen runners into the depths of the yamen.

Zhu Hong watched the three figures disappear into the distance.

After a while.

He slowly withdrew his gaze, no longer hesitating, and together with Jin Buhuan and Lin Jizhi, a team of constables, they hurried through the night and headed straight for Xifuju.

After tonight, the situation in Jinyang will be completely changed.

Zhu Hong's eyes were cold, his thoughts racing: "Jiang Yannian is cunning and shrewd. He thinks that he can easily kill a young martial arts apprentice like me by simply sending his clan elders and guests. But he never expected that the government would completely side with me and would not hesitate to completely overturn the table with the Jiang family."

and so……

"Tonight is the best opportunity."

"Only by annihilating their elite forces and crippling their arms, and by the time Jiang Yannian realizes the situation, the tide will be turned, and I will have a greater chance of winning."

……

West Street is the main thoroughfare on the west side of Jinyang City.

It is right next to Wutong Lane.

There were hardly any lights in the alley, only the faint glow of lanterns from the distant street, slanting across the bluestone slabs, creating an interplay of light and shadow.

Behind the stone pier at the alley entrance, squatted a constable in tight-fitting clothes; it was Song Jiwen, the one who was keeping watch to pick up the person. He was crouching low, almost pressed against the stone surface, his eyes shining like a wolf's in the darkness, his ears twitching slightly, not daring to relax for a moment.

The wind swept through the alleyway, bringing with it the sound of light, hurried footsteps.

Song Jiwen's ears twitched, instantly discerning the number of people and the weight of their footsteps. He immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist and squinted towards the direction of the sound. There he saw... dozens of figures quickly emerging from the night, the two leading them being Zhu Hong and Lao Jin.

"Zhu Hong, Lao Jin."

Song Jiwen silently slipped out from behind the stone pillar, his footsteps as light as a cat's, landing without a sound. He instantly blocked the way in front of the crowd, lowering his voice to a whisper: "I've been waiting for you all for so long, and I'm so glad you've finally arrived."

A slight smile played on his lips:

"If they don't come soon, the brothers will be unable to hold back their knives."

Jin Buhuan chuckled upon hearing this, slowly stepped forward, glanced at Song Jiwen, and teased, "Of the six of us, you are the most composed. You can usually squat at the alley entrance and keep watch until dawn without moving. What's wrong with you tonight? You can't even keep your temper up."

"It's easy for you to say that when you're not the one suffering from the pain."

Song Jiwen shook his head, lowered his eyes and smiled slightly: "I was out there keeping watch all by myself. If I hadn't been able to see in all directions and hear from all sides, the group of people hiding in Xifuju would probably have torn me to pieces and eaten me alive."

"Oh?"

Jin Buhuan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, his eyes flickering slightly: "It actually escalated to such a dangerous point?"

Song Jiwen abandoned his leisurely demeanor and became solemn:

"not simple."

Zhu Hong stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowed slightly to Song Jiwen, and followed up directly with the question: "Lord Song, what is the current situation? Where are all the constables and their men hiding?"

This is not the place to talk.

"Come with me."

Song Jiwen turned to the side, raised his hand, and gestured towards the depths of the alley. He lowered his voice and said, "The people are all in that empty teahouse across the street from Xifu Residence. It's on higher ground, and the window faces the gate of Xifu Residence. It offers a panoramic view while remaining secluded and won't disturb the people inside."

Having said that, he took the lead and set off.

The group followed closely behind, taking advantage of the shadows in the alley, and slipped into the secluded, empty teahouse.

The lights in the teahouse dimmed.

The courtyard was small, but its interior was filled with the men of the six yamen runners. At this moment, in a small room, all six chief constables were present, each holding their breath and concentrating. When Zhu Hong, Jin Buhuan, and their group were led in by Song Jiwen, they all nodded.

"My lords."

Zhu Hong calmly swept his gaze over everyone present, then raised his hand and gave a slight bow.

Wang Zhenshan's gaze swept over the two men's dusty, filthy clothes. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did something happen on the way? Look at you two, all covered in dirt. Were you chased and beaten the whole way?"

"It's just a minor inconvenience, nothing to worry about."

Zhu Hong smiled calmly, "With Constable Jin by my side, I can easily deal with him."

Bai Ri Mang raised an eyebrow, his tone inquisitive:

"Are they from the Jiang family?"

"In Jinyang City, who else could it be but these clowns?" Jin Buhuan strode down, picked up a rough porcelain cup with its rim facing down, poured himself a drink, and said in a cold tone, "They've completely lost face trying to take people away."

"Three clan elders..."

He extended his bent thumb and forefinger, leaving only a small gap, his expression mocking:

"It was all to arrest a family that was acquainted with Zhu Hong."

Shameless.

Wei Qingyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, interrupting the teasing: "Enough of the small talk, let's get down to business."

Jin Buhuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in them, but he was too lazy to argue with him. He suppressed his displeasure, drank the cold tea in his cup, and slammed the bottom of the cup down heavily.

Seeing this, Zhu Hong didn't say anything more.

He simply turned to Song Jiwen and said calmly, "Lord Song, thank you for your trouble."

Song Jiwen understood, and slowly moved to the window. He gently lifted half an inch of the window paper with his fingertips, and gazed intently at the bright lights shining from the Xifu Residence across the street. People were coming and going in the courtyard, and the lights were bright. The last trace of leisure on his face completely disappeared.

To be fair...

Jiang Yannian has truly gone too far this time, displaying an utterly unbridled arrogance.

He paused briefly, speaking with steady words: "These past few days, the movements and comings and goings inside Xifu Residence have been completely different from before. In addition to the elite thugs brought by the two leaders of Jingu Garden, Huang and Bai, Jiang Cong is personally overseeing things, and has also summoned seven or eight guest elders and clan elders to gather together."

"Among them were the figures of Xuanming and his companion."

Song Jiwen withdrew his gaze, his tone becoming even more somber: "Roughly calculated, there are no fewer than a dozen martial apprentices, among whom are three formidable opponents at the peak of the Great Completion stage. If we really force them to fight to the death, our brothers will inevitably suffer losses."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong calmly replied:

"I know Jiang Cong, but who are those two from Xuanming?"

"Jiang Xuan, Jiang Ming."

Seeing his puzzled expression, Wang Zhenshan directly explained, his tone grave: "These two brothers are the oldest elders of the Jiang family, both possessing the cultivation of a half-step martial artist. However, due to their advanced age, they have no further opportunities for advancement. But..."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"The two of them spent half their lives side by side, sharing life and death."

Their teamwork is ingrained in their very bones; one attacks, the other defends; one is forceful, the other yielding, their movements flawless. Once they join forces, their strength will surpass any one of us individually.

Zhu Hong thought for a moment, then asked:

"Can those two turn the tide?"

The daytime rogue found it all amusing:

"How could such a thing be?" His eyes were full of disdain as he raised his voice, "It is true that he is more than capable of defeating any one of us, but if we are talking about fighting one-on-one, Guang Wangzhen and Wei Qingyuan can defeat both of them."

"Moreover, there are all six of us gathered together."

To put it simply, as long as people like Jiang Yannian don't take action, they are no threat to the six head constables.

Zhu Hong, having found the answer in his heart, smiled broadly:

"Then fight if you can win. Otherwise," his eyes were clear, yet held an undeniable resolve, "we've come all this way, it would be too much to go back empty-handed."

The crowd remained silent, which was taken as agreement.

Only Wei Qingyuan, who had remained seated, adopted a completely different, extreme stance. "Are you really sure? I'll give you one last piece of advice." He slowly raised his eyes, a hint of mockery and indifference in them, and looked at Zhu Hong.

"Don't act impulsively."

Once this is done, all escape routes will be cut off, leaving no room for maneuver or detours.

Zhu Hong, who was being lectured in the tone of an elder, glared at the other person and interrupted him:

"No need for Lord Wei's instruction."

"As long as you, Lord Wei, remain focused, uphold your position, perform your duties diligently, and do not harbor any ulterior motives, that's fine. We can ask you to speak up again when the opportunity arises later."

Wei Qingyuan's eyes darkened, clearly not expecting the boy's actions.

He originally intended to use his seniority or status as a "former superior" to put pressure on the other party and also to vent the anger he felt from Zhu Hong at the yamen. However, he never expected that the young man would be so sharp-edged, unyielding, and blunt in his words, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Wei Qingyuan's lips moved, but he ultimately suppressed his anger.

Facing his generals on the battlefield, he might be flustered and angry, but if he were to lose his temper and lose his composure in public, he would only be at a disadvantage. Wei Qingyuan immediately composed himself, gave a cold snort, and said no more, only a faint gloom settling over his brow.

"Alright, alright, don't get worked up."

The two exchanged barbs, neither willing to back down, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became tense. Fearing another argument, Bai Rimang quickly tried to smooth things over: "We're both doing this for important matters, why ruin our harmony over a few words?" He wore a conciliatory smile, mediating between them.

"We've gathered here today."

"We're here to discuss how to deal with outsiders, not to have internal strife and argue. If we really start fighting, it'll damage our harmony and delay our business. Is that worth it?" He glanced at Wei Qingyuan, whose face was grim, then at the indifferent-looking young man, and smiled.

"Let's both take a step back, okay?"

Wei Qingyuan's expression softened slightly, and he merely gave a faint hum: "I'm not angry."

Zhu Hong then laughed and said:

"Officer Bai is right."

Seeing that the situation had eased, Bai Ri Mang immediately raised his hand and waved, urging, "Get to the point, get to the point, the matter is not over yet. Everyone is here tonight, what are your plans?" As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on Zhu Hong.

Zhu Hong met everyone's gazes with a calm expression, showing no signs of youthful impetuosity.

"There's no need to discuss this matter further."

He slowly stood up, his imposing aura like a mountain pressing down, and the murderous intent between his brows and eyes suddenly intensified: "Since Chief Constable Song has already figured out the details of the other side, there is no need to reason with them anymore, nor is there any need to argue and plan repeatedly. It would only be a waste of precious time and opportunity." His gaze was like a sword, pointing directly at the other group, each word resolute and decisive.

"Tonight, all the leaders of the rebel party, whether they are key members or followers, will be punished."

"Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

After he finished speaking, he said no more.

All the constables present rose to their feet. Without feigning politeness, they all rose and rushed out of the teahouse, gathering all their elite constables hidden within. This was not a matter of scholarly conversation or martial arts; it was about taking action, and decisiveness was paramount.