Chapter 12 : Chapter 12
Chapter 12. Burdened with Worries
“There are others involved?”
Xu Yuan’s heart sank. He had the faint sense that the waters around them ran deeper than they appeared.
“What are you all looking at? Disperse!”
Xu Zheng drove away the crowd of onlookers. When he returned, confusion was written across his face. “I have no idea how we offended Li Daqiang. We used to get along fairly well with him.”
“I doubt Li Daqiang acted on his own. There is probably someone else pulling the strings,” Xu Yuan said in a low voice.
“Someone else?”
Xu Zheng froze, only then realizing the seriousness of the situation. After thinking for a moment, he said,
“But we do not have any enemies in our daily lives. Who would go to such extremes to take revenge?”
“That may not be the case…”
Under Xu Zheng’s questioning gaze, Xu Yuan spoke slowly, “Have you forgotten how Father lost everything to gambling?”
“You mean the Wild Wolf Gang?”
Xu Zheng’s expression changed drastically. In disbelief, he said, “But we already paid off Father’s gambling debts. Is that still not enough?”
“When have wolves ever been satisfied?” Xu Yuan sneered. After a moment of thought, he continued,
“Most likely, when we repaid the debt last time, we did it too readily. They assumed we still had some savings. Now that they know you took out a loan, they have set their sights on us again, trying to squeeze out the last drop.”
Hearing this, Xu Zheng was both shocked and furious. “Those damned scum! They will not let go of even what little we have!”
Just as they were speaking—
Zhang Shi, having heard the news, hurried back.
When she saw that nothing unusual had happened at home, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, with a hint of anger, she asked, “What exactly happened?”
After a while, having heard the full story—
Zhang Shi’s face turned pale. She clutched her clothes nervously and muttered, “What should we do now? That is the Wild Wolf Gang!”
Almost everyone in the neighborhood knew a saying:
Better to provoke the authorities by three parts than to offend the Wild Wolves by even a fraction.
It referred to the Wild Wolf Gang, which held considerable power in the outskirts.
They ran gambling dens, brothels, and loan operations—businesses that thrived on exploiting others.
Countless people had been driven to ruin by them, their families torn apart.
“Sister-in-law, I am sorry. This happened because of me,” Xu Yuan said apologetically.
“How can you say that? I was the one who borrowed the money…”
Xu Zheng raised his hand and lightly punched him.
“That is enough!”
Zhang Shi interrupted their argument impatiently. “Will blaming each other solve anything?”
She fixed her delicate eyes on the two of them for a moment, making both brothers feel awkward.
Then suddenly, she took the fresh fish from Xu Yuan’s hands. “I will go cook. You two caused this trouble, so you deal with it yourselves.”
With that, she walked into the kitchen, leaving behind only her frail silhouette.
Xu Yuan turned back, took out the remaining money he had, and handed it to Xu Zheng. “I still have some money here. It should be enough to hold them off for a month or so.”
“No, this is your training money…”
Xu Zheng quickly waved his hands. “Our family is counting on you now. You cannot give up halfway.”
“Do not worry, Brother. I am confident in my martial training now.”
Xu Yuan forced the money into his hands, his tone resolute.
“You should also be careful when working outside. Try not to get into conflicts with them.”
At the dinner table, Zhang Shi had specially stewed the two crucian carp into a soup. The broth was milky white and fragrant.
She then mixed the mashed fish meat with rice and spread a layer of fermented bean paste on top, bringing out a rich flavor.
Although the rice was old and the paste was made from tofu residue and wheat bran—
When combined with the fresh fish, it still tasted quite good.
The three of them ate in silence, chewing slowly, clearly unable to fully savor the meal.
After dinner, Xu Yuan did not linger and soon took his leave.
As he walked back toward the residence, the early winter sunlight fell gently upon him, yet it could not dispel the gloom surrounding him.
“The Wild Wolf Gang… Li Daqiang…”
Xu Yuan murmured softly, his gaze growing sharper.
Even within the prefecture city, ruffians and thugs were everywhere. Ordinary people had no way to deal with them.
Moreover, these thugs had formed gangs of considerable size. The authorities’ tolerance likely meant there were hidden dealings behind the scenes.
How could a commoner possibly bring a case against them?
One might disappear mysteriously the very next night.
“Since I am under the shelter of the Shangyang Residence, I must climb higher as quickly as possible. Only then will I have something to rely on when trouble arises.”
With that thought, Xu Yuan quickened his pace, weaving through the streets and alleys.
His youthful face gradually blurred into a fleeting shadow in the wind.
Hurried. Heavy.
…
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
At the hour of Si today.
As usual, Xu Yuan and the other two practiced in the courtyard.
With the deadline drawing closer, the atmosphere had grown increasingly oppressive.
After practicing for a short while, Sun Rong’s body trembled as she stopped. A hint of joy appeared on her face as she deliberately lowered her voice.
“Everyone, my blood and qi tempering has reached saturation. I have sensed the bottleneck that Instructor Feng mentioned.”
Xu Yuan’s expression remained calm as he smiled and congratulated her. “Congratulations. Today marks the fortieth day of our training. According to Instructor Feng, you should break through very soon. Becoming a formal martial artist is practically guaranteed.”
“A formal martial artist…”
Upon hearing those words, Sun Rong’s eyes immediately grew moist, her heart filled with indescribable excitement.
Li Shan paused for a moment, his tone somewhat complicated.
“It seems that Sister Sun truly has the best talent among the three of us… What does this bottleneck feel like?”
“If Brother Li were not so overly enthusiastic, you would certainly be faster than me.”
Sun Rong casually wiped her eyes. After a brief polite remark, she resumed her stance. After feeling it for a moment, she said,
“I do not quite know how to describe it. It feels like… the outer coating of a candied hawthorn. Once it melts, you can taste the sweet and sour fruit inside.”
Li Shan gave a bitter smile. “That analogy is not quite right. According to Instructor Feng, that outer layer is extremely thick—and not sweet at all.”
“Is that so?” Sun Rong was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized something. “I have never eaten candied hawthorn before. So it is not sweet at all?”
“Wait, you have really never had it?”
Xu Yuan and Li Shan exchanged a glance, slightly surprised, before both of them burst into laughter.
“Next time, I will take you to try some,” Li Shan said, patting his chest confidently.
“Alright, then I will thank you in advance, Brother Li.”
Sun Rong deliberately adopted a gentle demeanor and gave a graceful bow.
“Sister Sun, when you do that… well, it looks rather heroic.”
Li Shan said in a strange tone.
“You are asking for a beating!”
Sun Rong immediately understood that he was teasing her. She raised her fair fist and punched his shoulder.
“Wait, not there! It still aches from yesterday’s training!”
“Haha, serves you right for teasing me! That is exactly where I will hit!”
Standing nearby, Xu Yuan watched the two of them joking around and could not help but shake his head with a smile.
On a winter morning, the air was growing colder.
Yet it could not suppress the warmth of their lively laughter and spirited energy.