novelbest Chapter 424: Brawl in the Alley
Chapter 424: Brawl in the Alley
"Boss, give me six roast chickens!"
"Coming right up!"
"Boss, three catties of spiced beef!"
"Wait a moment!"
"Boss, eight steamers of buns!"
"How many?"
"Eight!"
"Kid, why are you buying so many buns?"
"To eat, of course..."
"Hang on, they're still steaming!"...
Su Hongzhen trudged along the street, lugging bags upon bags of food, struggling under the weight.
For a child of only thirteen, who had spent years wandering and had only recently worked as an apprentice for a time in Matou Village, this load of food was far too heavy in his hands.
Every step he took was unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment.
Yet all this food was just enough for a single meal for his older brother.
After all, his brother was a cultivator.
That was what Su Hongzhen thought to himself.
Originally, Su Hongzhen had only believed that Chen Yan was a skilled martial artist.
The feat of hurling a stone and killing someone from several zhang away, and the awe-inspiring presence he had displayed at the river crossing when he intimidated Kang Keyang with a single sword strike—these things filled him with longing.
But then again, what boy wouldn't be drawn to that?
It wasn't until he arrived at Kang Mansion that he finally began to grasp, in a dazed and vague way, what those three characters—“cultivator”—truly meant.
And from that moment, the desire to cultivate took root deep in Su Hongzhen's heart.
If only he could become a cultivator too, just like his older brother...
So Su Hongzhen gathered his courage and made his request to Chen Yan.
As a result, Chen Yan refused him bluntly, without even raising an eyebrow.
“You're suited to be a Swordsman, and you have your own path to walk. But I'm not good with the sword. I can't lead you astray.”
That was Chen Yan's reply at the time.
Though his tone was calm, it carried an undeniable finality.
Su Hongzhen tried to argue back, pointing out that back at the river crossing, Chen Yan's sword had been so fast—how could he claim he wasn't skilled with the sword?
“It was purely speed, nothing to do with swordsmanship. Whether I use my fists, an axe, or a scythe, I can be just as fast, or even faster.”
That was what Chen Yan said.
But Su Hongzhen still couldn't let it go:
“Then... why do you always carry a sword, big brother?”
“...”
Faced with this question, Chen Yan fell silent.
How could he say it was because it looked cool?
In the end, Chen Yan never relented.
Su Hongzhen was deeply puzzled. How could his brother be so certain that he was suited to the path of the sword?
Just as his mind wandered, a sudden, powerful force grabbed his arm and yanked him into a narrow side alley.
The food he was carrying fell to the ground, and the pain from the broken ribs in his chest, exacerbated by the violent tug, hit him with an almost suffocating agony.
Thud!
Su Hongzhen crashed heavily onto the ground. The bamboo basket he had been carrying, filled with fruits and various foods, scattered everywhere.
It hurt so much.
He curled up on the ground, clutching his chest with both hands:
“Cough... cough, cough!”
Then he let out a few violent coughs.
With great effort, he lifted his head and looked toward the figures that had just dragged him into this alley.
They were a group of youths.
Compared to Su Hongzhen, these boys were noticeably larger, at least twice his size, all around sixteen or seventeen years old.
Their clothes were filthy and ragged.
The one standing in front, the burliest of the bunch—the one who had just pulled Su Hongzhen into the alley—stepped forward two paces. He picked up an oil-paper package from the fallen bamboo basket, tore it open, ripped off a drumstick, and wolfed it down in just a few bites.
Then he wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with his hand, walked a few more steps to stand in front of Su Hongzhen, bent down, and smeared the remaining grease on his fingers onto Su Hongzhen's clean clothes.
“You little brat, buying this much food all at once—aren't you afraid of choking to death, huh?”
The burly youth sneered, looking down at Su Hongzhen, who was curled up on the ground in pain from his old injuries.
“Hand over all the money you've got, and I'll let you off easy today. Otherwise, I'll make you crawl home like the little bastard you are!”
As he spoke, the burly youth raised his foot, first stepping on Su Hongzhen's shoulder, then lightly tapping his cheek with his toe.
From behind him, his companions burst into snickers and laughter.
“Meow~”
A sudden cat's cry came from above.
The burly youth looked up at the wall beside him and saw a tabby cat perched there, licking its front paws with intense focus.
“...Let me up. I'll give you the money.”
Su Hongzhen's weak voice came from the ground.
“Ha, this coward knows when to give in, huh?”
The burly youth turned his head and joked to his companions.
He pulled his foot off Su Hongzhen's shoulder and watched as the frail boy struggled to his feet.
“I'll give you the money...”
Little Su said softly, reaching his bloodied, scraped hand into his chest to fumble for something, then walked toward the burly youth.
The burly youth stood more than a head and a half taller than Su Hongzhen.
“Hand over the money, then get lost.”
The burly youth said, spitting on the ground near Su Hongzhen's feet.
Su Hongzhen stood before him, and then—
“Who told you to eat my big brother's drumstick!”
Su Hongzhen swung with all his might, his fist slamming into the burly youth's cheek.
The burly youth was completely caught off guard.
He staggered back half a step, spat out a mouthful of blood-flecked saliva, then lifted his head and stared at Su Hongzhen in disbelief.
In an instant, the disbelief in his eyes turned to fury:
“Damn it!”
The burly youth drove a kick straight into Su Hongzhen's chest, sending him flying backward. He slid several feet across the ground.
“Beat this animal to death for me!”
Immediately, the group of youths swarmed around him. The dull thuds of blows echoed through the narrow alley, mixed with the excited curses of the young thugs.
Boys of this age were nothing but hotheaded greenhorns, with no sense of restraint in their attacks.
As they shouted, “Kill him!” their fists and feet landed with full force, aiming to do real damage.
Su Hongzhen clenched his teeth and remained silent.
Excruciating pain washed over him like a tidal wave.
Then, the sensation of pain began to feel distant. His body grew numb. His consciousness sank like a stone dropped into the deep sea, rapidly fading, dimming...
“Stop.”
A gentle and serene voice suddenly broke through, instantly silencing all the chaos in the alley.
Using the last shred of his strength, Su Hongzhen struggled to lift his swollen eyelids, opening them just a crack.
Against the light at the alley's entrance, he saw a blurry figure.
A young girl in deep green daoist robes stood there quietly. Her posture was straight and slender, not very tall, and her face was indistinguishable in the light and shadow.
The entire world fell silent in an instant, leaving only the sound of the wind brushing past.