Fang Zhenjiang comforted Lao Wang, saying, "They will naturally let you go once the medicine takes effect."
Old Wang cried: "Take whatever parts you want, just spare my life."
No one spoke, and the rest of the time passed in silence. They kept showing him the Four Heavenly Kings, then Old Wang. As reincarnations, the Four Heavenly Kings looked almost identical, and their personalities were largely preserved. But then there was Old Wang; even the heroes shook their heads at the thought of him being Fang La. Having such an enemy wasn't exactly honorable. Our biggest fear was that Old Wang might suddenly revert to Zhang San or Li Si from hundreds of years ago, but then we realized there was no reason for it. Why would our nemesis leave behind such a precious medicine to help Extra A regain his memories, just to annoy us?
Old Wang sat there dejectedly, not even lifting his head. After a few more minutes, Zhang Qing couldn't help but slap him and say, "Remember now?"
Old Wang looked up blankly and asked, "What do you want me to confess?"
Zhang Qing said, "Do you think this guy might have already remembered, but is afraid we'll kill him, so he's pretending to be stupid?"
Bao Jin roared, "Bullshit!" Then, extremely frustrated, Bao Jin suddenly grabbed Old Wang by the collar and lifted him up, shouting, "Who the hell are you?"
Wang Yin and the others shouted in unison, "Stop!"
Bao Jin sighed dejectedly and threw Lao Wang back.
The crowd remained silent around Old Wang for nearly five minutes, some even starting to doze off. Suddenly, Old Wang stood up and kicked Bao Jin, who was lost in thought. He yelled, "I told you I was Fang La! You slapped me!"
Bao Jin stumbled from the kick, his face changing drastically: "Brother Fang?"
At the same time, Wang Yin and the others jumped up in surprise: "Big brother, is it really you?"
Old Wang was still the same Old Wang, even his voice hadn't changed, but everyone could sense that he was no longer the same person he had been moments before...
His back wasn't any straighter, and his face was still covered with forehead wrinkles from years of hard labor. But his eyes were now full of wisdom and shrewdness, and he had an air of imperious authority when he talked and laughed—yes, that legendary domineering aura!
While everyone was still stunned, Old Wang kicked Fang Zhenjiang in the buttocks again and laughed, "You son of a bitch, Wu Song, you'll catch me!"
Fang Zhenjiang was both amused and exasperated by this, and ran a few steps forward, clutching his backside. Old Wang then kicked Bao Jin again: "That damned Deng the monk, not to mention he just tried to hit me!"
Bao Jin didn't move aside, and asked blankly, "Big brother, you're really back?"
Old Wang laughed and cursed, "If I hadn't come back, I would have gotten slapped by you again!" He glanced around, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the assembled heroes, saying, "Gentlemen, we meet again..."
Lin Chong stared at Old Wang for a while, then slowly said, "It really is Fang La!"
Normally, enemies would be extremely hostile when they meet, but things happened too suddenly. The heroes all stared blankly at Old Wang—Fang La—and none of them thought to step forward and make a move.
Lu Junyi blurted out, "Fang La, we've been looking for you for so long!"
Fang La chuckled: "I've been hiding from you for quite a while now—"
Lu Junyi asked, "What do you mean?"
Fang La looked at each of the Liangshan people and nodded slightly, saying, "As expected, they've all come—actually, I'm one of those mistakenly recorded in the Book of Life and Death. I could have lived a carefree year before being reincarnated."
Lu Junyi asked, "Then why didn't you go?"
Fang La smiled slightly: "Isn't it all because of you! Everyone, you all know who I, Fang La, am. I didn't reincarnate just because I was afraid of you. You wouldn't say I'm shameless, would you?"
Although they were enemies, the heroes couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Wang Yin cried out, "Brother, why?"
Fang La glanced at him: "Why do you ask? We were all poor people to begin with, and we rose up in rebellion just to have enough to eat. I was out of my mind to actually try to become emperor. And you—" Fang La pointed at Lu Junyi, "you're pretty much the same. We were the same kind of people, but in the end, we fought to the death, leaving the court to watch and profit. Thinking about it now, I'm ashamed; it's like a dream. From the moment I returned to the underworld, all my desires vanished, and all I wanted was to be an ordinary citizen. The King of Hell promised me an exception, allowing me to live 10 more years in my next life. My first half will be filled with poverty and hardship, but my second half is destined to be filled with family happiness—and I'm not far from that point. But with all this commotion, you've remembered everything."
I began to understand why Fang La had completely lost his former characteristics. Liu Laoliu had said that "strong people's thoughts" could make people retain their appearance and personality from their previous life, but Fang La had no attachment to his previous life after his death, so Fang La, who could be considered a hero in his lifetime, became a complete worker in this life.
Fang La's words were so powerful that the heroes looked at each other and fell silent for a moment.
Fang La glanced at Wang Yin and his men, who were bound, and said calmly, "What, you're fighting again?" As he spoke, he walked over and untied the ropes binding Wang Yin and his men without permission, and said loudly, "My brothers and I are right here. Do with us as you please."
Bao Jin stepped forward and shouted, "Me too!"
If they were to take action now, Fang La and his men would still be helpless and captured. Lu Junyi and Wu Yong pondered for a long time, still unable to make up their minds about what to do.
Before I could smooth things over, Fang Zhenjiang stepped between the two sides and said, "Brothers of Liangshan, although I haven't regained my memory, I'm grateful that you've always treated me like a brother. I want to say something. Whether it's Fang La or Old Wang, I only know that he treated me like a brother in this life. To be honest, the grudges between us are things from the previous life. Why can't we let it go?"
Zhang Qing retorted sharply, "A person who doesn't know who they are has no right to say such a thing!"
Fang Zhenjiang ignored him and turned to Fang La, saying, "Did I really do manage to take you down before?"
Fang La smiled and nodded: "In my past life we were on the battlefield, in this life we're at the dinner table. I'm really stuck with you."
Lu Junyi finally stepped forward and said, "Fang La, since you have no intention of fighting again and have already been reincarnated, it would make us Liangshan seem petty if we continued to pester you. Your men have already settled things with us. From now on, it's all over between us. We have no connection in this life, and we'll be enemies in the next!"
Chapter Ninety-Four: The Dark Room
As soon as Lu Junyi uttered those words, the heroes secretly cheered, and I also felt a certain admiration for Old Lu. The Jade Kirin of Hebei was indeed old but shrewd; he might be a bit slow at times, but in crucial moments, a hero is a hero.
Fang La laughed and said, "--Be enemies in the next life, well said!" As he spoke, he waved to the Four Heavenly Kings and said, "Brothers, let's go now. We can have a drink sometime in the future and be friends."
Wang Yin asked, "And you, elder brother?"
Fang La said, "I am still me—Wang Dezhao." Fang La smiled at me, "Director Xiao, you said you would take in our group of working brothers. I also know carpentry, so all the desks and chairs in the school will be mine from now on."
I quickly replied, "That would be perfect."
Li Tianrun said, "Brother, let us stay with you a little longer."
Fang La looked at him and asked, "Do you still beat your wife? I remember you beat your two concubines until they were covered in bruises every day."
Li Tianrun immediately frowned and said, "Beat my wife? I'd be lucky if she didn't. Besides the bus fare, I only have 3 yuan of pocket money a day."
Fang La and the three Heavenly Kings burst into laughter, saying in unison, "Retribution!" Even the heroes laughed along with them.