Zhang Shun slapped me hard on the back of the head and cursed, "You're the kid who used to get chopped up all the time!" But the slap immediately aggravated my ribs, and I gasped in pain.
Seeing that he had regained the strength to talk and laugh, I knew that his condition had stabilized, and I breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into the chair.
Seeing that his lips were chapped, Zhu Gui poured him a glass of water and asked, "What happened? Tell me now."
Lu Junyi and Wu Yong pulled up chairs and sat in a circle around Zhang Shun, their expressions serious. In modern terms, Liangshan was an organic whole, a unified entity where the fate of one was intertwined with the fate of the other. That's why they mobilized the entire Liangshan community when Zhu Gui was only slightly injured, but now that Zhang Shun was seriously wounded, the situation was different. It seemed like another fierce battle was about to erupt. I just wondered who was so foolish as to stir up this hornet's nest this time. Of course, I couldn't really let them kill his entire family, so I listened very carefully.
Zhang Shun finished his glass of water, frowned, and remained silent for a long while, as if he was having some kind of trouble. Finally, he looked at me and said, "Xiao Qiang, could you go out for a bit?"
After he said that, everyone's first reaction was bewilderment. To me, they seemed to have no secrets, and among these people, Zhang Shun and I were the closest. His words made me feel inexplicably excluded. I stood up absentmindedly, intending to leave, but couldn't help glancing at Lu Junyi. Lu Junyi also felt it was inappropriate, and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Shun, just say what you want to say. Xiao Qiang is also one of our brothers."
Zhang Shun sighed, gestured for me to sit down, and after a moment's pause, said, "It's actually very simple. The person who injured me was Li Tianrun!"
The people present gasped in unison. I asked, puzzled, "Li Tianrun? That name sounds familiar. Who is he?"
Dong Ping murmured, "One of the eight Heavenly Kings under Fang La."
I exclaimed in surprise, "Fang La? He's here too? I've never seen him before."
Lin Chong asked Zhang Shun, "Are you sure it's him? Or are you seeing things?"
Zhang Shun shook his head slightly and said, "Absolutely right. I had just dropped Xiaoyu off and was heading towards the hotel when we bumped into each other. He immediately called out my name, and then we started fighting without saying a word. He first injured my chest and then slashed me with a knife. If it weren't for the police patrolling the streets, I probably would have died."
Dong Ping slammed his fist on the coffee table.
Seeing that they all had somber faces and remained silent, I cautiously asked, "Is this Li Tianrun formidable?"
Zhu Gui said, "The courage to withstand ten thousand men."
Lin Chong said, "It goes without saying that Fang La's eight Heavenly Kings are all invincible."
I finally understand what's wrong with these people—they're terrified. Back in the day, Fang La's eight Heavenly Kings fought a fierce battle against the 108 heroes of Liangshan, resulting in a stalemate. In other words, each of the eight Heavenly Kings dealt with more than ten heroes. This time, Liangshan sent 54 people. If Fang La's eight Heavenly Kings were all present, the heroes would only suffer losses if the battle broke out again. But why did other ancient figures suddenly appear? I truly can't understand it.
Lu Junyi suddenly asked me, "Xiaoqiang, besides you, who else has the same access to people like us?"
"I haven't heard anything about it. I can't get through to Liu Laoliu on the phone either..."
Lu Junyi glanced at Wu Yong, who seemed lost in thought, and couldn't help but softly call out, "Military Advisor Wu?"
Wu Yong, having regained his composure, said, "I'm thinking about something else."
"how?"
"Duan Tianlang's injuries. To inflict such damage with such force, it must be someone like Li Tianrun or Deng Yuanjue, the Buddha of Precious Light—"
Everyone exclaimed in unison, "That's right!" Thinking of this, they suddenly felt a shared hatred for Duan Tianlang and didn't dislike him as much anymore.
Wu Yong said, "Xiao Qiang and I will visit him tomorrow, and we should have a result by then. Brother Zhang Shun, just focus on recovering. We'll take care of everything else."
Zhang Shun nodded, and I said, "Brothers, find a place to sleep whether it's upstairs or downstairs. There are plenty of blankets available." I then took a blanket and covered Zhang Shun with it. "You can stay here for the night and wait until your wound has healed a bit more."
Zhang Shun looked at the blood-stained new house he had made, and apologetically took my hand, saying, "Xiao Qiang, I didn't want you to know earlier because I was afraid of getting you involved. I didn't mean anything by it, so don't overthink it." I knew they had no confidence in this unknown battle and were afraid of implicating me, so I nodded to him.
None of Lu Junyi and his comrades went to sleep or discussed Zhang Shun's matter anymore. Instead, they chatted idly, waiting for their other brothers to arrive. These men had lived a life of bloodshed, and now that their enemies had come knocking, they didn't take it seriously. They went about their business as usual. Zhu Gui rummaged through my refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, complaining, "This house is so big, I can't even find a bird. I'm starving."
I said, "Nonsense, I don't plan to use this place until October. Do you think I'm going to put a bunch of food here to raise rats?"
About 40 minutes later, Du Xing called me to say that the heroes had received his message and were on their way, estimating they would arrive soon, and asked me to go and meet them. As soon as I hung up, a row of cars was parked in front of my door; the heroes, led by Li Yun, had arrived.
They had roughly heard the situation, and their faces were filled with anxiety. The first to rush out of the car were the Ruan brothers and Li Kui. Zhang Shun was always well-liked, and the heroes followed suit, scrambling inside. Seeing the wounded man on the sofa, they became agitated, crowding around Zhang Shun and bombarding him with questions. Lu Junyi spread his hands and gestured downwards, saying, "Everyone, calm down. Brother Zhang Shun is alright. Please sit down and listen to me!"
I stayed at the door and let the heroes in. Tiger finally crawled out of a car, settled the drivers, and strode inside—he was the one who had called these cars.
I stood in front of him and called out, "Brother Tiger."
He gave a perfunctory reply and tried to go inside, so I simply blocked the doorway. Tiger immediately understood and asked, "Is it inconvenient for me to come in?" I could only nod. Tiger asked, "I heard our people were taken down? If that's true, this matter is mine. Anyone who touches my friend is a slap in the face. Tell me who it was!"
I handed him a cigarette, lit one for myself, and said as I lit it, "We can't get involved in real conflicts between the martial arts world, and your master and the others certainly don't want you to get involved either." By using "we" and "you," I cleverly distanced myself from him—I was definitely not going to escape.
Tiger was a smart man, and after spending so much time with them, he realized these people were no ordinary group. He asked me directly, "Is there anything else I can do to help? Do you need money?"
I said, "We don't need anything for now—could you get us something to eat?"
Tiger smiled wryly and said, "Alright, I'll have someone bring it over in a bit. Let me know if anything else comes up."
After Tiger led the convoy away, I returned to the living room. Lu Junyi had already recounted the events. The heroes were all shocked and furious, and then began to curse loudly. Many of them were about to rush out to seek revenge on Li Tianrun. Wu Yong calmed them down several times before their anger subsided. Only one person couldn't contain his rage, shouting repeatedly, "Where is Li Tianrun? Does anyone know where he is?" It was Zhang Qing. I heard someone whispering nearby, "Brother Zhang Qing died by Li Tianrun's gun back then."
Dai Zong and Li Yun held him down and advised, "Now that things have already happened, let's hear what Military Advisor Wu has to say."
Wu Yong glanced into the crowd and said, "Brother Shi Qian..."
Shi Qian spoke first: "I know what I should do."
Wu Yong nodded and said, "I just thought about it. Duan Tianlang's injury is suspicious. When it gets light, Xiao Qiang and I will go see if we can get anything out of him. The other brothers shouldn't go back to the hotel. Go out and gather information separately and collect it at the school tonight. But remember, even if you find any trace of the enemy, don't act rashly. Come back and report to me immediately."
Seeing the situation, the hero had no choice but to leave it at that for now. Fortunately, Zhang Shun's life wasn't in danger. While everyone waited for dawn, bored, many started wandering around my new house. As a result, one person knocked over a bottle, another broke a picture frame, and by the time they'd searched every floor, upstairs, downstairs, and even the rooftop terrace, my place was like a termite mound.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Xiaoqiang's Crisis
Just as dawn was breaking, Duan Jingzhu suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "There's still a match today!"
Dong Ping coldly said, "What's the point of competing! If you want to go, go by yourself." He and Zhang Qing died in battle at Dusong Pass, which was largely due to Li Tianrun. Moreover, he and Zhang Qing were close friends who became acquainted through a fight. Now, with personal hatred and brotherly enmity, nothing else could move him anymore.
Lu Junyi said to Duan Jingzhu, "The martial arts tournament is no longer our concern. Now we need to deal with the Eight Heavenly Kings."
Duan Jingzhu gave a reluctant reply.