Fortunately, it didn't cut my hand; it was just the back of the dagger that grazed me.
"Alright, alright, I wouldn't dare play with this stuff again." Diao Yishi picked up the dagger and handed it back to Chen Chaojiang.
Xu Zhengyang turned his head with a smile and looked towards the distant horizon.
The sky is high and the clouds are light, the wind is gentle and the sun is bright, and the green waves of the fields stretch to the horizon.
A slightly off-key song drifted over, and the group couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound. They saw a bicycle approaching from the east, leisurely and cheerfully navigating an S-shaped path along the path. The man riding the bicycle looked to be in his late twenties, and a young woman was carrying a baby of about seven or eight months old on the back rack.
It looks like a family of three.
The man, his voice slightly hoarse, deliberately sang off-key, pausing occasionally to tease the child. He couldn't turn to look at the baby, though he remained cheerful. His wife, sitting on the back, couldn't help but laugh, her face beaming. The baby giggled, waving his chubby little hands high, making his mother hold him tightly, her heart pounding with nervousness.
Seeing the happy family of three, Xu Zhengyang and the others couldn't help but smile, feeling happy and blessed for them.
Seeing several younger people standing there looking at them with knowing smiles from afar, the man didn't stop singing. He smiled kindly at them while continuing to sing and amuse the children.
The young woman noticed that someone was watching them and felt a little embarrassed. Her face flushed slightly.
Ouyang Ying raised her camera and snapped several photos of the family of three.
The man called out to them from a distance with a smile, "Hey, ladies! We have image rights, so you have to pay us to be our models!"
They could all tell the man was joking, so Xu Zhengyang and the others laughed even harder.
Diao Yishi even took out his phone, laughing and starting to record a video of the whole family, saying, "Beautiful scenery in the fields, local customs and traditions, what a true depiction this is... I could win an award if I filmed this!"
The untimely sound of motorcycle horns echoed across the empty fields as four motorcycles roared up from behind the family of three.
Hearing the horns and roaring motorcycles behind him, the man on the bicycle quickly stopped singing, then gripped the handlebars tightly and moved to the side of the road, riding slowly along the side.
Unbeknownst to him, his wife, holding their child behind him, had wide, worried eyes. The four motorcycles weren't traveling in a row, but rather side-by-side, speeding along the narrow road. The motorcyclists were all wearing sunglasses, some with long hair, others with shaved heads, and each had someone on the back seat.
The horn blaring didn't stop when the family of three pulled over; instead, it continued to sound all the way.
The baby was so frightened by the piercing sound of the horn that it burst into tears.
Four motorcycles sped past them side by side. Perhaps one of the motorcycles grazed the wife's leg, or perhaps the cyclist was too nervous. The bicycle lurched a few times, and the man yelled, "Get off! Get off!" At the same time, his wife screamed and jumped off, clutching their child. The man lost control, and the front wheel of the bicycle slid down the roadside slope. He staggered and fell sideways onto the road, the front wheel already submerged in the ditch.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Xu Zhengyang, who had witnessed this scene from afar, had already narrowed his eyes as the motorcycles sped by and honked their horns. Now, seeing the four motorcycles so arrogantly disregarding the safety of others, he was instantly enraged. Just as he was about to order Chen Chaojiang to stab one of them with a dagger, he heard Diao Yishi shout, "Damn it, are you trying to get yourselves killed?!"
Amid the shouts and curses, Diao Yishi threw his phone at four motorcycles that sped past them.
The roar of the motorcycle masked the sound of the phone hitting the man, but the phone did indeed hit the man riding the motorcycle on the far side.
The man flew into a rage, and after driving his motorcycle for more than ten meters, he braked suddenly and stopped. The other three motorcycles also stopped one after another.
Eight men, the oldest no more than thirty and the youngest no more than twenty, with fierce glares and menacing faces, walked towards Xu Zhengyang and his group. The man who had been hit on the head by the phone was cursing loudly, "You, you fucking want to die, don't you?"
"Are you blind? Didn't you see there were people in front of you? Damn it!" Diao Yishi was fearless and immediately launched a verbal rebuttal.
Xu Zhengyang and his group had already moved to the sluice gate to give way when they saw the motorcycles traveling side by side from a distance. Now, seeing the eight men approaching aggressively, and Diao Yishi already running onto the road while cursing back, Xu Zhengyang quickly stepped forward, grabbed Diao Yishi, who was half a head taller than him, and pulled him back behind him. This kid looks hot-tempered and tall, but he's definitely not cut out for a fight.
The eight men walked this way, cursing angrily. Even though Xu Zhengyang pulled Diao Yishi behind him, he didn't stop and continued to curse back.
The family of three had already pushed their bicycles up and were standing blankly by the roadside watching the scene unfold. The man seemed to want to come over, but his anxious wife held him back.
"Shall we make a move?" Chen Chaojiang stood next to Xu Zhengyang, leaning slightly forward, and said coldly.
"Dare to draw blood, but don't kill anyone," Xu Zhengyang said softly, squinting at the eight approaching people. In his heart, however, he thought, "Chen Chaojiang really thinks he's the boss now; he even needs to ask for permission for something like this."
Seeing that there were only three men and two pretty girls on the other side, the eight men became even more arrogant. They didn't even bother with insults anymore, just rubbed their fists together, grinning maliciously. Some even pulled out their belts, looking confident they were about to give them a good beating. "Yeah, let's beat up that kid who hit us with his phone earlier and dared to talk back. Those two... cowards, didn't even dare to fart."
To their surprise, before they could even utter a few arrogant words, the pale-faced, thin young man standing at the very front suddenly sprang up and charged at them. A cold glint shot out before him, accurately striking the leader's shoulder.
Before he could even cry out in pain, before he could even feel the pain in his shoulder, the young man's right leg had already flown up, the toe pointing downwards and slamming heavily into his shoulder. The force of the blow caused his legs to buckle involuntarily, and before he could even kneel, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Chen Chaojiang had already pulled out his dagger and simultaneously punched another man in the cheek with his right fist.
Two cries of pain erupted almost simultaneously.
The two were knocked down in the blink of an eye.
As Chen Chaojiang thrust his dagger forward, the tip pressed against the third man's neck, the others suddenly realized what was happening, breaking out in a cold sweat. Unexpectedly, Chen Chaojiang didn't plunge the blade down; instead, he kicked the man in the knee. The blow to the knee sent the man lurching forward to his knees, his mind blank—it was over.
Almost instantly, Chen Chaojiang withdrew his dagger, and the man's neck was nearly pressed against the tip of the blade.
However, he fared no better. As he knelt down, Chen Chaojiang's knee struck him hard on the bridge of his nose, causing blood to gush out. The man staggered and fell backward to the ground.
The angry shouts then erupted as several people surrounded Chen Chaojiang, cursing and yelling. They hadn't fully understood what had happened yet, only believing that Chen Chaojiang had attacked them out of the blue, and that he didn't have the guts to kill anyone, otherwise why hadn't he stabbed them with that knife earlier?
"Don't move!" Xu Zhengyang said to Diao Yishi with a stern face, and then rushed forward.
With belts waving and fists and feet flying, a brawl quickly broke out.
The brawl ended much faster than it had started.
Xu Zhengyang threw one of them into the ditch, splashing water everywhere. Then he turned to look at the three people lying on the ground groaning, and the four who had already run away. He clapped his hands and sneered, "A bunch of bastards!"
Chen Chaojiang remained silent, his pale face as calm as ever, his slender eyes revealing an icy coldness devoid of any warmth.
All eight of them were wounded, not one of them escaped unscathed! They all had knife wounds.
However, just as Xu Zhengyang had instructed, Chen Chaojiang did not use excessive force. Apart from the first guy who was hit on the head by Diao Yishi with a cell phone and had a knife stuck in his shoulder, the others only had a few small cuts on their arms and legs from sharp daggers.
Even so, the group was covered in blood, and they looked quite seriously injured.
"Get out!" Xu Zhengyang shouted coldly.
The three people lying on the ground and the man who had just climbed out of the ditch and was soaking wet didn't dare to utter a sound and hurriedly ran towards the motorcycle in the distance.
Four motorcycles roared away and sped off.
Seeing that Diao Yishi, Ouyang Ying, and Xu Rouyue were still in a daze, Xu Zhengyang smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go home..." After saying that, he turned around and walked back along the path he had come from. Chen Chaojiang followed behind him silently, his left hand twirling the slightly blood-stained, sharp dagger.
The three of them then came to their senses and quickly agreed to follow.
After walking onto the dirt road in the fields, Xu Zhengyang turned back to the family of three who were still in a daze and said with a smile, "Hurry up and go. By the way, brother, you sing very well. Your wife is very beautiful, and your nephew is good-looking too!"
The family of three wore slightly embarrassed smiles.
Walking at the very back, Diao Yishi stared intently at Chen Chaojiang's thin back, thinking to himself: "A master, another master!"
Volume 3, Judge 111: On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, a villain suddenly appeared.
Mid-Autumn Festival night.
In response to the suggestion of guests Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi, who had traveled a long way, a large round table was set up in the courtyard of Xu Zhengyang's house. No lamps were needed in the courtyard; the intention was simply to create an atmosphere conducive to Mid-Autumn Festival moon-viewing, where people could eat, drink, and chat under the moonlight. Several fruit platters were placed on the table, containing melon seeds, peanuts, candy, mooncakes, pears, and other fruits; there were also fruit juices, wines, snacks, three cold appetizers, and two stir-fried dishes.
It was around 8 p.m., and a bright moon hung high in the sky, the night sky deep and vast.
The moonlight, like silver spilling onto the ground, seemed to cover the world with a thin layer of silver gauze, or like the first frost of autumn.
The six people sat around a round table, eating fruits and snacks, occasionally sipping wine; they looked up to admire the bright moon, and looked down to chat about their experiences in the countryside, creating a unique and warm atmosphere.
Ouyang Ying rested her elbows on the edge of the table, cupped her cheeks in her hands, tilted her head slightly, and gazed up at the bright moon in the night sky. A look of fascination appeared in her eyes as she softly exclaimed, "The night view here is so beautiful... You can't see such a clear night all year round in the capital. And such a beautiful moon."
“If you like it, come often. When we move to the new house, it will be much more comfortable and spacious…” Yuan Suqin sat to Ouyang Ying’s right, her eyes full of gentle kindness and her smile seemed to convey something else. “When you come, I will cook delicious food for you every day.”
"Yes, yes, I'll definitely come often in the future, so you mustn't get tired of it," Ouyang Ying said happily, nodding her head.
Xu Neng peeled peanuts and said with a simple smile, "How could I? You pampered people don't mind the poor conditions in this rural area."
“Nonsense! What’s wrong with the countryside?” Yuan Suqin glared at her husband.
Xu Neng chuckled and remained silent.
Xu Rouyue chuckled, "Yingying, even if you stay at our house for three or five years, no one will bother you..."
"Mm." Ouyang Ying nodded with a smile, a hint of sadness suddenly appearing in her eyes. She sighed softly, "Your family is so happy..."
Yuan Suqin, however, did not notice the bitterness in the girl's eyes and the loneliness in her tone. She peeled a milk candy and handed it to her, saying with a smile, "Here, Yingying, have a candy. This is the best milk candy that Zhengyang specially bought from Fuhe City when he heard you were coming."
"Thank you, Auntie." Ouyang Ying smiled broadly and happily put the sweet and fragrant milk candy in her mouth.
Xu Rouyue paused slightly, her cheeks flushing. A hint of embarrassment showed on her face. Although Ouyang Ying was carefree and ignorant of certain social customs, Xu Rouyue knew her mother well. She guessed that Ouyang Ying's warm attitude towards her mother was probably because she was already planning something with her distant daughter-in-law.
"Hey, Zhengyang, what are you thinking about? Hand over that peach juice and pour it for Yingying... You're not acting like a proper older brother!" Yuan Suqin scolded.
"Huh? Oh." Xu Zhengyang quickly picked up the juice in front of him and handed it over.
Xu Rouyue took the glass and poured it for Ouyang Ying, who repeatedly said politely, "No need, no need, I'm not being polite, I'd feel embarrassed if you did."
Yuan Suqin cursed her son inwardly for being so stupid, how could he not know to pour a cup for the girl and bring it over?
Although their time together was short, Yuan Suqin had truly fallen for Ouyang Ying. She was undeniably beautiful, had a wonderful personality, was cheerful and lively, and was both sensible and polite. Initially calling her "Auntie," she quickly adapted to the local custom and addressed her as "Grandma," which delighted Yuan Suqin. And, well, her family was well-off. She was a good match for my Zhengyang; the two families were well-matched… hundreds of times better than Liu Erhe's daughter, and that Li Bingjie, she was like a block of ice, how could she compare to Yingying?
Diao Yishi sat next to Xu Zhengyang, completely ignoring the conversation of the others. He took a couple of sips of beer, then a sip of baijiu, peeled a peanut, and cracked open a sunflower seed, thoroughly enjoying this lifestyle, finding it much more fun and comfortable than speeding on the highway.
Xu Zhengyang would occasionally chime in with a few words of casual conversation, but he mostly looked up at the bright moon in the sky, wondering if the legendary Moon Palace really did have a fairy named Chang'e, a snow-white jade rabbit, and that silly, honest Wu Gang who only knew how to chop down the cassia tree with an axe.
Perhaps I should go and take a trip to the underworld, even if it costs me some divine power, I should at least get to know more about this kind of thing.
While pondering these supernatural and chaotic matters, Diao Yishi suddenly thought of something, nudged Xu Zhengyang with his elbow, and said, "Brother Yang, can we talk about something?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang snapped out of his reverie and asked with a smile, "What is it?"
"Hehe..." Diao Yishi put down his wine glass somewhat embarrassedly, rubbed his hands together, and said in a low voice, "I'm thinking, Yang-ge, I can't learn your special ability. That thing is probably innate... Look, help me talk to Brother Chaojiang and ask him to teach me martial arts."
Xu Zhengyang chuckled and said, "How did you come up with this idea?"
"Yeah, Brother Chaojiang is really amazing..." Diao Yishi said with admiration, "If I were as amazing as him, no, even just a tenth of his ability would be great. I could just slap anyone I don't like across the face, and challenge them to a duel if they disagreed..."
Why didn't you tell him yourself?
"Come on, I only lent him that knife after I had to be really brave." Diao Yishi curled his lip. "Brother Chao Jiang's cold and aloof appearance is terrifying just to look at. He's so ruthless, so incredibly cool, damn it!"
Xu Zhengyang said cheerfully, "There's no need to be afraid. You have no grudge against him, and he's a nice person."
“No, I’m not familiar with Brother Chaojiang, it’d be a waste of time to talk to him.” Diao Yishi moved closer to Xu Zhengyang and said, “Brother Yang, I can tell he listens to you. Why don’t you talk to him? I can pay the tuition…”
"Don't talk about money, you're being too polite." Xu Zhengyang patted Diao Yishi on the shoulder. "I'll ask him about it later, but it might not work."
"As long as Brother Yang takes charge, is there anything we can't accomplish? Thanks in advance!" Diao Yishi chuckled.
Xu Zhengyang smiled, saying nothing more. He simply raised his glass to clink with Diao Yishi's, then drank half a glass of baijiu. He looked up at the bright moon, seemingly appreciating the rare night view. In his mind, however, he was thinking about Chen Chaojiang's martial arts… This guy had become stronger every day since his release from prison. If Chen Chaojiang had been this powerful during his fight with Shen Haobing's gang on the North Ring Road in Cixian County, Shen Haobing's group would have fared much worse. Given Chen Chaojiang's mindset at the time, he probably would have killed several people, and he himself wouldn't have been injured. In Chen Chaojiang's own words, "I hadn't fought much in there for quite a while, and I was a bit rusty when I first came out…"
But Xu Zhengyang knew in his heart that this was talent—a person with a distorted personality possessing a distorted talent.
After all, there are very few people in this world who would choose to bang their heads against a wall or physically abuse themselves by punching and kicking because they are lonely, bored, or don't want to talk to others for entertainment.
It's hard to imagine what kind of madman this guy would become if he received real training.
Just as Xu Zhengyang's mind was filled with random thoughts, the case file flashed in his mind, alerting him that a dangerous person was approaching his home. Xu Zhengyang frowned, not bothering to check with his mind, but instead looked directly at the courtyard wall. With a thought, his gaze passed through the wall and across it, reaching into the alley and onto the main street.
A white van sped down the street to the alley entrance. The door opened, and five or six middle-aged men dressed in black got out, carrying machetes and even two handguns. They walked into the alley with grim expressions.
Xu Zhengyang narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, his mind locked onto the group of people, immediately recognizing their identities and purposes.