Chapter 24: True Brothers

Qingzhou Prefecture, Five Lakes and Seas Inn.

At that moment, everyone inside the inn stood dumbfounded, gazing in terror at the young man hunched over the counter. No one spoke; the room was deathly silent.

"Chen Tiansheng killed Li Dongshan!"

After a long while, someone suddenly shouted. Instantly, the crowd in the inn erupted. Nearly half of the martial artists present had cultivated their inner arts to a certain rank, granting them keen perception; they could easily tell that Li Dongshan was no longer among the living.

As they looked at Chen Tiansheng, the expressions in their eyes shifted. The once timid and submissive youngest of the group had turned out to be a man of cold, decisive violence. They asked themselves: if they were in Chen Tiansheng’s position, the vast majority would never have dared to kill Li Dongshan in public. Yet, a boy not even fourteen years old had done it. Furthermore, the composure he displayed just moments ago was something even seasoned veterans of the underworld might not achieve.

This boy was extraordinary!

Chen Tiansheng released Li Dongshan’s neck, stood up, and smoothed his clothes. He turned his calm gaze toward those staring at him in horror, clasped his hands in a polite gesture, and said, "My apologies for letting my private matters disturb everyone's leisure. Please allow me to cover the cost of all your food and drink today. I hope you will understand."

The crowd looked at one another, then burst into enthusiastic cheers. No one wanted to offend a genius from the Mortal Martial Pavilion. Besides, Li Dongshan was clearly at fault first; although Chen Tiansheng’s methods might have been a bit extreme, given his current status, the Mortal Dao Association would surely not impose a heavy punishment. Chen Tiansheng knew this, which was why he dared to strike so ruthlessly; it would be unwise to invite imprisonment or worse for the sake of scum like Li Dongshan.

Collecting his thoughts, Chen Tiansheng asked the waiter who had just exposed Li Dongshan, "Is my brother, Zhao Daqiang, in the dormitory?"

The man hurriedly snapped out of his trance and nodded frantically. "Yes, Master Chen."

Seeing the man’s reaction, Chen Tiansheng sighed inwardly. He had worked with this waiter for three years and their relationship had been quite good. Yet now, the change in address to "Master" showed how distant they had become. In this world where strength is supreme, the philosophy that the weak must unconditionally serve the strong was ingrained in everyone’s marrow. Furthermore, his public execution of Li Dongshan was enough to strike terror into the heart of any inn worker.

Chen Tiansheng said nothing more and walked quickly toward Zhao Daqiang’s dormitory.

Watching his retreating back, Feng Siniang felt a wave of melancholy. She shook her head with a bitter smile and left the inn. This young man possessed a temperament far beyond that of an average wanderer; her worries now seemed like a ridiculous joke.

"If my brother had possessed his temperament back then, he wouldn't have died..."

***

Inside the dormitory.

Zhao Daqiang’s scalp was crudely stitched with several long, jagged wounds. The blood on his body had not been cleaned and clung to him in dried patches. Several flies, sensing the smell of blood, landed on the stains, while others buzzed in the air. Zhao Daqiang’s breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising and falling; he did not even realize that flies were crawling on his face.

Seeing this, Chen Tiansheng felt as if his heart were being squeezed by a vice, filled with agonizing pain. He had brought his brother along, and it was his duty to protect him. Now, because of him, his brother had been brutally beaten and nearly lost his life!

Chen Tiansheng did not wake Zhao Daqiang. Instead, he pulled up a stool and sat by the bed, waving a fan to chase away the annoying flies.

***

Nanyue Street, Zhang Chengnan’s residence.

Leaning on a cane, Zhang Chengnan walked through the courtyard with his legs splayed in a grotesque gait. His face was twisted in pain, and sweat poured from his forehead like rain. He had been severely injured in the lower body that day and had barely survived. Though his life was saved, his masculine symbol was utterly destroyed. No matter how much rage he felt, it could not change the reality of what had happened.

After walking a few steps, Zhang Chengnan sat down with the help of his servants. A stick of incense was burning before him. Zhang Ping and several other servants were kneeling on the ground, struggling to hold twenty-pound stones over their heads with both hands. Nearby, three other servants who had been struck by the stones lay unconscious, their heads bloodied. They had to hold the stones up for the duration of the incense stick; those who failed would be beaten mercilessly.

The incense was only halfway burned. Looking at the pathetic state of Zhang Ping and the others, Zhang Chengnan felt not a shred of pity, sipping tea offered by a maid.

Zhang Ping’s arms were trembling, and he knew he could not last the full duration. If these stones fell on his head, he would likely be bedridden for days, and a subsequent beating might even cost him his life. Panic-stricken, he pleaded, "Second Young Master, Chen Tiansheng has someone helping him, so we couldn't catch him. But if you give me time, even if he is Gao Runshan’s son, I will capture him for you!"

"Time?!"

Zhang Chengnan glared, his eyes bulging as he smashed his teacup to the ground. The sudden sound of shattering caused two servants, already exhausted, to lose their grip. The stones fell, cracking their skulls. They were promptly dragged away by other servants and beaten with thick wooden clubs until they lost consciousness.

Seeing this, Zhang Ping grew even more frantic. "Second Young Master, I had no choice. That brat is too lucky. When I went yesterday, I ran into Gao Runshan, and today I bumped into that fellow Ma Mingzheng at the Five Lakes and Seas Inn. It was all Li Dongshan’s fault for giving us bad information. I will definitely capture that brat in two days!"

Zhang Ping had been sent by Zhang Chengnan to catch Chen Tiansheng today, but upon reaching the inn, he discovered Ma Mingzheng was there. He couldn't afford to provoke a preacher of the Mortal Dao Association, so he chose to return and report, only to be punished by Zhang Chengnan without question. Zhang Chengnan was short-tempered, arbitrary, and unreasonable. Zhang Ping knew this well, but as a domestic slave, he was helpless.

Zhang Chengnan stared at Zhang Ping with a savage expression. "Give you time? Do you want me to wait until my brother comes back? If I need my brother to help with everything, what use are you? I am my brother’s own flesh and blood, and I want my parents to know that I, too, have the ability to handle things on my own!"

"I’ll give you two more days. If you don't bring me that brat, I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!" With that, he kicked Zhang Ping over.

"Thank you, Second Young Master! I will complete the mission!" Zhang Ping, as if granted a reprieve, scrambled away with his men.

Watching their pathetic backs, Zhang Chengnan wore a cruel grin. As the younger brother of an Immortal, Zhang Chengnan was not as happy as the world believed. He had a strong sense of pride and hated it when others praised Zhang Jingcong’s excellence in front of him. Just like this time—because Zhang Ping had told his parents that Chen Tiansheng was under the protection of the Mortal Dao Association, his parents had decided to seek Zhang Jingcong’s help. This infuriated him, and he swore to solve the matter himself to prove to everyone that he was no coward!

Zhang Chengnan grew more agitated as he thought about it. He grabbed a wooden club from the ground, stood up, and forcibly shoved the head of the maid beside him downward...

***

Five Lakes and Seas Inn, staff dormitory.

At dusk, Zhao Daqiang woke up groggily from hunger. The pain in his body made it impossible for him to get up.

"You're awake."

A familiar, gentle voice came from beside him, and someone helped him sit up.

"Tha—" Zhao Daqiang started to thank the person, but upon seeing the man clearly, he exclaimed with joy, "Brother Sheng!"

Because of the excitement, the stitched wounds reopened, causing Zhao Daqiang to wince in pain.

Chen Tiansheng asked with concern, "How are you feeling?"

Zhao Daqiang puffed out his chest and patted it forcefully. "It’s nothing! I’m tough as nails; I could carry ten more buckets of water right now!"

Seeing him pat his chest so hard without even a cough, Chen Tiansheng realized the man had a sturdy constitution, but he still said, "If you're that healthy, can you walk? Come on, let's go see a doctor."

Zhao Daqiang was stunned. "A doctor? Are you sick, Brother Sheng?"

Chen Tiansheng rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a smile. "I’m fine. You’re the one who is hurt; you need to see a doctor."

Zhao Daqiang suddenly realized and began waving his hands dismissively. "These are just minor injuries. It's nothing serious, no need to see a doctor. I'll be fine in a couple of days."

Having spent so much time together, Chen Tiansheng knew Zhao Daqiang was worried about the cost of medical treatment.

Chen Tiansheng insisted, "Don't worry, I have the money. A head injury is no small matter. If it's serious, it could damage your brain; if it's minor, these scars will stay on your head forever, making you look like the mangy beggar outside the city."

Hearing how serious it was, Zhao Daqiang became nervous. "Brother Sheng, I don't want to become stupid, nor do I want to look like a mangy beggar. I'll owe you for the medical expenses this time, but I will definitely pay you back!"

Chen Tiansheng patted his shoulder and smiled. "We are brothers; why talk about such petty money?"

Zhao Daqiang awkwardly shrank his neck and laughed sincerely. "It’s so good to have a big brother like you, Brother Sheng."

After chatting for a bit, Chen Tiansheng helped Zhao Daqiang up and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, how did you get these injuries?"

Zhao Daqiang said hurriedly, "Oh, that... I was careless while chopping wood. I'll be more careful next time."

Chen Tiansheng took a deep breath and patted Zhao Daqiang’s back warmly. He was choosing to swallow his pain just to keep him from worrying.

This was a true brother!