Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 134: What Has Passed Is Not the Jianghu
In an instant, everyone's gaze was focused on the gun in Abiao's hand, which exuded a strong aura of menace. The princesses in the private room became flustered, screaming and trying to escape, but the disciples at the door quickly blocked it, not allowing anyone to leave.
Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, Zhao Pingchuan, and Wang Zhengxiang felt their hearts leap into their throats. Yang Yu had just been thinking about rushing forward first, but who would have thought that what Abiao pulled out was not a knife, but a gun—a pitch-black handgun! The blued steel of the gun emitted a faint glow, and from Yang Yu's angle, the dark muzzle looked like an endless abyss, ready to swallow everything in front of it, including Zhang Qiu.
The moment Zhang Qiu saw Abiao reach into his clothing, images from movies flashed through his mind—a black handgun being drawn from someone's bosom. He had already broken into a cold sweat at the thought, but now that he truly saw the dark muzzle pointed at him, he surprisingly felt much calmer.
Zhang Qiu looked quietly at Brother Leopard and said, "Brother Leopard, I understand your good intentions. I’m a man too; honestly, I’m somewhat tempted. But I really can’t do this. Please don’t force me anymore."
"Abiao, put down the gun." Seeing that Zhang Qiu did not harbor any ill intentions, Brother Leopard instructed Abiao to put away the weapon. Abiao complied but kept his right hand still tucked inside his clothing.
Brother Leopard looked at Zhang Qiu and suddenly became intrigued, secretly astonished. To remain so calm while being threatened by a gun was quite impressive. Despite this thought, Brother Leopard maintained a serious expression.
The princess sitting in Brother Leopard's lap then playfully chimed in, "Why are you pulling out a gun? Let’s keep things friendly; let’s keep things friendly." She turned to her panicked sisters and reassured them, "It's okay now; it's okay. What happened today stays here; let’s continue having fun as usual."
"Let’s have fun as usual; pretend nothing happened. Everyone here today will receive double pay." As Brother Leopard finished speaking, the princesses cheered excitedly, all thinking about the large sums of money they were about to receive, completely forgetting that they had just been in danger.
"Are you still insisting?" Brother Leopard looked up at Zhang Qiu with an imposing demeanor.
"Yes." Zhang Qiu's gaze was resolute; nothing could shake his sincere feelings for Jiang Xue.
Brother Leopard said in a low voice, "Give me a reason that can convince me; otherwise..." He left the sentence hanging ominously.
"Since Brother Leopard wants to hear it, then let me explain. This matter goes back to the Ancient City Battle. You know about that fight well enough, right?" Zhang Qiu asked Brother Leopard, who nodded and listened with interest. Perhaps this intellectual would share an engaging story.
Zhang Qiu slowly continued, "In the Ancient City Battle, we were at a disadvantage. Even though we managed to shine due to proper arrangements—people are still talking about our exploits today— we paid a heavy price for it. Almost none of my brothers came out unscathed. My woman got hurt while trying to save me; do you know this, Brother Leopard?"
Seeing Brother Leopard nodding again, Zhang Qiu continued, "My woman is currently locked up in detention. If I were to fool around with another woman outside while she’s there, would I still be considered a man? Even if she weren’t in detention, I still couldn’t do that. If you love someone, you should only be loyal to that one person."
Brother Leopard remained silent for a moment before suddenly breaking into applause. Abiao also withdrew his hand from his clothing and joined in clapping along with Brother Leopard. The princesses in the private room quietly watched Zhang Qiu; some silently shed tears and turned away to wipe them discreetly. The princess sitting next to Zhang Qiu stopped clinging to him and quietly moved aside.
Brother Leopard waved his hand and said to the princesses in the room, "Alright then, you all go out first." As soon as he finished speaking, the disciple at the door opened it wide and one by one the princesses stood up and walked out. The princess who had been sitting on Brother Leopard's lap gently kissed his cheek before standing up and smiled slightly at Zhang Qiu as she left.
Once all the princesses had exited, Brother Leopard turned to Zhang Qiu again and said, "Let your brothers go wait in another room for a while; they can come back later."
Zhang Qiu said to Yang Yu, "Take them next door to sit for a while."
"Brother Qiu, it's just you left..." Yang Yu was a bit worried. Zhang Qiu had just angered Brother Leopard; if Brother Leopard intentionally sent them away and then dealt with Zhang Qiu, he would be in danger.
Zhang Qiu noticed Yang Yu's concern and smiled, "Don't worry, Brother Leopard can't harm me."
Brother Leopard raised an eyebrow, "What? You don't even trust me now? If I wanted to deal with someone, would I need to do it this way?"
Yang Yu awkwardly chuckled, and Zhao Pingchuan had already moved closer to him, whispering, "Let's leave first and observe the situation."
Yang Yu looked at Zhao Pingchuan, nodded, and led everyone out. He also ushered the disciples at the door out and closed it behind them. In the large private room, only Brother Leopard, Abiao, and Zhang Qiu remained, making it feel quite empty.
Brother Leopard said, "Come on, let's have a drink together."
Zhang Qiu poured drinks for Brother Leopard and Abiao, raised his glass to clink with theirs, and drank it down. Zhang Qiu initially thought Brother Leopard would say something but was surprised that Brother Leopard just drank silently without a word. Abiao also quietly watched from the side; when Zhang Qiu looked at him, he didn't say anything either.
Feeling bored, Zhang Qiu sat there guessing Brother Leopard's thoughts. Since he had been left alone with him, there must be something on his mind. After a long wait, Brother Leopard finally spoke up: "What you said earlier reminded me of Jing."
Zhang Qiu did not respond; he recognized that this was a woman's name. Since Brother Leopard brought it up, it must not have been casual. This person likely had some intimate connection with Brother Leopard. His words had triggered a memory for Brother Leopard; it seemed he was about to tell a story.
"Actually, I used to avoid these kinds of people," Brother Leopard said, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes, which Zhang Qiu noticed.
"Jing was my wife back then. She followed me since I started working with Meng the Boss. At that time, I didn't have the status I do now; my living conditions were shabby, but Jing never looked down on me. I used to be like you—never touching any woman other than Jing. But later... Jing was harmed by someone under Ma Tao..." Brother Leopard choked up at this point.
Zhang Qiu guessed what Brother Leopard couldn't say. He hadn't expected this burly man to have such a vulnerable side. It seemed that Brother Leopard had once been a good man; Zhang Qiu silently gave him points in his heart.
Brother Leopard downed another drink and said, "Back then, I carried a knife and guarded that guy's house for an entire week. One night, he was dead drunk and stumbled down the road towards me. I raised my knife and swung it at him. He fell to the ground in fear, begging for mercy while trying to shrink away from me. I cut through his tendons one by one and crushed his two eggs underfoot so that he would suffer more than death; I wanted him to endure pain for life and repent."
Zhang Qiu watched as Brother Leopard's eyes turned red; he couldn't tell if it was from crying or anger. Listening to Brother Leopard's story filled Zhang Qiu with admiration—how noble it was to avenge his beloved woman! Then he thought of himself: his girlfriend was locked up in a detention center while his enemy Liu Xiaofei was in the hospital, yet he felt powerless to do anything.
Abiao stood up and patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder, saying, "Brother Leopard is willing to share this with you; it means he truly considers you one of his own. You should be secretly pleased."
Zhang Qiu looked at Abiao; this was the first time he had seen such sincerity in his smile. Brother Leopard then told Zhang Qiu, "As a man, you have to be ruthless. Remember this from Brother Leopard: only when you're ruthless will others fear you and dare not harm you."
Zhang Qiu nodded heavily, deeply agreeing.
Brother Leopard seemed to be lost in past memories and continued his story: "After that incident, I went into hiding for a while. It wasn't as strict back then, and Ma Tao's people didn't report it, so I returned after a short time. My abilities were recognized by Meng the Boss, and since then, I've been rising through the ranks to my current position. I also appreciate you; don't let me down."
"Thank you, Brother Leopard." Zhang Qiu felt a surge of emotions inside; he never expected Brother Leopard to have such a history that could fill a book on its own.
"Meng the Boss is the leader, and Brother Leopard, you are the second-in-command. There's an age difference of over thirty years; is that because Meng the Boss recognized you?"
Brother Leopard smiled wryly: "Of course not. In '83, they were all executed."
Zhang Qiu was left speechless...
"Let me continue. After Jing left, I drank heavily for a long time; those were truly the hardest times of my life. Fortunately, I gradually emerged from the pain of losing Jing. Until I met Lan, the one in my arms just now. At that time, she was just starting out, and I happened to be with my Brothers. An old man with almost no teeth took a liking to Lan, but she didn't want him, so his people tried to force her. I knew that old man had some background since he could come here. But when I saw Lan's face, it reminded me of Jing standing in front of me. Without hesitation, I rescued Lan. Later, I found out that old man was a former leader in a city department, but I didn't care about that; if I offended him, so be it; it wasn't a big deal."
"On the night I saved Lan, she kept me company all night long. We just sat and talked until dawn. After that, I often came to see her; we would always chat. One time when we talked about Jing and I got drunk again, I treated her like Jing. After that... you know how it goes; I've only ever sought Lan's company."
Zhang Qiu was deeply moved by Brother Leopard's story and remained silent even after Brother Leopard finished speaking. He couldn't help but reflect that what was lost was not the world of martial arts but rather a chivalrous heart.
Comment 0 Comment Count