Walking past the sword-wielding soldiers guarding the city gate, the dark-faced youth’s tense nerves could finally relax. He curiously observed the spacious streets, rows upon rows of houses, and the coming and going pedestrians.

The streets were clean, the houses imposing, and the pedestrians respectable.

The dark-faced youth was deeply shocked: “Elder brother, the capital is really wonderful.”

The bearded man laughed heartily: “Of course it is. That’s why when our black—when our business closed down, elder brother brought you to the capital to seek refuge with a friend.”

Speaking of this, the bearded man’s heart grew bitter.

Damn the authorities.

The ancestral Black Wind Stronghold—they’d never disturbed the surrounding common people, only robbing those heartless wealthy merchants passing through. How had it come to lose its legacy in his hands!

He’d failed his early-departed father.

The bearded man stood on the bustling capital streets, feeling like crying.

The dark-faced youth also felt confused and uneasy at this moment.

What he was familiar with were the broken-tiled houses on the mountain, the brothers who bent their heads to farm and raised them to rob, and the simple, lovely Sister Chunhua at the mountain’s foot.

Not this vast expanse of heaven and earth that made him feel as small as an ant in this capital city.

“Elder brother, will your friend really take us in?”

The bearded man declared heroically: “Of course. Haven’t I told you many times—Brother Lu is extremely loyal. Back when I ran Black Wind Stronghold and he ran White Cloud Stronghold, the competition was fierce—we became friends through fighting. Later Brother Lu robbed enough money, washed his hands in a golden basin, and moved to the capital. From then on he was also a respectable person at the feet of the Son of Heaven. When a good friend comes seeking refuge, how could he not help?”

The dark-faced youth felt more at ease and followed the bearded man for a few steps, saying quietly: “Elder brother, both of you ran strongholds—how come Brother Lu could rob enough money early on to wash his hands in a golden basin, while we got destroyed by the authorities?”

The bearded man’s breathing hitched. He patted the dark-faced youth’s shoulder hard: “How could Brother Lu be the same? Brother Lu is a—right, a dragon and phoenix among men. Someone as talented as Brother Lu—you couldn’t find another like him among a hundred strongholds. What’s strange about him doing better than us?”

The dark-faced youth nodded: “Elder brother is right.”

The bearded man felt his younger brother wasn’t very bright and instructed: “Brother Lu has been in the capital for years—he definitely has beautiful wives and concubines embracing him left and right. He probably has seven or eight children already. When we get there, we mustn’t speak carelessly and let Brother Lu’s wives and children laugh at his friend behind his back for being uncouth.”

“What can’t we say?” the dark-faced youth asked carefully.

The bearded man’s tone was heavy with grief: “For instance, embarrassing things like our stronghold being destroyed by the authorities—absolutely cannot be mentioned!”

“What if Brother Lu asks about it?”

The bearded man coughed: “Just say we also washed our hands in a golden basin.”

“But we have no money…” the dark-faced youth reminded him.

“Shut up, you brat—where do you get so many words!” The bearded man flew into a rage from embarrassment and gave the dark-faced youth a slap.

The two walked and stopped along the way, asking many people before finally finding the place.

The dark-faced youth stood at the entrance looking for a while, then said quietly: “Doesn’t look much better than the houses at our stronghold.”

The bearded man glared at the dark-faced youth: “What does a brat like you understand? This is the capital—every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. You think it’s like our mountain where taking a piss anywhere means you’ve claimed the territory?”

The dark-faced youth thought about it and agreed, not daring to say more.

The bearded man gathered his energy and banged on the door: “Brother Lu, Brother Lu, are you home?”

No movement from inside.

“Elder brother, could Brother Lu have gone out to work? Maybe nobody’s home?”

“Work? Don’t talk nonsense—does Brother Lu need to go out and work?” The bearded man increased the force of his door-banging.

After continuing for a while, a voice finally came from inside: “Who is it?”

The bearded man’s heart filled with joy and he quickly said: “Brother Lu, it’s your brother Feibiao coming to see you—”

The door was suddenly pulled open.

A haggard-looking burly man stood inside the door, looking at the bearded man with eyes full of delight.

“Brother Feibiao, how did you get here!”

The bearded man stepped forward and gave the burly man a big hug: “Your younger brother missed you!”

“Come in first.” The burly man hooked his arm over the bearded man’s shoulder and strode inside.

The dark-faced youth quietly observed and thought to himself: Doesn’t look like someone with beautiful wives and concubines and a pile of children.

The burly man welcomed the two into the house to sit and brought out two bowls of clear water.

The bearded man drained it in one gulp and said puzzled: “Brother Lu, how come you don’t look in very good spirits?”

The burly man’s eyes reddened and he sighed: “It’s a long story, hard to put into words.”

His gaze fell on the dark-faced youth’s face and he said hesitantly: “Is this Little Hei?”

The bearded man smiled: “Didn’t expect Brother Lu could still recognize Little Hei. You left the year Little Hei was only five.”

The burly man chuckled.

Such a dark child—honestly, it would be hard not to recognize him.

“Brother, you brought Little Hei to the capital—what about Black Wind Stronghold?”

The bearded man slammed the table: “Brother, you don’t know—our Black Wind Stronghold was destroyed by those damn authorities. So many brothers died or fled. Your younger brother had nowhere to turn, so I could only bring Little Hei to seek refuge with you…”

The dark-faced youth was dumbfounded.

This—this wasn’t what they’d agreed on!

Hadn’t elder brother said they couldn’t lose face and had to say they’d washed their hands in a golden basin?

The bearded man poured out his grievances freely, completely ignoring his younger brother’s confusion.

Acting according to circumstances—understand?

Brother Lu was clearly a bachelor living alone—what face was there to lose? Naturally he should speak the truth, and from now on have someone to provide food and lodging.

The burly man listened to the bearded man explain the whole story and forcefully patted his shoulder: “It’s not easy for anyone—”

The bearded man collected his emotions and asked the burly man: “After all these years, brother is still alone? I remember when you left you said you’d find a wife in the capital.”

The burly man’s eyes filled with tears: “Plans can’t keep up with changes. Who knew the capital would have so many temptations? When I first came to the capital and rented this residence, I thought I’d wander around a bit. Then I wandered into a restaurant and ate a fragrant, oil-glistening roast duck…”

The burly man sighed: “Back at the stronghold, when did we ever eat such delicious roast duck? Am I right, brother?”

“Uh.” The bearded man’s feelings were complex as he agreed.

So Brother Lu still hasn’t married a wife all because he was delayed by a roast duck?

The dark-faced youth, however, grasped the key point: So this shabby residence was actually rented?

“I really didn’t expect food in the capital to be so expensive. These past two years, brother hasn’t been eating much, only occasionally spending a little money to play at Golden Water River—”

“Golden Water River?” The bearded man’s attention was immediately drawn.

The burly man shook his head: “That place is a money pit. When we go there, we can only find entertainment on ordinary flower boats. Originally this level of spending was still sustainable, but who could have expected that just three days ago, out of curiosity, I walked into a wine establishment…”

After hearing the burly man’s story, the bearded man was completely dumbfounded, saying in a trembling voice: “So brother ate there for three days straight and can no longer pay the rent?”

The dark-faced youth silently drank water.

One in a hundred, a dragon and phoenix among men?