When they finally approached that person, the two soldiers were just about to put their hands on him to drag him away. Unexpectedly, this person who appeared completely exhausted suddenly erupted again. A beast-like roar spilled from his throat, and the cleaver in his hand swept horizontally across, cutting out a spray of blood. Beneath his disheveled hair, a pair of blood-steeped wolf-like eyes were fiercely intimidating.

The two soldiers clutched at the gashes opened in their waists and abdomens, retreating in panic.

Seeing this, the Huo family’s personal guard outside the lane frowned and was about to draw his bow again when a minor soldier came forward and said, “My lord, the Fulin Chain has been brought!”

The minor officer beside him turned to look at the chains carried over by two soldiers and spat, “This little ruffian really gets face. Before you came, old brother, in order to catch him alive to bring to the General, I had people bring over these Fulin Chains that are used on the battlefield to bind great generals.”

The so-called Fulin Chain was originally called the Dragon-Binding Chain. It was a set of chains used on battlefields in earlier years to capture fierce generals. It would be thrown through the air to entangle hands and feet, then pulled tight by soldiers on four sides. Even if you were the Conqueror King reborn, you would still be lifted into the air.

Later, because the character for dragon violated the Imperial family’s taboo, it was renamed the Fulin Chain.

He glanced into the lane, saying with considerable interest, “This little ruffian’s skills seem pretty good. If he joined the army under the General’s command, he might accomplish something. What a pity.”

He instructed those around him, “Since they’ve already brought it, put it on him.”

Upon hearing this, the Huo family’s personal guard also seemed to feel that using the Fulin Chain to capture him was more reliable, and put away his bow and arrows.

Xiao Li supported himself with his blade against the ground. In his ears was the sound of his own heartbeat, each beat louder than the last. He actually could no longer clearly hear the voices speaking outside the lane. Large patches of flying snow fell into the lane, melting into the blood-stained mud.

He moved his eyelids, looking through the disheveled hair that had been stuck into strands by blood and sweat, barely managing to look toward the grayish sky.

Was it the third quarter of the Si hour yet?

Black crows on withered branches took wing and flew. Chains forged from refined iron coiled around his legs like living things, then he was forcefully dragged toward the lane entrance.

Xiao Li only felt his body suddenly lose its center of gravity. The ash-white vault of sky and the withered trees that seemed to support half the vault also swept backward in an instant.

Almost at the moment of falling backward, he threw the cleaver by instinct in the direction the chains were dragging, and when falling to the ground, he exerted all his strength to turn sideways so his right shoulder blade hit the ground, to prevent the arrow wound in his left shoulder from being pressed again.

But even so, he was still dragged nearly half a zhang. The hand that threw the blade was also entangled by the iron chains at the moment it extended.

Fortunately, the cleaver struck the soldier at the very front pulling the chains. The soldiers behind were startled and slightly loosened their force, allowing Xiao Li to find an opportunity. Using both feet to press against the brick wall of the narrow lane as a leverage point, he brought the iron chains wound around both arms together and struggled against the several soldiers outside pulling the chains.

The soldiers pulled with ferocious expressions, exerting almost the strength they had when nursing. Xiao Li’s teeth were steeped in blood, and surging murderous aura rolled in his crimson eyes. Like a fierce wolf, yet also like a malevolent ghost, he stubbornly prevented the soldiers from dragging him even a fraction of an inch.

The minor officer and Huo family’s personal guard outside the lane were greatly shocked, and in this instant actually felt several parts of fear.

Even when they had besieged and killed those fierce generals on battlefields, they had rarely had such difficulty.

For a moment, they all had only one thought in their minds: If this boy doesn’t die, he will surely become a great threat in the future!

The Huo family’s personal guard had already gripped his bow tightly again when he suddenly heard Xiao Li let out a ferocious howl. From his muscular arms, it seemed as if a thousand-pound force burst forth. He actually pulled the soldiers holding the chains forward in a flying lunge. The one at the very front, along with the chains, fell directly at Xiao Li’s feet. Xiao Li used the iron chains to strangle his throat, forcibly breaking his neck.

The soldiers were scared out of their wits by this scene and retreated backward almost rolling and crawling, shouting in terror, “He’s not human! He’s not human!”

Xiao Li released the chains in his hands, letting the soldier whose throat he had strangled fall into the blackened muddy water in the lane. His blood-fierce eyes stared straight at the Huo family’s personal guard and minor officer outside the lane.

Both of them felt their hearts grow timid from that gaze, feeling that even before Huo Kun, they had never felt such overwhelming murderous aura and killing intent.

In this moment of dead silence, the sound of horse hooves in the distance thundered like running thunder.

The voice of the soldier on horseback relaying orders was also particularly piercing to the ears, “The Yongzhou Prefecture Governor has sent garrison troops to surround the General’s residence! The General has ordered an immediate return to provide support—this person need no longer be kept alive!”

The minor officer and Huo family’s personal guard exchanged glances, both seeing shock in the other’s eyes.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li almost laughed while panting. He collapsed powerlessly against the stone wall, sliding down to sit, only saying, “It’s done.”

The minor officer cursed loudly, “Damn it! So it was a delaying tactic! Playing with this old man!”

He drew the saber at his waist and was about to enter the lane to kill Xiao Li to vent his hatred, but was stopped by the Huo residence’s personal guard, who stared at Xiao Li with particular wariness, saying, “You lead the troops back first. This person is mine.”

The minor officer also knew that rushing to aid the General’s residence was the most urgent matter at present. Quite unwillingly, he returned his blade to its sheath, mounted his horse, and shouted, “Follow me back to the General’s residence!”

All the soldiers followed him on horseback. The Huo residence’s personal guard nocked an arrow on the string and aimed at Xiao Li’s brow. Having witnessed his ferocity, an inexplicable sense of timidity lingered in his heart.

He said, “Boy, if this arrow of mine cannot kill you, then it’s Heaven that wants to keep you alive. Heaven’s will cannot be defied. After this arrow, whether you live or die, I will no longer interfere.”

Xiao Li’s soaked disheveled hair hung at the corner of his eye. In his pupils, where the murderous intent had not yet receded, the cold light on the arrow was reflected.

When the Huo residence’s personal guard released the string, his form suddenly trembled, and because of that shake, the arrow slightly deviated from its original direction.

At the instant he released the string, Xiao Li propped his palm and rolled to the side. Because the arrow had lost its force, it only shallowly stuck into where he had just been sitting.

Xiao Li looked up toward the outside while panting, and saw that the Huo family’s personal guard also had an arrow right through his own chest. As he knelt and fell, his eyes still stared rigidly in Xiao Li’s direction. Blood spilled from his mouth as he only uttered two words, “Heaven’s… will…”

Armored garrison troops surged forward from behind him, calling from afar, “Are you Xiao Li, Righteous Hero Xiao?”

That voice was so distant it was almost inaudible to Xiao Li. After the taut string relaxed, he only felt the world spinning, and his head was also swelling with unbearable pain from the smell of blood. He even felt somewhat nauseated in his heart.

The Yongzhou garrison troops entered the lane. Looking at the blood traces throughout the entire lane, they were also extremely shocked, unable to imagine what kind of fierce battle had been fought here.

Several garrison troops came forward to help him up. He said with difficulty, “Please send me to the West City old lanes.”

The garrison troops said, “My lord already ordered us to search the West City old lanes, but we did not find your family there.”

Xiao Li’s expression changed. He pushed away their support and stumbled rapidly outside on his own.

—

Prefecture Governor’s residence.

Wen Yu sat at the table with Madam Zhou waiting for news to return, but even after the tea had been rebrewed several times, still no victory report came.

She usually didn’t show her emotions on her face and her expression was relatively calm. Although Madam Zhou spoke consoling words, she frequently gazed toward the window outside, obviously already extremely anxious. She murmured, “Why hasn’t any word come back yet?”

Wen Yu sat by the window, supporting her elbow as her gaze quietly watched the sand clock on the table. When the flowing sand in that sand clock passed the fifth quarter of the Si hour, the stick for stirring incense ash in her hand snapped with a “crack,” and finally a few traces of restlessness floated up in her eyes.

At this moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Wen Yu and Madam Zhou almost simultaneously looked up toward the outside.

The garrison soldier quickly walked to the drooping flower gate, knelt on one knee with clasped fist and said, “Reporting to Madam—a great victory!”

Madam Zhou supported herself on the table to stand, weeping with extreme joy. Her suspended heart finally returned to its original place, but under these great emotional ups and downs, she actually felt somewhat dizzy. Fortunately, Wen Yu supported her in time so she didn’t fall to the ground.

Wen Yu said, “This is a joyous matter. Madam must not weep with joy again—it’s quite harmful to the body.”

Madam Zhou nodded tearfully as if having survived a calamity, then asked the garrison soldier who had come to deliver the news, “Where is my husband now?”

The garrison soldier respectfully answered, “Although Huo Kun has already been executed, his followers are fleeing in all directions. My lord is currently pursuing and capturing them.”

Only then did Madam Zhou completely set her mind at ease.

Wen Yu then asked, “That righteous person surnamed Xiao and his family—have they been found?”

The garrison soldier didn’t recognize her and only took her for a maid beside Madam Zhou, but still respectfully said, “That righteous person surnamed Xiao was found, but in the West City old lanes, we did not find his family.”

Wen Yu’s brows furrowed as she rapidly thought about who could have taken away Xiao Huiniang and the others.

She asked, “Among Huo Kun’s subordinates, did you find any women over thirty years old?”

The garrison soldier shook his head.

Wen Yu almost instantly locked onto the target. If it wasn’t Huo Kun, then the only one who would go to such great lengths to find Xiao Huiniang and the others could only be Xiao Li’s boss at the gambling den!

She turned to Madam Zhou and said, “Madam, I trouble you to allocate some more men to me to search through all the residences and buildings under the name of the Qiankun Gambling Den’s owner.”

The places where that man surnamed Han could hide people should only be those properties under his name.

—

Qiankun Gambling Den.

The gambling den had been smashed to pieces last night and hadn’t opened for business today.

The main door was half-closed, letting in only a bit of light, making the interior even more dim.

“Talk or not! Where did you hide those prostitute mothers of Xiao Li’s?” A big-headed, square-faced man viciously kicked the person on the ground again.

The youth was covered in blood, curling up in pain. His eyes were already unfocused. From his mouth soaked with fresh blood still spilled only those few words, “I don’t know…”

That man was provoked to anger. Having kicked and beaten until now, he had already worked up a sweat. He tugged at his collar to let out some heat, then crouched down and grabbed Hou Xiao’an’s hair, forcing him to raise his head. He grinned ferociously, “Don’t know? The entire gambling den and the homes of the gambling den brothers were all searched by soldiers last night. Zheng Hu and the others are still in prison now. You’re the only one who disappeared somewhere. You dare say you weren’t together with that Xiao fellow and them?”

Blood drops dripped from Hou Xiao’an’s chin onto the ground. His eyelids could barely open anymore, and he didn’t answer again.

That man was filled with vicious energy. He sneered coldly, “Playing dead, are you?”

He grabbed Hou Xiao’an’s head and viciously smashed it against the ground. After just a few smashes, blood gushed out again. Hou Xiao’an’s cries were as weak as a kitten’s mewling, as if he truly couldn’t go on anymore.

That man still unsatisfied threw him on the ground. His face full of muscles was twisted with vindictive pleasure, “You followed that bastard every day, not even knowing who his father was, acting all superior. These blows are what he gave me back when because I played a prostitute to death. You just take them for your good bastard second brother!”

As he spoke, he was about to lift his foot to kick again when a voice came from the dim light, “Enough.”

The man looked up toward Han Tangzong sitting with his back to them in a round-backed armchair. Only then did he hold back his foot, saying with a laugh, “Boss, this little bastard’s mouth is too tight. If we don’t go hard on him, he probably won’t confess!”

Han Tangzong didn’t respond. He stood up, looking with a gloomy expression at Hou Xiao’an curled up on the ground like a young puppy. He walked over, changed to an amiable expression, and half-crouched down, saying, “Little An, you’re also a child I watched grow up. When Xiao Li came to the gambling den, he was already fifteen at least. But you came when you were only ten. I watched you grow a bit taller each year until you’re this tall now.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand to gesture. In this instant, he truly seemed to become a benevolent elder. He said slowly, “I still remember when you first came to the gambling den—all skin and bones, not very talkative, following Xiao Li around like a tail all day. I know you remember the kindness of Xiao Li picking you up. In the entire gambling den, you’re the one with the closest relationship to him. But Little An, don’t forget—he was the one who picked you up, but in the end, it was I who kept you. Not only is Xiao Li your benefactor, I’m also your benefactor, aren’t I? I kindly gave you a bowl of rice to eat. You can’t repay kindness with enmity like this. Good child, as long as you tell me where Xiao Li’s mother is, I’ll immediately get you a physician and take you as my adopted son. From now on, I’ll also hand the gambling den over to you to manage. How about that?”

As if fearing he still had concerns, he added, “Don’t worry, I won’t make things difficult for a few women. I’m just going to use them to persuade Xiao Li to surrender himself. Afterward, I’ll even help Xiao Li take good care of them!”

Hou Xiao’an seemed to be moved by these words. His lips moved slightly.

Han Tangzong didn’t hear clearly and could only lean closer, asking, “What?”

Hou Xiao’an’s lips continued to move, his voice barely audible.

Han Tangzong had no choice but to put his ear close to his lips, trying to hear what he was saying.

Unexpectedly, Hou Xiao’an opened his mouth and bit down on his ear. Han Tangzong screamed in pain and struggled desperately to get up, but Hou Xiao’an stubbornly refused to let go.

The enforcer beside them saw this and quickly punched Hou Xiao’an in the abdomen. Hou Xiao’an convulsed in pain and lost his strength.

Han Tangzong fell sitting to one side. He touched his ear with his hand and touched a handful of blood—Hou Xiao’an had almost bitten off half his ear.

After being beaten, he spat fresh blood but still looked at Han Tangzong with broken, intermittent mocking laughter, “Don’t think I don’t know… my food and lodging at the gambling den these past years were all deducted from my second brother’s wages… spare me your fake righteousness…”

Han Tangzong’s old face, like pine bark, completely darkened. He used a cloth to cover his endlessly bleeding ear, was helped up by someone, and said venomously, “Ungrateful thing! Beat him to death for me!”

The several scum guarding by the door immediately surrounded him again, kicking randomly like kicking a dead object, one foot after another.

Hou Xiao’an struggled at first, but later he curled up and barely moved anymore.

At this moment, the half-closed main door of the gambling den was pushed open. Daylight poured down, shining on Hou Xiao’an’s blood-soaked clothing. The gambling den steward said with a panicked expression, “Boss! Huo Kun has been executed by Prefecture Governor Daren!”

Upon hearing this, Han Tangzong’s expression turned from anger to joy, exclaiming, “Heaven is not destroying me!”

However, the gambling den steward’s face showed no relief, but rather some panic as he said, “A large number of soldiers on the street are coming this way!”

Thinking of how his account book was still in Xiao Li’s hands, Han Tangzong’s expression also became flustered. He cursed chaotically and hurriedly fled with the group.

—

The snow was falling heavily. The cold wind had already blown Xiao Li’s sweat-soaked hair stiff.

His stiff, aching, and wound-covered hands pushed open the half-closed door of the gambling den. Seeing the person lying on the ground, he seemed to freeze, and the crimson in his eyes intensified in that moment.

The garrison soldiers who came with him saw the youth whose face had been beaten almost beyond recognition and were also shocked. Seeing that Xiao Li had gone over to check on the youth, they began searching everywhere in the gambling den for others.

Looking at Hou Xiao’an’s broken forehead and face full of blood traces, and those bizarrely twisted finger joints, Xiao Li only felt that all the cold air of heaven and earth seemed to be howling and scraping into his lungs in this moment, piercing him painfully like needles.

He almost didn’t dare touch Hou Xiao’an. When he touched his arm and found there was still a faint pulse beating, only then did he try to pick him up, saying, “Little An, Second Brother will take you to see a physician.”

As his body was moved, Hou Xiao’an’s blood-stained eyelids trembled and slowly opened a crack. Seeing who had come, he said weakly, “Second Brother…”

The garrison soldiers who had searched through the gambling den said at this moment, “We didn’t find anyone else in the gambling den!”

Upon hearing this, Hou Xiao’an said with difficulty, “Big Mother… Big Mother and the others were hidden by me in the mute uncle’s slop cart and transported to a safe place. You don’t… don’t worry…”

Xiao Li’s throat felt like it had been filled with a handful of sand, hoarse and rough, “Why didn’t you leave with them?”

Hou Xiao’an shook his head and said, “There was… there was no time. I… I had to draw them away. Otherwise… otherwise they couldn’t all leave…”

“Han… Han Tangzong, that old bastard… searched through the entire West City old lanes… couldn’t… couldn’t find anyone… Seeing him so frustrated and defeated, I felt so satisfied…”

Hou Xiao’an tried to show a proud expression like before, but on that face beaten full of fresh blood, it only displayed a kind of heart-wrenching absurdity.

“Don’t talk anymore. Second Brother will take you to see a physician. After seeing the physician, you’ll be fine. After your wounds heal, Second Brother will take you to Luodu to see the Cuijin Pavilion, to see the Hongyan Tower…”

Xiao Li wanted to pick him up, but as soon as he applied a little force, Hou Xiao’an sucked in his breath slightly and said, “Second Brother, it hurts…”

Only then did Xiao Li discover that several bones in his body were broken. He didn’t dare hold him anymore. The veins on his neck bulged one by one as he forcefully suppressed the choking in his throat, “You wait here for Second Brother. Second Brother will go get you a physician and will be back very soon.”

Hou Xiao’an gently grasped his sleeve to prevent him from leaving. He asked with a smile, “Second Brother… am I… am I like you?”

Xiao Li’s heart felt stifled and painful. Looking at that smile mottled with blood traces on his face, he gripped back that hand of Hou Xiao’an’s whose joints were already twisted bizarrely, saying hoarsely, “Yes.”

Hou Xiao’an’s tears then slid down in large drops from the corners of his eyes, but he still said with a smile, “Second Brother… in the next life… I want to be real… real brothers with you.”

Xiao Li said, “Even in this life, you’re my real brother.”

Hou Xiao’an’s smile became even more content. His eyes gradually lost focus as he said extremely faintly, “Big Brother, I protected our mothers… very well…”

That hand with twisted finger bones resting in Xiao Li’s palm finally lost its strength in that moment and slowly drooped down.

Outside the room, the sound of wind and snow intensified.

Xiao Li arranged Hou Xiao’an’s corpse properly. His hands hanging at his sides, clenched into fists and wrapped in undried blood, still showed the veins bulging as if about to burst.

His voice was extremely soft as he said, “Little An, Big Brother is going to avenge you.”