He didn’t know how long he had slept when he felt an itch in his nostrils. Qin Zhonghai roared: “Damn your grandmother! Who dares disturb your grandfather’s sleep!”

He suddenly opened his eyes, only to find the sunlight dazzling. He was actually lying on a riverbank, with several children beside him using feathers to tickle his nostrils for amusement. Seeing him wake up, the children clapped their hands and laughed: “The ghost is awake! The ghost is awake!”

Qin Zhonghai flew into a rage and roared: “Get lost!” The children were scared out of their wits and hurried to escape up the bank. One child was too young to run fast and tripped over stones, falling face-first and immediately began crying loudly.

Qin Zhonghai grunted, thinking: “These children have no loyalty, leaving a little ghost behind.” He struggled to get up and looked around, seeing cooking smoke in the distance. He figured there must be a town nearby. Qin Zhonghai sighed and thought: “Damn, Heaven showed mercy—that ice block actually drifted to shore.” He forced himself to gather his spirits and examine his surroundings, only to see that his upper body was bare, and apart from these pants, he had absolutely nothing else.

Qin Zhonghai gave a bitter laugh. Here he was in a foreign place, penniless and severely injured—he could truly be said to be in desperate straits. But he had long held the attitude of having a worthless life, living as long as he could, so he was too lazy to worry. Seeing that child still crying, he called out in a rough voice: “Little ghost! What the hell kind of place is this?” The child saw him looking and was so frightened his whole body shook, crying loudly: “Ghost uncle! Don’t eat me! Don’t harm me!”

Hearing the child call him a ghost, Qin Zhonghai looked down at his own appearance—it did bear some resemblance. He spat and laughed while cursing: “Damn you! I’m in such a miserable state and I’m not crying, yet you’re perfectly fine but crying for what? Stop it right now!”

The child cried even harder after his scolding. Qin Zhonghai frowned, wanting to take out some candy to comfort him, but with only a pair of pants on his body, how could he produce anything? He shook his head, too lazy to pay the child any more attention, picked up a broken dead branch from the shore to use as a walking stick, and half-dragging, half-crawling, headed toward town.

Entering the town, the streets were full of pedestrians and vendors—it seemed to be a bustling place. Qin Zhonghai didn’t know where he was and only wanted to find someone to ask, but though there were many passersby, none dared to acknowledge him. Everyone saw his severed leg, bare body, and the fierce, hideous tattoo on his back, taking him for some evil spirit. When he approached them inquisitively, they naturally avoided him from afar, no one daring to look even half a glance.

Qin Zhonghai was at his wit’s end and could only squat in a corner, pondering: “This is terrible—I have no money and my leg is broken. How can I make this journey to Lanzhou? Do I really have to crawl all the way?”

Gusts of cold wind blew, freezing him until he shivered. Having just recovered from serious illness, how could he endure such wind? He immediately began coughing loudly.

Qin Zhonghai wore a bitter expression, thinking of his master’s elusive whereabouts. Even if he could struggle to Lanzhou, he might still not see him, and by then he probably wouldn’t even have the courage to live.

He frowned tightly, feeling melancholy in his heart, when suddenly he heard a sigh from the roadside, seemingly from a woman. Qin Zhonghai looked up and saw a young woman looking at him, holding a little girl’s hand and saying: “This person is so pitiful. Child, give him these copper coins!” The little girl had rosy cheeks and looked quite lovely. She held several coins in her small hands, walked to Qin Zhonghai, pouted and said: “My mother says you’re very pitiful and wants to give you some copper coins to buy food.”

Qin Zhonghai saw the little girl was adorable and originally wanted to pat her little head, but hearing her treat him as a beggar, he couldn’t help but fly into a rage, roaring: “Pity your mother’s ghost head! I’m a seven-foot tall man, not a beggar! Get away from me!” The little girl was startled, the copper coins in her hand clattered to the ground, and in her panic she hurried to her mother. The young woman comforted the child for a while, then they quickly left.

After the mother and daughter left, several copper coins still remained on the ground. Qin Zhonghai looked at the coins on the ground, feeling countless emotions: “What the hell—I used to be a fourth-rank blade-bearer who made countless contributions on the frontier, yet today people take me for a beggar. There’s really no justice in this world.”

Qin Zhonghai sighed and lamented, complaining about heaven and others, when suddenly a fragrant aroma drifted from afar. The smell was sweet, spicy, and rich—it was delicious, appetizing mutton soup. Qin Zhonghai looked sideways and saw someone had set up a stall by the street with about ten customers gathered around, everyone slurping as they sat in a circle eating.

In this boundless sea of suffering, there was actually such a fragrance? Qin Zhonghai squinted and took several deep breaths—sweet, spicy, the fresh taste of mutton—all were in this aroma. As he squinted and inhaled, his mouth was already watering.

Qin Zhonghai’s appetite was greatly stimulated. He secretly looked at the few coins on the ground and thought: “Qin Zhonghai, what’s more important—your belly or your dignity?” He looked around stealthily, and seeing no one nearby, he grinned and crawled over to secretly collect the copper coins. Thinking of having meat soup to eat, who cared about life or death? If there’s wine today, drink today—even if he died, he’d be a well-fed ghost. That was the happy life.

Qin Zhonghai was full of joy, humming a little tune, used his stick to support himself as he got up, and limped away.

As he was walking, he suddenly heard a rough voice behind him shout: “You there! Who are you? Where did you come from?”

Qin Zhonghai turned around and saw a wretched-looking man staring at him intently. The man’s clothes were ragged—he seemed to be a beggar too. Qin Zhonghai ignored him and continued on his way. The beggar rushed up and said viciously: “Bold boy! Who gave you permission to beg here?” Qin Zhonghai spat on the ground and shouted: “The Jade Emperor.”

The beggar opened his mouth in confusion and asked: “Who?”

Qin Zhonghai roared: “The Jade Emperor!” He was too lazy to deal with this person and wanted to go buy meat soup to eat.

The beggar chased after him and shouted: “You stop right there! Do you know this is Jiang Menshen’s territory? Without his old man’s permission, no one is allowed to beg here!” Qin Zhonghai sneered: “Get lost with your door gods and kitchen gods—your grandfather is the King of Hell himself.” The beggar heard his arrogant tone and saw the fierce tiger tattooed on his back, not daring to be negligent, loudly asking: “Which gang are you from?”

Qin Zhonghai was stumped by this question. His eyes rolled and he smiled: “Your grandfather comes from West Corner Archway—let’s say from the Tiger Forest Path.” The beggar said in confusion: “West Corner Archway? Tiger Forest Path? Is there a Tiger Forest Gang in the martial world?”

Qin Zhonghai treated the man as a madman, paid him no attention, and went straight to the stall, saying to the vendor: “How much for this meat soup?” The vendor said: “Five coins a bowl.” Qin Zhonghai counted the copper coins in his hand—there were only three. He frowned: “Can I just buy half a bowl?” The vendor saw his severed leg and felt some pity, smiling: “Three coins will do.” He served him a bowl of mutton soup.

Qin Zhonghai smelled the soup’s fragrance and was overjoyed: “Thank you!” He opened his mouth wide and slurped the hot soup. Squinting his eyes, he chewed a few pieces of mutton, feeling the spicy sensation in his mouth and warmth spreading through his body. Hot sweat emerged, and his ears and nose no longer ached. For a moment he felt life was wonderful—even if his body was disabled, as long as he could have these few mouthfuls of hot soup, why would he need to die?

The vendor saw him eating happily and smiled: “Customer seems quite hungry—how about another bowl?” Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily: “That won’t do—I’m out of money.” The vendor was kindhearted and shook his head: “Don’t be polite, customer—this bowl is my treat.” He took Qin Zhonghai’s soup bowl and ladled him another big scoop.

Rarely encountering such a good person, Qin Zhonghai was very pleased and was about to reach out to receive it when suddenly he felt a pain in his waist—someone had kicked him hard. Qin Zhonghai was standing on only one leg—how could he withstand it? He immediately tumbled out and fell to the ground. Looking up, he saw a fat, sturdy man glaring at him viciously, accompanied by more than ten lackeys. Among them, a wretched-looking man was pointing and gesturing—it was the beggar who had argued with him earlier.

Seeing a large group of thugs arrive, how could the vendor dare to interfere? In his alarm, he quickly packed up his stall and fled. The customers eating and drinking on both sides also stepped aside, afraid of provoking the hooligans.

Qin Zhonghai struggled to his feet and gasped: “We have no grievances or enmity—why did you hit me?” The fat man said in a deep voice: “Without my, Jiang Menshen’s orders, who dares to beg here?” Qin Zhonghai said “Oh,” finally knowing this man was the so-called Jiang Menshen. He gave a dry laugh: “So this is brother’s territory. My apologies, my apologies.”

Jiang Menshen sneered: “It’s not too late to know now. You obediently kowtow three times and call me ‘dear grandfather’ a few times, then I’ll let you go on your way. Otherwise… hehe…” He raised his fist and waved it toward the sky, looking quite vicious.

Qin Zhonghai squinted, thinking: “Good, you little thief, you want to be tough with me.” He carefully observed Jiang Menshen’s palms and saw there was faintly some black energy in them. Qin Zhonghai was well-informed and knew this was the Black Wind Palm that circulated in Henan region. It seemed this Jiang Menshen had decent martial arts and was probably a local expert.

In the old days, if he used his “Fire Greedy Single Blade,” even ten door gods would be chopped into kitchen gods by him. But now with both shoulders disabled and his left leg severed, with only one leg to fight enemies, if he fought hard against such an expert, he would definitely be beaten to death by the Black Wind Palm. Qin Zhonghai frowned and pondered: “A wise man doesn’t suffer immediate losses. These people are all scoundrels—no need to fight desperately with them. Otherwise, throwing away my life in vain would be truly unwise.” This situation was different from encountering bandits on the river—then, if he didn’t risk his life, there would be no chance of survival. The current situation wasn’t difficult—as long as he could endure momentary humiliation, he could have broad skies ahead. There was really no need to fight desperately and recklessly.

With this thought, Qin Zhonghai immediately knelt on the ground, smiled flatteringly and bowed: “Grandfather above, this young one was blind and offended grandfather. I’m kowtowing to apologize to you.” Jiang Menshen laughed heartily and calmly accepted his kowtows, truly the picture of smugness. Little did he know that Qin Zhonghai kneeling on the ground was cursing his ancestors in every possible way, truly swearing in the most vulgar terms: “Damn your grandmother! You wretched bastard, receiving my kowtow means one person in your family dies, two kowtows and a pair dies, three kowtows and all die. When you go home later, your whole family will be in mourning!” Qin Zhonghai cursed incessantly in his heart but kept smiling as he continued kowtowing.

Seeing his obedience, Jiang Menshen immediately laughed loudly: “You bastard dog, now you know how powerful I am!” He extended his foot and stepped on Qin Zhonghai’s back, truly arrogant beyond measure, while the lackeys on both sides snickered.

Though Qin Zhonghai smiled obsequiously on the surface, he couldn’t completely hide his wolf-like nature. When Jiang Menshen stepped on him, the veins on his forehead immediately bulged and fierce light flashed in his eyes. But at this moment, with enemies outnumbering him and not yet at a life-or-death juncture, why risk his life in desperate combat? He remained silent, lowering his head to endure, only seeking to escape with his whole body.

Seeing he had tormented him enough, Jiang Menshen said: “Alright! From now on, that corner of the street is where you can beg! Remember to come kowtow and pay respects to grandfather morning and evening.” Qin Zhonghai’s face was full of weariness, he looked up and gave a dry laugh, thinking: “I’ll go pay respects on your wife’s bed sooner or later, giving you a cheap son surnamed Jiang.” But he said: “Thank you, sir.”

The lackeys on both sides saw he had no backbone and all laughed: “This cripple is so obedient, truly well-behaved!”

Qin Zhonghai crawled past them and shrank to the street corner before slowly getting up. He picked his nose, and though he tried hard to restrain himself, he still couldn’t help feeling irritated: “Damn it, with my ghostly appearance, how can I get to Lanzhou? Do I really have to beg my way there?”

Thinking of this journey to seek his master, not knowing how much idle anger he’d have to suffer, for a moment his heart felt somewhat discouraged. He shook his head and spat several times, considering it removing some bad luck.

Just as he felt lonely, he suddenly heard a sharp scream from across the street, seemingly from a woman, followed by continuous sounds of scolding and beating. Qin Zhonghai looked sideways and saw a beautiful woman being dragged by Jiang Menshen, with an old man behind them crying and clinging to Jiang Menshen’s legs. Qin Zhonghai was familiar with worldly affairs—needless to say, it was Jiang Menshen again bullying and oppressing good people.

He heard the old man crying incessantly, weeping: “Jiang Menshen! Please don’t do this—I’ll pay you back in a couple of days. Please spare my daughter!” From a distance came a lackey’s voice shouting: “Get lost! You old man keep defaulting on money—if you don’t use your daughter as collateral, do you want to pay with your life?”

It was broad daylight and this was a busy street, yet doors were tightly shut with no one daring to look, and not half a person dared to interfere. Qin Zhonghai shook his head and thought: “Looking at these thieves’ lawless behavior, they probably have connections with the authorities—otherwise how would they dare be so shameless in broad daylight?” He saw the woman looking pitiful and the old man crying miserably. For a moment he wanted to intervene, but then he thought of his own situation—like a clay Buddha crossing a river, if he hadn’t kowtowed and begged for mercy earlier, how could his life still be preserved? He sighed in his heart and turned his back, pretending not to see.

Qin Zhonghai closed his eyes, unwilling to look, but the father and daughter’s cries to heaven still rang continuously in his ears. He heard Jiang Menshen shout: “Get lost! You old bastard, stop clinging and not letting go, or I’ll beat you to death!” The old man wouldn’t comply and kept crying. Qin Zhonghai felt uncomfortable and covered his ears, hoping to muddle through.

Suddenly there was a sharp shout from afar, followed by someone rolling over and bumping into his back. Qin Zhonghai turned to look and saw the old man lying beside him—he had been kicked by Jiang Menshen and rolled over.

The old man lay beside Qin Zhonghai, his face covered in blood, still crying: “Master Jiang… please spare my daughter! I only owe you three taels in principal, yet you falsely claim I owe fifty taels of silver and insist I use my daughter to repay you—you can’t do this!”

Jiang Menshen ignored him and smiled at the girl: “Come! Your father is useless—let’s go to the bridal chamber!” The woman cried her heart out, screaming: “Father! Save me! Save me!” Not knowing where she found the strength, she rushed forward and threw herself at the old man’s feet, weeping piteously.

Jiang Menshen flew into a rage and shouted: “Drag her over!” Several lackeys shouted and rushed forward. The old man quickly grabbed his daughter’s hands and held her tightly in his arms. Several lackeys pulled with all their might but couldn’t separate them.

Jiang Menshen angrily said: “What’s this! Can’t even handle an old man!” He waved his palms and walked toward the old man.

Qin Zhonghai knew Jiang Menshen’s palm power was formidable—if one palm struck the old man, he would probably die on the spot. He didn’t want the old man to die this way, but his martial arts were completely lost. If he went forward to help, it would just be throwing away another life for nothing. He sighed softly and turned his head away, unwilling to see the father and daughter’s tragic fate.

Suddenly he heard a crack—the old man’s chest received a Black Wind Palm strike and his ribs immediately broke. The girl cried out loudly, screaming: “Father!” Qin Zhonghai looked sideways and saw the old man spitting fresh blood, his eyes rolling back, but his hands still tightly gripping his daughter.

Jiang Menshen shouted: “Will you let go or not!” The old man gritted his teeth: “Even if you beat me to death, I won’t let go… won’t let go…”

Jiang Menshen smiled wickedly: “Beat you to death, so what’s the big deal?” With a thunderous palm strike, he hit the old man’s abdomen squarely. How could the old man withstand such heavy palm power? His body flew out like a torn sack, hit the earthen wall, and was already breathing more out than in—clearly he wouldn’t survive.

Jiang Menshen ordered someone to drag over his daughter and smiled lecherously: “The more you make me exert effort, the more your daughter will suffer later.” He touched the girl’s face and smiled: “When we’re having fun, you’ll forget your own name!” The girl kept crying, calling for her father, but was forcibly dragged away.

Hearing Jiang Menshen’s shameless words, the old man’s heart bled. He screamed in despair, looked up at the sky and cried: “Heaven… Heaven… they say your divine power is boundless—where are your eyes? Why are we poor people’s lives so cheap, born to be slaves? Heaven above! We are also human beings!” He roared tragically, knelt on the ground, tears rolling down—clearly he was extremely grief-stricken and angry.

Qin Zhonghai’s whole body shook. Looking at the old man’s tragic state, his heart surged with furious waves, and in that instant he remembered his life’s aspirations.

A hero’s ambition! Nothing more than swift revenge and clear grudges!

Qin Zhonghai supported himself against the mud wall, suddenly stood up and roared: “You dog bastard! Stop right there!”

The lackeys were startled and turned around. Jiang Menshen was about to leave but hearing Qin Zhonghai’s roar, he couldn’t help but be stunned and immediately stopped.

Everyone saw Qin Zhonghai limping on one leg, looking at them with a face full of killing intent, not knowing what he intended. A lackey laughed: “What does this cripple want to do?”

Qin Zhonghai said coldly: “Let the girl go.” Everyone looked at each other in amazement. Seeing this cripple had just kowtowed and begged for mercy, appearing to have no backbone at all, who knew he would now play the hero—could it be he had taken a fancy to this beauty? Everyone couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Qin Zhonghai’s eyes flashed with fierce light and he said grimly: “I’ll ask you one more time—release her or not?” A lackey stepped forward and slapped Qin Zhonghai across the face, shouting: “You dog-like cripple, even a disabled person like you wants to play hero?” Blood flowed from the corner of Qin Zhonghai’s mouth, but he still said in a deep voice: “I’ll say it once more—let this woman go.” The lackey heard his arrogant words and couldn’t help but say with a grin: “I don’t want to let her go—what are you going to do about it?”

Qin Zhonghai said indifferently: “Then you can only die.”

The lackey laughed heartily and was about to slap him again when suddenly Qin Zhonghai pounced forward, already pressing down on the lackey. With a scream, that lackey’s face was actually bitten off a piece of flesh. The lackey was in agony and screamed: “Help! Come help me!”

This group of lackeys were just local hooligans—when had they ever seen such a heroic figure? At this moment, Qin Zhonghai’s mouth was full of blood, biting relentlessly like a ghost or monster. The lackeys were scared out of their wits and retreated.

Jiang Menshen shouted: “What are you all standing there for? Why don’t you quickly go save him?” The lackeys responded and hurriedly grabbed at Qin Zhonghai. Qin Zhonghai roared like a tiger, rolling wildly on the ground, truly biting anyone he encountered. For a moment, several lackeys were knocked down by him, having flesh bitten from their faces and buttocks—ten times more ferocious than a mad dog.

Jiang Menshen grew angrier as he watched, shouting loudly: “You little bastard! You dare bite my brothers!” He gave a wild shout and kicked toward Qin Zhonghai’s abdomen. Jiang Menshen possessed martial arts—how could ordinary people compare? Though Qin Zhonghai wanted to dodge, he was a step too late. The big foot kicked down and sent Qin Zhonghai flying high.

Qin Zhonghai spat fresh blood and fell to the ground. Jiang Menshen still felt unsatisfied and angrily said: “You little bastard are so bold—not only causing trouble on my territory but also biting and injuring my brothers. If I don’t skin you alive today, how can I vent the evil anger in my chest!” He raised his vinegar-bowl-sized fist and struck at Qin Zhonghai.

Seeing Jiang Menshen about to punch, Qin Zhonghai rolled on the ground and crashed into Jiang Menshen’s legs instead. This rolling body technique was taught by Fang Zijing—how could Jiang Menshen dodge it? In an instant he was knocked to the ground. Qin Zhonghai opened his bloody mouth and bit down hard on the leg bone. Jiang Menshen, being bitten wildly, immediately felt pain piercing his heart and lungs, screaming loudly and calling for his parents.

The hooligans on both sides saw Qin Zhonghai like a mad dog and were stunned with fear. Jiang Menshen cried and shouted: “Quickly pull him off! Quickly!” Several people hurriedly went to pull, using all their strength to separate the two, but with Qin Zhonghai desperately biting with all his might, who could pull him away? At this moment the street was in chaos, with Qin Zhonghai alone like a mad dog fighting dozens of people. With no one watching the girl, she immediately took the opportunity during the confusion to help up her father, and the father and daughter half-rolled, half-crawled away.

Jiang Menshen was in such pain that tears and snot flowed together, screaming: “Quick! Quick, kill him!” The hooligans took out wooden clubs and struck Qin Zhonghai’s back. Qin Zhonghai felt pain, but the hatred in his heart grew deeper. He treated Jiang Menshen as Jiang Chong, wishing he could bite him to death in one bite. Suddenly hearing a crack, Jiang Menshen’s leg bone was broken, and he immediately wailed: “Mother! Spare my life!”

The hooligans on both sides were both shocked and afraid, beating with their clubs even more fiercely. Qin Zhonghai’s body and face were hit everywhere, his forehead beaten until blood flowed freely, but he still considered himself already dead and held on tightly.

One person had a bright idea and raised his club to strike hard at Qin Zhonghai’s severed leg. That wound had only recently scabbed over and hadn’t healed. When struck by the club, the wound immediately split open. Qin Zhonghai screamed wildly at the sky in pain, and his mouth naturally loosened. Jiang Menshen quickly pulled his foot back, also in terrible pain with a pale face. He grabbed Qin Zhonghai, channeled his Black Wind Palm, and struck hard at his chest. With a crack, Qin Zhonghai’s chest ribs broke and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. His legs went soft and he knelt on the ground, unable to get up.

Jiang Menshen had just been calling for his parents and ancestors—extremely embarrassing. In his shame and anger, he cursed loudly: “You dog cripple! I’ll kill you!” He picked up a large stone from the roadside and threw it straight at Qin Zhonghai’s forehead.

Qin Zhonghai looked at the large stone coming toward him. At this moment his chest bones were broken and he had no strength to dodge. When the stone hit, his brains would surely be smashed and he would die. But strangely, facing death, he felt nothing in his heart, as if being able to fight and kill so freely made death satisfying. Qin Zhonghai simply looked up and laughed loudly, his appearance crazed and wild.

Just then, three men and one woman came walking down the street. Hearing Qin Zhonghai’s laughter, the four couldn’t help but stop to watch. A man pointed at Qin Zhonghai in surprise: “Big sister! Look at the tattoo on that cripple’s back!” This person looked like a rabbit with two protruding front teeth, quite a strange appearance.

After saying this, he kept pulling on a woman’s hand. The woman exclaimed “Ah!” and said: “If one day I achieve my soaring ambitions, I’ll dare laugh that Huang Chao was no true man”—that’s Dragon Head Big Brother’s tattoo!”

The rabbit-like man frowned: “How did this tattoo appear here?” How could the woman know? Seeing the cripple’s life hanging by a thread, she immediately leaped forward with a tap of her feet, blocking Jiang Menshen and shouting: “What are you doing! Bullying a disabled person like this?”

Jiang Menshen dominated the area—when had he ever feared anyone? Seeing this woman come over to interfere, he immediately cursed angrily: “Cheap whore, get away from me and stop meddling!” The woman sneered: “You look strong and healthy but only know how to bully disabled people—don’t you know shame?” Jiang Menshen shouted loudly: “Slut, go home and let men mount you—stop coming here to sell your body!” He then struck at her face. The woman heard his vile insults and flew into a rage, immediately giving a light shout. Everyone’s eyes blurred as flying daggers shot out swiftly. Jiang Menshen couldn’t dodge in time and screamed “Ah!” as his hand bled profusely—he had been hit by a steel dart.

The woman said coldly: “Seeing we have no grievances or enmity, this dart wasn’t poisoned. But if you dare to be foul-mouthed again, don’t blame me for being merciless!” Jiang Menshen cursed: “Lowly whore! Prostitute! Unwanted rotten…” The word “goods” hadn’t left his mouth when the woman spat and flicked her right hand—a flying dart shot straight at his mouth. Jiang Menshen had been hurt before and quickly turned his head to dodge, not knowing this dart was just a feint. The woman had another move—with a whistling sound, another dart came later but arrived first, flying straight at his lips. Jiang Menshen couldn’t dodge and was immediately hit in the lips. The flying dart’s force didn’t stop—it also knocked out a front tooth and shot straight into his mouth.

How could Jiang Menshen endure such a vicious dart? In an instant he screamed “Ah!” and rolled on the ground.

A lackey who knew about martial world affairs saw the hidden weapon technique was formidable and cried out in alarm: “That’s the Double Happiness Swallow—she’s the Pink Qilin Yan Er’niang!”

Hearing the four words “Pink Qilin,” everyone was immediately horrified, as if Yan Er’niang was a three-headed, six-armed monster. In the crowd’s cries of alarm, Jiang Menshen quickly fled. Yan Er’niang’s several junior brothers wouldn’t let them go, wielding clubs and chasing forward to beat them. For a while the street was filled with screams, and many lackeys had their heads broken and bloodied on the spot.

Yan Er’niang paid them no attention. She crouched down and looked closely at the tattoo on Qin Zhonghai’s back, murmuring: “This tattoo is exactly the same as Dragon Head Big Brother’s—who is this person?” She turned Qin Zhonghai’s body over and suddenly saw his high-nosed, broad-mouthed face. Yan Er’niang’s whole body shook and she said in a trembling voice: “It’s… it’s you…”

Qin Zhonghai’s eyes were tightly closed, his face covered in fresh blood, already unconscious—he couldn’t answer half a word.

This woman was indeed Yan Er’niang. After the destruction of Raging Azure Mountain, she had led her brothers in exile everywhere. A year ago, she had failed in her assassination attempt on Princess Yinchuan and fought a great battle with Qin Zhonghai, who was then ordered to escort and protect the princess. After their fierce combat, Yan Er’niang was soundly defeated. In her despair, she attempted suicide atop Raging Azure Mountain, but was rescued by her strong enemy Qin Zhonghai—thus the two had met once before. At that time, Little Rabbit Ha Bu’er, Iron Bull Ouyang Yong, Golden Turtle Tao Qing and others were captured by Qin Zhonghai but were then released by Princess Yinchuan. Now they had long returned to the Central Plains from Tianshan, never expecting to encounter Qin Zhonghai here.

Ha Bu’er and the others beat up the ruffians with great satisfaction. Seeing the hooligans flee far away, they each returned. Upon seeing Qin Zhonghai’s face, everyone was startled. Ha Bu’er said in confusion: “Isn’t this fellow a court lackey? With his high martial arts, how did he become like this?”

Yan Er’niang also didn’t know the inside story. Looking at Qin Zhonghai, she suddenly remembered their bone-setting encounter atop Raging Azure Mountain, and couldn’t help but blush, reaching out to cover her chest. Ha Bu’er saw her face turn red and asked in bewilderment: “What’s wrong, big sister? Were you hit by the Black Wind Palm?”

Yan Er’niang coughed delicately, her face becoming even redder. Tao Qing beside them had a delicate mind and, seeing big sister’s strange expression, guessed there must be something on her mind. He quickly smoothed things over: “Don’t talk about that. This person spared our lives back then—that counts as some kindness. Let’s take him back first!” Everyone agreed, and since “Iron Bull” Ouyang Yong was tall and large, he carried Qin Zhonghai back to the inn.

Qin Zhonghai’s body was already weak, and he had also been struck by Jiang Menshen’s Black Wind Palm. After returning to the inn, he remained unconscious. Yan Er’niang feared his injuries would worsen and found a doctor overnight to treat his wounds. The doctor saw Qin Zhonghai’s bare upper body with clear puncture wounds through both shoulders, and couldn’t help but be greatly shocked: “His shoulder blades have been pierced—who did this to him?”

Yan Er’niang hadn’t examined the injuries carefully. When she looked closely at Qin Zhonghai’s shoulders, she too was startled and said in a trembling voice: “They really were pierced… how… how did this happen?” The doctor was perceptive and, seeing she didn’t know the details, didn’t dare ask more. He simply set Qin Zhonghai’s broken ribs in place and secured them with wooden boards, not daring to say much more. Yan Er’niang watched from the side and asked quietly: “Are his injuries serious?”

The doctor sighed: “This person’s ribs are broken and his left leg was severed at the knee—these can heal in a few days. The troublesome part is the shoulder wounds. His shoulder blades were pierced, so he’ll never be able to exert strength again—I’m afraid he’ll become a cripple.” Yan Er’niang exclaimed: “A cripple? You… you mean…” The doctor looked pitying: “Forgive my limited knowledge—I’m powerless against such external injuries.”

Seeing Yan Er’niang’s mouth agape in confusion, the doctor didn’t dare say more. He saw Qin Zhonghai’s strange injuries and figured he was most likely a criminal wanted by the court. Fearing trouble, the doctor quickly wrote a few prescriptions and hurriedly left.

After the doctor left, Yan Er’niang sat alone by the bedside. Looking at Qin Zhonghai’s unconscious face, she thought: “This person used to work exclusively for the court, yet he has that tattoo on his back… how strange.” Remembering how she had hanged herself on Raging Azure Mountain that day, and how she would have died long ago if not for Qin Zhonghai’s rescue, here they were meeting again after more than a year, but in such circumstances. Yan Er’niang sighed softly and thought: “His martial arts were formidable and his heart was decent—who would have thought he’d end up like this… truly, worldly affairs are unpredictable.”

Now Qin Zhonghai lay unconscious, his body completely immobile, seemingly about to starve to death. But fortunately, good fortune fell from heaven—somehow soup flowed into his mouth by itself. However, Qin Zhonghai was ungrateful; even while unconscious, he remained extremely picky. When he tasted fresh meat soup, he would smack his lips and swallow a couple more mouthfuls, but when he encountered bitter medicine, he would spit it all out with a “ptui.” Even in his sleep, someone came to wipe his body, as if changing his dressings.

When delicate, soft hands touched him, Qin Zhonghai felt supremely comfortable, not only forgetting all his physical suffering but often breaking into inexplicable laughter.

This day the weather was bitterly cold, but the heated brick bed was warm. Qin Zhonghai was covered with a cotton quilt, sleeping soundly and comfortably. Just as he was sleeping most pleasantly, someone suddenly caressed his chest. After being touched for a while, Qin Zhonghai felt as if he were in fairyland. Suddenly he caught a faint, elegant fragrance floating to his nose. As the saying goes, “when warm and fed, one thinks of lust”—upon suddenly smelling this fragrance, lustful thoughts immediately arose in Qin Zhonghai’s heart. He opened his eyes and saw a rosy, powdered face examining his chest.

A beauty falling from heaven! Qin Zhonghai was naturally both surprised and delighted. He couldn’t figure out where he was, his mind only thinking wildly: “Wasn’t I being beaten by Jiang Menshen? How did a woman suddenly appear? Ah! I know—it must be that Jiang Menshen’s mother, knowing her son was unfilial, has come to apologize to me!”

Qin Zhonghai was overjoyed. Seeing the woman still caressing him continuously, he immediately pulled her toward his chest, laughing loudly: “Mother Jiang! Stop touching me! Let me serve you instead!” He then leaned forward with his big mouth to kiss the woman’s cheek.

Suddenly there was a sharp scream as the woman pushed Qin Zhonghai away hard, shouting: “Madman!” Qin Zhonghai was pushed against the wall, his broken chest bones shifted, causing terrible pain that made him groan.

The woman was furious and angry: “Shameless and frivolous! You deserve to hurt to death!” Qin Zhonghai held his chest and gasped, thinking: “What a fierce old mother—no wonder she gave birth to a scoundrel son like Jiang Menshen.” He cursed a few times and looked up at the woman, only to see the beauty before him was about thirty years old, with an appearance that was three parts fierce and seven parts beautiful—it was Yan Er’niang, who had fought a great battle with him years ago. Qin Zhonghai was greatly shocked, waving his hands repeatedly and saying in a trembling voice: “Aren’t you Yan Er’niang? When did you become Aunt Jiang?”

Hearing his complete nonsense, Yan Er’niang couldn’t help but fly into a rage, shouting: “Jiang your big ghost head! What nonsense are you spouting? If this heroine hadn’t intervened to save you, you would have been beaten to death long ago—would you still be here causing trouble? And my hands may be disabled, but my mouth isn’t—I can still curse people’s ancestors for eighteen generations without missing half a generation! This is called ‘body disabled but mouth not disabled’—understand?” As he spoke, he actually looked up and laughed loudly, appearing quite pleased with himself.

Qin Zhonghai exclaimed “Ah!” and said: “You saved me?” Yan Er’niang nodded: “One good turn deserves another—you saved my life back then, so I’m returning the favor once. From now on we’re even.” Hearing her mention the past, Qin Zhonghai couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. He looked at his severed leg and sighed: “Well said, truly one good turn deserves another… it’s just that it came a bit too quickly…”

Qin Zhonghai’s words were full of desolation and helplessness, carrying infinite sadness, but Yan Er’niang had a straightforward nature—how could she immediately understand the deeper meaning? She just grunted and said: “I remember your surname is Qin, and you’re called something… something Hai…”

Hearing her stumbling over his name, getting it all wrong, Qin Zhonghai couldn’t help but cough and supply: “Zhonghai.”

Yan Er’niang nodded: “Right, Qin Zhonghai—that seems to be the name.” As she spoke, her face suddenly reddened and she seemed somewhat bashful. Actually, she remembered Qin Zhonghai clearly—how could she forget his name? But as a woman, if she kept a man’s name firmly in her heart, it might invite ridicule, so she could only ask for his name to cover up.

Yan Er’niang lowered her head for a while, then asked again: “Weren’t you the princess’s bodyguard then? How did you fall to this state?” Qin Zhonghai smiled slightly and shook his head: “I wasn’t the princess’s bodyguard.” Qin Zhonghai’s last position was commander of the Tiger Forest Army, an official of the fourth rank with blade privileges—his rank was even higher than the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If he revealed his identity, it would certainly startle Yan Er’niang. But he had never liked to show off his status, and besides, now that he was exiled in the martial world, no matter how great his past origins, they were just a joke now. So he didn’t mention his past achievements.

Yan Er’niang nodded slightly, thinking: “He has the same surname as our Dragon Head Big Brother, and has that tattoo on his back—perhaps there’s some connection. Let me probe a bit.” After pondering for a while, she asked again: “Where did the tattoo on your back come from?”

Mentioning the tattoo on his back immediately stirred up Qin Zhonghai’s troubles. He thought of Liu Jing and also of the father he had never met, his heart turning sour, so he only smiled bitterly and didn’t answer.

Yan Er’niang saw his brow full of sorrow and immediately became attentive, saying softly: “I know someone who also has a tattoo on his back exactly the same as yours. General Qin, where exactly did your tattoo come from? Could you tell me?”

Qin Zhonghai had only met her by chance on the road. Though they weren’t complete strangers, they had no particular friendship—how could he tell the truth? His heart was troubled, but his face remained impassive. He put on a smile and randomly made up a story: “Sigh… I won’t hide it from you—this tattoo was done just a few months ago. It cost a full thirty thousand taels of silver—truly expensive…”

Yan Er’niang was half-believing, half-doubting: “Don’t try to fool me. Who did it for you? Take me to see them.”

Qin Zhonghai saw her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if she believed his nonsense, and guessed she was an honest person. He was naturally most mischievous, and thinking there was fun to be had, he pretended to be extremely troubled and sighed: “I can’t say—I promised them.” Yan Er’niang said petulantly: “It’s just a tattoo artist—what’s unspeakable about that? Would I kill him? Tell me quickly—who did this tattoo?”

Qin Zhonghai sighed: “Alright, since my life-saver is asking, I can’t refuse to tell. The place is called Yihua Courtyard, and it was done by a Miss Yan who’s a prostit… young lady. Sigh… I wonder if she still recognizes me…”

Yan Er’niang was stunned, thinking: “A Miss Yan who’s a prostitute? How is it that the tattoo artist is a woman and also surnamed Yan?” As she thought about it, she suddenly flew into a rage and struck Qin Zhonghai on the head, spitting and cursing: “Smooth talker! Still daring to tease me!”

Qin Zhonghai’s forehead was struck and he immediately begged for mercy pitifully. Yan Er’niang spat and cursed: “If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll throw you back onto the street—you deserve to starve to death!” Seeing that Yan Er’niang was honest and could be teased into confusion with just a few words, Qin Zhonghai found it quite amusing and casually teased: “If you’re willing to throw me out, go ahead!”

Hearing his completely frivolous words, Yan Er’niang couldn’t help but feel both embarrassed and angry. She was about to throw him out of the room when her eyes caught sight of Qin Zhonghai’s severed leg, suddenly remembering that this person was already a cripple. If he weren’t naturally extremely optimistic, how could he joke with her like this?

She looked at Qin Zhonghai with secret sympathy, but couldn’t show pity on her face lest he take advantage. She snorted delicately and said: “Never mind if you won’t say. But since you were a court official, who could have been so vicious as to harm you into… harm you so badly?”

Qin Zhonghai gave a dry laugh and shook his head: “Court affairs are just that same old routine. Once you’re brought down by someone, you become a homeless dog, a stray by the roadside—who can’t beat you? Hehe, such shameful matters aren’t worth mentioning.”

Yan Er’niang sighed: “Those court people are the most vicious. Back then you… even risked your life trying to persuade me to surrender. If I had really listened to you, I guarantee my fate would have been worse than yours—I’d have been a corpse in a mass grave long ago!” As she spoke, thinking of the court’s vicious treatment of her family, her heart grew increasingly angry, and she cursed continuously, clearly harboring extreme hatred for all the civil and military officials.

Qin Zhonghai knew that Yan Er’niang’s husband had disappeared and her brother had died in battle, all harmed by the authorities, so she inevitably hated and resented court people. But since things had come to this pass, even cursing until her mouth was dry would just be a waste of breath. Qin Zhonghai sighed softly, sat up straight, and looked around the room he was in. He saw several potted plants by the window, the room filled with flowing fragrance, and a glazed candlestick on the tea table, its firelight reflecting like a lantern.

Seeing the room decorated quite elegantly, Qin Zhonghai couldn’t help but be curious. He interrupted Yan Er’niang’s cursing and asked: “This place is quite pretty—is it your boudoir?”

Yan Er’niang revealed a slight smile: “This is a shop I opened. You’re staying in an upper-class room.” Qin Zhonghai’s mouth fell open in surprise: “A shop you opened? Did you find a husband?”

Hearing this, Yan Er’niang sighed quietly: “For two years I’ve traveled all over the great rivers and southern regions, but still can’t find any trace of my husband… Sigh… After all these years, I’ve gradually come to understand. The brothers are getting older and older—we can’t keep wandering like this forever. I thought it over and decided to find a place to settle down, then lead them in some small business so they can marry, have children, and establish themselves.”

Qin Zhonghai looked around the guest room and laughed: “Looking at how clean and elegant your room is decorated, you’re sure to have great success and prosperous business in the future. I see you, boss lady, are about to get rich!” Yan Er’niang’s face reddened, seeming somewhat shy as she said: “Don’t laugh at me. My only skills are killing and fighting—if I weren’t driven to desperation, how would I show my face in public doing this kind of business?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed: “What’s wrong with this business? You’re not stealing or robbing—how does that make you inferior? Look at those brothers of yours—some are bartenders, some are chefs, all capable people. Your arrangement has found them a good way out—they should all be grateful to have such a good big sister!” Yan Er’niang giggled: “Your mouth is really sweet, always making people happy.”

Hearing her praise, Qin Zhonghai immediately laughed heartily. Yan Er’niang saw his pair of bright, spirited eyes roaming all over her body, and remembering the bone-setting incident on the mountain that day, she felt greatly embarrassed and reached out to cover herself.

Qin Zhonghai saw that she was originally heroically spirited and forthright, yet suddenly showed a young woman’s shy demeanor—she must not only be naturally honest but also quite tender. Qin Zhonghai pondered slightly and thought: “This woman is cold on the outside but warm inside, actually quite gentle by nature. Looking at her character, she must rely on her martial arts to act tough—otherwise how could she be everyone’s big sister?” He immediately blurted out: “Er’niang, you’re the youngest daughter, aren’t you?” Yan Er’niang exclaimed “Ah!” and nodded: “How did you know? Did I tell you before?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily and randomly said: “No, I just happen to know fortune-telling. Looking at your eyebrows, I could tell you’re a youngest daughter.”

Yan Er’niang hadn’t been with him long and hadn’t yet seen Qin Zhonghai’s ability to talk nonsense. Hearing this, she was only half-believing. Actually, Qin Zhonghai didn’t understand fortune-telling at all—he just saw that Yan Er’niang’s manner and temperament were more delicate than ordinary women, so he guessed she was the youngest daughter, and indeed hit the mark. Qin Zhonghai smiled: “If you don’t believe me, give me your birth date and time later, and I’ll cast a divination for you. I guarantee you’ll avoid misfortune, attract good luck, and prosper financially—you won’t be able to thank me enough.”

Yan Er’niang made a face and teased: “Listen to you boast. If you’re so capable, how did you become a cripple?”

Qin Zhonghai had originally been joking with her, feeling quite happy, as if his body had become whole again and he had returned to being that carefree general. But suddenly hearing the word “cripple,” it was like a blow to the head, and his face immediately turned deathly pale, looking extremely frightening.

Yan Er’niang felt guilty, knowing she had unintentionally hurt him, and said apologetically: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. Please don’t be sad, okay?” Yan Er’niang was a straightforward person who didn’t realize that such direct comfort inevitably treated Qin Zhonghai as a pitiful person, making it more obvious rather than comforting him—instead making him feel even more helpless.

Indeed, hearing these words made Qin Zhonghai feel even more bitter, but being well-experienced, he didn’t easily show his true nature. Without changing expression, he forced a smile: “Who’s sad? Don’t make wild assumptions! Let me tell you straight—though my body is disabled, my heart isn’t! I’m still lively and thinking up bad schemes. If you underestimate me, watch out for getting tricked! And though my hands are disabled, my mouth isn’t—I can still curse people’s ancestors for eighteen generations without missing half a generation! This is called ‘body disabled but mouth not disabled’—understand?” As he spoke, he actually looked up and laughed loudly, appearing quite pleased with himself.

Yan Er’niang saw Qin Zhonghai’s face wearing a smile, but his eyes revealed a trace of bitterness. Seeing this, her heart felt even more unbearable. She knew her eloquence was poor and couldn’t think of any words of comfort, so she sighed: “Let’s not talk about this. I’ll go get some food.”

She then tucked in his quilt and turned to walk out of the room.

Qin Zhonghai watched her slender figure, and tears could no longer be held back—they fell pattering down. When he had met Yan Er’niang years ago, he was still a general with powerful martial arts, yet now he had become a disabled person lying on a sickbed. Not wanting to lose face in front of others, he wiped his tears on the cotton quilt. After wiping a few times, fearing he’d leave traces, he simply blew his nose on it too, to prevent people from discovering he had cried.

Not long after, Yan Er’niang brought in a bowl of rice porridge. Just as she was about to serve it, she suddenly exclaimed: “What are you doing? Why are you blowing your nose on the quilt?” Qin Zhonghai spat and said sheepishly: “What snot? I wet the bed too! Quickly bring the food—grandpa is hungry!” Yan Er’niang had originally felt great sympathy for him, but seeing his rogue-like behavior, she couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed. She shook her head and handed over the porridge, saying irritably: “Your body isn’t convenient—do you want me to help you?”

Qin Zhonghai reached out to take it, smiling: “What’s so difficult about eating some porridge?” He held the rice bowl, but his hands were truly powerless and kept trembling. The hot soup spilled from the bowl, splashing all over his hands.

Seeing himself so useless, Qin Zhonghai felt as if his heart were being cut by knives, but he forced a smile: “Damn! Why is this ghost porridge so scalding? Help me up—I’ll go eat at the table.” Yan Er’niang shook her head slightly, reached out to take the rice bowl, and said gently: “Lie down properly—I’ll feed you.”

Qin Zhonghai spat and said indignantly: “I’m a real tough man—why would I need you to feed me?” He insisted on getting up.

Yan Er’niang ignored him and ladled a spoonful of porridge from the bowl, bringing it to Qin Zhonghai’s mouth, saying sweetly: “Come on, open your mouth and eat.” Qin Zhonghai smiled awkwardly: “Stop fooling around—do you really think I’m a three-year-old baby?”

Yan Er’niang smiled and leaned close to Qin Zhonghai, only inches apart, saying gently: “Don’t be stubborn—obediently open your mouth. Hmm?”

Seeing her gentle demeanor, truly treating Qin Zhonghai as a child, he—a wild man who licked blood from knife edges—was being carefully tended by a woman for the first time in his life. For a moment he felt both angry and amused. Under her repeated urging, and not wanting to refuse her kindness, he could only obediently open his mouth. The porridge in his mouth was warm, but he couldn’t taste much flavor.

Yan Er’niang smiled: “Is it good?” Qin Zhonghai made a face, wanting to say a few jokes to tease her, but suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart—something odd that not only left him unable to say half a word but made even that mouthful of porridge difficult to swallow.

Yan Er’niang didn’t notice anything unusual. She ladled another spoonful, lowered her head and gently blew on the spoon a few times, saying softly: “Come, eat another mouthful.” She brought the spoon to Qin Zhonghai’s mouth, looking at him with complete tenderness. Qin Zhonghai stared blankly at Yan Er’niang, suddenly feeling bitterness in his heart, his eyes actually reddening. He quickly turned his head away and said nothing more.

Yan Er’niang found it strange: “Don’t be embarrassed—come eat!”

Qin Zhonghai turned his face toward the wall and said in a hoarse voice quietly: “Thank you, I’m already full. Please help me hire a carriage—I have some urgent business and need to leave soon.” Yan Er’niang was surprised: “You… your severe injuries haven’t healed, and it’s freezing cold outside—where do you want to go?”

Qin Zhonghai faced the wall and didn’t say a word.

Yan Er’niang shook her head, immediately put down the rice bowl, reached out and forcibly turned Qin Zhonghai’s face toward her, lowering her phoenix eyes to gaze at the stubborn man on the sickbed.

Qin Zhonghai avoided her gaze, his expression actually somewhat panicked.

Yan Er’niang’s expression was serious as she shook her head: “I saved your life, so you must obediently listen to me. I’m telling you to eat now, so eat quickly—you’re not allowed to go anywhere.” She wouldn’t let Qin Zhonghai argue, taking up the spoon and feeding him spoonful by spoonful. Whenever soup spilled, Yan Er’niang would take out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth.

Since beginning his career, when had he ever been so embarrassed? Qin Zhonghai was being fed mouthful by mouthful by Yan Er’niang. He wanted to turn his head to escape but couldn’t resist her tenderness. With porridge in his mouth, thinking of having to live like this in the future, his heart was overcome with sadness. All the pain since becoming disabled exploded—grief, helplessness, despair all crashed into his heart at once…

Qin Zhonghai closed his eyes tightly. He knew tears were about to fall. He used all his internal energy, fighting desperately to keep the tears from seeping out, but his internal energy was completely gone—how could his eyes still obey even half a command?

Finally his eyes reddened and tears rolled down his cheeks. The mighty tiger finally cried, actually shedding tiger tears in front of an outsider.

Earlier Qin Zhonghai had been talking and laughing, pretending to be fine, but now he finally shed tears. Yan Er’niang saw this and felt very sad too. Not knowing how to comfort him, she could only grasp Qin Zhonghai’s large hand and say quietly: “Don’t cry—just consider this place your own home and focus on recovering, okay?” She sighed for a long time, reached out to wipe away Qin Zhonghai’s tears, silently cleared away the bowl and spoon, and turned to leave.

Yan Er’niang went out, leaving only Qin Zhonghai alone in the room.

In this peaceful and tranquil aftermath, Qin Zhonghai opened his eyes wide and stared blankly out the window. He had no strength to move his body—all he could do was bite his own lips hard.

Ruined, crippled, unable to go anywhere. Damn, you can still bite, right?

Bite… bite until broken, bite until split, bite until fresh blood seeped out…

Blood mixed with tears slowly flowed into his mouth. Qin Zhonghai licked it and felt the taste was wonderfully sweet, even more mellow than wine…

“Haha! Haha!” He just laughed like this.