It was supposed to hurt, yet Hua Qing felt a wind billow all around him, unbalancing the constables around until they staggered back. He sat, bewildered as to why the constables looked as though they were face to face with a titan. Upon catching on, he covered an eye with one hand whilst tugging up the opposite corner of his lips. “Ah, I wasn’t planning to show my true power. You’ve forced me to use 10% of my full power.”
While the constables scuttled back, Long Zaitian remained staunch. “If you’re going to call for help, admit it. The hell are you acting tough for? Oi, kid, who are you?”
“You don’t need to worry about this insignificant character.” Arms crossed, Ming Feizhen said to Hua Qing, “He’ll know what to do when he receives word from his superior.”
Long Zaitian squinted. Although there was no question that Ming Feizhen was an ally of Hua Qing, Ming Feizhen seemed to be acquainted with his superior. Accordingly, Long Zaitian couldn’t determine what the best course of action was. Even though his superior was always smiling affably, his superior had a thing for bending rules or exploiting them, therefore making it hard to predict what he’d do. Most importantly, his superior was His Majesty’s sworn brother. Everyone knew the second Emperor of the dynasty carried the Shen surname. As someone who entered employment via a back door, he knew better than anyone not to test his superior.
As expected, a messenger came running in to whisper in Long Zaitian’s ears. Thus, Hua Qing hurried to his feet and dusted himself off to smugly yell, “Who said he hit me?! Huh?! Who?! Step out!”
“I did!” Long Zaitian backhanded Hua Qing, spinning the latter nine hundred degrees. “I thought you were some hot shot, but Cap’n Xin’s messenger just told me to lock you three up.”
From the ground, Hua Qing looked up at Ming Feizhen. “… You lied to me.”
“Well… I didn’t expect a different messenger.”
“You three can chat all you want in prison.”
“Wait!” Hua Qing cried. “We helped you apprehend a group of criminals last night, yet this is how you treat us.”
Long Zaitian showed his two rows of white pearls. “You think I’m avenging Cap’n Xin? Nah, I’d still arrest you even if you didn’t assault him.”
“Why?”
“Why? Hua Feihua, you know you have the biggest bounty on your head at Three Gorges Dam? In fact, even in your line of work, you fetch a higher price than the sicko, Zhong Ning, who stole Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary’s lady’s underwear. I never expected someone who looks as presentable as you to swing both ways, even disregard quality of appearances. Imagine being so desperate you’d even bang Cap’n Xin.”
“You really want to get starched, don’t you?!”
“You make it sound like that’s even within your capabilities.”
“Wait right there!” Hua Qing took a step back, then whispered, “Brother Feizhen.”
“Present.”
“Get him.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
“Give him hell.”
“I’ll break a leg.”
Hua Qing smirked at Long Zaitian. “One on one, bring it…”
Long Zaitian lunged forward, then drove his fist straight into Hua Qing’s chest.
Once Hua Qing decelerated on the ground, still on his back, he looked up at Ming Feizhen. “… Brother,” Hua Qing uttered, accompanying it with blood.
Ming Feizhen responded, “You guys started too quick. I haven’t even finished my preparations.”
Long Zaitian pontificated, “You two can save your breath. We have you in a triple-layer encirclement. You know, prison life isn’t that bad… besides the louses, rodents and lack of baths. Don’t worry too much about infections.”
Ming Feizhen folded his arms, gaze on Long Zaitian.
Su Li helped Hua Qing up. “What’s the plan? Sounds like prison is our only option.”
“Where did it go wrong?” Ming Feizhen titled his head.
“Who cares? Men, arrest them! Make sure to put in all the stops when it comes to Hua Feihua for Cap’n Xin. Bring me a spiked mace. I’m going to cure his constipation permanently.”
Su Li and Hua Qing looked to each other for help. Meanwhile, Ming Feizhen still looked puzzle over something.
“Everyone get them on my count to three. One, two and th-”
“Stop!”
The sonorous belt winded Long Zaitian. “… Who the hell was that?!”
“Me.” Zhuo Fengru, in his ordinary grey robe, front tucked into the room, landing between Hua Qing’s group and Liu Shan Men’s.
“Hero Zhuo!” effused Hua Qing.
Long Zaitian narrowed his eyes and, in a low voice, uttered, “… Zhuo Fengru, huh?”
Zhuo Fegru conveyed, “It is a pleasure to meet you all. These three are this one’s guests. Please let them go on account of this one. Please do not make things hard for them.”
“Now that’s funny. You’re one to talk about acting on account of someone else. Last year, when Qilin Guards sent you an invitation to the banquet, you responded with just two words in your response letter: not going.”
The constable next to Long Zaitian softly reminded, “Cap, we’re Liu Shan Men.”
“I know! I was just listing one example! You must be going senile. This fellow is the notorious rapist. I hate two types of people most: the first type is scumbags who play women. The other is good-looking men. He’s guilty of both. I’m going to finish him. Besides, what’s the law to you? You the lawmaker?”
“I take you do not intend to respect this one?”
Long Zaitian gripped his broadsword hilt by his belt. “… What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.” A smile came to Zhuo Fengru’s lips. “When this old one was younger, he was rather morose, resulting in him offending would-be friends at every turn, including the three law enforcement offices. Thankfully, they were kind enough to not cripple this old man. Out of gratitude, this old one would not dare to give you trouble in case you capture him, as well. That would only make both of us look bad. In saying that, if that leads to people thinking that this old one is a coward, would that not be coming home shorn when going for wool?”
“In other words, you insist on sheltering these three?”
Zhuo Fengru turned to Ming Feizhen. “May this one ask, how many of them would you be able to immobilise at 50% of your full power?”
Mijng Feizhen glanced up at Zhuo Fengru. “Indoors, fifty people.”
“That’s impressive. This old one has had a longer time to train than you, so he can knock out seventy people at once.”
“Oh.” Ming Feizhen murmured, “If you count the people I kill in the process, I’d drop a hundred,” refusing to resign himself to defeat.
Zhuo Fengru and Ming Feizhen could see their blatant dislike for each other in the other’s eyes. Those watching and listening were already shuffling their toes in their shoes, ready to zip through the door.
Zhuo Fengru cancelled the confrontational staredown with a smile. “In that case, this one would like to learn from you.”
“Stop!” Long Zaitian raised his hand. “You can’t use us as training dummies. What do you think we are? We’re just lowly civil servants well-versed in the eighteen arms. Fighting you two would be pushing it. Just you wait. I’ll ask for reinforcements.”
Another messenger arrived on the scene during the back and forth.
“What? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Upon hearing what the messenger said, Long Zaitian flapped his eyelids in disbelief. “…Higher ups said to let you go,” he notified, eyeing Zhuo Fengru and Ming Feizhen. “You can go.”
***
Ming Feizhen kept fiddling with his chin on the way out of the government office, mumbling, “Who was that mister? His timing is impeccable.”
“Young Hero Ming, what were you saying?” Zhuo Fengru amiably questioned.
“Nothing. By the way, Hero Zhuo, you sure keep your ears to the ground, huh? You sure found us quick.”
“You are mistaken, Young Hero. This old one is highly influential in this region. If he did not catch wind of you three assisting Liu Shan Men’s operation, this old one would be deaf, no?”
“I see.”
“Is something the matter?”
“Nothing. I’m just impressed with you. We’ve only met you once. You are said to hate being at government offices, yet you personally rushed to our aid and almost got into a scuffle with Liu Shan Men for our sake. I feel bad about dragging you into this mess. The ignorant might’ve thought we ran off with your title deed.”
“You speak in jest. Although we have only just got to known each other, it feels as if we have been friends for a lifetime. Young Master Hua escorted this old one’s niece all the way here; if anyone owes anyone, it would be this old one who owes you. As such, this old one cannot let you suffer.”
“By the sounds of it, you really do dislike being at government offices, then?”
“You speak in jest again.”
Ming Feizhen bobbed his head repeatedly.
“Is something the matter?”
“Not at all.” Ming Feizhen placed his hands behind his head, smiling. He strolled forward, ostensibly not concerned with giving his back to Zhuo Fengru. “I heard you are a man who will repay debts and take revenge wherever it is right to do so, a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve. You are rumoured to be a man who does not bend to anyone’s will, which is the quality most people admire you for. Howbeit, it seems that you are very friendly. You have never once made things hard for me. My shifu always says, a man who puts up with triggering things is either plotting something or has a corrupt mind. Which one would you happen to be?”
