Departure Again

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By the once-silent riverbank, two boys of thirteen or fourteen laughed heartily, feeling somewhat closer to each other. Then the boy looked up at the sky, stopped laughing, and said, "I only came out today to clear my mind. I never expected to meet you again, little brother. Not only did I get to witness a superior boxing style, I also had a hearty laugh. This trip was truly worthwhile."

"Unfortunately... I'm leaving the city today. Otherwise, I'd really hope to clasp arms and share some cheerful conversation with you."

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback. "You're leaving today?"

"I'll be gone in a moment."

The boy let out a sigh. At the willow-lined bank, the remarkably fine Green Dappled Horse swished its tail and walked out. No one knew how long it had been standing there. It rubbed its head against the boy's hand, then glanced at Wang Anfeng. Its eyes were like those of dragons from myth—dark golden vertical pupils. Just one look made cold sweat break out across Wang Anfeng's back.

"You beast, why are you so ill-tempered?"

The boy raised a hand and smacked the Green Dappled Horse on the head, laughing as he cursed it a couple of times. He then took a small box from a delicate bundle on the horse's back, turned, and handed it to Wang Anfeng with a smile. "We've only just met, and I'm already leaving. Take this as my apology."

Wang Anfeng did not put on airs. He directly accepted the box, which looked quite valuable, his expression open and composed. He only looked at the boy and said, "Last time, you said that if we met again, you would tell me your name."

The boy laughed, clasped his fists, and said, "My surname is Xue."

"As for my given name..."

The boy winked at Wang Anfeng and teased, "I said we'd meet again by chance, but I never said it would be this meeting, little brother. We'll see each other again in a few days."

As his laughter faded, the boy's figure rose into the air, displaying an exceptionally nimble and elegant movement technique. He landed on the horse's back. With a long neigh, the strange Green Dappled Horse set off and quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving Wang Anfeng behind after being toyed with, unable to find anything unreasonable to say. Speechless, he watched the boy leave, then casually opened the exquisite wooden box and was immediately taken aback.

The wooden box, only about the size of two palms, had been divided with great care. At the very center was a round space, while the surrounding area was divided into eight small compartments in the pattern of the Eight Trigrams. Each compartment held a few pastries. Though they were pastries, they were so exquisite they hardly looked like food. They came in all sorts of small, delicate shapes—round and plump, Buddha's-hand, bat-shaped, peach-shaped, pomegranate-shaped, and more. In the central compartment lay a note. Wang Anfeng picked it up and read softly:

"After passing through the capital, I found the food excessively oily and salty, with a great deal of northern boldness. Only these 'Eight Delicacies of the Capital' had delicate craftsmanship and a soft, melting texture. Truly first-rate... Delicious!"

Wang Anfeng could not help laughing. "So Brother Xue likes pastries as well as wine..."

"These are much better than wine!"

He placed the note back in the wooden box, casually picked up a pastry, and put it into his mouth. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "It really does melt in the mouth. Delicious!"

Since the boy surnamed Xue had already left, Wang Anfeng felt somewhat bored himself. Besides, the sky was gradually nearing noon. He carefully put away the wooden box, then performed the Shaolin Vigorous Step Technique toward the county town. In barely a moment, he had returned to the city. He made his way to the area beside the Li family pharmacy, but before he even reached it, he heard a rough voice bellowing:

"No! If you won't treat him, we'll smash up your shop! With all our friends and brothers, you won't be able to make a living in Wangxian County!"

Wang Anfeng's expression shifted slightly. Judging from the voice, they had not yet come to blows, so he did not rush in recklessly. Instead, he slipped into the crowd and stood to one side, observing the situation. A stretcher had been placed on the pharmacy floor. A tall, imposing man lay upon it, covered by a bloodstained cloth, his eyes tightly shut. Two young men stood beside the stretcher, their clothes spattered with blood and Killing Intent hidden between their brows. They did not look like good men. At the front stood a bearded man with a leopard's head and ringed eyes, holding a thick-backed iron saber. He shouted angrily:

"Li, are you going to save him or not?!"

Li Kangsheng pressed his lips together. "I can't save him."

Wang Anfeng, hidden within the crowd, was slightly stunned upon hearing this. Looking at Li Kangsheng's appearance and the Killing Intent of those burly men, he suddenly remembered how his uncle had nearly been killed in his youth after refusing to treat a bandit chieftain's wounds. Could it be that some nearby bandits slipped into the city and were discovered by Uncle? Or were members of a city gang injured in a brawl?

At that moment, the burly man was almost beyond furious. With a clack, the long saber in his hand came slanting down. Its edge grazed Li Kangsheng and sank more than halfway into the thick wooden cabinet. He snarled, "Li, are you looking to die? Everyone knows you specialize in relaxing sinews and opening blocked channels. Do you not understand who our big brother is? He's someone even the county magistrate has to respect. If you don't obey, watch yourself—I'll chop off your head and have your whole family thrown into prison!"

Li Kangsheng had already been disgusted by the man's single-minded, unreasonable harassment. Hearing this, his loathing deepened. His stubborn temper flared, and he did not bother explaining. He merely gave a cold laugh. "What an imposing display. No wonder you're Commander Zhao, who once punched an old man in the street. If you want to have us arrested, then go ahead!"

"I told you I can't treat him. Carry him away and find another physician. Be careful—if his internal injuries flare up later and he dies in my Hui Chuntang, it'll bring nothing but bad luck!"

"You're asking to die! I'll cut you down!"

The man was nearly driven into a frenzy by rage. With a roar, he suddenly raised his right arm, drew back the long saber, and viciously hacked it toward Li Kangsheng. The cold gleam surged, slicing through the air with a sharp, hair-raising whistle. The surrounding onlookers screamed in terror and retreated again and again.

Wang Anfeng's heart jolted. Before fear had even had time to rise, he lunged forward. His elbow tore through the air, and without holding back at all, he slammed it into the man's abdomen and ribs. It felt like striking iron, producing a thunderous bang. Caught completely off guard, the burly man staggered two steps to the side. The long saber, meanwhile, had lost its original course and dropped straight toward Wang Anfeng's head, its edge flashing coldly.

When the burly man saw that it was only a boy, his heart jolted. He roared, exerted all his strength, and forcibly twisted the saber's direction, smashing it into a nearby cabinet with another thunderous bang. A huge amount of blood immediately gushed from his palm.

Wang Anfeng's face was pale as he gulped in great breaths. Only then did he realize that the enraged burly man had used the saber's back for the strike just now. It also seemed that the blow had not truly been aimed at Li Kangsheng. The intimidation had outweighed the attack. Now, in order to change the saber's course, the man had smashed it into the thick wooden counter, causing the blade to sink several inches into his own hand. Wang Anfeng could not help looking slightly stunned.

The burly man let out a long breath, then pointed at Wang Anfeng's forehead and cursed loudly. "Where did this little brat come from? You want to die?! If you want to die, I'll swat you to death with one slash! Go play somewhere else!"

Wang Anfeng saw the man's fierce expression, as though he might devour someone alive, yet his actions just now had clearly been restrained and rational. He was not as rough and reckless as he appeared. Wang Anfeng had just been about to say something when Li Kangsheng's view was blocked. He assumed the burly man had drawn his saber and attacked viciously, while Wang Anfeng had risked himself to save him. Furious, he suddenly pulled out the stone pestle used for pounding medicine, raised it, and shielded Wang Anfeng behind him. Pointing at the burly man, he cursed, "You filthy bastard! If a single thing happens to my nephew, I'll beat you to death today! I won't treat a single person connected to you!"

"Fine, you quack!"

The burly man was likewise consumed by anger. His big brother had suffered severe injuries, he had repeatedly held back, and yet the only physician capable of saving his brother was treating him with such an attitude. His nature was coarse and forthright, and at that moment, suffocating rage nearly drove him mad.

The two men faced each other, the situation taut as a drawn bow. Just then, a weak cough suddenly came from behind them. The burly man's expression changed drastically. Every trace of anger vanished from his face. He let go of the long saber, turned, and rushed over, kneeling beside the man on the stretcher as he cried anxiously:

"Big brother!"

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