Hero Saves the Beauty

The next day, Hao Shuai woke up and went to Baozhilin for breakfast.

"Master, Senior Brother, good morning!" he said as he entered the dining hall. Wong Fei Hung and the others were already up and eating breakfast at the table. Hao Shuai served himself a bowl of thin congee and joined them.

"Master, we've found out that the Shahe Gang members are going to Datong Restaurant this morning to collect protection money," a militiaman said, striding in and cupping his fist in a salute to Wong Fei Hung.

Collecting protection money was slang for a gang extorting businesses.

"Mm, good. I'll head out shortly," Wong Fei Hung nodded, finishing his porridge in one gulp. He then walked back to his room to prepare.

Seeing Wong Fei Hung go, Hao Shuai continued eating his breakfast. Knowing how the story would unfold, he had no intention of going to get himself into trouble. He figured Wong Fei Hung needed a bigger shock to gradually change his mindset.

After finishing breakfast and preparing to practice martial arts, Hao Shuai saw Wong Fei Hung emerge from his room. He was dressed in a long gown, wearing a pair of brown sunglasses, a Western-style flat-topped hat, and holding an umbrella. He slowly walked into the front hall.

Looking at Wong Fei Hung's attire, Hao Shuai knew that he was slowly beginning to accept Western things.

Watching Wong Fei Hung excitedly leave, Hao Shuai knew he would return disappointed.

As expected, by evening, Wong Fei Hung returned to Baozhilin dejected.

Seeing him back, Thirteenth Aunt and Hao Shuai rushed over, concerned, and asked about his day.

"I caught the suspect, the leader of the Shahe Gang, at the restaurant. But no one in the restaurant or the neighborhood was willing to testify at the yamen. So I had to take him there myself. However, the yamen said I was also a suspect and had no right to be a witness. Instead, they let the Shahe Gang member surnamed He go," Wong Fei Hung said, sitting down dejectedly and taking a puff from his water pipe.

"And when will the militia be released?" Chiu Pork Wing asked.

"When someone testifies," Wong Fei Hung sighed.

"Master, why don't we ask Leung Kwan!" Chiu Pork Wing seemed to have a moment of brilliance.

"Leung Kwan? You know him? This must involve you. What are you hiding from me?" Wong Fei Hung immediately sensed something was amiss.

"I... I... Master, you don't believe me at all, so I..." Chiu Pork Wing stammered, terrified, kneeling on the ground.

While everyone at Baozhilin was discussing the militia's situation, eight or nine figures, dressed in black night-clothes and with black cloth covering their faces, stealthily appeared at the end of the alley outside Baozhilin. They carried bows with oil-soaked arrows and bundles of flammable firewood.

With such an appearance, there was no doubt they weren't there for any good deeds!

"Boss, boss!"

"What do we do next?"

"Baozhilin is right here. How do we proceed?"

Listening to his subordinates' hurried questions, Boss Hong waved his hand and said fiercely, "Everyone prepare, light it up!"

After dousing the main gate of Baozhilin with oil, Boss Hong threw a torch directly at it.

BOOM!

The flames roared to life with a "WHOOSH," quickly spreading to the entire gate of Baozhilin due to the oil.

"Prepare the arrows!"

Taking their bows from their backs, Boss Hong and the Shahe Gang members took their flaming arrows one by one. Their practiced movements suggested they had done this kind of arson many times before.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Countless flaming arrows and fire pots flew in from above the gate and the courtyard. The houses at this time were all made of wood, and Baozhilin was instantly engulfed in a sea of fire.

At this moment, the people inside Baozhilin also noticed the fire. "Master, you go catch the arsonists, we'll put out the fire," Hao Shuai said. Hearing this, Wong Fei Hung grabbed an umbrella and leaped onto the rooftop in a few strides, preparing to go out and pursue the culprits.

However, the Shahe Gang members spotted Wong Fei Hung on the roof and immediately began shooting flaming arrows at him, significantly hindering his progress.

"It's Wong Fei Hung!"

"Let's go!"

"Run!"

When Wong Fei Hung finally managed to get close, he was scared stiff. He immediately got on his horse and fled.

While Wong Fei Hung went to chase the arsonists, Hao Shuai organized Chiu Pork Wing and the others to fight the fire. However, as the flames grew larger, it was impossible for just Hao Shuai and a few others to extinguish them. They could only try to salvage some valuables.

Just as everyone was scrambling to move things, Thirteenth Aunt suddenly shouted, "My camera is still in the room!" Without waiting for Hao Shuai and the others to reply, she ran into the burning side room.

"I'm going in to find Thirteenth Aunt. You guys continue salvaging things," Hao Shuai said. After activating a layer of psychokinesis around himself, he followed her into the side room.

Upon entering the side room, Hao Shuai saw Thirteenth Aunt anxiously pacing, clutching her camera.

Hao Shuai went directly in front of Thirteenth Aunt. Just as he was about to envelop her with his psychokinesis, he thought about their stagnant relationship and a plan formed in his mind: he would stage a heroic rescue.

The classic "hero saves the damsel" trope was as cliché as throwing money at a problem, but even old tropes could be effective.

Moreover, younger girls were particularly susceptible to such scenarios. If the hero was also handsome, dashing, and incredibly wealthy, the success rate would practically be 100%.

Didn't novels and TV shows always feature the heroine saying, "I have no way to repay you, so I can only offer myself in marriage!" after the hero saved her?

Thus, with newfound determination, Hao Shuai shielded Thirteenth Aunt and rushed towards the exit. As they neared the doorway, he used his psychokinesis to pull a burning pillar from the roof down towards them.

"Shao Jun, be careful!" Hao Shuai grabbed Thirteenth Aunt, shielding her beneath him and positioning his own back towards the falling beam.

As the roof beam crashed down onto his back, Hao Shuai quickly circulated his Blood Essence, forcing himself to cough up a mouthful of blood. He sprayed it directly onto Thirteenth Aunt's face, thinking, Thirteenth Aunt, I've bled so much for you this time; I don't believe you won't be moved.

"A Shuai, are you alright?" Thirteenth Aunt asked, hugging Hao Shuai tearfully.

"I'm fine, let's get out of here quickly," Hao Shuai said, enduring the searing pain in his back as he shielded Thirteenth Aunt and ran outside.

"A Su, hurry over here! A Shuai is injured!" As soon as Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt got outside, she called for Chiu Pork Wing and the others.

Hearing Thirteenth Aunt's call, Chiu Pork Wing and the others immediately gathered around. Upon seeing Hao Shuai's blood-soaked back, they began to fuss over him with concern about his injuries.

While everyone was tending to Hao Shuai, Wong Fei Hung also returned. Unfortunately, because the arsonists had escaped on horseback, Wong Fei Hung was unable to catch them.

At this moment, Admiral Zheng also arrived at the scene.

Wong Fei Hung instructed Thirteenth Aunt and Ling Wan Kai to take Hao Shuai home to recover, while he stayed behind to deal with Admiral Zheng.

Just as Wong Fei Hung and Admiral Zheng were engaged in a verbal sparring match, a priest walked in. He was there to testify for Wong Fei Hung. With the priest's testimony, Admiral Zheng had no choice but to agree to apprehend the members of the Shahe Gang.

After Admiral Zheng left, since Baozhilin had been burned down and was uninhabitable, everyone had to move into Hao Shuai's neighboring house to settle in.

Inside Hao Shuai's room, he lay face down on the bed with his back exposed. Wong Fei Hung examined his pulse and then his back, saying, "Fortunately, the injury isn't severe. The wound on your back just needs some medicine applied, and you'll be fully healed after a few days of rest."

Hearing Wong Fei Hung's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Thirteenth Aunt stepped forward and said to Hao Shuai, "A Shuai, thank you for saving me. It's all my fault; if I hadn't rashly run back for my camera, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Shao Jun, you don't need to feel guilty. This injury of mine is nothing; it'll be better in a few days. Everyone has been busy all night; you should all go get some rest!" Hao Shuai said to everyone after comforting Thirteenth Aunt.

Wong Fei Hung and the others were also exhausted from their busy night. Seeing that Hao Shuai was fine, they each found a room to rest.

Meanwhile, Admiral Zheng had ordered the yamen runners to arrest the members of the Shahe Gang overnight. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the Shahe Gang fled with their members to seek refuge with an American merchant named Jackson. They offered to help Jackson smuggle women to the United States of America to work as prostitutes.

Days passed by. While Hao Shuai was recovering, he funded the renovation of Baozhilin. Wong Fei Hung initially refused, but was eventually persuaded. Thirteenth Aunt personally came every day to help Hao Shuai change his dressing. Their relationship quickly deepened, after all, it was a man and a woman alone in a room, and one was the other's savior.