Aftermath

Luo Bin's shoulders were slightly hunched, the breeze filtering through his shirt as he stood tall in the middle of the street. His eyes fixed on Shao Yancheng, whose clothes were equally unstained, and he spoke with a faint smile:

"Esteemed Shao, you speak too gravely. Zhao Changhe's methods were brutal, treating the lives of common folk like weeds—this stems from his dark character and base morals. What does that have to do with you, Esteemed Shao...?

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So, if this man dies, he dies—no one will dwell on it... After all, he 'died as he deserved.'"

Shao Yancheng's expression was somewhat wooden, but inwardly he tensed, immediately raising his assessment of Luo Bin's danger level several notches.

With such rhetoric, Luo Bin had "extricated" Zhao Changhe—at least nominally—which could salvage some of the Jiang Family and Shuo Gang's reputation on Guanglin Street. Luo Bin's words...

Were undeniably polished.

He had no reason not to accept them.

"Brother Luo sees through everything with keen insight. I, Shao Yancheng, admire that. As for the scum within the Shuo Gang, I will strictly discipline them upon my return today. Such a tragedy will never happen again." Shao Yancheng mustered a hint of authority and spoke solemnly.

At the far end of Guanglin Street, several black cars slowly appeared. The Chen Family arrived belatedly; Chen Tianren had rushed over upon hearing the news but hadn't expected the conflict to already be over.

He looked at Luo Bin and Shao Yancheng in the street, at the cracked bluestone bricks beneath their feet, at their white shirts untouched by a speck of dust. A wave of realization washed over him, and he recalled Jiang Ling's evaluation... A phrase surfaced on his lips.

"Luo Bin's martial arts talent is astonishing..."

This murmur fell into the ears of Chen Mansheng, who was in the passenger seat of the car. She too was watching Luo Bin with concern, and hearing her father's quiet praise from behind, a smile tugged at her lips, impossible to suppress.

The evaluations of Luo Bin from those around her rang in Chen Mansheng's ears like the tolling of a great bell... She felt a shared pride.

After Luo Bin exchanged a few pleasantries with Shao Yancheng as a formality, the latter rode away on his horse, glancing at Chen Tianren's car as he passed before disappearing around the street corner...

The moment Shao Yancheng left, Guanglin Street, now somewhat congested with onlookers, erupted in continuous cheers.

"What's the name of this powerful young man?" someone among the street vendors asked, choking back tears and shouting hoarsely.

Sun Shuhua was the most smug at this moment, waving her arm and shouting toward the surging crowd:

"His name is Luo Bin, and he's also my lifesaver!!"

Countless vendors surged toward Luo Bin—women, children, men, even the elderly with cloudy eyes glistening with tears... The Great Xin Republic had a long heritage, thousands of years of written culture and rites, and heroes who stood up for the people were most revered.

They called out the name "Luo Bin" in voices as faint as the flutter of mosquito wings. As more and more people joined, the sound gathered like a beam of light, generating immense energy. For a moment, it seemed the entire Shunzhi District could faintly hear this unfamiliar name.

Wei Ang watched Luo Bin surrounded in the street, a complex shift in his gaze.

Luo Bin saw Chen Tianren and the others arriving by car from the street. After Luo Bin assured the Chen family of his safety, Hu Junzhi and a few other familiar experts came to his side and began dispersing the crowded masses.

"Don't drive them away. We're not the Shuo Gang, not Zhao Changhe..." Luo Bin said.

Hu Junzhi was momentarily at a loss, like a college student returning to his hometown for the New Year trying to find something to do—busy but not sure what he was busy with...

Under everyone's gaze, Luo Bin walked slowly toward the stalls of the victims. By a roasted sweet potato stand, a tender little boy was carrying a small sack of sweet potatoes still caked with damp soil, preparing to take them home.

The boy's eyes were blank, his back and neck seemingly stiff, as he walked in the direction opposite to where a man's corpse lay on the ground.

Luo Bin was about to ask something when he suddenly heard a woman's hoarse, piercing wail from beyond the crowd.

"Xiao Que'er, Xiao Que'er, I told you to bring your father some sweet potatoes—why have you been gone so long?! Where's your father?! Where is he!"

A woman squeezed out from the crowd, dressed in coarse cloth with several patches on her clothes. She looked about thirty, but her face was weathered. After pushing through the crowd, her eyes bloodshot, she sobbed in a strange, rhythmic "clucking" sound.

Then, with a "thud," she fell to her knees, staring at the corpse of a man lying face-down on the ground.

The little boy named Xiao Que'er stared blankly, turning to look at his mother. His lips trembled as he murmured, "Dad... it seems he doesn't want us anymore.

A few days ago, he kept saying he was tired of sweet potatoes. Could it be that he's run off to the sky to eat a big feast? Mom—don't you think so?"

The last "Mom" came out with a twisted tone, a tremor laced with grievance.

Among the onlookers, someone with a strong sense of empathy couldn't help but let out a quiet sob. That sob, like a fuse, instantly ignited Xiao Que'er's emotions.

"Mom—Dad doesn't want us anymore. He's gone to heaven to enjoy himself, hasn't he—?"

Luo Bin watched the scene before him, an inexplicable surge of irritation rising in his heart. He waved at Hu Junzhi, pulled a pack of cigarettes called "Baoye" from the latter's pocket, asked for a light, and took a deep drag.

Only then did his mind clear a little...

"Miss, I protected you this time. Can I ask for a reward?"

Chen Manqing lifted her gaze, looking at Luo Bin's face. Seeing that he had uncharacteristically dropped his usual trademark smile, she nodded seriously:

"What do you want? As long as I can do it..."

"Help settle these broken families. Can you do that?"

At these words, countless eyes turned to him again, but Luo Bin was oblivious, his gaze fixed on Chen Manqing's red lips. After a moment, he heard a "yes," and instantly felt a weight lift.

The surroundings were chaotic, the crowd pressing toward the center of Guanglin Street, but Luo Bin and his group got into the Chen family's car and sped off through another alley... leaving behind some people to begin settling the devastated women, children, and elderly.

The incident of Luo Bin killing Zhao Changhe with a single strike and trading a punch with a suspected Martial Master from Jade Bone Pass gradually spread among the escort masters of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. The same young master who had once single-handedly challenged them, arrogantly declaring he would "smash the school,"

had now "pleaded for the people" by killing the Shuo Gang's troublemaker and even fought Shao Yancheng... It was truly shocking.

"This Young Master Luo, though he was a bit arrogant before, what he did today was deeply satisfying...

We may be martial masters, but every one of us has women, children, and elderly at home. If one day we ever run into a situation like today, and there's a chivalrous young master willing to step in... I'd be happy to risk my life for him, hehe."

A simple-faced escort master beside Wei Ang said.