Chaos

Creak, creak~

The handcart's wheels rolled over the rutted dirt road, grinding against the gravel. The sound rang especially sharply through the silent alley.

Like a dull saw slowly chewing through wood.

Xu Zhiyong crouched behind a broken wall. When he spotted Zhuo Yong and Li Yun escorting the handcart, his brow suddenly knotted.

His lips pressed together before he could stop them, and his heart gave a lurch.

"Why are there two martial artists?"

Xu Zhiyong had been here for several days. Usually, there was only one martial artist escorting the cart.

He hadn't expected there to be a second one, a tall, straight-backed young man.

His steady stride and clear eyes marked him as a trained fighter, too.

"Damn it, if there are two..."

Xu Zhiyong's fingers clenched around the broken stick hidden behind him.

But the handcart drew closer, and the rich, fresh scent of meat drifted over on the breeze, making his head swim.

There was no time to hesitate.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze turning fierce, and thought, One or two, it doesn't matter. Once things get chaotic, there'll still be a chance.

Just then, a faint patter of footsteps came from farther down the alley.

Xu Zhiyong glanced out of the corner of his eye, and his heart leaped with joy.

A child, entranced by the scent of meat on the handcart, stumbled toward it.

His little steps wavered, as if he might fall at any moment.

Xu Zhiyong quietly edged farther into the shadows, barely breathing as he fixed his gaze on the child's back.

Xu Zhiyong wasn't the only one watching. Everyone nearby turned their eyes to the child.

A small figure entered his field of vision. Even though it was only a child, Zhuo Yong didn't let his guard down for a moment.

He sank his weight, twisted his hips, and threw a punch.

The fist cut through the air with a sharp whistle, but stopped abruptly less than half a foot from the child's face.

His fingers spread, turning the punch into an open palm. He pulled back his strength and struck the child on the shoulder.

The child had already been swaying unsteadily. The shove sent his little body tumbling backward like a withered leaf, rolling twice in the mud.

His tiny arms and legs were smeared with black muck. He came to a stop after crashing into some broken bricks at the corner of a wall.

He didn't cry or complain of pain.

He slowly pushed himself upright, wiped the mud from his face with one small hand, and revealed a pair of eyes glassy with hunger.

There was no fear in them. He simply stared, unblinking, at the chunks of meat on the handcart.

At the foot of the wall by the alley, a disheveled woman struggled to sit up.

When she saw the child fall, she shakily rose and shuffled over to him.

She wrapped her withered arms around him and held him tightly against her chest.

Like a mother hen sheltering her chick.

Through the tangles of her hair, a pair of murky eyes timidly darted toward Zhuo Yong and Li Yun, full of fear.

Yet she couldn't help glancing toward the handcart, too. A hint of unmistakable yearning lay hidden in her gaze.

Quite a few people cautiously raised their heads, their eyes shifting back and forth between the child, the woman, and the handcart.

The handcart's wheels kept creaking.

It continued on its way.

Perhaps the child's fall had lit the fuse. Or perhaps they were so desperately hungry that they'd lost their reason.

By the wall, the beggars who had been curled up and motionless began to rise, one after another, as if pulled by invisible strings.

They slowly drew closer to the handcart.

Zhuo Yong led the way and stopped holding back.

He threw a punch at every one of them.

The beggars he struck went flying, landing hard in the mud.

They twitched a couple of times, then curled up without moving. Whether they were unconscious or...

The beggars behind them acted as if they hadn't seen a thing and kept surging forward.

Zhuo Yong showed no hesitation. He blocked left and swung right, every punch carrying real force.

The beggars he hit either slammed into a wall and slid to the ground or rolled into a muddy ditch. Not one of them managed to get back up.

But figures continued to spill out of the shadows at the end of the alley, packed tightly together.

Like a swarm of ants in a rising tide, their numbers seemed to grow by the moment.

Li Yun stopped watching and took half a step sideways, blocking the rear flank of the handcart.

"Senior Brother, get the cart moving. I'll hold them off."

Zhuo Yong paused. Seeing Li Yun standing steady, his eyes clear and unruffled, he nodded at once.

"Be careful."

He turned and barked at the two helpers.

"Push, quickly!"

The three of them hurried the handcart along.

Li Yun took his place in the middle of the alley, standing tall and straight as a pine, with an imposing air about him.

When the beggars pressing forward met his gaze, they instinctively halted. Some even shrank back, and the crowd's advance stalled for a moment.

But a few who were crazed with hunger had eyes red as blood. They charged forward without a care.

Li Yun showed no mercy. He dodged the lunging figures, then struck their shoulders and backs with his palm.

His blows were strong enough to send them tumbling, but not to injure them seriously.

The beggars he struck hit the ground and groaned, unable to get up for a long while, but none were in danger of dying.

When Zhuo Yong and the others were almost out of the alley, Li Yun shifted his footing, dodged the last beggar who tried to grab his sleeve, and turned to hurry after them.

"Brother Xu, they're leaving.

They're almost at the end of the alley.

Didn't you say you'd incite everyone to grab the meat?

If we don't move now, we won't even get a drop of soup."

The loose stones in the corner dug into his feet. Fang Ming hunched his shoulders, his palms slick with sweat.

He couldn't help tugging at Xu Zhiyong's ragged sleeve, his voice low, hurried, and trembling.

His eyes clung to the handcart as it receded, his throat bobbing rapidly, his face full of frustration.

Xu Zhiyong didn't answer.

His brow was furrowed, his eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Li Yun's back.

He knew there wasn't much time, but charging in first and making himself a target was out of the question.

"What's the rush?

That burly guy hits so hard. We won't stand a chance."

Xu Zhiyong's gaze hooked onto Li Yun and held fast. He spoke slowly, with absolute certainty.

"Look at that young martial artist in the back. When he stopped the people just now, didn't he go easier than the burly one?

The ones he knocked down could still groan and move. Not one of them was dead.

He's softhearted. That's our chance."

Fang Ming froze for a moment, then followed his gaze and recalled what had happened. He nodded quickly.

"Right!

It looked like he wasn't trying to kill them!"

A ruthless edge crept into Xu Zhiyong's voice.

"When the time comes, I'll charge in and tie up that young guy.

Then I'll incite the others."

He turned to Fang Ming and gave him a stern warning.

"While I'm doing that, circle around to the side of the handcart, grab one piece of meat, and run.

Don't get greedy. One piece is enough.

Duck into the side alley to the east. I'll follow right after. Understand?"

Fang Ming's eyes burned with longing for the meat. He nodded hard.

"Got it!

Brother Xu, make sure you keep him busy. I'll get that meat!"

Xu Zhiyong took a deep breath, tamping down his nerves, then slowly stepped out of the corner.

He squeezed in among the beggars, who were already itching to move.

Straightening his back, he let out a hoarse shout that rang through the alley like a cracked gong.

"The meat's right there! Grab a piece and you can live!

Get moving!

Take it!"

When he finished, he abruptly grabbed the arm of a thin, tall beggar beside him and shoved him forward with all his strength.

He also kicked at the people curled up in front of him.

Riding the momentum, he swept three or four people around him along as he charged straight at Li Yun behind the cart, like a muddy wave.

You can live!

Those words fell into the crowd of beggars like a spark in a barrel of oil, and the whole group exploded into motion.

The figures that had lain sprawled in numb resignation seemed to lose their last shred of reason. Their eyes turned red as blood.

Some braced themselves against the wall and struggled to their feet. Their emaciated legs wobbled, yet they ran at frightening speed.

Some dropped to the ground and crawled forward, digging their nails into the mud.

Others shoved and trampled one another, all just to get one step closer to the handcart.

The alley, which had held nothing but the rattle of the cart's wheels, was suddenly filled with deafening shouts and cries.

The starving beggars paid no heed to anyone else. Like beasts gone wild, they surged forward.

Xu Zhiyong charged with the crowd, still shouting as he ran.

"Grab it!

If we're late, it'll all be gone!"

The scene.

Began to descend into chaos...