Xiao Yi and the old beggar had depended on each other for five years.
Over those five years, the old beggar had taught him many peerless martial arts, such as the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Lingering Wave Steps, the Nine Swords of Dugu, and the Heaven-Earth Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Ode...
After learning these peerless martial arts, Xiao Yi had grown stronger.
Before, it had taken him a month to recover from a beating. Now, he only needed half a month.
Ever since he had joined the old beggar, he had averaged a light beating every three days and a heavy one every five.
Whenever the old beggar saw someone being bullied, he would grab his rusty pipe and rush over to "come to their rescue."
So they generally got beaten up every three days-not because someone was bullied only once every three days, but because the old beggar usually needed three days to recover before he could stand up and champion justice again.
The strong bullied the weak every moment of every day.
Xiao Yi was always complaining. "Master, we can't beat them anyway. Can't we just stay out of it next time?"
The old beggar would grimace in pain, but still stroke his head, open the martial arts novel tucked against his chest, and tell him one story after another about its great heroes and their righteous deeds.
He seemed to be telling the stories to Xiao Yi, yet also to his own battered self.
"My disciple, remember this: a hero doesn't step in only when he can win. He steps forward even when he knows he can't.
"If you don't even dare to stand up, then this world really will have nothing left but man-eating beasts."
Xiao Yi didn't understand. He only thought his master had gone mad. Countless