As Lianshan Xin spotted the other man, the other man spotted him too.
Then a wiry man dropped to his knees before Lianshan Xin like a golden mountain toppling and a jade pillar falling.
"Thank you, Young Master Xin, for saving my life. I have no way to repay such immense kindness. From now on, I will brave boiling water and raging fire for you without hesitation."
Lianshan Xin paid the gesture little heed. He merely looked thoughtfully at the wiry man kneeling before him. "Huang Jingji, you certainly reacted quickly."
Huang Jingji kowtowed with three loud thuds. "I know I offended Doctor Lianshan before. I came especially to apologize to him and thank you, Young Master Xin. Please, both of you, be magnanimous and overlook this lowly man's offenses."
Two underlings behind Huang Jingji quickly brought over a pile of gifts and placed them outside the Spring Revival Hall in full view of everyone.
The scene swiftly caught the onlookers' attention.
"Is that... Huang Jingji, leader of the Thorn Gang?"
"Has to be. My seventh great-uncle works for the Thorn Gang. I've even had the honor of meeting Gang Leader Huang."
"Why is Gang Leader Huang kneeling before Lianshan Xin?"
"You're still calling him Lianshan Xin? It's Young Master Xin from now on."
"Haven't you heard? Young Master Xin was recommended for admission to the White Deer Grotto Academy. He even joined the Nine Heavens."
"Young Master Xin led the men who raided President Qu's home."
"Hiss."
With all those sharp intakes of breath, the temperature outside the Spring Revival Hall rose several degrees.
Lianshan Xin was now in the half-step true intent realm. His senses were keen, and his hearing was several times better than before, so naturally, he heard their discussions.
The corners of his mouth instinctively tried to curl upward, but he quickly forced them down through sheer willpower.
You have to return home once you strike it rich. What's the point of wearing brocade in the dark? This feels fantastic.
No wonder successful people love going back to their hometowns to show off.
When it's time to show off, you should show off. We're all ordinary mortals. This feeling is exactly what we're after.
Lianshan Xin admitted that he was just that shallow. He enjoyed being showered with praise.
For the past eighteen years, Lianshan Xin's grades had been less than ideal.
So he had never been the model child other parents held up as an example.
Now, through his own hard work and cheats, he had finally become that model child.
Only those who had shown off like this knew how good it felt.
At that thought, even his impression of Huang Jingji improved somewhat.
"Gang Leader Huang, you have no feud with our family. There's no need for such a grand gesture," Lianshan Xin said.
Seeing Lianshan Xin actually refuse, Huang Jingji's expression changed drastically. "Young Master Xin, do I really have no chance at all?"
Lianshan Xin shook his head with a smile. "What I said was that you have no feud with our family, so there's no need for such a grand gesture. You killed President Qu's brother-in-law. That was your own accomplishment."
"If you hadn't uprooted the Qu Family, Young Master Xin, I'm afraid I could never have escaped their murderous clutches," Huang Jingji said earnestly.
Lianshan Xin neither agreed nor disagreed.
President Qu's dubious brother-in-law had been involved with gangs. He had previously clashed with the Thorn Gang, the biggest local power in the area, and been severely wounded by their blades.
He was later brought to the Spring Revival Hall for treatment, but Lianshan Jingcheng had been powerless to save him. President Qu had consequently taken his anger out on Lianshan Jingcheng, which in turn prompted Lianshan Xin to seriously plan how to enter the White Deer Grotto Academy through a recommendation.
That had led to the upheaval of the past two days.
Tracing everything back, the spark really had been Huang Jingji here and President Qu's already-dead dubious brother-in-law.
When Huang Jingji had cut down President Qu's brother-in-law, he had even felt rather pleased with himself.
Then the Qu Family's estate had been raided yesterday.
Huang Jingji had been dumbstruck.
But not completely witless.
That was why he had come to the Spring Revival Hall today to offer both thanks and an apology.
"I heard that Qu also took his anger out on Doctor Lianshan over his wife's younger brother's death. This was all my fault."
After learning that news, Huang Jingji had felt he had given them a reason to kill him.
The Thorn Gang might have been a local power on the surrounding streets, but against the Demon Cult or the Nine Heavens, it was nothing more than a fart.
He had spent the night weighing whether to flee or apologize. In the end, persuaded jointly by his wife and his strategist, he had chosen to come to the Spring Revival Hall to apologize.
To be fair, though, Lianshan Xin had almost forgotten about him.
He was not so petty that he had to crush every ant that happened to pass by.
"President Qu has already paid for what he did. This matter has nothing to do with you. Gang Leader Huang, I'm a reasonable man. There's no need to be so afraid."
It was hard for Huang Jingji not to feel afraid. "Young Master Xin, over the years... I've grown accustomed to throwing my weight around. I collected regular monthly payments from the Spring Revival Hall. This time, I've brought back the whole sum a hundredfold."
Naturally, a gang that ruled the local streets collected protection money.
Huang Jingji had never thought he had gone too far.
But once Lianshan Xin became Young Master Xin of the Nine Heavens, he felt he had given them yet another reason to kill him.
This time, Lianshan Xin did not offer a magnanimous dismissal.
Because the money Huang Jingji had collected was not Lianshan Xin's hard-earned pay, but the money Lianshan Jingcheng had earned through his medical skills.
After a moment's thought, Lianshan Xin called Lianshan Jingcheng outside.
"Father, do you want to forgive him?"
He could not be generous on Lianshan Jingcheng's behalf, because he did not know what Lianshan Jingcheng had endured.
Whenever protection money was collected, Lianshan Jingcheng had deliberately kept Lianshan Xin from seeing it.
Lianshan Jingcheng was startled to see Huang Jingji kneeling there.
Only after hearing Lianshan Xin explain did he realize what had happened.
"Gang Leader Huang, you're being far too courteous. There really is no need. The payments your gang collected over the years were no higher than those charged by other gangs. Your members were also quite polite to me because I'm a doctor. I bear no resentment."
Huang Jingji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness you're a doctor.
Gang members did not treat other people particularly well, but they still had to show some respect to a doctor who could save lives. After all, one day they might have to beg Lianshan Jingcheng to save theirs.
Huang Jingji felt he still had some luck on his side.
"Though we didn't charge extra, we never did much to help you over the years either, Doctor Lianshan. I was still in the wrong," Huang Jingji insisted. "Please accept these gifts as my apology. Otherwise, my conscience won't rest."
Lianshan Jingcheng looked at Lianshan Xin.
Lianshan Xin chuckled. "Father, I've joined the Nine Heavens. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to openly accept money or gifts from others."
Huang Jingji raised a hand and slapped himself.
How did I forget that?
Gifts have to be given in secret!
"But since Gang Leader Huang insists, it would be impolite to refuse. How about this? What comes from the people should be spent on the people. Father, invite our neighbors to two days of open banquets. Gang Leader Huang will cover all the expenses. Consider it a celebration of my admission to the White Deer Grotto Academy."
Lianshan Jingcheng was tempted, but still somewhat hesitant. "Xin, wouldn't that be too ostentatious?"
"Father, the skies can brew storms without warning, and fortune or disaster can strike a person overnight. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. So now that I can give you and Mother a good life, I want you to enjoy it. Stop enduring hardship. Being able to endure hardship only gets you more hardship to endure. Being able to enjoy good fortune is what lets you enjoy even more of it."
Lianshan Jingcheng was touched. "Xin, your mother and I don't feel we've had a hard life."
"I think you have. Listen to me!"
There was a kind of cold called "your mother thinks you're cold."
It was time to turn the natural order upside down.
There was a kind of hardship called "your children think you've had a hard life."
Before you continue