Nothing Under Heaven Was Fairer Than Kung Fu

Late at night.

Just as Kaoshan Village was in an uproar and everyone was frantic, a villager suddenly ran back, bursting with surprise and delight.

"They're back! Manager Qin and that boy are both back!"

When everyone hurried outside, they saw a dirt-covered Lian Youming limping up to the old Party secretary beneath the moonlight, carrying the unconscious Qin Yuhu on his back. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I'm fine. Get Uncle Qin to the hospital first."

Seeing Qin Yuhu's horrific injuries, the old secretary dared not delay. He hurriedly hitched up the mule cart, wrapped himself in a thick coat, and headed for town.

Lian Youming returned to the courtyard with Doctor Liu supporting him.

Without pausing for even a moment, he entered the room and collapsed onto the heated brick bed as though all the air and strength had gone out of him.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and the stove burned brightly.

Regardless of Lian Youming's reaction, Liu Danaodai pulled up his trouser legs. Seeing his legs and feet still spasming from the long run, he hurriedly fetched medicinal liquor to rub on them.

Just then, Lian Youming held out his right hand. Under Doctor Liu's surprised, puzzled gaze, an old medicinal pill slipped out between his fingers.

Doctor Liu carefully took it. Only after dissolving the entire pill in the liquor did he dip both palms into it and begin rubbing Lian Youming's legs.

"Y-you really... really stole the show tonight, kid. All those people searched that Logging Camp back... back and forth a dozen times, and they still... still couldn't match one kid. Carrying M-Manager Qin all... all that way-what are you, made of iron? How about I... I find you a wife? With that build of yours, anyone can tell... tell you're willing to put your back into things..."

Lian Youming had neither the inclination nor the strength to respond. He simply let the village doctor stammer and ramble beside his ear.

Staring at the ceiling, which gleamed in the heat of the stove, his eyes grew unreadable, and his thoughts returned to the moment Xue Hen withdrew.

Inside the hidden chamber.

After glancing at Gong Wuer, Lian Youming wasted no time and hurried to Qin Yuhu's side.

"Uncle, how are you?"

The flames leaped, illuminating Qin Yuhu's pale cheeks.

But his eyes remained tightly closed, and he gave no response.

Gong Wuer sat cross-legged on the floor, her eyes closed. Breathing in and out, she slowly said, "Don't worry. I already used Inner Strength to seal the wound on his severed arm, and a ginseng rootlet to replenish his vital essence. He'll be fine."

Lian Youming looked closely and saw that Qin Yuhu did indeed have a wild ginseng rootlet in his mouth.

Only then did the weight finally lift from his heart. He slumped to the floor, his hands and feet cramping and trembling uncontrollably, and groaned in pain.

Hearing him, Gong Wuer opened her phoenix eyes and looked over quietly. Only after a long while did she ask, "Are you the Mountain-Guarding Old Man's disciple?"

As she spoke, she took out two dark brown pills and tossed them over with deftly measured force. "These are Grain-Repelling Pills made from Yellow Essence, Fo-Ti, and the essences of various flowers and herbs. They can help restore some of your strength."

Lian Youming had run all the way here without stopping, then climbed the mountain in one go. He was already utterly exhausted. Had he not been worried about Qin Yuhu's safety, he probably would have given out long ago.

Lian Youming caught the pills, sniffed them, then flicked them into his mouth. Chewing, he said, "Is this what experts like you eat? There's no flavor at all. Bland as mud. Where's the pleasure in that?"

Gong Wuer said softly, "Rich food and embroidered finery are merely poisons that ravage the self. One's nature is like a mountain of blades, desire like raging fire, and the sea of passion is boundless. Those who sink into it are like those fallen into hell, their spirit worn away, their finest years squandered for nothing. Though you've glimpsed a corner of the world of the Martial Way, your heart remains in the mundane world. No wonder the Mountain-Guarding Old Man never formally accepted you as his disciple, but let you return to the common stream."

Lian Youming merely looked unconcerned, chewing hastily as he steadied his breathing. Yet his gaze kept darting toward the entrance, and the bloodshot redness had yet to leave his eyes.

Seemingly seeing through his thoughts, Gong Wuer said, "Don't worry. Though Xue Hen is unruly and arrogant, he has principles he upholds. He values the Martial Way more than his own life and would never do anything to sully his true heart."

Then she shifted her tone. "Otherwise, he could have killed you just now. Perhaps he could have killed me too."

Lian Youming swallowed the pills and asked casually, "Then why did he leave?"

Gong Wuer's face seemed incapable of any other expression, and her tone remained level. "Xue Hen's intent to kill you hasn't disappeared. He's merely reined it in. This man is utterly sincere and devoted to the Martial Way. He might kill an ordinary person, but he won't kill a martial artist with great potential who has yet to mature."

"I get it." Lian Youming smacked his lips. "So he thinks it'll be more enjoyable to make his move once I'm stronger."

In just this short time, some color had already returned to Gong Wuer's face. "He's obsessed with martial arts. What he does isn't simply for slaughter, but to pursue advancement through slaughter, to reach the highest realm of martial learning... I too walk this long road. In his place, I wouldn't mind giving a newcomer the chance to grow into an opponent against whom we could test a lifetime's learning!"

Lian Youming shook his head. "I don't understand."

Gong Wuer rose to her feet. "You will. At some point, when chance led you to discover an unknown world and you began wishing to enter it, you were destined to become a fellow traveler of mine and Xue Hen's. We all once made that same decision... You merely lack the will to advance."

This beautiful woman, with her somewhat scholarly air, spoke slowly like a teacher guiding a student and resolving his doubts. "In this world, nothing is more honest than kung fu, and nothing is fairer. There are never any shortcuts. If you are sincere toward it, it will not fail you. If you are not, one day you will inevitably perish beneath another's fists."

Glancing back at the blurred writing on the wall, Gong Wuer took a few steps, grabbed Qin Yuhu, and hooked the boy's arm. Together they weighed nearly three hundred jin, yet she carried one in each hand and turned toward the exit.

"I'll take you down the mountain. I won't tell anyone what happened here. If you return to an ordinary life, you needn't worry about Xue Hen coming for you. But if you wish to enter this martial world, even if you don't seek him out, he will come for you. And so will I."

As his thoughts drew to a close, Lian Youming lay on the bed with his head tilted to one side, already fast asleep.

He slept until noon the next day.

Only when he heard the village dogs barking did Lian Youming dress and hurry outside.

He had to check on Qin Yuhu's injuries.

But the moment he took a step, an indescribable soreness made him stumble, nearly sending him sprawling.

The poor old secretary, already in his sixties, had not slept all night. He walked in listlessly, dark circles beneath his eyes. "Manager Qin is fine. He just lost too much blood and needs some time to recuperate."

Hearing this, Lian Youming brightened and lifted his foot to head outside.

Seeing him move, the old secretary held his pipe and shouted, his face darkening, "Hey, hey, hey! Who the hell told you to move? You little brat, I haven't settled accounts with you yet. Do you know what your behavior last night was called? Disobeying organizational discipline! And individual heroics are absolutely unacceptable. From now on, once you're done helping Liu Danaodai, go clean the manure out of the livestock shed at the east end of the village."

Grimacing, Lian Youming forced out a dry laugh. "Uncle, Uncle Qin's still lying in the hospital, and Auntie's about to give birth. You've got to let me go take a look."

The old secretary rolled his eyes. "Is that your job? Huh? You think you're the only one who thought of that, and nobody else did?"

Finally, the old secretary yawned again. "No more wasting words with you. These are Manager Qin's orders. He said not to worry about him. Someone will look after him. You just stay put in the village these next few days and get on with what you're supposed to do. Try running wild again and see if I don't knock you dead."

Only after the secretary left the courtyard did Lian Youming raise his head and squint at the sun on the horizon.

It was enough that he was all right. Though he had lost an arm, at least Lian Youming had an answer to give both his parents and Shen Qinghong and her daughter.

Only once the dust had settled did Lian Youming belatedly break out in a cold sweat.

He too realized that he had indeed been somewhat impulsive last night.

He had nearly thrown his own life away.

Who could have imagined that, within a certain distance, Xue Hen could actually dodge bullets?

That inconceivable footwork and those astonishing methods had once again overturned his understanding of these martial artists.

But Lian Youming did not regret what he had done last night. Whatever he chose, whatever he did, without knowing Xue Hen's strength and faced with an unknown, unusual incident, he could never have responded perfectly.

Though he had lived two lives, he was not all-knowing or all-powerful. Bringing Qin Yuhu back alive was already cause to thank heaven and earth.

But from now on, it would not happen again.

"Nothing under heaven is more honest than kung fu!"

Standing in the sunlight, Lian Youming let out a deep breath, unable to keep Gong Wuer's words from returning to his mind.

"I think I understand."

For the next several days, Lian Youming was run off his feet.

The winter fishing had not ended, and there was still the winter shortage to get through. Most of the village's able-bodied adults left early and returned late, leaving only the elderly, the weak, women, and children behind. The few educated youths became the village's main labor force, worked harder than livestock.

Besides helping Liu Danaodai dry and grind medicinal herbs, Lian Youming had to spend half the day making the rounds of the cattle and sheep pens. Those mules, donkeys, horses, and pigs ate plenty and shat plenty, producing hundreds or even a thousand jin of manure alone. Digging out manure and piling it into compost every day left him so tired he could barely straighten his back.

"Educated Youth Lian, someone's here to see you."

That day, Lian Youming was squatting in the cattle and sheep pens, his nostrils plugged with cotton as he shoveled manure, when he heard someone call from outside.

He thought Qin Hongxiu had come, but when he poked his head out for a look, he found a female educated youth wrapped tightly from head to toe standing in the village square and waving toward him.

It was actually that heir to a family of traditional Chinese physicians.

Yan Lingyun.

You don't mind a female lead, do you? ()

Two chapters a day from now on.

(End of chapter)