As soon as he ntioned the leopard, Luo Chao's heart ached faintly. He would never forget the image of the leopard desperately creating opportunities for him to escape even as his heart was being dug out.
Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile: "Don't worry, I've already killed that man. And I won't spare the force behind him either; I'll uproot them entirely."
"Then take and Brother Eagle along. We'll avenge Brother Leopard together," Shangguan Tiantian said angrily.
Luo Chao didn't speak further, he thought for a long ti, then looked up and fixed his gaze on Shangguan Tiantian, and said, "Do you have any ti recently?"
"What?" Shangguan Tiantian looked puzzled.
"I'll take you to Shangjing to stir up trouble!"
Shangguan Tiantian was instantly excited; compared to this mundane life, he missed the blood and fire of past days. The thrill of fighting side by side with comrades and slaying enemies was what he fell in love with since he was chosen to join the Dark Assassination Squad two years ago.
Luo Chao smiled and patted his shoulder. "Let's go find those few guys first."
...
In the remote Houling Village, a happy occasion has recently arrived. Old Hou's son had been away in the military for five years and finally returned a month ago. Old Li's daughter finally awaited her beloved's return.
Today, the village held a grand feast to celebrate the wedding of the new couple. Old Hou had been smiling for days, and his face, aged from years of labor, seed younger with happiness. He couldn't stop chatting with Old Li about old tis, watching his son and daughter-in-law with a look of contentnt.
However, the arrival of three young n completely spoiled his good mood.
Normally, guests are welco, especially those coming to celebrate his son's wedding, but these people weren't just here to offer congratulations.
In the dimly lit new room, Old Hou sat on the kang, puffing on his dry smoke. His face was full of gloom, and after a long silence, he spoke hoarsely.
"I don't agree, you all should leave now."
Upon hearing this, Luo Chao and the others exchanged glances and looked at Hou Dazhu, who stood silently at the door, and Liu Cuihua in her red wedding gown.
They didn't expect that Monkey would get married right after coming ho, and asking him to leave his newlywed wife and aging father to join them in a precarious life was truly inhumane.
"Then... forget it, this is the wedding gift from us brothers to Monkey and sister-in-law. Take care of your health, uncle." After a long while, Luo Chao spoke.
He pulled out a red cloth bundle from his pocket. Unexpectedly, they couldn't use a red envelope, so they used red cloth instead. It looked bulging, certainly not less than a hundred thousand.
This was thanks to Cobra, the kid who took over his father's position as head of the group after retiring. The money was sent by his subordinate, otherwise, it would be too embarrassing to co empty-handed to a brother's wedding.
He placed the money on the wedding table with the dragon-phoenix candles still lit. Then he said to Shangguan Tiantian and Cobra beside him, "Let's go!"
The two nodded, quietly following Luo Chao without saying much.
The three walked silently to the entrance of the courtyard and stopped there.
"Monkey, take good care of uncle and sister-in-law."
Then they left the courtyard, leaving only the sound of a car engine fading away in the distance.
Hou Dazhu hadn't spoken since Luo Chao and the others arrived. Now with the three gone, he beca even more silent, returning to the room he lived in five years ago, fishing out the dagger that had accompanied him for so long, quietly wiping it down. His small body revealed solitude and loneliness.
"If you really can't let go... then go, I'll take good care of Father," Liu Cuihua said, leaning at the door with reddened eyes, looking as if she had cried.
"No, I'm not going, I promised to stay with you," Hou Dazhu refused, but there was a touch of lancholy in his voice.
He polished the dagger until it was bright as snow, the sharp blade seed ready to drink blood at any mont. He wrapped it in canvas, walked to the courtyard, picked up a shovel, dug a deep pit, and buried the bundle.
Afterward, he tossed the shovel aside, sat on the ground as if exhausted, and looked toward the sky, letting out a heavy sigh.
It was then that Old Hou ca out of the house, knocked the dry smoke gun clean on his shoe and placed it on the bench by the door. He walked to the courtyard, picked up the shovel, spat twice on his palms, and began to energetically dig out the bundle his son had just buried.
"Dad, what are you doing..." Hou Dazhu stood up and grabbed the shovel handle to ask.
"Move aside," Old Hou pushed his son away, buried his head in work, silently moving the earth. Fortunately, the soil was relatively loose from previous digging, otherwise with his frail old bones and physical ailnts, it would be uncertain if he could manage.
"Damn it, kid sure has strength, a ter-deep pit, almost killed !" Old Hou bent down, retrieved the bundle, and threw it to Hou Dazhu, "Leave! Hurry up and leave! Don't let see you."
Hou Dazhu was stunned and muttered, "I won't go, I still need to take care of you and Cuihua."
Old Hou grabbed the shovel, threatening to hit, but Liu Cuihua quickly intervened to stop him. "Will you go or not, if not I'll beat you to death. Seeing your face now looks like your father just died, pisses off."
"Dad..." Liu Cuihua cald the old man down, comforting him. Then she ca to Hou Dazhu's side, tearfully saying.
"Brother Zhuzi, go ahead, I know you really want to."
"I'm not going..." Hou Dazhu said sullenly, like a stubborn mule.
"I'll beat you to death." Old Hou got angry again, knowing his son's temper, reluctant to leave him with his frail old bones. He himself didn't want his son to leave either, or he wouldn't have rejected those three young n earlier. But seeing his son in this state made him feel wretched.
The only consolation was this girl Cuihua, understanding and sensible. Waiting for his disappointing son for five years, she's now twenty, at this age, girls in the village usually married and could have children swimming in the river.
Now, on their wedding day, they face this situation. It made the old man feel sorry for the girl.
"I said I won't go, if I leave what will happen to you, to the baby in Cuihua's belly," Hou Dazhu insisted.
"No need for you to ask, you left for five years, didn't I live fine? I saw the money your brothers left. It's twenty thousand, I haven't seen so much in my life. It's enough for the baby's schooling, don't worry," Old Hou picked up his smoke gun, fiddling and finally lighting it, took a puff, face somber and said.
"..." Hou Dazhu said no more, just dumbly stared at the bundle before him. What thoughts ran through his mind, no one knew.
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