Promise!

Chapter 11, Incident

Two or three days passed quickly. Zhuang Jinru was as focused and self-disciplined as he was on the first day. In addition to the normal practice time, he also practiced standing meditation after lunch and dinner. This move also motivated some martial artists to follow him. If he didn't leave, others wouldn't leave either, as if they were competing with him.

Xiong Lei worked hard in the morning and afternoon, but he still encountered her awkwardly after lunch and dinner. Miss Yun was also a thoughtful person, so how could she not see what she was thinking? She just politely declined and asked her to concentrate on practicing martial arts. After repeating this several times, the guy finally restrained himself a little.

During this period, Qian Wende mentioned practicing standing meditation together again, but was declined again by Zhuang Jin and Xiong Lei. However, this man still had a smiling face and maintained an attitude of trying to please the two-person group, sharing with them the information about the special training class that he had inquired about.

Wang Rui, who was in the same dormitory, still asked about everyone's progress every day. Zhuang Jin and Xiong Lei always gave vague answers. The other martial artists in the dormitory also said that they had not made much progress. Only Bi Kai showed off his little progress every day and enjoyed the envy and compliments of the martial artists in the same dormitory.

……

Zhuang Jin lived a peaceful life practicing martial arts in the outer courtyard of the Shen family, but 'Lord' Hou Yong was not in a very good mood these past two days.

Yesterday was the day when the beggars under his command had to pay their monthly dues. Naturally, the beggars that Zhuang Jin had robbed could not collect the dues in the past two or three days and could not pay them. Tan San's arm and Xiao Erduo's broken leg could not be healed in two or three days either, and it could not be concealed. As expected, Zhuang Jin was exposed.

As for Tan San forcing the little beggar to borrow money, Hou Yong knew about it because he had spies among the beggars. He was just watching the other party making some small moves and was planning to fatten him up so that he could settle accounts with him at the right time.

As for Zhuang Jin's incident, Hou Yong also learned about it the next day through his spies among the beggars. He didn't really care about Zhuang Jin stabbing Tan San. Tan San was nothing if not a jerk. He dared to imitate his tyranny, so he had to suffer a little. Besides, it would be easier for him to control the beggars if they started fighting and biting each other.

But Zhuang Jin touched the regular money that the beggars had to pay, which was a taboo. When Hou Yong found out, he almost laughed out of anger. Was it because he looked vegetarian and kind-hearted recently that he actually followed Tan Sanxue and was even bolder? He simply didn't know how many eyes the Horse King had!

But just as Zhuang Jin thought, although Hou Yong was angry, he did not think that Zhuang Jin could escape from his clutches. He was not in a hurry and also wanted to make Zhuang Jin fatter. He was ready to attack on the day of collecting the regular money and then take action.

But when I collected the regular payment yesterday, Zhuang Jin was gone!
Hou Yong's rage intensified. If everyone was like Zhuang Jin, violating his Lordship's taboos, and could just hide and be fine, how could he still be the 'Lord'? He wanted to see. Hide? Where could he hide? He immediately ordered his beggar to find him.

then……

And then it was not found.

Zhuang Jinru seemed to have grown wings. He could not be found in the places he usually appeared in. Even after expanding the search area, he still could not be found. After further questioning, it was found that the other beggars had not been seen in the past two days.

Early that morning, Hou Yong looked at his beggars, their heads hunched like quails, with no emotion on their faces. "We searched all day yesterday, but still haven't found 'Little Mute'?"

No one said a word.

"Useless! A bunch of useless! You can't even find anyone, what's the use of you?"

Hou Yong said, looking at Tan San and Xiao Erduo who were at the front: "Especially you two, you were messed up by 'Little Mute'. I'll give you a chance to find him and deal with him myself. You are useless!"

Tan San, with one hand bandaged, bowed his head and smiled apologetically, "My Lord, it's not that we didn't look hard enough, it's just that the 'little mute' was too cunning. I don't know where he's hiding!"

Little Ear, whose leg was broken by Tan San, leaned on a stick, rolled his eyes, and said, "My Lord, Little Stone and Little Mute are close friends. They're even in cahoots. Little Stone must know!"

Hou Yong immediately looked at Gao Shi.

"I haven't seen the little mute these two days. I don't know where he went." Gao Shi said in a low voice with his head down.

"really do not know?"

Gao Shi stiffened his neck and said, "I don't know."

boom!
Hou Yong stepped forward and kicked Gao Shi to the ground, kicking and slapping him: "I don't know! I won't let you know!"

He vented the pent-up anger he'd been feeling towards Zhuang Jin on Gao Shi. A kick! A palm strike! Another kick!
Gao Shi curled up and hugged his head, but his face and nose were soon bruised.

Of course, although Hou Yong was angry, he was measured in his attack. After all, Gao Shi was a money-making tool under his command, so he hit him carefully and would not hit him to the point where he would affect his begging.

After a while, Hou Yong vented his anger, and seeing that Gao Shi seemed to be unaware, he stopped and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm: "Bah! If I knew you dared to lie to me, I'd be fine!"

The other beggars looked at this scene, and each of them had an expression of watching the fun and gloating on their faces. After all, life was so hard, the only way to have some fun was to see others being more unlucky.

Amidst the mocking and ridiculing gazes of the crowd, Gao Shi slowly stood up tremblingly, lowered his head, wiped the thick phlegm from his face, and finally made a decision in his heart.

In the past two days, he has been hesitating whether to participate in the recruitment of martial artists by the Medicine King Gang. The reason for his hesitation is that, as Zhuang Jin said, if he fails, he will be beaten into a herbal medicine boy... Although he also said that he is a beggar who has to compete with wild dogs for food and his life is worthless, it is a matter of life and death after all, so he is hesitant.

Hou Yong's beating made Gao Shi determined to go! Go and participate in the Yaowang Gang's martial arts recruitment!

He realized that if he didn't fight hard, he would never be able to become the 'expert' that Zhuang Jin talked about, and he would never be able to make his wish of 'being able to eat his fill, having meat every meal, and no one daring to beat him' come true!

He named himself "Gao" to remind himself that he must become a master, so that no one would dare to look down on him or bully him! If he couldn't do it, he might as well die early!

No one present was aware of Gao Shi's inner changes. The Marquis's attention was still focused on Zhuang Jin: "Think carefully, what was suspicious before 'Little Mute' disappeared? Where else could he have run to?"

At this time, the little bamboo pole opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Hou Yong noticed and immediately stared at him: "Xiao Zhugan, what do you want to say?"

Little Bamboo Pole shrank back in fear and stammered, "Um... Lord, I remembered something. I wonder if it's the little mute?"

Hou Yong glared at him: "How the hell would I know if you didn't tell me? If you have to fart, do it now."

"Hey! Hey!" Little Bamboo Pole agreed and told me about the person he saw on the day of the Shen family's martial arts recruitment who looked very much like 'Little Mute': "I think..."

Before he could finish his words, Hou Yong slapped him in the face: "You're talking in your sleep in broad daylight?"

Little Bamboo Pole covered his red and swollen face, feeling aggrieved. You asked me to speak, and then you hit me after I spoke. If you had known this, you wouldn’t have said it.

Yes, when Hou Yong heard Xiao Zhugan say that Zhuang Jin had signed up for the martial arts recruitment, his first reaction was disbelief, thinking he was talking in his sleep. After all, where would the little mute get the money to sign up for the Shen family's martial arts recruitment? Even if he had robbed those beggars of their allowance... huh?

Hou Yong pondered secretly: "The little mute begged for a dime of silver, and he also snatched the allowance from Tan San and a few other beggars, which makes a total of five or six hundred coins. If I save some more secretly, it is not impossible to get a tael of silver."

Although he still didn't want to believe that Zhuang Jin had the money or wisdom to participate in the Shen family's martial arts recruitment, he still had to be cautious: "It's better to be safe than sorry. If that person is really a 'little mute' and enters the Shen family to learn martial arts, if he really becomes a big shot, he might turn against me."

"No, why am I scaring myself? Even if 'Little Mute' was the one who participated in the martial arts recruitment and entered the Shen family, how could he have the blessing to become a real warrior? After all, even I..."

Hou Yong participated in the Shen family's first martial artist recruitment. Yes, Hou Yong went to the Shen family's first martial artist recruitment because his backer was a second-level servant of the Shen family named Guo Jun, who learned the news in advance.

——The city is so big that every job is done for every inch of the land. Hou Yong, nicknamed "Lord Hou", looks very impressive in front of the beggars, but he can't even keep the beggars' business for a few streets. He must have a backer. A two-mark servant is nothing in the Shen family, but he is very intimidating outside. He had to use a lot of tricks to establish this relationship.

Hou Yong thought about it again and again, but still felt uneasy. He decided to find his own backer, follow the other party's path, and go to the outer courtyard of the Shen family to confirm.

……

(End of this chapter)