Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

Hearing Lin Hai and Xue Si arguing more and more urgently, Qiao Yang realized that if he didn't step in, things might get out of hand. So, he rushed into the house in three quick steps.

Just as Qiao Yang approached the two, about to speak and try to reconcile them, a sudden gust of wind swept past him from the side.

Taking advantage of his strong physique, Xue Si lunged forward, his large hand gripping Lin Hai's collar tightly, while his other fist was raised high, ready to smash down.

"You liar, how dare you argue with me!" Xue Si roared fiercely.

Unexpectedly, Lin Hai reacted with astonishing speed. Before Xue Si could exert any force, he suddenly raised his right hand, as fast as lightning—

"Slap! Slap!"

Two sharp cracks landed squarely on Xue Si's face. The force was so great that the burly man staggered back half a step, clutching his cheek and crying out in pain.

"You dare hit me?!" Xue Si was both ashamed and angry.

Before he finished speaking, Lin Hai flipped his wrist again and slapped him twice more across the face, the sound crisp and clear, without the slightest ambiguity.

"Stop! Stop it, all of you!"

Qiao Yang hurriedly stepped forward, firmly blocking the two of them, and spread his arms to separate them:

"We're all in the same boat, we see each other all the time, why fight and ruin our relationship!"

The shopkeeper rushed in, short and stout, panting heavily, a flustered smile plastered on his face, sweating profusely as he advised:

"Gentlemen, please calm down! The neighbors are watching, and it won't sound good if word gets out!"

Qiao Yang and the shopkeeper, one on each side, tried to persuade Xue Si, pulling and tugging, and finally separated the furious Xue Si from the cold-faced Lin Hai.

Lin Hai took a breath and told Xue Si in a cold, hard voice:

"These first two slaps are to slap you for talking nonsense, fooling the people, and swindling!"

These last two slaps are for your slicked-back hair, your fancy leather shoes, and your pretentious act!

Xue Si covered his burning cheek, raised his hand to touch his nose, and felt a wet and hot sensation. He looked down and sniffed, and found that it was bleeding.

He immediately bristled, jumping up and down and roaring:

"You dare hit me! You have to pay for my medicine today! If you don't, I'm not letting this go!"

Lin Hai sneered, his tone mocking:

"Didn't you claim to be able to predict the future and cure all diseases? Go and cure your own nosebleed!"

"Heal my ass! You beat me until I bled, don't even think about getting away with this without paying me back!" Xue Si's eyes were red as he broke free from the shopkeeper's grasp and lunged forward to fight back.

Upon hearing this, Lin Hai's aura darkened, and he coldly said:

"I'll sit with you, and I'll beat you while you lie down. If you dare take another step forward, I'll slap you again!"

Qiao Yang and the shopkeeper tried their best to stop him, but Xue Si was determined to make a scene at the street office and "go to court".

Qiao Yang and the shopkeeper rushed forward to stop them, hoping to quell the farce and prevent it from escalating into something ugly.

It was just a fight between two people, why should it involve any officials?

Xue Si, having suffered a loss and lost face, was unwilling to let it go. With his neck bulging with veins, he insisted on dragging Lin Hai to "seek justice through the authorities" and demand fairness. No matter how others pulled him, he wouldn't let go.

Along the way, the group pushed and shoved each other, making a lot of noise, which attracted the attention of passersby who stopped and stared, pointing and whispering. Many busybodies even followed behind to watch the commotion. The group made a big fuss and finally made it to the front of the street office.

At this time, there was no one in charge in the street office, only a staff member on duty, who was leaning back in his chair with nothing to do.

Annoyed by the commotion, he frowned, lazily got up, and came out to ask questions.

Xue Si spoke first, embellishing the story of Lin Hai assaulting someone, pointing to his bruised and swollen face, as if he wanted the whole world to know that he had been wronged.

Lin Hai remained calm and explained the situation in a few words: it was just a dispute between the two over their professions in the martial arts world; the other party had spoken rudely first, and he had taught him a lesson afterward.

The two gave conflicting accounts, leaving the staff completely bewildered. After much commotion, they finally figured out what had happened.

Two blind men met on a narrow path in the inn. They got into a fight after a disagreement, pulling and shoving each other.

He looked up and examined him closely. He saw that Xue Si's face was covered in bruises, his nose was still bleeding, his hair was disheveled, and his clothes were in disarray. He looked both pathetic and comical.

Looking at Lin Hai beside him, he was quite old, and although his clothes were somewhat disheveled, he remained calm and showed no sign of panic.

A case involving two blind men, each telling their own story, with no corroborating evidence or physical evidence—it's utterly absurd.

The staff member, already too lazy to investigate who was right and who was wrong, simply found the case ridiculous and troublesome. He immediately frowned, glanced at Lin Hai and Xue Si, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted casually:

"When two blind people fight, they can't see anything. One says the other started it by swearing, and the other says the other started it by hitting. They both have their own reasons, and it's impossible to tell who's right!"

Having said that, he pointed at Lin Hai and Xue Si, directly issuing an order to leave:

"After you leave, one of you goes east and the other west, each going your own way and going your separate ways!"

These words, spoken casually, struck Xue Si like a hammer blow, effortlessly dismissing his eagerly anticipated "lawsuit."

The onlookers were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. The laughter rose and fell, and they all felt that the case was judged too hastily, but they couldn't find any fault with it. After all, it was really impossible to judge a dispute between two blind people.

Xue Si had thought he could rely on the government to uphold justice, severely punish Lin Hai, and regain face and compensation. Upon hearing this, he froze on the spot, as if he had been frozen in place, and did not come back to his senses for a long time.

When he finally came to his senses, he was so angry that his chest heaved violently, his face turned bright red and then purple, and he gasped for breath. His hand trembled as he pointed at the staff member on duty, and after a long pause, he managed to utter:

"So... that's it? He hit me, beat me black and blue, and I just got beaten up without any explanation? Is there no law in this government?"

He was both angry and anxious, confused and furious, filled with grievances and resentment, yet helpless. His appearance made onlookers both amused and sympathetic.

Seeing his distraught and hysterical state, the shopkeeper quickly stepped forward and gently tried to comfort him:

"Mr. Xue, the street officials have already made this ruling. There's no point in us ordinary people arguing anymore. We can only accept it."

Qiao Yang also gently advised, "The innkeeper is right. Why don't you take this opportunity to back down and find another inn to rest at? That way you can avoid Mr. Lin and prevent any further conflict that would make everyone unhappy."

With the shopkeeper's and others' persuasion and coaxing, Xue Si finally swallowed his grievance and, with the help of the shop assistant, moved his luggage and the heavy medicine box elsewhere.

After settling Xue Si in, Qiao Yang moved to Lin Hai's room. The two sat facing each other in silence for a moment.

Qiao Yang sighed inwardly, not expecting his reunion with Lin Hai to be like this. He carefully considered his words, afraid of embarrassing Lin Hai.

Unexpectedly, Lin Hai spoke first, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather:

"Brother Qiao, don't worry about it. When you're out and about, you'll encounter all sorts of people. If someone treats me well, I'll treat them even better; if someone offends me, I won't hold back. Otherwise, how will I get by?"

Qiao Yang admired his frank and straightforward words.

He then explained that his purpose in coming to Zunhua County was to find An Tai and Li You, but he hadn't expected them to be away.

Lin Hai said, "They just left the day before yesterday. The businesses in this city have been almost completely taken over by everyone. They said they're going to the countryside, but they didn't say where, so it's hard for you to find them. How about the two of us go together?"

Qiao Yang was overjoyed: "It would be wonderful to be able to travel with Brother Lin and exchange ideas on scholarship."

Moreover, with your nimble movements just now, plus my help, we'll be able to handle anything going forward, not just bad guys, but even wolves and tigers! You've really emboldened us!

He immediately agreed, and the two decided that the day after tomorrow would be the Mid-Autumn Festival. After the festival, they would head to the area outside the Great Wall, which was Lin Hai's base and where business had always been booming.

At this moment, Qiao Yang never expected that Xue Si would not be able to swallow his anger and would come to his house in Baodi to confront him.