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

Qiao Yang ventured alone into the home of a wealthy merchant.

At the hospital, Su Yue stayed by his side without leaving for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest as she anxiously awaited news from him.

It all started because of her.

If it weren't for her classmate's marriage, why would Qiao Yang take this risk?

Thinking of this, Su Yue felt a heavy weight in her heart, a mixture of guilt and worry that almost made it hard for her to breathe.

The ward gradually quieted down, and the two naturally started talking about Qiao Yang.

Su Yue asked softly, "Mr. Liu, I see that you and Mr. Qiao have extraordinary manners and demeanor, far from being ordinary people of the martial arts world. You must both be very learned individuals, right?"

Liu Shang's cloudy eyes flickered slightly, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"There are some cultural elements that cannot be described with the word 'extreme'."

In my youth, I was a private tutor, but later I went blind and had no choice but to put down my books and learn fortune telling, divination, storytelling, and character analysis. I also became a master who mentors apprentices.

After a pause, the old man's tone suddenly became proud.

"But Qiao Yang is different—he's a properly educated man! He graduated from Baodi Model Primary School, and his foundation in private tutoring is even more solid. In the surrounding area, he's a top talent!"

Su Yue's eyes lit up, and she listened intently.

"He was a child prodigy from a young age; his reputation as a top student was known to everyone for miles around!"

Liu Shang spoke with such emotion that his voice rose several decibels.

"Back then, he consistently ranked first in the entire school in the county-wide standardized tests, and his overall score was the highest in the county. Even the county education department issued a special document to commend him. That was the greatest honor for our township!"

"By the time he was in third grade, he could already write calligraphy quite well. During festivals, he was the one who wrote all the Spring Festival couplets for every household in Southwest Village."

Whenever someone needed to write documents or keep accounts for a wedding or funeral, Qiao Yang was the first person they would think of. At such a young age, he was already famous throughout the village.

Su Yue's heart fluttered as she listened, and her curiosity about Qiao Yang grew even stronger.

"This child was proud and ambitious from a young age. At eighteen, disregarding his family's advice, he gathered friends from a neighboring village and resolutely went to Tianjin to seek his fortune. When he left home that year, he uttered those words—"

"A man should leave his hometown with lofty ambitions, and not return until he has achieved fame. Why must his bones be buried in his native land? Green mountains are everywhere in the world."

Su Yue subconsciously replied softly, a glimmer of light already appearing in her eyes.

"Yes! That's the one!"

Liu Shang slapped his thigh, his expression invigorated.

"Qiao Yang arrived in Tianjin and was soon noticed by the foreman and manager, who treated him as a key talent to be cultivated, with a bright future ahead of him. But fate had other plans—"

He suddenly developed an eye ailment, which the hospitals in Tianjin couldn't cure, so he had to return to his hometown for treatment. However, he encountered a series of incompetent doctors, which completely ruined his eyesight, and he finally became my student.

The old man looked distressed as he spoke.

"But a genius is a genius. What others take three to five years to learn, he can master in less than a year, understanding it instantly."

My wife and mother both said privately that this child might be a reincarnation of the God of Literature, and I also secretly felt that he might be the reincarnation of some great master.

But he only said that he had simply put in a little more effort than others.

Su Yue nodded gently, her heart filled with shock.

"I later realized that there was no such thing as reincarnation or rebirth. He was just naturally intelligent and had a talent for everything. I taught him all my best skills, such as fortune telling, divination, drawing lots, and choosing auspicious dates."

After entering the martial arts world, he studied under another master, learning the art of judging character by sound. He could discern a person's personality and destiny simply by their voice and aura. His accurate character readings at the Quanye Market combined fortune-telling with this art of sound reading.

She couldn't help but press, "Then why is his martial arts... so superb? Could it be that you, sir, are also hiding your true abilities?"

Liu Shang chuckled to himself.

"I am merely strong and healthy, and while I may be able to fight, I am far inferior to him in terms of real martial arts skills. There is an ancient temple in their village with a history of over a thousand years, where the monks are highly skilled in martial arts and hold martial arts training classes year-round."

Qiao Yang had practiced martial arts there since childhood, observing and training diligently every day. Coupled with his extraordinary talent, he had developed formidable close-combat skills, making him impervious to even three to five ordinary men.

"Mr. Liu, please tell us more about him!"

Su Yue's gaze was intense, and her tone carried a hint of urgency.

Liu Shang sighed softly, his expression suddenly becoming solemn.

"What is most admirable about Qiao Yang is not his knowledge or martial arts skills, but his strong sense of national integrity."

"During the War of Resistance against Japan, he once infiltrated a Japanese military camp alone, pretending to tell fortunes for a translator. With just a few words, he subdued the traitor, driving him to despair and committing suicide by jumping into a well. It was a great relief to the people!"

"There was also the great battle in January 1945, where the Eighth Route Army and the county militia blocked the Japanese army in the Jidong base area. That day, the fog was thick, and you couldn't see anything within two meters. Qiao Yang volunteered to lead the way for the support team in the Southwest Village."

Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, his ears twitching slightly, as if radar picking up the slightest sound in the air.

His face darkened, and he said to the head of the farmers' association, "Something's wrong from the southwest; something's up!"

"What's going on?"

Qiao Yang held his breath and concentrated for a moment before speaking with certainty:

"It was a large horse-drawn carriage, moving extremely fast, carrying a heavy load. Strangely, there was only the sound of hooves, no human voices, and no footsteps!"

"Everyone believed his ears. When they got closer, they were both surprised and delighted—it was an unmanned Japanese ammunition truck! It was this ammunition truck that solved the Eighth Route Army's urgent problem."

If it weren't for him, we would have had to engage the Japanese in hand-to-hand combat. In the end, over a hundred Japanese soldiers were wiped out, and the Japanese major, having no other option, committed suicide by disembowelment!

After hearing those words, Su Yue was already deeply moved, and her gaze towards the window was filled with uncontrollable admiration and concern.

She used to think of Qiao Yang as a fortune teller with extraordinary skills, calm, reliable, and able to support everyone in times of crisis.

But only now did she truly understand—

The calmness in his eyes was not innate indifference, but rather a result of the wisdom gained from experiencing many hardships.

His skills were not some stroke of luck, but rather the result of a combination of natural talent and unyielding spirit.

From being the top student in the county and a child prodigy recognized by the Education Bureau, to a talented writer who penned countless stories of joy in his hometown;

From a passionate young man who ventured into Tianjin to a strong man who, despite losing his sight, refused to bow down;

Then there are the heroes who single-handedly entered the enemy camp and used their ears to provide crucial assistance to the anti-Japanese forces...

How could anyone not be attracted to someone like that?

Su Yue gently twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers. What was originally just guilt and worry had long been overwhelmed by deeper emotions.

She was no longer simply worried about his safety, but genuinely began to care about the person himself.

How is he now?

Is everything going smoothly in the wealthy family?

Are his eyes, which cannot see the light, still calm and composed?

She walked to the window again and again, gazing at the street corner. Every rustle of wind made her think it was Qiao Yang returning.

The heart in my chest was beating faster than ever before.

Inside the ward, Liu Shang listened to the girl's restless appearance, a knowing smile flashing across his cloudy eyes, but he didn't say anything.

He knew Qiao Yang too well and could see the undisguised thoughts in the girl's eyes.

"Don't be in a hurry, young lady."

Liu Shang spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful, "With Qiao Yang's methods, even the most difficult person can be handled perfectly by him. Since he promised you, nothing will happen to him."

I reckon he'll have to use his real connections again to raise enough money for Wen Jing's father's medical treatment.

Su Yue snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing slightly. She quickly looked away and forced herself to sit back down on the edge of the bed, trying to appear calm.

But the slightly reddened tips of her ears had already betrayed her feelings.

"I...I'm not in a hurry, I just..."

She tried to explain, but the more she spoke, the more confused she became. In the end, she simply lowered her head to hide the turbulent emotions in her eyes.