Which way to go is the road?

The winter night was quiet, with only the distant roar of cars speeding along the main road.

The night enveloped this exquisitely decorated courtyard house. The green plants inside lay dormant in their respective corners, enduring the biting cold wind, eagerly awaiting spring so that they could burst forth in a riot of colors.

The light from inside the house shone through the glass windows and fell on the stone table and benches, bringing some warmth to the cold courtyard.

After finishing his meal, Lao You made an excuse to go to the west wing. Seeing his wife cleaning up the dishes, Old Master Qian brought his daughter to the study and closed the door.

"What happened to Luo Mei?"

Qian Luomei had come to the old man to discuss countermeasures, so she didn't intend to hide anything: "Someone is causing trouble at the internet cafe and demanding protection money from us every month!"

"Did anyone get hurt? Did anything get broken?" The old man wasn't surprised at all!

"Luckily, Xiang Fei only got scalded by the hot water and broke a feng shui ornament!"

The old man pictured a young man from the countryside, but avoiding the question of the past, he asked, "Is it the young man who came to our house last summer?"

"That's right, it was him! I wasn't there at the time, and he held them off for a while!"

The old man nodded slightly: "How much money do they want?"

"1000 a month isn't much, but it makes me feel disgusted to give it to them. I work hard to earn money, and it's our duty to pay taxes to the country. Why should I give them money as tribute?" Qian Luomei became more and more angry as she spoke, her brows furrowing together.

The old man gently stroked his daughter's head and patted her shoulder: "Did you call Dazhi?"

"How did you know? How come you can't hide anything from me? Did you install surveillance cameras in my internet cafe?" Qian Luomei asked, puzzled.

"Do you think I don't know how many useful friends you have? After Dazhi went there, did you think those people would listen to you?"

"What are you talking about? Brother Dazhi almost didn't make it in time. If he'd been two minutes late, these thugs would have run away! Brother Dazhi's a cop, so these guys didn't dare do anything to him; they were fairly obedient. But I don't think they're afraid of Brother Dazhi!"

The old man stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "What time did they arrive?"

"It's not even 8 a.m.!"

After Qian Luomei finished speaking, the old man's face gradually relaxed, and his previous tense expression disappeared: "Alright, I understand. I'll handle this! You can focus on your business!"

After the old man finished speaking, he stood up and left, but Qian Luomei pulled him back and pressed him down into the chair in front of the desk.

"Dad, do you know 'Ninth Master'?"

"Who told you anything about 'Ninth Master' or not? Why are you suddenly asking about this!" The old man immediately became serious.

"That thug said that their boss, 'Ninth Master,' is quite familiar with you and knows that I know Brother Dazhi! How do they know so much about us?"

The old man didn't answer Qian Luomei's question. He went over the whole thing in his mind again: "So that's how it is. You old fool, you just want me to back down, don't you? Fine, I'll back down then. You're getting more and more childish with age! Since I beat you before, I'm not afraid of losing to you now!"

"Dad, what are you saying? Who told you to bow down? Why should you bow down to them? What win or lose? What's going on here?"

Seeing Qian Luomei's anxious face, the old man took a sip of tea: "Luomei, I do know that old man, but that was before you were born!..."

It turns out that "Ninth Master" was actually named Wang Jianxin. Like the old man Qian Ruofeng, he was once a notorious hoodlum in Yandu City. However, they belonged to two different camps, just like in martial arts novels, one was a cult and the other was a righteous sect, but in essence, there was no distinction between good and evil.

In those days, there was no school to attend and no work to do, resulting in a large number of idle young people spending their days on the streets and in alleyways.

It was a chaotic era, where even among adults there were no clear boundaries or standards of right and wrong. So what did eighteen or nineteen-year-olds know? They paid with their time, energy, and even their lives for what they believed to be right and wrong.

Fights frequently broke out between the two factions of thugs. They didn't even need a reason; they could start a fight simply because they didn't like each other! Was it because they belonged to opposing factions? Different backgrounds? Different levels of education? Perhaps, or perhaps none of these; they were simply bored and needed something to do!

Like Don Quixote in Cervantes's novel, he possessed outdated, absurd, and laughable ideals and beliefs, yet he was "self-righteous" and stubbornly insisted on being the heroic knight in his own mind. Even if he couldn't find an enemy, he would invent one in his mind and charge into battle, fighting fearlessly.

Don Quixote's fictional enemy was the windmill, which was a waste of effort. These scoundrels, on the other hand, were aiming at living, breathing people, and while they were hurting others, they were also being retaliated against.

Qian Ruofeng and "Ninth Master" Wang Jianxin were both prominent figures on their respective sides, each with their own legendary experiences, and they had known each other since childhood. Their relationship of both enemies and friends meant that they both respected each other and fought each other, with each battle adding to their hatred and eroding their friendship.

In a large-scale battle, the leader of "Ninth Master's" side was beaten to death. In a panic, "Ninth Master" picked up a bicycle and fled, but caught a glimpse of Qian Ruofeng, who had also come to join the battle.

A hateful glance, and the two never saw each other again for 40 years.

Listening to this story, Qian Luomei felt as if she had entered that chaotic era, seeing her father's thuggish and violent nature, which made her both amused and curious. However, when she heard about someone being beaten to death, her expression turned to horror.

"Did you really kill someone?"

"I didn't do it, and many others didn't either, but we were all definitely involved. We planned the ambush, set up traps, and went to fight. So none of us can say we're without responsibility for that person's death, but we also can't figure out whose responsibility it really is! We often talk about fighting and killing, but when we actually kill someone, we feel really nervous and scared, after all, many of them are still kids under eighteen!"

The old man sighed deeply, placed his fingers interlaced on the desk, closed his eyes, as if recalling the past era, or perhaps repenting for past sins.

Qian Luomei couldn't bear to ask any further. She went to the living room to refill her father's teacup and brought it back. She didn't notice her mother Wang Fang's unusual behavior—she had gone back to her bedroom to rest early, usually watching TV at this time.

"You haven't seen each other for 40 years? Where did he, this 'Ninth Master', go?" Seeing her father return to normal, Qian Luomei still couldn't suppress her curiosity.

"After that incident, it attracted special attention from the public security bureau. Many children of high-ranking officials were sent to the army or to rural areas. Parents were really afraid that their children would be ruined! I don't know if Wang Jianxin was scared by the killing or if he wanted to leave this place of trouble like us. Anyway, he disappeared after that! Later I heard that he went to the Northwest! I really didn't expect him to come back!"