Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

Days flowed by amidst the mingling of sweat and ink. The training ground at Jixian Sports School remained an arena for a battle against the limits bestowed upon him by heaven. Zhou Zhenhua's demands were like ever-tightening shackles, squeezing out every ounce of his strength. Muscle soreness and the burning pain of breathing had become the norm for him to perceive his own existence. Whenever he was on the verge of collapse, the cold verdict from Nancheng Sports School, "Your skeletal structure isn't up to par," would collide violently with his elder brother Cang Lifeng's burning entrustment, "Focus on your heart, not your fists," ultimately igniting an even more stubborn flame in his heart—he was determined to use this "inadequate" skeletal structure to forge a path of his own.

In his studies, he was like a silent ox, struggling to plow through the fertile fields of words guided by Teacher Fang and the logical maze laid out by Teacher Sun. Stuttering and slowness remained his heavy shackles, but the almost stubborn focus in his eyes earned rare praise from both strict teachers in private conversations.

He fulfilled his duties as vice class monitor as naturally as he would help his mother with chores in Xiqiao Village. His classmates gradually noticed this silent responsibility. However, this diligence, along with the occasional soft "shush" in class, was seen as a provocation by Zhao Xiaohu. The crushing defeat on the playground and the teacher's reprimands etched an unhealable wound into his arrogant heart, burning with pain day and night.

Back in his lavishly decorated home, filled with the scents of tobacco and expensive perfume, Zhao Xiaohu began his carefully crafted accusation to his father, Zhao Dabiao: "Dad, that Cang Tianci, relying on the rudimentary kung fu he learned at the sports school, acts like a bully in class. He doesn't like me, deliberately picking a fight, and threw me to the ground so hard I almost broke my bones! The teacher is biased, only scolding me!"

Zhao Dabiao leaned back on the imported leather sofa, a cigar dangling from his lips, his eyes half-closed. He had just finished a phone call and was in a foul mood. The caller mentioned that the land he had his eye on had been snatched up by Zhou Zhenhua from the sports school. His son's sobbing complaints were still ringing in his ears. He glanced at Zhao Xiaohu's good-for-nothing appearance—a rootless country bumpkin. Teaching him a lesson would be effortless and would also subtly send a message to Zhou Zhenhua, making him understand that in Ji County, getting things done wasn't just about having connections; you also needed to understand the local "rules."

"Alright!" He interrupted Zhao Xiaohu, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable air of authority. "What's with all the wailing over such a trivial matter?" He turned to the shrewd-looking Blackie standing with his hands at his sides, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Go, find Cang Tianci from that sports school and 'have a chat.' Isn't Zhou Zhenhua trying to achieve political success with these kids? I'll knock one nail out of him first. Let him know that in Ji County, just knowing how to perform martial arts isn't enough; you also need to know the rules."

He emphasized the word "let's chat." Blackie immediately bowed, a knowing glint in his eyes.

It was another afternoon after school, and Tianci, as usual, stayed behind to do his cleaning duty. Lin Wanqing, as always, volunteered to help. She limped to the podium, picked up the chalk brush, and raised her arm to wipe the blackboard. Just then, her loose sleeve slipped down a bit. In an instant, Tianci's gaze froze—on that pale, slender forearm, there were several glaring purplish-blue bruises, some even swollen high, with edges showing signs of broken skin and bleeding!

Tianci's heart clenched, and his throat tightened: "You...your...hand?"

Like a startled fawn, Lin Wanqing abruptly withdrew her hand, quickly pulled down her sleeve, and hurriedly lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling violently. Her voice was barely audible: "N-nothing... I just... tripped... I fell..."

That evasive gaze and the forced composure on her pale face pierced Tianci's heart like needles. He remembered the disability his third sister, Xiaohua, suffered from a high fever in her childhood, and the bullying faces of Wang Yaowu and his gang when they were weak. This injury was definitely not as simple as a fall! A mixture of anger, sympathy, and a strong protective instinct surged in his chest. He wanted to ask more questions, but Teacher Fang's teaching of "a righteous heart and steady actions" flashed through his mind—a hasty question might embarrass her even more. He forcibly suppressed his anger, only uttering a heavy admonition: "Um... be... careful."

Lin Wanqing quickly looked up at him, her eyes as complex as a deep well, filled with gratitude, shame, and something even deeper.

The two silently finished their duties and parted ways at the crossroads. Tianci returned to the sports school and completed his evening training. He touched the meager amount of money he had saved by scrimping and saving for meals, hesitated for a moment, but finally made up his mind. Braving the rising cold wind, he walked towards the pharmacy on the street corner. He used his meager savings to buy a small box of cheap anti-swelling ointment and a few cotton swabs. He carefully tucked the medicine box into his inner pocket, pressing it against his chest, as if it weren't medicine, but a faint yet concrete warmth he hoped to convey, his first attempt to protect something with actions rather than fists.

To save time, he took a shortcut back to the sports school—a dimly lit alleyway littered with construction debris. The cold wind whistled through the concrete pipes and discarded steel bars, echoing like a mournful cry.

Just as Tianci reached the middle of the alley, three dark figures emerged from behind a pile of scaffolding, blocking his way in front and behind.

The young man in the lead had several stubbles of bright yellow hair, wore a floral shirt with the collar open, and had a cigarette dangling from his lips. He was none other than Zhao Dabiao's number one henchman—Blackie.

"Hey kid, stop right there!" Blackie spat his cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it with the tip of his shiny leather shoe, and sizing up Tianci with a slanted eye, his tone flippant, "You're Cang Tianci?"

Tianci's heart sank, and all his muscles tensed reflexively, like a bowstring ready to be drawn. He stopped, leaned slightly to the side, and lowered his center of gravity. He quickly scanned his surroundings, assessing his opponent's position and possible weapons. The "observe in all directions" technique taught by Coach Zhou activated instinctively.

"It's...it's me. Is...is something wrong?" He tried his best to keep his voice steady.

"Kid, don't blame me for being ruthless." Blackie took a step forward and said coldly, "If you have someone to blame, blame yourself for not knowing the rules of Ji County and messing with the wrong person." He suddenly stretched out his hand, his five fingers spread wide, and with a gust of evil wind, he slapped Cang Tianci hard across the face.

The black-skinned man's sinister grin, the approaching figure, the slap coming at him—all these moments overlapped instantly with the thugs surrounding him at the South City train station, the suffocating feeling of Wang Yaowu pushing him into the water, and the iron rod that was smashed against his elder brother at the temple fair. At this critical moment, his elder brother's words, "Focus on your heart, not your fists, and watch carefully!" were like lightning tearing through the darkness, illuminating his chaotic mind.

In an instant, all was silent. The extreme fear and anger did not cause him to lose control; instead, like a wave drained of its current, it left behind a chilling calm. He seemed to have entered a state of profound clarity, where the sounds of the outside world faded away, and the trajectory of his opponent's movements suddenly became crystal clear. Driven by this strange focus, his body naturally unleashed a speed and precision far exceeding his usual training.

He abruptly bent over, narrowly avoiding the palm strike, his body almost skimming the ground as he slid past the dark-skinned man's arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a broken steel bar with rusted edges on the ground, and his survival instincts kicked in, causing him to grab it.

Blackie's palm strike missed, and he swayed slightly. Without hesitation, Tianci swiftly swept his hand along the ground, striking the most vulnerable part of Blackie's supporting leg—his shinbone. He combined Coach Zhou's emphasis on "power originating from the ground" with "striking vital points," putting all his weight and momentum into the strike. The steel bar, rusted and whistling, lashed viciously against Blackie's shinbone.

"Thump!" A muffled, chilling thud echoed. Blackie let out a bloodcurdling scream, a agonizing pain shooting through his shinbone as if his bones were about to crack. His massive body, like a heavy sandbag, slammed heavily to the ground with a thud, his chin striking the hard concrete. Blood mingled with dust, spilling from the corner of his mouth. Just as Blackie collapsed with his scream, Tianci keenly heard a short, suppressed gasp coming from behind the tall pile of rubble deep in the alley. The voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"Blackie!" The two thugs were both shocked and furious, never expecting this brat to be so fierce and cunning.

"Damn it, cripple him!" Blackie curled up in a ball, clutching his calves, and ordered through gritted teeth.

The two thugs suddenly pulled out two steel pipes, each over a foot long, from their sleeves and swung them at Tianci with a whooshing sound.

Tianci's heart pounded. Run? There was no way out! In this narrow encounter, there was only one option: fight. Coach Zhou's explanation of how to deal with multiple attackers flashed through his mind—"Avoid being surrounded, attack one point, create panic." Ignoring the steel pipe hurtling towards his head, he advanced instead of retreating, crouching low and charging towards the thug on his left. The steel bar in his hand was no longer a stick, but a deadly spike. He abandoned defense, concentrating all his strength, speed, and a vague understanding of the body's weaknesses like "Extreme Spring" and "Internal Gate" into the tip of the steel bar, stabbing it viciously into the thickest muscle group on the outside of the thug's thigh.

"Ugh—" The thug who was stabbed let out a heart-wrenching scream. He felt as if a red-hot iron rod had pierced through his outer thigh, and his entire leg instantly became numb and excruciatingly painful. The steel pipe he was holding fell out of his hand with a "clang." He curled up, clutching his leg.

Almost simultaneously, another steel pipe, accompanied by a whistling sound, grazed the back of Tianci's head and slammed heavily onto the ground where he had just rolled, sending shards of stone flying! Tianci broke out in a cold sweat and quickly rolled to the side to dodge.

Blackie struggled to his feet, roaring as he joined the fray. The thug whose thigh had been stabbed also endured the excruciating pain, attempting to grab Tianci's lower body. Three against one! Tianci, wielding his crude "spiked club," was struggling to defend himself, already suffering several heavy punches and kicks. Excruciating pain shot through his ribs and shoulder blades, blood trickled from his mouth and nose, and his vision began to blur. In the chaos, he felt a hard slam into his chest, and a slight, cracking sound came from his inner pocket.

He knew that if he continued to fight head-on, he would definitely not come out on top. But the ruthless spirit of "my fate is in my own hands" in his bones held him back. He gritted his teeth and swung the steel bar in his hand like the fangs of a dying beast. Every block and every counterattack was filled with the determination to take someone down with him.

With a loud thud, another heavy blow struck Tianci's shoulder. He staggered backward, his back slamming against the concrete pipe. The excruciating pain nearly made him faint, and the pressure on his chest intensified; the medicine box… was undoubtedly destroyed. A chilling despair instantly seeped into his limbs.

At the entrance of the sports school, Grandpa Geng was smoking when he suddenly heard a noise coming from the depths of the alley. He pricked up his ears and listened intently; it sounded like a fight. Then he heard a cry of pain. The voice sounded familiar; it seemed to be that of Cang Tianci, the boy who trained relentlessly and was always extremely polite. He remembered seeing him leave the sports school earlier, and he recalled the recent incidents in Ji County where children were being extorted by thugs.

Oh no! Tianci must be in danger! He jumped up, grabbed his flashlight, and rushed towards the alley.

Sure enough, he saw it: three young men were besieging a child, who was covered in blood and leaning against a pile of rubble, teetering on the verge of collapse.

He rushed forward, shouting, "What are you doing? Stop!"

The roar, like a thunderclap, exploded at the alley entrance. At the same time, a bright beam of flashlight pierced the darkness like a sharp sword, precisely enveloping the fighting figures.

Holding a powerful flashlight in one hand and a sturdy jujube wood stick in the other, Grandpa Geng, his beard and hair bristling, cursed, "You little beast, how dare you commit violence here?"

The glare from the bright light stung his eyes, and though Tianci was covered in blood, his eyes still pierced them like poisoned knives. He knew it was too late, especially since the old man's appearance meant the sports school might arrive soon. With that thought, he could only endure the excruciating pain, glare fiercely at Tianci, and grit his teeth as he spat out, "Kid… you're lucky to be alive. This isn't over. Just you wait!"

After saying that, he called to his two disheveled accomplices and quickly disappeared into the darkness deep in the alley.

Grandpa Geng rushed over and shone his flashlight on Tianci. Tianci was leaning against a cement pipe, panting heavily. Blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth and nostrils, his cheeks were bruised and swollen, his clothes were torn in many places, and his exposed skin was covered with abrasions and bruises. The tiger's mouth of his hand, which was gripping the steel bar, was split open and bleeding profusely.

"Heavenly gift, my God, where are you hurt?" Grandpa Geng's voice trembled as he hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

Tianci used the momentum to steady himself, but his gaze was fixed on the direction where the thugs had disappeared, where only darkness that devoured everything remained.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he abruptly reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the completely deformed box, a mixture of ointment and blood, the sticky, cold paste covering his fingers. He stared blankly at the box of ointment, which carried his meager goodwill and desire to protect, now trampled and defiled along with him in this filthy alley before he could even give it to them.

"The little bit of warmth I wanted to give... shattered so easily..." A sense of powerlessness, deeper than physical pain, gripped him.

"Why are these people attacking me? That guy called Blackie said I messed with someone I shouldn't have. Who did I mess with?" He instantly thought of Zhao Xiaohu, of that afternoon's PE class, of Zhao Xiaohu's threat—"Cang Tianci...you...you just wait!"—and of his final, venomous gaze. He understood; those people must have been called by Zhao Xiaohu.

"Tianci, have you considered whether forcing the other party to submit through force, making them apologize with resentment, truly solves the problem? Or might it be sowing the seeds of a bigger conflict?"

Teacher Fang's words resonated like a morning bell and evening drum in his mind, which was clouded by pain and anger.

"Sowing the seeds of a bigger conflict..."

He looked down at his bloodied hands, then at the broken clump of ointment. Zhao Xiaohu's gaze, Hei Pi's words, Teacher Fang's teachings... they were like three ropes, twisted together in his heart.

He remembered his elder brother's words about the "weight." How powerful was Zhao Xiaohu's backing? Was it as powerful as Liu Tietou's?

Those people say "you have to know the rules in Ji County"—whose rules? What are the rules? He offended Zhao Xiaohu, so someone wants to teach him a lesson. But Lin Wanqing didn't offend anyone, so whose "rules" are these injuries on her body?

These problems, like piles of rubbish in a dark alley, weighed on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Tianci? Tianci!" Grandpa Geng's voice brought him back to reality. "Can you walk? I'll help you back."

Tianci nodded, using Grandpa Geng's support to steady himself. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and glanced back at the pile of scrap—a short, startled cry had just come from there. That sound further confirmed his guess.

However, he no longer had the strength to think. The pain from his injuries surged like a tide, and he could only let Grandpa Geng support him as he slowly made his way to the alley entrance.

When he reached the light, he looked down at his chest again.

The broken piece of stuff was still stuck there, cold.

He recalled the look in Lin Wanqing's eyes when she withdrew her hand—that look was like a needle, pricking him, and it still hurts now.

Little did he know, this was just the beginning.

He turned back again, and there was only endless darkness in that alley. In the darkness, it seemed that a pair of eyes were watching him.