Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

The commotion in the courtyard instantly alerted everyone.

Jia Dongxu was sleeping inside when he heard the noise outside, so he put on his clothes and ran out.

When he saw his mother lying on the ground with her face covered in blood, her life hanging in the balance, and a burly, dark-skinned man standing in front of her like an angry Vajra, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Mom! Mom, what's wrong with you!" Jia Dongxu rushed over, trying to help Jia Zhangshi up, only to find that half of Jia Zhangshi's face was swollen to a purplish-black color and she had completely lost consciousness.

"Who...who are you people! How dare you come to our yard to commit violence and beat people! Is there no law anymore!" Jia Dongxu roared fiercely, but his body shrank back uncontrollably, not daring to get even half a step closer to Wei Heshang.

Hearing the commotion, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui also ran out of their respective houses.

These past few days, they've been driven almost crazy by Lin Yang's suppression. Now, seeing outsiders running into the yard and beating people, Yi Zhonghai's desire to maintain his "big boss" dignity is stirring again.

He felt this was a good opportunity to rebuild his authority in the courtyard. As long as he drove away these two troublemaking "vagrants," everyone would listen to him, Yi Zhonghai, again.

"Stop! You are utterly lawless!"

Yi Zhonghai shouted loudly, put his hands behind his back, and walked over with square steps, posing as a highly respected elder.

Liu Haizhong quickly followed suit, his large pregnant belly protruding as he chimed in, "How outrageous! Beating up an old man in broad daylight! Lao Yi, go and call the security department right now, arrest these two thugs!"

Yan Bugui, who was in the front yard, hid in the back, adjusting his glasses, ready to run away at any moment if things went wrong.

Li Yunlong coldly watched the few stewards who had jumped out, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"The law? When I was fighting the Japanese, I was the law!" Li Yunlong took off his tattered felt hat, revealing a face full of vicissitudes and domineering presence.

Yi Zhonghai walked up to Li Yunlong, looked him up and down, and felt even more confident seeing that the other man was dressed in rags.

"Comrade, no matter the reason, hitting someone is wrong. This is No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, not a place for you to run wild! Now, apologize to Aunt Jia immediately and pay for her medical expenses, otherwise, you won't be leaving this house today!" Yi Zhonghai said righteously.

Liu Haizhong pointed at Li Yunlong's nose and cursed, "That's right! Look at your poor, pathetic appearance, can you even afford to pay? Quickly kneel down, kowtow, and admit your mistake!"

"You want me to kowtow and admit my mistake?"

Li Yunlong laughed in extreme anger, his laughter carrying a chilling aura of ruthlessness.

"Good! Very good! I'd like to see who dares to stop me today!"

Wei Heshang could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward, completely ignoring Yi Zhonghai, grabbed Liu Haizhong by the collar, and lifted the 200-pound fat man up with one hand like a chicken.

"What...what do you want to do! Let me go!" Liu Haizhong kicked his legs wildly in fright, his face pale.

"You're all blind!" Monk Wei's eyes widened in anger, his voice booming like a bell, making the entire courtyard buzz.

"Standing before you is Commander Li Yunlong, commander of a certain army corps of the Fourth Field Army! You old bastards, you dare to make your corps commander kowtow to you? I'll kill you right now!"

As soon as Wei Heshang finished speaking, the two plainclothes guards who had been following behind him instantly drew their pistols from their waists.

"Click! Click!"

The crisp sound of a bullet being chambered was particularly jarring in the quiet courtyard.

Two dark gun barrels were pointed directly at Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's heads.

Dead silence.

A deathly silence.

The entire courtyard house seemed to have been put on pause.

Yi Zhonghai's face, which had previously held a certain air of authority, instantly turned deathly pale, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Army... Army Commander?!

Li Yunlong?!

This name was legendary among the people of Beijing! He was a military leader known for his ruthless temper and ability to kill Japanese soldiers like cutting vegetables!

Just now, I actually pointed my finger at a military commander and demanded that he kneel down and kowtow in apology?!

"thump!"

Yi Zhonghai's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf, with large beads of cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Liu Haizhong, who had been thrown to the ground by Wei Heshang, was terrified. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Commander, spare us! Commander, spare us! We were blind and didn't recognize you as Commander Li! Please, have mercy and let us go!"

Yan Bugui hid behind the moon gate, so frightened that he sat down on the ground and scrambled back to his house, afraid of being implicated.

Jia Dongxu was so terrified when he saw the dark muzzle of the gun that he wet himself and collapsed to the ground, too scared to even breathe.

Looking at this group of cowardly bullies, Li Yunlong's eyes flashed with deep disgust.

Just then, the door to the main building of the central courtyard was pushed open.

"Old Li, your fiery temper hasn't changed even now that you're in Beijing. What, coming to my courtyard house to show off?"

It was accompanied by a clear and steady voice.

Lin Yang, wearing a chunky knit sweater, with his hands in his pockets and a faint smile on his lips, walked out of the house.

Upon seeing Lin Yang appear, Li Yunlong's tense old face instantly broke into a bright smile.

He strode forward, grabbed Lin Yang's shoulder, and patted him hard.

"Good lad! I've finally found you! I've missed you so much!"

Li Yunlong's eyes were slightly red. Only in front of these comrades who had truly shared life and death would he reveal such a tender side to this tough guy.

Wei the Monk quickly suppressed his murderous aura, stood at attention, and saluted: "Greetings, Deputy Division Commander Lin! This monk salutes you!"

Lin Yang chuckled and patted Wei Heshang's muscular chest: "Heshang, you're still so strong. It wasn't for nothing that I saved you back in Black Cloud Village."

"Hehe, of course! I, Monk Wei, will remember Chief Lin's life-saving grace for the rest of my life!" Monk Wei scratched his head sheepishly.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, kneeling on the ground, felt their hearts sink to the bottom as they watched this scene.

They never imagined that the legendary army commander Li Yunlong was actually a sworn brother of Lin Yang! And judging from their close relationship, they were even closer than blood brothers!

It’s over.

Yi Zhonghai closed his eyes in despair. Having offended Lin Yang, and now Li Yunlong, they had absolutely no way to survive in Beijing.

"Alright, Lao Li, don't bother with these trash, you'll get your hands dirty. Let's go inside and talk." Lin Yang didn't even glance at the two kneeling on the ground, and directly pulled Li Yunlong into the house.

Li Yunlong snorted coldly and waved to his guards: "Put your guns away, don't scare the civilians."