inspire-indiana Chapter 13 Lifting the Siege
Chapter 13 Lifting the Siege
The hall was brightly lit, yet it couldn't dispel the invisible sense of oppression.
The scarred young man sat in the guest seat, legs crossed, the scar on his face appearing even more ferocious under the lamplight.
He smiled, but his eyes were like a boning knife, scraping back and forth on Zhou Chengzong.
Four burly men stood behind him. Though they did not speak, the ferocity honed by street fights filled the spacious hall.
Zhou Chengzong still wore the usual affable smile of a businessman, but a hint of darkness crept into the depths of his eyes.
He was on edge ever since he paid his dues at the beginning of last month.
Having lost the Zhou family's support, their branch of the family was seen as nothing more than a piece of meat left unguarded by those hyena-like gangs.
But he didn't expect that on his second visit, these people would have such big appetites.
These out-of-town outlaws were greedy and unruly, completely different from the local gangs he had dealt with before; their behavior was truly appalling.
The scarred young man smiled broadly, neither urging Zhou Chengzong nor pressing him, calmly awaiting his reaction.
He had long since figured out the details: the second branch of the Zhou family had split up and lost power; what good were these seasoned businessmen? In this world, fists and knives were the only true principles.
Zhou Chengzong's remaining connections are dwindling with each use, and he was certain the other party wouldn't dare to use them lightly.
On the other hand, his mind raced in a flash, and Zhou Chengzong quickly made a decision.
They've already cornered my home; I'm afraid I'll have to pay this money today.
He did indeed retain a few cards and some old favors, which could be used to suppress Yixintang.
But just as the scarred youth had thought.
Now that he is no longer the second master of the Zhou Clan Chamber of Commerce, those favors are becoming increasingly rare.
More importantly, the world is getting more and more chaotic every day, and who knows what bigger storms might come next?
Human relationships must be reserved for when life and death are truly at stake.
We're not at our wits' end yet...
"Haha," Zhou Chengzong suddenly laughed, breaking the silence. His face crinkled with wrinkles, showing no sign of forced laughter.
"Brother Liu is right. In these chaotic times, having more friends means having more options. I, Zhou, am also happy to make friends with Yixintang."
Upon hearing this, the horizontal scar on Liu Sen's face relaxed, revealing two rows of teeth that were slightly yellowed from smoking:
"Mr. Zhou is indeed an elite who has been navigating the business world for many years. He is pragmatic and making friends with our Yixintang is the wisest choice he could have made."
Zhou Chengzong suppressed his anger, his smile unchanged, but he subtly changed the subject:
"Your esteemed establishment needs money to maintain its power. This time, the allowance has been increased. I, Zhou, will consider it a congratulatory gift to our new friend."
However, the most important thing in friendship is trust and loyalty, just like your esteemed name, which emphasizes "righteousness" and is based on "trust".
"The allowance for this purpose should be fixed from now on; it can't change every month..."
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou!"
Liu Sen patted his chest, his voice loud and clear, "Between friends, once it's settled, it's settled!"
He spoke eloquently, but inwardly he sneered: Friends? Friends are supposed to share money. If prices are going to rise next time, just say the business is in trouble. Shouldn't we do our best to help a friend in need?
Just as he was feeling smug and thought he had Zhou Chengzong completely under his control, the light at the entrance of the hall dimmed, and a figure slowly walked in.
This person was naturally Zhou Tong.
He had just stopped at the doorway and overheard most of the conversation, but his face showed no emotion; he simply glanced calmly at the people inside.
When Zhou Chengzong saw his son, he frowned subconsciously and said in a deep voice, "Tong'er, I have guests here who need to discuss matters. You should go back to your room and rest first."
He didn't want his son to witness such a sordid scene, and he was even less willing to involve him in direct conflict with the gang.
Zhou Tong did not leave as instructed.
Without pausing, he walked straight to his father's side and stood still. His gaze calmly fell on Liu Sen, who was in the main seat. He clasped his hands in a standard greeting from the martial arts world, his voice clear and resonant:
"Zhou Tong of Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School greets everyone."
Liu Sen raised an eyebrow. He had heard that Zhou Chengzong's son was learning martial arts at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, but he hadn't paid any attention to it.
Zhou Tong's reputation as a playboy was well-known in the area. What kind of skills could this delicate rich young master possibly achieve?
Besides, the relationship between the apprentices and the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School was purely a monetary transaction, with no real affection involved, which he was well aware of.
Seeing Zhou Tong solemnly introducing himself, he couldn't help but find it amusing, thinking to himself: "Little brat, he's not even fully grown yet and he's already trying to intimidate people with his reputation?"
He forced a smile, merely raised his chin, and didn't even bother to return the greeting with a cupped hand.
Just then, one of his sharp-eyed underlings tugged at Liu Sen's sleeve and gestured towards Zhou Tong's waist.
Liu Sen followed the gaze and saw a palm-sized, dark wooden plaque hanging from the side of Zhou Tong's gray outfit.
The wooden plaque has a simple and antique style, and the large characters engraved on it are clearly visible under the light: "Dragon and Tiger".
This is the identity token of a formal disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School! It's far superior to that of an ordinary apprentice who pays to learn!
Receiving this plaque means that you have mastered the stance training and are now considered a formal disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School.
Liu Sen's dismissive expression froze instantly. He subconsciously raised his arm, his tone becoming slightly more serious: "So you are a formal disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. Forgive me for my poor judgment just now."
He turned to Zhou Chengzong, his voice tinged with a hint of reproach: "Mr. Zhou, that's not very kind of you. Your son is a top student at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, why didn't you say so earlier!"
Zhou Tong remained calm and did not become arrogant despite the change in the other party's attitude.
He knew in his heart that the title of official disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Academy was not very impressive. Only the personal disciples and geniuses like Liu Qing and Zheng Hao could be considered the core of the academy, and only those at the Bone Forging Realm could be considered elites.
Ordinary formal disciples can borrow the name of the martial arts school, but the school will not interfere in the private affairs of formal disciples. Whether or not one can leverage the power of the martial arts school to help oneself depends entirely on one's popularity within the school.
Before his father could speak, Zhou Tong interjected with a smile:
"I just broke through today and received my master's approval, who bestowed upon me a token."
"Just broke through today?"
Liu Sen raised an eyebrow and tentatively asked, "May I ask, Young Master Zhou, how long did it take you from learning stance training to breaking through?"
"March," Zhou Tong uttered.
"Three months?!"
Liu Sen was slightly taken aback, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
His henchmen behind him exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise.
As a martial arts practitioner, Liu Sen was well aware of what it meant to master stance training in three months.
This level of comprehension is absolutely outstanding among all the students in the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School over the years!
People with high comprehension often learn fighting techniques very quickly, their combat power improves rapidly, and they are very likely to attract attention in the martial arts school.
If the subsequent muscle-building phase progresses quickly, that would be even more remarkable, meaning that the person has a good physical foundation and is a true martial arts prodigy with unlimited potential.
In a flash, Liu Sen stood up from his seat, a warm smile plastered on his face:
"Oh my! I never expected Young Master Zhou to be such a martial arts prodigy. My apologies for not recognizing him sooner."
His change of expression was astonishingly fast; he repeatedly bowed to Zhou Tong.
"Who in Cangzhou City doesn't know Master Ni's reputation? Who doesn't respect him? Young Master Zhou has joined the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. He will surely rise to prominence in the future. Look at what happened today. It's all a misunderstanding."
He quickly turned to his underlings and sternly ordered, "How are you all doing your jobs? Young Master Zhou is a top disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, and you haven't even figured this out!"
"Listen carefully, all of you! From now on, keep a close eye on Mr. Zhou's residence. The Zhou family's affairs are the affairs of our Xinyi Hall."
The underlings immediately nodded and bowed, "Yes, Master Liu!"
Looking at Liu Sen's arrogant yet obsequious behavior, Zhou Tong didn't show any smugness or mockery on his face. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he spoke calmly:
"Brother Liu, you flatter me. My father makes a living here, and I will inevitably need to ask your brothers for help in the future."
"Of course, of course! Young Master Zhou's business is my business!" Liu Sen patted his chest and assured him, as if he wasn't the one who had just asked for a price increase.
Zhou Tong then casually brought up the subject: "Then... about the allowance?"
"Regular allowance? What regular allowance?"
Liu Sen's eyes widened, and he said decisively, "Young Master Zhou is a hero, and I am willing to be your friend."
"It's only natural for friends to help each other out; mentioning money is too formal! From now on, Yixintang will take responsibility for the safety of Mr. Zhou's household! This payment is no longer a topic for discussion!"
Standing to the side, Zhou Chengzong watched as his son revealed his identity, announced the date of his breakthrough, and easily resolved this thorny situation with just a few words. He felt both moved and gratified.
He put on a businessman's smile again, stepped forward at the right moment, and exchanged a few more polite words with Liu Sen.
Liu Sen then showered Zhou Tong with compliments, calling him a "young hero" and saying he was "bound to achieve great things," before discreetly taking his leave with his men.
After the uninvited guests left, the hall returned to silence.
Zhou Chengzong let out a long sigh, returned to the main seat, picked up the now-cold tea and took a sip, saying with a complicated expression, "Tong'er, your breakthrough came at just the right time."
He stroked his teacup, subconsciously commenting, "You did very well just now. You didn't give them the cold shoulder just because they showed weakness. You resolved the problem while also keeping them calm. That's the best outcome."
Zhou Tong smiled, glanced towards the door, and a hint of coldness appeared on his face:
"These people are insatiably greedy and will take an inch and then a mile. Don't be fooled by what you said earlier; it's only temporary."
If my martial arts training slows down, and they feel they can control me, they'll inevitably come knocking again.
"It's good that you think that way."
Zhou Chengzong certainly knew these principles, but he was pleased to see his son so calm. He smiled and said:
"However, after today, Yixintang should not cause any more trouble in the short term, and we can have some peace and quiet for a while."
Despite saying this, Zhou Chengzong's expression was far from relaxed, and a hint of gloom still lingered between his brows.
Zhou Tong nodded slightly, but he was still not at ease.
In these chaotic times, we've escaped this time for now, but who knows what we'll encounter next?
If we want lasting peace, we must become strong as soon as possible.
At this moment, Yao Wanru hurriedly walked in from outside. She had avoided the situation as usual when the gang came to her door, as it was inconvenient for her to participate in such occasions. However, she had been worried all along. Now that the gang had left, she rushed over to ask what had happened.
When she learned that it was Zhou Tong who drove the gang away, a bright smile immediately appeared on her face. Unlike her husband, she was not reserved at all. She kept praising her son and even held his face and gave him a big kiss.
Finally, she hurriedly urged Zhou Tong to eat: "Tong'er must be hungry after practicing all day. Dinner is ready, I asked the kitchen to keep it warm, so please put it out now."
"Yes, let's eat first." Zhou Chengzong also relaxed his brows, temporarily suppressing those chaotic thoughts.
In the dining room, several home-style dishes were already laid out on the rosewood round table, steaming hot.
Zhou Tong washed his hands and sat down. Suddenly remembering the bag of meat Ni Dongting had given him, he said to the maid standing beside him:
"Go to my room, take that gray cloth bag from the table, take out three ounces of meat, and have the kitchen stir-fry it with ginger and scallions. Bring it up quickly."
The maidservant responded and left.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengzong asked curiously, "What kind of meat?"
Zhou Tong repeated Ni Dongting's words about this meat being related to the "internal strength of a Grand Martial Master," and finally asked:
"Father, you are knowledgeable, do you know what kind of beast meat this is? Master didn't say, only that eating it would give us hope."
"I am not knowledgeable about martial arts and have never known much about these things. I had vaguely heard that the four major martial arts schools would have their formal disciples take some special ingredients. It turns out that they were specially designed for the 'Great Martial Master's Internal Strength'."
Zhou Chengzong's tone was also tinged with surprise: "It's rather strange that the specific meat must be consumed in the first month after a breakthrough."
Seeing that his father didn't know either, Zhou Tong stopped asking and changed the subject.
Before long, a plate of stir-fried meat slices was served.
The meat is dark in color with fine texture. After being stir-fried in hot oil, it curls slightly and has a charred aroma at the edges, mixed with the fragrance of ginger and scallions. It looks no different from ordinary pork, beef, or mutton, except that the color is darker.
Zhou Tong picked up a slice and put it in his mouth.
The meat is firm and chewy, with a satisfying chewiness. The taste is... somewhat peculiar, not fishy or gamey, but rather an indescribable, slightly rusty, and heavy flavor.
After swallowing, a very faint, almost imperceptible, fishy sweetness lingered in the throat, but it was quickly overshadowed by the spiciness of ginger and scallions.
Just as Zhou Tong was savoring the mysterious beast meat, his vision blurred and a transparent panel automatically appeared.