strokinit Chapter 7 Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road
Chapter 7 Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road
Bang!
The doors deep inside the second floor of Wenxuan Pavilion opened and then closed.
Upon hearing the sound, Zheng Yuanpei, whose face had been contorted in pain, suddenly looked as if he had encountered a savior.
He stood up nimbly and rushed to the girl's side.
"Oh, Shulan, my dear granddaughter, come quick, come quick!"
"Could you take another look at this game and tell me how to play it? The moves you taught me before aren't working."
Zheng Shulan looked helpless. Seeing her grandfather like this, the embarrassment and annoyance she felt when she met Fang Shuwen instantly dissipated.
Then, as if remembering something, he couldn't help but question:
"Grandpa, you didn't gamble again, did you?"
"Did that person come here today?"
"You didn't lose the mysterious jade you promised me again, did you?!"
Ever since that hooligan pinched her butt at the last temple fair, Zheng Shulan decided to practice martial arts.
Even if I don't know how much I'll learn in the future, as long as I can defend myself and not get bullied, that's enough.
When she told her grandfather about her decision, he was very supportive.
He indicated that he would personally help her lay the foundation for her martial arts training.
How to build a foundation? Of course, it's by using the hidden strength of a Grand Martial Master, combined with the energy within the mysterious jade, to stimulate and transform it.
After several days of basic training, Zheng Shulan had basically recovered her physical condition by yesterday.
We're just waiting for Grandpa to make a move.
But unexpectedly, Grandpa returned home that evening.
I was very embarrassed to tell her that I had lost the magical jade that I had used to lay the foundation for her because of a chess bet.
The Zheng family is large and powerful, so a mere piece of strange jade is nothing to them.
Zheng Shulan didn't think much of it; it was just one night.
It's all because my grandfather is a terrible chess player, yet he still loves playing chess.
After this matter was over, Grandpa asked her to help break down the chess game.
I spent the whole morning taking it apart.
She demonstrated many coping methods to her grandfather.
I know that even if the person who beat Grandpa in chess yesterday came back, he would definitely not get the better of me.
But just now, from what Grandpa said, he lost again!
"Well, Grandpa promises, tomorrow, tomorrow I'll find an even better piece for my dear granddaughter! I guarantee she'll build a martial arts foundation comparable to a genius!"
Zheng Yuanpei awkwardly made a promise.
But, it is quite obvious.
His granddaughter, Zheng Shulan, didn't believe it.
"Never mind, Grandpa. Actually, I've already asked Dad to buy it for me."
"So, shall we study chess first?" Zheng Yuanpei said.
.......
An hour later,
inside the room.
"They can even do that!"
Zheng Shulan looked incredulous, having thought the game was completely unraveled.
But unexpectedly, the chess game was restored.
The opponent's moves were unexpected, each move intricately linked, easily dismantling her previous strategies.
After the initial shock, Zheng Shulan couldn't help but ask.
"Who exactly is this master?"
"What master? Just a young man, about your age. If you had come back a little earlier, you might have run into that cunning brat!"
Zheng Yuanpei curled his lip.
If he were truly a Go master, that would be one thing, but he's just a young man, and looks like he's still a student.
He's so old, it's understandable that he can't beat his own granddaughter.
This is a case of the student surpassing the master; when others find out, they will only praise his good granddaughter.
But they lost to a young, inexperienced boy.
That would be very embarrassing.
"About my age? Just left, not long ago?"
Zheng Shulan couldn't help but mutter to herself, while a hateful face popped into her mind.
Could it be that thug?
No, that's definitely wrong.
This person plays chess with an upright and honorable style; he could never be the kind of despicable person!
Her opponent was about the same age as her, yet possessed such exceptional chess skills.
I wonder who it is, I really want to meet them!
.......
After leaving Wenxuan Pavilion, Fang Shuwen was unaware that someone had already set their sights on him.
It was still early, so he wasn't in a hurry to go back.
He touched the strange jade in his schoolbag, and then touched the two silver coins he had left in his pocket.
I won five yuan yesterday, gave two yuan to Lao Fang, and kept three yuan for myself.
With this little money, you can't even get close to the entrance of the National Martial Arts Hall to buy the mysterious jade.
We need to keep making money.
He walked along East Street for a while, and found a shady spot at the intersection three streets away from Wenxuan Pavilion. He spread his cloth satchel on the ground, set up the chessboard, and arranged the chess pieces.
Then, stand the sign up.
He sat down on the low stool, didn't shout, and just waited quietly.
Good wine needs no bush, and good chess skills need no lack of visitors.
really,
Before an incense stick had burned, a middle-aged man in a silk shirt came over.
Judging from his clothes, he looked like the owner of a small shop, with a slightly protruding belly, and he was holding a folding fan in his hand.
"Young man, how about another round? You won a dollar, but lost fifty cents?"
"That's exactly right."
"Okay, let's have one then."
The middle-aged man's chess skills are not weak, but that's about it.
Fang Shuwen gave him a handicap of one horse, but in the end, he deliberately won by a mere half a piece.
The middle-aged man wasn't annoyed at all. He readily tossed down a silver dollar and said, "Let's have another plate."
A moment later, the middle-aged man, in his "fierce battle," once again lost by a single piece.
"Again!"
.......
An hour later, the middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead!
He looked rather pale; he hadn't won a single game today.
I lost three silver dollars.
At this point, he understood perfectly well.
The boy in front of him was much better at chess than him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have lost every single time by a single piece.
"Young man, your chess skills are excellent! I'm tired today, so I'll be leaving now!"
Making up an excuse, the middle-aged man got up and left.
Fang Shuwen put the silver dollars away and waited for a while, but no one came.
At this moment,
As darkness fell, the shops along the street gradually lit up their lamps.
Fang Shuwen put away the chessboard and walked towards West Street.
There's a roast chicken shop on West Street, a long-established brand, and the head chef there has excellent skills.
Old Fang had taken the original owner to eat there once before.
The taste is unforgettable.
I spent a silver dollar to buy two roast chickens, wrapped them in oil paper, and stuffed them into my satchel, intending to take them back to Old Fang.
Just as I was about to go back, I saw the tavern next door.
After thinking about it for a moment, I went inside again.
Old Fang has been out of wine for several months, and he has been reluctant to buy any.
Fang Shuwen entered the tavern, where the innkeeper was looking down at the abacus beads. He glanced up at Fang Shuwen.
Seeing that it was a student in a gray school uniform, he lowered his head again and quoted a price in a nonchalant manner.
Fang Shuwen didn't mind, paid the money, and was about to leave with the wine jug in his hand.
Suddenly, I heard someone at the corner table mention "Fang Shuwen".
He paused, subtly shifted half a step to the side, turned his back to the group at that table, and pretended to look at the drink price list posted on the wall.
But their ears perked up.
"Heh, last time I took ten yuan from you, I took the opportunity to punch that poor student. Even if he doesn't die, he won't be able to get out of bed for at least ten days or half a month."
"What, do you want me to deal with him again today?"
"You want me to kill someone? This amount of money isn't enough!"
A hoarse voice said, with a hint of disdain in its tone.
His bones cracked, demonstrating the force of his punch.
It's perfectly clear that while it might not kill someone, injury is unavoidable.
Without a skilled doctor's intervention, one would inevitably have to stay in bed for ten days to half a month.
"Hmph, Old Chen, how exactly did you play?"
"That kid showed up at Wenxuan Pavilion today, acting like nothing happened."
Another audio interface, with a deep, resonant sound.
"Impossible! I know exactly what I did; there's no way he could be better so quickly!"
"Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go to his house tomorrow and see for yourself."
"Okay, if it's really as you said, don't worry, I guarantee I'll break his leg and make sure he can't get out of bed for three to five months," the man with the hoarse voice said.
"Breaking one leg isn't enough; this time, we'll take him out completely. You wait for me at the usual spot; I'll come find you after I get the money."
The person behind spoke again.
At this moment,
Fang Shuwen tilted his head slightly and, using the dim kerosene lamp light in the tavern, glanced at the person from the side.
Skillful.
It really was someone I knew.
One of them was the same man who had punched the original owner of the body at the temple fair, the one who had "acted bravely for a just cause."
The other person had their back to them, so their face was not visible.
Judging from the voice, it seems to be Liu Mang, one of Guo Ziming's henchmen.
But judging from what they're saying, the man who beat the original owner at the temple fair was paid by Liu Mang.
Therefore,
The original owner being beaten was not an accident, but a premeditated ambush!
What exactly does Liu Mang want to do?
Why would you hire someone to injure the original owner of this body?
Now we must kill him!
Fang Shuwen's mind raced.
He and Liu Mang were once Guo Ziming's followers.
The two of them did a lot of sabotage on each other in their competition.
But in the end, they were all just minor, harmless matters.
It wouldn't be enough to make the stingy Liu Mang spend ten silver dollars to hire someone to deal with him.
unless……