"A familiar voice?!"
Fang Rui found the scream somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t immediately place who it was. He told Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, and Sister-in-law Jiang to watch over the little ones and stay inside. Then, he went to the front courtyard and out the door.
Outside, a crowd had gathered at the entrance of their neighbor Old Sun’s house, accompanied by a cacophony of voices.
"Shengzi of the Sun Family, is that you? You’re back?!"
"Shengzi, my Fuwa joined the army with you. Did you see him?"
"And my Niu Dan’er..."
"Isn’t that Yan Song? That bastard! Serves him right... Ptooey!"
...
’Strange! The city has only just stabilized. Ordinary people should be as skittish as startled birds... Why are so many people out here, crowding around?’
Fang Rui was surprised. But when he stepped forward for a look and processed the chaotic voices, he began to understand.
He saw:
In the center of the crowd at Old Sun’s doorway stood a man in his twenties. He bore a five or six-tenths resemblance to Old Sun, but his eyes were cold and grim. He wore a red scarf on his head and held a cleaver. Before him, Yan Song knelt with his hands tied behind his back.
’Isn’t that Yan Song, the local ruffian who handled conscription for the Sweet Water Well Alley area? Is he... about to be liquidated?!’
Fang Rui mused as he looked at the man with the cleaver. ’Old Sun’s second son was forcibly conscripted by Yan Song and died on the city walls two days ago... So, this must be the Sun Family’s eldest son?’
’I heard that the Sun Family’s eldest son, Sun Sheng, was conscripted into the first wave of the Official Army to suppress the bandits, just like my father... From the looks of it, he must have joined the bandits after being defeated. Is that why he’s back now?’
At this thought, Fang Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ’Then my father...’
He desperately wanted to return to Willow Alley to check, but his reason held him back.
’Now isn’t the time. It’s too late, and large patrols of Taiping Bandits are still on the streets. A single careless mistake and we could run into them... It would be one thing if I were alone, but I can’t risk it with Mother, Third Sister, Nannan, and Ling’Er... But I can’t leave them behind either, I wouldn’t be at ease...’
’It’s best to wait until tomorrow!’
Fang Rui thought to himself, letting out a soft breath to calm his restless mind.
Just then, seeing Fang Rui arrive, many people took the initiative to greet him.
(Recently, because of Fang Rui’s deterrent presence, the local thugs and ruffians hadn’t dared to come to this small area. The nearby families could be said to have benefited from his protection, a fact they were all well aware of.)
"Lord Fang is here?!" someone called out, trying to curry favor.
"Martial Artist Fang!" This came from an older man, who was more reserved.
"Mr. Fang, is your family alright?" Aunt Zhao asked, a flash of guilt in her eyes.
Earlier, when that gang of thugs was kicking down his door, she had naturally heard the commotion. But her own eyes were old and dim, and besides her, there were only two half-grown girls at home. Even if she had wanted to help, she was powerless. The only thing she could do was pray.
...
"Elder Han! Uncle Wu! Aunt Zhao!"
Fang Rui nodded to each of them in turn, his expression unchanged.
When that group of ruffians came, not one of these people had come out. He understood; it was only human. They were merely casual acquaintances, so he had no expectations, and thus, no disappointment.
After exchanging a few words with them, Fang Rui confirmed that the man was indeed the Sun Family’s eldest son, Sun Sheng, who had returned after joining the bandits following a military defeat. With that, his initial confusion was resolved.
As for why these people were ’boldly’ coming out and gathering here at a time like this, the reasons were simple.
First, seeing Sun Sheng had returned, they wanted to ask about their own children.
Second, Yan Song was being liquidated. This was as gratifying as the death of Lord Hu in Willow Alley, a truly satisfying event. Naturally, they had to come watch the spectacle and vent their anger.
Finally, although Sun Sheng of the Sun Family was now a Taiping Bandit, he was a local. Many families in the alley had watched him grow up, so they weren’t too afraid of him and wanted to ask about the current situation in the city.
These neighbors saw Fang Rui, and so, naturally, did Yan Song. His eyes lit up as if he had just grasped a life-saving straw. "Lord Fang! Lord Fang! Save me!"
He struggled, shuffling toward Fang Rui on his knees. "We’re friends! I did you a favor, remember? That time I let Aunt Zhao’s family off..."
Hearing this, everyone else turned to look.
Sun Sheng’s eyes narrowed as he too looked at Fang Rui, his expression growing even colder.
"Sigh!"
Under the gazes of the crowd, Fang Rui sighed softly. "Yan Song, when you were committing your evil deeds, you should have known this day would come... What goes around comes around. It’s karmic retribution. How can I save you?"
"As for doing me a favor... what are you talking about? Back then, I paid the money on behalf of Aunt Zhao’s family, and you took it, didn’t you?"
As he spoke, he took two steps back, putting distance between himself and Yan Song, showing that he would not get involved and that this had nothing to do with him.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of Sun Sheng—he was just a mere Taiping Bandit.
It was purely that he found the whole affair dirty and didn’t want to be associated with it.
"Lord Fang..." Yan Song’s voice was laced with despair.
The others, however, all let out a collective sigh of relief.
It wasn’t just the Sun Family’s second son who had been forcibly conscripted by Yan Song. Who among them hadn’t suffered at his hands?
Some had their family members forcibly conscripted. Some were extorted for every last silver coin. Some had their daughters abducted and ruined...
You could say that basically everyone in Sweet Water Well Alley hated Yan Song to the bone. They wanted to suck his blood and eat his flesh. Their hatred surpassed even what the people of Willow Alley felt for Lord Hu.
Sun Sheng’s expression also softened a little. "You must be Martial Artist Fang, right? My father mentioned you... After I kill this scoundrel and rid the people of a pest, we can talk properly."
With that, he kicked Yan Song, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt. The cleaver flashed in his hand. "This one’s for my little brother!"
"AAAGH!"
One of Yan Song’s five limbs was severed. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, his face twisted in agony. He instinctively tried to grab his lower body, but with his hands tied behind his back, it was impossible.