Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 4 Jiang Xun's Bet

Jiang Xun didn't know when he had fainted.

When I woke up again, my body was covered in sore flesh, as if I had been torn apart and then put back together.

He lay on the ground, his face buried in the soil, his nose filled with the smell of earth and blood.

It was already completely dark.

The area in front of the dilapidated temple was deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight.

Jiang Xun slowly got up, wincing in pain with every movement.

He leaned against the wall, limped into the temple, reached the water vat, and splashed water on his face.

The icy water stung his bones, but it did sober him up a bit.

Ah Li.

Pomegranate.

Xiaoqi.

They were all arrested.

Jiang Xun leaned against the wall, slowly slid down, and stared at the hole in the roof. Moonlight streamed in through the hole, illuminating his pale face.

Fifty taels.

Where is he going to get fifty taels?

In my seventeen years of life, I've touched more silver coins than this amount combined.

Risk his life? How much is his life worth?

Jiang Xun closed his eyes.

His mind was filled with the look Ah Li gave him at the end. That girl wasn't talkative, but she understood everything.

She was definitely scared, but she didn't cry—because she knew that crying would make her brother feel even worse.

Jiang Xun clenched his fists.

pain.

My hands hurt, my back hurts, my chest hurts, but the most painful thing is my heart.

He suddenly remembered what the old man had said.

"In this world, if you have no money and no power, you're just a dog. If someone kicks you, you can only run away with your tail between your legs. If you don't want to be kicked, you have to climb up, climb to a place where no one can kick you."

Climb up?

Jiang Xun opened his eyes and looked at the hole in the roof.

He can't even get up now.

But he had to get up.

Ali is still waiting for him.

The next morning, Jiang Xun left the dilapidated temple.

He was covered in so much flesh that he had difficulty walking, but he still went out.

He went to the west side of the city to find some thugs he knew, hoping to borrow some money.

The first person to see him turned around and walked away.

The second one said they had no money.

The third one simply had him kicked out.

Jiang Xun stood in the alley, clenching his fists.

He knew all along that these people were unreliable. They were fine for drinking and bragging together, but when it came to money, nobody cared whether you lived or died.

But who else can he turn to?

Jiang Xun wandered aimlessly through the streets, until noon, into the afternoon, until the sun was about to set.

I still couldn't borrow a single penny.

He squatted by the roadside, watching the people coming and going, his mind blank.

Just then, he saw a group of people.

Seven or eight people, riding horses, came from the other end of the street. The leader was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in brocade robes, with an extraordinary air about him. Behind him were several guards, each with a sword at their waist.

They're obviously not from Jiangzhou City.

Even the wealthiest nouveau riche in Jiangzhou City couldn't dress with this kind of style.

Jiang Xun had seen the fabric of this man's clothes at a silk shop—one bolt of cloth was enough for him to eat for three years.

The man in brocade robes rode on his horse, his gaze sweeping over the shops along the street, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were looking for someone.

When Jiang Xun passed by, the man glanced at him—just once, and then ignored him.

The way he looked at the man in black was exactly the same.

But that's not the point.

The key point is that this person had a gold medal hanging on his waist.

It's golden and looks very valuable.

Jiang Xun stared at him, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

A big shot.

A truly important person.

A big shot who could make even local bullies like the Black Tiger Gang afraid.

Jiang Xun stood up and limped over there.

"Make way! Everyone make way!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, pushed aside passersby, and swaggered toward the man in brocade robes.

Passersby turned to look – who is this kid? Why is he so arrogant?

Jiang Xun was very nervous inside, but he put on a serious face.

"Black Tiger Gang is on official business! Get out of my way!"

He shouted with such confidence, as if he were truly a member of the Black Tiger Gang.

The man in brocade reined in his horse and looked down at him.

His gaze was indifferent, as if he were looking at a wild dog that didn't know its own mortality.

Jiang Xun walked to the front of the horse, tilted his head back, and pointed his nose at the sky.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." He gestured with his chin towards the man in brocade robes. "Where did you come from? Don't you know the rules? This area is Black Tiger Hall territory. If you want to pass through here, you have to pay a toll."

The guards behind the man in brocade robes changed their expressions and placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

But the man in brocade raised his hand to stop them.

He looked at Jiang Xun, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Toll fee?" he asked. "How much?"

"Fifty taels." Jiang Xun held up two fingers—no, two fingers meant twenty taels, so he quickly changed it to five. "Fifty taels of silver! Not a penny less!"

The man in brocade robes smiled.

She smiled beautifully, but Jiang Xun suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Black Tiger Gang?" the man in brocade repeated. "You just said you're a member of the Black Tiger Gang?"

"Nonsense!" Jiang Xun puffed out his chest. "See that? With this kind of presence, who else could I be but from the Black Tiger Gang? Enough talk, hand over the money!"

The man in brocade nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I understand."

Then he waved his hand and rode past Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun stood there, stunned.

That's it?

Is this over?

He looked back, but the man in brocade robes had already walked far away without even turning his head.

But Jiang Xun felt a sense of smugness, and looked down at his hands—

The gold medal was clutched in his hand, heavy with weight.

That thing was hanging on a gold hook at the waist of the man in brocade robes; if you pulled hard, the gold hook would come loose.

Just now, when the man in brocade robes passed by him, he pulled it off, the movement was so fast that the guards didn't even see it.

Jiang Xun didn't know how much this thing was worth, but he knew one thing—

That man in brocade will definitely come looking for me.

That's what he's betting on.

An hour later, at the entrance of the Black Tiger Hall's main hall.

Jiang Xun squatted in the alley across the street, staring at the gate.

The Black Tiger Hall's residence wasn't large, but it was built quite impressively. Two burly men stood at the entrance, each carrying a knife.

There were many people coming and going – some came to gamble, some came to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates, and some came to pay protection money.

Jiang Xun stared at the door, wondering where Ali and the others were being held.

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the entrance of the alley.

He turned his head to look—

A large, dark mass of soldiers, at least thirty or forty in number, fully armed, was rushing towards this direction.

The one leading the group was the man in brocade robes.

Jiang Xun's eyes widened instantly.

The man in brocade robes rode at the front, his expression indifferent, as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

The officers and soldiers rushed directly to the entrance of the Black Tiger Hall.

Before the two gatekeepers could react, they were pinned to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" A bald man rushed out from inside; it was the same one from yesterday.

The man in brocade glanced at him.

Just one glance.

"Black Tiger Gang?" he asked.

The bald man was stunned for a moment, and before he could speak, the man in brocade waved his hand.

"Smash it."

The officers and soldiers rushed forward.

Jiang Xun squatted in the alley, watching this scene without blinking.

He saw the bald man get slapped to the ground, saw the Black Tiger Gang members being pinned down one by one, and saw that imposing door being kicked open—

He also saw it.

Ah Li.

Three small figures were brought out by the soldiers from the crowd—Ali, Shiliu, and Xiaoqi.

Ali lowered her head and was led away by a soldier. Shiliu was crying. Xiaoqi huddled behind Ali, trembling all over.

But they are still alive.

They are all still alive.

Jiang Xun's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

Alive.

Just live.

"Um, you there!"

Suddenly someone shouted.

Jiang Xun looked up and saw a soldier walking towards him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he turned and ran.

"Stop! Don't run!"

The officers and soldiers caught up with them.

Jiang Xun ran incredibly fast, disappearing into the alley in a few quick movements, turning left and right, and soon shook off his pursuers.

He leaned against the wall, panting heavily, his heart pounding like a drum.

Ran.

They ran away again.

But this time, he knew that Ali and the others were safe.

That night, Jiang Xun hid in a dilapidated temple outside the city.

It wasn't his original place—he couldn't go back to that place. Even though the Black Tiger Gang had been raided, what if there were still some survivors who came looking for him?

The new temple was even more dilapidated; it had no roof and was drafty from all sides. But Jiang Xun didn't care.

He lay on the haystack, staring at the stars, his mind a complete mess.

Ali is safe.

Shiliu and Xiaoqi are safe now.

But what about him?

Where can he go?

There's no going back to Jiangzhou City. He's carrying a murder charge; the authorities haven't come after him yet, but what if the Black Tiger Gang implicates him?

And that man in brocade robes—the look in that man's eyes made him more and more frightened.

He has to leave.

Go as far as you can.

Which way can we go?