Chapter Forty-Six: Lending Aid to Li Xiaodao

The small figure lunged forward, and in the midst of the attack, the burlap hood was yanked off and flung into the face of the burly man. The eruption was so sudden that the big man hadn’t even begun to react. He had watched the previous two fights from start to finish and instinctively assumed the small fighter would choose evasive tactics, especially given the injuries to both arms. Thus, he was completely caught off guard.

The hood wasn’t truly a weapon, but a person’s instinct is to close their eyes when something suddenly appears in front of them. In that fleeting tenth of a second when his eyes shut, the small figure threw a punch, aiming directly for the bridge of the big man’s nose.

Bang…

A blow to that spot, regardless of force, triggers the tear glands to flood the eyes with tears. The burly man’s vision was thus further impaired.

A hand strike to the throat… a knee to the groin…

The small fighter’s attacks were vicious, targeting the body's most vulnerable points. Either move could inflict fatal or severe injury.

This string of moves surprised everyone present. Just as the crowd thought that a third upset might miraculously occur, the big man, his eyes clenched shut, began to fight back.

Bang…

The punch aimed at the throat didn’t crush the Adam’s apple as intended. At the crucial moment, the big man ducked his head, so the blow landed on his chin instead. The knee to the groin struck his thigh, which he dodged by twisting his hips, narrowly avoiding a critical hit. As for the place that was struck, his formidable resilience meant it was hardly worth mentioning.

“Damn… he blocked everything…”

Sun Fugui clenched his fists, sweat forming on his brow from tension. The rest of the crowd felt their hearts leap into their throats.

Missing the attack, the small fighter reacted swiftly and decisively, pulling back to increase the distance between them.

Only now did Feng Jingzhe finally see, beneath the hood, the youthful face that had been hidden. He’d suspected the opponent wasn’t very old, but hadn’t expected him to be so young. Judging by the faint fuzz on his upper lip, he could be no more than fourteen or fifteen.

Despite his youth, none dared underestimate him now. The way he attacked—each move deadly—would put even seasoned fighters to shame.

“Ahem… So young, yet so ruthless…

Since that's how you play, I won't hold back…”

The big man had just suffered a humiliating blow in front of everyone; his fury was raging, threatening to burst from his head.

Even now, tears streamed from his eyes, and blood poured from his nose.

Just when everyone expected another fierce exchange of blows, the small fighter raised his right hand before the big man could attack.

“I concede…”

Those words were like a dead fly shoved into the big man’s mouth, disgust overwhelming him.

“Damn it, you want to surrender after you’ve finished hitting me…”

The big man refused to let it go; at the very least, he wanted to land a few punches to vent his frustration.

He pretended not to hear the gong signalling the end, still trying to seize the chance to throw a few punches.

But at that moment, a wine cup flew from somewhere, landing precisely where he was about to step.

Thud…

His foot slipped, and the big man toppled face-first to the ground.

Before he could get up, several burly men outside the cage rushed in and pinned him down, beating him mercilessly.

“Rules are rules; no one can break them! As it’s your first offense, you won’t be punished this time. Next time, you’ll leave a leg behind!”

Feng Jingzhe looked toward the source of the voice, only to glimpse a vague figure in the VIP box at the top.

Of course, such a large venue needed someone to keep order. The skill of tossing that wine cup from such a distance, landing exactly at the big man’s feet, was astonishing—whether by luck or by precise control.

The small fighter didn’t linger in the ring; by the time Feng Jingzhe turned back, he had collected his medicinal fee and vanished at the exit.

“Let’s go. We’ve learned what we needed; nothing more to see here…”

Without another word, Feng Jingzhe turned and walked in the direction the small fighter had departed.

On Mule Street in the western market, the pungent smell returned. A young boy, clutching his wounded arm, walked forlornly through the night.

His slight frame seemed even thinner in the darkness. He put his coat back on, but it hardly covered him.

“Kid, leaving just like that? Are you content?”

From a shadowy corner came a sudden question.

The boy, somehow now holding a small knife, pressed himself tightly against the wall, back arched, like a beast ready to fight.

“That little bit of medicine money isn’t enough to treat your arm, is it…”

From the darkness, a fat man and a thin man emerged—it was Feng Jingzhe and Sun Fugui.

Sun Fugui carried a steaming bundle in his hand.

“Thanks to you, we made a little fortune just now… Take this…”

Feng Jingzhe pulled out a pouch, the fifty taels they’d won, and tossed it over.

The boy caught it and opened it, surprise flashing across his face, quickly replaced by heightened wariness.

“Don’t worry, I just felt you were likable and decided to lend a hand. Everyone has hard times in life.”

Feng Jingzhe took the bundle from Sun Fugui, bit into a pickled vegetable bun, and tossed the bundle over.

“There’s nothing much at this hour. Eat the buns while they’re hot, fresh from the inn…”

With that, Feng Jingzhe and Sun Fugui turned to leave, waiting for the boy to ask for something, but he never did.

“My name is Little Knife… Li Xiaodao…”

At the mouth of the alley, Feng Jingzhe paused but didn’t turn around.

“Li Xiaodao, I’ll remember it! If you ever need help, come find the Feng family at Pingkang Lane!

If I’m not around, you can look for Fatty Sun at Food Paradise in the Eastern Market…”

Li Xiaodao watched the two figures disappear into the distance, glanced at the silver and buns in his hands, and finally broke into a smile…

He no longer hesitated, quickening his pace to find a place to stay for the night. Walking from here to Yongyang Lane would take at least two and a half hours, and by the time he got home, dawn would surely break…

Meanwhile, in a shanty deep in the slums beneath the city wall, a dark-skinned, thin-faced boy waited eagerly by the door.

“Why isn’t Brother Knife back yet? I hope nothing happened to him…”

“Cough, cough… What a jinx… Spit, quick… cough, cough…”

Inside, a young girl seemed gravely ill, coughing desperately after only a few words.

“Spit, spit… I’m a jinx. Brother Knife said he’d find a way to earn money. With money, Yaya can get treatment…”

“Cough… I just took a nap; why didn’t you try to stop him?

Money isn’t that easy to earn…”

Her pale face faded to a whisper. Even years of poor nutrition couldn’t hide her natural beauty.

Under the moonlight, she seemed even more delicate and quietly lovely…