Translator: Larbre Studio
Editor: Larbre Studio
Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
Li Yan, who had not seen any action for three whole chapters, was exalted and glad to be back in his rhythm.
After a few days of chaos, the Walled City finally became peaceful again. There seemed to be no losers amongst those still in the game. He Lian Sheng had replaced Wu Haoxi, and the various gangs across Hong Kong, big and small, had benefited. Kowloon gained a lot of business as well, and even Grand Duke managed to carry out her principle: “Don’t mess with the lady.”
Everyone was all smiles.
Li Yan was carrying a basket of fruit. He had just reached the entrance of the ward when he heard Huashan Jiu’s voice.
“Zhou, I hadn’t heard anything before this. Brother Le suddenly came over to the Walled City and said he wanted to watch you fight. Of course I was happy! Then you got taken down by that b*stard, and I only kicked up a fuss at Fuyi in a fit of anger. I didn’t know that Brother Le already had plans.”
On the sick bed, Zhou’s face was pale and his eyelids drooped.
“Brother Jiu, I didn’t mean anything by it. I, too, prayed to Lord Guan before joining He Lian Sheng. I won’t doubt or be suspicious of my brothers. I will believe whatever you say, Brother Jiu. If you say that you do not know of Taizi Le’s plan, I will ask no more.”
Huashan Jiu stood there with his crutches as if he wanted to say something. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Yan gently knocking on the window by the door.
“Motherf*cker, how dare you come here?” Huashan Jiu saw red.
Li Yan walked in and placed the basket of fruits on the table. Slowly and calmly, he drew himself a chair and said to Huashan,
“Brother Jiu, you have to be clear about who you owe your debts to. Your leg was broken by Red Ghost; Zhou was beaten at the hands of Xu Tianci. When all that happened in Kowloon Walled City, I was outside playing Pachinko the whole night. No matter how you look at it, this debt cannot be on me, right?”
“You are Grand Duke’s…”
“Grand Duke is Grand Duke, I am me. I’m just a fighter making a living in her fighting rings. I’m just there to exchange my life for money.”
Huashan Jiu was momentarily at a loss for words. Li Yan continued.
“Brother Jiu, if you don’t mind, could you let us two martial artists have a quick word, alone?”
Since the moment Li Yan had walked in, Zhou’s eyes had been glued to him. He nodded to Huashan Jiu who glared back at Li Yan, but eventually left with an unpleasant expression.
Li Yan picked up a fruit knife from the table and then began to expertly peel an apple. He asked, “How are your wounds? You didn’t end up with any problems did you?”
“I got medical help in time, so the arm was reattached. It might hurt in the future when there’s bad weather, and I’ll have to lay in bed for about half a year, but it’s no big deal.”
Li Yan listened quietly. Zhou sounded carefree enough, but Li Yan understood. Zhou would never be able to use an arm that had been chopped off to full strength. His martial arts abilities were more than halved. He was practically crippled as a martial artist.
Li Yan spoke again as he peeled the apple. “Leave the triad then. After this is all over, you should no longer owe them anything.”
Zhou laughed weakly. “You came here today just to tell me that?”
“Yes!” Li Yan said with unexpected force. His hands had also felt the force, and a long peel of apple skin fell into the trash can.
“The way I am now… it doesn’t make a difference if I leave or not.” Zhou still managed to smile, even at a time like this. “Just watch out for yourself.”
Li Yan handed the apple over, but Zhou shook his head.
“I can’t digest it, my intestines will fall apart. I can only get glucose water from a drip now.”
Li Yan put the apple in his own mouth instead. His face was expressionless, but he bit down hard on his apple.
The two of them looked at each other without saying a word.
In the end, Li Yan and Zhou Wei’an did not have a deep relationship, and neither of them were the kind to be talkative with people they weren’t close to. The mood suddenly felt somber, and the only sound was of Li Yan quietly munching on his apple.
After a while, Li Yan stood up.
“I’m going. You rest well.”
“Master Li.”
When Li Yan was at the door, Zhou suddenly called out from behind him.
“Thank you.”
Li Yan paused for a moment, and then left without turning around.
…
Outside, whatever lethargy Li Yan had disappeared. They were all visitors from foreign lands, meeting by chance; who would mourn for a man who had lost his way traversing the perilous Guan Mountains? Zhou was out of the game, but he was still in it.
Huashan Jiu was in the corridor with his two crutches, lighting a cigarette.
“Sir, smoking is not allowed in the hospital.” A nurse in white rubber-soled shoes came over.
Huashan Jiu sighed. He glared at the nurse but put out his cigarette. When he saw Li Yan walk out, he hobbled over with his crutches. He asked, “What were you talking with Zhou about?”
Li Yan did not answer the question. Instead, he went straight to the point. “Brother Jiu, I have something I would like you to help me with.”
“You want my help?” Huashan Jiu was so angry that he started laughing instead. “Have you fried your brains? Why would I help one of Grand Duke’s men?”
Li Yan laughed, too. He helped straighten Huashan Jiu’s shirt and said, “As I’ve said before, Grand Duke is Grand Duke. I am me. I’ve only been in Hong Kong for less than a month, and I’m just here to make a living. It could be Grand Duke or He Lian Sheng, but whoever it is, I don’t wish to take a side. Brother Jiu, you command a whole district’s worth of men. There’s no way you’re like those old thugs who only know how to act tough, who can’t see things for what they actually are, who have that loyalty bullsh*t plastered over their eyes. Those are the people that deserve to be led around by their noses.”
Li Yan’s tone sounded almost taunting.
Huashan Jiu calmed down a good deal after listening to Li Yan’s speech. “Even so, that gives me no reason to help you.”
Li Yan lowered his head and put his hand on his nose. He said softly to Huashan Jiu, “Today, He Lian Sheng’s head hosted a banquet to apologize to Grand Duke for Taizi Le. After tonight, Taizi Le will finally be able to go home and get a good sleep.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Li Yan recalled what Yu Shu had said at the banquet earlier that day. With no change in expression, he replied, “Amongst the shares that He Lian Sheng is giving away to other gangs, Grand Duke has a share too.”
Huashan Jiu’s eyes opened wide. He stared unblinkingly at Li Yan.
The deal was done!
Li Yan spoke no more, only smiled at Huashan Jiu.
Huashan Jiu fought back the unhappiness in his chest and asked begrudgingly, “What do you want me to help with?”
“I would like Brother Jiu to help me find something. Also, I would like to speak to Taizi Le.”
“What bloody thing?”
“It’s simple. A piece of paper.”
…
Number 2, Chueng Sha Wan Road, Kowloon. Block C Wing, Chun Martial Arts School.
Xu Tianci was sat uneasily and watched his fellow disciples practice their martial arts.
An old man sat across from him. In between them was a chess board scattered with black and white pieces.
“Tianci, focus when you play chess.”
Out of habit, the corners of the old man’s mouth curved downwards, giving him a very stern look.
Xu Tianci pouted. He picked up a black piece and placed it on the board.
The old man shook his head. He added a white piece to the board, slowly forcing the black pieces into a dead end.
“Looking ahead and neglecting your back. You fight that way, just like you play chess that way. No improvement at all.”
Xu Tianci stuck out his tongue, not replying to the old man.
“I heard that you severely injured a Wensheng Fist master in the ring. It seems like you stirred up quite a bit of trouble.”
Xu Tianci examined the chess board and put down a piece, saying, “Back in the day, you stirred up quite a bit of trouble yourself didn’t you, Grandpa?”
“You rascal, are you using my words against me?”
The old man scolded jokingly. He paused and then said, “Don’t go back anymore.”
Xu Tianci stayed silent, clenching a black piece in his hand.
“You keep saying ‘Once in the ring, resent not the outcome’. Some people enter the ring to make a living. If they die in the ring, they won’t resent anything. But you go in on a whim. If you die there, it’s not worth it.”
“Grandpa.”
Xu Tianci rubbed his chin. While thinking of the next move, he said, “I’ve practiced martial arts for over ten years, and I’ve never understood why I do it. To strengthen the body? To protect the country? Why must we always be on the defense? Why is it that we who learn Chinese Wushu must always be the side that receives the challenge? Why is it that only when people come up to our door to point and insult us, that we put on our robes and retaliate? Why should we wait for others to call us the ‘Weaklings of East Asia’ before we put our lives on the line, saying things like ‘You’re not allowed to insult Chinese Wushu?’ Is it more sensational that way? Why can’t we take initiative and advocate our kung fu? If I’m stronger, why can’t I fight to prove it? Why can’t I challenge other martial arts schools? Why beat them all so that the whole Hong Kong knows my name, until they shudder when they hear the words ‘Wing Chun’, until they never dare to run their mouth again?”
Xu Tianci spoke lightly and quickly, but his eyes were turning red.
The old man sighed. He was at a loss for words. He smiled bitterly and said, “You’re at that age. Your head is still in the clouds.”
Xu Tianci laughed out loud. “Grandpa, I’m only nineteen. I can’t have my face buried in the mud at this age right?” Saying that, he moved another piece.
The old man was stunned. With the piece that Tianci had played, the originally stable situation on the board was ripped apart, leaving a wide hole. Xu Tianci’s aggressive playing style had actually managed to force some life into the stale situation.
The old man stared at the board for a long time. He looked at the young, childish face beaming at him. Suddenly, he realized that he had never truly understood this child.
“Grandpa, I’ve won.” Xu Tianci smiled, showing his canines.
The old man, who had gone through so many ups and downs in his life, quivered slightly at his lips. The feeling in his heart was three parts gratified, three parts sorrow, and four parts excited. After a long while he finally gritted his teeth and said, “If you end up broken, don’t come crying to me.”
“Once in the ring…” said Xu Tianci, each word like a nail being driven into the ground, “…resent not the outcome!”