The moment Lianshan Xin noticed him, the other man spotted Lianshan Xin as well.
Immediately, the lean fellow dropped to his knees before Lianshan Xin like a toppled mountain of gold and a collapsing pillar of jade.
"Many thanks to Young Master Xin for saving my humble life! For such immense benevolence, I have no way to repay you, but in the future, I will gladly go through fire and water at your command, without the slightest hesitation!"
Lianshan Xin paid little heed to the flattery, merely looking down at the gaunt man kneeling before him with a thoughtful expression. "Huang Jingji, you certainly react quickly."
Huang Jingji knocked his forehead against the ground with three resounding thuds. "This lowly one knows he offended Doctor Lianshan in the past. Today, I came specifically to apologize to Doctor Lianshan and give thanks to Young Master Xin. I beg Young Master Xin and Doctor Lianshan to be magnanimous and overlook my past offenses."
Two henchmen behind Huang Jingji hurriedly carried forward a heap of gifts, setting them right before Huichun Hall in full view of the public.
The spectacle swiftly drew the attention of the surrounding onlookers.
"Isn't that... Huang Jingji, the leader of the Thorn Gang?"
"It's him, no doubt about it! My seventh grand-uncle works under the Thorn Gang, and I've had the fortune of seeing Gang Leader Huang in person before."
"Why on earth is Gang Leader Huang kneeling before Lianshan Xin?"
"You're still calling him Lianshan Xin? From now on, you'd better call him Young Master Xin!"
"Haven't you heard? Young Master Xin has already been recommended to Bailudong Academy, and he even joined Nine Heavens!"
"It was Young Master Xin who led the men to raid Chairman Qu's estate!"
"*Hiss.*"
Amidst the chorus of sharply drawn breaths, the air in front of Huichun Hall felt several degrees warmer from the excitement.
Having reached half-step True Intent, Lianshan Xin possessed keen eyes and sharp ears, his hearing several times better than before, so he naturally caught every word of the chatter.
The corners of his mouth instinctively started to curl upward, though he quickly suppressed the grin with sheer willpower.
*Returning home in glory, splendid robes never worn in the dark—this truly feels incredible.*
*No wonder successful folks always love heading back to their hometowns to show off.*
*When it's time to flex, you have to flex! We're all mortals at heart; this is the exact feeling everyone lives for.*
Lianshan Xin readily admitted he was just that shallow; he thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of being praised and looked up to.
Over the past eighteen years, his accomplishments had been far from impressive.
He had never been that "model child next door" other parents praised.
Now, through his own hard work—and a few cheats—he had finally become that exemplary youth.
Only those who had flaunted it truly knew how sweet it tasted.
With that in mind, Lianshan Xin's impression of Huang Jingji improved by a few notches.
"Gang Leader Huang, there are no grievances between you and my family. There is no need for such dramatic courtesy," Lianshan Xin said.
Seeing Lianshan Xin decline his overture, Huang Jingji's complexion shifted drastically. "Young Master Xin, is there truly not even a sliver of hope left for me?"
Lianshan Xin smiled and shook his head. "I mean exactly what I said: there are no grudges between you and my family, so there is no need for such grand gestures. Beating Chairman Qu's brother-in-law to death was your own capability."
"If not for Young Master Xin uprooting the Qu household, this lowly one would never have escaped their clutches," Huang Jingji said with utmost sincerity.
Lianshan Xin offered neither confirmation nor denial.
Chairman Qu's good-for-nothing brother-in-law had been a gang member who had clashed with the Thorn Gang—the biggest local strongmen in this area—and ended up grievously wounded from the brawl.
He had later been brought to Huichun Hall for treatment, but Lianshan Jingcheng was powerless to save him. Chairman Qu had taken out his fury on Lianshan Jingcheng, which in turn prompted Lianshan Xin to seriously plot entering Bailudong Academy through a recommendation.
All of the recent turmoil had stemmed from that.
Strictly speaking, the real spark had indeed been this Huang Jingji kneeling before him, along with Chairman Qu's deceased brother-in-law.
Back when Huang Jingji hacked Chairman Qu's brother-in-law to death, he had been immensely proud of himself.
That lasted right up until yesterday, when the Qu estate was raided.
Huang Jingji had been stunned senseless.
Yet he was not utterly foolish.
Which was why he had arrived before Huichun Hall today to offer both gratitude and apologies.
"I heard that because of his brother-in-law's death, that Qu fellow vented his rage on Doctor Lianshan. That was all this lowly one's fault."
The moment Huang Jingji caught wind of that detail, he felt as though he had walked right onto the path to doom.
The Thorn Gang might be considered local strongmen on these neighborhood streets, but compared to the Demon Cult or Nine Heavens, they were nothing more than a speck of dust.
He had spent the entire night agonizing over whether to flee or come apologize, and in the end, under the combined urging of his wife and his strategist, he chose to come to Huichun Hall to make amends.
Truth be told, Lianshan Xin had nearly forgotten all about him.
He was not petty enough to go around stomping on every ant that crossed his path.
"Chairman Qu has already paid the price for his deeds. This matter has nothing to do with you. Gang Leader Huang, I am a reasonable person; you don't need to feel so guilty."
Yet it was impossible for Huang Jingji not to feel guilty. "Young Master Xin... over the past years, this lowly one grew accustomed to throwing his weight around, collecting protection money from Huichun Hall every month. This time, I have brought it all back to repay you a hundredfold."
As local gang bosses, collecting protection money was routine.
Huang Jingji had never felt he was crossing the line back then.
Yet once Lianshan Xin became Young Master Xin of Nine Heavens, he felt as though he had handed the young man yet another reason to destroy him.
This time, Lianshan Xin did not display any easy magnanimity.
Huang Jingji had not taken Xin's own hard-earned money; he had taken the fruits of Lianshan Jingcheng's craft.
After a brief thought, Lianshan Xin called his father outside.
"Father, do you wish to forgive him?"
He could not be generous on Lianshan Jingcheng's behalf, for he did not know what his father had endured.
Whenever protection money was collected, Lianshan Jingcheng had deliberately shielded it from Lianshan Xin's sight.
Seeing Huang Jingji kneeling there, Lianshan Jingcheng was startled as well.
Only after listening to Lianshan Xin's explanation did he realize what was going on.
"Gang Leader Huang, you are being far too courteous; this is truly unnecessary. The dues your gang collected over the years never exceeded what other gangs took. And because of my standing as a physician, your members always treated me with respect. I bear no resentment in my heart."
Huang Jingji breathed an inward sigh of relief.
*Thank heavens you're a doctor.*
Gang members were rarely kind to ordinary folk, but when it came to a doctor capable of saving lives, they naturally showed a measure of deference. After all, there was no telling when they might need Lianshan Jingcheng to save their own skin.
Huang Jingji felt that fortune was on his side after all.
"Even if we didn't take extra dues, we never offered Doctor Lianshan much help over the years, so this lowly one was still in the wrong," Huang Jingji insisted. "I beg Doctor Lianshan to accept my apology gifts, or my conscience will never find peace."
Lianshan Jingcheng looked toward Lianshan Xin.
Lianshan Xin gave a light chuckle. "Father, since I have joined Nine Heavens, accepting gifts and wealth publicly like this would be improper."
Huang Jingji raised a hand and slapped his own cheek.
*How could I have forgotten that?*
*Gifts like this are meant to be delivered in secret!*
"However, since Gang Leader Huang insists so earnestly, it would be rude to refuse outright," Lianshan Xin continued. "How about this: what is taken from the people should be used for the people. Father, host a flowing banquet for the neighborhood for two days, and Gang Leader Huang will cover all the expenses. We can treat it as a celebration for my admission into Bailudong Academy."
Lianshan Jingcheng was tempted by the idea, yet he hesitated. "Little Xin, wouldn't that be drawing too much attention?"
"Father, storms arise in the heavens without warning, and fortunes shift overnight. None of us knows what tomorrow may bring. Since fortune has favored us now, I want you and Mother to enjoy it. Don't endure hardship anymore; all that enduring hardship does is bring more hardship, while knowing how to enjoy good fortune brings even greater blessing."
Lianshan Jingcheng felt a surge of warmth. "Little Xin, your mother and I never felt life was hard."
"Well, I think you've had it hard, so listen to me!"
Just as mothers always believed their children were cold, it was time to turn the tables.
There was another kind of suffering in this world—the kind where children believed their parents had suffered enough.
Chapter 39