C15 Master Jin Comes to My Door

"Kid, this must be your place, huh?"

"Spit it out, I'm telling you, it's not!"

"Damn, you still haven't had enough, have you? Keep it up!"

In front of a modest house, a young man was bound with his hands tied behind him, while three or four others encircled him, doling out punches and kicks. They targeted spots that were painful but not life-threatening.

"Listen up, I've done my homework. This is your house. Spill it—got anything of value here?"

"Not a damn thing. If I did, would I bother stealing from you?"

"Watch your mouth! Give him twenty more slaps, but don't knock him out."

A burly man, upon hearing this, spat into his palm and began to deliver the slaps.

The man speaking to the captive youth was a brute with a face marred by scars, tipping the scales at around 300 pounds, decked out in a leather jacket and pants, leaning against a gold-colored van.

As he talked, he flashed a gold-capped tooth among the missing ones. A nose ring adorned his nostril, and an iron ring sat at the corner of his right eye. On the back of his neck, visible tattoos of a dragon and a tiger could be seen, though their exact nature was unclear.

"Alright, let's settle this. How much did you take from me? 35,000 yuan? I'm not asking for more. Just give it back, and I'll let you off the hook."

"Heh! If I could cough up that money, I wouldn't carry the Zhong name! You want cash, I don't have it. But if it's my life you're after, come and take it!"

"Heh, tough guy, huh? Master Jin here has seen plenty like you."

"Trying to cross me? If you're itching for death, then..."

Before he could finish his threat, the rumble of Liu Feng's motorcycle cut him off.

"Yule!" Zhong Yuyuan leaped from the bike and dashed toward the young man on the ground.

"Oh? Who's this lady?"

Master Jin's face split into a grin as he shoved Zhong Yuyuan to the ground with one hand.

"Who gave you permission to approach this kid? What's your relationship to him?"

"He's my brother! What have you done to him?"

Zhong Yuyuan collapsed to the ground, her face seething with rage as she yelled at Master Jin.

"Well, well, well, I had no idea the kid had such a pretty sister!"

"Tsk, tsk, impressive. You claimed your whole family was dead, didn't you? Lying to me? Give him another ten slaps."

"Go to hell!"

Zhong Yule's retort was cut short as a slap sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Stop hitting him!"

Zhong Yuyuan watched her brother being struck, her hand covering her mouth to stifle her sobs as tears streamed down her face.

"Sure, I can stop hitting him, but he's done something wrong. It's not a huge deal; he just stole over thirty thousand yuan from me."

Zhong Yuyuan bit her lip, fighting back the urge to cry, but tears cascaded down her cheeks as she glared at Master Jin, who squatted before her, her eyes filled with anger and tears.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jin, and the folks in the underworld respectfully refer to me as Master Jin." Master Jin flashed his gold tooth, "I'm not a bad guy. In this life, I abide by three principles: benevolence, righteousness, and trust."

Master Jin turned and nodded at Zhong Yule.

"Your brother, he breached the principle of 'trust' under my watch, so I had to discipline him. Think of it as me helping you teach your brother a lesson."

"A lesson is a lesson. Once it's done, and the money is returned, I'll let him off the hook."

"I live by one rule: everyone gets one chance to mess up with me."

"So, sister, do you have the money?"

After his spiel, Master Jin gave Zhong Yuyuan a sly smile and reached out as if to stroke her hair.

Terrified, Zhong Yuyuan scrambled backward on the ground. Liu Feng quickly stepped in, helping her to her feet.

Master Jin shot Liu Feng a look but remained silent. Meanwhile, Zhong Yule had taken his beating.

"Don't you dare touch my sister. Lay a finger on her, and you'll regret it!"

What should have been a stirring declaration was marred by the sight of Zhong Yule, her face a mask of blood, cheeks swollen so badly they ballooned before your eyes.

"Hahahaha, what are you even saying?"

Master Jin roared with laughter upon hearing her.

Zhong Yuyuan gazed at her brother, tears streaming down her face in silence.

"I... I don't have that much... Would 10,000 be enough?"

Her feeble voice was particularly distressing in such a situation.

Liu Feng watched the unfolding scene, uncertain of what action to take. Should he step in and help them with the debt? But Liu Feng was broke himself. He had arrived in town with a mere 4,000 yuan, and after his daily expenses, a system glitch that cost him 500, and the purchase of a motorcycle, not to mention food, he was down to less than 1,000 yuan.

It was a classic case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak.

"Ten thousand? That could work, but you'd have to spend a few nights with me. How does that sound?"

"…" Zhong Yuyuan lapsed into silence.

"Argh! Argh! Argh!" Meanwhile, Zhong Yule tried to protest but was swiftly silenced by a slap, reduced to emitting meaningless sounds.

"...Release my brother first."

"Oh? So, is that a yes?"

"Release him, and I... I... Just give me a moment to think..."

"Hahahaha, think? What's there to think about? I'll have you know, I'm quite the catch. I'll ensure you're well taken care of! Hahahaha."

Liu Feng couldn't stand it any longer. Watching a girl be demeaned like this went against every lesson he'd been taught over the years.

A true gentleman must stand up for what's right! It was time to act!

Yet, despite his internal monologue, Liu Feng remained motionless behind Zhong Yuyuan, utterly silent.

He glanced around. Zhong Yuyuan's home was nestled in the middle of the alley, flanked by a few other residences, all of which were now sealed shut, their occupants showing no intention of intervening. At both ends of the alley, onlookers peeked curiously but retreated quickly after glimpsing the grim scene. Only two or three children remained, peering around the corner at the drama unfolding before them.

The time hadn't come yet. He needed to bide his time and endure!

A true man can bend and stretch. Endure a moment, and tranquility follows; step back, and a vast world opens up.

"Sister... don't... don't agree..."

Zhong Yule lay on the ground like a lifeless fish, mustering all his strength for one last struggle. Yet, his injuries were perhaps too severe, and all he managed to utter were these few words.

"I promise you... let him go..."

Zhong Yuyuan bowed his head deeply, tears streaming down, hitting the ground and kicking up a tiny cloud of dust.

No matter how agonizing the tears, they carried little weight. At most, they might weigh a few grams, barely enough to disturb the dust.

"I..." Zhong Yule was nearly out of energy, feeling as though he would pass out at any moment.

"Hahahaha, out with it, out with it. Why lie to me? If you had mentioned you had a beautiful sister at home, why endure this ordeal? Hahahahahahaha."