From far away, Xu Tingsheng saw Fang Chen and Fang Yuqing walking towards him with their luggage in tow. He hurriedly went over to receive them.

  “Why is it just the two of you?” He asked.

  “Fang Zhong and the others weren’t willing……”


  Xu Tingsheng cut him short, saying urgently, “I don’t care about Fang Zhong’s lot. But what about Little Carp? What’s with the two of you? How could you not bring her with you? She’s……”


  “Humph! Who let you call me Little Carp?!” Fang Ruli peeked out from behind the two of them, feeling a bit moved as she saw Xu Tingsheng’s frantic expression, “Calm down, I’m here.”


  Xu Tingsheng heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at her.

  Seeing him smile, Fang Ruli was aggravated, “Sick pervert, you’re not to feign concern about me. Are we on very good terms?! You already have Big Sis Little Ning, and you still……anyway, you’re really a pervert. I’ll definitely tell Big Sis Little Ning when I get back.”


  Xu Tingsheng did not answer. His latest strategy for dealing with the feisty girl was to simply shut up and leave the battlefield when her spirits were soaring and she was ready for battle. Unable to beat her in an argument, he would simply refrain from responding.

  The four of them went to the carpark and found Zhong Wusheng.

  The plane took off before their eyes.

  Zhong Wusheng congratulated Fang Yuqing for returning from America so quickly and asked for the watch on his wrist that he had gifted him back.

  Fang Yuqing dodged to the side, smiling as he exclaimed, “Return it to you? Do you think I’m silly? This is Royal Oak……”


  Their self-awareness of being in a crisis was evidently not as deep as Xu Tingsheng’s.

  Fang Chen gazed at Xu Tingsheng, asking, “What exactly is the matter? How serious is it?”


  Xu Tingsheng answered frankly, “Actually, I’m also not so sure as of now.”


  “You are not sure too. Then……”


  “Relax, it won’t be long before I can be sure. I’ll go and ask in the morning.”


  “You’ll……go and ask? Ask who?”


  “Ask Ling Xiao, ask the Ling and Xiao families.”
……

  They returned from Shenghai to Xihu City and rested till daylight. Then, after sending Fang Yuqing, Fang Chen and Fang Ruli back to the hospital where he entrusted them to Du Jiang and giving Fang Ruli’s mother a brief explanation, Xu Tingsheng brought Zhong Wusheng out.

  The Ling family home in Xihu City was not hard to locate. Zhong Wusheng parked the car nearby before Xu Tingsheng took out his phone and called Ling Xiao.

  “I remember you saying last time that the two elders asked me to drop by your home for a visit if I have the time. I’m here,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  There was a short silence before Ling Xiao said rather hesitantly, “Why is it that of all times, you are only coming now? My family is not feeling happy at all with you right now. I’m worried that……”


  “Worried for me, in a tough spot……is that what you mean? So, is it Ling Xiaoqing on the phone now? Miss Ling Xiao can indeed switch roles smoothly at will,” Xu Tingsheng interrupted her.

  “.……” Ling Xiao did not speak.

  “Forgive me for overestimating myself before.”


  At this point in time, some things were already out in the open.

  Ling Xiao took a moment to come to terms with this before she smiled, “If you definitely must come, I’ll open the door for you. What you want to ask, you can ask me.”


  After hanging up, Xu Tingsheng immediately dialled Fang Yuqing’s number.

  “Calculate the time the plane will reach America. After that, spam call Fang Zhong, Fang Ying and the slightly older kids and make sure you get ahold of them. Then……ask them not to leave the airport for the time being.”


  “I don’t have any way of explaining in detail right now. Just do as I say first. If there’s anything, send me a message.”


  Xu Tingsheng had just returned his handphone to his pocket when the door opened.

  Ling Xiao was in mere home clothes, without makeup and with her hair bundled simply up.

  “Welcome. If there is anything, tell me about it here. I believe you should understand that our Ling and Xiao families do not wish to make things difficult for you,” Ling Xiao said as she looked at Xu Tingsheng.

  “I know. Thank you. Still, since I’m here already, aren’t you going to invite me in to sit? I’m looking for the two elders for a chat. If I really must back off in the face of difficulty, I will do it then,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  At this point, the point of potential breakthrough was already not with Ling Xiao. Some answers could not be obtained from just speaking with her. Xu Tingsheng had to see the two old men of the Ling and Xiao families.

  “I’ve just asked them. Sorry, it is not so convenient today. How about another day. Another day would be fine,” Ling Xiao smiled and said.

  Xu Tingsheng ignored her words completely, squeezing into the half-opened door and walking inside. Zhong Wusheng followed after him.

  The Ling family was big. Beyond the door was a courtyard. In the middle was a pavement of stone. At the sides were old trees, bamboo plants, stone tables, bamboo chairs, a little pond.

  Ling Xiao did not stop him, following him for a while before slowly sitting down at a stone table and pouring herself a cup of tea.

  A youth of around twenty came from the direction of the main house, blocking Xu Tingsheng’s path.

  Xu Tingsheng turned to look at Ling Xiao.

  Ling Xiao retrieved another cup and poured tea into it as she said, “Coming from the military, our family likes going by some old rules. Come, have a cup. If you can make it over, my two fathers will meet you. If you can’t, let’s just chat here for a while.”


  Ling Xiao gestured to him in invitation.

  Zhong Wusheng arrived in front of Xu Tingsheng and said, “Go on. Happens that it’s been a long time since I last had a good bout.”


  “Just give it a go. If you can’t, there’s no need to force yourself,” Xu Tingsheng instructed in a low tone even as he walked away.

  Much less understand their intensity, he had never experienced these things before. Modern society’s concept of being good at fighting rested mostly on sports competitions. While he did know that Zhong Wusheng was good at fighting and Du Jiang was good at fighting, being able to easily go against a dozen ordinary thugs, Xu Tingsheng was less certain about this youth who had been dispatched by an old-school military family.

  Since some things had so many legends, were legacies that went way back, one could not but believe in them however many jokes there were about them.

  As Xu Tingsheng drank his first cup of tea, the fighters had already exchanged blows.

  In terms of gaining experience and being an eye-opener, this was actually a bit of a letdown. The two combatants were fighting with arm and foot in an organised fashion. While not the disorganised, haphazard style of amateurs, it was far from as entertaining as K1, or MMA.

  Once in a while, one of them would receive a blow and take a few steps back, seemingly no worse for wear.

  Xu Tingsheng was not an expert in this field. Were an expert watching here, he would discover that Zhong Wusheng’s style was based more on boxing, relying on punches and agile footwork. Meanwhile, the youth who was his opponent had the style of China’s military as it was relatively more single-minded and ruthless, seeking to incapacitate in a single strike.

  There was no break in between, but the fight persisted. As time went by, a slit appeared by the wooden window on the second floor of the main house.

  “Your friend’s pretty good at taking hits,” Ling Xiao refilled Xu Tingsheng’s cup while saying, “I heard that apparently, Junwen’s blows are very heavy. Most people are unable to sustain that level of damage at all. Still, your friend has already taken nearly ten blows.”


  A hint of puzzlement flashed through Xu Tingsheng’s eyes as he looked at that rather skinny youth.

  “I’m not lying on this. Junwen has been training since young. He spars with people from the military quite frequently the past few years, and there are few who can beat him,” Ling Xiao explained.

  “So, you’re admitting that you’ve lied to me quite a lot on other things?”


  “What do you think?” Ling Xiao smiled, “Still, you probably won’t have the chance to verify it today. If this is the extent of your friend’s abilities, he’s about to fall……next time then. You are welcome to come visit again when this matter is over.”