Chapter Ninety-One: The Revenge for a Broken Leg

When the party arrived by horseback at the foot of Sunset Glow Mountain, they found that many people were still gathered there, waiting to make the ascent.

In addition, the place had filled with even more little stalls and hawkers than before: sellers of water skins, snacks, boots, ropes, swords, wound salves, strength pills, and the like.

After looking around, Little Ding could not help but laugh aloud.

“Brother Little Ding, do you know,” Fan the Thrice-Fat said, riding up beside him, “on the very day I came down from the mountain, I even set up a stall here and sold food. Too bad the profit was pitiful. I quit after only one day.”

“Haha, Brother Fan, your horse-lassoing business was the better trade. Pure profit, with no capital at all!” Little Ding teased.

At this, everyone burst into laughter as well.

“Now that we have safely reached the foot of the mountain, where will you all go from here? What are your plans?” Little Ding asked, turning back to address the group.

Since they had come safely down, it was naturally time to part ways.

They looked at one another, each seeming reluctant to leave.

After all, most of them had faced life and death together. Though they had known one another only a short while, they had already come to cherish one another.

Seeing that no one spoke, Big Voice Sun was the first to break the silence. “I’ve already decided I won’t go back to Flying Cloud Stronghold to be a bandit. I have nowhere to go now, so I can go anywhere.”

Fan the Thrice-Fat also lowered his head and said, “I’ve been driven out by my master’s household. I’m free now too.”

Muyu said, “I need to find a place where my uncle can recover from his internal injuries.”

Little Ding looked at the others who had not spoken yet: Yue Yurou, Mei Ruoshuang, the Ous, brother and sister, Luo Dafeng, and the several bandits who had followed Big Voice Sun.

Though they said nothing, Little Ding knew Yue Yurou would surely return to the Green Jade Sect. Before her death, her master had passed the position of sect leader to her, and she now carried the burden of restoring the sect’s former glory.

As for Luo Dafeng, she would certainly return to Shu Prefecture, or continue searching for her husband. The rest, Mei Ruoshuang and the Ous, would naturally follow him home.

“If you do not mind, you may come with me and rest at my home for a few days. What do you think?” Little Ding asked them.

“We’re willing!” they all answered in unison.

Little Ding was startled, thinking, Have you all already discussed this? Were you just waiting for me to say those words?

“Good then. Come back with me, all of you. Let’s drink together for a few days and enjoy ourselves properly!” Little Ding said with great spiritedness.

“Good, let’s drink for a few days...” the others echoed.

Little Ding led the group, spurring their horses toward Sunset Glow Village.

Fan the Thrice-Fat rode at the front as the lead horse, following Little Ding in the lead. Behind them, the fifty or sixty horses thundered along in a great clatter. Dust billowed up at once along the forest path...

The distance was only three or four miles, and in merely a quarter of an hour they had reached the western side of the village.

Little Ding reined in his horse and saw that the house his family was building on the open ground to the west was nearly topped out. It would likely be finished in a few more days. He had not expected that, in just these few days away, Uncle Niu Er and the workers would have built so quickly.

Little Ding led the others and their horses toward the construction site, introducing to them as they went the patch of open land and hillside he had bought, as well as his plans for the place.

The others clicked their tongues in admiration, praising Little Ding for his head for managing a household.

“Brother Little Ding, will you become a country squire in the future?” Mei Ruoshuang asked with a smiling face.

Little Ding suddenly thought of the great house belonging to the rich man Xue on the east side of the village, and he chuckled. “Of course I will. My life’s goal is to be a country squire far removed from the noise of the world.”

This made everyone laugh again.

The workers at the site were startled to see such a large group arriving, with so many horses besides.

Little Ding hurried to greet them. Among those workers were some from the village and some from neighboring villages.

Quite a few of them knew Little Ding. Seeing that his clothes were in tatters from head to toe, his skin covered with scratches and dried streaks of blood, they were naturally shocked, and quickly ran to report the news to Uncle Niu Er and Little Ding’s family.

Little Ding led Fan the Thrice-Fat to drive all the horses up onto the small hill behind the house, then took the others back toward home.

Before they had even entered the courtyard, Uncle Niu Er and Zhao Laixi came out to meet them. It turned out the two had been discussing matters at home when they heard the report that Little Ding had returned, and had rushed out at once.

After a few words of greeting, the group entered the fenced courtyard. The first to rush out was the little wolf, Gray Gray. In just a few days, it had grown quite a bit. Seeing so many strangers, it showed no fear at all; baring its teeth, it was already trying to rush forward and bite someone.

Little Ding hurriedly stopped it, and only then did it begin circling around him, leaping and bounding in front and behind him, showing its joy at seeing its master.

Next came Little Pearl and Tian Xiaofu, followed by Second Girl and Mei Ruoxue, and then Little Ya, Xiaoe, and Madame Li all came out as well.

The scene of their reunion needs no elaborate description; it was truly one of tears and laughter, talk and commotion, confusion and chaos all mixed together...

When Second Girl saw Little Ding, she paid no heed to the eyes of the others and threw herself straight into his arms, crying, “Husband, why have you only just come back?”

At first Little Pearl had been hugging Little Ding’s leg, but when Second Girl arrived, she was pushed aside. Unhappy, she said, “Silly Brother, can you hug me first? If you want to hug Second Sister-in-law, you can hug her at night!”

Little Pearl’s words sent everyone into laughter.

On the other side of the crowd, Mei Ruoshuang and Mei Ruoxue were already clinging to each other, weeping as if in one sobbing heap. These many days of worry and fear had left Mei Ruoxue unable to eat or sleep in peace. More than once she had wanted to force her way back into Sunset Glow Mountain, only to be persuaded to stop by Second Girl and Tang Yunzhi. Now that the sisters had met again, it was as though they had been separated for years...

When Madame Li saw that Little Ding was wounded all over again, she scolded him while also asking after him with concern.

Little Ding handed the bundle from his back to Second Girl and told her to put it back in the hut first.

Then he led the others into the courtyard.

The scene of everyone’s reunion should have been touching and warm, but Little Ding had not expected that just as they were about to reach the center of the courtyard, Big Voice Sun, walking at one side, would suddenly cry out in pain.

Everyone hurried to look, only to see two gleaming flying knives embedded in Big Voice Sun’s calves...

The moment Little Ding saw those knives, he immediately thought of Tang Yunzhi. Turning his head, he looked toward the thatched shelter in the courtyard where Tang Yunzhi lived. There, Tang Yunzhi was seated, glaring furiously at Big Voice Sun.

It was Big Voice Sun who had broken her leg, so of course she bore him a grudge. She had already shown him mercy by not sending the flying knives into his throat just now.

In truth, when she had fought Big Voice Sun earlier, she had not truly intended to kill him. Otherwise, if she had used the Tang family’s secret hidden weapons or poisons, Big Voice Sun would not still be alive.

“Miss Tang, please show mercy. Big Voice Sun has already mended his ways and is no longer a bandit...” Little Ding hastily called to her.

“Whether he’s a bandit or not, I still have to avenge my broken leg. Since he broke my leg, I’ll break his legs in return,” Tang Yunzhi said angrily.

Little Ding thought to himself that this girl’s fierce temper seemed to be flaring up again.

“Miss Tang, please calm yourself first. Those two strikes of yours are enough to keep him laid up for ten days or half a month. Once he’s recovered, if you still cannot stand the sight of him, then you can always throw your knives at him again.” Little Ding coaxed her with an apologetic smile.

At this, everyone could not help but be taken aback.