Chapter Twenty-Eight: Release

Zhang Yan walked up to his brothers and bowed deeply to them. “I don’t want to say much more, brothers. As you can see for yourselves, the life of a bandit or a robber comes with its price—sometimes, that price is your very life. If any of you wish to quit, it’s not too late. Go home, be a farmer, find a good wife, and live out your days in peace.”

One of the men standing at the front spoke up, “Yan, whatever you decide to do next, we’ll follow you!” As soon as he spoke, many others chimed in, declaring that they would still follow Zhang Yan.

“As for me,” Zhang Yan said, “I’ll probably keep being a bandit. I can’t think of anything else I could do. But before that, I need to seriously train. I can't allow what happened today to happen again...” As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. Rubbing his eyes stubbornly, he muttered, “The wind and sand are fierce today, and I’m a bit useless. No matter what you all choose in the future, you’ll always be my brothers.”

At that moment, Yang Hu emerged from the group of bandits, dragging someone with him. Though the man was covered in dust and dirt, on closer look, it was clear: it was Boss Chen himself—the very man who had tried to rob Zhang Xuan and his group that morning, only to be robbed in turn.

Yang Hu hauled Boss Chen to stand before Zhang Xuan. “Xuan, I saw this man trying to run away. He couldn’t outrun me, so here he is—I’m handing him over to you.”

Earlier, when Zhang Xuan had asked Yang Hu to look for Boss Chen, Yang Hu had gone over to the bandits, comparing faces one by one. It didn’t take long, since there were only about twenty of them left. After a few steps, perhaps out of guilty conscience, one man suddenly bolted. Yang Hu recognized his build as the one who’d robbed him that morning and immediately gave chase. After seven or eight hundred meters, Yang Hu caught up with him. Boss Chen tried to resist, swinging at Yang Hu a few times, but Yang Hu’s skills were far superior. If not for the fact that this man might have been behind the attack on Zhang Xuan, Yang Hu might have toyed with him, the way Zhang Xuan had earlier that day. But remembering the attempted ambush, after dodging Chen’s blows, Yang Hu ended it quickly—one punch to the face. Boss Chen crumpled like a cut kite and passed out from the blow. Yang Hu then grabbed him by the leg and dragged him back.

After being dragged for several dozen meters, the pain from the rough ground woke Boss Chen up. He struggled, trying to slow Yang Hu by grabbing trees or anything in reach, desperate for a chance to escape. Yang Hu, feeling the resistance, simply let go of his leg. But if Boss Chen thought he could get away, he was sorely mistaken. Yang Hu picked him up like a chicken and, twisting his arms behind his back, marched him over to Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan didn’t spare Boss Chen a glance, speaking instead to the man who’d attacked him. “See, this is your boss. He ordered you to attack me, and when you failed, he tried to run away. No, actually, he hung around to see if you’d betray him, and only ran when he was sure you wouldn't. So tell me, weren’t you a fool to follow such a man? In the future, you’re better off sticking with Zhang Yan. He doesn’t seem the type to abandon his own brothers. Boss Chen isn’t worth your loyalty, not if it means sacrificing yourself for him.”

The attacker turned to look at Boss Chen, who hung his head, unable to meet his gaze. After all, his subordinate hadn’t betrayed him, but faced with danger, Boss Chen had abandoned him without hesitation. Even he felt his face burn with shame. The two stood there in awkward silence. Zhang Xuan, not interested in their drama, began to ponder what to do about Boss Chen—kill him, since he’d already killed so many today? Or let him go, not wanting to shed more blood? The dilemma weighed on him.

“Boss, last time you pulled me out of a pile of corpses, and I’ve always been grateful. I’ve done everything you asked. Today, I’m repaying that debt in full. From this day on, we owe each other nothing.” As he spoke, tears glistened in the corners of the attacker’s eyes. He knelt and bowed to Boss Chen.

Boss Chen watched, feeling as though something precious had slipped away. He nodded. “No more debts between us. If anything, I owe you now.” With that, he looked to Zhang Xuan. Yang Hu, never taking his eyes off Boss Chen, instantly became alert as Boss Chen’s attention shifted.

“Do what you want with me,” Boss Chen said, kneeling before Zhang Xuan. “I lost, fair and square. I only ask that you spare him and my other brothers. They only did what I told them—they were just following orders to hunt you down. Please, let them go…”

Zhang Xuan looked at Boss Chen kneeling before him, then glanced at Yang Zaixing and Zhang Yan, shaking his head in resignation. His heart was a tangled knot. If Boss Chen had been defiant, killing him would have been easy. But now that Boss Chen had yielded, Zhang Xuan found he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Rubbing his forehead, he let out a long breath. “You can go. But before you leave, there’s one more thing I want you to do.”

“You’re letting me go?” Boss Chen looked at him in disbelief. He’d ordered an attack on Zhang Xuan, after all, and yet Zhang Xuan was letting him go. The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Zhang Xuan smiled. “We don’t have any deep-seated grudge, do we? If anything, it’s you who has a grudge against me, not the other way around. And look, I’m still standing.”

“What is it you want? As long as I can do it, I will.”

“Wait a moment, let me call over Zhang Yan. This isn’t something you can do alone.” Zhang Xuan waved to Zhang Yan and Yang Zaixing, beckoning them over.

The two had been watching, curious to see how Zhang Xuan would handle Boss Chen. When he motioned for them, they hurried over.

Yang Zaixing, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, “Xuan, what are you planning to do with Boss Chen?” Zhang Yan also looked at Zhang Xuan, wondering if he was being called over to do the deed himself. If that was the case, how should he handle it? If Zhang Xuan knew what Zhang Yan was thinking, he would have given him a sharp smack on the head.