Chapter 7, Caught in the Crossfire

While speaking, footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by a loud shout: "Brother Lu, get up quickly, we are coming in." As they spoke, they pushed open the door, revealing several strong men who had shared a drink together the previous night. These robust individuals were quite reckless and insisted on dragging Lu Bing out for a stroll. Lu Bing initially felt that Dongqiao Town was still too close to Anlu and Chenjiatai, so he thought about walking further away to avoid causing trouble for Zhu Houzong and his father. Regardless of whether he was caught or not, it would only bring sorrow to his family.

"Then what about close-range attacks?" Xia Dade inquired, as Lu Bing's techniques were unlike anything he had seen before

Xia Dade's next words truly left Lu Bing in a state of both laughter and tears: "Brother, my mind isn't quite right, so I want to ask you something: why were we fighting just now?"

Lu Bing and Xia Dade rolled out in circles, crashing into a mud wall, which immediately collapsed. Lu Bing felt as if he were about to spit blood. Finally, the two stopped rolling. Xia Dade turned around and attacked Lu Bing from behind, choking him by the neck. It seemed that Xia Dade was most skilled in close-quarters combat. Lu Bing's current physique was no longer that of a high school student from before his time travel; it was much stronger, capable of taking down a bull. However, in front of Xia Dade, it still seemed insufficient.

Lu Bing suddenly recalled a television series he had watched called "The Legend of Bruce Lee," which mentioned a certain technique of jiu-jitsu. He strained to remember the moves from it. Lu Bing's physique was exceptionally developed; whatever he could think of, his body could essentially execute. Thus, he suddenly bent Xia Dade's thumb backward. Xia Dade winced in pain, causing him to loosen his grip slightly. Although he quickly tightened it again, that brief moment was already sufficient.

Aside from the kiln at the entrance of Dongqiao Town, Lu Bing is adamant about not going there. However, when it comes to drinking, gambling, and reading, Lu Bing welcomes all. The strong men all laugh, calling Lu Bing a novice. Lu Bing, however, is unfazed; after all, he is indeed a virgin. He cannot casually give away his precious first time to the local salted meat shop. If he is to go, it must be to a more upscale entertainment venue, if such venues even exist in this era

Xia Dade watched the complete return of the jade to Zhao, without a single hair being harmed, and could not help but think, as his whole body ached, that if he had known it would be like this, he would have lent it to him earlier, avoiding the current situation.

Xia Dade shouted loudly and then said: "Let go, let go, this time I truly concede."

The crowd continued to scold the officials in the court and remarked that the current emperor, Zhu Houzhao, was neglecting state affairs, only indulging in his own pleasures, and so on. Lu Bing, feeling quite tipsy, did not interject, as he had not heard of more than half of the figures they mentioned, and could only keep eating and drinking, becoming increasingly oblivious to everything around him.

Lu Bing almost burst out laughing, thinking to himself, what nonsense have you heard, could it be that you also came from another time

Xia Dade chuckled and said: "The situation is as follows: I have been concerned about your matter these past few days, so I went to Anlu and Chenjiatai to inquire about how things were going for you. As a result, I found out that you are still wanted, with your wanted posters plastered everywhere. At that time, you and His Highness Xing Wang were masked, and no one could recognize you; only the small inn where you tied your horses had seen your faces. However, you handled this matter exceptionally well; the people of Chenjiatai despise Jiang the Scoundrel, so no one has betrayed you. Moreover, although the Jiang family is heavily invested in capturing the culprit, everyone knows that this is merely an empty promise. The Jiang family's money is not so easily earned, and even if someone reported you, they might not receive a reward, and they could potentially offend you, a chivalrous figure in the martial world, thus remaining safe and sound. The trouble lies with the villain Tu Shu, who was invited by the Jiang family to perform a ritual, claiming that the Jiang family has not been doing well lately and needed to dispel their misfortune. As a result, he calculated and, after hearing the description from the young master of the Jiang family, pretended to have deduced the murderer and identified you. I suspect you must have offended him in the past, and he is harboring resentment, which is why he stumbled upon you like a blind cat finding a dead mouse."

Lu Bing, greatly perplexed, asked: "Brother Xia, what is the reason for this?"

Is this person a fool or a madman, still resisting like this? However, there is no time to think further at this moment, as Xia Dade has already rushed forward, discarded his weapon, and embraced Lu Bing, knocking him to the ground. Lu Bing felt as if he had been struck by an enraged rhinoceros.

Xia Dade was taken aback for a moment and then pretended to say: "It seems there is such a master; I think I have heard of him, quite impressive"

Isn't there a saying that goes, after watching "The Blood Brothers," one cannot trust brothers; after watching "Lust, Caution," one cannot trust women; after watching "Assembly," one cannot trust organizations? Lu Bing sighed and muttered to himself: "Trust in Chun Ge, perhaps one can attain eternal life"

The sound was like a thunderclap, causing Lu Bing's ears to ache painfully. Lu Bing did not respond; to be precise, he was choked and found it difficult to make a sound. A stubbornness arose within him, and he forcefully elbowed towards Xia Dade's rib area repeatedly. However, Xia Dade was broad and stout, lifting Lu Bing high up, making it impossible for him to exert his full strength. When he finally landed a hit, it felt as if his elbow had struck a wall.

After Lu Bing woke up, Xia Dade introduced him to his family. To be honest, Xia Dade did not have much of a family, just a few apprentices who slaughter pigs, each of them robust and strong, clearly resembling a smaller version of Xia Dade. Additionally, there were a few strong men that Xia Dade had gathered. Lu Bing felt a bit puzzled, but Xia Dade laughed and said that the person he admired and aspired to be like the most in his life was Zhang Fei, also known as Zhang Yide, which is why he wanted to gather a few strong men to embark on a great endeavor.

Lu Bing felt that he had made Xia Dade suffer enough, so he released him and stood up. However, he took a few steps back and assumed a defensive posture. Xia Dade also stood up, moving his arms and repeatedly said, "You are truly impressive. I only thought your swordsmanship was exceptional, but I didn't expect you to be so formidable in hand-to-hand combat as well. May I ask where you learned your skills, young man"

Xia Dade truly is not easily intimidated; even with a knife at his throat, he remains calm, chuckling softly and saying, "Your moves are quicker than mine; I concede, but I do so unwillingly." After saying this, a glint of cold light flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his body to evade the knife poised at his neck. Lu Bing instinctively swung his knife to strike but was a moment too late, merely shearing off a layer of Xia Dade's hair. Lu Bing did not feel alarmed; had it not been for Xia Dade's quick reflexes, this person would have already lost his head.

Lu Bing's breath gradually became insufficient, and his body felt somewhat weak; this was a symptom of oxygen deficiency. Moreover, even if he were not lacking oxygen, it was possible that he would soon have his neck broken by Xia Dade. Could he really just die like this? Damn, that would be too tragic

Lu Bing, being somewhat idle, recounted the entire sequence of events. Xia Dade nodded and said, "Let me see the knife." Lu Bing immediately burst into laughter, realizing that they had gone in circles and returned to the starting point. He then walked to the outer side of the collapsed courtyard wall, picked up his knife, and handed it to Xia Dade

Lu Bing possessed a considerable amount of gold and silver, and coupled with his generous nature, it did not take long for this group of strong men to become as close to him as if they were all born of the same mother. Lu Bing thought to himself that he could not wait any longer, as delay could lead to unforeseen changes. He left a letter intending to take his leave, but unexpectedly, at that moment, Xia Dade returned.

After hearing this, Xia Dade slammed the table and shouted: "Damn it, how refreshing! Jiang Bin, this traitor, deserves to be executed by everyone. His relatives seem to be no good either. This is just like Brother Lu; if it were me, I would have killed him long ago"

Lu Bing did not speak his thoughts aloud, but in his heart he mused: you are either planning a rebellion or intending to become a bandit. It seems I could use you as a prototype to write a book titled "The Water Margin and the Three Kingdoms"

In dealing with the enemy, one must leverage their strengths to overcome the enemy's weaknesses. Engaging in a contest of strength is not Lu Bing's forte, yet he is currently held tightly by Xia Dade, leaving him unable to move. He can only hear Xia Dade shouting in his ear: "Little brother, do you submit? If you admit defeat, I will let you go; otherwise, you will be choked to death by me."

Lu Bing noticed that Xia Dade no longer intended to attack, so he relaxed, though his eyes remained fixed on Xia Dade, wary of being caught off guard again, fearing that Xia Dade might suddenly become violent. Lu Bing replied: "The swordsmanship is a family heirloom"

However, on one hand, this group of strong men was hard to refuse, and on the other hand, I had intended to bid farewell to Xia Dade before setting off. Now, however, Xia Dade has disappeared without a trace. Upon inquiry, I learned that he had gone out on business and would likely not return for two or three days. Lu Bing had no choice but to postpone his plans to take leave, deciding to wait until Xia Dade returned to say goodbye in person before departing

Lu Bing proudly said: "Bruce Lee"

Immediately following was a grand banquet where everyone indulged in food and drink, reveling in the festivities. After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, Lu Bing, who could not hold his liquor, was already quite tipsy. After all, the young Lu Bing, under the influence of alcohol, spoke candidly about his exploits in chivalry and how he had kidnapped the young master of the Jiang family, recounting the entire story in detail.

Lu Bing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, realizing that he was caught in the crossfire. However, it was not entirely unjust, as it was a case of hitting the mark by accident.

Xia Dade threw this package to Lu Bing. Upon receiving it, Lu Bing opened it and was taken aback; inside the package was a severed head. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the very Taoist priest who had previously come to their home to swindle money.

Xia Dade, in pain, released Lu Bing and retreated. Lu Bing seized Xia Dade's hand, delivering a punch to his wrist, followed by strikes to the joint area and then to the shoulder acupoint. Under the successive blows, Xia Dade's arm became weak, and he could not muster any strength at all. Lu Bing shouted loudly, exerted force with both arms, tripped Xia Dade with his feet, and brought him down to the ground. He then locked Xia Dade's legs and twisted his palm backward.

When Lu Bing woke up, he found himself already lying in bed, with a slight headache and a very dry mouth. After getting out of bed and taking a sip of water, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat, recalling what he had said the night before. If someone with ill intentions betrayed him while he was drunk and unaware, it would be a serious matter. At his age, Lu Bing should be in the innocent and naive phase typical of youth in the Ming Dynasty. However, having grown up in modern society, Lu Bing had witnessed too much of the world's ups and downs and had watched numerous blockbuster films and television dramas. Consequently, he was somewhat more mature than his peers in the Ming Dynasty, fully aware that no one could be trusted.

Lu Bing took a deep breath of fresh air, although it was still mixed with Xia Dade's bad breath. Then, Lu Bing suddenly turned his hand into a claw and reached for Xia Dade's face. Just as Xia Dade tilted his head, Lu Bing raised his leg and kicked, striking Xia Dade's turned head squarely.

Xia Dade's home is not small, yet it cannot compare to the Xing Wangfu; after all, that is a royal residence, and the scale is naturally different. Xia Dade arranged for Lu Bing to rest, as Lu Bing had been exhausted from a day of labor, and after the recent fight, he was utterly worn out. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep, feeling at ease with Xia Dade. Xia Dade couldn't help but secretly give a thumbs up, praising him: "He is truly an upright man with a clear conscience and no distractions."

However, one does not get to know another without a fight. Xia Dade invited Lu Bing to accompany him home to rest. As for how to deal with the aftermath, pick up the weapons, and compensate for the damaged courtyard wall, that can be set aside for now. The two arrived at Xia Dade's home