Chapter 9, Group Assault
Although Gao Huaiyuan had an injury on his hand that caused him some pain, he could not afford to pay attention to it at that moment. He quickly got up and delivered an uppercut, striking a young man's chin, sending him flying out and causing him to lose consciousness upon hitting the ground
This fellow took a look and realized that a troublemaker had indeed arrived, so he led a few of his underlings to release the crying boy and approached Gao Huaiyuan. The leader scrutinized Gao Huaiyuan again, confirming that he had never seen this person in Shaoxing City before, which emboldened him. He shouted, "Oh! It seems we have a cheeky one here! You want to meddle? Fine! We'll use you to practice our skills! Brothers, beat him up and let him know that we are not to be trifled with in Shaoxing City!"
Upon hearing someone come to advise, the group of young men who were beating someone stopped their actions. The leader of the group, with a nonchalant demeanor, glanced sideways at Gao Huaiyuan. After sizing him up, he realized he did not recognize him, and seeing that Gao Huaiyuan was dressed quite ordinarily, unlike a child of a noble family, he snorted disdainfully and said: "Which wild family do you belong to? You dare to meddle in my affairs? I think you must be itching for a fight, aren't you? It's none of your business what happens to me. If you know what's good for you, get lost quickly, or else you'll provoke my anger and get beaten up too!"
The sounds of their fighting attracted the attention of a passerby, an elderly man in his fifties or sixties. He appeared quite thin, yet his posture was upright, and his eyes were bright. Initially, he intended to leave after a glance, but at that moment, Gao Huaiyuan executed a wrist lock, seizing an opponent's wrist. Then, with a twist, he forced the opponent to turn his back. Following this, a sweeping kick struck the opponent's knee, sending him tumbling onto his back with a heavy thud. However, shortly after, he received a kick to his back, causing him to be knocked down. Just then, Gao Huaiyuan performed a wrist lock again, capturing another opponent's wrist, twisting him to force him to turn away, and then delivered a sweeping kick that hit the opponent's knee, sending him crashing to the ground, but soon after, he was kicked in the back and fell to the ground.
Gao Huaiyuan had no time to pay attention to the old man watching the commotion. After being knocked down, he immediately rolled on the ground and hooked the ankle of the leading boy. With a swift motion, he executed a leg lock. Once the boy's calf was secured, he instantly lost his balance and fell backward. However, Gao Huaiyuan noticed that the spot where the boy's head would land had a protruding rock, which startled him. If the boy fell onto that rock, it could result in a severe head injury. He had no deep-seated hatred towards these individuals and did not wish to cause any fatalities. Therefore, he quickly reached out to support the boy's head. As a result, when the boy fell, the back of his head landed on Gao Huaiyuan's hand, preventing a heavy impact with the rock. Unfortunately, Gao Huaiyuan's hand was forcefully struck against the stone, causing his skin to break and blood to flow profusely.
"Stop hitting! Let's admit defeat! You've done enough, haven't you? Are we really afraid of you?" The young man lying on the ground, who was the leader, saw that his seven or eight companions had all been taken down by Gao Huaiyuan alone. He was somewhat perceptive, struggling to sit up and shouted at Gao Huaiyuan, his tears having been beaten out by him.
Thus, Gao Huaiyuan was surrounded by them, initiating a chaotic melee. Although Gao Huaiyuan was skilled in grappling, he was but one person, and two fists could hardly contend against four hands. Despite knocking down two opponents in quick succession, he also sustained several blows. However, in this moment of urgency, Gao Huaiyuan disregarded the pain in his body, focusing on one target at a time, toppling one after another, paying no heed to the attacks from others, and soon he received numerous punches and kicks.
After a few days of getting acquainted, Gao Huaiyuan had already gained an understanding of the local customs. Without needing to ask, it was clear that the leading boy who was hitting others was definitely a little hoodlum from the streets of Shaoxing. It seemed he was looking for trouble to bully someone. However, from his words, the boy who was being beaten appeared to have some status, perhaps a member of the clan? This would mean that the boy being beaten should have the surname Zhao. How had he fallen to such a state, being beaten in the street? It seems this boy must be from a very distant branch of the Zhao clan; otherwise, no one would dare to bully him like this.
After Gao Huaiyuan turned the corner, he saw a group of young boys bullying a slightly younger boy. The isolated boy was being beaten to the ground by this gang, crying out in distress
"How can you be so rude? I came here just to mediate, yet you speak disrespectfully and start cursing. Don't think that I am afraid of you just because you have more people. I am determined to intervene in this matter today, so what are you going to do about it?" Gao Huaiyuan was angered and said this to the leader of the group.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The old man seemed to sense the danger, but he was too far away to react in time. His brows furrowed momentarily, but when he saw Gao Huaiyuan reach out to catch that fellow's head with his own hand, he relaxed again and gave a slight nod.
A few kids rushed over to Gao Huaiyuan, who was truly infuriated. In his view, although these guys were about the same age as him, he was, after all, a soul in his twenties. To be bullied by these little brats was nothing short of a joke. Despite their numbers, Gao Huaiyuan was not afraid of them at all. Over the past few days, he had come to understand his situation. This body of Gao Huaiyuan seemed to possess extraordinary talent, with strength that was astonishing. Although he was only twelve years old, his strength was comparable to that of an adult man. Therefore, even though a few guys were clamoring and rushing at him, he showed no signs of fear. Fighting? Even in his previous life, he had engaged in such activities as a child. Today, he would just treat it as a chance to practice his skills.
Gao Huaiyuan shook his head inwardly. Originally, he intended to turn and leave, but due to the habits formed in his previous life, seeing someone being bullied made it seem a bit against his conscience to walk away. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped forward to mediate, saying: "Everyone! You have already beaten him; he is just a child, how can he withstand such treatment from you? I think it would be better to stop now!"
A man at the front just threw a punch, and Gao Huaiyuan swiftly grabbed his wrist, pulling him close. He turned sideways, placing the man's arm over his shoulder, and with a forceful motion from his waist, he lifted the man and executed a shoulder throw. After hitting the ground, the man immediately became disoriented, as if his internal organs were about to shift out of place. He began to howl on the spot, rolling on the ground and unable to get back up.
Gao Huaiyuan looked around for a moment and then realized that today's battle had come to an end. Looking at the group of young men, he noticed that none of them were standing. Unconsciously, he raised his fist to take a look; there was a gash on the back of his hand from being struck by a stone, blood oozing out and looking quite frightening. He then lowered his head to examine his own body, which appeared to be that of a twelve or thirteen-year-old, and felt a bit incredulous.
The old man clearly became interested, so he stopped in his tracks and began to watch with great enthusiasm, shaking his head as he watched, and eventually started to smile.
After hearing the words of this young man, Gao Huaiyuan was immediately infuriated. His position in the Gao family was indeed somewhat awkward; he had often been scolded as a bastard by the women of the Li family. Now that he was relying on Gao Huaiyuan, he was particularly sensitive to being called a bastard. Consequently, his expression darkened on the spot. Although he did not know this young man, he was not afraid of him. After all, Gao Jian held the position of a Tongpan in Shaoxing Prefecture. Although his rank was not high, his power was considerable. If any trouble arose, it was likely that Gao Jian would support him. Thus, he was well aware of this and straightened his back.
After several individuals pounced on Gao Huaiyuan, one by one they swung their fists to strike. Instead of retreating, Gao Huaiyuan accelerated and charged into their midst. During his time at the police academy, hand-to-hand combat was a required course, and he had devoted considerable effort to mastering it. Coupled with Gao Huaiyuan's brute strength, his advantages became evident as soon as he engaged in combat
A young man at the forefront shouted while fighting: "I'll beat you to death, you little brat. You dare not compensate after bumping into me? Just watch me beat you to a pulp! Is he not from a noble family? What can happen if I beat you today? How dare you use your noble status to pressure me, the young master? Bah! Your father has long been dead, and now your maternal grandfather is just a village head. What can he do to me? Beat him!"
The other guys were taken aback; they did not expect that this seemingly unremarkable individual could actually hold his own. In an instant, he took down two of them, which made them somewhat fearful. However, the leader among them still had some courage. Upon seeing Gao Huaiyuan's prowess, he did not retreat but instead directed the remaining members to charge forward together, hoping to win by sheer numbers.
Looking around the scene, only one guy remained standing among the seven or eight others. After surveying the surroundings, he suddenly realized that he was the only one still upright. At that moment, he was struck with fear as he saw Gao Huaiyuan approaching him. Terrified, he turned to run, but Gao Huaiyuan quickly stepped forward, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and with a strong pull, he lost his balance and was thrown to the ground.
Gao Huaiyuan seized the opportunity with a single move, disregarding the others. He raised his hand to deflect a punch from a young man, then executed a left elbow strike that landed squarely on the side of the latter's jaw. Given his considerable strength, the young man was abruptly knocked sideways, collapsing onto the ground. A large molar was instantly dislodged, and he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground. After all, he was merely a boy of twelve or thirteen years. Upon seeing his own blood and realizing he had lost a tooth, he began to wail loudly.
The leading young man, however, was unaware that he had already wandered around the threshold of death. As he got up, he attempted to subdue Gao Huaiyuan. In response, Gao Huaiyuan curled his legs up to his chest, using his feet to push against the young man's chest, sending him flying away. With a cry of surprise, he fell in a disoriented state, struggling to get back up.