Yin Yang Rogue

  The driver and I chatted in the car, and from the driver's mouth, I learned that the old goods market on the west side of Panjiayuan was the real old Panjiayuan. The driver had a string of beads in his hand, which had been rubbed to a shine. It seemed he also liked to play with things. We soon arrived at our destination.

  I got off the car and took a glance, this place is really chaotic. On my right-hand side, there were various giant stone lions and bronze tripods, while on my left-hand side, there were rows of street vendors. There were people selling all sorts of things on the ground, in a place like this, authenticity depends on one's eyesight. Surrounding me were also people playing popular songs. I entered the scenic area and took a glance, it was a mix of genuine and fake goods.

  Actually, just by looking, it can't be seen. But on real antiques, there are things that can't be imitated. That's feeling, which is also why I can distinguish once I enter the realm of observation. Observation requires highly concentrated mental energy to discern through feeling. Each object has its own breath and materiality, those objects that have carried hundreds or thousands of years of history, their breath is ancient and rustic, and cannot be replicated.

  I didn't have the heart to dig things up, but I had a subconscious feeling that there was a particularly chaotic atmosphere ahead. My "observation of the boundary" wasn't practiced enough, so I couldn't maintain it for long and soon felt my mental strength unable to concentrate. However, I still ran in that direction, and not far away, I saw a group of people surrounding someone and punching and kicking them in a remote corner of Panjiayuan.

  This group of people should be the ones Zhu Jiaqiang found, but the person surrounded in the middle can't see his face clearly, and it feels like a young man. On the ground, there is a piece of cloth with "Feng Shui for Home" written on it!

  That young man didn't fight back, he just used his hands to protect his vital parts and passively endured the beating. As I walked forward, I thought it was unlikely that he was a lunatic. With the personality of a lunatic, once they go crazy, they are absolutely not someone you can mess with, and their boxing skills are extremely good. It's also unlikely that he would be bullied.

  The person who was beaten looked miserable, with some bloodstains already on the ground. I only realized when I walked in that Zhu Jiaqiang's thugs were really vicious, each of them holding something, with nails on the wooden clubs, which would leave deep gashes as soon as they hit the body. The group pushed and shoved, cursing. The person being beaten was flattering and kept begging for mercy, wailing loudly at the same time.

  Just as I was about seven or eight meters away from them, suddenly a stick swung directly at the man's head. The man seemed to have sensed something and quickly raised his head, dodging the stick. But in that instant when he raised his head, my whole body felt like it had been struck by lightning, my heart seemed to have lost control, and was violently pounding as if it was about to jump out of my chest cavity.

  That man had a broad face, with a dark complexion. Small eyes and high nose, at this time his forehead was still dripping blood drop by drop. His clothes were already tattered, covered in wounds of all sizes.

  Those past events seemed to be from a previous life, and in this instant, they all converged.

  I still remember him shamelessly grinning and calling me "younger brother"!

  I still remember when we had a fight back then, he waved his fist towards others' faces: "How we fight is our business, no one else has the right to say 'no' to my brother!"

  I still remember when I was traveling north alone by train, feeling down and thinking he wouldn't care about me anymore. But unexpectedly, he appeared on the train, sat beside me with a playful smile and said: "Where are you running to? You little thing, you can't escape my Five Finger Mountain!"

  I still remember, I once trembled and asked him "Don't you blame me?" His answer was as firm as it was from the beginning.

  "Brothers, it's a lifelong commitment, worth risking one's life for, and never regretting!"

  Fang Yun, you lunatic! Brother, it's been five years, Fang Xian has come down the mountain, I'm back! This time, it's my turn to protect you! I clenched my fists tightly, my eyes were red and my mouth was open, wanting to shout at him, but didn't know how to start. Wanting to cry, but due to the complex emotions surging in my heart, my throat was blocked, yet not a single tear could flow out.

  It's a feeling that can't be described in words. It's really like being reborn.

  I took a deep breath and walked over, at this time the thug who had just swung his stick to hit someone was enraged, shouting at the madman: "Ah, I'm going to fuck you, how dare you still hide? You think you can hide from me? Brothers, beat him to death, if we don't cripple him today, we won't leave!"

  He had just finished speaking, and I happened to walk up behind them. In a hoarse but firm voice, he said: "Who dares to touch him again? I'll make him regret being human for the rest of his life!"

  Perhaps due to my emotional state, my voice sounded extremely low and cold. The few hoodlums who heard me speak turned their heads to look at me, and the lunatic lying on the ground also shuddered. I saw his fists clenching slowly, slowly lifting his head, and when he saw me, a burst of light exploded in his eyes. The wailing stopped, and the cries of pain also stopped.

  He looked at me like that, with a pair of small eyes having shiny tears rolling in them. He opened his mouth wanting to say something but couldn't utter a single word either. The way he looked at me was so familiar, I only felt my nose turn sour. My fists were clenched with protruding joints...

  Brother, all these years, how much suffering have you endured? Don't worry, Fang Xian will make them pay back every bit of it while I'm still alive!!!

  "Hey kid, where are you from?" The hoodlum saw me staring at the madman, and the madman was also staring straight at me, momentarily unable to tell what was going on.

  "Hey kid, what's up?" The hoodlum next to him shouted along.

  "Hey, our big brother is talking to you, damn it, are you mute or something?" A punk with yellow-dyed hair couldn't take it anymore, as soon as he finished speaking, he reached out to hit me...

  It was just an instant, the madman on the ground suddenly pounced on him, a set of movements fast, fierce and accurate! The crowd had not reacted yet, only to hear a "crack" sound, that little rascal fell to the ground, clutching his arm and rolling around in agony.

  The madman's blood-stained face had become incredibly resolute at this moment, although he still had a round face and small eyes, with dark skin. But the madman at this moment was the real madman, the one I knew. His eyes were sharp, his whole body seemed to be filled with cold air, and he wiped his face hard, the bloodstains on his face spreading out like a fierce and evil deity from hell.

  The madman's eyes swept over the face of each rascal. Each little rascal who was seen by him unconsciously took two steps back, and the madman coldly said:

  "Move, brother! First step on the body of this madman!"

  I took a step forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. We exchanged a smile, the tacit understanding of many years, the emotions of many years surging in my heart.

  Brother, it has always been you protecting me, for five years now, this time we fight side by side!

  I know what I mean, he understands.

  "Hey, what's it to you? Mind your own business! You're getting on my nerves. Brothers, let's take him down together!" The ruffian leader was enraged and shouted loudly, trying to boost his morale.

  The little brother next to him, after listening, was waving his stick and shouting, and rushed up... What followed was an extremely chaotic battle. The madman seemed to have changed into another person, his moves were all some Jianghu moves, fast and accurate, with ruthless blows. I directly entered the realm of observation, fully cooperating with the madman's attack, every move he made I could respond to appropriately. Five years had passed, but his way of fighting was still so reckless, so fierce. In an instant, I felt like I had returned to five years ago, when we fought side by side, disregarding life and death...

  The popular music playing from a nearby house, the melody of the song struck chord after chord in my heart...

  "I say being brothers is tough, we'll face difficulties together, a cup of wine till dawn, just like the old days..."

  Familiarity with the madman, coupled with the help of my observation, made every punch and kick, every sweep and counter, a seamless coordination between us. Soon, I could no longer maintain my composure, but the repeated pain and intensity ignited the surging hot blood in my chest. Whether it was a technique or not was no longer important; all I could do was protect the madman's back...

  "What's on your mind, just tell me, brother, don't keep it locked up in your heart, don't bear it alone..."

  I don't remember how many punches I took, or how many kicks, all I felt was my whole body aching, aching to the point of numbness, my arms were hot and so was my face, I knew that was blood...

  "Men look strong on the outside, but are also confused inside. Thanks for being there during difficult times..."

  The sky began to darken, a gust of wind and sand rose, raindrops started falling from above, pattering down, just in a short while, it turned into a heavy downpour.

  The rainwater kept flushing the scorching place on my body, I couldn't see clearly how many people were still standing in front of me, as if crazy, attacking every person I could see, and didn't know how long it took, the front gradually became more and more open, those vague figures had become fewer and fewer, until finally only I and the madman stood shaking in the rain.

  We looked at each other, and saw in each other's eyes an unspeakable joy and emotion. The two of us just gazed at each other, speechless for a long time...

  The madman was the first to open his mouth and laugh, his smile pulling at the wound, a burst of gnashing teeth. I also laughed, although my whole body hurt, but this kind of intoxicating and refreshing familiarity is unforgettable in this life.

  "Back?" The madman's tone was as if I had just gone out to buy something, but who would have known that this "back" had been five years apart?

  "I'm back!" I nodded vigorously. I understand, in the madman's heart, I never left and will never leave. Just like last time, he won't ask much, just quietly wait for me, waiting for me...

  "Go, go drink!" The madman raised his hand, held it for a moment, and then heavily slapped my shoulder. I gritted my teeth in pain, but tears fell uncontrollably.

  "Go, go get drunk!" I said fiercely with a heavy nasal tone as tears rolled down.

  Brother, it's worth risking one's life for, and I'll never regret it in this lifetime!

  The two of us swayed, shoulder to shoulder, ignoring the onlookers and the hoodlums wailing on the ground. The heavy rain poured down on us, washing away the years and making our fraternal bond clearer than ever. As the rain grew heavier, the singing continued to echo through Panjiayuan, and in my and Crazy's hearts, it lingered...

  I say being brothers is tough, we'll face difficulties together

  A cup of wine till dawn, and with you as before...

  I say being brothers is tough, let's enjoy our good fortune together

  Brotherhood lasts a lifetime, longer than heaven itself...