Chapter Fifty-Four: True Past Events

  "Great, great, great! You're still the same as before! Very good, very good!" Master Song patted Yu's shoulder repeatedly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening.

  "Didn't you say you were going to travel the world? When did you come back?" Yu's face was gentle, with a hint of a joyful smile at the corner of his mouth.

  Master Song pushed Yu Wu towards the martial arts hall, a cheerful smile still on his face: "Ah ~ this is a long story, come! Let's go inside and chat! I haven't seen you in four or five years!"

  I stood inside the door and peeked, didn't have time to hide, so I simply gave a big bow: "Master Song is well!" A big smile spread across my face: "Ji Yu! So you're still my senior brother! Senior brother is well!" I also gave him a slight bow.

  "Oh! Xiao Mi! Just right, just right! You come too!" Master Song beckoned to me and I responded with an "oh" and happily followed behind them, my heart delighted at the opportunity to eavesdrop openly.

  In the guest room, Master Song skillfully pushed the brewed West Lake Longjing tea in front of us. The three of us sat in an equilateral triangle, and Master Song and Yu picked up their teacups to savor the tea carefully. I also imitated them and took a sip.

  "Xiao Yu! Master, I've been away for many years, visiting many martial arts schools, and finally decided to return here to open my own, so that the residents of our small town can also learn martial arts and protect themselves in times of danger. That's why I named it 'Youmin Wuguan'!" Song Shifu slowly put down his teacup, smiling faintly.

  "Oh! So that's how it is!" I made a very cooperative expression of sudden realization, and was met with a cold glance from Yu.

  "Hmm, haha! I'm increasingly feeling the importance of learning martial arts! On this journey, most of what I've heard, seen, and encountered are tragic events. Last time in Licheng, I personally witnessed a group of knife-wielding young people slashing at a high school student about your size, fortunately I was there to stop them in time, and the kid's life was saved, but unfortunately, he still lost two arms... it's truly cruel!" Master Song said with a slightly solemn expression.

  "Ah!" I thought of that bloody scene and covered my chest, taking a cold breath.

  The person beside me had a calm expression, and he even glanced at me with disdain. I can understand that he has also experienced a lot, but this is a living person's life! It only takes a blink of an eye to end it with a knife... His unresponsive behavior still made me curse in my heart: Heartless!

  He crossed his legs, put his hands around his chest and said indifferently: "Master, just get to the point. You didn't leave without saying goodbye back then, it can't be that you came all this way just to ask about these trivial things."

  "Xiao Yu, are you still looking for Master Wang? Has Master Wang abandoned you and left?" A layer of sorrow instantly appeared between Song Shifu's eyebrows.

  "How dare I? In the past, I was always obedient to my teacher's orders. What you don't know is that when I needed help the most, you left me, so now, the old me is already dead, and the one sitting in front of you is the kind of 'ruthless' person you mentioned." Yu said sarcastically, playing with the teacup in his hand, a cold smile rising from the corner of his mouth, but to me, he was just throwing a childish tantrum.

  "Alone in the universe." I held his arm with a bit of concern, just now still immersed in the joy of reunion, immediately changed to a cold and distant expression that made me feel he was really tired of pretending, perhaps all he needed was someone who could treat him wholeheartedly and give him warmth.

  "Xiao Yu, it's Master who owes you an apology. If Master had known about the changes in your family, he would have let you suffer all sorts of hardships. Master will absolutely not abandon you... and Xiao Dong's. I'm already regretful now, can you forgive Master? I..." Song Master's face was serious, his body leaning forward as if to narrow the distance between them.

  Ji Dong originally was also a disciple of Song Shifu, indeed, they had a good relationship since childhood, the master would teach them together, nothing strange about it.

  "How did you know? Did I ever tell you what happened at my house?" Yu raised an eyebrow, coldly interrupting him.

  Master Song was taken aback, then hung his head and let out a soft sigh. He raised his head, his eyebrows furrowed: "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. At that time, I already knew what was going to happen. Your mother told me, she hoped I would stay away from your family's troubles, not intervene, and said you were about to move away soon, start a new life somewhere else, and asked me not to worry about you two, she would take good care of you... Although it's possible we wouldn't see each other again, I was actually very reluctant to part with you. But what could I do? After all, it was Madame Wang who spoke personally, how could I continue to stay? I had told you before that after I retired, I wanted to travel the world, but I did it a few years early, also to change my mood. So, I left directly, afraid that if I said goodbye in person, I would miss you too much..."

  "Is it Auntie? But with Master Song here, isn't one more helper better than none? Why wouldn't she want you to help?" I asked out of curiosity.

  Moreover, what Auntie said seemed to be all about placating Master Song. She said she would take good care of Yu and Ji Dong, but didn't she fail to do so? Never mind Ji Dong, wasn't she equally neglectful of her own son?

  "Mrs. Wang thought it was a family matter, and outsiders would indeed find it inconvenient! At that time, I also thought so, but didn't expect...” Master Song sighed repeatedly as he spoke, and I felt that if his intestines could be dug out for inspection right now, they would definitely be green with anxiety.

  "Do you know if my dad and Ji Dong's mom had some kind of relationship a long time ago?" Yu Yu's tone softened, he sat up straight and stared intently at Master Song.

  Master Song shook his head and sighed: "Xiao Yu, things have come to this point, can't the past just be let go?"

  "No way, this is what you owe me, Master!" Yu said sternly.

  "You guessed it, you were young at that time and couldn't see anything unusual. They actually started very early, your mother knew about it too, but she had been keeping it from you all along." Song Shifu's face was bitter, his expression was very tangled.

  "If it wasn't for me easily believing Ji Dong, letting his mother take advantage of the situation, my dad wouldn't have wanted to abandon us and elope with that woman!" Ze Yu gritted his teeth, his fists clenched even tighter, his hatred making me shudder.

  "Don't blame Xiao Dong, he's just a kid, like you, who doesn't understand anything. How would he know?" Master Song patted Yu's hand with a sorrowful tone.

  "He's the ringleader! If it weren't for him, how would his mother have been brought here?" Yu exclaimed excitedly, "And me! It's all because I was the one who brought him home first that all this happened!"

  I shook my head and stared at Yu: "You said you took the winter melon back home first? Is that true? What's going on?" Clearly he told me it was his mom who found a tutoring job, bringing him along to keep him company with Yu, right? Did I miss some real information again?

  "Is that so? How could he not tell you?" Yuwen furrowed his brow, looking at me with a face full of surprise and doubt, expressing dissatisfaction with the truth of his words. "I saved him from the side of the road, if it wasn't for me, he would have been beaten to disability long ago. I didn't expect him to repay kindness like this. Hmph!"

  Is that so? But why did Ji Dong deceive me? Was he afraid that if he told me the truth, I would look down on him? I'm not unaware of his weak and timid personality in the past. Or was it that he didn't want me to worry too much? Either way, it's infuriating because I especially hate being deceived! And by the person I trust the most! Didn't I tell him that I believe in what he says the most? How could he still deceive me?! Despicable!

  "Xiao Yu, let bygones be bygones. Forgetting it is the only way to truly break free. Master doesn't want to see you like this either... after all, Xiao Dong used to be your best partner... Is he still with you now?" Song Shifu stood up and walked to Xiao Yu's side, placing his hands on his shoulders, his face benevolent.

  "Ah! Still together!" I almost completely flipped out, I hastily replied, feeling a bit guilty.

  "That's good, that's good! We still need to support each other in the future! Master is getting old too, his waist and legs haven't been feeling well lately. Last time when he was dealing with some thugs, he got hurt... but it's nothing serious. As long as you all are doing well, Master can rest assured." Song Master smiled warmly and pushed away Su Yu's hand that was about to give him a massage.

  "Master, are you okay? Let me take a look." Yu Wu supported his shoulder and gently patted him on the back a few times. He chuckled and said: "Little Yu, you're still so concerned about Master! I didn't waste my time taking you as an apprentice!"