51: The needle is pointed against the wheat awn (this needle is not that needle)

“Hoo~ Hoo~”

Following the proper form, the gray-clothed man took large strides and swung his legs in the courtyard.

His legs cycled and kicked fiercely, piercing the air with soft, hissing sounds.

“This is ‘Chain Kicks’, isn’t it?”

“It should be. Don’t you Cultivate ‘Chain Kicks’? Can’t you tell?”

“...”

After a hundred breaths, the gray-clothed man stopped Cultivating, and a plume of steam rose from his head.

After a while, seeing the gray-clothed man open his eyes, an acquaintance called out.

“Little Qiu, how was it?”

Little Qiu rushed back into the house in two steps, took out two taels of silver from his pocket, and slapped it heavily on the table with a ‘pa’.

“Physician Jiang, I’d like to ask you for another bowl.”

“Alright, you… you’ve had a Breakthrough?” Jiang Hanwen looked at the man with a smile.

A Breakthrough after just one bowl of noodles?

Gong Qing truly should have pursued the path of a chef; a perfect advertisement appeared as soon as he opened his doors.

Everyone turned their heads, only then realizing that they had been so focused on watching that bowls of noodles had piled up, filling three tables.

What were they waiting for? Charge!

Everyone stomped their feet and lunged towards the tables as if scrambling for meat during a famine.

Although everyone was scrambling frantically, no one dared to snatch within half a meter of Jiang Hanwen; they respectfully came over to take their noodles, and only after thanking him did they obediently carry them away.

Soon, the courtyard wasn't enough, and everyone spilled out onto the road outside.

“Hey!”

“Ha!”

“Humph!”

“Huo!”

The stomping of feet was as dense as thunder, and the grunts of punching were like knives stabbing sandbags, continuous and unending.

Gong Qing stood by the door, watching the people outside who were able to Cultivate, a flicker of envy in his eyes.

But in a flash, he turned back to look at the noodles, eaten until not a drop of soup remained, and a sense of acknowledged pride swelled in his heart.

Eight or nine times out of ten, life doesn't go as planned. To have a path to walk, friends for company, and still be alive—that’s enough!

The news of the Breakthrough spread like a plague; for five consecutive days, the entrance was packed with people every day.

Almost everyone in the Medicine Field knew about this place that served Medicinal Cuisine.

This was a taste that even Mu Qiancheng gave a thumbs-up to. Those who had it once found other food tasteless, wishing they could eat at Tianyuan Residence for every meal.

Some were happy, others were sad; envy is always a common human baseness.

The matter of Tianyuan Residence quickly reached the Zhuang family’s ears.

On the seventh day, the people in line were driven out of the courtyard.

A team of guards surrounded Tianyuan Residence. Zhuang Jun, a young master with a youthful face and dressed in an exquisite white robe, entered the house with Xu Yanwu and confronted Gong Qing.

“Doing business in the Zhuang family’s territory, aren’t you being a bit too disrespectful to the Zhuang family?” Xu Yanwu crossed his arms, looking coldly at Gong Qing and sneering, “If your leg is broken, you should just stay home and recover. Coming out to make a fool of yourself, no wonder your father died early.

Anyone who gave birth to a son like you would have their lifespan shortened by thirty years.”

Gong Qing’s face showed no emotion. Such verbal abuse was something he experienced daily four years ago.

Now, it was merely a re-experience.

He glanced at Xu Yanwu, imprinting that face firmly in his mind, then looked gently at the young master of the Zhuang family: “Young Master Jun, although this shop can make money, it’s all hard-earned money.

Moreover, this shop is for the sick people in the Medicine Field, so they can recover faster and not delay the planting of Spiritual Plants. It is—”

“Slap!”

No sooner said than done.

Xu Yanwu strode forward, and with a ‘dong’, a slap sent Gong Qing crashing to the ground.

“Who do you think you are, daring to look up at the Young Master.”

A bloody red handprint was branded on his face like a hot iron, and Gong Qing’s face swelled with the lines of the palm.

Wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth, Gong Qing shook his head to clear the sense of disorientation, and leaning on the table, he shakily stood up, his eyes dark, and said submissively in a low voice: “Young Master Jun, I beg you, can you leave the kitchen?”

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it yet. How do you think I should handle it?”

Zhuang Jun watched Gong Qing being beaten with indifference. In his past memories, beating subordinates was a common occurrence, not worth mentioning. But today was different; beating a cripple was a first, and it had a different feeling.

“How it’s handled, naturally, is up to the Young Master.

You… if you think I’m doing something wrong, I’ll close tomorrow, and never open again. I’ll just be a good-for-nothing.” As he spoke, Gong Qing’s palms clenched, his fingernails digging into his flesh, and waves of pain gnawed at his dignity.

“Dong!”

Xu Yanwu rushed forward and sent Gong Qing flying with a kick to the chest.

The solid wood table hit his waist, and a huge shock reverberated through his internal organs.

Zzzzt~

The wooden table was smashed into several pieces, the planks tearing apart, and a cloud of dust rose.

“Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself? You cripple still dare to cook? What, you want to turn your life around?!”

After speaking, Xu Yanwu charged into the back kitchen.

“Bang bang pa~”

Woks and spatulas clashed, porcelain bowls shattered, and the sounds of destruction rang out.

Outside the curtain, Gong Qing leaned against the wall as if resigned to his fate, his mouth twisted in pain.

The pain in his lower back was like an awl embedded in his flesh; his ribs must have broken.

He only wanted to live without dignity in the Medicine Field, only wanted to be an unaccomplished, stinking cook. But it was so hard.

Gong Qing’s eyes were dark and devoid of light.

“Zzzzt!”

Fabric ripped, and Xu Yanwu tore through the curtain and walked out. Gong Qing looked over; porcelain plates were shattered into dust, the stove was kicked in half, and red bricks crumbled.

Everything in the kitchen that could be smashed was smashed, nothing was left.

A chill emanated from the cold floor tiles, creeping over his entire body like bone-eating maggots.

Gong Qing’s body trembled. This was all he had left, his only support for living, and now it was all destroyed.

“Hmph!

Still want to be a chef? Fine.” Xu Yanwu arrogantly pointed at the sharp porcelain shards scattered on the floor: “You kneel on those, kowtow ten times to Young Master Jun, and in the future, you’ll give ninety percent of your earnings to Young Master Jun, then this shop can stay open.”

A red question mark flickered in Gong Qing’s heart. Should he live without dignity, or should he give up now and follow his father?

Everything from his earliest memory flashed quickly through his mind like a movie.

Young, he knew no sorrow, took fine clothes and rich food for granted. In middle age, his Dao path shattered his cloud dream, and his two feet plunged into loneliness… Father, living is too hard. Hanwen, I’m sorry.

With a look of farewell, and his intent to die clear, Gong Qing clenched his fists.

“What, not convinced? Feeling bullied?”

The air was pierced, and Xu Yanwu delivered another slap.

“Slap!”

His head felt like it had been hit by a heavy truck, and his already injured body was like a candle in the wind. How could Gong Qing withstand the beating?

Dong!

His head hit the ground heavily. The intense impact annihilated the world before his eyes, and a strong sense of disorientation surged into his heart.

Even if I die, I will die standing!

I, Gong Qing, am not a waste; I am a man!

Enduring the severe pain, Gong Qing used his hands to push against the ground, struggling to get up. But his head was muddled, blood blurred his vision, and he couldn't even distinguish basic directions. He could only flail on the ground like a toad, just like his pathetic and ridiculous life.

“Aren’t you a chef? Today, I’ll let you taste some good wine.”

“Zzzzzzt~”

Xu Yanwu stepped on Gong Qing’s shoulder, and a stream of yellow urine splashed out along the corner of his clothes, drenching Gong Qing.

“Hahahaha~” Xu Yanwu showed his big yellow teeth and laughed wildly.

Beside him, Zhuang Jun watched Gong Qing being humiliated, a faint curve on his lips.

He had no old grudges with the man before him, but he loved the feeling of controlling life and death, especially if the pain was inflicted by himself; that would be even more satisfying!

The onlookers, one by one, turned away, unable to bear looking at Gong Qing on the ground.

Some had indignation in their eyes and clenched their fists, but they could only force themselves to lower their heads and hide their hatred in their hearts.

This was the Young Master of the Zhuang family, not humble folk like them.

An egg hitting a stone only had one outcome.

Suddenly.

“Whoosh!”

A silver needle passed through the gap in the main door, precisely piercing Xu Yanwu’s third leg.

Bang!

Like an exploding watermelon, chunks of flesh flew, and crimson blood splattered everywhere.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

A heart-wrenching scream rang out. Xu Yanwu curled up on the ground, clutching his lower abdomen and trembling. Beads of cold sweat like raindrops seeped from his forehead.

His little brother had been blown up!

“Who is it? Get out here!”

Zhuang Jun darted back, hiding in the shadow of the doorway, vigilantly looking outside.

His heart felt as if it had been gripped by a large hand, even his breathing stopped.

Including the wide-eyed guards beside him, there was only one thought in their minds—what a fast flying needle!