Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 126 : Li Xiong

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Li Xiong was just as his name suggested—a baby bear. He stayed in the prison for a little less than half a month. Every day, he sat cross-legged with his face to the bars, looking helplessly at the door as he waited for Lei Jingzhe to come and take him away. Seeing as he was young, the wardens all loved to tease him. He was a strong but simple-minded boy who did not get angry even when he was made fun of. The only thing was that he had a terrifying appetite; he could eat a meal for three people in one setting. 

The warden opened the door for a shackled Li Xiong, who asked with pressing urgency, “Has my big bro come to pick me up?” 

The warden clapped Li Xiong on the back and said nothing to him. Qiao Tianya had arranged for a horse carriage to come and take Li Xiong away. Fearing that Li Xiong might make a racket and stir up trouble on the way, the warden made a special point of securing the fetters around Li Xiong’s ankles. Li Xiong was not used to riding in the carriage, and all that swaying made him dizzy. Finally, he arrived at the place, but when he got off the carriage and saw the mansion entrance, he refused to move his feet. 

“I’m not going in.” Li Xiong stood where he was, like a stake nailed to the ground. No matter how they pushed and shoved him, he remained absolutely still. “This place is too big. Once I enter, my big bro won’t be able to find me.”

The weather was oppressively hot, and everyone was sweating profusely just by standing there. The warden, afraid of offending them, was overwrought with anxiety, and so he attempted to hoodwink Li Xiong, “Go in first. We’ll bring you out after you go in.” 

Li Xiong found this man to be very much like a weasel with how his eyes shifted around when he spoke; he looked like a liar, so Li Xiong shook his head sullenly and refused to budge. The warden tried his best to persuade him, but to no avail, so he steeled himself and squeezed in together with the others behind Li Xiong in an attempt to push him inside. 

Li Xiong’s heels scraped across the ground. Annoyed from the pushing, he jerked his arms and bellowed, “I’m not going in! Nope!” 

The men behind him stepped back in unison from the force. The warden saw him struggling and was worried those shackles could not hold up, so he hurriedly ordered, “Hold him down! Don’t let him make a commotion!” 

When Li Xiong saw them pouncing towards him, he spontaneously spread his legs in a horse stance to hold his body firm and steady. His suntanned face raged with fury. The warden strained himself to the limit and exerted all his strength, but Li Xiong did not budge the slightest. It looked like they were going to be delayed at the entrance. 

Ji Gang happened to return from his stroll outdoors with Fei Sheng following at his side. Even from afar, he saw the crowd at the entrance along with the horse carriage parked in the middle of the road. With a hand at his back, he was just about to inquire when he saw the wardens exclaim out loud just as Li Xiong threw all of them off him. 

“Such strength!” Fei Sheng cheered and watched Ji Gang’s expression. 

Ji Gang was a practitioner of the Ji Clan’s boxing style, and he valued strength most. Sure enough, his eyes lit up and said, “Where’s this lad from?” 

Fei Sheng hurried over. He did not need to ask; he could more or less guess from the way the wardens were dressed. He clutched, then immediately released the Xiuchun blade at the side of his waist, before lifting the chain on the ground with one foot as he said, “Out of the way. I’ll truss him up!”  

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Shen Zechuan was in the room waiting for Kong Ling and the rest when he heard the commotion before the courtyard. He lifted the bamboo blinds. When he saw Ji Gang entering, he could not help but be taken aback. “Shifu, what’s wrong?”