Heero regretted telling the truth about the assassins to the girls. The next morning, the two girls decided to end their trips and back to the Xing District. They no longer had the mood to continue with their food trip.
Even though he told the girls that he had taken care of the assassin, they insisted to go back. No matter what Heero said, they no longer wanted to continue the trip. They were not only concerned about assassins but also the thugs they met in front of Bemen.
The girls knew that the leader Heero beat yesterday must have a big background to act arrogant like that in the commerce region. As people who lived in the outer region their lives, the girls were still afraid of the inner region and the people of Martial Houses.
Thanks to Ono and his underlings, Heero failed to taste the most famous ramous. Early in the morning, the two girls packed their luggage. Right at eight in the morning, they headed toward the train station.
They chose the bullet train which was less complicated than booking a plane ticket. Looking at the bullet train, Heero found the train prepared by Kang Family was much better than this. Nonetheless, Heero followed the girls begrudgingly.
'Should have hit them harder…' thought Heero. 'Them' in his mind were Ono and his underlings.
It took them five bullet trains before they back to the north, ten hours trip. When they reached Xing District, the sun had set in the west. As they reached the entrance of the Xing District, the elders from the nursing home greeted them with a broad smile.
The nursing home and the orphanage for the children were located close to the entrance, next to the security house. The sight of the Xing District relieved the girls, the elders were playing chess and mahjong while the children were running here and there.
It gave off the friendly atmosphere that Heero aimed for. The girls also had the same feeling as Heero as they also liked this arrangement.
Fatty Liang currently talked merrily with the other three guards. Upon seeing Heero drag two big pieces of luggage, he immediately stood up and walked over.
"Boss, you're back," Fatty Liang greeted Heero with a broad smile. He no longer had a cold attitude towards Heero like when he was working at Hope Preschool. He had to do that if he wanted to keep his work as Heero was his Boss now.
Heero returned the greeting with a nod. Just as Fatty Liang's hand wanted to reach the luggage, he stopped Fatty Liang, "It's okay, you can go back to your position,"
Then, Heero followed the two girls who had entered the district. As they walked in, the elder greeted them warmly and the grandpas even teased them. Heero, Hong Yu, and Han Ying went for a honeymoon trip, it was not a secret. Everyone in the district knew that the newly-married owner went on honeymoon.
Hong Yu was no longer a shy girl like before as she greeted the elders with a broad smile while the older sister appeared to be shy. Heero also returned the teases with a joke or laugh. The warm and harmonious atmosphere washed away their worries over the assassin temporarily.
Contentment feeling filled his heart. This was what he was looking for, a home, a warm home that he had on Dramonia. This was one of many reasons he built the Xing District…
Thump!
Suddenly, something clashed against his leg, and that something held his leg tightly. Along with it, a familiar cry resounded.
"Teacher Xing! Where are our gifts from the south!!?" Lan Lan demanded while hugging Heero's leg tightly. Her big and round eyes were looking at Heero full with expectant. Meanwhile, the other leg was held by Tong Tong, she had the same expression as Lan Lan's.
Behind the two, the army of children gathered and all of them were looking at Heero with the same look. Heero was stupefied as he remembered that he promised the children to bring back something for them.
However, as the girls decided to go back abruptly, he bought nothing for the children. He looked at the two girls and noticed the sisters' necks turned red. They must have heard1 4 the children, but instead of helping him, Han Ying and Hong Yu just continued their steps, leaving Heero with the children.
Looking at the two girls' back that went away and looking back at the children, a helpless smile formed on his lips. He just could not bear to disappoint the children that he forgot to buy them gifts.
The helpless smile turned into a big smile. He rubbed Lan Lan and Tong Tong's hair and said, "Heh, of course, I have the gifts with me, but I won't give it now. Teacher Xing is tired, I need to rest first, I will give it to you the day after tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay~" the children simultaneously answered in excitement.
That was what he could do, for now, buying some time to think about what he should do with the kids. After that, he proceeded toward the noodles shop. The door unlocked, meaning the girls were inside.
Heero put the luggage on the first floor and went out again. He was doing his routine, patrolling the district. Usually, at this time, when the sun almost set, he would go patrolling the district. It was what he was doing now.
The visitors' flow was very good, from heroes and rankers to ordinary citizens of Star City. When he reached the other side of the Xing District, he found a crowd gathered around Blacksmith Huang's workshop.
It was a normal phenomenon as he turned his vision to Yun Xia Publisher. Since the transformation of the district, Yun Xia also renovated her building. The new building was more like a publishing house.
Just as Heero wanted to visit Yun Xia, he heard something interesting from the crowds.
"These guys had been kneeling for three days…"
"But why…"
"I heard they were Master Huang's disciple…"
"They were? Then they are no longer Master Huang's disciple?"
"Yeah, they are kneeling to ask forgiveness from Master Huang, but Master Huang ignored them…"
… ...
With his sharp hearing, Heero could hear the murmurs amongst the crowd. He stopped his steps and changed his direction to Blacksmith Huang's workshop.
Blacksmith Huang already told him about these disciples. It was an unpleasant story, one of the tragedies in Blacksmith Huang's life. His first and second wives died under the beast horde attack. His third and fourth wives left him for another man. Lastly, these three ungrateful bastards left him.
These three had another identity, they were Blacksmith Huang's foster kids. Since his third and fourth wives left him, Blacksmith Huang did not plan to remarry. He adopted three sons who also became his apprentice at a later date.
He planned to pass his smithing techniques to these three kids. After learning everything from Blacksmith Huang, they left to join a faction. They left without words and never contacted him since then. And now, these three were back, kneeling and asking forgiveness.
Curious, Heero walked toward Blacksmith Huang's workshop's direction. He wanted to know what these three looked like.
"Excuse me, let me pass please~ excuse me, let me pass please~"
The crowd was annoyed when Heero wanted to pass through. They wanted to scold this young man, but the curse stuck in their throats upon seeing Heero's face. Everyone recognized Heero, a young man who owned the Xing District.
Heero passed the crowd easily, right before the door, three men knelt with their heads hung low. In front of the three men, Blacksmith Huang stood with a complicated look as he looked down at the three men.
Heero could not see the three men's faces as the three looked down and had their backs on him. He rubbed his chin as he wondered how Blacksmith Huang would handle this.
Along with a sigh, Blacksmith Huang opened his mouth and spoke in an exhausted voice, "I already told you guys that I have forgiven you. What else do you want?"
"NO! You haven't forgiven us!" The man in the middle of three returned loudly. He raised his head and looked at Blacksmith Huang, "If you truly forgive us, why don't you want to live together like before with us?"
The man's face reflected on Blacksmith Huang's workshop glass. A good-looking young man who looked in his mid-twenties was reflected on the glass. His skin was white and his face was clean, a vigor of youth radiated from this man's aura.
The other two men also raised their heads and nodded in agreement. Guilt, sadness, and regret could be seen in their expressions. It surprisingly looked genuine, Heero could not even find a fault on the three.
He looked at Blacksmith Huang who still had a complicated look. It seemed he was thinking something or maybe not as Blacksmith Huang shook his head.
"I already forgive you, but we can't go back to what we used to be. Please leave now, you're disturbing my business!" Blacksmith Huang had reached a strong determination. He gave his forgiveness to his adopted sons, but he also no longer had the trust he used to have.
The three men were shocked at Blacksmith Huang's reply. It was as if they could not believe what they heard. The man on the left started to cry as tears fell from his eyes.
"Father, please forgive us. Let's start from the beginning again!" The man on the right pleaded in a sobbing voice. It was a voice on the verge of crying.
"Please, Father!" the other two followed after the man on the right.
Blacksmith Huang remained unmoved with the tears from his adopted sons, he pointed his finger toward the district's exit and said in a firm tone, "The moment you leave me, we were no longer family. Leave!"
The three men wanted to continue with their pleas, but Blacksmith Huang did not let it happen as he continued, "Leave now! If you don't leave in ten minutes, I will call the security and have you locked in the dungeon for disturbing my workshop!"
When those words came out, the three immediately stood up as they realized their pleas did not work.
"Old Man Huang! It's your blessing that we, the blacksmiths with talents want back to an obsolete old man like you. But you don't appreciate it… Remember Old Man Huang, I will make your regret, I will prove to you that not accepting us back is your loss!"
The man in the middle of three burst out in rage as he pointed his finger forward to Blacksmith Huang. After saying those words out, the three men turned around and walked toward the nearest exit.
Everyone was shocked by the sudden change, including Heero. He felt that he was tricked by the three men. He thought the three men were genuinely asking forgiveness. However, it seemed they were not, it was a facade with hidden motives.
The crowd also realized this truth, the three only wanted the technique from the rising master, Blacksmith Huang.
Gazing a little longer at his three adopted sons' back, Blacksmith Huang looked at the crowd and announced in a tired voice, "The workshop will close for business for two days." After saying that, he closed the door.
The crowd understandingly dispersed without complaint. Heero also went back to the noodles shop, but he halted his steps as he forgot something.
"Uh…" he tried to recall what he forgot, but he could not recall it. After a while, he shook his head and mumbled, "Nah, I will go to Hirata's place first…"
Hirata's place was at the rooftop of the Security House. He built a similar log cabin just like Heero did. Trees, medicine plants, and flowers also decorated the rooftop.
Currently, Hirata was sitting under an apple tree with a wooden table and two pairs of chairs. He was enjoying the tea he made while eating the apple he plucked from the tree.
Without him noticing, a shadow loomed over him. It shocked him and he immediately stood as he tried to distance himself from the shadow. Fortunately, the shadow did not follow him, he looked up and found his Master was plucking an apple from the tree.
"Master, you're back~" Hirata excitedly approached Heero.
"Hmm," Heero nodded as he took a bite of the blue apple in his hand. He sat across Hirata while Hirata poured tea for his Master.
Heero did not immediately drink the tea as he got to the main topic, "Tell me everything you know about Shadow Fang!"