Xiaoshulin Market, although not comparable to the commercial streets of the county city, attracted many shoppers due to the nearby state-owned enterprise.
The hustle and bustle of passing vehicles and pedestrians merged into a lively scene.
However, the noise coming from below was unusually rowdy at this time.
Luo Yang first heard the rushing footsteps trying to surge into the seafood restaurant and determined from this alone that they were thugs.
"What's happening?" Cheng Nan asked curiously.
The others also wanted to go out and watch the excitement.
Luo Yang, concerned that the thugs might injure them, advised, "It's a little trouble. You guys continue chatting here. I'll go down and take a look, and I'll be back soon."
Then, Luo Yang left the private room.
Hong Jiaxin followed him out as well.
Downstairs, the thugs had already charged into the shop.
Luo Yang grabbed one in each hand and threw them out of the store.
Outside, a dense crowd of about a hundred strong thugs gathered.
Had it been two months earlier, Luo Yang would have been terrified at the sight of so many people.
Now, it was like child's play.
Under Luo Yang's notorious reputation, each of those thugs was wary.
Seeing a bicycle at the door, Luo Yang dashed over, grabbed the frame with both hands, and with a low shout, he twisted it into a folded shape.
"Come here causing trouble again, and don't blame me for not showing mercy! Scram!"
Luo Yang threw the bicycle on the ground, causing the thugs to retreat several meters in fright.
Having witnessed Luo Yang's Herculean strength, they grew fearful.
The thugs came quickly and left just as quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Luo Yang didn't see the lead brother; he guessed the leader was hiding somewhere far away.
He had wanted Hong Jiaxin to get some practice, but there were too many enemies.
The thugs that had come were actually targeting Luo Yang.
Hong Jiaxin facing so many thugs was very likely to get injured.
Luo Yang had no choice but to fight quickly and decisively.
After driving away the thugs, Luo Yang and Hong Jiaxin returned to the second-floor private room.
The group resumed their lively discussion for half an hour, after which the village chiefs of the two villages went back to their villagers to announce, first, a reconciliation of their age-old feud and second, a joint economic development.
Luo Yang then instructed the seafood restaurant manager to call the police quickly if anyone caused trouble and to notify him at once as well.
The staff at the seafood restaurant, having witnessed Luo Yang's extraordinary skills, deeply respected him and remembered his words.
After leaving the seafood restaurant, Luo Yang went to the vegetable market to buy some beef.
At the entrance and exit of the vegetable market, there was a medicinal herb stall, where he bought cinnamon and amomum, both of which are stomach-warming.
On the way back to Hongyun Brigade, Hong Jiaxin asked, "Who exactly are Zhang Jing and the others?"
This was also what Luo Yang wanted to figure out.
That night, his Yin Spirit had left his body, intending to sneak into Zhang Jing's dormitory for a search.
He had nearly lost his life in the process.
Recalling it still sent shivers down his spine.
When the Yin Spirit was weak, it really couldn't withstand a single blow.
"They might have also come for the Mu Tan," Luo Yang guessed.
"But I've never heard of any Mu Tan!" Hong Jiaxin said indignantly.
"Your parents probably didn't tell you to keep you out of trouble," Luo Yang replied.
That was indeed a possibility.
"If there was any, it should be at my house!" Hong Jiaxin grumbled.
"I think that piece of Mu Tan is an ominous item. How could Uncle Hong possibly keep it at home?" Luo Yang suggested.
Hong Jiaxin thought it made sense.
"Think hard, see if you can recall any action of your dad that might have been related to Mu Tan," Luo Yang said.
He too wanted to uncover the mystery of Mu Tan.
Why would a Japan collector collect a piece of Mu Tan and at a high price no less?
If Mu Tan didn't hide a huge secret, why would anyone be willing to spend a lot of money on it?
Nowadays, even having money might not guarantee you could get it.
Uncle Hong should have known where Mu Tan was, yet he refused to reveal its location.
From these signs, Luo Yang had come to believe that Mu Tan was an ominous object.
"I can't think of it," Hong Jiaxin said in frustration.
"Take your time. Don't rush. When you return home, you must not show a displeased face to Grandma Liu. That would mess up my plan," Luo Yang instructed.
Hong Jiaxin turned to stare at Luo Yang, realizing for the first time that this academically poor student was not only brave but also cunning.
"I remember teachers saying that naughty students are not unintelligent but simply unwilling to study, which leads to poor grades. Now, I believe it," Hong Jiaxin said.
"Class leader, do you finally admire me?" Luo Yang smiled.
Upon hearing this, Hong Jiaxin's pretty face turned a dancing red blush.
"If you dare to joke about me again, I'll kill you!" Hong Jiaxin warned with a blush and a playful scold.
"Class leader, if you admire me, just admit it, don't be shy. We all know each other so well. No need for words," Luo Yang said with a smile.
"You think I'm easy to bully when I'm not serious?!" Hong Jiaxin punched him as she spoke.
"You timed that really well. I'm focusing on driving and you're hitting me; I can't fight back. You win," Luo Yang said as he took a couple of punches to his shoulder.
Hong Jiaxin burst out laughing.
Earlier, when they talked about her parents, she felt upset.
It was evident from the gloom on her pretty face.
Luo Yang intentionally teased her to temporarily distract her from her distress.
The goal was achieved, and although he took a few punches, it was well worth it.
"You said you would teach me high-level martial arts, when will that be?" Hong Jiaxin couldn't forget.
Luo Yang had indeed mentioned it before.
Shadow Fist, Hong Jiaxin probably wasn't ready to learn yet.
Shadow Fist belongs to the stream of consciousness.
Having True Qi inside the body isn't the most important.
As long as one has advanced consciousness, learning Shadow Fist will be much more effective.
Luo Yang didn't have to exert much effort to learn the first level of Shadow Fist.
Later, he advanced to the second level.
Now, only the third level remains unmastered.
At that moment, the car just passed near the irrigation canal, and Luo Yang stopped the car.
"Class leader, let's go up to the canal. I'll see what martial arts you can learn now," Luo Yang said.
Then, they got out of the car.
Hong Jiaxin followed Luo Yang up the muddy path to the dike of the canal, which was at a 30-degree angle.
Usually, not many people stroll on the dike of the irrigation canal, from which one could see the scenery of the farmland for miles around.
Luo Yang wanted to test whether Hong Jiaxin was now suitable to learn Shadow Fist.
"Close your eyes, and I'll attack you. See if you can defend yourself," Luo Yang said.
Hearing this, Hong Jiaxin rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Her deep gaze seemed to say: You're so much stronger than me, I can't beat you even with my eyes open, let alone closed.
"Class leader, I want to test your hearing. Close your eyes," Luo Yang said.
Desperate to learn Luo Yang's high-level martial arts, Hong Jiaxin reluctantly closed her eyes.
"Class leader, I'm going to attack now," Luo Yang warned.
Then Hong Jiaxin held her breath and focused on her surroundings.
Luo Yang quickly reached out his hand towards Hong Jiaxin's left hand.
After striking Hong Jiaxin's arm, she finally reacted.
"Don't think about anything else, just focus on fighting me," Luo Yang said.
As he spoke, he struck towards Hong Jiaxin's right hand.
This time, Hong Jiaxin's reaction was slightly quicker than the first.
"Class leader, focus even more," Luo Yang encouraged.
As he spoke, he extended his right hand towards Hong Jiaxin's right shoulder.
Hong Jiaxin raised her right hand and deflected Luo Yang's hand.
Of course, Luo Yang did not use his fastest speed to test her.
The results improved with each attempt.