Other passerby got out of their way in a flurry, afraid a disaster would come to the fish in the moat. [This must be a Chinese saying, but honestly I don't get it.]
Susu's flower-like countenance paled, Xu Ziling pulled her back two steps, while Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, "Everywhere under the sun [orig. five lakes four oceans] are brothers, a long and difficult road [orig. ten thousand rivers a thousand mountains] is a family. Yangzhou's Zhu Hua Bang [Bamboo Flower Gang] Second Hall's Hall Master is our Ah Gong [could be grandpa, or simply elder]; I wonder how should I address these Dage [big brother].” He also performed the secret hand signal of the Bamboo Flower Gang.
The seven hoodlums exchanged glances with each other, while also made a bit panicky signals with their hands and feet.
Bamboo Flower Gang had a rather considerable power in Yangzhou region, otherwise Kou Zhong would not invent crazy nonsense about him being Bamboo Flower Gang member.
One of the men, a bulky man who was clearly the leader, took a step forward and said, "I don't care who you are, the fact is that you hit one of our brothers. How are you going to compensate for that?”
Since he was a kid Kou Zhong grew up in the marketplace, how could he not know that the situation before his eyes would be difficult to defuse? Seeing how these men's eyes fell on Susu's ample breasts, although he was a bit apprehensive, he knew that they could not run away. Therefore, hardening his heart, he laughed aloud again and said, "Money, we don't have any; but lives, we do have a couple. If you have enough ability, come and get it.”
With a gust of wind the thug on his left sent out a sweeping kick.
Kou Zhong was greatly surprised; how could this guy's leg move so slowly? It just did not make any sense.
Another man charged from the right, sending a fist toward his face.
When these two boys were still in Yangzhou, it could be said that they grew up with fighting and receiving a beating, hence their experience was incomparably rich. They were used to fight together, so as soon as the opponents made their move, Xu Ziling pulled Susu two steps back. But as he was about to join the fray, Kou Zhong, as if he had eyes behind his back, called out, "You watch for Jiejie.”
Kou Zhong leaned sideways to evade the attack, and then sent a kick to the left, while simultaneously ducked down and struck with his arm, punching the lower abdomen of the thug who attacked his face. His movement was so nimble that even Xu Ziling was awestruck.
More fantastic things happened: right when Kou Zhong was brandishing his arm, he felt his whole body was immersed in unspeakable coolness, while from the top of his head a stream of cold feeling flowed down, linking up the channels on his arm, and burst forth from his fist.
‘Bang!' The sound of his fist striking its target was mixed with a miserable scream of his victim, whose entire body flew out and crashed onto another thug; the two men were thrown to the ground, rolling around as one entity like a gourd, totally battered and exhausted.
While Kou Zhong was looking at his own fist in disbelief, his ears caught Susu and Xuziling's cry of alarm; he knew something was wrong. Right this moment another man kneed him on his back. Kou Zhong tumbled forward in pain.
Seeing his sneak attack succeeded, the hoodlum wanted to follow-up with another attack, but suddenly he felt a burst of cold stream rushed forth wildly into his body from his knee, making him feel as if he had been thrown into an icehouse, while his brain was jolted with severe pain. Before he knew what was going on, he suddenly found out that he was laying face up on the ground, unable to crawl back up.
Kou Zhong dropped down and rolled away to evade the incoming two kicks; amazingly, the pain on his back suddenly went away without any medicine.
As he sprang up, he found out that Xu Ziling was dashing on bravely with no thought of his safety. ‘Bang, bang, pow, pow!' He sent punches and kicks toward the remaining five overbearing thugs without reservation.
The first thug who was hit by Kou Zhong's punch and the one who kneed him from behind were still lying on the ground, unable to get up.
Xu Ziling fought like he was mad or was possessed; he was completely ignoring the incoming punches and kicks, yet was able to lightly evade the attacks, while ferociously counterattacked. The ones hit by him immediately sprayed blood from their mouth and fell down to the ground.
Kou Zhong still did not understand what was going on.
By this time there were hundreds of people all around them, cheering and clapping for them. At the same time he caught a glimpse of several government officers, while shouting and yelling, squeezing their way through the crowd.
Kou Zhong immediately called out, "Xiao Ling, the legs [sic] are coming, pull back!”
Xu Ziling jumped in fright. He launched a flying kick toward the last opponent, and then turned around, and together with Kou Zhong and Susu, slipped away as fast as they could.
The three people ran for a while until the found a secluded place where they could change into their winter clothes. By the time they emerged from an alley and turned into the main street, at first glance people would merely see three ordinary young men.
Susu was still very much afraid, but her expression was happy, knowing that the two boys were fighting for her.
On the way toward the agreed place where they were going to rendezvous with Li Jing, the two boys turned their faces toward Susu's flowery pretty face while excitedly narrated what has just happened.
Very proud of himself, Kou Zhong said, "When that out-of-luck guy hit me on my back, it was so painful that I was about to vomit blood, but in the blink of an eye there was a comfortable cool qi bubbling forth in my entire body, so comfortable that I wanted to call Niang, and all the pain was gone. And that guy was shaken back by laozi's [I, your father] inner strength protecting my body that he nearly lost his eggs.”
Hearing him speaking all those vulgar words, Susu felt an unspeakable intimacy and delight instead; she pulled the two boys' arms closer.
Xu Ziling laughed aloud and said, "You are cool I am hot. I have never had such an immensely enjoyable fight. Real tooth real jaw, one man one punch, he hit me I am alright, I hit him he spurted blood. If the first level of Nine Mysteries Power is already this formidable, just think what would happen if we train to the ninth level, won't we blow off Yuwen Huagu's eggs altogether?”
Kou Zhong stretched out his head to get a good sniff at Susu's hair; swaying his head he said with a sigh, "Our good Jiejie smells really good, no wonder she attracted that many wild bees and wandering butterflies.”
Susu was ticklish and shrunk down her neck. "Xiao Zhong,” she said angrily, "If you keep making mischief, I am going to tell Li Dage.”
Xu Ziling also brought his nose closer and sucked in a deep breath, while saying with a laugh, "One sniff per person, it's only fair.”
Susu laughed so hard that her beautiful body shook, while she tried to dodge left and right. The three of them zigzagging on the street, catching the attention of other passerby.
Susu suddenly pulled the boys to stop, while calling out, "We are here!”
The three of them still refused to let their hands go; they huddled together and yakety-yak they chatted incessantly. Yet there was not the slightest degree of improper thought or evil desire between men and women at all, there was only a pure, innocent love between sister and brother who have gone through trials and tribulations together.
After waiting for a while and Li Jing has not returned, the three of them retreated toward a nearby small alley perpendicular to the main street, where they continued their chatting and joking.
Kou Zhong jokingly said, "Jiejie must not go back to where your Miss of the Zhai family resides. Servant girls have always had to suffer maltreatment, much less when your Laoye failed to overcome Li Mi, Jiejie's life will be miserable. Those so-called ‘righteous army' people [see my earlier note, Chapter 10 on ‘righteous army'] are mostly worse than beast. I wonder how many are like Li Dage.”
With a bitter laugh Susu said, "Jiejie has no family no relatives; if I don't go back to Zhai family, where would I go?”
Xu Ziling excitedly said, "You can come with Li Dage and us roaming the other end of the world! This world is so big, wherever we go, we can stay there making money and taking care of Jiejie. Only that kind of life won't bore us to death!”
Susu caught on the excitement. "That's right!” she said, "I can wash your clothes, I can attend to your daily life. Ay! I am sure Li Dage won't be willing join us in that kind of life. He is a broad-minded and open man, a man who aims high. Just look how he is always in deep contemplation and you'll see what I mean.”
Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, "In that case you can be with us, two brothers then. We will be together forever, we promise to be obedient and show filial piety to Jiejie.”
Susu was overjoyed, "We will be very happy then,” she said. "Oh! There is just one thing wrong: some day you will get married and bear children, won't my pitiful situation become very awkward?”
Striking his chest, Xu Ziling promised, "For Jiejie, we will never get married.”
Susu shook her head, "How can that be?” she asked, "Carryon on your ancestral line is every man's duty. It would be better if Jiejie is married to the two of you.”
"What?” the two boys were shocked.
Susu matter-of-factly and innocently said, "In Pujia Village, there are a lot of two brothers marrying one wife. At night they all sleep together.”
Kou Zhong's eyes lit up, "That's a lot of fun too!”
Xu Ziling shook his head, "That won't do,” he said, "It would be better if we draw lots to decide who get to marry Jiejie, the loser will have to find a way to find his own wife.”
In complete bliss, Susu said, "No, no, the right thing is: the loser will have to marry me. In the future both of you will become great heroes, the wife you'll find will definitely be much better than having Jiejie as your wife.”
The three people looked at each other, then they doubled-up in laughter at the same time. Pulling one another in a group hug, their hearts were brimming with a genuine, pure feeling that they would not part forever.
Gasping for breath, Kou Zhong said, "Jiejie really knows how to play with us, how to coax us to be this happy, while actually she only wants to marry Li Dage!”
Susu's pretty face immediately blushed deep red. "Don't talk nonsense!” she angrily said.
Xu Ziling struggled hard to suppress his laughter until tears streaming down his face. Suddenly he saw a group of men, about a dozen men were walking across the street. Each one looked around with his eyes wide open. Two of those men had black head and swollen face; they were precisely the thugs who received lessons from them earlier.