Who Are the Good Guys

Night fell, and the rain grew heavier.

Wang Xiaoer's clothes and the corner of Zhang San's umbrella were soaked.

Yet neither of them moved, still in deadlock.

Wang Xiaoer found a glimmer of hope, or guessed at a glimmer of hope, in Zhang San's previous words.

Wang Xiaoer asked, "Master, did you just say that if I cured half his body, he might become crippled?"

Zhang San affirmatively replied, "Yes."

Wang Xiaoer said, "Crippled means he won't die. That is to say, if I only cure half the poison in his body, he won't die!"

Zhang San didn't deny Wang Xiaoer's claim.

Because in truth, with Xiu Wangchou's Earth Rank cultivation base in the internal martial art of the Star Sea Sect, as long as his life could be temporarily preserved and the poison reduced by half, making him crippled in exchange for one more chance at life was no difficult task.

Of course, there was another way for him to survive uncrippled.

And that was for Zhang San to save him.

But in the midst of the dark rainy night, having seen the girl and Xiu Wangchou, and Wang Xiaoer's long inaction, Zhang San clearly had no intention of making a move.

Nor did Wang Xiaoer ask Master to take action, only stared intently at the silver needle in Xiu Wangchou's left arm that was gradually sealing in more and more poison while also making the purple-black discoloration around the needle grow even darker.

Zhang San said coldly: "Give up! Even if you've gathered the poison there, without inner power, how will you force it out? Are you going to cut open that whole piece of flesh? He'd die from blood loss twice over!"

Very calmly, Wang Xiaoer said, "So why would I have to cut open his whole piece of flesh?"

Zhang San froze for a moment.

In the dark night, a silver flash glinted.

The small knife Zhang San had personally forged for Wang Xiaoer last month was gripped tightly in Wang Xiaoer's hand as he hardened his heart and made a cut into a spot of skin on Xiu Wangchou's left arm, then...

Wang Xiaoer actually went to suck on the wound!

The dark night!

A flash of white shadow flickered nimbly by, light and agile, like a white crane spreading its wings and taking flight!

This was the Heaven Rank supreme lightness martial art skill from an orthodox sect —— White Crane Flies!

Before Wang Xiaoer's mouth could even make contact, his whole body was snatched up by Zhang San and brought crashing down by Zhang San's landing in the corner of the alley.

Zhang San threw Wang Xiaoer heavily against the wall.

Wang Xiaoer slammed hard into the wall but, unlike usual when Zhang San would hit him, this time he didn't make a peep.

Zhang San yelled, "Are you crazy?! If you die, what will your mother do?!"

Just as Zhang San had said before, this kid Wang Xiaoer, smart as he was, could be a real idiot when push came to shove.

Zhang San went on berating him: "Why do you have to save that man? What the hell does he have to do with you?!"

Wang Xiaoer was silent for a spell...

The rain continued to fall for quite some time before Wang Xiaoer finally said: "My dad told me that even though he became a killer, he was still a good man. He also said that although he doesn't act the hero anymore, he's always remembered one saying — 'A petty hero removes violence and brings peace to the common people, while the greatest heroes bring peace and security to the nation and its people.'"

Remove violence and bring peace to the common people, that is the petty hero; bring peace and security to the nation and its people, that is the greatest hero.

Zhang San recalled that Xiu Wangchou had indeed spoken those words that day at the painting and calligraphy shop.

Wang Xiaoer murmured: "That hero seems a lot like my dad...even though my dad isn't nearly as handsome as him."

Zhang San gazed at Wang Xiaoer and said, "Your dad is a good man, Xiu Wangchou is a good man, and you're a good kid, but I'm not! Don't think I can't see through that little scheme you've got brewing in your heart!"

Wang Xiaoer scratched his head, realizing inwardly that Master really was so smart, and could only honestly say: "Anyway, I feel like since Master you say good men are so rare in this world, we can't just stand by and watch one less join our ranks, right?"

...

The next day at dawn, Xiu Wangchou slowly awoke to find himself in a small alley filled with the stench of something burnt as his consciousness returned and his inner power automatically activated. Although his body was extremely weak, the circulation of inner power still helped clear his mind considerably. He looked all around and saw that he was in some small alley, surrounded by a charred odor.

Where was that burnt smell coming from?

Xiu Wangchou got to his feet, only to catch sight of a stretch of rubble not far away left over from a fire.

Wasn't that the home of the father and daughter pair?

I should have walked quite far away that night, so how did I end up back here?

Oh right, where was that girl!

Hurriedly Xiu Wangchou scanned the area and soon noticed the girl, face pale, sleeping deeply amidst some straw matting and quilts in a corner of the alley. A long sword lay at the girl's side.

Xiu Wangchou immediately went over to check the girl's pulse and found that the blood poison afflicting her was gone!

It was only then that Xiu Wangchou thought to check himself, and upon sitting down cross-legged discovered that the blood poison in his own body had also been resolved. Both his wounds had been dressed very well too. Although his body was still extremely weak and it didn't feel like his inner power was circulating smoothly, at least he wasn't on death's door anymore.

It looked like his meridians were injured, otherwise he wouldn't be so helpless to demonstrate any mighty sword techniques.

Xiu Wangchou felt frustrated, but just then the girl slowly awoke.

The two looked at each other in surprise for a moment.

Then more noises suddenly sounded from the alley entrance.

"Xiaochun!"

"Xiaochun, where are you?!"

"Xiaochun!"

The girl immediately turned her head back to see an old man passing the road mouth, anxiously shouting a girl's name.

"Father!" The girl rushed over.

Xiu Wangchou watched the father and daughter pair embrace at the alley entrance.

Earlier, before losing consciousness, the girl had said that people from the Wang Residence had captured her father, which led to yesterday's trap. So why was her father suddenly here before them now?

Although Xiu Wangchou still didn't know exactly what had transpired, seeing the pale-faced man reveal a smile at the scene.

He felt very happy at this moment.

...

...

"Master, you look so cool when you drink water!"

"Master, don't move, let me wipe your face for you!"

"Master, Master, the way you drink congee is simply too suave, you know that?"

"Master, Master, what do I have to do to become as cool as you?"

"Master, Master, do you know? My admiration for you is as abundant as the rolling rivers..."

That morning Wang Xiaoer was exceptionally attentive.

Attentive to the point that the usually indifferent to females Zhang San wondered just when he'd somehow acquired such a nine-year-old darling son.

And so Zhang San watched Wang Xiaoer, currently massaging his legs, with a bewildered gaze as he asked: "What are you doing?"

Wang Xiaoer earnestly replied: "I'm massaging my most esteemed master's legs!"

Zhang San didn't appreciate this shameless flattery one bit and scolded him: "I haven't settled accounts with you about what happened last night. You put on quite the performance huh, even tricked me for a moment into thinking you really were trying to suck the poison out. But you were just trying to force my hand weren't you, so I'd make a move and save him right?"

Wang Xiaoer quickly explained with an apologetic smile: "Certainly not, certainly not! Performing arts like that was all learned from Master's good teachings. And also, I had long known that Master is a wonderful good man. Even if I didn't press you, Master would definitely have gone to save him."

Zhang San directly spat out a "Pah!" too lazy to humor Wang Xiaoer.