Chapter 51: The Search
Chapter 51: The Search
The afternoon passed by quickly.
On the way back, nothing like yesterday's incident occurred.
If this peaceful state could be maintained, it would be a good thing.
However, Jiang Cheng was well aware that this peace came at a price.
If his membership expired and he didn't renew it, he believed the Jiang surname group would soon be back with a vengeance.
With this thought in mind, Jiang Cheng quickened his pace, arriving home almost five minutes earlier than usual.
The elderly woman was still waiting at the door, and upon seeing Jiang Cheng return, a smile appeared on her face.
Jiang Cheng pushed his tricycle into the house and said in a hurried tone, "Grandma, I have to go out for a bit. I'll be back in about half an hour."
"You're going out this late?"
The old woman's smile froze.
"Grandma, you know about Lu Zicheng, right?"
"Xiaocheng? What about him?"
"A couple of days ago, he was robbed of a significant amount of money. He found out I'm a member of the martial arts academy, and he wants me to accompany him these days to ensure his safety. If we encounter thugs, my membership card will protect us. I didn't want to agree at first, but he kept begging, so I finally relented. I'll escort him for a few days."
"Oh, poor child."
The old woman's face showed a look of reluctance.
"So, where is he now?"
"He's still on the street, waiting for me to return."
"Then you should hurry back. It's getting dark." The old woman urged.
"Okay, I'll go now."
Jiang Cheng started jogging away.
"Be careful and come back early."
"I know."
Jiang Cheng left at a small run, feeling a sense of guilt.
He had lied to the old woman.
But to encounter those men, now was the best opportunity.
In the morning or after dark, he wouldn't be able to find them.
Walking through the lanes, the houses on both sides had their doors and windows tightly shut. Aside from those returning late and the thugs with malicious intent, almost no one would be out at this time.
Jiang Cheng searched aimlessly.
Strangely enough, on days he didn't want to encounter them, he'd meet them several times, but today, when he specifically came to look for them, after searching for most of the day, he couldn't find a single one.
Occasionally, he'd meet one or two people, but they were also very cautious and quickly walked away.
He couldn't tell if they were ordinary people or thugs, so he didn't dare approach them.
After searching for over ten minutes like this, the area became completely quiet. Not a single person, not even a shadow, could be seen.
"Did I come out too late?"
Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
The most active time for thugs was precisely when the street vendors were packing up to go home.
By the time everyone had returned home, after washing up and resting, the thugs would also return to their own places. After all, with no targets to rob, there was no point in staying out.
"Maybe I can finish work half an hour earlier tomorrow? But then, I'll lose fifty or sixty yuan."
Jiang Cheng was conflicted, and before he knew it, he had arrived at his doorstep.
Candlelight illuminated the room.
"Grandma, I'm back."
Jiang Cheng called out as he entered the house.
Hearing this, the old woman immediately breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Did anything happen?"
"No, I met a few thugs on the road, but after they saw my membership card, they left without causing trouble."
Jiang Cheng laughed and said, "If things continue like this, it's not a solution. I'll escort him for a few more days, and then I won't do it anymore."
The old woman nodded helplessly.
Yes, they couldn't have Jiang Cheng escort him forever, could they?
They had paid a hefty price for the martial arts academy membership, and they still owed Chen Sao three thousand yuan.
"Xiao Cheng, it's time to eat."
"Okay."
After dinner, Jiang Cheng, as usual, practiced his Twin Sticks after standing in the Foundation Training stance for a while.
Two to three hours passed, and drowsiness set in.
Jiang Cheng glanced at the panel.
With another two hours of practice, he would reach the Proficient Level in Foundation Training.
His progress in Billowing Exercises was far behind, mainly because he hadn't been as diligent in practicing it as he was with Foundation Training.
To reach the Proficient Level in Twin Sticks, it would take at least two weeks of practicing for two hours daily, as the memory of a single Short Stick didn't provide much improvement anymore.
A person came to mind for Jiang Cheng.
That person with thick eyebrows and few words—Zeng Shixu.
If he could spar with him in Staff Technique, he wouldn't need two weeks to reach the Proficient Level in Twin Sticks.
The next day.
After breakfast, Jiang Cheng put on the training uniform from the Martial Arts Academy and headed towards the Martial Arts Academy.
As he walked, he deliberately observed the people around him, hoping to find Liu Yang's three guys or anyone from the other day.
Unfortunately, he didn't run into any of them.
Jiang Cheng didn't mind too much; after all, it was a matter of luck, and those people probably lived nearby. With time, he would eventually encounter them.
The morning's training passed, and the one guiding the members on the second floor today was Xiao Senior Apprentice.
Jiang Cheng didn't have a favorable impression of him, so he didn't bother seeking his guidance.
Xiao Senior Apprentice didn't mind either and chatted and laughed with several Premium Members.
During this time, Zhao Xiangyu came by once to check on Jiang Cheng's Fundamental Skills.
As noon approached, Jiang Cheng returned home, changed into his regular clothes, and pushed his cart to sell sweet potatoes on the street.
Time passed in a flash.
Soon, it was evening, and the sky grew dark.
Jiang Cheng sighed. He still couldn't bring himself to close up early and go look for those people.
Suddenly, an idea came to him.
He could search while pushing his tricycle instead of returning home first and then coming out to search.
Finding those three guys would be best, but if he couldn't, he could look for those familiar faces and find out where the three of them lived.
As for Jiang Cheng's grandma, he had already informed her, so she knew the reason for his late return and wouldn't worry too much.
So, after buying raw sweet potatoes, Jiang Cheng didn't rush back home. Instead, he pushed his cart around, searching.
This search led him to an unexpected situation.
In the alley on his left, three thugs had stopped a middle-aged man, demanding money.
The middle-aged man kept pleading, saying that in a couple of days, he had to pay the Wild Wolf Gang for his stall, and if he gave them money, he wouldn't be able to pay the stall fee.
The three thugs didn't believe him, or even if they did, it didn't matter.
Having caught their prey, they wouldn't let go without taking a bite.
"Listen, I don't have time to argue with you," the leader said, pulling out a spring knife. "Two hundred bucks, or I'll carve a few lines on you."
The middle-aged man shrank back at the sight of the glinting blade.
"Brother, brother."
Just as the leader was about to continue his threats, his subordinate tugged at his arm.
Guo Ye turned around, his face darkening.
Didn't they see he was doing something important?
"No, brother, look over there."
The subordinate pointed fearfully at a spot not far away.
Another person also looked terrified, like a mouse seeing a cat.
Guo Ye looked over, puzzled, and his eyes widened in shock. His entire body seemed frozen in place, as if struck by a paralysis spell.
A phrase kept echoing in his mind.
How could it be him?
(End of Chapter)
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