Chapter 4

Yu Lifei came to Tanzhou, and the most important thing for him was to unravel the mystery in his heart. However, before that, finding a job was the top priority. This figurine of a boy bathing a buffalo gave him a very special feeling. Before he understood how the image in his mind appeared, he would not easily part with it.

Tanzhou's rice noodles are a local specialty. Although they are not as famous as Guilin's rice noodles, they have their own unique characteristics. There are two types of rice noodles: round and flat. Most citizens prefer the flat ones.

The advantage of flat noodles over round ones is that they are easier to absorb flavors. Rice noodles themselves have no taste and rely entirely on the broth for flavor. As for the toppings, Tanzhou people call the ingredients in the rice noodles "mazi." There are two types: pre-cooked toppings and stir-fried toppings. Pre-cooked toppings are prepared in advance and placed on top of the noodles after they are served. Stir-fried toppings, as the name suggests, are stir-fried in a small pot when the noodles are ordered, making them fresher and tastier, and thus more expensive. Common toppings include shredded meat, stir-fried meat with chili, liver, ribs, sour and spicy, crispy peppers, sauce, and mixed sauce.

A bowl of rice noodles only contains two ounces. When Yu Lifei saw it, he was momentarily stunned. He then casually said to the server, "Bring me two more bowls with shredded meat." As soon as he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating like a whirlwind, finishing the noodles and broth in no time. He had been on the train for over five hours without eating and had walked for more than an hour, so he was extremely hungry.

"Xiao Yu, are you still hungry? Here, eat mine first." Wu Wengu smiled and pushed his bowl of noodles toward Yu Lifei. Seeing Yu Lifei wolf down the food, he felt a pang of sympathy.

"Grandpa Wu, you eat first. I'm already full." Yu Lifei patted his stomach and pushed the bowl back. Wu Wengu was eating stir-fried liver, and one bowl was equivalent to three of Yu Lifei's. He couldn't eat someone else's stir-fried liver and then give them a bowl of shredded meat noodles, which wasn't his style.

The pre-cooked toppings were quick to prepare, and the server soon brought two more bowls of shredded meat noodles. Just as they were about to reach Yu Lifei, someone suddenly appeared from behind him. The server's bowl of noodles was about to tip over, but Yu Lifei, with quick reflexes, caught it without spilling a drop. Wu Wengu, noticing this, nodded thoughtfully.

Yu Lifei placed the bowl on his side with his right hand and pressed the figurine of the boy bathing a buffalo with his left. Although he was young, he wasn't naive. Someone who could outsmart prey in the jungle was certainly not foolish. His experiences over the past two years had taught him a lot about human nature.

After eating three bowls of noodles, Yu Lifei was finally half full. He patted his stomach, put the figurine into his bag, and went to the counter to pay, intending to pay for Wu Wengu as well. However, the server told him that Wu Wengu had already paid.

"Grandpa Wu, how could I let you pay for me?" Yu Lifei said, embarrassed, as he walked over to Wu Wengu, who was standing by the door.

"Xiao Yu, you're new here. Consider it my hospitality," Wu Wengu said with a smile. He was increasingly fond of Yu Lifei, who was quick-witted, steady, and well-mannered, without the restlessness of city people. Moreover, Yu Lifei was not swayed by money, which was rare.

"Thank you, Grandpa Wu. I'll treat you next time," Yu Lifei said respectfully.

"No problem, Xiao Yu. Where are you staying tonight? If you don't mind, why don't you stay at my place for the night? It's not far from here." Wu Wengu noticed that Yu Lifei was still carrying the bag he had brought from the train, knowing he hadn't found a place to stay.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa Wu, but I can manage anywhere," Yu Lifei said with a smile, though his words were polite, his determination was clear. He had always been a person who preferred to endure hardships rather than ask for help or lower himself.

Although Yu Lifei didn't plan to stay at Wu Wengu's house, he felt he should see him home to express his gratitude and respect. Moreover, he sensed something calling him ahead, and he wanted to check it out after seeing Wu Wengu home.

Wu Wengu was familiar with the area and led Yu Lifei through the streets and alleys. This part of Tanzhou was the old town, with buildings that had a Republican-era style. Although Yu Lifei was familiar with the mountains, he found it difficult to navigate these narrow alleys. As they walked into a quiet alley, two figures suddenly appeared in front of them. They stood in the middle of the road, clearly prepared for something.

"Who are you?" Wu Wengu quickly regained his composure. As an elder, although he was old and frail, his first instinct was to protect the younger generation. He glanced at Yu Lifei, who remained calm, as if he had already anticipated the situation.

"Old man, are you tired of living? Get out of the way! Kid, hand over the bag!" One of the men pushed Wu Wengu aside and tried to grab the bag from Yu Lifei. Clearly, they knew what was in the bag and were prepared.

"Grandpa Wu, you go ahead," Yu Lifei said. Although he had been able to beat wild boars in the mountains and even overpower old men since he was eighteen, this was his first time facing strangers. To avoid being distracted, it was best for Wu Wengu to stay back.

Yu Lifei's principle was to strike first and avoid being struck. As the man approached, Yu Lifei saw that he was tall and muscular, with a menacing face. In the dim light, he looked like a demon. Yu Lifei took a deep breath and kicked the man with lightning speed. The man, caught off guard, was hit with such force that he flew backward as if struck by a hammer. Yu Lifei didn't stop there; he followed up with a punch to the man's face. His punch was strong enough to kill a wild boar, and if he hadn't held back, the man would have been dead.

Even so, the man felt as if he had been run over by a car and immediately passed out. Whether he was dead or alive, only heaven knew. Yu Lifei's movements were so fast that even Wu Wengu and the other man in the middle of the road couldn't see clearly. The other man had thought that dealing with an old man and a young boy would be easy, but he was wrong. Not only did he lose a comrade, but he was also attacked.

"Kid, do you know who I am?" The man, seeing his comrade in a critical state, lost his nerve and said with a false bravado.

His trembling legs betrayed him, shaking frequently and violently. Yu Lifei's strength and speed were far beyond his imagination, and the man was lucky to be alive. He only wanted to bluff Yu Lifei, hoping to scare him off since Yu Lifei was a stranger and wouldn't want to cause trouble.

"I know, you're a scumbag!" Yu Lifei never gave his opponents any chance. His principle was to ensure the prey lost any ability to fight back, or he would be the one to suffer. Once, he had been fooled by a wild boar and was injured by its tusks after thinking it was dead.

Before the man could react, Yu Lifei rushed forward, grabbed him by the neck with his left hand, and kneed him in the stomach with his right knee, turning him into a shrimp. The man vomited all the noodles he had eaten due to the force of the impact. Then, Yu Lifei struck his face, and the man could hear his bones breaking. He thought, "How can this guy be so strong?" but he didn't feel any pain, as he was already unconscious before hitting the ground.

Yu Lifei checked the two men, who were both alive but unconscious. He then turned his attention to Wu Wengu, who was cowering in the corner. "Grandpa Wu, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Xiao Yu, I didn't expect you to have such skills," Wu Wengu said, finally regaining his composure. Yu Lifei's movements were fluid and graceful, though violent, and had a certain aesthetic appeal. However, the dim light made it difficult to see his precise actions. All Wu Wengu saw was a blur of movement followed by a few thuds, and the two men were down.

"I just have a bit of strength. Stand up and check if you're hurt anywhere," Yu Lifei said. He had noticed these two men acting suspiciously in the noodle shop. They had tried to make a move when the server brought the second bowl of noodles but were foiled. They didn't give up and followed them, finally making their move in this quiet alley. However, they had underestimated Yu Lifei and ended up hurting themselves.

"I'm not even scratched. Are you hurt?" Wu Wengu asked, concerned. Although Yu Lifei had the upper hand, the force of his attacks could have injured him as well.

"I'm fine, I'm tough," Yu Lifei said with a relaxed smile. He wasn't worried about two men, and even if two more came, he wouldn't be concerned. His fighting skills were mostly taught by the old man, but his experiences in the mountains had added many wild techniques. Sometimes, his unorthodox moves could even defeat the old man. He had many more powerful moves that he hadn't used, and if he went all out, the old man wouldn't last a few rounds.

"That's good." Wu Wengu calmed down and called someone on his phone, explaining the situation briefly.