Chapter 12

After Luo Tai and Chun Li entered, they didn’t listen to the introductions from the people at the Yi Hong Courtyard but instead searched for Huo Ting'en with all their might. Based on the development of the movie, Luo Tai was certain that Huo Ting'en was here. After searching for over twenty minutes, they indeed found Huo Ting'en in a room on the third floor.

Huo Ting'en sat at a round table in the room, one hand holding a pot, the other a cup, slowly pouring and then raising the cup to drink it all in one go. Beside him sat a woman in a pink dress, very beautiful, with a slightly furrowed brow, sighing and shaking her head as she looked at Huo Ting'en. This woman was Xiao Hong, played by Hong Kong actress Cai Shaofen in the movie, and Luo Tai naturally recognized her.

When Xiao Hong saw Luo Tai and Chun Li enter, she politely stood up, about to ask something, but was stopped by Luo Tai's gesture. He stood at the door, quietly watching Huo Ting'en.

Huo Ting'en lifted his slightly dazed eyes, and upon seeing Luo Tai and Chun Li, he didn't speak but merely smiled lightly, then continued to pour and drink by himself.

Luo Tai silently came to his opposite side, gently moved a stool, sat down, and tapped the table twice before saying, "Please, next time you come to such a high-end entertainment place, can you bring me along?"

Huo Ting'en was taken aback, frowned, and put down his wine glass, saying, "What... what high-end... entertainment... place?"

"This place, of course," Luo Tai said, pointing to the ground.

"Hmph." Huo Ting'en laughed, then said, "You've studied abroad, so you use foreign words right away." As he spoke, he brought the wine glass to his lips, intending to drink.

Luo Tai shook his head and took the wine glass from him. Huo Ting'en looked unhappy and said, "What are you doing?"

Luo Tai ignored him, sniffed the wine glass, and found it still full of a rich aroma. He turned the wine glass in his hand and said, "Uncle Gen is dead, hanged. He poisoned the crocodile meat for Huo Daxia, a slow-acting poison that caused Huo Daxia to die suddenly during the match with the Japanese. Now the martial arts school is in chaos, and Uncle Nong and the others are looking for you... Sigh, if you think this is nothing, then you can continue drinking here. If you believe you are a qualified master, you should go back immediately."

Upon hearing this, Huo Ting'en and Xiao Hong were stunned. After a while, Xiao Hong said to Huo Ting'en, "Ting'en, you should go back quickly. The Jingwu School needs you now."

Huo Ting'en was stunned for a long time before slowly saying, "Uncle Gen is already dead, and my father can rest in peace. What can I do if I go back now? Give me the wine glass, let me continue drinking."

"Bang!" Luo Tai slammed the wine glass on the table and said, "Brother, you are the leader of the Jingwu School. You can't be so muddled. Uncle Gen was just a tool; the real killer is the Japanese from the Hongkou Dojo. As long as the mastermind is still alive, how can Huo Daxia rest in peace?"

"Leader? Leader..." Huo Ting'en said sarcastically, "I don't deserve to be a leader. My skills are not good enough, and I have disgraced my father's expectations. The Huo family's Mizon Quan ends with me... ends with me..." As he said this, tears welled up in Huo Ting'en's eyes.

Luo Tai could see that the continuous failures of the past few days were the real reason for Huo Ting'en's depression. He pushed the wine glass on the table towards Huo Ting'en and said, "I admire Huo Daxia not just for his martial arts skills, but for a more important reason."

Huo Ting'en didn't reach for the wine glass but looked at Luo Tai.

"It's his spirit of self-improvement and promoting national arts. Even if he didn't know martial arts, I would still admire him for this spirit. The Japanese killed him not just because of Huo Yuanjia, but because his spirit would inspire a generation of Huo Yuanjias. Sigh, I can't explain it well, but that's the idea. The greatest sorrow is the death of the heart. A match, winning or losing, is nothing. What's scary is if you focus too much on the outcome of the match and forget the true meaning of your father founding the Jingwu School." Luo Tai didn't know why he suddenly said all this.

After he finished, he stood up, looked at Chun Li, and said to Xiao Hong, "Go call the madam."

Xiao Hong was taken aback and said, puzzled, "Sir... Sir... What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to buy your freedom," Luo Tai said calmly.

Before Xiao Hong could speak, Huo Ting'en interjected, "Brother Luo... you... what are you doing?"

Luo Tai pointed at Xiao Hong and said, "She can stay with you when you're down and encourage you, which shows she truly cares about you. Do you want to leave such a true friend in this high-end place?"

Luo Tai finished speaking and, without paying attention to Huo Ting'en's expression, said to Xiao Hong, "Don't just stand there. What? Do you like it here?"

Xiao Hong then gratefully bowed to Luo Tai and hurriedly left the room. Huo Ting'en sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

After a while, Huo Ting'en finally said, "Alright, Brother Luo, I'll go back with you, but I have a question for you."

"Alright, go ahead."

"Why did you hide from me that you know martial arts and are a skilled fighter?" Huo Ting'en asked.

"This..." Luo Tai found this question hard to answer. He couldn't tell Huo Ting'en that he had a magical watch that could draw prizes, and he had just drawn a level seven free-fighting skill. Even if he said this, Huo Ting'en wouldn't believe him.

"This... cough..." Luo Tai looked at Chun Li, who naturally didn't know what to say. "The reason... I can't tell you now. Maybe later, when I leave, I'll tell you," Luo Tai answered vaguely.

"You're leaving?" Huo Ting'en was taken aback.

"There's no such thing as a permanent feast. I will leave eventually. But don't worry, I won't leave soon. I want to see the Jingwu School get back on track," Luo Tai thought for a moment and said.

As they were talking, Xiao Hong brought the madam in. The madam was in her forties, with a heavy layer of makeup that made Luo Tai cover his nose. He shook his head and explained that he wanted to buy Xiao Hong's freedom.

The madam sized up Luo Tai and then shook her head, saying, "Sir, if you like her, just come back. Why spend so much? Xiao Hong is our top girl, not only beautiful but also understanding. The guests love her, and we've put a lot of effort into cultivating her..."

"Enough, enough..." Luo Tai waved his hand and said, "Don't waste my time. Just tell me how much."

"You're a straightforward man. I'll be direct too. Twenty silver dollars, that's the minimum," the madam said. As she spoke, Xiao Hong's face changed, and she quickly said, "Madam Wang, when I came here, you didn't spend even one silver dollar on me..."

"Xiao Hong, don't be ungrateful," the madam interrupted, "We've raised you for so many years, fed you, clothed you, and spent a lot of money on you..."

Before the madam could finish, Luo Tai took out a stack of silver dollars from his pocket, jingling them in his hand, and said, "I have fifteen silver dollars here. That's all I have. If you take it, take it. If not, I'll take Xiao Hong and leave."

"Hmph!" The madam coldly said, "Sir, do you think the Yi Hong Courtyard is a place you can just walk in and out of? Am I scared of you?" As she spoke, she clapped her hands, and four burly men rushed in, each looking fierce and menacing, glaring at Luo Tai.

Luo Tai didn't even look at them and said to Chun Li, "Get rid of them."

As soon as he spoke, Chun Li acted. "Bang, bang, bang..." She kicked out lightning-fast, and the four men were sent flying out of the room, instantly knocked unconscious.

"Bang!" At this moment, the surprised madam was grabbed by the neck by Luo Tai, "Ah..." The madam's face turned pale, and she gasped in pain.

Luo Tai didn't intend to kill her but said, "Still the same question, do you want the silver dollars? This time, if you talk nonsense, I'll not only take Xiao Hong but also burn down the Yi Hong Courtyard."

The madam nodded vigorously.

Luo Tai loosened his grip and said, "Get the contract."

The madam struggled to pull out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Luo Tai. Luo Tai said to Xiao Hong, "Check if it's yours."

Xiao Hong took it, examined it carefully, and then nodded affirmatively to Luo Tai. Luo Tai then let go of the madam, placed the silver dollars on the table, and left the room with Xiao Hong and Chun Li.

"Old Huo, are you staying here?" Luo Tai stopped, turned around, and asked the still stunned Huo Ting'en. Huo Ting'en then shook his head and followed Luo Tai and the others.

As the four of them walked out of the Yi Hong Courtyard, Luo Tai's watch vibrated. He lifted his wrist and saw, "Guiding others and saving them from distress, rewarded with 50 points of merit."

Luo Tai smiled, a sense of satisfaction welling up in his heart. Once just content with a simple life, he suddenly felt that he had the power to influence others' fates...