Chapter 42

Xiao Bing walked into Zhang Yizhi's room, closed the door, and then wore a mischievous smile: "Old Zhang, the old lady downstairs looks pretty good. Are you hiding a beauty in your golden house?"

"You little brat, always talking nonsense." Zhang Yizhi scolded, but his expression suddenly turned serious. "Xiao Bing, come and sit down."

Although Zhang Yizhi always appeared dignified and authoritative in public, putting on a stern face in front of everyone, Xiao Bing rarely saw him look so serious and solemn in private. Could it be that Old Zhang has a thing for the old lady downstairs and is about to announce some good news?

After Xiao Bing sat down, Zhang Yizhi said, "Give me your hand."

Xiao Bing was taken aback: "Are you going to touch me?"

Zhang Yizhi was so angry he wanted to kick Xiao Bing, but he restrained himself and gently placed a finger on Xiao Bing's pulse. Zhang Yizhi frowned slightly, then closed his eyes solemnly. Xiao Bing watched this scene calmly.

After a long while, he released Xiao Bing and said in a serious tone, "The injury you sustained three years ago seems to be recurring. The last time we drank at the noodle shop, I noticed that your injury had already started to recur. That's why I called you here today. I'm leaving for the capital tomorrow, and I must control your condition before I go, or I won't be able to leave with peace of mind."

"Three years ago, when I saved your life, I already told you that if you continue to fight and kill every day, that injury will eventually recur."

Xiao Bing smiled indifferently, "I'm not the type to sit idle. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are decided by heaven."

"You can think that way, but what about Yezi?" Zhang Yizhi looked at Xiao Bing and said, "In the past, I couldn't say much about your attitude, but can you still be so carefree now? I can see that you really like that girl. Can you give her up?"

Xiao Bing fell silent. Yes, what about Yezi... He suddenly looked up, his face full of earnestness and pleading, and said, "Old Zhang, do you have any way to help?"

"Ah, you brat, I knew only this could convince you." Zhang Yizhi thought for a moment and said, "I only have one method now, which is to temporarily seal a few acupoints in your body. The power you possess is too overwhelming. When you are healthy, it's not a problem, but with your current injury, if you release all that power in a fight, it could seriously harm your body."

Xiao Bing frowned, "You mean you want to control the power in my body?"

Zhang Yizhi said, "I need to temporarily seal part of your power. Once your injury heals, I will unseal it for you. The power will return to you, but during the sealing period, your power will be significantly reduced."

Xiao Bing asked, "How much will it be reduced?"

Zhang Yizhi thought seriously for a moment, as if making a precise calculation, and then said cautiously, "To the level of Dark Force."

Xiao Bing smiled bitterly, "Is there no other way?"

"There is no other way," Zhang Yizhi said solemnly, "Do you still plan to play with your life?"

Xiao Bing took a deep breath. This was a painful choice. He had come to Jiangcheng to protect Su Xiaoxiao and prevent the traitor from endangering her life. If his power were sealed, and the traitor appeared and started a fight, the consequences would be unimaginable...

Zhang Yizhi seemed to understand what Xiao Bing was thinking and reminded him seriously, "I have to remind you that with your current condition, if the traitor really appears and you use too much power, your body won't be able to handle the strain, and you will die. If your injury doesn't heal, you can't even protect yourself, let alone protect anyone else."

Xiao Bing hesitated, "How long will it take for my injury to heal?"

"I don't know," Zhang Yizhi shook his head and thought for a moment, "But I know you won't be satisfied without an answer. Let's say six months. After six months, whether your injury is fully healed or not, I will unseal your power. How does that sound?"

"Six months..." Xiao Bing pondered, "Then six months it is."

For six months, he would stay here quietly and wait. After the time was up, he would consider avenging Su Peiya. Recently, Xiao Bing had been thinking that he had been here for a few days, and Su Xiaoxiao had also recalled, but they had found no evidence of a traitor. Could it be that the person who invited Su Peiya out just wanted money and was lying? Maybe there was no traitor in the organization? The fact that they were always one step behind might just be a coincidence.

Xiao Bing couldn't be sure, but he couldn't help thinking about it repeatedly. After all, no one wants a traitor among the brothers who have fought alongside them, no one wants that.

Zhang Yizhi took out a needle and had Xiao Bing take off his clothes and sit cross-legged on the bed. He began to apply the needles. When he saw the giant dragon on Xiao Bing's body, he was momentarily lost in thought and sighed, "This dragon is truly a masterpiece."

Xiao Bing smiled, "It's the work of a brother in our Longmen. The orphanage director said I had a small dragon tattoo on my body when I was a child. She drew a sketch of it, and it looked like this. As my body grew, the tattoo disappeared, so I asked the brother to tattoo it again."

Zhang Yizhi was surprised, "You had a tattoo when you were a child? I can't understand why your parents, who abandoned you, would tattoo such a pattern on a baby."

"I can't understand it either. If they were going to abandon me, why go through the trouble?" Xiao Bing smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his smile. "But my personality is such that I don't dwell on things I can't understand."

"Alright, get ready. The process will be painful."

Xiao Bing grinned, "I didn't even cry out in pain during the severe torture three years ago. A few needles now are nothing."

Without a word, Zhang Yizhi began to apply the needles. The silver needles caused a piercing pain, but Xiao Bing didn't even flinch, maintaining his smile. However, sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his skin started to tremble slightly.

As more needles were inserted, the pain intensified, and he felt a tearing sensation deep in his dantian. The dantian is the life gate of a martial artist. If it were anyone else, Xiao Bing would have pushed them away long ago, but this was Zhang Yizhi, the person he trusted with his life.

Zhang Yizhi glanced at Xiao Bing's calm expression and felt a deep sense of admiration. He couldn't forget the night three years ago when Xiao Bing lay on his operating table, and he saved his life. Xiao Bing, like today, didn't make a sound no matter how much pain he was in. The pain that time was ten or a hundred times worse... In all his years of practice, he had never seen a man as resilient as Xiao Bing.

When the last needle was inserted, Xiao Bing could clearly feel his power being divided, with most of it condensed and sealed away, leaving only a small portion in his body.

Zhang Yizhi slowly removed the needles one by one, sighed with relief, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Xiao Bing stood up and slowly threw a punch. The air vibrated, but Xiao Bing was far from satisfied. He felt a sense of emptiness, and he could tell that his energy had indeed diminished.

Dark Force... He never thought his body would return to the level of Dark Force, and only the energy of the middle stage of Dark Force.

Zhang Yizhi slowly stood up with his cane and looked at Xiao Bing, "Don't think too much. What's yours will still be yours. Just take good care of yourself. Although the power you can use now won't harm you, it's best not to fight if you can avoid it... The sooner you heal, the sooner I can unseal your power."

"I understand," Xiao Bing smiled bitterly, "It's just that after all these years of hard work, to have only this much power left feels a bit strange. If I encounter a formidable opponent..."

Zhang Yizhi rolled his eyes, "Is Dark Force not considered a high level? How many Dark Force experts are there in the country? Be grateful I didn't reduce you to Bright Force or Bone Tempering."

Xiao Bing smiled bitterly, suddenly feeling a desire to drown his sorrows in alcohol, "Let's not talk anymore. Let's go drink."

"Alright, let's drink!"

Perhaps because they were about to part ways, both of them drank a lot that night. Although Zhang Yizhi was old, he had never given up his love for alcohol, but he rarely drank so much. Usually, he would only have a cup by himself, and there were very few people in China who were qualified to drink with him.

Xiao Bing, being young and strong, felt that the old man was quite drunk, so he had Fuye and the nanny help Zhang Yizhi back to his room. The old man was still mumbling incoherently as he went upstairs. Age didn't change much about how people acted when they were drunk...

Back at the Su family, after washing his face, Xiao Bing returned to his room and lay down. Just as he was about to turn off the light, he saw a small note on his bedside table, which read, "Dinner is warming in the pot in the kitchen."

Xiao Bing felt a sense of warmth, the warmth of being at home.

For over twenty years, Xiao Bing had never felt what it was like to have a home...

Page break for AD start

Page break for AD end