Chapter 80

"Brother Zhao, don't worry, I'll think of a way too." As he passed by Zhao Jin, Wang Zhaojing whispered.

One by one, they walked out the door. Just as Chen Sheng was about to speak, Zhao Zhentang said, "Da Sheng, go back and tell your father to go to the yamen's prison immediately. There's an urgent matter. Tell him I said so, and don't forget!"

Seeing how serious Zhao Zhentang was, Chen Sheng nodded quickly.

After everyone left, Zhao Zhentang called in the bailiffs waiting outside and had them take the people away.

The five bailiffs were shocked to see the bodies on the ground, but they wisely didn't ask any questions.

The kidnappers, bound and gagged, were taken out, and the bodies were carried away. Only Zhao Zhentang, his son, and Mu Shulan were left in the room. Zhao Zhentang asked with concern, "Xiao Lan, are you okay?"

Mu Shulan nodded obediently and said softly, "Uncle Zhao, Xiao Jin came to save me. Don't blame him."

Zhao Zhentang smiled and shook his head. Seeing the atmosphere ease, Zhao Jin quickly said, "Father, everyone at Yunshan Temple is dead. I've already verified the confessions of those kidnappers. When the time comes, I can claim to have acted bravely to save someone..."

Before he could finish, Zhao Zhentang's face turned stern, and he said sternly, "Shut up. At your age, you act so recklessly."

Another slap and scolding followed. Zhao Jin felt like a child for the first time. His father's direct discipline and unrelenting scolding were something only a father would do.

"First, help me clean up here. Then take Xiao Lan home. When you get back, have your mother take out two hundred taels of silver and send it to the yamen," Zhao Zhentang said with a stern face.

Zhao Jin had no choice but to agree. Zhao Zhentang walked around the room, as carefully as he had at the Mu family's house last night. He found several dozen taels of silver and a small wooden box containing some gold ingots and jewelry.

He wrapped these items in a bundle and said sternly, "Do you know how lucky you are? This gang of kidnappers used this place as their base. The neighbors must have gotten used to the strange noises and didn't dare to intervene. If this had happened elsewhere, someone would have sounded the alarm, and the local militia would have gathered, causing you big trouble."

After saying this, he took the bundle and went out. On the street, Zhao Zhentang added, "Change your clothes when you get home. Don't let the blood get on you."

Mu Shulan didn't care if anyone was around; she tightly held Zhao Jin's hand. When Zhao Zhentang left, the girl moved even closer, sticking to Zhao Jin as if only this way could she feel safe.

Watching his father's figure disappear at the intersection, Zhao Jin led the girl home.

This street was truly a place where everyone swept only in front of their own door. Despite the loud sounds of fighting and screaming, the other courtyards showed no reaction.

If Zhao Jin hadn't noticed people peeking through the door cracks as he passed by, he would have thought no one lived on this street.

"Brother Xiao Jin, Uncle Zhao really cares about you. Don't be angry. My father is the same..." After a while, Mu Shulan said timidly.

Zhao Jin was taken aback, then realized he hadn't spoken a word the whole way. The girl must have thought he was upset because of the scolding. He smiled and said, "Xiao Lan, you misunderstood. I know it's for my own good."

Hearing Zhao Jin's explanation, Mu Shulan nodded, and the two continued walking in silence.

The reason Zhao Jin hadn't spoken was that he was reflecting on today's battle. From start to finish, every step had problems.

He had thought that with his daily martial arts practice, his uncle Zhao Xing's martial arts instruction, and the combat experience shared by his uncle, he had a maturity far beyond his peers and advanced military knowledge. He should have been invincible and always victorious.

But when faced with the enemy, he still felt fear. This small operation was riddled with flaws. He forgot that people could come out of the courtyard at any time when dealing with the two lookouts. He forgot to ask how many guards were inside when he asked the girl if she was there. Everyone rushed in but forgot to block the back door...

He made too many mistakes. Fortunately, the enemies were also incompetent. Fortunately, his rigorous martial arts training played a decisive role in the life-and-death struggle.

What needed to be changed must be changed, and what needed to be strengthened must be strengthened. Zhao Jin thought of his friends who had fought alongside him. A few years ago, he had approached them with a purpose, but now he found it laughable. True friends would stand by each other through life and death, fighting side by side in blood!

With such parents and such friends, everything was worth it!

Zhao Jin took a deep breath. At that moment, he realized how tightly the girl was holding his hand. He suddenly realized that if Mu Shulan had been kidnapped and fallen into a brothel, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. Saving her was worth it!

The young couple walked hand in hand down the street, not saying much, just holding hands tightly.

As they approached the northern part of the city, many houses along the road had lanterns hanging, making the street much brighter. Just one more turn, and they would be on the street leading to their house. Zhao Jin saw his mother, He Cuihua, standing on the street, looking around anxiously. Although he couldn't see her expression clearly, he could feel her worry.

"Is that Xiao Jin?" Seeing the blurry figure in the distance, He Cuihua called out, unsure.

"Mother, it's me!" Zhao Jin replied, and he saw He Cuihua running over.

As soon as she reached him, He Cuihua asked anxiously, "You suddenly ran out, and now you've brought Xiao Lan back..."

She stopped after a few words. In the light from a distance, she saw the blood on Zhao Jin's face and body. She was shocked and grabbed his shoulders, asking, "Xiao Jin, are you hurt? What happened?"

"It's someone else's blood, Mother. Don't worry. Father has an urgent matter and asked me to come back first. I have to go out again."

"Someone else's blood? What happened?"

He Cuihua kept asking. Zhao Jin explained with a bitter smile, not going into too much detail for fear of scaring his mother. Although it was troublesome, he felt warm. Fatherly and motherly love were expressed in different ways, and only someone with his mature mind could appreciate it. Most of his peers wouldn't be grateful but would be impatient or even resentful.

Not only did she ask outside, but once they were inside, under the light, He Cuihua insisted on checking every spot on Zhao Jin's body where there was blood, afraid he might be hurt. After the check, she found him clean clothes and had Zhao San's wife boil water for him to wash.

When Zhao Jin changed into clean clothes in the bedroom, he quietly recounted today's events, omitting the parts about killing and Yunshan Temple. From his mother's reaction, he could tell she didn't know about the girl's near-kidnapping. If Zhao Zhentang had told He Cuihua about today's experience, he must have guessed the truth but didn't want to make her feel guilty and worried, so he didn't reveal it.

Hearing this, He Cuihua's face turned pale. Without waiting for Zhao Jin to finish changing, she ran out of the room and hugged Mu Shulan, crying, "Auntie almost harmed you."

Zhao Jin couldn't help but laugh as he changed, because everything had turned out well. Seeing him unharmed, his mother immediately took care of Mu Shulan, showing her warm heart.

After changing and cleaning the blood, Zhao Jin felt much better. Walking out of the room, he saw only He Cuihua and Mu Shulan. He said directly, "Mother, Father said to prepare two hundred taels of silver and send it to the yamen immediately."

"Two hundred taels? What happened? It's just a few kidnappers, right?" Although He Cuihua didn't know what had happened, she understood the value of two hundred taels of silver.

She gasped and fell silent, having already guessed from the blood on her son's body.