The tavern hummed with activity, a vibrant cacophony of voices, laughter, and the clinking of wine jars and teacups. People were everywhere, a joyous throng celebrating the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The efficient waiter, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease, set two large tables for the thirteen individuals – the triumphant Brotherhood team, Deming, and their female companions. Orders were placed, and soon, the rich aroma of food and the cheerful clinking of wine cups filled the air as the waiter returned with their refreshments, steaming dishes and brimming cups.
Tam Kun raised his cup, a wide, triumphant smile gracing his lips. "To us, brothers! To our first victory!" he toasted, his voice ringing with pride.
Everyone drank, a shared moment of celebration.
Ho Jinhai, ever the responsible one, meticulously folded a piece of paper – likely the competition schedule – and tucked it carefully into his robe. "You guys can't drink too much," he said worriedly, his brow furrowed, "because we still have to compete tomorrow. We need to be at our best."
Zheng Yaozu nodded, a rare moment of seriousness. "One cup of wine per person is good enough. We need clear heads." Then, a frown creased his brow, a shadow passing over his face. "Last year, Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother were here to celebrate the festival with us. It feels different without them."
"It's a pity that Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother didn't come this year," Tam Kun added, a note of genuine regret in his voice.
Li Bingqing hesitated, her gaze sweeping over the group, then spoke, her voice soft and a little tentative, "I want to ask something, but I fear offending you. Please tell me if I cross a line."
Tam Kun looked at Li Bingqing, his expression open and encouraging. "Ask, Lady Li. We're all friends here."
Li Bingqing paused, gathering her courage, then ventured, "Don't be angry if I ask, but..."
Zheng Tingfeng quickly reassured her, sensing her apprehension. "We won't, Lady Li. Speak freely."
Li Bingqing, her voice gentle, "Why does your Senior Brother always look so sad? He seems to carry a great weight."
The expressions of the seven brothers and Yang Chuntao instantly changed, a somber cloud descending upon them. Li Bingqing quickly apologized, sensing her misstep, her face flushing. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry."
Yu Lei, ever the calm and philosophical one, broke the silence. "It's not your fault, Lady Li. Whoever is to blame is the matchmaker in heaven. Some fates are simply cruel."
Tam Kun said, trying to lighten the mood slightly, "Senior Brother isn't always like this, Lady Li. Sometimes he can be cold, yes, but don't take it to heart. He has his reasons."
Guozhao Zhaohui spoke, his voice indifferent at first, but slowly imbued with a quiet conviction that drew everyone's attention. "Senior Brother is the most caring person in the world. I don't care what others say about him, but for me, he is the best. He saved me."
"Really?" Li Bingqing asked, surprised by the intensity of his words. "He always speaks so coldly to others, so distantly."
Guozhao Zhaohui began to explain, his voice low but steady, recounting a painful past. "When I was three or four years old, both my parents died. No one wanted me at home, so they took me to the depths of the forest and left me there for good, to die." Everyone sitting at the table was speechless, listening intently, captivated by his raw honesty. Guozhao Zhaohui continued, his voice now imbued with a quiet pain. "Senior Brother met me there, a tiny, lost child, and he took me out of the forest. I was too young to know where I came from, so he took me, and we were begging for food on the street, just trying to survive. But Senior Brother always let me eat first. Only when I was full, then whatever food was left, he would eat after me. We always moved from place to place, never settling, and I was too young to understand why."
Tam Kun looked at Guozhao Zhaohui, his expression somber, a newfound respect in his eyes. "You never told us this, Zhaohui."
Guozhao Zhaohui continued, his voice now heavy with the weight of memory. "When Senior Brother was young, a well-known prostitute found him on the side of the road, abandoned and alone. She took pity on Senior Brother and took him back to the brothel where she worked, a dangerous place. The boss there forced Senior Brother to serve food and chop wood, treating him like a slave. But one day, Senior Brother, with incredible ingenuity, picked the shackles' chain lock and ran away, taking me with him. Those bastards kept hunting him down, relentless in their pursuit. As we approached East River Village, we found Xiao Mei and Bolin, two other lost souls. The terrible deformed woman, on the verge of death, asked Senior Brother to take Xiao Mei and Bolin to find someone who is called Brother Renshu."
The hunters gasped in unison, a collective intake of breath. "Second Master?" they whispered, a realization dawning.
Guozhao Zhaohui nodded, his gaze distant. "Senior Brother waited until the deformed woman died before burying her, giving her a proper farewell, but our bad luck didn't stop there. We did what the lady told us, so we headed to Peace Town, hoping to find this Brother Renshu. We begged for food along the way, starving. Senior Brother would always make sure we ate before he ate, every... single... time, putting our needs before his own. Then we met the bastard Master Ho." The cup in Guozhao Zhaohui's right hand cracked, a silent testament to his simmering anger, a physical manifestation of his rage. "The bastard Ho lied that he was Brother Renshu and lured us into the inn, promising safety. He served us with food, acting kind, to hide his evil plans. That night, he came into the room and started molesting me."
Tam Kun leaned in and whispered fiercely to Ho Jinhai, his eyes narrowed, "Is he related to you? You have to tell me right now if that bastard Ho is related to you, Jinhai! I need to know!"
Ho Jinhai shook his head firmly, his face pale. "There are many people with the same surname, Tam Kun. Not all of them are my relatives."
"True," Tam Kun conceded, his gaze still suspicious.
Tam Liang, his voice hushed, asked, "And? What happened next?"
Guozhao Zhaohui sighed, his voice heavy with the weight of the memory. "Senior Brother offered himself, to protect me. He sacrificed himself."
Everyone sitting at the table took a deep breath, looking at each other in disbelief, a profound shock passing through them.
Guozhao Zhaohui took a sip of wine, his hand trembling slightly, then continued, his voice filled with a chilling clarity. "I still remember every word he said to the bastard Ho, 'If I don't satisfy you, you can have him.' The bastard Ho told Senior Brother to kneel and suck his member." Guozhao Zhaohui laughed out loud, a fierce, almost manic fire in his eyes, and said with dark, grim satisfaction. "When the bastard tried to put his member inside Senior Brother's mouth, he bit that bastard's member so hard and refused to let it go! He clamped down with all his might! In pain, the bastard screamed, a high-pitched shriek, and started punching Senior Brother on the face, trying to make him release. Senior Brother let go of the bastard's member and uppercut him under his chin, a powerful blow, knocking the bastard out cold on the floor."
Zheng Yaozu asked, his voice hushed, "How did you guys get out, Zhaohui? How did you escape?"
Guozhao Zhaohui, "Senior Brother lowered us down the window one by one, carefully, quietly. Senior Brother carried Bolin on his back, and we ran all night that night, our legs burning. It rained heavily the next day, and we also asked Senior Brother to slow down, exhausted. That's when we met our three masters, our Shimu, Teacher Lee, and Shaquan. They saved us."
Fu Yongrui, his face grim, "So, the bad guy escaped justice?"
Guozhao Zhaohui laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "Not a chance. Have you heard the saying, 'those who have done evil and if they happen to meet Zhao Renshu, they will not live to tell their tales'? The bastard Ho's servants were killed on that road by Second and Third Masters, caught in their pursuit. Later, that night, the bastard Ho caught up with us in a tavern, still seeking revenge, and Second Master killed him with his icicles, ending his reign of terror." He sighed, the weight of the past heavy in the air, a story finally told. "So, I owe Senior Brother my life. It's not just me. Many of the younger juniors he brought back from his hunting trip also owe their lives to Senior Brother. That's why I said, whoever looks down on Senior Brother is also looking down on me and those he had saved. No matter what the situation or outcome may be, I will always stand by Senior Brother's side. I will always be his loyal subordinate, his brother."