Chapter 41: The Five Tigers of the Zeng Family

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The stronghold on Wushu Mountain burned fiercely, blazing like the Olympic flame at the peak of a mountain!

Yu Baosi felt somewhat regretful. "Brother, why burn the stronghold down? Leaving it behind would at least serve as a fallback retreat..."

"Heh."

Cai Fu gave a faint smile: If you don't burn it, you aren't doing it professionally!

"Why bother keeping this stronghold?"

Bao Xu told Yu Baosi, "From now on, this little brother will follow the big brother wholeheartedly and will never return!"

The group stood in front of the raging fires of the Wushu Mountain stronghold for a long while before Cai Qing finally couldn't help asking, "Big brother, why aren't we leaving?"

"No hurry."

Cai Fu sat upon a resting-ox stone, unhurriedly wiping his blade as he replied, "We'll leave after the fire goes out."

Lu Junyi was very curious. "Eldest brother, why wait for the fire to go out?"

"If we don't wait for the fire to go out, in case it spreads and engulfs the entire mountain, the consequences would be unimaginable..."

Cai Fu's explanation left Lu Junyi completely baffled, like a Buddhist monk trying to comprehend a text beyond his grasp.

"The consequences of burning the entire mountain... would simply be burning all the trees on the entire mountain to ashes!"

"Second brother, remember this!"

Cai Fu told him earnestly, "Lush mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets!"

Huh?

Lu Junyi was dumbfounded.

To him, Cai Fu's earnest and painstaking instruction translated to the following: Second brother, remember this! No matter what I tell you to remember, just remember whatever I say!

Right at that moment, a sudden gale whipped up, dark clouds gathered densely, followed instantly by lightning, thunder, and a torrential downpour!

The raindrops beat down so hard people could barely keep their eyes open. Too busy to put on airs anymore, Cai Fu hastily led his brothers to find shelter from the rain.

We burned it too early, and now there isn't even a damn place to hide from the rain...

...

Zengtou Village.

"Still haven't found the instructor?"

A fierce-looking, white-haired foreign elder slammed his hand down onto the table and said angrily, "Could this fellow have run away?"

This foreign elder was none other than Zeng Rong, the Chief of Zengtou Village.

His eldest son, Zeng Tu, the leader of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family—a towering red-faced man seven feet tall—thought for a moment and said, "That shouldn't be.

"Father, have you forgotten? The instructor hid in our Zengtou Village precisely because he had offended an peerless powerhouse.

"Besides, last time I disguised myself as the instructor and shot Chao Gai to death with a poisoned arrow, the Mount Liang poachers are looking to the instructor for blood and vengeance!

"Apart from Zengtou Village, who else could protect him?"

"Big brother is right!"

Zeng Kui, the fourth of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family, a yellow-faced man eight feet tall, chimed in, "Furthermore, the instructor left together with Yu Baosi. I suspect he asked Yu Baosi to take him out to buy a thousand-li steed!"

"Humph! Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

Zeng Mi, the second of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family, a dark-faced man eight feet tall, cursed angrily and petulantly, "The Fourth Prince has taken a fancy to him, which is his good fortune!

"His refusal to accept the Night-Shining White Lion means he has rejected the Fourth Prince's patronage!

"Father, what shall we do if he really comes back after buying a thousand-li steed?"

"Naturally, we will get rid of him!"

Zeng Suo, the third of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family, a purple-faced man six feet tall, said with a sneer, "The Fourth Prince once said that the instructor possesses the valor of ten thousand men!

"If he is unwilling to submit, we would rather destroy him, lest he be used by our enemies!"

"Quite right!"

Chief Zeng expressed his agreement. At that very moment, a white-faced man nine feet tall strode in.

"Father, the instructor is back!"

This nine-foot-tall, white-faced man was Zeng Sheng, the fifth of the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family.

Zeng Sheng said excitedly, "The instructor even said he wants to treat the five of us brothers to wine!"

"Oh?"

Chief Zeng was overjoyed. "Could it be that the instructor has changed his mind?"

The fourth brother, Zeng Kui, loved both martial arts and poetry; he was the only one among the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family who excelled in both literary and martial arts.

Zeng Kui's small eyes rolled around craftily. "Father, in my view, even if the instructor hasn't fully changed his mind, he is definitely wavering!

"Since he wants to treat the five of us brothers to wine, he mostly likely wants to build a personal bond with us. Let us five brothers bond with him!

"There is an ancient saying among the Southern barbarians: With enough perseverance, an iron pestle can be ground down into a sewing needle!

"If the five of us wear him down together with gentle persistence, even if he is an iron pestle, we will grind him into a needle tonight!"

"Precisely so."

Chief Zeng stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Go then, and do not keep the instructor waiting too long."

"Rest assured, Father!"

The eldest brother, Zeng Tu, stood up and said, "Tonight, the five of us will pull out all the stops and definitely bring the instructor over to our side!"

Leaving the Zeng family residence, the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family walked eagerly toward Shi Wengong's small courtyard with high spirits and rolled-up sleeves.

Shi Wengong had already prepared a table of food and wine, bustling around to seat the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family.

Zeng Mi, the rash second brother, went straight to the point, "We haven't seen the instructor for several days. I thought the instructor wasn't coming back!"

"Ahahaha..."

Shi Wengong let out a dry laugh. "Second brother, you jest. Didn't I ask Yu Baosi to go north to buy horses for me?

"The horse Yu Baosi bought for me was intercepted when passing by Wushu Mountain.

"I went with him to demand the horse back..."

"Second brother, stop talking nonsense!"

The eldest brother, Zeng Tu, scolded Zeng Mi and smiled at Shi Wengong, "Instructor, you must forgive him for speaking so bluntly!

"I wonder if the instructor managed to retrieve the horse from Wushu Mountain?"

"No..."

Shi Wengong's aged face turned red. "Bao Xu, the 'Funeral Gate Deity' of Wushu Mountain, cares nothing for martial ethics and used his superior numbers to bully the few..."

The Five Tigers of the Zeng Family exchanged glances, and the fourth brother, Zeng Kui, asked with a smile, "I wonder if this disciple can be of any service to the instructor?"

Shi Wengong beckon with his hand, and a handsome young servant came over to pour wine for them.

Shi Wengong brazenly said, "Let's finish this bowl of wine first before we talk."

The Five Tigers of the Zeng Family exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

Only the fourth brother, Zeng Kui, looked suspiciously at the handsome young servant. "Instructor, who is this person?"

Shi Wengong replied, "This is a new servant I bought. He is thoughtful and perceptive, and excels in everything from playing instruments to singing!"

"Oh?"

Zeng Kui raised an eyebrow. "Sing us a song to liven things up!"

"Fourth brother, business comes first!"

Shi Wengong raised a full bowl of wine. "Let's drink this bowl of wine first!"

Zeng Kui had no choice but to raise his wine bowl together with his four brothers. With a "clink," they toasted each other and drained them in one gulp.

With a bowl of wine down his throat, Shi Wengong patted his chest and said, "Speaking from the heart, how have I treated the five of you brothers?"

The fifth brother, Zeng Sheng, said with a grin, "The instructor has tailored his teaching to our individual aptitudes and devoted his utmost effort to the five of us!

"We five brothers all deeply respect the instructor!"

"Since that is the case..."

Shi Wengong finally laid his cards on the table. "Can the five of you brothers help me go to Wushu Mountain to demand the horse back?"

"As for that..."

The Five Tigers of the Zeng Family all looked at the fourth brother, Zeng Kui. Zeng Kui chuckled and said, "Out of personal ties, of course we must help the instructor!

"However, Wushu Mountain has five or six hundred men; we would need to deploy at least a thousand men to truly overawe them!

"If the instructor had accepted the Night-Shining White Lion, then for the sake of the Fourth Prince, we would have to go no matter what!

"Since the instructor did not accept the Night-Shining White Lion, the Fourth Prince's face is somewhat slighted, and it's difficult for us to dispatch troops as well!"

"Ah, this..."

Shi Wengong wore a troubled expression, utterly speechless, and had no choice but to gesture for the handsome servant to pour more wine.