Chapter 122: Encounter

Behind Zhang Xuan, the two brothers had just noticed Yang Zaixing and the others sparring, performing moves they had never seen before. But judging by the way they moved, they were clearly trained fighters. It seemed there was a real chance they could help him take revenge!

Yang Zaixing and the others glanced at the two men behind Zhang Xuan, who showed no reaction. They exchanged looks—what was with this quiet atmosphere?

The younger brother sensed the silence and only then realized Zhang Xuan had just asked him his name. “Sorry, I was a bit distracted just now. My name’s Nie Zheng, and this is my elder brother, Nie Rong. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Yang Zaixing introduced everyone around him to the Nie brothers, and that was that—they all knew each other now. But while Yang Zaixing was busy with introductions, Zhang Xuan had already moved over to the fire, preparing to roast a chicken. As he got things ready, he didn’t forget to assign tasks. “Don’t just stand around! Either keep sparring or go hunt for some wild game. With just one chicken and so many of us, it’s barely enough for a snack.” He eyed the others, who remained inactive. “If no one’s going, then no one’s allowed to snatch my two drumsticks. The rest you can have, but those two are mine. After all, we’re brothers here.”

Once the chickens were roasted, Zhang Xuan tore off two drumsticks and handed them to the Nie brothers. Without paying any mind to their expressions, he licked his fingers and lunged at the remaining chicken. Quick hands win—by the time the others scrambled in, only a small tail end was left. Zhang Xuan sighed as he stared at the meager leftover in his hand.

Nie Zheng offered his drumstick back to Zhang Xuan, but Zhang waved him off. “You eat that yourself. Try my cooking! I saved the best for you two—don’t let my efforts go to waste. You look like you haven’t eaten properly in a long time. There’s work for you later.” Saying that, Zhang Xuan headed back toward Yang Zaixing and the others, ready to wrestle for more chicken.

Nie Zheng looked at his drumstick and said quietly, “Brother, I think we’ll never have the chance to leave him willingly now.” But Nie Rong was too engrossed in his own drumstick to notice, eating without care for the heat or his brother’s words.

“小Xuanzi, you gave your precious drumsticks to them. What’s their story? Was the noise just now from those two?” Yang Zaixing asked, watching the Nie brothers devour the chicken.

“They’re kids we picked up along the road. They looked pitiful, so we took them in. Big brother, I didn’t even have to say much—just a casual word, and they clung to me like glue. As for the drumsticks, I figured they hadn’t eaten in a while, so I gave those two some to fill their stomachs. After we finish eating, we’ll hear their story and then head out tonight.”

“Head out? In the middle of nowhere? Where could we possibly go?” Yang Zaixing shook his head. Though he was getting used to Zhang Xuan’s wild ideas, going along was another matter altogether.

After the chicken’s fate was fulfilled, Zhang Xuan called the Nie brothers over. The group gathered, and Zhang Xuan asked, “Tell us your story. Where are you from? How did you end up in that so-called camp? And how did you escape?”

Yang Zaixing and the others caught some key words—“abducted,” “camp,” “escaped.” Clearly, there was a story here. They chose to listen quietly for now, wanting to understand before acting. Though Yang Zaixing had a hunch about Zhang Xuan’s plan to head out that night, he quickly dismissed the thought—there was no way Zhang Xuan would do something so thankless.

The Nie brothers exchanged a glance. The younger nodded to the older, and Nie Zheng gathered his thoughts. “We’re from Zhixian. Our family used to be butchers. After our parents died, we observed the mourning period. Following their wishes, we headed north to stay with a relative. We didn’t have much money, and since we didn’t know the way, we often got lost. After more than a month, our funds ran out. Then we met a ‘kind-hearted’ man—really kind-hearted—who took us to eat and listened to our story. He said he was headed near our destination and invited us to accompany him. We thought we were lucky, but it turned out to be a road of no return.

“As we traveled north, more children around our age joined the group, along with several men like that ‘kind-hearted’ man. They all seemed familiar with each other. At first, I didn’t suspect anything. We didn’t know the roads anyway, and having someone to guide us, feeding us warm meals, made us grateful. But then, more children and men appeared, all heading north.

“They didn’t allow us kids to talk to each other much, so we stayed quiet. One day, I accidentally saw that these ‘kind-hearted’ men all had the same tattoo on their arms. It looked like the mark of a single organization, because the tattoos were identical and in the exact same spot.”

Zhang Xuan interrupted, “Was it a plum blossom tattoo?”

“Yes!” Nie Zheng rolled up his sleeve to show the exact same plum blossom tattoo. His arms were covered in bruises and scars—some old, some fresh.

Seeing the injuries, the others felt a pang of sympathy, wishing they could storm that camp and make those cruel men suffer the same pain.

Zhang Xuan inspected the plum blossom carefully. The one on the kid’s arm matched the tattoo on the trafficker’s arm he had beaten earlier, though that one had a circle around it—probably to mark distinctions within the group.

“When I saw their tattoos, I grew suspicious. I’d heard stories of kids being abducted before, so I quietly asked the other children. Their destinations were different, but their stories were similar—meeting a ‘kind-hearted’ man who said he was passing by, so they followed. Despite my doubts, they treated us relatively well, so I let my guard down and didn’t even tell my brother.

“Last year, around this time, we arrived at a village they said was our destination. Many people came out to meet us. The leader exchanged something with the man who brought us—what exactly, I don’t know. Some kids protested that this wasn’t where they were supposed to go. The man who brought us slapped them hard, showing no kindness. The people around looked fierce, and no other kids dared speak after that.” Nie Zheng recounted his harrowing experience.

“What about the plum blossom tattoos on your arms?” Yang Zaixing asked. “Did they brand you with those?”

“...”