Chapter 77: The Matter at the Restaurant

Upon hearing these words, Liu Feng nodded and replied, “Thank you for the great trust, Master of the House.”

“By the way, what is your name?” Zhao Tu asked.

“Wen Feng,” Liu Feng answered, giving a false name.

Zhao Tu patted him on the shoulder and said, “Do your best, Wen Feng. The Zhao family will not treat you unfairly.” With that, he, Zhao Heng, and Zhao Gaofeng walked toward the inner courtyard.

Zhao Gaofeng, a little puzzled, asked, “Elder Brother, why do you place such importance on someone whose origins are unknown?”

Zhao Tu gave a mysterious smile. “You may not know this, Second Brother, but it’s said that our Emperor is about to hold a gathering of talents with the emperors of the three neighboring countries. The goal is to select the most promising young heroes.”

Zhao Heng’s eyes lit up. “So you intend to have this youth participate in the contest. Is there some benefit to our Zhao family if we win?”

Zhao Tu laughed heartily. “Precisely. The Emperor has declared that whichever family’s young hero wins the final contest will receive generous rewards. The family head might even be appointed as the lord of a city.”

Hearing this, Zhao Heng and Zhao Gaofeng immediately understood why both Wang Rui and their brother were so eager to keep this youth close.

“If we can win this contest, the clan will advance greatly—perhaps even outshine the current city lord,” Zhao Gaofeng exclaimed with a laugh, while Zhao Heng and Zhao Tu both nodded and smiled in agreement.

By this time, Liu Feng had already changed into a set of garments custom-made for the Zhao family. He arrived at the front courtyard square, where over a hundred Zhao family guards had assembled, awaiting the new chief instructor’s address. When they saw Liu Feng, each was taken aback; none expected the new instructor to be a youth not yet twenty.

Liu Feng surveyed the group, noticing that most were between twenty and forty, tall and robust, with a fierce air about them—clearly men well-trained.

His expression calm, he spoke evenly, “From today, I will take charge of your training. I expect everyone to work together to safeguard the Zhao family. Do not betray the Master’s trust.”

“We understand! We’ll do our utmost to protect the Zhao family!” they replied in unison.

“Very well. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be split into two teams. One will train with me, while the other guards the Zhao estate. The teams will alternate duties,” Liu Feng announced in a clear voice.

“Understood, Leader!” the men replied loudly.

Liu Feng nodded. “Dismissed. Remember to report to the martial grounds for training tomorrow.”

With that, the assembled guards dispersed at once.

Just as Liu Feng was about to leave, Zhao Hong approached and said, “Brother Wen Feng, don’t go yet. I’ve arranged a banquet for you this evening at ‘The Misty Pavilion,’ the finest restaurant in town, to express my gratitude.”

Liu Feng nodded, “Then I must thank you for your generosity.”

“Nonsense—after all you’ve done for the Zhao family, this is a mere trifle,” Zhao Hong replied. “Wait here this evening, and we’ll go to ‘The Misty Pavilion’ together.” With that, he turned and left.

Liu Feng’s gaze grew thoughtful as he considered his next move. After standing there for a moment, he left the Zhao residence, settled his account at the inn where he’d stayed the previous night, and sought out a restaurant to fill his stomach.

Strolling down the bustling street, he watched the endless stream of people and carriages. The lively scene lifted his spirits.

He entered a restaurant called “Auspicious Hall.” It was spacious inside, with few diners at this hour; most guests were gathered in groups, drinking.

Liu Feng chose a table by the window on the first floor. A waiter brought him a pot of tea, and Liu Feng ordered a few dishes at random after glancing at the menu. The waiter relayed his order to the kitchen and left.

Sipping his tea, Liu Feng gazed out at the passersby. Across the street, he saw a vendor selling candied chestnuts, surrounded by a crowd. A little girl was tugging her parents’ hands, begging for a treat. Helpless, her parents relented, and the girl’s face lit up with a pure, innocent smile as she received her chestnuts.

This sight stirred memories of Liu Feng’s own childhood—he, too, had enjoyed such moments. But now, with his parents residing in the Zhao household, he could not see them.

Suddenly, his reverie was interrupted by an arrogant voice from upstairs: “You must be tired of living! To have caught my eye is her good fortune. It’s bad enough you don’t show gratitude, but you even try to take her away?”

A woman’s pleading voice followed, “Young Master Zhang, please spare my brother. He doesn’t know any better—don’t hold it against him.”

“I won’t stoop to his level. Men, break his legs and dump him on the roadside. I want people to understand how severe the consequences are for angering me,” the arrogant voice declared viciously.

Liu Feng frowned at this. The scene reminded him all too clearly of his father’s misfortune in Qingfeng Town, also caused by a spoiled young lord. Witnessing such injustice again, how could he stand by and do nothing?

He rose to go upstairs, but the waiter hastily blocked his way, anxious and uneasy. “Sir, you’d best not meddle in this. Otherwise, you’ll bring disaster upon yourself.”

“Oh?” Liu Feng seemed unconcerned.

The waiter, panicked by Liu Feng’s indifference, whispered, “Do you know who that is? That’s the second son of Zhang Han, the Zhang family’s second master. If you anger him, the consequences will be dire.”

Liu Feng smiled calmly. “I don’t care who he is. Such outrageous behavior must be stopped by someone.” With that, he brushed past the waiter and proceeded upstairs.

Upstairs, several attendants were dragging a young man across the floor, beating him mercilessly. A finely dressed youth looked on with a cold sneer, while a girl on the ground begged him desperately.

Without hesitation, Liu Feng leapt forward, his fists flying in a flurry.

With the sound of blows, the attendants were soon sprawled on the floor, howling in pain.

Turning, Liu Feng fixed his gaze on the arrogant youth, a cold gleam in his eyes. With a swift punch, he struck the young master’s eye.

The youth’s vision blurred, then a sharp pain shot through him, and he let out a shrill scream before collapsing in a faint.

Liu Feng helped the girl up. She steadied herself, bowed deeply to Liu Feng, then grabbed her brother’s hand and hurried downstairs.

Watching them go, Liu Feng smiled. There was a true joy in helping others.