Chapter Sixty-Nine: Lin Hongda Wins Over His Followers

“Auntie Niu, what is this?” she craned her neck to see.

“This? It’s a secret family seasoning,” Lin Sangqian replied. “We use it for making chicken feet.”

“Oh, I see.”

Auntie Niu nodded, not asking further.

Lin Sangqian began teaching them how to make chicken feet. It wasn’t particularly difficult, and even those who learned slowly had grasped it by noon.

…

Lin Hongda arrived at the Yu residence. The two guards he had beaten up earlier shot him dark looks as soon as they saw him.

He ignored them and walked straight in.

One glared at him fiercely, while the other sighed and said, “Forget it, Guo Er. We’re no match for him.”

Guo Er?

Hearing the name, Lin Hongda paused and turned to ask, “Are you related to Guo Da?”

“My brother's name is Guo Da! You got a problem with that?” Guo Er replied coldly.

At that, a sudden realization seemed to dawn on him. His eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you’re the one who got my brother thrown in jail, aren’t you?”

Lin Hongda sneered and ignored him, striding into the house.

“Damn it!” Guo Er spat on the ground. “What a small world! Just you wait—I’ll make sure you regret this!”

Lin Hongda went to see Yu Jingxiao.

Yu Jingxiao was very courteous, had tea served for him, and said he didn’t plan to go out today. He asked Uncle Yuan to show Lin Hongda around the residence and introduce him to the household.

After a cup of tea, Lin Hongda followed Uncle Yuan through the house.

The Yu estate wasn’t particularly large, but it was exceedingly lavish, with pavilions, towers, rock gardens, and clear ponds—everything one could wish for.

“That way is the rear courtyard, where the women live. We won’t be going there, and you shouldn’t wander in, either,” Uncle Yuan said.

“All right, I understand,” Lin Hongda replied, wondering for a moment if Young Master Yu was already married, but the thought passed quickly.

Uncle Yuan continued leading him forward when Guo Er appeared with five other guards.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Uncle Yuan frowned. “Are you looking for trouble?”

“Uncle Yuan, you misunderstand,” Guo Er replied with a lazy grin. “We just want to spar with our new brother here. I heard he’ll be the young master’s personal guard, so we definitely want to learn a thing or two from him.”

“Don’t cause trouble for me!” Uncle Yuan said, displeased.

“How could this be trouble? We spar among ourselves all the time,” Guo Er insisted, glancing at the men behind him, who immediately chimed in.

“Exactly! It’s just a friendly bout.”

“Brother, you’re not scared, are you? I heard you’re pretty tough!”

“If you don’t even dare spar with us, how will you protect the young master when he travels?”

Uncle Yuan said no more, merely looking at Lin Hongda, curious to see whether the young master’s favored guard had the guts to accept the challenge.

Lin Hongda swept his gaze over them and smiled faintly. “Very well—since you all insist, how could I refuse?”

Did these men realize whom they were provoking?

Back in the day, if his mother hadn’t fallen gravely ill, causing him to miss the golden opportunity to compete abroad, he’d have achieved much more than just the national taekwondo championship.

“We won’t gang up on you—we’ll go one at a time. I’ll be last,” Guo Er declared righteously, though he was scheming inside.

He knew Lin Hongda was formidable, but the men he brought weren’t weak either. Even if they couldn’t beat Lin Hongda one-on-one, after five rounds, surely Lin Hongda would be exhausted. Then, taking him down would be a breeze.

The thought made Guo Er beam with anticipation.

But after a while, he could no longer smile.

One after another, the five men were knocked to the ground.

He’d expected them to lose, but not for Lin Hongda to win so easily!

Lin Hongda’s expression remained unchanged, though he was slightly out of breath.

If only his body had fully recovered—back in the day, this would have been child’s play.

“Your turn,” Lin Hongda looked at Guo Er. “Come on.”

Guo Er’s mouth twitched. Abruptly, he clasped his hands and declared, “Big brother! I admit defeat!”

Lin Hongda: “?”

Uncle Yuan: “…”

“Big brother, I really mean it this time!” Guo Er said, sidling up to Lin Hongda obsequiously. “From now on, I’m your little brother!”

He had always admired strength.

Previously, he’d never submitted to Lin Hongda, but now, having witnessed his power, he was thoroughly convinced.

Lin Hongda patted his head. “A true man knows when to yield. Not bad.”

“Well, I’d also like to learn a few moves from you,” Guo Er said, scratching his head bashfully.

“You don’t mind the feud between me and your brother?” Lin Hongda raised an eyebrow.

“Honestly, I know what my brother’s like. I heard why he was thrown in jail. We were never that close. Besides, this time, he was at fault—not you,” Guo Er said helplessly.

“You’re quite reasonable,” Lin Hongda remarked.

Guo Er immediately straightened up. “Thank you for the compliment, big brother!”

“All right, Guo Er, get back to your post at the gate,” Uncle Yuan said with a laugh. “You finally found someone who can handle you.”

“Heh, I’ll be off then. Big brother, if you ever need anything, just call!”

“Go on.”

After Uncle Yuan had finished showing Lin Hongda around the Yu residence, Lin Hongda prepared to leave.

Just then, they saw Yu Jingxiao hurrying toward the gate.

“Young master, what’s the matter?” Uncle Yuan quickly approached.

“Zi Cheng just arrived in town. Someone came to report that he’s almost here, so I’m going to meet him,” Yu Jingxiao replied without slowing down.

Uncle Yuan and Lin Hongda followed. Uncle Yuan explained, “That’s the eldest son of the Guan family, Guan Yanqing—courtesy name Zi Cheng. He’s our young master’s closest friend. The Guan family is quite influential in the capital.”

He didn’t elaborate on just how influential.

At the gate, Lin Hongda saw a young man in white stepping down from a carriage.

He looked to be sixteen or seventeen, with striking features and a distinguished air. Lin Hongda could tell at a glance that the youth was highly skilled.

However, for some reason, Lin Hongda found him instantly unlikable. He couldn’t say exactly why.

Yu Jingxiao rushed over and embraced the youth in a brotherly hug.

“I thought you wouldn’t be here for a while yet,” he said, lightly punching him. “Why didn’t you write to let me know?”

“Nothing else to do, so I came,” Guan Yanqing replied coolly, then looked up—his gaze meeting Lin Hongda’s.