1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

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In the next instant, an unexpected scene unfolded. The always enigmatic Blind Man Li suddenly transformed, his bony hands swung forward with all his might, as if to sweep away the invisible obstacles before him. Then, his body straightened like a javelin, standing firmly in place. At the same time, his previously dull eyes suddenly shone with two sharp rays of light, staring straight ahead.

Then, a loud shout like a bell burst out from his slightly opened mouth: "No! You must never go to my house!" The voice was so loud, like a bolt from the blue, and it seemed to shake the air around it.

Upon hearing this, the expression on Zhang the Mute's face, standing nearby, froze instantly. The next second, his already wide eyes widened to the point of nearly popping out, his eyeballs nearly popping out. His face, filled with rage, flushed crimson like a ripe tomato. He opened his mouth in exasperation and roared with all his might, "Why don't you let us go to your house? Are you up to something?"

At this moment, Zhang Yanba was already certain in his heart that the plump, white, and extremely plump old hen he raised in his home had most likely been secretly taken away by this seemingly honest blind man Li! Otherwise, why would he be so determined to refuse someone from entering his home? He must have been guilty! Thinking of this, Zhang Yanba's anger burned even more fiercely.

Yet, facing Zhang the Mute's furious questioning, Blind Li remained remarkably calm. His usually sullen, dark face was now devoid of a trace of guilt. Furthermore, even his heartbeat didn't seem to quicken even a fraction at the other's outburst. He remained calm and composed as he replied, "There's no particular reason. I simply don't want you, the unrelated ones, setting foot in my home." He snorted disdainfully and turned away from Zhang the Mute.

The second brother, who had been standing silently by, motionless as a statue, suddenly sneered. His laughter was cold and sharp, seemingly piercing the heavy atmosphere around them. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, outlining a hint of contempt, the disdain and mockery contained in it being revealed without a trace of concealment.

Then, the second brother slowly cast his hawk-like gaze at Zhang the Mute. His movements were neither hurried nor slow, even with a deliberately leisurely demeanor. Then, in his leisurely, unhurried tone, he spoke: "In my opinion, the reason he refuses to let us even a single step into his house is probably simple—it's simply because right now, that old hen from your family, who's been missing for so long, is bubbling away in that cauldron! Maybe even the bones are melting!" After saying this, the second brother's face once again wore that half-smile, and he glanced at the blind man next to him, as if to say: See, I've seen through all this long ago!

Zhang the Mute, who had been listening quietly, was raptly watching the second brother, who was recounting the events. When the second brother finally finished recounting all the details, Zhang the Mute was startled at first, as if he had not yet recovered from the information he had just heard. But after a moment, his eyes, which had been somewhat confused, suddenly became bright, as if a bolt of lightning had split through the fog, and he instantly understood the key point.

Then, Zhang the Mute's body trembled involuntarily, as if he'd been punched. Then, as if waking from a dream, he nodded vigorously, shaking his head so vigorously that people couldn't help but worry he might accidentally break his neck. His exaggerated movements and expressions undoubtedly sent a clear signal to the people around him—he completely understood every word that Lao Er had just said and believed it without a doubt.

At this moment, an unexpected scene occurred. Zhang the Mute suddenly stretched out his hand, as thick as a tree trunk, and waved it fiercely in the air. With this movement, his tall and mighty body straightened up, and he exuded an unparalleled aura. Then, he took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and shouted at everyone present: "Fellow villagers, please listen carefully! Now, please follow my steps, let us set off together to Blind Li's house!"

As soon as Zhang Yaba finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room instantly ignited. As if under a spell, everyone's blood began to boil, and the passion within them erupted like a volcano. Their faces flushed, their eyes widened, sparkling with excitement, their expressions bordering on frenzy. Their reaction was so enthusiastic that the entire scene looked like a burning ocean, brimming with endless energy and passion.

Faced with this scene, everyone present couldn't contain their inner urge. They nodded excitedly, expressing their high approval of Zhang Yaba's proposal. At the same time, everyone's face revealed an expression of impatience, as if they couldn't wait to fly to Blind Li's home. At this critical juncture, if only Zhang Yaba had taken the lead, these people would have followed without hesitation, rushing straight to Blind Li's home like lightning.

However, something unexpected happened. At that moment, Blind Li, who had been hiding nearby, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rushed towards Zhang the Mute like a frightened rabbit, clinging tightly to his thigh. Meanwhile, Blind Li's mouth, twisted with fear, kept repeating the same words: "No! You absolutely cannot go to my house! You absolutely cannot go to my house!"

Zhang Yaba looked down and found that it was Blind Li who was hugging his thigh. He was immediately furious. He felt that Blind Li was too shameless to harass him in broad daylight. So, Zhang Yaba, who was furious, didn't think twice and kicked Blind Li hard, cursing: "Get out of here! Stop bothering me here!" Then he threatened viciously: "When I get to your house later, if I see an old hen, I will skin you alive today!"

At this critical moment, everyone saw Zhang the Mute suddenly swinging his strong and powerful arms like a tiger descending from the mountain. That swing seemed to carry a mysterious, indestructible and powerful force.

"My fellow villagers, please come with me!" Along with this loud and unwavering cry like a huge bell, Zhang Mamba's heroic and passionate voice instantly resounded through the sky and echoed over the entire village for a long time.

Before he had even finished his words, Zhang the Mute had already unhesitatingly set off with his mountain-like feet, striding forward at a rapid pace. His posture was as nimble as the steps of a dragon or a tiger, and he unwaveringly assumed the key role of guiding the group forward.

Following closely behind him was a large, bustling crowd. Their expressions varied, some anxious, others extremely nervous. However, regardless of their differing feelings, at this moment, they all followed closely behind Zhang the Mute, no one daring to lag behind.

From a distance, this huge team looked like a long, winding dragon, marching towards Blind Li's home with overwhelming force and overwhelming power.

Now let's talk about Blind Li, who had been so arrogant and conceited just moments before. Who could have predicted that in the blink of an eye, this arrogant and conceited fellow would be mercilessly kicked to the ground by Zhang the Mute? Now, he lay in a state of extreme plight on the cold, hard ground, looking utterly miserable.

That once arrogant and domineering face seemed to be swept away by a gust of wind, instantly disappearing without a trace. At this moment, all that was left before people was a deep fear and an indescribable unease.

He knew that before long, the scandal of his stealing the old hen from Zhang Yaba's home would spread like a flood, spreading rapidly throughout the village, exposing his shameful behavior to everyone. Whenever he thought of this, his heart felt as if it had fallen into an abyss, and regret surged like a tide. If God could give him a second chance, if time could flow back to that fateful moment, he swore that he would never have the slightest evil thought towards Zhang Yaba's old hen!

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However, it was too late to say anything now. Blind Li suddenly raised his head, which looked like a shriveled walnut. His cloudy eyes, gleaming with a fierce light, fixed their gaze on Lao Er beside him. His gaze seemed to want to devour Lao Er alive, filled with endless anger and deep resentment. Then, he stretched out his skinny hand tremblingly, pointing a finger like a dead branch straight at Lao Er, and his mouth burst into curses like a flood:

"It's all your fault, you ungrateful, nosy bastard! This matter clearly had nothing to do with you from the beginning to the end, so why did you have to jump in and interfere? Could it be that that dumb Zhang secretly gave you some huge benefit, making you work for him so wholeheartedly? Or maybe you secretly gave him a large sum of money, so now you are protecting him like a mad dog and doing everything for him? Otherwise, why would you be so reckless in speaking for him and doing things for him?"

The person who was speaking had his eyes wide open, his face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead, and saliva splattering from his mouth, as if he was about to devour the person in front of him alive. Meanwhile, the person being accused stood there quietly, motionless, with no trace of fear on his face.

At that moment, an astonishing scene occurred—Old Second's previously ordinary body began to tremble slightly, and then gradually emitted a faint light. The light was very weak at first, but as time passed, it grew brighter and brighter, finally as dazzling as the sun. At the same time, Old Second's eyes, which had been somewhat hesitant, suddenly became extremely firm, shining brightly like the brightest star in the night sky.

He responded loudly and righteously, "Because I always hold an unwavering faith in justice! No matter the stormy hardships and obstacles, or the overwhelming misunderstandings and groundless accusations, do not even think of shaking the blazing fire of faith within me! As long as I live on in this mortal world, all the evil hidden in the dark corners of this world will surely receive the punishment they deserve. Those who commit evil and commit heinous crimes will eventually be tightly imprisoned in the indestructible cage of the law, and no matter how hard they struggle, they will never be able to break free!"

His words were like the sound of a huge bell, resounding powerfully in this vast space, as if they could penetrate layers of obstacles and reach the deepest part of people's hearts, making people involuntarily shocked.

Blind Li, who had been standing nearby and listening silently, was completely frozen in place when he heard the second brother's passionate words. At that moment, in his eyes, the second brother's ordinary figure suddenly became incomparably taller, like a towering mountain, giving him an indescribable sense of majesty and trust.

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