Martial Arts Across the Heavens: Becoming a Martial God Starting from the Big Boss in Tangshan

Thirteen Aunt immediately understood that Fei Hong still couldn't let go of what Chen Wen had said.

She thought for a moment, then carefully chose her words:

"Feihong, I mainly go abroad to study. Apart from school and my rented place, I don't go to other places much."

"Most of the compatriots I've met are students studying abroad. Those who can afford to study abroad generally come from families with some financial resources, so their lives... at least won't be too miserable."

She paused, her tone becoming complicated.

"However, discrimination... is indeed very serious."

Toothpick Su couldn't contain his curiosity and stammered, "..."

"Master, why...why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Aunt Thirteen sighed softly and answered for Wong Fei-hung:

"Today we met a man who said he was a 'coolie' who was captured and escaped from abroad."

"Escape, escape back?!" Toothpick Su suddenly raised his voice, his face showing disbelief, and he even forgot to stutter.

"Impossible! How could anyone escape from a place like that?!"

Huang Feihong's eyes narrowed, and he immediately grasped the key point.

Toothpick Sue didn't say "fake," but rather "it's impossible for him to escape back!"

He stared at Toothbrush Sue and pressed further:

"Ah Su, from what you're saying, the 'piglet' thing is true? What do you know about it? Tell me!"

Toothpick Su's expression changed, his lips moved a few times, and his eyes darted around, as if he didn't really want to talk.

Seeing his expression, Wong Fei-hung frowned even more deeply, and his tone became more serious:

"A-Su, I am your master! What is it that you can't tell me?"

Looking at Huang Feihong's serious expression, Toothpick Su finally sighed heavily and slumped his shoulders.

"Master...do you...do you know that there is a very long railway in the United States? It runs from east to west, across the entire country, and I heard it's more than 6,000 miles long."

Huang Feihong nodded. He had seen railways before: two cold rails with neatly laid sleepers underneath.

But I never expected that the railways in the United States would be so long!

More than 6,000 li! Starting from Foshan, how far can you go?

Toothpick Sue's voice was even lower, almost as if he were talking to himself, yet every word was clear:

"There's a saying there: under every single sleeper on that railway, there's the skeleton of a Chinese laborer."

These words were spoken.

Huang Feihong's expression froze.

My mind started calculating almost uncontrollably.

On a railway that stretches for over 6,000 miles, the distance between the sleepers is only about six or seven feet.

How many sleepers would that require?

And how many more... Chinese laborers' remains must have been lost!

This is just the United States. There are so many other countries outside. How many people have died?

He blurted out instinctively:

"With so many people dying, why do people still go and do it...?"

He stopped before he could finish speaking.

The answer is actually quite simple: they had no choice but to go. Piglets were slaves; they had no option.

Huang Feihong suddenly stood up, turned around and walked a few steps to the window, pushed it open, and looked towards the harbor.

You can vaguely see the masts and chimneys of some foreign ships.

He used to just dislike those foreign ships.

But at this moment, in his eyes, those were no longer foreign ships, but man-eating monsters!

"Utterly devoid of conscience!"

An uncontrollable rage surged through Huang Feihong's chest, and he slammed his hand on the Eight Immortals table next to him!

A crisp snap!

The eight-immortal table shattered completely, with fragments flying everywhere.

Aunt Thirteen and Toothbrush Su were both startled and instinctively stood up.

Just then.

Ling Yunkai, smiling, excitedly pushed open the door and entered, carrying a large plate of steaming dishes.

"Master, Aunt Thirteen, the food is ready! We can eat now..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the heavy atmosphere in the room, the shattered table, and Huang Feihong's angry face.

They were stunned, holding the plate, at a loss for what to do.

"What...what happened?"

Aunt Thirteen quickly stepped forward, gently tugged at Wong Fei-hung's sleeve, and whispered, "..."

"Feihong, don't think about it too much. Those things are beyond our control. Let's eat first, the food is getting cold."

Huang Feihong closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and barely managed to suppress his turbulent emotions.

He walked back to his seat and sat down slowly, but his brows remained furrowed.

After a while, as if remembering something, he asked again:

"Shaoyun, what kind of person do you think Chen Wen is today?"

"This person is too mysterious. And he seems to know us very well?"

Ling Yunkai put down the dishes and replied upon hearing this:

"Master, you are the number one in Foshan, Master Huang! Your grandmaster was one of the Ten Tigers of Guangdong, his reputation is renowned. It would be strange if no one knew you, wouldn't it?"

Huang Feihong paused for a moment, then shook his head:

"No, it's not just that. The way he looked at me, the tone of his voice... it's not just about knowing a name."

He was somewhat annoyed.

"What a pity, my mind was in such a mess at the time that I forgot to ask him where he was staying. Otherwise, I might have been able to find another opportunity to visit him and ask for his advice."

Ling Yunkai immediately said:

"Master, that's easy. I'll have my senior brothers and the militia keep an eye out for it."

"They walk around the streets a lot, and as long as that person is still in Foshan, they can always find some information."

Huang Feihong thought for a moment and nodded:

"Alright. Then I'll trouble Shi Rong and the others to keep a close eye on things."

"Military groups?" Aunt Thirteen asked curiously upon hearing the term, "What kind of militia groups?"

Huang Feihong explained:

"These are soldiers under the command of Liu Yongfu, the former naval commander. The court transferred Liu to Annam, and he couldn't take all of these soldiers with him, so he entrusted some of them to me for temporary care."

Speaking of here

Huang Feihong then turned to Ling Yunkai and asked:

"Kai, payday is coming up soon, isn't it? Is there enough money in the account? Find some time to send some to the brothers in the militia."

Aunt Thirteen was even more surprised:

"Pay them wages? Fei Hong, why do you need to pay them?"

A hint of helplessness appeared on Huang Feihong's face:

"These people used to be supported by Lord Liu with the imperial court's salary. Now that Lord Liu has been transferred, they have lost their military status, and the imperial court's salary has stopped."

"Now that I've taken it on, I can't just abandon it."

Ling Yunkai's face also showed worry, and he said in a low voice:

"Master, the money we make from treating patients and dispensing medicine at Baozhilin is already meager. For the past six months, almost all of it has gone to support the militia."

"Besides, sourcing our own medicinal herbs is a huge expense. Brother Shirong and his brothers are in the pork business, working from dawn till dusk, but how much do they actually earn selling pork?"

"It's already good enough that they can support themselves; how can we help them out any more? It's just... too much of a burden."

Aunt Thirteen understood, and felt somewhat indignant:

"What kind of logic is that? You're running a clinic, not a charity. Fei Hong, why don't you just disband the militia?"

Wong Fei-hung immediately shook his head, his attitude very firm:

"We cannot disband! Lord Liu entrusted these men to me before he left! Since I, Huang Feihong, have promised, I cannot betray him. I cannot stand by and watch these brothers who once served the country end up on the streets, destitute and without food or clothing."

"I'm sorry to Shirong, for making everyone suffer along with me."

"Let's hold on a little longer, perhaps... Lord Liu will send back news soon."

As he spoke, Wong Fei-hung turned to gaze into the distance, his voice lacking confidence.

He clearly also doubted whether the imperial court would actually release Lord Liu.

Hearing this, Ling Yunkai knew that his master had already made up his mind, and there was no point in saying anything more, so he could only nod in agreement.

"I understand, Master. I'll try to scrape together this month's pay."

Aunt Thirteen knew that the matter of the militia was already a done deal, and that saying anything more would only cause trouble, so she had no choice but to swallow her words.

The group stopped talking and began to eat.

The dishes on the table smelled delicious.

But the people sitting around didn't seem to enjoy their food; they were all preoccupied.