Night shrouded the scene, the sounds of warfare still echoing in the distance. Zhou Tong and Fulu, led by Tian Donghan and Yan Huan, approached the northeastern part of the county town and saw the makeshift camp. Large carts and prison wagons formed a circle around it, with guards consisting of both government soldiers and Zhu Ji’s guards and private soldiers.

From afar, they could see many Green Forest heroes captured and imprisoned in the wagons. Most of them were injured, some even being kicked and punched, presenting a rather miserable sight. Many of these individuals had fallen into such a state due to Yan Huan's betrayal. Seeing this scene after meeting Zhou Tong, his emotions surged, his face alternating between red and white with shame and anger.

In truth, Yan Huan hadn't received much actual martial arts instruction from Zhou Tong. However, over the years, Yan Huan had always regarded himself as Zhou Tong's disciple, and even after achieving fame, this remained his proudest accomplishment. Previously, his entire family had been captured and his eldest son killed, leaving him feeling helpless and forced to compromise. But upon seeing Zhou Tong, he was able to put everything aside, a testament to the reverence he held for Zhou Tong's righteous and upright reputation.

Similar to many bandits during the northern famine, they usually committed murder and arson without restraint. However, when Zhou Tong came to subdue them, they felt a sense of willing acceptance, without resentment. Aside from being unable to defeat Zhou Tong, there was also a genuine respect from the bottom of their hearts.

News of Zhou Tong's arrival had already been reported. As he entered the camp, a young expert wielding a spear came to greet him, his eyes full of curiosity. Zhou Tong couldn't help but take a few more glances at his stance.

This was Zhu Biao, who had always been by Ning Yi's side. His martial arts skills were superb, only slightly inferior to Chen Fan, Xigua, Yue Fei, and others among the younger generation. During the previous incident in Shandong, Zhou Tong had bid farewell after meeting Ning Yi and Hong Ti, and Zhu Biao and others had arrived too late to see him, which had always been a source of regret for him.

Ning Yi was writing something in a small wooden shed in the camp, illuminated by the firelight. The screams and curses of the Green Forest heroes, or their weeping and commotion, didn't affect him much. When Zhou Tong and the others approached, he put down his brush and stood up to greet them.

"Senior Zhou, Brother Fulu, what a coincidence to meet again." The young scholar in green robes smiled and clasped his hands. "It's been several months since we parted in Shandong. I didn't expect to meet you two here again. Today is truly a double blessing."

Curses came from the side, from some Green Forest heroes locked in the prison wagons. Some recognized Zhou Tong and were shouting, hoping he would stand up for them. Yan Huan clenched his fists, his bloodshot eyes staring at Ning Yi, as if he was about to pounce. Zhou Tong stared at Ning Yi for a while, surveyed the surroundings, and then clasped his hands.

"I came specifically for tonight's events, so it can't be considered a coincidence."

"Senior Zhou is very direct," Ning Yi smiled.

Zhou Tong was still observing the situation. In those prison wagons were several figures, some even well-known elders in the Jianghu, now beaten black and blue, with broken hands and feet, pitiful and difficult to look at. These people didn't have deep friendships with Zhou Tong, but most of them knew him. Some were still shouting harshly from the prison wagons: "Zhou Tong, you don't need to beg for us, just kill this devil..."

Zhou Tong's expression was complex, and he sighed slightly. Yan Huan said in a deep voice, "Ning Yi, with my master here, you still don't repent?"

"I'm talking to Senior Zhou. It's not your turn to interrupt."

The night wind howled, the firelight flickered, and mixed in with the stench of blood was the aroma of noodles being cooked in several large pots for a late-night snack in the camp not far away. The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Many people looked at the confrontational scene with trepidation. On one side was the "heart demon" who had gained the momentum of the imperial court, and on the other side was the almost universally recognized number one martial artist in the Green Forest. No one knew when the two sides would suddenly erupt, but in any case, at least for this moment, almost everyone regarded the two sides as existing on the same level. To be able to confront Zhou Tong like this, the "heart demon" was undeniably a great demon.

After a moment, Zhou Tong spoke.

"In the past six months, Young Master Ning has been planning and working diligently for disaster relief in the north and south, bringing food to the disaster-stricken areas, saving countless lives... For this, Zhou Tong thanks you on behalf of the people of the north and south."

The old man heavily clasped his hands as he said this. The first half of his words seemed to be directed at the surrounding crowd, causing Yan Huan and the others to be stunned. They hadn't been with Zhou Tong for long, and seeing the old man's indifferent expression, they didn't know if he was speaking ironically or flattering him. In their hearts, they naturally harbored such thoughts and hopes.

After Zhou Tong finished speaking, Ning Yi also clasped his hands and said, "I have also heard of Senior Zhou's actions in the north, which are quite admirable."

"My power is ultimately limited..." Unwilling to talk more about this matter, Zhou Tong simply said this sentence. His gaze swept over the people next to him, but his words lowered, so that the following sounds only resonated within a radius of ten feet, not spreading out.

"Li Heng has been busy with disaster relief, but in the end, he has been misunderstood by ignorant people. This is bound to make anyone feel disheartened. However, the people who have come tonight are not all dirty scoundrels. Some of them are indeed for righteousness and justice, but they are blinded by others, unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Many of these Green Forest heroes seem glamorous and heroic on the surface, but in reality, they live very poorly. What they seek and all they have is face. Li Heng doesn't seem to plan to kill them all tonight. If you want to meet in the future, you shouldn't humiliate them like this."

After he finished speaking, he said again: "I rushed all the way here to stop this conference, but I didn't expect to encounter this situation. With tonight's events, they will inevitably harbor resentment towards Li Heng... But this matter is not impossible to resolve. Among these people, I still have some face. If Li Heng is willing to let go of some innocent people among them, I am also willing to lobby and mediate for Li Heng, explaining the truth of the matter to everyone clearly, so that there will be fewer such things in the future. What does Li Heng think?"

Ning Yi listened quietly, and then smiled: "It sounds like killing them all tonight is also a good idea."

"Does Li Heng want to do this?"

In the night and firelight, Zhou Tong's words were not particularly kind. In fact, the two sides had mostly been like this in their two interactions. Hearing Zhou Tong say that sentence of half-question and half-warning, Ning Yi smiled and spread his hands to the side.

"Senior Zhou, Brother Fulu, you two have come from afar, you must be hungry. We have prepared noodles here, let's have a bowl first... Hey, you guys..." He smiled at the people around him, "Okay, it's not a war, don't be so nervous, go do your thing, I want a bowl of fried sauce noodles."

Zhou Tong was straightforward and obviously didn't like Ning Yi's way of changing the subject, but he had no choice but to follow him. Yan Huan also followed them to the side of the camp. The few pots of noodles there were all prepared for the people in the camp for a late-night snack. When someone brought the noodles over, the doubts in his heart could no longer be suppressed. He gritted his teeth and said, "Master, what you just said... is it true?"

Zhou Tong looked serious and glanced at him: "The famine that started last year was mostly caused by large households hoarding grain in various places. If it weren't for Young Master Ning cooperating with the Right Prime Minister's Office to organize grain merchants, the north and south would now be full of starving people! If he hadn't blocked the path of those wealthy households, how could those people have spread rumors and instigated you to do things."

"But..." Yan Huan hesitated, "If he is really a good person, why doesn't he directly provide disaster relief and release grain, but insists on selling the grain at such a high price..."

"If there is no benefit, who will transport grain into the disaster area! How many people are willing to release grain for free!" Zhou Tong looked at him, his voice stern, "You are so indignant, have you ever transported grain to the disaster area to save people!? Have you ever gone to the disaster area to release grain!?"

The old man pointed to the prison wagon over there: "What about those people!?"

"We... are unwilling... to take advantage of others' misfortune..." Yan Huan lowered his head, his entire face already flushed red, the blood vessels on his forehead bulging. He already knew that what Zhou Tong said was not insincere. When he raised his head and looked at Ning Yi, he saw Ning Yi taking a bowl of noodles from the side and handing it to Zhou Tong, and then handing it to Fulu. The scene of his son's death and the capture of his entire family floated up in front of him again, but he didn't expect that the person in front of him was actually a good person. He was already a little regretful at this time, but some grief and indignation had already surged up.

"Then... where are my family..." He spoke with difficulty towards Ning Yi, "You let them go! I... I admit defeat..."

Ning Yi looked at him with a bowl of noodles, and then handed it over: "Do you want it too?"

"Where are my family?"

"Eat a bowl of noodles and I'll tell you."

Yan Huan didn't take the noodles: "You let them go... I, I will never pursue this matter... I admit defeat, what else do you want—"

He was getting louder as he said this. At that moment, a fierce look flashed in Ning Yi's eyes, and he smashed the bowl of noodles towards Yan Huan's face. Fulu, who was standing closer, reached out and grabbed the bottom of the bowl. But he also had noodles in his hand at this time, so he could only free up one hand to catch it. The soup and water in the bowl splashed on Yan Huan's face and body. Yan Huan was scalded and took a step back, clenching his fists and about to rush over. Several crossbows were set up, and Zhu Biao also approached, tightening his grip on the spear in his hand.

Ning Yi stared at him, coldly tilting his head: "Master Yan, what's wrong with you... You weren't like this last night..."

"You..."

"Senior Zhou, you saw it." Ning Yi spread his hands, "Leave a line in life, so that you can see each other in the future. Master Zhou, you can also speak for me and clarify the truth. I can be like a good person and be respected by them. But so what? Your disciple, when he thinks I'm a bad person, I kill his son and catch his whole family, and he doesn't even dare to fart. Now he thinks I'm a good person, thinks I'm scaring him, and suddenly he has the courage to yell at me."

Ning Yi smiled and took a bowl of noodles: "Because he thinks that a good person will definitely not kill his whole family. Even if I kill his son in front of him, he will still think that I won't do anything more excessive. Senior Zhou, you clarify the truth for me now, yes, you can reduce the number of people who want to kill me, but they will still think that I need their understanding. Will they still expect me to explain the great righteousness to them if they fail to assassinate me in the capital one day?"

"Good people can't survive, Senior Zhou." Ning Yi ate the noodles, "Good people have concerns, they care, they have a bottom line. Real bad people will look down on them, just like your disciple's thinking. The moment he realizes I'm a good person, he suddenly... doesn't respect me so much. Unfortunately, he's wrong."

He shook his head: "These people who came today, just that old man who was yelling the loudest just now, Senior Zhou, he took 1,500 taels of silver to facilitate this matter. Do you think he really cares if I killed anyone? Bad people form gangs, good people are always a rabble. They can be incited for a moment of passion, they can die for others, but they just can't do things. Your disciple even stopped being afraid of me because I'm a good person, and others think I'm easier to deal with. Look, why should I leave a line for them? I don't care about their revenge at all. I want to break up the families of those who want my family to be destroyed, regardless of whether they are good or bad."

Zhou Tong looked serious and didn't speak. Yan Huan's face was red and white. His tone softened: "This... this matter... it's my fault..."

Ning Yi looked him up and down, and then pointed to the noodles on his body and on the ground: "Your noodles are getting cold, eat the noodles. After you finish eating, I'll tell you where your family is."

Yan Huan's face instantly turned red again. The other party was simply not leaving any room for him and wanted to continue to insult him. Zhou Tong and Fulu's expressions were also a little unhappy. In the end, they felt that there was no need to humiliate a person to this extent. People in the Jianghu were just a knife that stretched out or retracted. But after a moment, they didn't speak. Yan Huan stared at Ning Yi, reached out and grabbed the noodles on his clothes and put them in his mouth, and then squatted down and grabbed the noodles on the ground and stuffed them into his mouth.

Regardless of whether there were previous events, with this scene, the two of them were almost mortal enemies.

But Ning Yi didn't seem to care about this. He ate his noodles and watched this scene with great interest. Soon after, he finished eating the noodles and handed the bowls and chopsticks to the people behind him, smiling at Yan Huan, and said, "Your family, they're all dead."

Yan Huan was squatting on the ground, putting the noodles mixed with dirt into his mouth, staring at Ning Yi while chewing, as if he wanted to let Ning Yi see his determination. But upon hearing these words, he froze there.

"They all died a few days ago." Ning Yi tilted his head and repeated with a smile, "The night I killed your son and forced you to cooperate, I killed your whole family. Do you know why I didn't leave a line for you? Because I never planned to give you a way out. Isn't this obvious? You taught a stupid son, and I killed him in front of you. You must not be able to swallow this breath. Of course, I have to kill your whole family... Cooperate and I'll let you go, heh... Do you still think I'm a good person now?"

"Heh..." Ning Yi had a smile on his face, his eyes were cold, and Yan Huan, in the blink of an eye, turned into a beast. He made meaningless sounds in his mouth, and then with a cry of "Ah—", he pounced towards Ning Yi. Fulu suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and shouted: "Wait a minute! Calm down!"

But at this moment, there was no possibility for Yan Huan to be calm. He struggled desperately, almost tearing at Fulu. Ning Yi stood a few steps away, smiling and watching all this, saying sarcastic words: "Wow... he can't calm down, give up the treatment... Look, his eyes are red... Aren't you going to wait a minute, there are still noodles in his mouth... Won't he be choked to death by the noodles..."

Zhou Tong looked at all this, and after a while, he seemed to realize something, and began to eat the noodles. After a while, some figures came from the distance outside the camp. A child at the front called out: "Daddy." Yan Huan suddenly froze there again, and someone in the crowd cried out "Husband".

"Just kidding!" Ning Yi walked to Yan Huan, "Just kidding." As soon as he finished speaking, he kicked Yan Huan in the stomach, kicking him away. Yan Huan rolled a few times on the ground before stopping. In the firelight, the figure of the scholar walked over indifferently.

Ning Yi leaned down, grabbed the hair on the back of his head, and looked into his eyes with a cold gaze: "I think you must understand, right?"

Yan Huan's eyes flickered, and he didn't dare to look at him again. Ning Yi shook his head: "Next time it will definitely be real." After saying this, he swung the hand grabbing his hair and made Yan Huan's body roll more than a meter on the ground, and his head hit the ground again, scraping blood.

When he turned his head, only Ning Yi's back was heading towards Zhou Tong and the others, his clothes fluttering in the night wind. The forty-year-old martial arts master no longer had the courage to seek revenge for a while, but struggled to get up and watched his family walk towards him...

********************

The contact with Zhou Tong did not take too much time afterward. Due to the different styles of the two people who had reached the level of self-awareness, they did not have too much in common. Some actions and styles, even if they can be understood, do not mean that they can be accepted. For this reason, after arranging for Zhou Tong and his servants to settle down nearby, Ning Yi couldn't help but regretfully pat his head: "Ah, it's still difficult to make this old man like me..."

Zhou Tong's purpose in coming was indeed for goodwill. Ning Yi was able to understand this after a few words, but even so, there was not much compromise or wavering between the two. Zhou Tong still would not agree with his style of doing things to the extreme, but his choice not to persuade him anymore was a great concession.

Of course, after saying goodbye to Ning Yi, and out of sight, out of mind, Zhou Tong, who was staying in a nearby courtyard that night, summoned Tian Donghan, asked about his recent situation, and then continued to do things in his own way.

"...How to deal with this matter, your boss has his own way of doing things. Doing things to the extreme can certainly deter some villains, but if you can convince a group of people, it is useful after all. After leaving this place, I will go to visit some reputable Green Forest heroes and ask them to clarify the disaster relief as much as possible. There is no need to tell your boss about this. I want to help him and save the lives of some reckless people. With your boss's ability and character, most of the people who find him will not get a good end. It's better if there are fewer of these things..."

"As for the people behind the scenes that your boss mentioned, I will try my best to investigate them. If it's true, I will naturally find them and not spare them. Your boss probably thinks I'm pedantic and old-fashioned, and I also think he's arrogant and reckless, but he's a real doer, and although I'm old, I won't be a mediocre person who is a peacemaker all day long..."

"In addition, I see that the formations you are using have some traces of what I thought about in my early years. Over the years, I haven't made much progress in using the small formations in the army, but if they are used to guard the house and compete with three or five experts, there are some ideas that can be used. I will write them down tonight. He is someone who can do practical things for the people. These things are a little bit of my meager strength..."