Chapter 397: 371 A Way Out

"Change your life? Do something else?"

Teng Liang was very puzzled and said, "What do you want me to do?"

Tang Zhao said, "Just leave the gang and live a life like a normal person."

Teng Liang said, "Normal? Am I not living a normal life right now? I have food and drink."

Tang Zhao was speechless for a moment, then immediately said, "Is gang life really normal? Isn't it fighting and killing every day, living on the edge? Didn't you also say that you either bully others or get bullied by others? That doesn't count as normal, right? There's no hope no matter how long you live like that. Can't you live a peaceful life?"

Teng Liang said, "A peaceful life? You mean being a small boss or a small landlord? But those kinds of people are usually bullied by us, aren't they? When I go out, I walk right past them with my eyes sideways, not even sparing them a glance. If I want to eat something, I just reach out and take it; they don't even dare to let out a fart. Don't I live more comfortably than them?"

Tang Zhao couldn't help but say, "What's so comfortable about bullying ordinary people? Aren't there more people who bully you?"

Teng Liang disagreed and said, "They are weaker than me, so of course I bully them. Those who bully me do so because they are stronger than me. But I won't be bullied forever. That phrase you told me back then, 'Do not bully a youth for being poor,' that phrase is damn good. I've always remembered it. Once I'm stronger than them, I'll naturally bully them back tenfold."

Tang Zhao suddenly sighed and looked up at the sky.

Seeing Tang Zhao's expression, Teng Liang also sighed and said, "So, you're still the same? You haven't changed? That's good. You're different from me; you've studied, you can become a high official, you can walk the righteous path. I can't walk your broad road, so I'll walk my single-plank bridge. I just seek to settle grudges with pleasure and roam the world. If one person is full, the whole family is not hungry; if my head falls off, it's just a scar the size of a bowl. When a person dies..."

Tang Zhao cut him off and said, "You learned all these words from people in your gang, right? Are any of the people who told you these things over twenty-five? How are they doing? Can they sleep at night?"

Teng Liang said, "I think they live quite comfortably. Even in their thirties, they drink plain wine when they want, drink flower wine when they want, and play tiles when they want. I haven't seen anyone who can't sleep."

He laughed and said, "Zhaozi, you come from a good family, you always think about having property to settle down. You feel insecure if you don't have a house or land. But I'm different. I've been roaming the world since I was a child, one city today, one village tomorrow. I don't care where the destination is, I'm free and easy. I'm not used to the life of ten acres of land, one ox, and a wife and children by the warm stove. With a stick and a knife, letting me go out to hack people and spill blood on the streets, I live more comfortably than farming."

Tang Zhao smiled and shook his head, saying, "That's true. I remember now, you liked adventure when you were a kid, you really couldn't settle down. But adventure doesn't necessarily mean being a hoodlum, right? Why not apprentice under a good master and properly learn some martial arts? Going out is the world of martial arts; there is plenty of fighting and killing there, and those opposite you are also heroes who lick blood from the blade just like you. You just hack at each other. With no grievances against others, wouldn't that be clean?"

Teng Liang said, "Apprentice? I'm just about to. I can go to Spider Villa to apprentice soon."

Tang Zhao shook his head and said, "Spider Villa isn't a good force either. The chance of going in and coming out alive is less than thirty percent. You like freedom, not looking for death, right?"

Thinking back, he lived next to the Grape Courtyard; how could he not know how cruel the selection process at Spider Villa was? The assessment really kills people. Previously, during the joint examination of the four departments, the New Sharp Battalion caused dissatisfaction among all parties just by allowing a ten percent death rate. If the Five Poisons Society selected people and only ten percent were left alive, those high-level officials wouldn't even frown.

If you talk about being ruthless to enemies, there are plenty of gangs in the world, but when it comes to being ruthless to their own people, it has to be the Five Poisons Society.

Teng Liang shuddered and said, "That ruthless? More than the people who die on our streets?"

Tang Zhao retorted, "Don't you have this realization? Without this realization, how can you enter the Five Poisons Society? The streets are the territory of the Imperial Court; how many people can die there? Once you enter the world of martial arts, the Imperial Court manages less, and the King of Hell manages more. People die in Spider Villa like bugs."

In fact, it's not just the Five Poisons Society; it's too common for people in the martial arts world to die. Looking further ahead to the Qianxian, even Sword Guests can die in droves. As long as one learns martial arts, it's like a clay pot that eventually breaks by the well; those who are brave and fierce will sooner or later die an unnatural death. Tang Zhao also had mental preparations.

Then again, are ordinary people safe? If they encounter a Yin Calamity or an invasion by the Turtle Bandits, a city can collapse overnight. Looking at it this way, it's better to learn martial arts.

"If you only talk about facing death without fear but don't have the realization of death, then just honestly be a wealthy man. Think about those old men in the gang; after mixing for a few years, aren't they all scrambling to wash their hands of it, buy property, and get married? Those in their thirties who still live only for today, is it that they don't want to, or that they can't?"

Teng Liang looked a bit confused and said, "According to what you say... do you really have a way to help me apprentice under a good master and learn martial arts?"

Tang Zhao sighed deeply, gathered his energy, and said, "Naturally."

Not necessarily.

Honestly, Tang Zhao didn't seem to have any connections in the martial arts world; the martial arts sect he was most familiar with was actually Spider Villa.

His real connections and foundation were in the government, with the Gaoyuan Marquis. He could directly meet the Marquis himself, had a teacher-student relationship with Zhang Rong, who was basically the chief advisor now, and could speak in several branches of the Land Inspection Division, not to mention his special status as a Sword Smith.

But Tang Zhao would absolutely not let Teng Liang have anything to do with the government. From the moment Teng Liang stated his theory of "bullying those weaker than me," Tang Zhao had given up on that idea.

To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that he truly couldn't let go of the friendship with his childhood friend, Tang Zhao would have wanted to cut ties the moment that conversation started. That was truly a high-level argument that jumped on Tang Zhao's nerves.

If it weren't Liangzi, but any other acquaintance he had met later, Tang Zhao would have erupted on the spot.

The more he grew, the more Tang Zhao valued like-mindedness. As his status rose, he had more opportunities to choose companions. If they were compatible, they stayed; if not, they left. If he was truly disgusted, he could even draw his sword against them. He had absolutely no need to wrong himself by being hypocritical with others.

Just like Wei Se, who helped him with everything without a single mistake, but most importantly, he always followed Tang Zhao's stance and never deviated. Regardless of whether he agreed from the bottom of his heart, both sides managed to walk the same path, so Tang Zhao was willing to help him cast a sword.

Like Jiao Feng, the two also had a friendship from back then, but Tang Zhao took the initiative to invite him to gather again during the New Year, not only because of the old friendship from childhood, but also because Jiao Feng said during their chat: "Bullying the weak is meaningless." In a place like Spider Villa, being able to hide this sentence was already the pinnacle of staying untainted.

Tang Zhao identified with him. If their friendship grew deeper and Jiao Feng had the chance to obtain a Sword Seed, Tang Zhao could also help him cast a sword.

At this very moment, it was Teng Liang, who had the deepest relationship with Tang Zhao and even had childhood filters, who was furthest from him. Both sides were already people going in opposite directions.

Or rather, the two had never been close to begin with.

From the beginning, it was just two lines that accidentally had an intersection point. After the intersection, they each extended, only moving further and further away. Even if Tang Zhao hadn't achieved success and was still a down-and-out poor scholar, the two would still have drifted further apart.

But Tang Zhao was human after all, and the feelings from his childhood were still hard to discard, so he couldn't do something like cutting his robe to break the friendship. Even because of the vast difference in their circumstances, it was hard for him to put on airs and lecture Teng Liang on anything.

He just couldn't, in good conscience, allow Teng Liang to come into contact with power. If he had the ability to bully ordinary people just by patrolling the streets as a hoodlum, what could he do if he had the legitimate power of the government behind him? It was truly not easy for the atmosphere of the Land Inspection Division to be relatively upright; it required the self-restraint of the Sword Guests and the guidance of the Training Camp.

Of course, there were actually quite a few "grains of sand" inside. Tang Zhao was already busy picking out sand; he really couldn't bring himself to add more sand to it with his own hands.

Tang Zhao really wanted to find a "proper" sect for Teng Liang, or rather, he wanted to help him find a teacher who could teach him how to behave and give him a hand. At eighteen, he should still be salvageable.

This teacher not only had to be able to guide, but also had to have patience and tolerance. They couldn't be like Xing Ji, who was clear about love and hate and walked a biased path, nor could they be too pedantic and rigid. It would be best if they were round on the outside and square on the inside, had extraordinary means, and were clear about the greater cause, so they could truly be guided.

... Did he know such a person?

Hmm, it seems he did.

Just... the Gaoyuan Marquis.

Just kidding. If he introduced Teng Liang to the Gaoyuan Marquis, let alone the Marquis, Xing Ji would come over to whip him.

Although Tang Zhao couldn't think of anyone for the moment, he promised very readily; he genuinely wanted to find a teacher.

Teng Liang said with a grin, "Can it be a black-path sect? I heard that the white path has many restrictions; I want to mix in the black path."

Tang Zhao only felt very tired and forced himself to say, "I don't know anyone on the black path. To tell you the truth, the end of the black path won't be good; you be smarter. Wait for me for a few days, I'll find you a good way out, so you can go out and live like a person."

His tone wasn't very polite, but Teng Liang didn't take offense and said, "Great. Tell me one night in advance, and I'll go sack those Eight Legs Gang leaders, beat them up hard, and burn their lair before I leave."

Tang Zhao said, "Aren't they your brothers on the path?"

Teng Liang said, "Brothers, my ass. Once I make it big, the first thing I'll do is kick those damn brothers."

The two stopped talking about serious matters and chatted about their childhood experiences, relaxing and becoming more harmonious. Seeing it was time for a meal, Teng Liang pulled him and said, "Let's go, you've come to your brother's territory, I'll take you to eat something good and fulfill the... landlord's duty."

Tang Zhao pointed at himself and said, "I am from Mu City, this is my hometown, I am the landlord."

Teng Liang laughed and said, "That's different. There are places in the market that only we know, and only when I go will they bring out their best dishes to entertain."

Tang Zhao agreed to the appointment, and the two pushed the door out, only to see no one in the courtyard. Jiao Feng and the others had long since left, and Wei Se wasn't there either; only a cotton coat was hanging on the vine trellis, which was exactly the one Teng Liang had taken off when he met Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao pointed at the cotton coat and said, "Isn't this yours? Why did you take it off?"

Teng Liang smiled and said, "I have a little treasure in this coat..." As he spoke, he took out a large spider from the coat, which was indeed a specialty of Spider Villa's subordinates. "I was afraid it would bite you, wasn't I? Looking at you, did I worry for nothing?" He put the cotton coat back on.

A warmth spread through Tang Zhao's heart; to be able to consider this amidst the surprise of their reunion, Teng Liang was a thoughtful, good friend.

The two opened the main gate and saw Wei Se standing outside, leaning against the corner of the street, clearly not wanting to disturb Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao nodded in apology and said, "I'll be back late today. No need to wait for me."

Wei Se nodded and turned to leave. Teng Liang, who had already walked past, suddenly flew into a kick aimed at Wei Se.

Wei Se did not turn his head, nor did he dodge; Tang Zhao grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him several steps away, gritting his teeth as he said, "What are you doing? Act like a decent person."

Teng Liang grumbled, "You only ever boss me around, why don't you manage your own subordinates? Just now, when they were bullying me, why didn't you say anything? Is it because you blame your brother for not doing well and embarrassing you?"

Tang Zhao suppressed his anger and blurted out, "Cut the crap, have you gone insane before even drinking a drop of booze? Get out of here." After spitting out a profanity he would never have uttered in the past, he shook his head, offered Wei Se another apologetic smile, and dragged Teng Liang away.