Chapter 170 Old Third's Favor

Chu Yuxuan hurriedly stood up, turned on the flashlight on his phone, and shined it on Old Third's waist. Only then did he notice that the large man's clothes had already been stained red with blood.

Xiao Qing, hearing Chu Yuxuan's words, worriedly asked, "Third Brother, are you... are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Old Third scratched his head and chuckled foolishly. "It's just a scratch."

Chu Yuxuan, too tense to speak, carefully lifted his shirt. He saw that the bullet had left a shallow but noticeable gash. Even though the wound wasn't deep, Chu Yuxuan remained anxious. He checked Old Third from top to bottom, and only when he confirmed there were no other injuries did he finally exhale. Lifting his hand, he slapped Old Third on the back of the neck, scolding, "Doesn't it hurt? Can't you say something? You nearly scared me to death, you idiot!"

Old Third hunched his shoulders and laughed awkwardly, "It doesn't hurt at all... Xiao Qing, I'm really fine, heh heh..."

Just then, the three of them seemed to sense something and turned around in unison.

Under the dim light of the phone, Old Fourth stood at the entrance of the warehouse, covered in blood and holding his curved blade. His face was expressionless, eerie like a ghost. His eyes were fixed on Old Third's injured spot, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. After staring for a while, he turned back inside and calmly asked, "Who just shot at that big guy? Didn't you all want to die? I'm giving you a chance. Come out and confess... no courage? Then we'll keep going, one by one. And trust me, my methods will be much more refined this time."

The remaining gunmen, seeing Old Fourth's expressionless face and the faintly visible gruesome corpse under the weak light, were reminded of his ruthless actions just moments before.

How could there be someone in this world who wouldn't even frown while doing such things? His emotions were calmer than swatting a fly!

Any lingering hatred in their hearts had long evaporated, and they started to panic. It was only a matter of time before one of them broke.

Chu Yuxuan hastily bandaged Old Third's wound, grumbling, "There's bandages in the gear pack. Couldn't you say something and let me bandage you? It's not like I'd charge you for it! You idiot! If this happens again, I'll kick you back to Shaolin Temple!"

Old Third replied, "I-I was thinking of having Xiao Qing bandage it for me when we got back..."

Chu Yuxuan: …

Xiao Qing: "Master, you should kick him back to Shaolin Temple."

Old Fifth: "Idiot! It's like a mountain fell on your head! You brain-dead fool!"

Old Third looked aggrieved, "Big brother, look at him, he's bringing that up again..."

Chu Yuxuan smiled and kicked Old Fifth, "Stop running your mouth."

Old Fifth raised an eyebrow, "I'm just telling the tr—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Old Third dropped down, pinning him to the ground, "Let me show you what it means to have a mountain on your head!"

"F*ck! Cough cough... Big... big brother... help! S-save me!"

Chu Yuxuan watched with amusement, laughing, "You can't beat anyone, yet you have such a sharp tongue. Not even the King of Heaven can save you now. Haha... Old Third, sit on him for a minute."

While everyone else was trying to show off, only Old Fifth was taking a beating.

When it came to his brothers, Chu Yuxuan seemed to have a soft spot for Old Third. Every time there was a major operation, Old Third, who wasn't accustomed to using guns, was the one Chu Yuxuan worried about the most.

The others didn't think he was playing favorites. After all, Old Third was a bit slower than most people. More importantly, Chu Yuxuan owed Old Third a debt he could never repay.

In fact, Old Third hadn't always been slow-witted. On the contrary, he used to be clever and sneaky. In terms of seniority among the "outlaws," he had even joined earlier than Chu Yuxuan.

Old Third's real name was Zhang Zhiming. His parents were devout Buddhists with close ties to a monk at Shaolin Temple.

But life is unpredictable. When he was young, his parents died in an accident, and the monk, seeing he was alone, took him in as a disciple.

However, Zhang Zhiming had no Buddhist nature whatsoever. He squirmed through prayers and meditation, took over two years to memorize a single scripture, and frequently snuck out of the temple for some meat. He even occasionally stole chickens and ducks from nearby farmers, much to the dismay of his fellow monks.

Yet the old monk adored him. Every time, he stood up for Zhang Zhiming, ensuring he wasn't expelled from the temple.

As the monk said, "The rule against eating meat wasn't made by Buddha. You have such a strong physique; it's only natural to need extra nutrition. Buddha won't blame you. Everything in life is Buddha's will."

And indeed, how could he have gotten so big by only eating vegetables?

When he was fifteen, the old monk passed away, and Old Third was naturally expelled from the temple.

Fortunately, the martial arts he learned at Shaolin were no joke, and through a series of fortunate events, he joined a traveling acrobat troupe, where he performed stunts like breaking stones on his chest, smashing bricks with his hands, and even feats like holding his breath to make a living.

Life went on like this for half a year, until one day, the troupe was invited to perform on a cruise ship. However, the ship unexpectedly hit a reef, and not only did it sink, but it was also attacked by pirates.

Seeing this massive monk fight like a tiger, the pirate leader admired his strength and took him back to the pirate base. That's how Old Third became a pirate by accident.

Later, when they found the barely alive Chu Yuxuan on a deserted island, the other pirates, seeing he had no valuables, left him to die. But when Old Third heard him mutter something in Chinese, he was shocked and, against the wishes of the others, decided to bring Chu Yuxuan back.

Chu Yuxuan was severely injured at the time, with his entire back infected and festering. The pirate leader, knowing he wouldn't survive, nonetheless found a doctor for Old Third's sake.

Even though the doctor shook his head, a miracle happened.

No one knew what kind of determination kept that wounded boy alive.

As Chu Yuxuan's health improved, he, a frail scholar at the time, was often looked down upon by the rough pirates. Fortunately, with Old Third's protection, he wasn't bullied.

Determined to get revenge, Chu Yuxuan began rigorously training. While others drank, he trained. While others feasted, he practiced with knives and guns, rain or shine. He even learned driving skills from the pirate leader who loved racing. Over time, he stood out among the lazy, pleasure-seeking pirates, gaining the respect of their leader.

Respect must be earned. In most fields, hard work and dedication can make you a leader. That's an eternal truth. (Though in Dragon Country, banking and the Y-grass industry might be exceptions—you need connections for that.)

One day, during an operation, Chu Yuxuan's group was ambushed by the coast guard. To save him, Old Third ended up nearly drowning. Though their reinforcements saved him, Old Third's brain was severely damaged due to the lack of oxygen, resulting in a significant drop in intelligence.

For years, Chu Yuxuan took him to countless hospitals and underwent numerous treatments, leading to the Old Third they knew today—still simple-minded, but at least functional.

To Chu Yuxuan, Old Third had given him life twice. This immeasurable favor far surpassed any brotherly bond. It was a debt he could never repay.