Chapter Ninety-One: Youth Is Wasted Without a Touch of Madness

At this moment, the sun was dipping toward the west, casting a shimmering golden light across the river’s surface. The community event at the Study Hall had concluded successfully.

Classmates left the riverbank feeling refreshed, their laughter and cheerful voices filling the path home.

“So, what happened in the end?” Su Lu and Lin Zhihong walked last, still discussing their earlier conversation.

“All those arrested confessed to being under the orders of She Ziying’s younger brother, but She Ziying herself staunchly denied it. Her brother has gone into hiding within their tribe and refuses to show himself,” Lin Zhihong explained.

“But that no longer matters. She Saihua seized the opportunity of catching the traitors to arrest, kill, or expel those who opposed her. That mother and son were also placed under house arrest. Now she can rest assured,” he added.

“I see...” Su Lu frowned slightly. Since remnants of the opposing force still existed, for safety’s sake, he and his father must remain hidden and not seek credit.

Sigh, best to stop hoping for good things—completely erase She Yunluo from his mind...

~~

After reaching the main road, most classmates returned to town, while Su Lu and three others went back to Erlang Beach.

An afternoon of relaxation swept away their fatigue. The four young men were revitalized and dashed home in just half an hour.

The sun had just set, still painting the sky with crimson hues. Su Lu met his elder brother returning from the community school at their doorstep.

“Yo, Mr. Su, finished class?” Su Lu greeted cheerfully, his voice loud and bright.

But Chun Ge’er looked exhausted, only nodding without a word.

Su Lu wondered why after just five days, his brother already bore such a heavy burden of school life.

“What’s wrong, big brother? Did you go to class or to the fields today?” Su Lu asked with concern.

“Nothing much,” Su Man dragged his heavy footsteps upstairs, saying, “I had to break up eight fights today...”

“Eight?!” Su Lu was shocked. Despite attending the Taiping Academy for so long, he hadn’t once witnessed a fight, nearly forgetting what kind of environment Erlang Beach really was.

“You never went to the elementary school, so you didn’t see it,” Su Man said bitterly with a wry smile. “Actually, I haven’t seen much either—the morning had two fights before I arrived; four more during lunch break; and two more right after school ended...”

“After school, you don’t have to deal with them, right?”

“They schedule fights during school hours...” Su Man lamented helplessly. “At first, I naively thought the community school’s regulations could control the students, but here in these mountains, who cares about that? No wonder the two clans are separated for schooling—only their own elders, relying on clan laws and rituals, can keep them in check.”

“Right.” Su Lu nodded, though he could imagine the situation. The two clans had long-standing grudges; the Su family had once been driven out of the school but had finally fought back. Of course, they sought revenge for every grievance.

From the Cheng family’s perspective, their students were peacefully attending school when a band of unruly ruffians suddenly burst in to intimidate them. Could they not be furious?

Both sides were like powder kegs—one spark could ignite an explosion. Poor Chun Ge’er was unfortunate enough to bear the brunt of it all...

“What does big brother plan to do?” Su Lu wanted to ease his burden.

“What can I do?” Chun Ge’er’s face was sour. “I once naïvely believed the school’s rules could control the students, but in these mountains, who respects those rules? No wonder the clans have separate schools—only their own elders, relying on clan customs, can discipline them.”

“Yes.” Su Lu nodded, thinking of their Su clan school, founded by the old clan leader. Any student daring to defy a teacher would have their parents dragged to the ancestral hall for punishment.

The Cheng clan obviously wouldn’t back up Su Man; if anything, they might even incite fights behind his back.

“The students I expelled yesterday came back the next day as if nothing happened. When I kicked them out, they played in the courtyard and disturbed others’ studies,” his brother complained.

“They called their family, but home said it’s just a lousy community school—why take it so seriously?”

“Where’s your disciplinary stick? Use it,” Su Lu said, brandishing a wooden rod. “Rascals are like lazy donkeys—deserve a beating!”

“Of course I hit them, but their families think just like you. They’ve long grown thick-skinned,” Su Man bitterly smiled. “My rod feels like I’m just scraping their skin—it’s useless.”

Su Lu glanced at his brother’s slight frame, not much stronger than himself, and suggested, “How about having the second brother come help as your enforcer?”

“Don’t joke around. What if someone gets seriously hurt?” Su Man firmly refused. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll find a way.”

“Sigh, alright.” Su Lu nodded, not even trying to persuade him otherwise, knowing that ‘giving up’ was not in his brother’s vocabulary...

~~

After dropping off his schoolbag at his uncle’s room, Su Lu came out and told his aunt, “Auntie, I ate too much at noon, so I won’t eat dinner.”

“You should’ve said that earlier!” she scolded. “Who’s going to eat all the extra food I cooked?”

“Then save it for my midnight snack,” Su Lu replied.

“Midnight snack? You’ve only been in school a few days and already picked up this bad habit?” she scolded him from a certain angle.

Fortunately, Su Lu was long immune to such scoldings, the words going in one ear and out the other without touching his heart. He smiled brightly and said, “I’m going out for a bit.”

With that, he darted down the stilted house, calling out along the narrow alley to his friends, inviting them to a meeting at his godmother’s courtyard after dinner.

~~

A quarter of an hour later, everyone had gathered.

Two distinct groups stood apart. The larger group included Su Dan, Su Lang, and seven or eight other Su family youths—all brothers who had taken the academy entrance exam together.

The other group had only three: Cheng Wantang, Cheng Wanfan, and Cheng Wanzhou.

The sky was already darkening. Su Lu lit a torch and smiled at the crowd.

“You all came so quickly. Have you eaten?”

“If big brother calls, how could we not hurry?” Su Lang chuckled. After half a year, his face had slimmed noticeably, showing he had been working hard.

“Big brother remembers us. We’re the ones happy to see him,” Cheng Wantang said. Though only a month had passed, it felt like a lifetime.

The other two had been bathing and eating watermelon with him just two hours ago.

“If you have something to say, just say it. We’re ready to go through fire and water for you!” Su family brothers declared loudly, though secretly wondering why he had invited the Cheng family over.

“I gathered you because you are my closest friends and brothers,” Su Lu cleared his throat and said, “But there are divisions among you... I want to ask—can you put aside your differences for my sake and work together on a great cause?”

“Yes!” Su Dan was quick to respond.

“Of course!” Su Lang and the Cheng trio also shouted in agreement. The other Su brothers nodded in turn, “No problem!”

“Good!” Su Lu nodded firmly, raising his voice, “What does this prove? Our two families have no mortal enemies. We only need one chance, one bond, to transform hostility into friendship.”

He smiled as he added, “If there were truly irreconcilable grudges, no matter how big my face is, it wouldn’t help.”

The young men of both clans laughed in agreement. A sturdy fellow named Su Yang asked, “Big brother hasn’t said yet—what great cause do you want to pursue?”

“In fact, I have a dream—to resolve the conflict between our two clans, unite the Su and Cheng families, break free from these mountains, and carve out a new world for our descendants!” Su Lu’s voice grew firmer, his eyes sparkling in the dim light.

To rally youth, the more passionate and dramatic the speech, the better. Su Lu understood this well.

“This is the great cause I want to pursue!” He scanned everyone’s faces and asked solemnly, “Who is willing to strive with me?”

“I am!”

“I am!” Su Dan and the Cheng trio responded immediately, having been rallied a month ago by Su Lu.

Su Lang, Su Yang, and other family brothers were a bit confused. Wasn’t joining the Cheng family a given? Why did big brother suddenly talk about reconciliation?

Su Dan, as a Su family member, took it upon himself to spread the message to his kin. He said proudly,

“Like big brother said, there are millions of people in the Ming Empire, but only a few born in Erlang Beach. Once we leave these mountains and reach Luzhou, we’ll be the closest hometown friends; beyond Sichuan, we’ll be a united clan conquering the world!”

“That’s right!” Cheng Wanfan echoed Su Dan’s words with a nod. “We must work together to break free from these mountains and face the world united—not bickering in this valley!”

Cheng Wanzhou and Cheng Wantang repeated the conversations from a month ago, making the Su youths blush with embarrassment at their narrow-mindedness.

Su Yang sighed enviously, “Those who studied at the academy are truly different from us well-diggers.”

“My ideal is to have everyone jump out of this deep well and into the vast world! But breaking free from these mountains is extremely difficult. One clan alone can’t do it! Especially when the other clan will do everything to trip us up. In the end, no one escapes—we all just wither and rot here...”

After finishing, Su Lu’s gaze swept over the assembled friends again. This time, their expressions no longer confused; sparks of passion flickered in their eyes.

“I’ve said my piece. I ask once more—who will fight alongside me?”

“I will!” All the youths answered in unison, without hesitation.

Their youthful zeal was truly ignited, convinced they were undertaking a great and arduous mission.

“Good! Then let’s start tonight!” Su Lu gestured, concluding his rally.

“But big brother said we’d settle grudges when our generation gains influence,” Cheng Wanzhou said, worried that if things escalated, he might get beaten up.

“The plan has changed. We need to act ahead of time,” Su Lu said gravely. “Do you know who inspired this dream of mine?”

“Confucius?” the group asked.

“No...” Su Lu cleared his throat. “It’s my elder brother. He’s always been indifferent to the clan fights but hopes to help resolve the clan conflicts.”

P.S. Four updates on the sixth day! Such passion from the monk after many years! Please continue to subscribe and vote monthly!

Thanks to the alliance leader Li Qiyu for the extra update. Eight chapters still owed...