Chapter 054: An Unexpected Incident at the Night Market

Chapter 054: An Unexpected Night at the Market

The car slowly came to a halt. The Chenlong Club was still closed, so Ma Long led Ye Feng in through the side entrance to the main hall. They had even prepared dinner for Ye Feng, who, without any pretense, enjoyed a hearty meal before joining the group for training.

“Ma Long, your move is a bit off—yes, that’s it! This technique should go like this!” Ye Feng now resembled a drill sergeant in a military camp, training a batch of raw recruits. To enhance everyone’s practical skills, he had divided them into ten pairs for sparring.

As for Ma Long, the odd man out, Ye Feng took it upon himself to instruct him personally. After a few exchanges, Ma Long could barely keep up with Ye Feng’s relentless attacks. Gasping for breath, he pleaded, “Feng, Brother Feng, I can’t… I can’t go on!”

“Brother Long, how can you give up so easily? Look at everyone else—only through constant training can we build real combat experience and seize the initiative in future operations!” Ye Feng spoke earnestly, recalling the seasoned opponents he’d encountered earlier that evening.

“Brother Feng, you’re just too strong—I can’t withstand your attacks at all.” Ma Long wore a bitter expression. Though he appreciated Ye Feng’s intention to push him for his own good, his body could only take so much.

Ye Feng chuckled. “Alright, take a break for now.” Seeing Ma Long’s exhausted face, he realized he might have been too eager. Martial arts required years of steady accumulation, but the increasing strength of their enemies left Ye Feng anxious.

After two or three hours, it was already eleven o’clock. Ye Feng saw that everyone was exhausted and announced that training was over for the night. To reward their efforts, he decided to treat everyone to a night out at the market.

“Wow, awesome! Let’s go now!” Zhang Wei cheered, overjoyed—not just for the late-night snack, but for the chance to go out with Ye Feng. The whole group was visibly excited.

“Zhang Wei, what’s the rush? You’re drenched in sweat—what if you run into pretty girls? We should shower first!” Li Yang grinned, giving Zhang Wei a playful smack on the head, clearly in high spirits.

“Li Yang, how many times have I told you not to hit my head? This clever brain of mine is for analyzing beautiful women. If you damage it, you’ll have me to answer to.” Zhang Wei retaliated with a thump to Li Yang’s head and dashed off.

Li Yang blinked in surprise, then gave chase, the two of them disappearing in a burst of laughter. Seeing the pair’s antics, everyone else laughed too.

“Alright, everyone, hit the showers. We leave in twenty minutes—got it?”

“Yes!” With that, the group scattered. Since there weren’t many showers, anyone who was late might miss out. Ma Long turned to Ye Feng and said, “Brother Feng, how about you wear Xiao Qi’s clothes later? He’s about your size.”

“Sounds good. By the way, I’m not familiar with the provincial capital, so you’ll have to lead the way and pick a good spot for supper,” Ye Feng replied, not pretending to know more than he did. It was better to let Ma Long take charge.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was ready. Some of the younger guys had even styled their hair. Ye Feng just smiled and said nothing. After a shower, he felt refreshed, and Xiao Qi’s clothes fit him well.

Though Ye Feng hadn’t made any special effort with his appearance, his handsome features made him the center of attention among the group. As they walked through the streets, people kept turning to look—especially at Ye Feng, who caught the eyes of many young women.

They crossed two streets and arrived at the night market. The moment they stepped in, vendors on both sides started calling out, “Boss, come eat here!”, “Our food is the best!”, “Come on in, we’ve got seats!”

“Brother Feng, how about this place?” Ma Long led Ye Feng to a stall with a sign reading “Wu Family Night Market.” Ye Feng had no particular preference, so he nodded, and the group filed into the small tent.

“Well, Brother Long, what brings you here tonight? It’s been ages since you stopped by!” The owner greeted Ma Long warmly, clearly an old acquaintance.

“Come on, boss, don’t tease me. By the way, this is my big brother, Ye Feng. You’d better show off your best dishes for him tonight!” Ma Long joked as he introduced Ye Feng. The owner, who’d assumed Ye Feng was just another of Ma Long’s underlings, was surprised to learn he was the elder and gave him an appraising look.

“Welcome, welcome! Since my hands are busy, I won’t shake, but please, everyone, have a seat!” The owner smiled, though inwardly he wondered when Ma Long had acquired a “big brother” who looked even younger than himself.

“No problem, you go ahead.” Ye Feng didn’t mind, and the group of twenty-two sat down, filling up two tables. The owner, seeing the crowd, was delighted—on some nights he barely had a few customers, but tonight, business was booming.

Ye Feng and Ma Long ordered two large grilled fish, some fried noodles, roasted eggplant, pork skewers, and a couple cases of beer. Soon, the food and drinks arrived, and everyone toasted and began to eat.

It had been a long time since Ye Feng felt so free and uninhibited. He couldn’t help but reminisce—the last time he’d drunk so boldly was at the farewell party after leaving the army. He wondered how his old comrades were doing; life had scattered them in all directions.

“Eat up, everyone! Don’t be shy—the grilled fish is excellent!” Ye Feng encouraged the others, clinking bottles with his brothers. The mood was lively, with several rounds of toasts to Ye Feng, and even the owner was roped into downing a beer.

Just as everyone was reaching their fill, a discordant noise suddenly broke out, making people frown. The owner, too, looked nervous, causing Ye Feng to feel a sense of unease.