Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

The sun was high in the sky, and the midday sun was quite harsh, but it shone brightly into the room through the dilapidated windowpanes.

Chen Ping slowly retracted the water-fixing stake, his muscles trembling slightly like a bowstring.

After a whole morning of standing meditation, the deep-seated hunger felt like a fire, making his stomach lining twitch.

"Brother Ping, Master Liu, dinner's ready!"

Gouwa's excited voice came from inside.

On the square table, a chipped earthenware pot was filled with thick rice porridge, emitting an enticing sweet aroma.

The most eye-catching thing is the large lotus leaf bag in the middle.

The lotus leaf was open, and inside it was piled high with braised meat, including a rare piece of braised pork belly, glistening with oil, and the aroma of the meat filled the entire room.

Chen Ping sat down, his gaze sweeping over the pile of meat, and his brows furrowed.

This amount far exceeded the limit that the money he gave Gouwa could buy.

"Why are there so many?" Chen Ping asked Gouwa.

"How could that be!" Gouwa wiped his hands on his apron, his face full of incredulous joy. "I went to Butcher Zheng's place at the west end to buy meat, and as soon as he saw me, his knife skills changed immediately. Not only did he give me a high weight, but he also forced this big piece of pork belly and pig's face on me before I left, saying it was to congratulate me on being promoted to the rank of Red Flower Stick and to help me get better."

Chen Ping paused with his chopsticks and said in a deep voice, "No one should accept a reward without merit. Butcher Zheng is a shrewd man. He would never throw away a bone in the past. His eagerness today must mean he has a big plan. Eating his flesh is an act of gratitude."

He put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "Go and return the extra meat this afternoon. If you can't return it, pay him back the market price. We've just established ourselves, so settling the bill is the cleanest thing to do."

"Wait a minute."

Old Liu, who had been squatting on the stool puffing on his pipe, suddenly stretched out his pipe and tapped the edge of the table. "What are you backing out of? Eat!"

Chen Ping turned to look at Liu Laoguo.

Old Liu tapped his cigarette ash, his cloudy old eyes half-closed, with a hint of world-weary mockery: "Young Chen, your old self-preservation philosophy worked when you were a laborer, but now that you're in this position, some rules have to change."

He pointed with his pipe towards the door: "In Qingkou Town, the docks are divided into five areas, which means there are five managers. Except for that old fox Huangya, whose position is always secure, the other four positions are filled by different people every year."

"Although there is no explicit rule in the gang, in the past ten years or so, almost everyone who has been able to sit in the position of manager has been a red flower stick. To put it bluntly, the position you are sitting in is a candidate for manager."

Old Liu picked up a piece of fatty meat and threw it into his mouth, chewing until his mouth was glistening with oil. He mumbled, "You're so young. As long as you don't die young, you'll definitely have a place in the Green Robe Society in the future."

"Those merchants are very shrewd. If they send you meat now, it's like 'burning the stove for a cold meal.' If you return it, they will feel uneasy, fearing that you don't value this small gift and will cause trouble for them in the future."

"Keep it, it'll put their minds at ease."

Chen Ping seemed to be deep in thought.

He wasn't a pedantic person. Liu Laoguo's words revealed the survival logic of the underworld: when your position changes, your way of dealing with people must also change.

"Been taught a lesson."

Chen Ping said no more, picked up a piece of meat still attached to the bone, and put it in his mouth.

The meat is firm and chewy, and the braising sauce is rich and flavorful.

As the food entered my stomach, the burning hunger finally subsided somewhat.

He ate very quickly, chewing each bite thoroughly.

The courtyard gate was pushed open as soon as we finished eating.

"Oh, eating?"

The newcomer was dressed in a short blue outfit, and his single eye gleamed shrewdly in the sunlight; he was none other than Yellow Teeth's one-eyed second-in-command.

Chen Ping immediately put down the water bowl, stood up, and clasped his hands in greeting: "My lord."

The manners were impeccable, flawless, and exuded a sense of propriety.

"Hey! We're getting too distant, aren't we?"

Before Chen Ping could even kneel down, the one-eyed deputy stepped forward and reached out to support his arm.

His single eye revealed a hint of the warmth and chivalry of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), and he said with feigned anger, "You're not the kid in the lower deck anymore. We're equals now, we're brothers. Maybe I'll have to rely on you in the future."

He patted Chen Ping on the shoulder and pulled him down to sit: "Brother, my family name is Yang, and my given name is Sen. If you think highly of me, you can call me Brother Yang in private. Don't keep calling me 'adult,' it sounds cheesy, that's for outsiders."

Chen Ping then changed his address to "Brother Yang".

"Ah, that's more like it!"

Yang Sen laughed heartily, and without any ceremony, pulled over a long bench and sat down. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and his smile faded, replaced by a look of heartfelt regret.

"Brother, I'm so sorry about what happened today."

"Originally, I strongly recommended to Master Huangya that you go to the East Market to manage the venue. You know that place; it's the most lucrative and the best place for you to build up your wealth now."

At this point, he changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat annoyed: "That hateful Zhang the Devil! Taking advantage of his seniority, he threw a tantrum in front of Master Huang, refusing to give up that territory no matter what."

"As you know, even in a gang, there's a principle of 'respecting the elderly and caring for the young,' so it's not appropriate to force him to step down."

Chen Ping sneered inwardly.

Ghost Hand Zhang had disliked him from the very beginning, so this was entirely expected.

But Yang Sen made a special trip here and spoke so frankly, which was obviously not just an explanation, but also a way of "handing him a knife" to make him resent Ghost Hand Zhang.

This is an open conspiracy.

The other party needs him to fight against Ghost Hand Zhang.

A perfectly timed hint of gloom crossed Chen Ping's face, which he quickly concealed, before calmly asking, "So, what does Master Yellow Teeth mean?"

Yang Sen observed Chen Ping's expression and, seeing that he was "sensible," nodded: "Greywater field."

The air paused slightly.

Old Liu, who was standing to the side, paused for a moment while tapping his cigarette ash.

Greywater field was a muddy area near the sewage outlet of the dock, inhabited by prostitutes, gamblers, and beggars. It was a place with very little profit and a terrible stench.

"Okay, I'll go." Chen Ping answered without the slightest hesitation.

Yang Sen was clearly very pleased with Chen Ping's tact, and his smile became more genuine.

"Good! I knew you were someone who considered the bigger picture."

He stood up, as if to offer some kind of compensation, patted Chen Ping on the shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Since you have no objections, and Master Huang also said that honest people shouldn't be taken advantage of, pack your things and go directly to the Inner Armory this afternoon."

"With Huangya's permission, you may choose one martial arts manual to take with you."

Chen Ping remained silent for a moment, his mind racing with calculations.

Martial arts are a good thing, but you can't bite off more than you can chew.

He had just mastered the "Water Stabilizing Stance" technique, and his physical depletion was like a bottomless pit. Every day, just filling his stomach and maintaining his "Stone Collapsing Strength" training was already a struggle for him.

What he lacks now is not the skill to kill, but the resources to improve his physical fitness.

"Brother Yang."

Chen Ping raised his head, his tone sincere yet firm: "I won't go to the armory."

"What?" Yang Sen was stunned. Even Liu Lao Guo, who was squatting and smoking next to him, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Are you stupid? That's a secret treasure of the gang. This kind of opportunity won't come again if you miss it."

"I know."

Chen Ping poured himself a bowl of water and said slowly, "But I know my own situation. I haven't mastered the 'Stone Collapse Force' yet, and I've only just started practicing standing meditation. I can't bite off more than I can chew."

"Besides, the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts. With my current physique, learning another martial art would just be burning through more money. Rather than staring blankly at a book I can't master, I might as well..."

Chen Ping didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already quite clear.

Yang Sen stared at Chen Ping for a long time, and the surprise in his single eye gradually faded, replaced by a deeper appreciation.

"What a perfect example of biting off more than you can chew."

Yang Sen slapped his thigh and burst into laughter: "Insightful! So many people on this dock have died because of greed. They pick up a knife and want to learn swordsmanship, but end up with a complete mess. It's rare that you can resist this temptation."

He pondered for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

"Since you don't want the book, then the compensation cannot be less. Since Master Huangya has spoken, there's no reason to take it back."

Yang Sen narrowed his eyes, as if he had made a decision: "Well then, since you think you don't have enough money to take care of your health, then I'll make the decision."

He held up two fingers and waved them in front of Chen Ping.

"Originally, Honghua Gun's monthly salary was five taels, but starting this month, I'll have the accountant record it as ten taels for you."

"This five taels of silver, though not a large sum, is enough for you to eat a few more pounds of lean meat every day."

Chen Ping's heart stirred.

Five taels became ten taels.

Yang Sen does indeed wield some power.

"Thank you for your care, Brother Yang!" Chen Ping immediately stood up.

"Hey, it's our own brother."

Yang Sen waved his hand, clearly appreciating Chen Ping's pragmatic approach. "Now that this matter is settled, I won't stay any longer. Although the greywater quarry is in bad shape, at least no one is watching it. You can take this opportunity to hone your skills."

After saying that, he stood up and walked outside.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, as if he had just remembered something. He turned around, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

"Oh, right, there's something else I need to tell you."

"Although the greywater yard is our Tsing Yi Society's territory, the person in charge there is actually a woman."

Yang Sen paused, his tone carrying an ambiguous meaning: "That person is called 'Rouge Tiger.' She's been in that position longer than Ghost Hand Zhang, but this woman's personality... hey, she's not someone you can easily deal with."

"Even Master Huangya usually gives her some face. You'd better be careful when you're doing things over there, or you'll end up in trouble with her."

After saying that, he gave Chen Ping a meaningful look and strode away.

Chen Ping stood there, watching Yang Sen's disappearing figure, then touched the silver in his pocket, a slight smile curving his lips.