Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

Chen Ping had just stepped out of the shed and hadn't even left the alley when he heard heavy footsteps behind him.

"Li Wenxiu! Li Wenxiu, you old hag! Where have you been hiding?!"

It was a rough, hoarse voice, tinged with a hint of hostility.

Chen Ping stopped and turned around.

A bald, burly man strode menacingly toward Li Wenxiu's house.

The man had a diagonal scar on his face, stretching from his left eyebrow to the corner of his right mouth, making him look particularly ferocious.

He was wearing a greasy leather coat, with a short knife at his waist, a pipe in his mouth, and two lean men carrying short sticks following behind him.

Chen Ping squinted and quietly watched the three people.

The bald, burly man kicked open the half-closed door of Li Wenxiu's house, peeked inside, and then sneered:

"Oh, you're really home. I thought you'd run away again."

He stepped across the threshold, saw the child lying on the bed, and then looked at Li Wenxiu, who was unsteady on her feet and was holding onto the door frame. He clicked his tongue twice.

"What's this? This little brat's still alive? He's got some nerve."

Li Wenxiu's face was pale, her lips trembled, but she couldn't speak.

The bald, burly man didn't care. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pipe, and tapped it: "Li Wenxiu, let's not beat around the bush. You owe me the settlement fee, which has been overdue for three months. Ten taels a month, thirty taels in three months. You have to pay it today, whether you like it or not."

Li Wenxiu trembled, her voice hoarse: "Master Liu... I really have no money... Please, please give me a few more days..."

"Grace period?" The bald, burly man sneered. "I gave you a grace period last month, what did you say? You said you'd definitely pay me back this month, and now? Still no money. Li Wenxiu, are you taking me for a fool?"

Li Wenxiu quickly shook her head: "No, no... I really..."

"Enough nonsense." The bald, burly man interrupted him, flicking his cigarette ash. "If you don't come out today, I'm taking this house. You and your brat, get out of the ash dump."

Li Wenxiu's face turned even paler, and she swayed, almost falling over.

Just then, the bald, burly man's gaze fell on Chen Ping, who was standing in the alley.

He paused, then looked Chen Ping up and down.

Chen Ping was also sizing him up.

The bald, burly man stared at Chen Ping for a few seconds, then suddenly noticed the red ribbon tied around Chen Ping's neck.

His pupils contracted slightly.

Red ribbon.

The red flower stick of the Qingyi Society.

The bald, burly man's fierce expression softened somewhat, and he forced a smile.

"Oh, so you're a member of the Green Robe Society. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner."

Chen Ping remained silent.

The bald, burly man chuckled twice and added, "Brother, you're not here to see Li Wenxiu, are you? But you'd better be careful, that old bastard owes me thirty taels of silver. If you get too close to him, don't get dragged into this."

Chen Ping finally spoke, his voice calm.

"You need to pay me back first."

The bald, burly man was stunned.

"What?"

"This guy still owes me money," Chen Ping said flatly. "Pay me back first."

The bald, burly man's smile froze, but he still forced a polite smile and asked, "May I ask, brother, how much does Li Wenxiu owe you?"

"Two ounces."

"Two taels?" The bald, burly man frowned, then sneered. "Brother, Li Wenxiu owes me a full thirty taels. Shouldn't he pay me back first? Even if you're a high-ranking official, there's still a rule of first come, first served."

Chen Ping stared at him and slowly spoke.

"Pay me back first, you have a problem with that?"

The bald, burly man's expression changed.

A wiry man behind him couldn't stand it any longer. He raised a short stick and shouted angrily, "Who the hell do you think you are! Master Liu is being polite to you, and you're taking advantage of it! Li Wenxiu owes Master Liu thirty taels, and you dare to jump out with only two taels..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Chen Ping made a move.

His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared in front of the lean man.

Before the man could react, he felt a tremendous force coming from his chest.

"Bang!"

Chen Ping punched him in the chest.

The man was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall before sliding to the ground.

He opened his mouth wide, trying to breathe, but no sound came out.

His face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, his hands gripped his chest tightly, and he curled up into a ball.

The other henchman turned pale with fright, dropped the short stick in his hand with a clatter, and stumbled back several steps.

The bald, burly man's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist, but as soon as his hand touched the hilt, he saw Chen Ping turn around, his eyes coldly fixed on him.

The bald, burly man's hand froze.

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to his head.

He didn't even see that punch clearly.

That subordinate's chest was caved in; he must have broken several ribs. It's hard to say whether he'll survive.

This kind of strength...

The bald, burly man shivered.

Chen Ping walked up to him and looked down at him.

"I'll say it again," Chen Ping said calmly, "This guy owes me money, he should pay me back first, do you have a problem with that?"

The bald, burly man's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a word.

He wanted to express his opinion.

But he dared not.

That punch just now made him realize that this red-flower stick man in front of him was not someone he could afford to mess with.

"No, no objection..." the bald, burly man's voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat, "Then... then I'll return your money first..."

Chen Ping stared at him for a few seconds and nodded slightly.

"Know what's good for you."

He turned to Li Wenxiu and asked, "How much do you owe him?"

Li Wenxiu paused, then whispered, "Three, thirty taels..."

Chen Ping then looked at the bald, burly man: "Did you hear that? He owes you thirty taels and me two taels. He'll pay you back after he pays me back."

The bald, burly man gritted his teeth, his facial muscles twitching, but he finally nodded: "Okay...okay..."

Chen Ping ignored him and turned to walk out of the alley.

The bald, burly man stood there, watching Chen Ping's figure disappear at the end of the alley.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails were almost digging into his flesh.

But in the end, he said nothing, only spat fiercely, and turned to his subordinates sprawled on the ground: "What are you all standing there for! Help the second brother up!"

Another subordinate rushed forward and helped up the man who had been punched in the chest.

The man's face was deathly pale, and he was spitting out blood and foam from his mouth. He was half-dead.

The bald, burly man glanced at Li Wenxiu, who was cowering by the door, a sinister glint in his eyes.

But in the end he said nothing, and simply walked out of the alley with two of his men.

Li Wenxiu stood at the door, staring blankly at everything, speechless for a long time.

The bald, burly man walked out of the shantytown and returned to a dilapidated house on the edge of the greywater field.

He pushed open the door, threw his injured subordinate to the ground, and plopped down on a broken stool, panting heavily.

Another subordinate stood trembling beside him, not daring to speak.

The bald, burly man touched his chest, feeling his heart still pounding wildly.

For a brief moment, he thought he was going to die.

The man with the red flower stick from the Green Robe Society was too fast; he didn't even see how the other man moved before the second brother was sent flying by a single punch.

And that power...

The bald, burly man shivered.

He had been working in the greywater market for so many years and had seen many skilled martial artists.

But he seemed to have only ever felt this kind of power in one person.

Leopard Lord.

The bald, burly man's eyes flickered a few times, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

That guy surnamed Chen with the red flower stick is clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Today, he beat up his subordinate in public. If he swallows this insult, how will he ever be able to survive in the greywater factory again?

But what if there's retaliation...?

The bald, burly man shuddered again as he recalled Chen Ping's cold eyes.

He remained silent for a long time, then finally gritted his teeth and stood up.

"Third brother, you watch over second brother," he said to the uninjured subordinate. "I'm going out for a bit."

"Mr. Liu, where are you going?"

The bald, burly man didn't answer; he simply straightened his clothes, pushed open the door, and walked out.

He walked for a while in the darkness, passing through several alleys, and finally stopped in front of a courtyard that looked rather respectable.

A lantern hung on the gate of the courtyard, and the light shining from inside could be vaguely seen.

The bald, burly man took a deep breath and went to knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock."

..........

Chen Ping walked out of the greywater yard and headed towards the dock along the muddy street.

The sky was completely dark, and faint candlelight shone from the dilapidated houses on both sides of the street, like dark eyes silently watching this desolate land.

Chen Ping walked very slowly.

He was thinking about what had just happened.

That bald, burly man was collecting "land fees" at the greywater quarry so brazenly, it was clear he wasn't the only one doing it.

Although the greywater field was remote, it was still part of the Tsing Yi Society's territory.

The Tsing Yi Society couldn't possibly be unaware of what's going on here.

If they knew this, and still let him collect money like this, there's only one possibility.

That bald, muscular man has someone backing him up.

Moreover, this person holds a high position within the Tsing Yi Society.

Chen Ping stopped and turned to look at the dark gray water field behind him.

It was quiet there, without any sound.

But Chen Ping knew that today's events would soon reach that person's ears.

Chen Ping withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.