Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

The air in the lower deck was murky, a mixture of sweat and musty smells, but it was unusually quiet tonight.

Lai San huddled in the corner, clutching his chest and groaning all night.

He occasionally raised his head, his eyes sweeping venomously over the thin figure sitting cross-legged in the shadows, but he quickly lowered his head when the other seemed to sense something, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

Although the surrounding canal workers remained apathetic, their bodies betrayed their intentions, shifting to the sides to make room for Chen Ping.

Chen Ping ignored the stares.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes to rest, his back pressed tightly against the cold, damp deck.

The night passed quietly.

As sunlight streamed through the gaps in the deck, dispelling the last vestiges of darkness in the hold, the heavy hatch overhead was suddenly flung open.

"Dinner's ready! Everyone, get out here!"

With a shout from one of the gang members, the dull warehouse instantly came to life.

The canal workers, like a herd of livestock that had been kept in captivity for too long, jostled and pushed their way onto the ladder.

Chen Ping slowly got up and mingled with the crowd as he climbed onto the deck.

The morning river wind was biting and piercing, carrying a heavy, damp, and fishy smell that stung one's cheeks.

A large pot had been set up on the deck, filled with thin porridge. The gang member in charge of serving the food was holding a long ladle and tapping the edge of the pot impatiently.

Chen Ping was holding a broken wooden bowl and was in the middle to back of the line.

Just then, he felt someone moving closer to him, their movements cautious and clearly probing.

Chen Ping turned his head slightly and looked down, only to see a boy as thin as a reed stick struggling to push through the crowd and get close to him.

The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in tattered clothes, with several bruises on his exposed arms that were bleeding, clearly fresh injuries.

His eyes were filled with fear as he shrank closer to Chen Ping while keeping a wary eye on Lai San, who was cutting in line not far away.

Seeing Chen Ping looking over, the boy trembled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. The words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat, and he only managed to utter half a mumbled syllable:

"That......"

"What's up?"

Chen Ping coldly interrupted him, his voice not loud, but with a hint of coldness and hardness.

The boy swallowed hard, his face flushed, and with a trembling grin, he pulled out half a moldy dry biscuit from his pocket and, using his body as cover, quietly handed it to Chen Ping.

"Big...Big Brother."

The boy changed his tune, lowering his voice to a whisper, with a hint of pleading and obsequiousness: "Here's the cake... I'd like to ask for your protection."

Chen Ping didn't answer, but just looked at him coldly: "Who are you?"

The boy whispered urgently:

"My name is Gouwa. I work at Huangyaye's dock, but I'm not strong. Lai San and his gang have been eyeing me and trying to rob me. Last night... I saw it all last night."

"With just a flick of your shoulder, Lai San flew through the air; you're really skilled!"

As Gouwa spoke, he stuffed the dry biscuit into Chen Ping's hand, his eyes full of hope, his words flowing as if he were giving his last instructions:

"I escaped from Xiahe County two months ago! I know that place like the back of my hand! I know which alleys can hide people, which piles of corpses can yield food, and even which empty houses still have valuables left behind!"

"Lai San lost face in front of others, and he'll definitely take it out on me. Brother, please accept this cake. When we get to Xiahe County, I'll be your dog! Just let me stay by your side."

Chen Ping looked at the dirty hand in front of him and the dried biscuit that was even covered in green mold.

He's a smart person.

They knew to exchange intelligence and loyalty for survival.

On a normal day, Chen Ping might think having a local guide would be nice.

But right now, he hasn't even gotten his footing yet, and taking in a henchman would only be a burden.

Chen Ping did not answer.

He even took a step to the side, increasing the distance between them.

"I have no shortage of guides, nor do I lack food."

Chen Ping's voice was flat and devoid of any warmth: "Also, stay away from me. Forming cliques on the ship will only lead to your demise."

Gouwa stood frozen in place.

The hand holding the biscuit hung awkwardly in mid-air, trembling slightly.

He looked at Chen Ping's cold, hard profile, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

In the midst of this awkward silence, a sinister voice suddenly came from the second floor of the ship's deck, breaking the noise on the deck.

"Chen Ping, right? Come here!"

Everyone looked up and saw the one-eyed deputy standing by the railing, playing with a leather whip in his hand.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

Chen Ping remained expressionless, walked straight over, and clasped his hands in a salute.

The one-eyed lieutenant sized him up, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Old Huang Ya mentioned you to me, saying you're a quiet guy, but you have some real skills and are a promising talent."

As he spoke, he waved.

One of the henchmen immediately brought over a wooden tray.

Instead of the spoiled porridge and black bread that the canal workers ate, there was a large bowl of steaming white rice, topped with half a piece of greasy lean meat and a few pickled vegetables.

This scene instantly stung the eyes of everyone around.

The canal workers, who were gnawing on their black steamed buns, swallowed hard, their eyes filled with envy and longing.

Gouwa, standing not far away, stared blankly at the piece of meat, then looked at the moldy dry biscuit in his hand, and shrank even smaller as if he had been hit by frost.

"have eaten."

The one-eyed lieutenant said calmly, "This is a reward from Master Yellow Teeth. After you've eaten your fill, don't squeeze in with those pigs down there. You don't need to work today; just come with me to patrol the ship."

Chen Ping understood.

This is both recruitment and investment. People like Huang Ya are not only greedy but also shrewd. He probably saw his potential and felt that he was still useful as a pawn, so he made a move ahead of time.

"Thank you, Master Huangya. Thank you, sir."

Chen Ping did not refuse and picked up the bowl to eat heartily.

The aroma of meat filled the air, and he ate quickly and attentively, as if the jealous, envious, and desperate gazes around him didn't exist at all.

Once the last grain of rice in the bowl was gone, Chen Ping wiped his mouth and obediently followed his one-eyed deputy towards the rear cabin.

Chen Ping noticed that the atmosphere on the ship was somewhat strange.

Several gang members were busy changing the flags on the boat. The iconic blue flag of the Tsing Yi Society was lowered and replaced with a white banner with the character "horse" written on it.

White lanterns were hung at the bow of the boat, and paper money was scattered, resembling a funeral procession.

"What are you looking at?"

Seeing Chen Ping staring at the mourning flag, the one-eyed deputy sneered, "When you're out in the world, you have to know when to pretend you're blind, even if you're wide awake. Xiahe County is now the territory of the White Gang. If we, the Green Robe Society, were to display our banner, we'd be asking for trouble."

As he spoke, he pointed with his whip to the mountains of wooden crates and coffins piled up in the central warehouse:

"This time we are pretending to be servants of 'Master Ma' to accompany him back to his hometown for a funeral. These boxes are covered with 'quicklime' and 'mugwort,' which are said to be used to treat the plague and bury the dead in the county."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping's gaze swept over the wooden boxes and coffins.

Indeed, the boxes all had brand-new seals with words such as "Quicklime for Epidemic Prevention" and "Artemisia argyi".

And the coffin goes without saying.

Using this as cover, the White Gang members probably wouldn't even be interested in opening the box to check it.

But Chen Ping knew that the box contained grain.

"If this shipment is delivered safely, it will bring immense wealth."

The one-eyed deputy pounded on the lid of a coffin, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Chen Ping, if you do a good job this time, Master Huangya will not treat you unfairly."

He stopped, turned around, and stared at Chen Ping with his only remaining eye, lowering his voice:

"To tell you the truth, Master Huangya has a good impression of you. This time when you go back, as long as you don't cause any trouble, I plan to register your name with the gang and officially let you join as a member of our Green Robe Society."

Chen Ping's expression shifted slightly, but he remained silent, listening quietly.

The one-eyed deputy was very satisfied with Chen Ping's calm demeanor and continued to paint a rosy picture:

"Don't be fooled by your strength now, it's all from hard labor. Once you join the gang, you won't have to suffer anymore. You won't have to carry sacks anymore, you'll just be in charge of the venue and collecting debts. You'll get three taels of silver a month, and meat as a bonus during festivals. If you make a contribution, I can even help you get a real martial arts manual from Master Huangya to practice."

"Three ounces?"

Chen Ping finally spoke.

"That's right, three taels."

The one-eyed deputy patted Chen Ping on the shoulder and said earnestly, "So when you get to Xiahe County, you have to work your life away. Although it's chaotic there now, it's also a good opportunity to make a name for yourself."

As he spoke, he pointed to the murky river ahead, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"Since this ship is for a funeral, it can't go through the official transport dock. We'll go directly to the mortuary outside the city to unload the cargo."

"Our organization only has two covert operations over there: one is a rice shop in the city slums, and the other is that mortuary."

"The former manager of the mortuary was unlucky a few days ago and died when the refugees rioted. Now that no one is watching over it, it's easy for trouble to break out. You're ruthless and hard-hearted, so you're perfect to fill the vacancy at the mortuary."

"You don't need to show your face. Just help keep an eye on that place and make sure no one steals the 'goods' we've hidden there."

Chen Ping felt a chill run down his spine and instantly understood the meaning behind the words.

Since Xiahe County is the territory of the White Gang, the Green Robe Society's business there must be smuggling.

Transporting the grain to the mortuary and using the dead as cover to hide it was indeed a clever move.

However, the former manager died under mysterious circumstances, and there were many shady dealings involved.

But faced with his one-eyed deputy's chilling single eye, Chen Ping had no choice but to comply.

Fortune favors the bold.

The more dangerous the place, the more opportunities there are.

"I understand."

Chen Ping clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Don't worry, sir. My life is worthless. Anyone who dares to touch our goods, I'll chop off their hand."

The one-eyed deputy laughed heartily, clearly very satisfied with Chen Ping's attitude. He turned and continued walking towards the bow of the boat, directing the gang members to start scattering paper money and wailing.

Chen Ping followed behind, watching the yellow paper money fluttering in the air, being swept up by the river wind, and then gently falling onto the turbid river water.

The paper money spun around and was instantly swallowed by the waves.

Drawing a pie in the sky, joining the gang, and a few taels of silver.

They're all good things, but you have to be alive to enjoy them.

A mortuary?

Chen Ping was making plans in his mind.

Places like mortuaries are places where there are many dead people and few living people, and they are filled with bad luck.

But precisely because of its inauspicious atmosphere, it is the quietest and most secluded place.

The White Gang members wouldn't be idle and go to the mortuary every day.

It would be good to have a quiet place.