The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu squeezed through the throng of people and arrived at the wooden sign that read "Seeking Nurses".

By this time, seven or eight men had gathered around the wooden sign. Most of them were dressed in short clothes and looked to be quite well-built.

Several people were retreating dejectedly, clearly not catching the eye of the person in charge.

Two or three others remained stubbornly standing to the side, their eyes sweeping over the newly arrived Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu.

Without exception, most of the attention was focused on Hong Pu, who was clearly more robust, while Jiang Shaosheng, who was relatively lean and didn't look as muscular, was ignored.

However, Jiang Shaosheng himself didn't care at all.

You can't judge a book by its cover; you only know the pain after you've suffered a loss.

He turned his gaze to the person in front of him.

The middle-aged man in the silk jacket had a slightly yellowish complexion, his eyes were half-closed, and his sharp eyes were concealed. He was slowly turning two iron walnuts in his hand.

Three men in black stood beside him, all of them strong and muscular, arms crossed, staring intently at the two approaching men.

"Fuchang Warehouse is hiring a warehouse guard. Short-term position, half a month, night shifts, tasked with preventing petty theft and ensuring the safekeeping of goods. Two people per shift, keeping an eye on each other."

The middle-aged man didn't waste any words; he just started talking in a series of short sentences.

Upon hearing "half a month," Hong Pu's eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "Boss, how much is the pay? Are meals provided?"

The middle-aged man looked at Hong Pu's round face and said, "Daily pay, one hundred coins per person, plus a midnight snack."

"Is there a place to rest during the day?" Hung Pu asked again.

"There's a side room next to the warehouse where people can rest after their shift ends, without having to run back and forth."

One hundred coins a day.

Jiang Shaosheng weighed the options in his mind.

This is more than the eighty coins earned by carrying heavy loads at the docks, and far exceeds the market price for ordinary day laborers.

Watching the warehouse at night doesn't sound like physically demanding work, but the pay is just too good to be true.

Hong Pu was already beaming with delight. He nudged Jiang Shaosheng's elbow and said, "One hundred coins, food and lodging included, this is a great deal!"

"A good deal?"

The middle-aged man forced an ugly smile.

"The work isn't heavy, but you have to follow the rules. Keep your eyes wide open at night; if the goods are missing or damaged, a deduction in wages is the least of your worries."

His gaze returned to Jiang Shaosheng.

"Are you two on the same side?"

"Yes, boss."

Jiang Shaosheng cupped his hands in greeting.

"We used to work together as shop assistants, but the owner recently passed away and the shop closed down, so we had to find some odd jobs to make a living."

The middle-aged man nodded, then said, "Since you've worked as a shop assistant, you should know some of the rules. But guarding the warehouse requires more than just knowing the rules; you also need to have some backbone and be able to keep things under control."

He gestured with his chin toward a man in black behind him.

"Old Wu, give those two a try."

The man called Old Wu stepped forward in response. He was half a head taller than Jiang Shaosheng, and his shoulders were as broad as a door.

Without further ado, he pointed to a pair of stone padlocks on the open ground next to him, used to weigh down the corners of the tents.

"Pick it up, walk a few steps, and then put it down carefully."

Hong Pu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this.

He originally thought he was going to have a fight with this man who looked like he knew a bit of martial arts, but he didn't expect it to be just moving stone weights.

"That's easy!"

He stepped forward, rolled up his sleeves, spat into his palm, and bent down to grasp the handle of a stone lock.

Hong Pu's family wasn't much better off than Jiang Shaosheng's, but his parents never skimped on his food, so he developed a strong and robust physique from a young age.

He let out a "heh," and the muscles in his arms bulged. The stone lock lifted off the ground with a thud, and although his steps were slightly unsteady, he actually took three or four steps while holding it.

After putting it down, he didn't blush or pant, grinned, and went back to pick up the other one and carried it along, even deliberately bouncing it at the end.

His strength is exceptional among ordinary workers; he's not just a freeloader.

There were a few men who had come over to try it out, but seeing how relaxed he was, they weighed their own abilities and some quietly took a half step back.

Old Wu, the man in black, nodded and looked at Jiang Shaosheng.

Jiang Shaosheng walked up to the stone lock and, instead of blindly following Hong Pu's example, started working on it.

He first squatted down and carefully examined the handle and bottom edge of the stone lock, and then felt the weight distribution on the bottom edge of the stone lock.

This meticulous and steady demeanor was completely unlike that of a young lad, and Manager Qian's half-closed eyes opened slightly.

Jiang Shaosheng pondered for a moment.

The Bajiquan he practiced emphasized "movement like a taut bow, and strike like thunder," and its foundation lay in the "six harmonies," namely, the harmony of mind and intention, intention and qi, qi and strength, shoulder and hip, elbow and knee, and hand and foot.

The goal is to achieve a unified, explosive power throughout the body, rather than relying on brute force from localized muscles.

This weightlifting is the perfect opportunity to test the foundation of "sinking force" and "cross force".

His eyes narrowed, then he focused his energy in his dantian, planted his feet firmly, and gripped the handle with his right hand, his five fingers hooked like hooks.

In the next instant, he moved with perfect harmony between his waist and stance, twisting slightly, and the force rose from the ground. It traveled through his calves, past his knees and hips, and struck his spine, advancing segment by segment like the trembling of a spear shaft, finally penetrating his right arm. The stone lock lifted off the ground and hung steadily beside him.

Then he took a step, and although the steps were small, they were quite steady, and the stone lock barely wobbled.

Once you reach the designated spot, bend your knees and gently place the stone lock on the ground. The whole process is silent and doesn't even stir up much dust.

He switched to his left hand for the other stone lock, and completed it with equal ease and stability.

This time, not only did surprise flash across the eyes of the man in black, Lao Wu, but even the several idle men who had originally been watching the commotion or who thought they had some strength all put away their disdainful expressions.

To the untrained eye, all that matters is that the young man held the object steadily.

Those with a little knowledge can see that the effortless handling is far more skillful than simply lifting it by force.

Hong Pu relied purely on his arm strength to lift it, while Jiang Shaosheng's seemingly effortless movements demonstrated a seamless integration of power from his waist, legs, and arms, making the weight seem light and easy. It was clear that he knew how to use his strength effectively.

Old Wu, the man in black, turned around and nodded emphatically to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man then fully opened his eyes, looked Jiang Shaosheng over again, and asked, "Have you practiced?"

"I just learned a few farming skills from my family, and I just practiced them haphazardly to keep myself healthy."

Jiang Shaosheng lowered his eyes and replied.

"A farmer's apprentice?"

The middle-aged man smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Okay, you're one of them."

He then looked at Hongpu.

"You're a bit too quick-witted, but your eyesight is pretty sharp. Night watch is too boring alone, but two people can keep an eye on each other. It'll be the two of you, keep an eye on each other."

Hong Pu was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed, saying, "Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss! We will definitely do our best!"

"My surname is Qian, and I'm the manager of the warehouse."

Manager Qian waved his hand to stop his rambling, and took out two rough contracts covered with writing and a small box of ink from his pocket.

"This is a short-term contract, half a month, wages paid daily, the rules are written here. Can you read? Sign here as proof."

Jiang Shaosheng took the contract and carefully read it over in the daylight.

The terms were simple, consisting of duty hours, responsibilities, and compensation, with the phrases "daily settlement of one hundred coins" and "joint compensation for cargo damage" being particularly clear.

His doubts hadn't dissipated, after all, the treatment was rather high, but he didn't sense any malice from Manager Qian. So he dipped his finger in the ink and pressed it in the designated spot.

Hong Pu also excitedly pressed the button.

"It's done."

Manager Qian put away the contract.

"Consider today your workday. Before 6 PM, go to the warehouse of Fuchang Goods Store in Yulin Lane, South City. Find Old Zhao, the warehouse manager, and he will explain everything clearly."

After saying that, he said no more, turned and left with the man in black, and soon disappeared into the crowded market.

"Hey! It worked!"

Hong Pu excitedly put his arm around Jiang Shaosheng's shoulder.

"What did I tell you? We're just meant to be! We can work together again. A hundred coins a day, that's fifteen hundred coins in half a month!"

"Don't get too excited yet."

Jiang Shaosheng interrupted him, gazing in the direction where Manager Qian had disappeared.

"If the pay is high, the job probably isn't easy."

Hong Pu didn't care at all.

"Hey! What's the big deal about guarding the warehouse? At most, we can keep out a few petty thieves! There are two of us, we're not afraid! Besides, Shaosheng, didn't you see that big, dark guy's eyes widen for a second when you did that?"

Jiang Shaosheng shook his head and said nothing more.

Since things have come to this, there's no point in thinking about it further.

At least, I have a livelihood for the next two weeks, and I'm with Hongpu, whom I know well, so we can look out for each other. It's better than going to an unfamiliar place alone.

The two wandered around the small training ground for a while, bought a few coarse flour buns to fill their stomachs, and discussed things while eating.

Hongpu's home is not far from the south of the city, so he decided to go home first to let them know and pick up some things.

Jiang Shaosheng planned to return to Guanlanli, pack up his necessary clothes and belongings, and take them directly to the storeroom so he could get some sleep, since he would be on guard duty that night.

And since rest stops are provided, I might not have to travel back and forth every day for the next two weeks, which would save me some time and energy for practicing my boxing.