The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

Yulin Lane in the south of the city is more secluded than Guanlan Lane. The lane is narrow and deep, and the high blue brick walls on both sides squeeze the sky into a dim yellow ribbon.

Jiang Shaosheng, carrying a bundle, walked side by side with Hong Pu, whom he had just bumped into at the alley entrance.

After walking about a hundred steps, a blue brick wall that was noticeably taller than the surrounding walls appeared on the right.

Some jagged shards of glass were stuck in the wall, gleaming with a cold, silvery light.

In the center of the wall are two heavy black lacquered wooden doors, the door panels looking quite sturdy and substantial.

Above the door hangs an old plaque with the four characters "Fuchang Goods Storehouse" written on it.

"This should be it."

Jiang Shaosheng, seeing that he had made the right choice, raised his hand and knocked on the door.

There was a sound from inside the door, footsteps approached, but the door remained tightly closed. Suddenly, a small window opened at about the height of a human face on the door.

A pair of eyes peeked out from the small window, their pupils darting around as they peered at the two people outside the door from behind the doorway.

"Who goes there? Give me your name, Man'er."

A gruff voice asked from behind the door.

"Manager Qian has summoned Jiang Shaosheng to stand guard at night," Jiang Shaosheng replied loudly.

"Hongpu!"

Hongpu grinned and shouted towards the window, as if afraid the other person wouldn't hear him.

The pair of eyes behind the small window carefully examined the two of them, then uttered a "wait and see," and the small window closed again.

A moment later, the right half of the main gate was opened a crack large enough for one person to pass through.

The man who opened the door was a burly man with a square face and a wide mouth. He had a very large frame, wore a sleeveless cotton vest, and his exposed arms were muscular and his skin was dark and shiny.

He stepped aside, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and said in a booming voice, "Come in."

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu entered sideways, one after the other.

The burly man then deftly closed the gate again, bolted it, turned around, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jiang Shaosheng and his brother, and said with a smile, "My name is Liu Wen. During the day, it's just me and my brother keeping watch here."

As he spoke, he pointed to the burly man who had stood up from beside the table: "That's my own brother, Liu Wu."

Liu Wu was about the same height as Liu Wen, with broad shoulders and a thick back, but his face was much softer, with delicate features and less dark skin. He was wearing a clean short jacket.

Liu Wu took two steps forward and clasped his hands in greeting to Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu. He didn't say much, only saying, "Liu Wu."

"Jiang Shaosheng."

"Hongpu".

The two immediately returned the greeting with clasped hands.

Hong Pu, being naturally outgoing, immediately picked up the conversation:

"For the next two weeks, I'll have to rely on you two brothers to be understanding."

"No problem, no problem! We're all brothers who make a living in this world, it's only right that we look out for each other!"

Liu Wen laughed and patted Hong Pu on the shoulder, causing Hong Pu to stagger.

Taking advantage of this moment, Jiang Shaosheng's gaze swept around the courtyard.

The courtyard is spacious and offers a panoramic view.

To the south is the main gate you just entered through, and to the north are three tall warehouses side by side, with black tile roofs and tightly closed windows.

There was a simple thatched shed in the corner of the east wall, which should be the outhouse.

To the west was a low brick and tile side room with the door open, revealing the simple furnishings inside.

Near the storeroom in the courtyard, there was a sturdy cypress square table with four long benches, and a teapot and rough bowls on the table.

Beside the table was a stove and a gong, several wrist-thick white ash wood sticks leaning against the wall, and other things like water vats.

Besides Liu Wen and Liu Wu, there was another figure in the courtyard.

He stood with his back to the courtyard gate, curled up in front of the stove, holding a tattered palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself slowly and deliberately towards the stove door.

The firelight illuminated half of his body, revealing a shiny, bald head with only a tangled patchwork of short, gray-white hair growing around the back of his head and above his ears.

Hearing the noise, he stood up slowly.

He turned around, revealing a thin, long face with deep, knife-cut wrinkles, puffy, heavy eye bags, and a cloudy, dusty look under his half-drooping eyelids.

"You're here," the old man greeted in a raspy voice.

Liu Wen slapped his forehead, quickly stepped aside to lead the old man who had stood up, and solemnly introduced him to Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu:

"Look at my memory! I was so busy talking about my brothers. This is Old Zhao, the warehouse manager. He's in charge of everything inside and outside this warehouse. If you don't understand anything or are unsure about anything, just ask Old Zhao."

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu immediately realized that this man was the old warehouse manager Zhao that Manager Qian had mentioned.

Old Zhao seemed to have some difficulty walking, and he walked with a limp.

He sat down on a bench next to the cypress wood square table, then waved to the group: "Come on, sit down and let's talk."

Several younger people obediently sat down around the table as instructed.

Old Zhao picked up the copper kettle, filled several rough pottery bowls on the table with hot water, and pushed them in front of Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu.

"Have a sip of something hot first."

He picked up a bowl himself, blew on it, and slowly sipped it.

After the two men put down their bowls, he slowly spoke: "Liu Wen and Liu Wu are on the day shift. They start at six in the morning and finish at six in the evening."

He looked at Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu: "You two are on the night shift. You start at 6 PM and finish at 6 AM. Whether it's the shift handover or the daily settlement, it all happens in this courtyard, understand?"

"clear."

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu nodded in agreement.

Old Zhao pointed to the side room on the west side.

"You can rest and keep watch at night in that room. The beds are ready, and we've prepared four new, thick quilts for you. Also, around midnight, an old woman will come to deliver your supper."

His tone suddenly became more serious: "Just remember to bring it in through the peephole in the door; you don't need to open the door!"

Jiang Shaosheng said in a deep voice, "Uncle Zhao, don't worry, we've got it all figured out."

Hong Pu quickly nodded in agreement.

Old Zhao, the warehouse manager, then instructed: "You don't need to ask about the goods stored in the warehouse or what's happening inside, nor do you need to know what they are. Your job is to keep your eyes open, your ears perked up, and guard the goods here."

He then pointed to the gong hanging on the wall and the white ash wood stick standing at the base of the wall.

"Be vigilant at night, patrol when you should, and be on guard when you should. If the courtyard remains peaceful, you've done your job well, and your wages will naturally be well paid."

As he said this, he picked up the bowl, drank the remaining warm water in one gulp, and as he put the bowl down, a glint of cold light flashed beneath his half-drooping eyelids.

"But what if something goes wrong..."

The words were unspoken, but the meaning was clear.

Without further ado, Old Zhao got up and walked towards the courtyard gate.

Jiang Shaosheng narrowed his eyes. Old Zhao's words were harsh and his eyes were sharp, but there was no malice in them. It seemed to be just a businesslike admonition.

Liu Wen quickly ran forward and opened the door.

Old Zhao walked to the door, turned to the side and said, "I don't live far away. See you tomorrow morning. Lock the door."

After the door closed, Liu Wen walked back to the table and greeted them, "Uncle Zhao's words are reasonable. Let's have a serious talk. See the gong?"

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu looked over.

Liu Wen said solemnly, "If there's any disturbance at night, or if you spot any suspicious figures, don't hesitate, grab the gong mallet and bang it hard!"

"As soon as the gong sounds, even if we brothers are sleeping soundly, we'll jump up in a flash, grab our weapons, and rush out."

Liu Wu nodded in agreement and added, "A white waxwood pole, easy to carry. Carrying one at night will give you courage, and it can also help you fend off thieves if you encounter one."

Hong Pu rubbed his hands together and said cheerfully, "Don't worry, brothers. We're very sharp-eyed. If there are any foolish thieves, they'll hear the gong and see our posture. They'll be scared out of their wits!"

Liu Wen was amused by him: "Haha, that's true! The main purpose of our setup is to prevent theft. Thieves steal easily, and fires cause mess, so we need to be as secure as possible. If nothing happens, that's best, and everyone can make money in peace."

At this moment, Liu Wu suddenly spoke up, asking casually, "Brothers, judging from your figures and mannerisms, you are also martial arts practitioners? Under which master did you learn a few moves? In our younger days, my brother and I learned a few strengthening techniques from Master Miao of Tinghuaitang."

Upon hearing this, Hong Pu chuckled and said, "Hey! I've never learned anything serious, I just have a lot of stupid strength, I eat a lot, and I'm strong!"

As he spoke, he flexed the muscles on his arms as if to show off.

Jiang Shaosheng smiled modestly and replied, "My family elders taught me a few farming tricks, just fancy moves for health and fitness, nothing to brag about. They can't compare to what you two brothers have learned at a proper martial arts school."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wu raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze lingering on Jiang Shaosheng's figure for a moment, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing.

Liu Wen seemed to sense his brother's mood, laughed heartily, and smoothed things over, saying, "Hey, Brother Jiang, you're too modest! The people Manager Qian hired must have extraordinary abilities. True masters don't show off! We'll have a long road ahead, so let's learn from each other."

"become!"

Liu Wen glanced at the sky and stood up.

"It's getting late, so we'll go inside and rest. We'll leave the yard to you two."

Liu Wu also stood up, saying, "Thank you for your trouble!"

After saying this, the two brothers went into the side room one after the other, closed the door, and remained silent.

Night, like cotton wool soaked in ink, is slowly enveloping this world.

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu exchanged a glance.

My two-week nightlife has begun.