The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

After the sky had completely darkened, Yulin Lane also fell asleep.

Apart from the occasional rustling sound of stray cats darting through the alley, there was only the faint, intermittent purring sound emanating from the side room.

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu, each wearing a jacket from their own bundle, sat facing each other on a bench next to a cypress wood table in the courtyard.

The flame of the oil lamp on the table swayed wildly, teased by the wind.

"This night shift is really tough."

Hong Pu muttered something under his breath, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes casually scanning his surroundings.

"Who can argue with that?"

Jiang Shaosheng responded while rubbing his hands together.

Night watch, guarding the warehouse.

This job reminded him of the security guards in his past life, except here there were no phones to scroll through to relieve boredom, only endless night and silence, leaving him feeling empty inside.

"However, thinking about it carefully, it's still better than when I was at Yongshoutang. During the day, I had to prepare and dry medicines, and at night I had to check the accounts. My feet were never on the ground all day long."

"That's true." Hong Pu nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

The two chatted casually, talking about old stories of Yongshou Hall and the latest rumors circulating on Yong'an Lane.

Hongpu is quick-witted; he can make even the most trivial matters sound wonderful.

As they chatted, the topic turned to the "Listening to the Locust Tree Hall" that the Liu brothers had mentioned during the day.

"Hey, Shaosheng."

Hong Pu touched Jiang Shaosheng with his hand.

"Have you heard of the 'Listening to the Locust Tree Hall' that the Liu brothers mentioned during the day, and that Master Miao?"

Jiang Shaosheng shook his head. He wasn't very interested in the martial arts school, not because he didn't have the money, but mainly because he already knew Bajiquan and there was no need to think about anything else.

Hong Pu smiled smugly and said, "I overheard Old Jiang, the rickshaw puller on the street, talking about it a couple of times."

Jiang Shaosheng tilted his head slightly: "Oh? What did they talk about?"

Hong Pu perked up and moved right next to Jiang Shaosheng, vividly recounting, "He said the head of Tinghuaitang is Master Miao Qingfeng, a very famous figure in the Shangwu Street area!"

"How exactly does it make a splash?"

Jiang Shaosheng asked cooperatively, as he also wanted to hear the version of this popular rumor, which would be a good way to pass the time.

Hong Pu lowered his voice, making it sound like he was revealing some incredible secret.

"Master Miao's ancestors were镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), and they passed down a set of 'listening to the bridge and feeling the force' skills, as well as a 'silk-wrapping closed-door hand' technique. It emphasizes stillness like an old locust tree with its roots intertwined, and movement... movement what was it again? Oh, right, movement like a nimble snake emerging from its hole!"

"Some unconvinced martial arts practitioners tried to touch the door studs, but they couldn't even last three or five moves against Master Miao before being ushered out the door!"

"These people didn't deny it; they were all convinced and said that Master Miao wasn't the kind of Hai Qing who just performs in a shed to swindle money, but someone with real talent!"

Jiang Shaosheng nodded: "It seems they are truly trained martial artists with a lineage. The Liu brothers said they learned a few moves there, and they must have benefited greatly from it."

"you do not say!"

Hong Pu slapped his thigh, his face showing a mixture of envy and a little sourness.

"Being trained in a proper martial arts school, even if it's just sweeping, carrying water, or doing odd jobs, will broaden your horizons and improve your foundation! Our amateurish skills are probably seen by them as just showing off."

He sighed, rested his chin on his hand, gazed at the dark sky, and said softly, "Ah, you don't know, when I was a kid I dreamed of going to a place like that to learn martial arts and become a chivalrous knight-errant! But when I found out more, my heart sank."

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Shaosheng asked.

"It's difficult!"

Hong Pu held up three fingers.

"First, we need to consider their financial resources!"

"Things like apprenticeship gifts, holiday gifts, and daily food supplements—all of them cost money! Without a flood of silver dollars paving the way, you can't even touch the threshold! For a family like ours, we can barely make ends meet; where would we get any extra money?"

He pinched the flesh on his arm again.

"Secondly, observe the physique."

"Martial arts schools don't just look at your strength when accepting students. They look at your physique and whether you're cut out for it, whether you're a natural-born martial artist. There are many rules, like broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and well-proportioned joints!"

"With my physique, all I'm left is my burly, clumsy strength. I'm afraid I'll be eliminated in the first round."

"Thirdly, it also depends on first impressions!"

Hong Pu's tone was somewhat helpless.

"I heard that Master Miao is extremely strict in accepting apprentices. He not only looks at money and physique, but also at whether he likes you or not!"

"This thing is really mysterious! Without an introduction or exceptional talent, you can't even get a few meetings with him!"

He sighed, "So, we can only dream about it. That kind of place is from a completely different world. Even getting a sliver of knowledge like the Liu brothers did is incredibly lucky!"

Jiang Shaosheng listened in silence, and he could sense the complex emotions of an ordinary person towards another high-threshold world in Hong Pu's words.

There was envy, awe, and a resigned detachment.

He patted Hump on the shoulder.

Everyone has their own path. Doing your job well is more important than anything else.

"Too……"

Hong Pu scratched his head, and after Jiang Shaosheng said that, the inexplicable sense of loss in his heart dissipated.

"Let's figure out how to get through this long night."

……

Around 10 p.m., Hongpu yawned for the first time.

After he finished yawning, he rubbed his eyes, which were still teary-eyed.

"Look at the moon, it's only just started nightfall."

Jiang Shaosheng glanced at him: "Didn't you take a nap beforehand during the day?"

Hong Pu's face immediately showed annoyance: "I tried to sleep, but I didn't manage to."

He started explaining, counting on his fingers: "When I got back at noon, my mother grabbed me and said that the manager of Yongshoutang died in a strange way. She was afraid that I would be cursed, so she burned mugwort and prayed for the ancestors to protect me."

"I finally got some peace and quiet, and just as I lay down, my dad came back. He sat on the doorstep sighing and saying that the rice jar was almost empty, and he still hadn't received his wages for this month..."

"By the time I was almost asleep, it was nearly dark. Afraid of being late for work, I quickly got up."

Jiang Shaosheng was speechless for a moment.

Life for poor families is always a mess. Worried parents and the struggle to make ends meet are all more pressing than "getting a good night's sleep."

"After we hand over our shift early, we'll have a meal and catch up on some sleep," Jiang Shaosheng said.

"I know."

Hongpu yawned again, his eyelids drooping.

"I'm wondering if I can make it to that point."

Jiang Shaosheng was helpless, but he was still able to stay sober.

This was thanks to the fact that I went straight to sleep after getting home and tidying up yesterday.

Although it was less than three hours, at least I got some sleep, which was enough to recharge my energy.

Around 11 o'clock, sleepiness really started to creep in.

The moon hadn't yet risen high in the sky, and a chill was already creeping into the courtyard.

Hongpu spoke less and less, and the intervals between his words became longer and longer.

After finishing his rounds in the courtyard and sitting down, he remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Shaosheng turned his head to look and saw Hong Pu nodding his head, his eyelids as if glued shut, barely opening a crack before quickly drooping back down.

"Hongpu".

Jiang Shaosheng called to him in a low voice.

"Huh?...Oh!"

Hong Pu was startled, as if he had been dragged out of a dream, and hurriedly straightened up.

"It's nothing, I was just a little distracted."

But after a short while, the drowsiness returned.

Hong Pu propped his forehead with one hand, rested his elbow on the table, closed his eyes completely, and even let out a long snore.

Jiang Shaosheng was helpless, but fortunately, his destiny provided him with an invisible layer of insurance.

I was just thinking that...

"Thump~~"

A muffled thud suddenly came from deep within the warehouse.

It felt like something had hit the inner wall.

Hong Pu jolted awake, his eyes wide as he stared intently at the dark windows of the warehouse.

Jiang Shaosheng's heart tightened, and his right hand subconsciously gripped the white wax stick.

His gaze was fixed on the source of the sound.