Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

The two left the mortuary and walked north along the main street.

The outer city at night is completely different from the daytime.

The streets were deserted. Occasionally, a few constables patrolling at night would pass by with lanterns, illuminating the refugees huddled together at the base of the walls.

After walking for a while, the street became wider and wider, and the gravel road underfoot gradually turned into smooth bluestone slabs.

Shen Qi spoke up: "Brother Zhao, are we heading towards the inner city?"

Zhao Youtian turned around and grinned: "That's right, brother's home is in the inner city."

Shen Qi paused slightly.

Inner city?

Although he had only been in Chengping County for a few days, he had already roughly figured out the city's rules. The inner city was inhabited entirely by prominent figures: officials, merchants, and scions of noble families—all were either rich or noble.

Zhao Youtian, a mortuary manager, was at best a minor official outside the official ranks, not even rank-decent, so how could he be qualified to live in the inner city?

Zhao Youtian clearly noticed his confusion, chuckled twice, and started talking without stopping.

"Does Seventh Brother find this strange?"

"A little." Shen Qi didn't hide it.

Zhao Youtian waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of indescribable emotion.

"To be honest, Seventh Brother, your ancestors were quite wealthy."

"My great-grandfather's generation was born in a good era. My grandfather was a proper scholar who passed the imperial examinations and rose all the way to the rank of Tongzhi, a fifth-grade official. At that time, the Zhao family was quite prominent in Chengping County. They owned several houses in the inner city and several hundred acres of paddy fields outside."

As Zhao Youtian spoke, he tucked his hands into his sleeves and shrank his neck.

"It's a pity that things didn't go well by my grandfather's generation. He had no talent for studying and no connections to become an official. The family's fortunes declined with each generation. By the time it was passed down to me, everything that could be sold—paddy fields, shops, calligraphy and paintings, antiques—had been sold off."

Shen Qi didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

"There's only one old house left in the inner city, and I just can't bear to part with it." Zhao Youtian gave a bitter smile. "You have no idea how expensive the property tax is in the inner city. I've been the manager of the mortuary for twenty years, and half of my salary has gone into it."

"Then why hold out to the bitter end?" Shen Qi asked.

Zhao Youtian walked a few steps in silence.

"Seventh Brother, you don't understand." He lowered his voice, "Even if the Zhao family falls on hard times, they still have this house in the inner city to support them. When my wife goes out to buy groceries, the neighbors still call her Madam Zhao. My son studies in the inner city, and his teacher also thinks highly of him."

He rubbed his hands together, his smile a little sore.

"Seventh Brother, you've seen the situation in the outer city. Gang fights, refugees thronging the area. If we move out, how will my family survive?"

……

The conversation ended there, and neither of them went any further.

After walking for a short while, the inner city's checkpoint appeared ahead.

A three-zhang-high stone wall stood at the end of the street, with two rows of barricades at its base. Four armored soldiers, holding long spears, coldly inspected passersby.

Zhao Youtian took out a talisman from his pocket and handed it over. The guard glanced at it and waved him through.

It was Shen Qi's turn.

Shen Qi removed the Surveillance Bureau's waist token and held it in his hand.

The soldier's back immediately straightened a bit.

"Please, sir."

The two crossed the checkpoint and entered the inner city.

Zhao Youtian leaned closer and lowered his voice, giving a thumbs up: "Seventh Brother, it's all thanks to your name that this guy works. Every time I go through a checkpoint, those bastards check me over and over again, it's so annoying."

Shen Qi smiled and tied the waist tag back around his waist.

The inner city was much quieter at night than the outer city. Although there were few pedestrians on the streets, lanterns patrolling the city every few steps passed by, making it far better than the chaotic and disorderly state of the outer city.

We passed through another street.

Zhao Youtian stopped in front of a courtyard made of blue bricks.

"arrive."

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was kept very clean. There were three main rooms directly opposite, and two side rooms on the left and right. In the corner of the courtyard stood a pomegranate tree, its branches bare, having lost all their leaves, standing out starkly in the night.

Before the courtyard gate was closed, the curtain of the main room was suddenly lifted.

"father!"

A boy of six or seven years old rushed out and threw himself into Zhao Youtian's arms.

Zhao Youtian laughed heartily, then scooped the child up under his arms and lifted him up completely.

"You brat, why aren't you asleep yet at this hour?"

"Let's wait for Dad to come back!"

Zhao Youtian, with his son tucked under one arm, turned to look at Shen Qi, his face brimming with undisguised pride.

"Seventh Brother, this is my son, Zhao Shengming. He is seven years old and studies at a private school in the inner city."

He lowered the child down a bit and patted his little head.

"Shengming, quickly call him. This is your Uncle Shen Qi, your father's good brother."

Zhao Shengming peeked out from his father's arms, his dark eyes scanning Shen Qi up and down. Then he straightened his little back and bowed respectfully with his hands clasped.

"Shengming greets Uncle Shen Qi!"

Her voice was clear and bright, and her manners were impeccable.

Shen Qi bent down and helped him up, glancing at the boy. He had a fair, round face, and his features didn't quite resemble Zhao Youtian's; he was quite handsome.

"He's really handsome."

Shen Qi casually pulled a small piece of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it into Zhao Shengming's pocket.

"My uncle came in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts, so he used the money to buy candy."

Zhao Shengming instinctively looked at his father. Zhao Youtian smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "It's from your uncle, keep it!"

The little guy then grinned, clutched his pocket tightly, and solemnly thanked him.

Shen Qi looked at the child, a slight smile curving his lips.

No wonder Zhao Youtian is so determined to keep this house. Anyone would be reluctant to let their child grow up in a place like the outer city.

As they were talking, footsteps came from the backyard.

A woman in her early thirties came out of the backyard carrying a wooden basin. She was wearing a coarse cloth apron and her hair was neatly tied up.

"Honey, why are you back so late? Shengming has been waiting for you..."

Halfway through her sentence, the woman noticed Shen Qi, who had appeared in the courtyard, and stopped talking, putting down the wooden basin to wipe her hands.

Zhao Youtian stepped forward: "This is Brother Shen Qi, whom I mentioned to you. He's officially registered with the Observatory. He's currently working in the mortuary alongside you, brother."

The woman's expression changed slightly, and she quickly stepped forward and curtsied, her attitude much more respectful than before.

"Lord Shen."

"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Just call me Seventh Brother."

Zhao Youtian clapped his hands and instructed his wife, "Don't just stand there, hurry up and cook some dishes! Isn't there still a jar of good wine unopened? Bring it out; I'm going to have a good drink with my brothers tonight!"

The woman responded and led Zhao Shengming toward the kitchen.

Zhao Youtian turned to the side and gestured towards the main room.

"Seventh Brother, come inside and have a seat."

Shen Qi stepped up the stairs and crossed the threshold.

The main room was simply furnished, with an eight-immortal table in the center and two armchairs on either side. On the wall hung a worn-out central painting, with two yellowed couplets mounted around it.

Zhao Youtian lit the oil lamp on the table, then took out two rough porcelain bowls from the cabinet, arranging them while inviting Shen Qi to sit down.

The sound of knives slicing on a cutting board came from the kitchen behind, and the firelight from the stove reflected on the window paper, flickering gently.

Shen Qi sat in the armchair and looked around.

Although the furniture was a bit old, it was spotless, and the tables and chairs were made of fine old rosewood.

This is the legacy of our ancestors. The house was left by my great-grandfather, the furniture was passed down from my ancestors, and the painting on the wall is probably quite old as well.

What Zhao Youtian was protecting was not just a house, but the last shred of dignity for the Zhao family.

Inside the kitchen, a woman was busy at the stove.

……