Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

It was late at night, but the lights were still on in the dock sheds.

Ding Qi sat in the armchair, the tea in front of him getting cold and being replaced, getting cold again and again, but he didn't touch it.

He placed his large, thick-knuckled hands on the table and tapped them repeatedly.

The henchmen standing outside didn't dare to breathe.

The Zhao family sent another message—"Why hasn't that kid's matter been settled yet?"

The edges of the letter were stained with mud. Ding Qi crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it angrily into the charcoal brazier. The flames leaped up and burned the paper to ashes, but they couldn't burn away the restlessness in his heart.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The morning mist was beginning to gather at the alley entrance. Jiang Lan leaned against the mottled wall, his fingertips pressing against the gleaming short knife at his waist, his eyes closed as he concentrated and regulated his breathing.

These past few days, he had been keeping a close eye on the docks, figuring out Ding Qi's anxiety, and calculating the irreconcilable conflict between the Canal Gang and the Black Tiger Gang. He even used his identity as a martial arts school disciple to deliberately spread false information that Ding Qi would definitely attend the assessment, thus luring him into a trap.

If Ding Qi doesn't die, he and his mother will die in this ditch sooner or later.

In this round, he must take Ding Qi's life.

……

"Seventh Master," a henchman cautiously approached, "the canal gang has made some moves again. They've added three more guard posts on the east side of the dock tonight."

Ding Qi's fingers paused for a moment.

The Canal Gang, it's the Canal Gang again. Ever since Ma Sandao died, the Canal Gang has been pressing forward relentlessly, seizing territory, business, and people.

The Black Tiger Gang's influence at the docks has been halved, and the Zhao family is already extremely dissatisfied with him. If he can't handle the Canal Gang and Jiang Lan, his position as the gang leader will be over.

"Call everyone here." Ding Qi suddenly stood up, ripped off his outer robe, revealing a short knife with copper studs at his waist.

Half an hour later, the shed was packed with people. Ding Qi glanced around and saw that his dozen or so core subordinates were all veterans who had followed him for several years.

"The canal gangs want to take over our docks, will you allow it?"

"No way!" a dozen people shouted in unison.

Ding Qi nodded, his voice as deep as a stone at the bottom of the dock: "Then let's teach them a lesson. Tomorrow at dawn, on the east side of the dock, everyone bring your weapons and catch them off guard."

"Seventh Master, what about that Jiang kid over there..." someone couldn't help but ask.

Ding Qi sneered, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "In the chaos of battle, swords and spears have no eyes. If he's blind and runs into us, he'll die in vain. Frame the Canal Gang, and it'll be easier to explain to the Zhao family."

He paused, his tone brimming with unwavering confidence: "I've already inquired about the martial arts school. Tomorrow is their disciple assessment day, and all disciples must be present. Even if that kid wanted to intervene, he wouldn't be able to manage it all. If he goes to the assessment, his mother will have no one to protect her; if he doesn't go, the martial arts school's reputation won't be able to protect him. Either way, he's doomed!"

The crowd below applauded and cheered, but Ding Qi felt a strange tightness in his chest. That kid had been too quiet lately. He used to come to the dock to practice his boxing and provoke people, but he hadn't been seen at all these past few days.

But he didn't have time to think about it anymore. The canal gang wouldn't wait for anyone, the Zhao family wouldn't wait for anyone, and his way of survival wouldn't wait for anyone either.

"Go back and prepare. Tomorrow at dawn, on the east side of the dock, anyone who messes up will be skinned alive!"

Before dawn, the fog at the dock was as thick as a pot of porridge that wouldn't dissolve.

The canal gang made the first move. They had already received anonymous messages and knew that the Black Tiger Gang was going to make their move at dawn, so they decided to strike first.

Fifty or sixty men, carrying steel knives, crept over from the west side of the dock, their footsteps as light as cats in the night.

The Black Tiger Gang members were also awake. They lay in ambush behind the cargo sheds on the east side of the dock, their knives already drawn, the blades gleaming coldly in the mist.

The two groups bumped into each other in the thick morning fog.

It's unclear who swung the first blade, but its cold light cleaved through the mist, striking the first person with deadly force. A scream instantly shattered the morning silence.

The clash of swords, the spray of blood, and the shouts of battle instantly erupted into chaos. The bluestone slabs were stained red with warm blood and then trampled into dark red mud by countless feet.

Ding Qi didn't rush to the front; he stood in the shadows of the warehouse, staring intently at the battle.

The game started smoothly. His men were all ruthless characters who lived on the edge, and their reckless fighting style quickly forced the Canal Gang to retreat step by step.

But the unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

It went too smoothly... as if someone had deliberately paved the way for it.

Just then, a henchman stumbled over, his voice filled with panic: "Seventh Master! The Canal Gang has surrounded us from behind! We're trapped!"

Ding Qi's expression changed drastically.

We've fallen for their trap!

The Canal Gang didn't intend to fight him head-on; their goal was to surround him and the Black Tiger Gang's core members and wipe them out in one fell swoop.

"Retreat! Retreat to the outside of the dock!" He gritted his teeth, drew the short knife from his waist, and slashed down two gang members who rushed up, carving a bloody path through the crowd.

The shouts of battle behind him grew fainter and fainter. Only two or three wounded henchmen remained who had followed him out. The others were either hacked to death on the dock or scattered.

Just as he reached the alley entrance, Ding Qi abruptly stopped, his blood running cold.

In the morning mist, a thin, straight figure stood like a javelin tempered by the cold, firmly blocking the only road at the alley entrance.

Jiang Lan.

Ding Qi's pupils suddenly contracted, and his grip on the knife tightened abruptly: "What are you doing here? The martial arts school isn't... today."

"I asked for leave." Jiang Lan's voice was soft, but it reached Ding Qi's ears on the morning breeze. "I said my mother was sick, and my master approved. The assessment can be made up, but my mother's safety cannot be compromised in the slightest."

Ding Qi understood instantly.

All that martial arts school assessment, all that Canal Gang activity—it was all a scheme orchestrated by this kid. He'd been waiting, waiting for both himself and the Canal Gang to be severely weakened, waiting for him to be exhausted and alone, waiting for this chance to strike a fatal blow.

"You think you can kill me all by yourself?" Ding Qiqiang suppressed his panic and sneered to bolster his courage. "You've only opened your first acupoint, while I've opened three! What do you think you're going to use to fight me?"

Jiang Lan didn't reply, but simply took a step forward.

The stone slabs beneath his feet were damp with the morning mist, yet his steps were as steady as if nailed to the ground.

At this moment, he clearly sensed the deadly killing intent emanating from the three people in front of him, instantly putting him into a state of extreme focus for actual combat.

Ding Qi's two trusted henchmen exchanged a glance, roared, and charged forward with their swords.

Jiang Lan sidestepped the first slashing blade, then used her waist and abdomen to deliver a punch straight to the chest of the second man—Hu Ben!

The man groaned and flew backward like a tattered sack, crashing hard into the wall before sliding down and disappearing from sight.

The first man froze, his knife hovering in mid-air, too afraid to move forward. Jiang Lan gave him no time to react, twisting his waist and hips, his second punch sweeping towards his temple with a gust of wind—Tiger Swing!

Before the man could even scream, everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Ding Qi's face turned completely pale.

It wasn't that Jiang Lan had suddenly become ridiculously strong; it was that he had just escaped from a life-or-death struggle, was covered in injuries, and had exhausted most of his strength. Jiang Lan, on the other hand, had been waiting patiently all night, just waiting for this moment when he would be completely drained of his strength.

Without uttering a single wasted word, Jiang Lan took a step forward and launched his third punch straight at Ding Qi's face—Tiger Pounce!

Ding Qi instinctively raised his knife to block, but he did not expect Jiang Lan's fist to change direction midway, Tiger Ben instantly becoming Tiger Bai, grazing the back of the knife and slamming hard into his wrist holding the knife.

A crisp "snap" sounded.

The excruciating pain of a broken wrist instantly coursed through his body. Ding Qi's dagger flew out of his hand. He clutched his broken wrist, staggered back several steps, and slammed his back against the wall, finding himself with nowhere left to retreat.

Jiang Lan did not stop.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth punches landed squarely, each one potentially fatal.

The three movements—Tiger Leap, Tiger Swing, and Tiger Pounce—are performed in a seamless sequence.

He wasn't just randomly hitting Ding Qi; he was treating Ding Qi like a live target, striking every vital spot with every punch, venting all the frustration and fear he had endured these past few days.

Ding Qi slid to the ground, blood foam constantly oozing from his mouth, his eyes half-open and half-closed, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Jiang Lan withdrew her fist, squatted down, and looked at his barely breathing appearance.

"You've been watching my house for half a month, and you even tried to kidnap my mother and frame the canal gang," he said coldly. "You think I'll keep hiding? I'm not hiding anymore."

He raised his hand and swiftly and cleanly chopped Ding Qi's throat.

Ding Qi's eyes closed completely.

Jiang Lan took a money pouch from his pocket, weighed it in her hand, and found it contained a little over three taels of silver.

He picked up the dagger that had slipped from his hand; the copper studs on the scabbard gleamed coldly in the morning light. He tucked the dagger and the silver into his pocket, stood up, and turned to walk into the still-lingering morning mist.

Behind them, the shouts of battle from the dock gradually subsided.

Its daybreak.

The canal gang completely occupied the dock, and the remnants of the Black Tiger Gang scattered and fled. Corpses lay scattered on the dock, and dark red blood flowed into the river through the cracks in the bluestone slabs, turning the river water pale red.

No one knows how Ding Qi died. Some say he was finished off by members of the Canal Gang, some say he was hacked to death in an alley, and others say he was targeted by enemies seeking revenge.

Only Jiang Lan knew.

He returned to the small courtyard that Instructor Liu had borrowed, where Madam Cheng was hanging clothes to dry. When she saw him come in, Madam Cheng paused, her gaze falling on the bloodstains on the hem of his clothes that hadn't been wiped clean.

"Alan, why are you covered in blood?"

"It's nothing, Mother. I just scraped my skin while practicing my boxing." Jiang Lan smiled, tucking the dagger she was hiding behind her back. "By the way, Mother, Uncle Zhou from the grain shop sent word that I should go back to work. We won't have to worry about food and clothing anymore."

Looking at him, Cheng's eyes reddened. She didn't ask any more questions, but turned and went into the house: "I've kept the food warm in the pot for you. Eat it while it's hot."

Jiang Lan went into the side room, hid Ding Qi's dagger and silver in a hidden compartment under the bed, changed into clean clothes, and then turned and went to the martial arts school.

The assessment has already ended.

When Coach Liu saw him come in, he only glanced up and asked, "Is your mother alright?"

"It's alright, thank you for your concern, Master." Jiang Lan clasped his hands and bowed.

Coach Liu nodded, glanced at him, and without asking any further questions, simply waved for him to return to the team.

In the evening, Jiang Lan stood on the dock again.

The scarlet lanterns that once lit up all night were extinguished, the Black Tiger Gang's sheds were empty, and the people moving back and forth at the dock, carrying goods and shouting to collect money, were all dressed in the clothing of the shipping gang.

A minor leader of the canal gang walked over, looked him up and down several times, his hand always resting on the hilt of his knife.

"You're Jiang Lan?"

"Yes." Jiang Lan's expression remained unchanged.

"Our boss said that the dock affairs have nothing to do with you." The henchman paused, his tone leaving no room for refusal, "But our boss wants to see you. Go to the Cao Gang headquarters first thing tomorrow morning."

Jiang Lan nodded: "Understood."

He turned and left, not giving the blood-stained dock another second glance.

When he got home, Mrs. Cheng had already prepared dinner. A bowl of white rice, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of steaming hot egg drop soup with scallions floating on top.

Jiang Lan held the bowl, lowered his head and took a sip of the hot soup, which made his eyes sting.

"Mom, let me save up some more money in a few months, and then we'll move to a nice house with a yard, one that's draft-free and quiet."

Mrs. Cheng smiled and placed a piece of pickled vegetables on his plate: "No rush, with you here, everything is fine."

Jiang Lan didn't say anything, just kept her head down and ate her rice, but she knew very well what was going on.

Ding Qi is dead, but this matter is far from over. The Zhao family won't let it go easily, and the invitation from the Canal Gang is definitely not well-intentioned...