From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Zhu Hong paused in his tracks.

He turned around and saw the actress who had spoken so sadly on stage, now with half of her makeup removed, staggering to her feet, holding up her skirt.

She practically collapsed onto the second-floor railing, her hair disheveled. Her once elegant costume was now crumpled and crumpled. She seemed to want to say something, but could only bite her lip and manage to squeeze out a few breathy words after a long while.

"Is something the matter?"

Zhu Hong lowered his voice and asked a question.

The actress finally looked up, about to speak, when, "whoosh—".

A figure stepped out from behind the beaded curtain—it was the chubby Jiang Jingtang. He carried a cup in one hand and casually placed the other on Bai Xiuying's shoulder. Looking down at the scene below, he said, "Hmm, I've traveled all over the country, and this is the first time I've seen such a handsome young officer. It's truly an honor to meet you."

Before Zhu Hong could speak, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"My name is Jiang Jingtang. May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

His words were very polite, but when he spoke of "Jiang's family," he emphasized the word "Jiang's family" very heavily.

Zhu Hong's gaze darkened.

His surname is Jiang.

Within Jinyang City, who else but the Jiang family, a powerful martial arts clan, would dare to speak of the character "Jiang" with such pride?

"That's right, that's right."

Another person slowly strolled out.

Chi Shoutan leaned against the railing, his posture even more relaxed and languid than Jiang Jingtang's, like a boneless lump of mud, yet his clothes were made of the priceless flowing cloud brocade. He yawned, his eyes half-closed, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"My name is Chi Shoutan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the corpses that had not yet been carried away at the end of the corridor. Instead of showing any fear, he clapped his hands and praised, "Sir, you are so young, yet your head fell cleanly and decisively, showing the sharpness of a ruthless official."

"I admire you, I admire you."

This sounds like praise at first glance.

Upon closer inspection, however, it is all condescending mockery, as if commenting on one's own pet fighting dog killing a pheasant.

Zhu Hong raised his eyes, his gaze sliding over the jade pendants at the waists of the two men.

A lone fisherman on the river.

A carved landscape in the late afternoon sun.

It's absolutely true.

"My name is Zhu Hong, the newly appointed police officer."

Zhu Hong released his grip on the knife, clasped his hands together at forehead level, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Greetings, gentlemen."

Jiang Jingtang waved his hand in the air as a gesture of return, saying, "You're too kind, you're too kind." However, his tone carried a hint of nonchalant disdain.

"Sir, have you finished your official business and are you returning to your office?" He smiled, but his eyes darted elsewhere.

"Then take care."

"I'll invite you for tea and a leisurely chat another day when I have more free time."

Zhu Hong nodded slightly, not wanting to linger, and said, "We'll talk later," before turning to leave.

At this moment:

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Bai Xiuying's slender figure. She stood there quietly, her face unusually pale, her hands trembling slightly beneath her sleeves.

"Just now..."

Zhu Hong stopped abruptly, his brows furrowing as he stared at her trembling hand. He hesitated, then asked, "Did you call me?"

Bai Xiuying's lips moved, and her body trembled violently.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuying trembled violently, a glimmer of light appearing in her dim eyes. "Little girl," she said, raising her pretty face slightly and moving her lips rapidly, as if a thousand words were stuck in her throat.

"Oh, it's no big deal."

Jiang Jingtang's voice came over at the right time, interrupting the conversation: "I suppose Miss Xiuying was upstairs just now and saw your mighty power, sir." His smile remained unchanged, even more gentle, as he stared intently at Bai Xiuying's lowered forehead and preemptively continued, "I was momentarily captivated by your heroic spirit and couldn't help but call out. There was nothing important at all."

At this point, Jiang Jingtang paused, his words sharp and unwavering:

"My lord has just finished handling a major case and is busy with mundane affairs. How dare you, a mere actor, disturb him?"

"Um--"

The last syllable was slightly lifted.

Bai Xiuying's body instantly stiffened and turned cold, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she bit her lower lip so hard that it almost bled, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall.

She got it.

This shout might save us tonight, but it can't save us from the future.

It will also affect one person.

She lowered her head even further, like a slender reed unable to bear the weight. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a barely audible reply:

"……yes."

"This humble servant... dares to ask your name, sir."

She paused, as if using her last bit of strength, to add a broken explanation: "Nothing else." As soon as she finished speaking, only two clear tears remained.

"Yeah?"

Zhu Hong stood downstairs, and a few breaths passed in silence.

"In that case," he tapped his knuckles lightly on the hilt of his sword twice, then slowly withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at Bai Xiuying even once more:

"Zhu takes his leave."

Having said that, he turned and left, unwilling to get his hands dirty.

Once you enter this den of iniquity, everything is out of your control. Help? What can a mere constable, barely settled in his chair, offer to help?

And on what grounds should they try to save him?!

With only a glimmer of hope for the future, are we really going to extinguish it with our own hands...?

Moreover:

For a woman like this, adrift in the world, being able to attach herself to a powerful figure might not be a bad way to get back on her feet.

In all things, always look towards the light.

……

"Sir, please take your time."

The smile on Jiang Jingtang's lips faded only after that figure completely disappeared into the night outside the door.

He turned his head and gazed at that trembling, frail figure.

"If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink the penalty cup."

Jiang Jingtang reached out and grabbed Bai Xiuying's chin, forcing her to lift her face. Looking at her tear-streaked face, his voice was cold and hard:

"You ran pretty fast just now? Trying to run?"

He scoffed, his laughter tinged with malice. "You ungrateful slut, you've got some nerve. Since you're so energetic tonight," he leaned closer, his breath on her ear, "keep that energy for me, and see how I... slowly 'polish' you."

*

*

The next day.

The candlelight flickered all night.

Zhu Hong opened his eyes, got up from the wooden stool, and muttered a sentence in his throat: "Everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep and doesn't care about the frost on someone else's roof." He raised his hand and rubbed his stiff and sore brows hard, as if he wanted to rub all the things that happened on the boat yesterday out of his mind and throw them away cleanly.

Out of sight, out of mind...

There are still a few days of leisure before I officially take office, so I can't waste them.

He tidied himself up briefly, then pushed open the door and went out.

Instead of heading towards the government office, they turned around and headed straight north along Fu'an Street.

Turn into a wide alley:

"Lianjiazi Alley".

This is the place where martial arts are most prevalent in Jinyang, and also where the stench of money is strongest. The entire alley sells nothing but two things:

The first meaning is physical strength.

Secondly, inexhaustible wealth.

Zhu Hong stopped in front of a towering stone base with craggy eaves.

This pavilion does not display ordinary plaques; instead, a large granite stone, over ten feet tall, stands before the entrance. Its surface is uneven and mottled, and in the central recess, two deep and bold characters appear to have been carved out with finger force:

【Martial Pavilion】

He heard about this place from Lin Jizhi.

The name is quite tacky and common, but the background is very solid.

It was a property owned by the Jiang family of Jinyang.

There's a joke circulating:

As long as you spend enough money, even a pig can gain a good physique in this martial arts pavilion.

It not only has stone locks, bronze human stakes, sandbags and other tools for tempering muscles and bones, but also a "thousand-pound room" paved with "sinking rock" transported from outside the pass, and a medicinal bath to dredge blood and nourish the body.

It is changed daily without interruption.

It was prepared specifically for practitioners who had the ability to spend money like water:

A den of iniquity.