Jin Ming

Lu Chen returned and told Blind Man and the others that the lawsuit had been settled.

The brothers felt the weight lift from their hearts and let out a long sigh of relief.

That afternoon, the Lottery stall was set up again as usual.

When he returned to Sheep Dung Alley, he found the room had already been wrecked beyond recognition.

Clearly, the constables hadn't found anything valuable to loot, so they'd taken their anger out on his belongings.

Half the kang had been kicked in, the bedding had been ripped to shreds, and the doors and windows had been smashed apart. Even the crock where he hid his money had been dug up and shattered in the courtyard.

Lu Chen spat on the ground and cursed the constables.

He found the landlord, paid for the damaged items, and immediately went to look for a new place to live.

The rent in Sheep Dung Alley was dirt cheap. A few copper coins could rent a room.

In Han Lao Wu's case, the county yamen had made a great show of thunder but little rain. They'd grabbed a few people at random to extort money, then hastily wrapped things up by executing a few scapegoats.

That thirty-tael debt and interest was nothing to Lu Chen.

He could earn it back in a month or two from his Lottery stall.

What had really made it worthwhile was that it had helped him establish a connection with Master's Wife.

Though Master's Wife was an External Force expert, she spent all her time cooped up in the inner quarters. Her mind was as shallow as a bowl of clear water, easy to see through at a glance.

Lu Chen could see plainly that Master Deng was out enjoying himself, leaving Master's Wife behind to live like a widow.

The nights were long, the bed cold and the covers chilly. Her body was cold, her heart empty, and loneliness and desire gnawed at her until she could hardly bear it.

A few days later.

Lu Chen was brewing medicine in the kitchen and secretly stashing away a medicine gourd when the cook, Old Li, caught him red-handed.

At the martial arts school, this was a grave taboo.

At best, he'd be expelled from the school. At worst, the family rules would be enforced, and the tendons in his hands and feet would be severed.

Old Li was an outsider. He merely narrowed his eyes and said nothing at the time, but later found a chance to pull Lu Chen into a corner. His face was wreathed in smiles, but his words were edged like a knife:

"Kid, you know the rules. Bring me two hundred coins for my silence at this time tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll have to tell Master Deng..."

Lu Chen nodded and agreed, saying he'd gather the money and bring it to him the next day.

That night, Lu Chen summoned Shuan Hu, Er Gou, and Baldy.

The three of them waited in the dark alley Old Li had to pass through on his way back to his lodgings. They struck swiftly and cleanly.

They dragged the corpse out of the city that night and threw it into the wilderness to feed the wolves.

Just like that, the cook Old Li disappeared, but Master Deng couldn't have cared less.

A cook was just a tool that could work. If it broke or went missing, he could simply replace it. As long as the stove stayed lit, who was at the ladle made no difference.

Besides, Old Li hadn't even been paid yet, so his disappearance saved Master Deng some money.

When Master Deng needed to hire a new cook, Lu Chen took the opportunity to recommend Shuan Hu.

Shuan Hu had once apprenticed in the kitchen of Hongbin Restaurant in East City. The man who wielded the ladle there was a widower in his fifties who preferred men. To learn how to stir-fry, Shuan Hu had to let him take liberties with him.

Shuan Hu was a tough man and couldn't stomach that filth, so he'd quit and come to follow Lu Chen instead.

Though he hadn't officially completed his apprenticeship, he'd watched enough to pick up a few skills. He could handle the household's daily meals, and his wages were lower than Old Li's.

Master Deng saw that his skills were good enough and his price was cheap, so he agreed.

Shuan Hu was one of their own, someone Lu Chen could trust, so Lu Chen also handed over the task of decocting and distributing the medicine to him.

He gave just one instruction: every time he finished brewing a batch, secretly set aside one gourdful.

After that, Lu Chen devoted himself to training his fists while also running errands for Master's Wife.

It snowed heavily that day.

The martial arts school grew quiet. Most of the disciples had taken leave and gone home, where they gathered with friends around the stove to keep warm and chat about everyday things. It was a pleasant way to pass the time.

Only a handful of disciples showed up.

As usual, Lu Chen practiced in the courtyard. Beneath the plum trees, with snowflakes drifting down sparsely, he repeatedly honed the first three moves of Plum Blossom Fist.

A disciple approached at an unhurried pace. He wore a gray cotton-padded robe with a green silk outer layer, somewhat worn but still presentable, and silver-squirrel fur earmuffs.

The disciple stopped two paces away, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and asked:

"Are you Lu Chen?"

Lu Chen looked up. The man seemed familiar, but he couldn't put a name to him.

The wealthy young masters at the school had always looked down on him, a South City hoodlum.

It was a rare thing for one of them to approach him first.

"What is it?" Lu Chen asked.

The man put on a friendly smile and cupped his hands.

"I'm Jin Ming. I've heard your name for a long time, Brother Lu. Since fate has brought us together today, I'd like to invite you for a drink. Would you do me the honor?"

"If you have something to say, say it," Lu Chen replied.

Jin Ming's smile grew wider. "Brother Lu, you're refreshingly direct. But I truly do want to make a friend."

"There's no point talking in circles." Lu Chen's expression remained calm. "If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, there'll be no drinks."

Jin Ming's smile didn't fade. "Brother Lu, you really are a straightforward man! Just for that, I've decided we're friends, and we're definitely having that drink!"

Jin Ming wouldn't take no for an answer. Wherever Lu Chen went, he followed, impossible to shake off.

Jin Ming's pestering gave Lu Chen a headache. Then he thought, It's only a drink. I might as well see what he's really up to. So he agreed.

That evening, Jin Ming led Lu Chen to a carriage and took him to a restaurant in East City.

As soon as they entered, Jin Ming asked for a private room and ordered four cold dishes, four stir-fries, and a hot pot.

At the table, Jin Ming repeatedly raised his glass to toast him. Lu Chen didn't refuse, eating and drinking as he pleased. But Jin Ming talked about nothing but idle matters and never mentioned why he'd invited him. After they'd eaten and drunk their fill, Jin Ming personally saw Lu Chen back to his lodgings in Sheep Dung Alley.

The next day, the snow stopped.

Jin Ming came to invite Lu Chen for another drink.

Lu Chen grew wary and politely declined, saying he wasn't feeling up to it that day.

At dusk, Lu Chen bought a cartload of coal from the coal shop in Sheep Intestine Alley and pushed it back to the mouth of the lane. There he saw Jin Ming's carriage, tilted and stuck in the mud, blocking the way.

Jin Ming jumped down from the carriage, carrying a food box, and laughed aloud.

"Brother Lu, Tianhe Studio just finished making these braised pork knuckles. They're still hot to the touch. I brought some especially for you."

"Mm, you went to a lot of trouble," Lu Chen said with a nod. His manner was neither warm nor cold.

By then, Jin Ming's coachman had hired two idle fellows from the street to help. The three of them pushed and lifted together until they got the carriage out of the mud.

Jin Ming left the food box, cupped his hands to Lu Chen, then climbed into his carriage and rode away.

That evening, Lu Chen and the brothers sat together and shared the braised pork knuckles. They stuffed the glistening, richly fragrant meat into baked flatbread. One bite filled their mouths with savory goodness.

As Lu Chen chewed, he wondered what Jin Ming was after with all this attention.

Over the next few days.

Jin Ming often came to see Lu Chen. They ate together, practiced their fists, and chatted about this and that. He was exceedingly friendly.

Anyone watching would have thought he sincerely wanted to be Lu Chen's friend.

But Lu Chen wasn't a fool. He knew Jin Ming had to be after something. So even though he didn't call him out, he played along as usual while remaining on high alert, coolly watching his every move to see what he was really up to.

After the two of them finished sparring one day, they sat beneath the covered walkway to rest.

Jin Ming wiped the sweat from his brow and suddenly said, "The school's small trial is tomorrow. How are you preparing, Brother Lu?"

Lu Chen steadied his breathing and gave a brief reply. "Well enough. What about you, Brother Jin?"

Jin Ming waved a hand with a smile. There was a lazy air about it.

"Me? I'll sit this one out. At this rate, even if I train for another seven or eight years, I might only just reach the threshold of External Force."

Jin Ming was the third young master of Daxing Rice Shop in East City. He had two older brothers. The eldest had already taken over the family business, while the second was now a disciple of the Flying Cloud Sect, an organization in the martial world. He'd entered the External Force realm a few years ago and was considered a capable fighter in his own right.

Compared with his two older brothers, Jin Ming was rather a disappointment.

He only showed up at the martial arts school each day to mark attendance; his mind was never on his fists and kicks.