Fortune Paste

"Twenty taels?"

Lin Qing's heart stirred.

That was no small sum—enough to cover an ordinary family's expenses for a year.

"Could you tell me more, Senior Brother?"

"My client is a young master surnamed Chen from the Inner City. This jerky is the deposit he gave me."

Zhang Shun lowered his voice further. "There's a White Horse Gang leader named Chen Bao down by the docks. The blind fool snatched a top courtesan the Young Master Liu had his eye on."

"Young Master Liu was furious, but couldn't openly use the Lineage's power. So he secretly hired someone to teach that black-hearted leopard a harsh lesson."

"What kind of lesson?" Lin Qing asked.

"Burn down the warehouse where he stores his goods. Make him swallow the loss and pay a pretty penny!"

Zhang Shun paused, then said, "Young Master Liu said he'd pay the ten-tael deposit whether we succeed or not."

"If we pull it off and he's satisfied with the results, there'll be another reward."

"I've already contacted two other trusted junior brothers from the martial hall. They're both in the Skin Refining Realm. With you and me, that makes four of us—enough to make sure things go smoothly."

Lin Qing fell into thought.

If it had been another White Horse Gang leader, he would have had to weigh things carefully.

But Chen Bao was no good person to begin with.

Lin Qing was more than willing to cause him trouble.

Besides, twenty taels of silver was no small reward.

The risk was setting fire to White Horse Gang territory.

If they were caught red-handed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

But Zhang Shun had agreed to take the job, so he must already have a thorough plan. Besides, two other senior brothers would be joining them.

"Fine. Since you trust me, Senior Brother, I'm in!"

Lin Qing finally made up his mind.

If he wanted to practice martial arts, he couldn't do without resources.

He couldn't let an opportunity like this pass him by.

"That's the spirit!"

Zhang Shun slapped his thigh, then pushed the rest of the jerky toward Lin Qing.

"Your senior brother needs money lately. I'll pay you the remaining fifteen taels later."

"No problem." Lin Qing nodded and accepted the jerky.

"Tomorrow at a quarter past seven in the evening, meet at the entrance to the third alley west of the east-city docks. Remember to wear something inconspicuous."

"Understood."

When it came time to pay the bill, Lin Qing beat Zhang Shun to it, paying with an easy, natural gesture.

Zhang Shun saw it and smiled even more broadly.

He found his junior brother increasingly likable.

That was often how bonds between people were formed.

The two left the restaurant and said their goodbyes.

Before they parted, Zhang Shun clapped Lin Qing on the shoulder.

"Ah Qing, my brother at the Northern Border sent me a letter. He said the imperial army suffered a crushing defeat."

"If you trust me, start preparing to stock up on grain."

After saying that, Zhang Shun strode away.

Lin Qing felt a chill in his heart at the news. No wonder Zhang Shun had sold him the jerky. Could he be planning to stock up on grain too?

After thinking it over, Lin Qing detoured to a rice shop and a butcher's. He bought ten jin of streaky pork in one go, along with nearly a hundred jin of brown rice.

By then, he had spent almost all the money he had on him.

Under the envious gazes of the shopkeepers and nearby customers,

he hefted the heavy rice and meat and hurried off.

Many people on the road saw the rice and meat Lin Qing was carrying, their throats bobbing as they swallowed.

But wary of the clothes he wore, they didn't dare make a move.

Lin Qing returned safely to Yongning Street.

Across from him, business at Security Hall had been so dismal that they were already tidying up the shop, preparing to close for the day.

Pan An saw Lin Qing return with a great deal of supplies. His eyes shifted as if he were turning something over in his mind, and his expression darkened.

Lin Qing couldn't be bothered with him and went straight home.

"Ah Qing, what's all this...?"

Lin Wan was startled to see her younger brother carrying so many things home.

The ten jin of streaky pork especially was a lavish purchase in times like these.

"Isn't there going to be a war at the Northern Border? I thought I'd buy a little extra grain."

Lin Qing easily set down the hundred-jin sack of rice on his shoulder.

Lin Wan studied Lin Qing closely. Only then did she realize that, in just over two months, her younger brother seemed to have grown a little taller.

His frame had become more upright too. His formerly delicate face had gained sharper lines, and his eyes were bright.

Standing there, he radiated a vigorous, youthful spirit, full of vitality.

Compared with the thin young man who used to keep watch over their quiet medicine shop with a worried frown, he was like a completely different person.

"Little brother, you've changed so much," Lin Wan exclaimed.

"Elder sister, I've broken through to the Skin Refining Realm," Lin Qing explained with a smile.

"Our days will only get better from here. Take care of this meat and smoke it so it'll keep longer."

"You've reached Father's realm too? That's wonderful!"

A smile instantly blossomed across Lin Wan's face. "Good, good! I'll get right to it!"

Lin Wan's heart was full of relief. As she worked, the corners of her mouth kept lifting in an unconscious smile.

Now that her younger brother had become a martial artist, he was already somebody on Yongning Street.

At last, their days were moving step by step in a better direction.

The night was as dark as ink. The waning crescent moon was veiled and unveiled by drifting clouds, casting faint glimmers through the gaps.

A damp, biting chill came with the river breeze from Ping River. It stirred the abandoned reed fluff, which rustled like a mournful sob and made the night feel even colder.

Four shadows merged with the darkness, silently creeping toward the outskirts of the western docks.

They were all dressed in neat black night clothes, their faces masked with black cloth and only their gleaming eyes visible.

At their head was Zhang Shun, his build nimble and strong. He made a hand signal, and all four immediately crouched low, hiding behind a pile of discarded mooring ropes and wooden crates.

Not far ahead, two members of the White Horse Gang in mismatched short jackets leaned against a crude earthen wall, clutching their knives and cudgels.

They chatted in low voices, occasionally letting out a lewd snicker. Clearly, they had no idea danger was closing in.

Zhang Shun's gaze was sharp. After watching for a moment, he made a few concise hand signals to the three beside him.

Lin Qing and the other two martial hall disciples understood. Like arrows loosed from a bowstring, the three lunged out from different directions under cover of the shadows!

Lin Qing's target was the slightly taller gang member on the left.

His steps were light and swift. The bodily control granted by the Skin Refining Realm let him move almost without a sound.

When he was three feet behind his target, the gang member seemed to sense something and started to turn around. But Lin Qing was already on him like a ghost. His left hand flashed up to cover the man's mouth and nose while his right arm clamped around the man's neck like an iron hoop. He squeezed hard!

"Mm!"

The gang member managed only a brief, muffled groan before a tremendous force struck him. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness in an instant.

Lin Qing carefully lowered him to the ground, his movements clean and efficient.

A martial artist could deal with ordinary gang thugs on guard duty without breaking a sweat.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shun and the other two had also succeeded at almost the same moment, taking down the other gang member and a nearby sentry on patrol.

The whole process took no more than a few breaths and made no significant noise.

"Move!"

Zhang Shun hissed. The four hurried forward, quickly crossing the outer defenses and slipping into the docks' warehouse district.

According to the information they had gathered beforehand, it didn't take long to find their target: several old warehouses guarded by Chen Bao's men.

"Split up and move fast. Once you've lit the kindling, retreat along the way we came and meet beneath the willow by the river!"

Zhang Shun quickly assigned their tasks, handing each of the other three some lamp oil and combustible materials.

Lin Qing took a small jar of lamp oil and a bundle of oil-soaked hemp fibers. He nodded and chose the innermost warehouse.

He crept to a ventilation window on the side of the warehouse and carefully pried open the rotting wooden shutter with a short blade. Then he squeezed through.

The warehouse was pitch-black, filled with dust and the stuffy odor of piled-up goods.

In the faintest sliver of moonlight filtering through the window, he could make out stacks of cargo covered with burlap or straw mats.

Lin Qing didn't dare waste time. He quickly found a corner piled with dry odds and ends, ready to pour out the lamp oil.

But just before he did, something stirred in his mind. Almost as if guided by instinct, he walked over to a stack of cargo covered with black cloth and used his short blade to gently slice open one corner of the burlap.

He'd only wanted to check whether it was all ordinary clutter, so he wouldn't burn anything he shouldn't and cause unnecessary trouble.

But when he cut open the burlap and revealed block after block of tightly wrapped parcels in oilpaper, an unmistakable smell suddenly flooded his nostrils.

This smell...

Lin Qing shuddered all over.

He had never seen it in person in his previous life, but based on his knowledge of medicinal properties, this had to be the Fortune Paste of this era.

It was also a substance the authorities had explicitly forbidden anyone to sell.

Then he used the tip of his knife to pry open one of the oilpaper parcels.

In the faint light, the viscous, dark-brown paste left no doubt.

Cold sweat poured from Lin Qing's body in an instant, soaking the clothes beneath his outer garments.

The White Horse Gang was secretly stockpiling and transporting Fortune Paste.