Chaos (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Yilin County, Great Xia Dynasty, Nine Provinces Continent.

The slaughterhouse of the Shen Mansion was thick with an inescapable stench of blood that made one feel deeply uneasy. Yet, a young man stood there as if he couldn't smell the rot at all, focused solely on sharpening his blade.

"Jianghe, hurry up and process these yellow carp. The master is hosting a banquet soon and needs them. He specifically requested fresh fish sashimi, so be precise!"

A burly, middle-aged man walked in quickly, carrying a dripping bamboo basket. Inside, several large yellow carp were still flopping about.

The young man sharpening the knife stood up immediately and took the basket with a smile: "Don't worry, Uncle Liu."

Chen Jianghe moved with incredible speed. He grabbed a fish from the basket, rinsed it in clear water, held it by the gills with his left hand, and lifted it. With his right hand, he wielded the freshly sharpened knife, delivering a clean strike with the spine of the blade against the fish's head, instantly rendering it rigid.

Scaling, gutting, deboning—as the tip of the blade danced, the pristine fillets on both sides were sliced off in one piece. After wiping away the blood, the thin blade rose and fell, transforming the fish meat into uniform, translucent slices that were laid out on an ice platter.

The entire process was as fluid as flowing water, possessing a unique, aesthetic beauty!

Uncle Liu stood to the side with his arms crossed, unable to help but exclaim: "Jianghe! Your fish-butchering skills are truly beyond compare. Clean, swift, and not a bit of waste. You make the best sashimi in the entire mansion!"

Uncle Liu then sighed, lowering his voice: "It's a pity your father was only a concubine-born son, and at home... sigh. Take my advice, don't go thinking about martial arts or any of that nonsense. With your skills, keep working hard at the Shen Mansion. I'll put in a good word with the head steward when your three-year short-term contract ends so you can switch to a long-term one. Once you're in charge of the mansion's meat station, your monthly pay could rise to four hundred wen—far more than you make as a day laborer. You could support your mother and save up for a few years to take a wife; life would be stable. In this world, being able to live securely in a mansion is better than anything else."

Chen Jianghe was carefully wiping down the workbench and his knives with a damp cloth. Hearing this, he smiled and replied: "I know, Uncle Liu!"

He patted Chen Jianghe on the shoulder, speaking with earnest concern: "In this world, being able to make a living securely in a mansion is better than anything. Those martial arts schools outside sound glamorous, but the apprenticeship fee alone is ten taels of silver! That's not even counting the monthly costs for food, medicinal baths, and equipment... It's a bottomless pit, Jianghe. Families like ours can't afford to gamble like that."

Chen Jianghe certainly "knew."

Three years ago, he had transmigrated into this youth of the same name. The original owner was a concubine-born descendant of the Chen family in Yilin County. His father had taken his eldest uncle's place for corvée labor years ago and had never been heard from since. He left behind his mother and the boy, who survived by the mother's net-weaving until he entered the Shen Mansion as a day laborer, finally securing a stable income.

The Great Xia Dynasty had a strong martial culture, and the martial examinations were a rare path to social advancement. As a concubine-born son with low status, the road to martial arts was fraught with difficulties. But Chen Jianghe was different; deep within his consciousness hung a destiny:

[Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Guaranteed]

[Current Skill: Butchery (Mastery)]

[Progress: 3%]

[Effect: Insight into muscle, bone, and vital joints]

For these past three years, he had worked as a day laborer in the Shen Mansion's slaughterhouse. From the days when he couldn't even hold a knife steady to today's "Mastery" level—reminiscent of a master chef carving an ox—he had relied on this destiny and his day-after-day accumulation and constant practice.

As long as he devoted himself entirely to a "skill," that skill would continue to break through.

Entry, Proficiency, Mastery. There were even higher achievements waiting for him to unlock.

Chen Jianghe had long realized that in this chaotic world, only by mastering true power could he change his fate.

Practicing martial arts was his only way out.

For three years, he had lived frugally, saving his wages, but he was still short on silver.

After cleaning up, Chen Jianghe said to Uncle Liu: "Uncle Liu, I'm heading out. I've finished all my work for the day."

"Go on then. Be careful on the road; it hasn't been peaceful around Crooked Head Alley lately. I heard the Black Tiger Gang and the Iron Hand Gang have already clashed several times over the wharf warehouses."

He patted Chen Jianghe's shoulder again, speaking with earnest concern: "Jianghe, think over what Uncle Liu said. Staying at the Shen Mansion is a stable trade. Martial arts is gambling your life for a future; ten people might not produce a single success. Your mother only has you to rely on now; don't be foolish."

Chen Jianghe looked at the genuine worry in Uncle Liu's eyes, felt a warmth in his heart, and nodded: "I understand, Uncle Liu."

He took off his blood-stained apron, changed into his patched coarse-cloth tunic, and walked out of the slaughterhouse.

The setting sun was slanting westward, casting long shadows from the high rear walls of the Shen Mansion.

He circled to the side gate, exited the Shen Mansion, and stepped onto the streets of Yilin County's outer city.

Compared to the decay and chaos of the outer city, the area around the Shen Mansion was relatively tidy, but the closer he got to Loach Bay, the more unbearable the scene became.

The bluestone slabs on the road were long broken, and the potholes were filled with black-green sewage, emitting a pungent stench.

Unknown refuse piled up on both sides of the road, with swarms of flies buzzing about. Ragged beggars huddled in corners, and occasionally, men in short tunics with fierce expressions walked by with their arms around each other.

Chen Jianghe kept his head down and quickened his pace. He had to reach Loach Bay before dark. The outer city at night was a world of gang warfare and roaming bandits.

Passing through several narrow alleys near the river, he arrived at Loach Bay.

Loach Bay was a floating shantytown formed by countless old fishing boats, sampans, and even bamboo rafts lashed together, packed with impoverished fishermen struggling to survive just like his family.

From afar, he could already see their two old boats tied together with hemp rope and tattered cloth.

But there seemed to be figures moving on the bow.

Chen Jianghe's heart sank, and he quickened his pace!

On the gangplank of the boat, his mother, Lin, stood with her thin, hunched frame, trembling as she handed over a small, heavily patched money pouch.

Three men stood before her. The leader was a man in his twenties wearing a black short jacket, his chest open to reveal a hideous, centipede-like scar. It was Wang Biao, the man from the Black Tiger Gang responsible for collecting the "water lamp fee" in this area.

Lin kept her head down, not daring to look at him: "Biao... Master Biao, this month's 'water lamp fee,' three hundred wen, it's all here."

Wang Biao took the pouch and weighed it in his hand, but he didn't leave.

He squinted, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Auntie Lin, this amount isn't right, is it?"

Lin was startled, looking up in a panic: "Wh-what do you mean? It was three hundred wen last month!"

Wang Biao toyed with the pouch and said slowly: "Last month was last month. The gang has set new rules. From this month on, the 'water lamp fee' is calculated per head. How many people are in your family?"

Lin's face turned pale: "Just... just me and Jianghe..."

"Two?"

Wang Biao let out a scoff. "What about your husband, Chen Yuanshan? Even though he's gone missing, he hasn't been found dead or alive, has he? By the rules, he still counts as one. That makes three people. One hundred and fifty coins each—four hundred and fifty coins in total."

Lin gasped, "Four hundred and fifty coins?!"

Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed, quickly grabbing the boat canopy for support. "Master Biao, this... this is truly impossible! My child and I can't even afford rice bran!"

Wang Biao stepped closer, a smirk on his face. "Now, now, Auntie Lin, don't cry poverty. Who doesn't know your son works at the Shen Mansion? And what kind of place is the Shen Mansion? Whatever leaks through their fingers is enough for you to live on."

The two lackeys behind him burst into laughter.

Lin's eyes welled up with tears as she grew frantic. "Master Biao, I'm really not crying poverty, it's just that..."

Wang Biao cut her off, his smile deepening. "If you really don't have enough, I can lend it to you. We in the Black Tiger Gang are all about loyalty; we'd never watch our neighbors struggle. How about this: I'll lend you one hundred and fifty coins at a daily interest rate of two coins. It's all clear-cut. Once you scrape enough together next month, just pay me back the principal and the interest."