Born Killer, Dinner's on Me

The crowd had yet to disperse, and its clamor drifted over on the river wind.

"A Born Killer?"

Xia Jingyi covered her mouth and cried out in surprise. "Master, what's a Born Killer? Does killing lots of people make someone one?"

Zhou Yonghe did not answer right away.

He leaned against the handcart, his gaze so intent it seemed he meant to see straight through the young man in the distance.

At last, he slowly let out a heavy breath. His fingers tapped against his kneecap with a steady tok-tok.

"It's fate. It's something in the bones."

Zhou Yonghe kept his voice low. "In our line of martial arts, what makes a Born Killer is 'Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone.'"

"Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone?"

Xia Jingyi blinked. The words sounded imposing enough.

"That's right."

Zhou Yonghe nodded, unable to hide a trace of envy. It was the helpless awe one felt toward someone heaven itself had chosen to feed. "Ordinary people train their flesh and grind away at their strength. But a rare few are born different."

"Some have great tendons like dragons, taut and springy. When they exert themselves, they're like mighty bows and hard-drawn crossbows—tireless, with astonishing explosive force. That's Dragon Tendon."

"Others have bones as heavy as iron, with remarkable density. They may look loose-limbed, but their frames are broad enough to bear a thousand jun of weight. Blows barely hurt them, and their own blows send people flying. That's Tiger Bone."

Zhou Yonghe paused, his gaze settling on Qin Geng again. It was as though he could see through the young man's coarse jacket to the great dragon of his spine, gently rising and falling beneath it.

"Dragon Tendon or Tiger Bone—possessing either one makes a Born Killer."

"People like that learn martial arts at frightening speed. Stance work takes others three years; they can master the basics in three months. Others spend a lifetime unable to grasp how to release power; they find the knack after a single fight."

"Unless Qin Geng has a twin... then I misjudged him last time."

Zhou Yonghe laughed at himself. "When I felt his bones, I thought the boy had decent foundations and could endure hardship. Who would've guessed? 'Decent' doesn't begin to cover it. He's a piece of hundred-times-refined steel that hasn't yet been sharpened."

Xia Jingyi was entranced. She could not help asking, "Then... what if someone has both? Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone?"

At that, Zhou Yonghe grew solemn.

He sat up straight and looked toward the sky, as if recalling something.

"Someone with both has an extraordinary fate. They're born to do great things."

Zhou Yonghe said, "Such a person is a true dragon or phoenix among men, one in ten thousand. The Daoist and Buddhist sects of our Great Xin Dynasty, even those within the imperial palace, have sent people out with incense ash, compasses, and tortoise shells to roam the land north and south of the great rivers."

"And what are they looking for? People born with such extraordinary fates."

"An extraordinary fate doesn't necessarily come with Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone. But anyone who has both is certain to have one. They're destined to stir up winds and clouds in these troubled times."

Xia Jingyi nodded thoughtfully.

"So that's how it is..."

She murmured, "Master, are you going to take him as a disciple? It'd be a shame if someone else snatched up such a promising talent."

Zhou Yonghe shook his head, closed his eyes again, and returned to his languid posture.

"Taking a disciple depends on fate. You can't force it."

"Besides, he's already found his way in and had an opportunity of his own. His way of releasing power comes from my Hebei Form-Intention school, but I didn't teach him hand in hand. He figured it out from a manual himself. If I rush to take him as a disciple now, it'll look opportunistic. That would spoil the bond."

"We'll see when he next comes to visit his aunt. If we're fated to be master and disciple, it'll happen. If we aren't, forcing him to stay by my side would only damage his fortune."

"..."

Xia Jingyi pressed her lips together and nodded.

She was a living example herself.

A chance encounter and a string of strange experiences had somehow made her Zhou Yonghe's disciple. Fate was the only explanation.

"All right, stop looking."

Zhou Yonghe waved a lazy hand. "The show's over. Time to get back to work."

"Get pulling."

"I won't watch over you after noon, and I won't give you money for food. Whatever you want for dinner today, you'll have to earn with that cart. If you earn nothing, you go hungry. That's training too."

At those words, Xia Jingyi's hopeful little face fell, turning as bitter as a gourd.

"Master, that's too cruel..."

She complained, but still took hold of the cart shafts and trudged away from the wharf, looking back every few steps.

The wind still blew across the wharf. The smell of blood had not yet faded.

Qin Geng stood by the river, staring at the body cooling at his feet, his mind in a daze.

He had not expected that one punch to kill the man outright.

But the man was dead. Thoroughly dead.

In that instant, he had barely thought at all. He had seen Chen Sanpi's fist coming, and his body had reacted on instinct.

His spine sprang, his strength surged, and his fist shot out.

It felt nothing like the time he had struck Shopkeeper Zheng.

He had put everything into that punch too, but it had felt like striking a thick wad of cotton—or like a clay ox sinking into the sea. However much force he used, it vanished into Shopkeeper Zheng's seemingly soft, fleshy palms without raising so much as a ripple.

This time, the blow had landed cleanly, gloriously, with every ounce of force behind it!

His power had slammed into the iron ball on Chen Sanpi's chest, driven through it, snapped bone, and finally blasted into flesh and blood.

The recoil had traveled back through his fist. Rather than hurting, it had let him feel exactly how much destruction that punch had wrought.

Every bit of strength had poured out.

It was like a long-pent-up flood finally finding an outlet. The release made every pore on his body seem to open.

"Perhaps this is what the killing methods mean by the feel of releasing power—of force?"

Qin Geng clenched his fist, deep in thought.

No fancy moves. No wasted motion. Just power and speed combined to do the greatest damage in the shortest time.

That was the art of combat.

For killing, not performing.

Only then did the people who had been scared witless begin to come to their senses. A commotion broke out around him.

"He's really dead..."

"That punch was vicious."

On Xu Jin's Shanty's side, Uncle Jin and Ma Laifu forced themselves upright and walked over.

Uncle Jin clutched his chest. His face was deathly pale, but he could not hide the excitement in his eyes.

He glanced at Chen Sanpi on the ground and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Pah! So this day finally came for that bastard!"

Ma Laifu crouched and searched the corpse.

By the rules of the streets, death settled a debt.

But anything on the dead man was a spoil of battle.

Before long, Ma Laifu pulled two bloodstained silver dollars and a few copper coins from Chen Sanpi's filthy, blood-soaked jacket pocket.

Unbothered by the grime, he wiped the coins on his clothes, came over, and pressed them into Qin Geng's hand.

"Take it. Your prize."

Ma Laifu's voice was hoarse, but it held a hard edge.

Kill a man, search the body. Those were the rules of the streets.

Qin Geng did not refuse. He slipped the money into his pocket.

Two silver dollars were enough to buy two doses of Bone-Strengthening Powder.

In times like these, "a life for a life" was something officials said.

In Tianjin's underworld, the biggest fist made the rules.

Chen Sanpi had tried to kill him first and died because he was the weaker fighter. No one in the underworld could fault Qin Geng for it.

"Uncle Xu, Uncle Ma, sink him in the river."

Qin Geng spoke evenly.

"Right!"

Xu Chun and several burly Carriage Drivers answered. Without worrying about bad luck, they lifted Chen Sanpi's body, called out in rhythm, and heaved it into the river like a sack of trash.

"One, two, three—heave!"

Splash!

Water sprayed high into the air.

The river churned, then swiftly washed away the blood.

In these troubled times, a life could vanish into the Xun River without leaving so much as a bubble.

Within half an hour, the strange fish in the river would gnaw him down to bare bones.

Once the body was dealt with, Uncle Jin gave Qin Geng a meaningful look and jerked his chin.

The meaning was clear: Xiao Wu, you won this ground. Say something. Stake your claim.

Qin Geng understood.

He could not show weakness now.

If he did not use this moment, while everyone still remembered his ferocity, to lay down the rules, then by tomorrow the police dogs, Chen Sanpi's no-good friends, and every thug coveting the territory would be at their door.

The more confident and brazen he acted, the less anyone would know what he was capable of—and the fewer problems they would cause.

If he cowered, those people would suck the marrow from his bones.

Qin Geng took a deep breath and stepped forward.

At his movement, the spectators and Carriage Drivers from the other shanties instinctively fell back.

"You all saw what happened."

Qin Geng did not raise his voice, yet it rang across the open wharf with the steady resonance of a great bronze bell.

He stood straight as a pine, his gaze flashing like lightning as it swept the crowd.

Finally, Qin Geng cupped his hands in salute to everyone around him.

"From now on, only our group of South City Carriage Drivers will pull carts at Xun River Wharf."

"This territory is ours."

"If anyone else wants a bite of it..."

Qin Geng slowly raised the right hand that had just shattered a man's breastbone. He closed it into a fist and gave a short feint through the air.

"They can ask my fist first."

The words struck the ground like stones.

He said not a word about his personal grudge with Chen Sanpi, as though killing a notorious enforcer were too trivial to mention.

The Carriage Drivers from the north, west, and east of town all felt a chill.

They earned their living on the streets. They knew how to read a situation.

Who learned martial arts without a master to pass it down?

Even someone as foolish as Chen Sanpi could invoke the name of the Grain Transport Gang's River-Turning Hand. Though expelled as a disciple, he still had ties to the school, and no one dared test whether River-Turning Hand might protect him once more.

Qin Geng was so young, yet so ruthless and strong. Afterward, he had remained perfectly calm and even dared stake his claim in public.

For all they knew, the boy's master was some powerful figure with influence everywhere. One mere death would be nothing to such a person.

We absolutely mustn't cross him.

The thought sprang into every mind.

"Of course, of course! What Brother Wu says goes."

Someone in the crowd called out, and a chorus of agreement followed.

Experts saw the skill; outsiders watched the spectacle.

But whether they understood martial arts or not, everyone understood one thing: South City had produced a formidable man.

Xiao Wu—no, they had to call him Brother Wu now—had hard fists and an even harder heart.

"We'll follow Brother Wu!"

The crowd soon dispersed, full of stories to tell and newfound respect.

The Carriage Drivers went back to seeking fares, and the passersby moved on, having seen enough excitement.

From that day onward, among the Carriage Drivers of Ping'an County Town in Tianjin, there was one fewer Qin Xiao Wu quietly pulling his cart—and one more Brother Qin Wu, who could shatter a chest with one punch and strike fear into anyone who heard his name.

Xu Jin's Shanty.

The sun slanted westward, its dusky glow laying a golden edge over the ramshackle shanties of the slum.

Usually at this hour, the Carriage Drivers would be racing about for fares, hoping to earn a few more copper coins before dark.

Today, however, Xu Jin's Shanty was as lively as a New Year celebration.

Qin Geng had been pressed onto the stone stool at the center of a stone table with a corner missing.

People surrounded him three rows deep, then three rows more.

Ma Laifu, Li Gou, Uncle Jin, Xu Chun, and the seven or eight Carriage Drivers from Ma Village Shack and Xu Jin's Shanty who had been there earlier all crowded around Qin Geng. They looked ready to put him through a full tribunal hearing.

But the mood was nothing like the grim severity of a courtroom. It was warm.

Looking at all those curious, excited, and slightly unfamiliar eyes, Qin Geng did not know whether to laugh or cry.

These people were his family, his neighbors, his childhood friends.

The uncles at Xu Jin's Shanty had watched him grow up. After his father died, he would have starved on the streets without their help.

Ma Laifu and the others were neighbors from the next shanty. They borrowed fire, salt, and food from one another and helped each other through hard times.

As for Li Gou, he was a childhood friend through and through.

For now, no one said a word. They just stared at Qin Geng, occasionally clicking their tongues in wonder, as though he were some rare curiosity.

Li Gou was the boldest. He squeezed to the front, reached out a callused hand, and poked Qin Geng's shoulder before squeezing his arm, which felt as hard as stone.

"Damn..."

Li Gou's eyes widened. "Xiao Wu, how'd you train your muscles like this? They're hard as lumps of iron. Is this even human flesh?"

The poking tickled. Qin Geng helplessly pushed Li Gou's hand away.

"Uncles, and Li Gou too, this is the busiest time for fares. Why aren't you out taking jobs? What are you all staring at me for?"

Qin Geng asked with a smile. He picked up a large bowl of tea from the table and gulped some down. "Have I got flowers on my face? Or do you not recognize me anymore?"

"Hahaha!"

Uncle Jin was the first to laugh.

He strode over, threw an arm around Qin Geng's neck, and squeezed his back with a hand as broad as a palm-leaf fan.

"All that muscle is real!"

Uncle Jin's voice caught. There was relief at having survived the ordeal in it, but even more pride at seeing one of their own come into his own. "Xiao Wu, we owe you today. You picked this old life of mine right up off the ground. Otherwise, I'd probably be meeting the King of Hell by now, and the brothers would be in a world of trouble too."

"That's right, Xiao Wu. Not bad at all!"

Xu Chun came over too, his face full of pride. "My heart went cold back there. I thought Old Jin was done for. Then who would've thought you'd shoot out with a whoosh, like a firecracker?"

"Where did you learn to do that?!"

Ma Laifu looked curious. "And you only showed your hand today? One punch, and you killed that menace Chen Sanpi. He claimed he'd trained in River-Turning Hand. He might've only half mastered it, but he could still throw his weight around these parts."

"Exactly! I saw Chen Sanpi fly off like a kite with its string cut."

"No wonder you've been eating so much lately. Last time, I saw you put away two pounds of braised offal and still want more."

Everyone talked at once, their words brimming with curiosity.

"Uncles."

Qin Geng had prepared his story long ago. His expression turned serious. "You all know I have an aunt in the city."

Everyone nodded.

"A while back, I went to see her and happened to meet the household's chief House Guard."

Qin Geng offered an explanation that was half true and half false. "The Su Family's chief House Guard thought my build wasn't bad, so he showed me a couple of moves and gave me a handwritten manual to practice from."

"And I really have been putting everything into pulling my rickshaw lately. Once I got stronger, I managed to beat Chen Sanpi."

Borrowing another's might.

Master Zhu Xin had taught him that principle too.

If everyone already thought that was what had happened, he might as well let them.

The broader the tiger skin he draped around himself, the safer his family in the shantytown would be.

"The Su Family's chief House Guard? That's a true master!"

After all, everyone in the shantytown knew Qin Geng could read and had an aunt who was the seventh concubine in a wealthy city household.

That bit of respectability was largely why they had called this half-grown boy "Brother Xiao Wu" before.

Now that his skills had an explanation, their doubts faded. All that remained was envy and pride.

"No wonder, no wonder!"

"Xiao Wu met a benefactor!"

"..."

While everyone was still marveling, hurried footsteps sounded outside the shantytown.

A young rickshaw puller trotted up to the shanty with his rickshaw. As soon as it stopped, a little old man hopped out.

It was Master Zhu Xin.

The old man usually walked at a steady, measured pace, but today he was panting from the rush, his beard blown askew.

"Master Zhu Xin!"

Sharp-eyed Qin Geng hurried over to greet him and lent him a hand.

"Xiao Wu..."

Master Zhu Xin seized Qin Geng's arm and looked him up and down. Only when he saw that Qin Geng was in one piece, without even a scrape, did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're all right. That's what matters."

Master Zhu Xin patted his chest to catch his breath, then drew Qin Geng into an empty corner. His cloudy old eyes gleamed.

"You really can move, kid!"

Master Zhu Xin gave a rueful smile. "These old bones of mine are about to fall apart. I rushed to Xun River Wharf, only to find blood on the ground and no people. Then I heard you'd already come back victorious. So I hurried here, and it turns out you've already started the victory party."

"Thank you for bringing me the warning, Master Zhu Xin."

Qin Geng's smile faded. He cupped his hands solemnly to Master Zhu Xin. "If you hadn't come in time, something terrible might really have happened to Uncle Jin today. I, Qin Geng, will never forget this kindness for as long as I live. Just wait—I'll repay you handsomely."

"Enough, enough."

Master Zhu Xin waved a hand and stroked his beard with a smile. "I've spent my whole life in the jianghu. What storms haven't I seen? To hell with your repayment. I just happen to like you, kid."

Then Master Zhu Xin's expression turned grave.

He lowered his voice and leaned close to Qin Geng's ear.

"Xiao Wu, I made a point of asking around on my way here."

"Word of that punch of yours has spread everywhere. Damn impressive!"

"The people at Yi He Shantytown are scared out of their wits. They certainly won't dare trouble you for a while."

"But..."

Master Zhu Xin's tone grew heavy. "Chen Sanpi was once with the Grain Transport Gang. He may have been kicked out, but he knew plenty of people here and was a local snake. There could well be a ruthless character among his pack of scoundrel friends."

"They say a man's death snuffs him out like a lamp, and by the rules of the jianghu, the matter looks settled. Still, you'd best be careful. Don't let someone take a club to you from behind."

"An open spear is easy to dodge; a hidden arrow is hard to guard against."

Qin Geng nodded.

"Don't worry, Master Xin. I understand."

Qin Geng did understand.

In the jianghu, tearing out trouble by the roots was the hardest thing of all.

If he died, would Uncle Jin and the others really let his death snuff everything out like a lamp and never avenge him?

They would probably lie low. But as long as they lived, they would find some way to avenge him one day, even if it meant striking from behind or setting traps.

If Uncle Jin died, Qin Geng would be even more willing to strike from behind—and he had more ability to do it.

In Tianjin, there was no shortage of people willing to sell their lives for a meal. Who cared how you treated outsiders?

Feed me one meal, and I'll dare kill your whole family!

Chen Sanpi had been around for years. There was no telling whether he had a friend that loyal at his side, perhaps even one as capable as Qin Geng.

When you lived in the jianghu, caution could keep your boat sailing for ten thousand years.

"You know what you're doing, so I won't nag."

Seeing that Qin Geng had taken the warning to heart, Master Zhu Xin nodded in satisfaction.

"One more thing."

"You declared in public at the wharf that you'd stand behind the people of Xu Jin's Shanty and Ma Village Shack. That makes you their leader now."

"You need to treat them to dinner tonight."

Qin Geng paused. "Treat them?"

"That's right."

Master Zhu Xin held nothing back, counting off his points on his fingers. "If you hadn't said anything, I'd tell you to play deaf and dumb, maybe even stay away for a couple of days so you didn't stand out like a tall tree in the wind."

"But since you've declared that this patch of ground is under your protection, you need to win them over."

"That meal is a 'victory feast,' but it's also a 'reassurance drink.'"

"First, it'll help everyone settle their nerves after today's fright. Second, over a few drinks, you can make that bond real. Once everyone's hearts and strength pull in the same direction, your position at the wharf will be secure."

"Otherwise, with just one man and his two fists, how many nails can you drive, even if your whole body is made of iron?"

Qin Geng nodded again and again.

Old ginger really was the spiciest.

Master Zhu Xin lived up to his reputation as a well-connected old hand in Tianjin. He had a firm grasp of every social nicety.

Qin Geng might have strength, but when it came to leading people and navigating the jianghu, he was still green.

Xun River Wharf was a great slab of rich meat, and from now on, Qin Geng would have the final say there. With everyone pulling together and Qin Geng alongside them, even Boss Lin would have to think twice before trying to claim it.

"I understand, Master Xin."

Qin Geng answered readily. "Then I'll book a few tables at Nine Harmony Restaurant tonight! Master Xin, you have to sit at the main table and lend me some standing!"

"Haha, I won't intrude on your fun."

Master Zhu Xin shook his head and headed out with his hands behind his back. "You young fellows will be drinking and boasting. With an old man like me there, nobody will relax. I'd be happier having my usual braised offal."

"Remember what I said. Steady their hearts, and watch for hidden arrows."

Without waiting for Qin Geng to press him, Master Zhu Xin turned away, humming a cheerful tune as he left.

Watching Master Zhu Xin's retreating figure, Qin Geng felt warmth rise in his chest.

When it mattered, the old man truly had protected him like one of his own juniors.

Qin Geng looked away and returned to the middle of the shanty.

He clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.

"Uncles!"

Qin Geng raised his voice. "Today was a hurdle, and we cleared it!"

"From now on, Xun River Wharf is our turf. As long as we stick together and keep things steady, we can live off this rich meat for three to five years at least!"

"So let's celebrate and shake off the bad luck."

"Tonight, Nine Harmony Restaurant! My treat! We'll eat well and drink until we drop!"

"Good!"

Xu Chun was the first to understand Qin Geng's meaning. In his excitement, he slapped his thigh with a series of sharp cracks.

"Xiao Wu, that's generous!"

"I want pork knuckle tonight!"

"I just want a drink of their Burning Knife!"

Everyone cheered. The oppressive air left by their narrow escape vanished, replaced by anticipation of the feast ahead.

For hard-living people like them, a meal at Nine Harmony Restaurant was more exciting than New Year.

The lanterns were coming alight.

Nine Harmony Restaurant.

The restaurant stood in a bustling part of South City. It was a three-story building with several large red lanterns that lit its entrance brightly.

By South City standards, it was no grand establishment. It could not compare with Tower of Ascending Immortals or Grand Guesthouse, where high officials and dignitaries dined.

But to ordinary people in South City, it was a name to be reckoned with.

Its prices sat right on the threshold: affordable enough for small traders with a little spare cash to put on a show of respectability, yet special enough for hard-living people who had saved for ages to come enjoy an occasional treat.

Over time, it became a gathering place for all sorts of Tianjin folk and people from the lower reaches of the jianghu.

The truly rich and powerful looked down on it as too disorderly.

The "wealthy" diners who came here were mostly merchants newly arrived from elsewhere, unfamiliar with the city and looking for convenience.

By now, the restaurant's main hall was already packed and roaring with voices.

Every kind of life was on display.

It was the warm, bustling life of the streets.

There were rickshaw pullers who had changed into clean jackets after finishing work, shoveling down noodles in great mouthfuls;

there were bare-chested "sham performers" with red sashes at their waists, playing drinking games. They made a living swallowing blades and breathing fire—the sort of performers people called fake martial artists;

there were members of a minor opera troupe still warming up their voices;

and in a corner sat several impoverished old scholars in long robes, drinking gloomily over a plate of peanuts.

Waiters carrying trays wove through the crowd like butterflies flitting among flowers, calling out dishes at the tops of their lungs.

"One order of tripe!"

"Stir-fried pork intestines coming through! Make way—careful, it's hot!"

The air was thick with tobacco smoke, wine, and the aromas of heavily oiled, heavily seasoned dishes. This was the bustle of Tianjin's South City.

Qin Geng strode in with Uncle Jin, Li Gou, and the others in a great crowd.

He had changed into a clean blue-cloth robe picked up from a secondhand clothes shop. The fabric was nothing special, but on his increasingly formidable frame, it gave him a lean, capable air.

The moment they reached the entrance, a sharp-eyed doorman came to greet them.

The doorman had keen eyes. After years of welcoming and seeing off guests, he was excellent at recognizing people.

Whatever happened in South City, he knew about it before most.

He first gave Qin Geng's clothes a habitual glance, intending to greet him casually.

But when he saw Qin Geng's face clearly, his expression changed at once. He bent a little lower and put on a broad smile.

"Well! Isn't this Brother Qin Wu?"

The doorman's voice shot up an octave, full of warmth and even a trace of fear he could not quite hide.

The call struck like thunder on a clear day.

The noisy hall fell silent for an instant.

Diners near the entrance set down their chopsticks and cups, craning their necks to look.

"Brother Qin Wu? Which Brother Qin Wu?"

"Who else? The one who killed Chen Sanpi with a single punch at Xun River Wharf today!"

"Whoa! That's him? He looks young. So mild-mannered, too. Doesn't look like a killer."

"What do you know? You can't judge a man by his face. I saw it clear as day. That punch shattered the iron plate over Chen Sanpi's chest. It cracked like beans roasting in a pan!"

"Seriously? He shattered an iron plate?"

"May I be your grandson if I'm lying!"

Their murmurs reached Qin Geng's ears.

His expression remained calm. With a faint, gentle smile, he nodded to the doorman.

"Brother Qin Wu" sounded rather better than "Xiao Wu."

That was standing in the jianghu.

Won with fists and built on human lives.

"Dinner's on me."

As he spoke, Qin Geng casually pulled two silver dollars he had taken from Chen Sanpi out of his coat and tossed them to the doorman.

"Get me a big private room. Somewhere quiet."

"A dozen or so brothers will be joining me later. Bring out your best food and liquor, plenty of meat. And don't forget the Burning Knife and braised pork knuckles."

The doorman fumbled to catch the two heavy, bloodstained silver dollars. His eyes went wide.

Now that was a lavish tip!

"You got it! Rest easy, sir. I'll see to everything!"

The doorman tucked the coins into his coat and shouted upstairs at the top of his lungs:

"Honored guest arriving—!"

"See to the private room on the third floor—!"

"Brother Qin, right this way! Mind the steps!"

That shout all but confirmed Qin Geng's new standing in South City's underworld.

Qin Geng strode upstairs with steady steps, Uncle Jin, Li Gou, and the others following behind him with their heads held high.

With every step, Qin Geng could feel himself climbing another rung in Tianjin's underworld.

Step by step, he would rise from a nobody scraping by at the bottom, make a name for himself, and climb all the way to the top!