The street before the Su Residence was one of the main thoroughfares through Tianjin's inner city.
For a wealthy household, its entrance was its face. It was swept spotless every day, and no peddler dared hawk wares outside it.
But now, with the sun high overhead, there were plenty of people about: visitors bringing gifts or attending to business at the Su Residence, carriage drivers resting as they passed, and hard-up laborers waiting for work along the wall.
The moment Zhou Yonghe stepped to the roadside, the air around him changed.
He had been the Su Family's chief house guard for twenty years, and his fists were renowned in Tianjin's martial circles.
Unless he was accompanying the Su Family's master or madams on an outing, he rarely showed his skills in the street.
So the sight of him about to "cross hands" with a young man was a rare spectacle.
"Isn't that Master Zhou?"
"Are they going to spar?"
"Look at the young fellow. He stands like a post, but who knows how deep his roots go?"
Passersby who had been hurrying along stopped to watch. Several servants on duty at the Su Residence craned their necks, while a few Su Family stewards who happened to be heading out folded their arms and lingered on the steps.
Qin Geng ignored the surrounding noise and drew a deep breath.
His chest expanded slightly without making a sound. In an instant, he seemed as still as a stagnant pool, yet also like a beast lying low before a storm.
"Senior, please."
Qin Geng took up a starting stance: Coiling Dragon from Xingyi Dragon and Tiger. His hands hung loosely at his sides, but his strength was gathered within, ready to erupt at any moment.
Approval flashed through Zhou Yonghe's eyes. Without ceremony,