Old Shipyard

Master Wang told Zhang Laifu to buy bamboo, but Zhang Laifu took his time setting out.

"What, you don't trust me, kid?" Master Wang called Zhang Laifu outside the lantern shop, found a spot where no one was around, and handed him a stalk of Gray-Eyed Bamboo.

Gray-Eyed Bamboo had gray markings on its green stem, shaped like little eyes.

Wang Tiaodeng sighed. "As the saying goes, teach your apprentice everything and you'll starve. At first, I really didn't mean to teach you too many of my real skills. Once you knew everything I did, it'd be time for me to clear out. I can tell what Old Liang has in mind.

"But you've got talent. Even if I wanted to hold you back, I couldn't. I might as well teach you everything good I know. The road through the martial world is long; maybe someday we'll be able to look out for each other.

"Laifu, try this Gray-Eyed Bamboo. Feel the strength in its fibers and see whether I'm lying to you."

Zhang Laifu felt along the bamboo for a moment. The strength in its fibers really was different. Beneath his fingers, they seemed to move.

"Gray-Eyed Bamboo has Animus. If I'd known about it when I was learning the craft, I could've saved myself years of wasted effort. By this age, I might have become a Hall Pillar.

"Time waits for no one. You've still got a long road ahead, and you're bound to make something of yourself. Go hone your craft."

The words were so moving that Zhang Laifu's eyes reddened.

But he still stood there.

Master Wang frowned. "Why haven't you gone? Didn't I just tell you time waits for no one? You don't listen to a word I say anymore, is that it?"

Zhang Laifu shook his head. "You haven't given me any money."

"Why would I give you money?"

"You told me to buy bamboo. This kind can't be cheap, can it?"

Master Wang flew into a rage. "Who's the bamboo for? It's for you! Why are you asking me for money?"

Zhang Laifu replied without flinching, "I'm an apprentice. I don't earn a penny. What am I supposed to buy it with?"

"Fine!" Master Wang took out two Silver Dollars and handed them to Zhang Laifu. "Two Silver Dollars will buy two eight-foot stalks, enough for you to practice for a month or so. That's your master's hard-earned money. When you've learned the craft, remember what I did for you."

"I'll remember." Zhang Laifu took the money and walked off cheerfully.

Master Wang watched him go, a kindly smile spreading across his face.

"Laifu, I gave you money to buy bamboo because I truly wanted what was best for you.

"When you meet the King of Hell, make sure you tell him exactly who took your life. Take it up with them. Your master had nothing to do with it."

The Old Shipyard stood beside the Black Sand River. It was an abandoned dock: a great pit used to build and repair boats. At one end, the pit connected to a lock leading to the river. That entrance was called the Dock Gate, and the barrier across it was also called the Dock Gate.

Normally, the gate stayed shut while the water was pumped out so boats could be built inside the pit. Once a boat was finished, the gate was opened and river water poured in. The boat floated up and could be launched.

Now the dock had been abandoned, and its gate was broken. River water seeped into the pit, turning it into a pond.

Several warehouses stood on either side of the pit. The one originally used for timber was called the Wood Grid Storehouse; the one for iron, the Iron Grid Storehouse; and the one for sundries, the Miscellaneous Grid Storehouse. These three warehouses had become a peculiar corner of Heishakou, where shady deals often took place.

Deng Yuechuan sat in Warehouse Two of the Iron Grid Storehouse, clutching a Revolver.

A man in his fifties sat beside him eating sugarcane. Seeing the sweat on Deng Yuechuan's face, he offered him a stalk. "What's on your mind, young man? Have some sweet cane to wet your throat."

Deng Yuechuan waved it away. "I don't eat sugarcane. The scraps would make people suspicious."

"Don't give me that nonsense, kid. How many years do you think I've spent out in the martial world? When I was roaming around with your master, you weren't even born!

"What's wrong with a few bites of sugarcane? A little sweet juice will settle your nerves! I'm offering because I think well of you, and now you're getting fussy."

The man was Shao Tiangan, a friend of Wang Tiaodeng's. Supposedly, they had pulled off plenty of big jobs together years ago.

Deng Yuechuan paced back and forth across the warehouse several times. Then he went up to Shao Tiangan, lowered his head, and whispered, "Senior, you should do it. I really can't..."

Shao Tiangan spat sugarcane pulp all over Deng Yuechuan's face. "Look at you, quivering like a bear cub! If I do the job, what use are you? Am I the one trying to learn the craft from Old Wang? And you want to be a Craftsman with guts like that?"

"I really am scared..." Deng Yuechuan's lips had gone white with fear.

"What are you afraid of? I'll be watching. All you have to do is fire one shot. Leave the rest to me!"

"But I can't even bring myself to fire that one shot..."

"Quiet. Someone's coming. I'll go meet them. You stay here and wait to shoot."

This was how Wang Tiaodeng had divided the work between them. When Zhang Laifu arrived, Shao Tiangan would pretend to be selling bamboo and talk business with him. Deng Yuechuan would hide in the warehouse and shoot Zhang Laifu from the shadows.

But what if Deng Yuechuan failed to kill him?

That didn't matter.

Shao Tiangan would kill Zhang Laifu himself, then kill Deng Yuechuan.

The process didn't matter. Only the result did.

And the result would be that Deng Yuechuan had killed Zhang Laifu out of jealousy.

Plenty of people at Old Liang's lantern shop envied Zhang Laifu, and Deng Yuechuan was fiercely competitive. It would make perfect sense for him to kill Zhang Laifu, and Old Wang would have nothing to do with it.

Shao Tiangan went outside.

It was bitterly cold, and Deng Yuechuan was terrified. Clutching the gun, he hid in the warehouse, his whole body numb and shaking.

Shao Tiangan saw a young man approaching and asked with a smile, "Here to buy bamboo?"

Li Yunsheng shook his head. "I'm not buying bamboo. I'm going to the Wood Grid Warehouse to look at the newly arrived medicinal herbs."

There really was an herb merchant at the Wood Grid Warehouse. Shao Tiangan pointed behind him. "The Wood Grid Warehouse is over there."

Li Yunsheng thanked him and headed toward the Wood Grid Warehouse.

Shao Tiangan returned to the warehouse alone and looked at Deng Yuechuan. "You're scared out of your wits. That wasn't Zhang Laifu."

Old Liang returned to the lantern shop and told Xiao Chu to find Zhang Laifu. Xiao Chu couldn't find him, so Xiao An hurried over to report. "Shopkeeper, Master Wang sent Laifu out on an errand."

"What errand?" Old Liang's heart tightened.

"Master Wang said it was on your orders."

"What orders?" Old Liang barked. "Get Old Wang over here!"

Wang Tiaodeng came over. "Shopkeeper, did you need me?"

"What did you send Laifu to do?"

"I sent him to the Old Shipyard to buy two stalks of Gray-Eyed Bamboo."

"What for?"

"Gray-Eyed Bamboo is excellent for practicing the strength in bamboo fibers. You asked me to teach Laifu the craft, so I passed on a secret technique I keep to myself."

Wang Tiaodeng explained with great patience. There wasn't a flaw to be found in anything he said.

But Old Liang couldn't put his mind at ease. He sent Wang Tiaodeng away, then quickly told Xiao Chu to take some men to the Old Shipyard. "As soon as you see Zhang Laifu, bring him back. If anyone tries to attack you from the shadows, don't fight them head-on. Run straight back!"

The shop hands left. Wang Tiaodeng stood in the courtyard and watched in silence.

He wasn't worried at all. By his reckoning, Zhang Laifu was already dead. When the shop hands reached the Old Shipyard, all they would find were two corpses. Wang Tiaodeng trusted Shao Tiangan to get the job done.

He turned, picked up a lantern frame, pasted paper over it, attached a wire, fastened it to a pole, and set a candle inside.

When he lit the lantern, Wang Tiaodeng smiled.

He was delighted. He was about to see Zhang Laifu's Craft Essence.

"Master, what are you smiling about?"

"I just thought of you..." Wang Tiaodeng stared at Zhang Laifu, unable to speak for a long moment.

P.S. What did Wang Tiaodeng want the Craft Essence for?