Chapter 79: Rain Curtain

Episode 2: The Pool of Undercurrents

Summer rain poured down, a continuous patter. Carriages occasionally galloped past, splashing water in all directions, as pedestrians hurried along. Looking into the distance, a shop at the crossroads was lit by several oil lamps. Although the light wasn't particularly bright, the thoughtful arrangement created a warm and inviting atmosphere on such a gloomy, rainy day, making passersby want to step inside and sit for a while.

The curtain of rain seemed to separate that world from this. Inside the shop, a man and a woman were talking, with an attendant standing behind the man. Their conversation was muffled by the rain and couldn't be heard. At one point, the elegant woman was seen shaking her head and bowing apologetically. The discussion didn't end there immediately, but all conversations eventually do. After a long while, they finished their talk. The young master, dressed in a dark teal robe, politely nodded goodbye to the woman, opened his umbrella, and, accompanied by his scar-faced attendant, stepped out into the rain.

He didn't look back until the shop's light vanished from his sight. The rain pounded all around him. Turning the corner, he finally spoke: "To Haiqing Quarter."

The evening downpour showed no signs of letting up. Haiqing Quarter wasn't far from here. In earlier years, the area had been a bustling port where merchant ships docked and goods flowed. However, after a new dock was built, this area gradually fell into disuse. Now, it was a chaotic and unkempt place, a true melting pot, considered the most complicated district in Jiangning City. Brawls and knife fights occurred every day or two, and respectable families typically warned their children to stay away.

Despite its disorder, the quarter was quite lively. Various bottom-rung vendors, wanderers, impoverished foreign merchants, destitute scholars, freelance courtesans, and gang members chose to reside here. By the time Gu Yanzhen and Old Liu arrived, the streets of the low-lying quarter had already turned into puddles due to the heavy rain, but the shops and taverns on both sides were brightly lit. They walked a short distance inside, folded their umbrellas in front of what appeared to be the largest tavern, and entered.

Under the glow of oil lamps and torches, a diverse crowd filled the tavern's main hall. Fierce-looking Jianghu figures sat with weapons by their sides, eating, drinking, and talking loudly. Ruffian-like figures animatedly chatted with their companions, occasionally jesting with women passing by who were seeking patrons. Destitute scholars ate with their heads down, gulping their food. Some people looked distraught, eating while nervously glancing left and right. Someone was vomiting from too much drink, and children played noisily inside.

Gu Yanzhen's demeanor and appearance clearly stood out in this tavern, attracting some attention the moment he entered. However, Old Liu's grim gaze, coupled with the scar on his face, quickly deterred further curiosity. A lone "fat sheep" is easy prey, but one accompanied by such a man usually implies support or backing. They walked to a table on the inner side of the tavern, paid a few small silver coins to get rid of the destitute scholar originally sitting there, and then had the waiter clean the table and bring fresh food and drink.

Despite the noisy environment, they waited quietly. After their food and drink arrived, Gu Yanzhen said, "Uncle Liu, please sit. It will probably be a while yet..." Old Liu sat as instructed but didn't begin to eat. After a moment, Gu Yanzhen asked, "Uncle Liu, do you have something to say?"

"I just feel that, with your appointment imminent, even small matters could cause unforeseen complications."

"But you supported it last time."

"Only because last time it was a major matter related to your future, Young Master..."

"To me, Gu Yanzhen, they are all small matters," Gu Yanzhen said with a smile, looking at Old Liu. "The only difference is whether to do them or not. What happened last time wasn't necessarily big; it was just removing an obstacle. What's happening this time isn't necessarily small; I returned to Jiangning largely for this matter. Even if it's not perfect, there must be a result."

He paused. "Old Liu, among my friends, how many do you think have visited this Haiqing Quarter?"

"...Probably not many."

"They're all just corrupt scholars, quite laughable. They think writing a few poems makes them infinitely elegant, and that by frolicking with a few women on a boat and boasting about discussing national affairs, they can bring peace to the realm. They're all so short-sighted they can't see the bigger picture. Three years ago, on the way to Tokyo, we encountered bandits. One moment they were grandiosely discussing saving the world, the next they were in utter panic. Even the few who managed to stay calm in front of the bandits would wail and cry upon seeing the wound after a sword cut, then kneel and beg for mercy."

He raised one hand to the level of his eyes. "These naive people only believe the world's reality is here." Then he pressed it down to the table. "But they don't know that true reality, so-called, is actually here. Relatively speaking, what's the point of those people thinking they've gained a huge advantage by mocking someone at the Ink Pavilion? A while ago, when Shen Zishan learned of that man's status as a live-in son-in-law, he thought revealing it and watching the spectacle would give him a big advantage. But what was the actual point? It's like me planting crops this year and getting no harvest. If I then see someone else also had an accident and got no harvest, I'm happy. What's the point of that? Am I not still hungry?"

"Since childhood, when I do something, I determine what I want and what is insignificant. As long as it's something I want to do, I will relentlessly pursue results. Even if it can't be perfect, I will never give up. If I can achieve eighty percent, then eighty percent; if seventy, then seventy. If I become an official in the future, it should be the same. If I serve the common people and the outcome isn't perfect, does that mean I shouldn't do it at all?"

He tapped the table. "Today, the world's situation is chaotic and complex. The foundations of the Martial Dynasty are precarious, like a precarious egg. What use are all these people talking about peace? It's like the storytellers on the streets of Tokyo, describing how someone humiliated an arrogant Liao envoy, and the listeners applaud. But if they actually encountered Liao people, wouldn't they still walk the other way? Is our dynasty not currently being humiliated by the Liao people? We, as a generation, should confront our true selves and know what we truly desire..."

"Actually, it's also because I'm still young and lack sufficient cultivation. This time, returning, I had too many preconceived notions and desires. I already knew Zi was heartless, but I hadn't expected Yunzhu to be such a mundane person, which disappointed me. In a few more years, I wouldn't be swayed by such feelings. But if I were to let go and leave now, remembering it in the future would surely become an impediment to my mind, preventing my thoughts from flowing freely." He closed his eyes slightly, a flash of the dumbfounded shock he felt after being slapped in the face on the street that day, and the mocking laughter in the hearts of the many onlookers, passing through his mind.

"One bends his back for a mere pittance, becomes a live-in son-in-law to a merchant family, and then, after writing a couple of poems, believes he has become a renowned scholar, probably even thinking he's exceptionally unique and unconventional. Another does a little business and believes herself to be so refined and noble, forgetting her past status. They are all common people, like ants. Uncle Liu, in this world, what are these grand matters? They are just trivialities, easily handled. In the future, when I go to Leping, and then to the northern lands, what will this matter amount to?"

Having finished speaking, he looked towards the shop entrance. Two figures were already approaching through the curtain of rain...

Haiqing Quarter, Yingbin Tavern.

The tavern was noisy, dimly lit by yellowish lamps. Old Liu rose from his seat and stood beside Gu Yanzhen. Gu Yanzhen's eyes flickered slightly before regaining their cold composure. At the entrance, two figures clad in straw cloaks entered. As they looked around, some people whose gaze met theirs lowered their voices. Most of the regulars in this quarter likely knew these two. When the waiter stepped forward to greet them, he seemed like a child, two heads shorter than the men.

Both men were burly and tall, dressed not in martial arts attire but more like fishermen. The lead man was over two meters tall, solidly built and well-proportioned, with a calm gaze. The other had a broad, fleshy face; he was slightly shorter than the lead but seemed like an iron tower, with dark skin and small, menacing eyes. These were the kind of men in the Jianghu world whom others would least want to provoke; even Old Liu, who accompanied Gu Yanzhen, appeared frail compared to them.

After scanning the tavern, the lead man roughly pushed the waiter aside and headed towards Gu Yanzhen and Old Liu. Most other patrons largely ignored them, but a few seemingly outsider martial artists, who had been loudly boasting near the entrance, turned their heads to size up the two newcomers. The tower-like man stopped and glared back. These Jianghu martial artists didn't back down either, and they stared at each other for a moment, but ultimately, it was the Jianghu men who averted their gaze.

The tower-like man followed the lead, then seemed to spot something else in the tavern. He reached out and tapped the taller man, pointed to one side, and said a few words. The taller man nodded, and the tower-like man walked over there. The taller man then approached Gu Yanzhen, breaking into what looked like a hearty smile, and clapped Gu Yanzhen on the shoulder.

"Young Master Gu, it's truly been a long time."

His words were steady, but his voice was low, not loud enough for others nearby to hear. Gu Yanzhen, however, swayed from the slap, gritted his teeth to steady himself, and calmly said, "I have something I need you to do."

"What kind of job is it this time?"

"Similar to last time."

"There's been an assassin around; things have been tense these past few days."

"They'll be withdrawn tomorrow."

"Haha, well, that's what being a young master means..."

The big man sat down. Gu Yanzhen's physique seemed utterly disproportionate to his. The big man smiled and surveyed his surroundings. Gu Yanzhen was also watching that side, where someone suddenly pushed a stool aside and bolted. The tower-like man took a few steps, picked up a stool, and knocked the fleeing person to the ground.

"Running?" The second blow crashed down, shattering the stool. "Old Huang, it's not good to owe money and not pay it back."

"Excuse the scene, my brother is collecting a debt," the big man said, picking up his wine cup and taking a sip.

"Since when did you brothers start lending at high interest?"

"Is that your business to ask?" Gu Yanzhen had asked with a smile, but a look from the big man made him instantly awkward. The big man then clapped his shoulder again. "Young master, you should know your place. Don't ask questions you shouldn't... It wasn't much money, and I don't lend money. But since he wasn't going to pay me back, he shouldn't have borrowed from me in the first place."

At that moment, Old Liu lightly tapped Gu Yanzhen's shoulder. Gu Yanzhen looked towards the side of the tavern and saw two yamen runners passing by outside, who also noticed the commotion inside the tavern.

"I'll go upstairs," he said. Only after the big man nodded did he and Old Liu head towards the stairs. Reaching the top of the stairs, he paused and looked back.

Kicking, beating, and shouting continued downstairs in the tavern, and the beaten man kept begging for mercy and trying to escape. Such incidents were common in Haiqing Quarter. The two yamen runners watched for a while from the entrance, probably not wanting to get involved, but then seeing the man was spitting up blood all over the floor, the leading yamen runner stepped forward: "Stop, Yang Heng! Do you want to kill him?"

Both yamen runners were a head shorter than the tower-like man; perhaps together they might equal him in strength, but they were law enforcement, so some respect had to be given. The half-dead man on the ground mustered his strength to scramble behind the yamen runners, spitting blood: "Second Master Yang, Second Master, I'll pay it back, I promise I will! I've joined the Iron River Gang, my hall master is Master Tan, please give him face and give me two more days, I'll definitely pay..."

"Master Tan? Although we brothers don't belong to any gang, even your gang leader would have to give us face if he saw us. You bring out his name... is that enough?"

As he spoke, he grabbed another stool and smashed it. He then tried to pursue the man, but the slightly younger yamen runner suddenly stepped sideways, blocking him, and half-drew his plain saber: "Stop it!" The saber was halfway out when the older yamen runner beside him pushed his hand down. Yang Heng, the tower-like strongman, seeing this action, also stopped. "Officer Zheng, this subordinate of yours, he's new to the job, isn't he?"

The older yamen runner looked at him. "If you keep hitting him, he'll die!"

"Hmph." Injuring or crippling someone wasn't a big deal, but if someone actually died, there would be no explaining it to anyone. Yang Heng gave a cold chuckle, then raised his hand. "Alright, I, Yang Heng, am a law-abiding man. Today, I'll give you face, Officer Zheng. Consider that he owed me money, and I was in the right from the start, so I won't pursue it further now. But you'd better keep your new junior subordinate in line from now on. Drawing his saber so carelessly... what if he scares someone to death?"

He silently tapped the younger yamen runner's forehead with his finger. The severely injured man behind him could only mutter, "I'll pay it back, I will..." Yang Heng squatted down and looked at him. "No need to pay it back. Consider it your medical expenses. Just remember this in the future: there are two kinds of people in this world – hoodlums and desperadoes. You are a hoodlum. If you want to cheat money, you should cheat money from other hoodlums like yourself, not from me and my brothers!"

Having said that, he turned and walked back towards the big man.

The young yamen runner's face had turned red. He was then dragged out by the older one. Under the curtain of rain, they walked a few steps before turning to leave. "Officer, who were those men?"

The officer's face darkened. "The Yang brothers, Yang Yi and Yang Heng. Don't provoke them if you don't want trouble."

"How can such people be allowed to be so arrogant?"

"Those two... they're true desperadoes..." The officer took a deep breath. "But they usually don't cause major trouble and generally know their limits. None of the gangs here in Haiqing Quarter dare to provoke them. Years ago, Yang Yi single-handedly stormed the Iron Sand Gang, dragging a hall master's intestines through the streets for three laps, completely drenched in blood. A truly ruthless man..."

"...They have murder records?"

"Everyone knows they must have murder charges, but gang fights are a messy affair, hard to manage, and there's no other evidence. They don't engage in petty brawls like others. That gambling addict who owed money this time deserved it; years ago, he gambled away his own daughter, and this time he borrowed from these brothers. It serves him right. Years ago, when Officer Lei was in charge, he tried to deal with them. He caught Yang Yi, but Yang Heng escaped. Yang Yi endured in prison, refusing to confess. Yang Heng, outside, swore that if anything happened to his brother, he would kill Officer Lei's family. In the end... Yang Yi was released. But they also know how to act; afterward, they sent gifts to Officer Lei's home to express their gratitude. After that, no one dared to provoke them easily..."

After the older yamen runner finished speaking, the younger one was momentarily astonished. The older yamen runner shook his head and said, "In short, if you truly want to deal with them, finish them off in one go. If you don't have that chance, try to intervene as little as possible, otherwise, the trouble will be endless. These brothers actually show restraint in many matters; they are truly ruthless individuals. Haiqing Quarter is full of hoodlums... just manage those, as long as no overtly serious incidents occur, that's enough..."

Lightning flashed across the sky as the two yamen runners walked on. Left behind in the tavern, the Yang brothers proceeded to the second floor, where they began discussing their transaction with Gu Yanzhen in a private room.

Ancient Jiangning City, rain continued to fall...

Monthly ticket request.