Chapter 32: The Night Assault of the Azure Sand Gang?

The sun was setting in the west.

Zhang Shichen walked out of his room holding a whip, stretching lazily with a refreshed air. Xu, the constable waiting outside, hurried forward to tidy his clothes and said obsequiously, "Young Master, the Old Master sent a message just now. He said that the Greensand Gang has been acting strangely lately. We should round up some strong men at the docks as a precaution; we might need them tomorrow."

"Got it, got it..." Zhang Shichen waved his hand impatiently, intending to head to the dining hall to replenish his energy. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned and instructed, "And have someone clean up my room."

"Yes..." Xu glanced through the crack in the door. Upon seeing the battered woman lying on the floor, he knew exactly what the young master meant by "clean up."

The day's work was finally done.

The dockworkers gathered in the dining hall for their meal...

When Zhang Shichen entered with his entourage, the noisy hall fell silent. The workers, who had been chatting and laughing, all lowered their heads, eating quietly, afraid to draw his attention.

Zhang Shichen seemed quite pleased with this effect, scoffing as he ignored the lowly laborers and strode into the inner hall to eat.

Xu, standing behind him, looked around at the workers, then announced loudly, "The Greensand Gang has been restless lately. Tomorrow we need strong men, same as always. If you're willing, stay after you finish eating to collect your knives and a silver bean."

"And another thing..." He scanned the hall, his gaze settling on Liu Shen, who was shoveling food from a basin. He called out, "Shen, find a few men and go clean up the young master's room, right now."

Liu Shen paused slightly mid-bite.

He set down his bowl and chopsticks, glanced at the few men he was closer to, and said, "Da Hai, Huzi, Er Gui, let's go together."

With that, he walked out of the dining hall...

The four named men exchanged glances, tacitly putting down their bowls and following.

"Back to recruiting strong men again..." Shen Hu muttered irritably after leaving, "Those two gangs do nothing all day but send us out with knives to shout in the streets. Whoever yells louder wins—what's the point?"

Hu Dahai pursed his lips and replied, "I heard someone say that a second-rank Greensand Gang fighter died mysteriously on Redwater Gang turf the other day. Seems like a few have died this past half year. Greensand Gang must be pretty pissed."

In a small place like Heyang County, the Redwater Gang's chief, Zhang Wannian, a fourth-rank fighter, was practically an underground emperor.

Second-rank fighters in gangs like Redwater and Greensand were considered minor leaders. For these men who valued loyalty, the unexplained death of a leader on another gang's turf demanded an explanation...

"Dog eat dog..." Shen Hu looked around, lowered his voice, and said, "Shen, have you noticed? The Redwater Gang gets weaker every year."

"That's to be expected..." Liu Shen nodded, "Calling it a 'jianghu gang' sounds nice, but really, it's just a bunch of petty thieves and bandits."

Some truths were best left unsaid, and even if spoken, not everyone would understand.

Men of the underworld valued honor, but Zhang Wannian had only one son late in life and indulged Zhang Shichen's depravity. Surely some in Redwater Gang must resent the father and son's actions?

Without discipline, a group breaks down from within. If a brotherhood starts by breaking its own rules, decline is inevitable...

Arriving at the Redwater Gang's dock headquarters, the men exchanged a knowing look and fell silent.

When they reached Zhang Shichen’s room, despite bracing themselves, their faces stiffened in disgust, cursing the depravity within...

A petite woman lay naked and curled on the floor, her hair disheveled, her body covered in whip marks.

From the rigidity of her form, it was clear life had left her...

Seeing this, Liu Shen felt as if a stone pressed upon his heart. After a long, slow breath, he removed his coat and draped it over the woman's corpse.

"Shen, you’re without a coat now—go home first, before you catch cold..." Hu Dahai, the eldest among them, noticed Liu Shen's unsettled expression and patted his shoulder, "Help us collect the pay for recruiting strong men. I'll take Huzi and Er Gui to bury the girl, let her rest in peace."

"Thank you..." Liu Shen accepted without protest, his face impassive as he left the room. He paused by the water jar, scooped up water, and splashed it over his face...

His reflection in the rippling water appeared twisted, monstrous.

Gradually, as the water settled, his reflection returned to normal—at least, it looked less hideous...

Back in the dining hall.

Because strong men would be needed tomorrow night, the Redwater Gang had brought out several crates of sharp mountain knives for distribution.

If the task was to show force, equipment had to be impressive.

A group of bare-chested men, no matter how fiercely they shouted, couldn't match the visual impact of men brandishing gleaming mountain knives.

But such weapons were valuable, so the knives were handed out only before the show of strength and had to be returned afterward.

The dock laborers, after collecting knives, went to another table for their silver beans.

To them, being a strong man meant little more than brandishing knives and acting fierce. There was rarely real fighting.

And a day's work as a strong man earned a silver bean—equivalent to five or six days' normal pay. Why not take the job?

Liu Shen bundled five mountain knives together and tucked them under his arm, then queued for the silver beans.

Xu recognized him, handed over five beans, and asked, "Shen, is the young master's room cleaned up?"

"Almost..." Liu Shen, unwilling to converse, replied perfunctorily, "Hu Dahai, Shen Hu, and Gou Er Gui are still cleaning. I came back to collect the gear."

"You rascal..." Xu noticed his missing coat, raised his brows mischievously, and teased, "That little lass was fresh enough to squeeze water from—did you take advantage while she was warm, hmm?"

His sharp, monkey-like face, combined with his raised brows and lewd insinuation, was thoroughly repulsive...

Liu Shen didn't even glance at him, simply turned and walked away.

Xu, realizing his taunt fell flat, was momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he spat and muttered, "Lowborn wretch..."

That night, the moon hung high.

Hu Dahai, Shen Hu, and Gou Er Gui buried the abused girl, then returned to collect their knives and silver from Liu Shen. Without a word, they each went to boil water and bathe.

It was bathing, but felt more like washing away something else.

Four years ago, some had been farmers, others sons of butchers; their backgrounds varied, but they were all truly from the lowest ranks.

They had fled here after a flood, surviving on work with the waterway gangs.

In these four years, they had learned cunning and guile, coldness and ruthlessness, but their consciences had never fully died...

Now, seeing Zhang Shichen's depravity and being forced to handle the girl's corpse, it felt as if their hearts had grown filthier...

Liu Shen, troubled by the day's events, found his room increasingly stifling. He decided to take his mountain knife to the grove behind the compound to practice his blade work.

As he trained, his gaze suddenly sharpened—he spotted flickering firelight in the distance...

With his enhanced senses, he could clearly see that the distant lights were not a fire, but a sweep of torches.

Torches quickly converging toward the docks!

He recalled Xu’s warning at dinner about the Greensand Gang’s recent restlessness and need for strong men;

He remembered Hu Dahai's mention of the mysterious death of another second-rank Greensand fighter on Redwater turf;

Now, seeing the torches closing in, the hairs on his arms stood upright...

A Greensand Gang night raid!