Summer rain poured down in sheets. Carriages rushed past splashing water everywhere while pedestrians hurried along. From a distance, the corner shop glowed with several oil lamps—the light wasn't particularly bright, but the careful arrangement created such a warm atmosphere on this dim rainy day that it made people want to duck inside for a while.

The rain curtain separated that space like a screen. Inside the shop, a man and woman were talking while the man's follower stood behind him. Their conversation was muffled by the rain, but at one point the refined-looking woman shook her head and bowed apologetically. The conversation continued for quite a while before they finally wrapped up. The young master in dark blue robes gave a courteous nod of farewell, opened his umbrella, and walked into the rain with his scarred follower.

He didn't look back even after the shop's light disappeared from view. Rain thundered around them as they turned the corner and he finally spoke: "To Haiqing District."

The evening storm showed no signs of letting up. Haiqing District wasn't far—it used to be a bustling dock where merchant ships berthed and cargo flowed constantly. After they built a new dock, this area gradually went to ruin. Now the district was filthy and chaotic, the roughest part of Jiangning where fights and stabbings happened every couple of days. Regular families warned their children to stay away.

Despite the chaos, the district stayed lively with bottom-tier merchants, drifters, broke foreign traders, down-and-out scholars, working girls, and gang members all making their homes there. When Gu Yanzhen and Old Liu arrived, the low-lying streets had already flooded in the heavy rain, though the shops and taverns on both sides blazed with lights. They walked in for a bit before folding their umbrellas outside the largest tavern and going inside.

Oil lamps and torches lit up the main hall where all sorts had gathered. Mean-looking martial artists sat with weapons at hand, eating and drinking while talking loudly. Thugs waved their hands around telling stories to their buddies, occasionally hassling the working girls who passed by. Shabby scholars hunched over their meals—some ate anxiously while darting nervous glances around. A drunk had thrown up in one corner while children ran between the tables.

The way Gu Yanzhen looked and carried himself, he obviously didn't belong here. His entrance drew immediate attention, though Old Liu's grim face and ugly scar made people think twice about staring. A rich boy alone would be easy prey—but one with muscle like that clearly had backing. They headed to a back table and paid the shabby scholar sitting there to leave, then had the waiter clean up and bring fresh food and wine.

They waited quietly despite all the noise. When the food came, Gu Yanzhen said, "Uncle Liu, sit down. Should be a while yet..." Old Liu sat as told but didn't touch the food. After a moment, Gu Yanzhen asked, "Uncle Liu, something on your mind?"

"I just feel that with Young Master's appointment approaching, these minor matters might cause complications."

"Last time you supported it though."

"Only because last time concerned Young Master's future prospects..."

"To me, Gu Yanzhen, they're all minor matters." Gu Yanzhen smiled, looking at Old Liu. "The only difference is whether to act or not. Last time's matter wasn't necessarily major—just removing an obstacle. This time's matter isn't necessarily minor either. I returned to Jiangning largely for this, and even if imperfect, there must be closure."

He paused: "Old Liu, among my good friends, how many do you think have been to Haiqing District?"

"...Probably not many."

"All pedantic scholars—it's laughable. They think writing poems makes them incredibly refined, that playing with women on boats and talking big about national affairs means they can bring peace to the realm. All of them blind to what's right in front of them. Three years ago on the way to the Eastern Capital, we ran into bandits. The same people who'd been talking big about saving the country lost it completely. A few managed to keep their cool at first, but once the blades came out and they saw blood, they were crying and begging on their knees."

He raised one hand to eye level: "These pure scholars think reality is up here." Then pressed it down to the table: "But real life is actually down here. Think about it—they mock each other at poetry gatherings and think they've won something big. What's the point? A few days ago when they found out about that man being a live-in son-in-law, Shen Zishan thought exposing him and watching the show meant he'd scored some victory. What victory? It's like if I farmed this year and got nothing, then felt happy because my neighbor's crops also failed... so what? I'm still starving."

"Since childhood when I do things, I always determine what I want and what doesn't matter. For things I want to do, I absolutely pursue results by any means necessary. Even if imperfect, I never let go—eighty percent is eighty percent, seventy percent is seventy percent. When I become an official in the future, serving the common people, if things aren't perfect should I not do them?"

He tapped the table: "The world's situation is now chaotic and complex, the Wu Dynasty's foundation hangs by a thread, yet scholars just spout peaceful principles—what use is that? Like storytellers on Eastern Capital streets telling how someone humiliated Liao's arrogant envoys while listeners applaud, but meeting actual Liao people they'd still walk around them. Isn't our dynasty still bullied by Liao? We should face our true hearts directly, knowing what we want..."

"Actually, it's because I'm still young and haven't learned enough self-control. Coming back this time, I had too many fixed ideas about how things would go. I knew courtesans had no real feelings, but I didn't expect Yunzhu to be so... ordinary. It disappointed me. Give me a few more years and this kind of thing wouldn't affect me. But if I just walk away now, it'll eat at me later—become something stuck in my mind that I can't get past." He closed his eyes briefly, remembering that slap on the street and knowing how everyone watching had laughed inside.

"One sells himself for a meal ticket, marries into a merchant family, writes a couple poems and thinks he's become some famous scholar—probably thinks he's so special and different. The other runs a little business and acts all pure and noble, like she's forgotten what she used to be. They're nothing but ants, Uncle Liu. In the grand scheme of things, this is all trivial. Just small matters to handle in passing. When I get to Leping and then the northern territories, none of this will even matter."

As he finished speaking, he looked outside where two figures were already approaching through the rain...

Haiqing District, Welcoming Guests Tavern.

Voices clamored in the dim lamplight as Old Liu rose from his seat to stand beside Gu Yanzhen. Gu Yanzhen's eyes flickered slightly before returning to cold composure. At the entrance, two figures in rain cloaks entered and looked around. Some people meeting their gaze reduced their conversation—those who'd been here long generally recognized these two. When the waiter approached, he looked like a child compared to the leader.

Both men were huge, dressed like fishermen rather than fighters. The leader stood over two meters tall, solidly built all around with steady eyes. The other was shorter but built like a brick wall—dark-skinned with small, mean eyes. These were exactly the type nobody wanted to mess with. Even Old Liu looked small next to them.

The leader scanned the tavern, shoved the waiter aside with one big hand, and headed for Gu Yanzhen and Old Liu. Most people suddenly found somewhere else to look, except for some outside martial artists by the door talking loud who turned to size up the newcomers. The brick wall of a man stopped and stared them down. The martial artists tried to hold their ground, but after a tense moment they looked away first.

The shorter one caught up with the leader and spotted something across the tavern. He tapped the big man—who stood a full head taller—and pointed, saying something quick. The tall one nodded, so his brother headed that way while he approached Gu Yanzhen with a big grin, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Young Master Gu, it's been a while."

His words were steady but not loud, preventing nearby people from hearing. Gu Yanzhen's body swayed from the clap but gritted his teeth to steady himself, saying coolly: "I have business for you."

"What kind of job?"

"Similar to last time."

"An assassin appeared, things have been tight recently."

"It'll be lifted tomorrow."

"Haha, so you're the young master type..."

The tall man sat down, his build making Gu Yanzhen look completely disproportionate. He smiled while observing the surroundings. Gu Yanzhen was also watching the other side where someone knocked over a stool trying to run, only for the iron tower to catch up in a few steps and smash him down with a stool.

"Running?" The second blow shattered the stool. "Old Huang! You don't run out on debts!"

"Sorry for the spectacle—my brother's collecting a debt." The tall man picked up a wine cup and drank.

"When did you brothers start lending money too?"

"Is that your business to ask?" Gu Yanzhen had asked with a smile, but the tall man's glance made him somewhat embarrassed. The man patted his shoulder again: "Young master, know your place. Don't ask what you shouldn't... There's not much money. I don't lend money, but since he wasn't planning to pay me back, he shouldn't have borrowed from me in the first place."

Just then Old Liu lightly touched Gu Yanzhen's shoulder. Looking toward the tavern's side, Gu Yanzhen saw two constables passing outside who'd noticed the commotion inside.

"I'll go upstairs." He said this and waited for the tall man's nod before heading to the stairs with Old Liu, stopping at the top to look back.

The tavern echoed with kicks, punches, and curses while the beaten man kept begging and trying to escape. Such things were commonplace in Haiqing District. The two constables watched from the door for a while, probably not wanting to intervene, but seeing the man vomiting blood everywhere, the lead constable finally went over: "Stop! Yang Heng, you trying to kill him?!"

The two constables were each a head shorter than the iron tower—perhaps together they'd match him—but they still had to suppress this. The man beaten nearly to death summoned his strength to run behind the constables, blood dripping from his mouth: "Second Master Yang, Second Master, I'll definitely pay back, I'll definitely pay. I've already joined Iron River Gang, my hall master is Master Tan. Give him face, give me two days, I'll definitely pay..."

"Master Tan? Though we brothers don't have any gangs, even your gang leader has to give us face when he sees us. You bringing up his name... is that enough?!"

He grabbed another stool to smash down, then tried to continue beating, but the younger constable suddenly stepped sideways to block him, hand on his plain sword: "Stop!" The blade was half-drawn when the older constable pressed it down. The iron tower called Yang Heng looked at this action and also stopped: "Squad Leader Zheng, this younger brother of yours—new to the job?"

The older constable looked at him: "Keep beating and he'll die!"

"Hmph." Beating someone half-dead was one thing—actually killing them was harder to explain. Yang Heng gave a cold laugh and raised his hand: "Fine. I'm a law-abiding citizen, so today I'll give Squad Leader Zheng face. He owes me money and I've got every right to collect, but I'll let it slide. Just keep your rookie in line from now on. Pulling steel for no reason... someone might die of fright!"

He pointed right at the young constable's forehead without a word. Behind them the beaten man kept mumbling: "I'll pay it back, I'll definitely pay..." Yang Heng squatted down to look at him: "Forget the money—call it medicine fees! But remember this: there's two kinds of people in this world, thugs and desperados¹. You're a thug. You want to run scams, go scam other thugs like yourself. Leave us brothers out of it!"

With that, he turned and walked toward the tall man.

The young constable's face had turned red. After being dragged outside by the older one, he pulled free after a few steps and turned to leave in the rain: "Squad leader, who were those people?"

The squad leader's face was dark: "The Yang Yi and Yang Heng brothers—don't provoke them if you can help it!"

"How can we let such people be so arrogant?"

"Those two... they're real desperados..." The squad leader took a deep breath. "But they usually keep things under control, don't cause too much trouble. None of the gangs in Haiqing District dare mess with them. Years back, Yang Yi charged into Iron Sand Gang alone and dragged one of their hall masters through the streets by his guts, running three full circles covered in blood. That's a genuinely ruthless man..."

"...Murder cases?"

"Everyone knows they've killed people, but gang fights are messy business—hard to sort out who did what. As for other crimes, there's no proof. They don't waste time on petty stuff like others do. That gambler today had it coming—years back he even gambled away his own daughter. Borrowing from those brothers? He was asking for a beating. When Squad Leader Lei was around, he tried to take them down. Arrested Yang Yi while Yang Heng got away. Yang Yi just sat tight in jail, wouldn't confess to anything. Meanwhile Yang Heng put word out that if his brother got hurt, he'd kill Lei's whole family. In the end... they had to let him go. But they know their manners—sent gifts to Squad Leader Lei's house afterward to say thanks. Since then, nobody's been eager to tangle with them..."

The younger constable had nothing to say after that explanation. The older one shook his head: "Look, if you're going to move on them, you better kill them outright. If you can't do that, leave them alone. Otherwise you'll never hear the end of it. Those brothers know their limits in most things—but they're genuinely dangerous people. Haiqing District's full of regular thugs... just handle those and keep things from getting too out of hand. That's enough..."

Lightning split the sky as the two constables walked forward. In the tavern left behind, the Yang brothers had gone upstairs to discuss business with Gu Yanzhen in a private room.

The ancient city of Jiangning lay shrouded in endless rain...