Chapter 114: Home Ground

This acquaintance was Tang Wentao—the very instructor who had taught Zhuang Jin the Black Fiend Palm back when he was a formal martial artist.

Originally, Tang Wentao had been stationed at the Shen family headquarters, teaching martial arts to formal martial artists. However, as the intensity of the war escalated and competition within the headquarters grew increasingly fierce, he had been phased out. In truth, Ping Yongfeng had even fewer connections than him and should have been ousted long ago; it was only out of regard for Zhuang Jin that he had been allowed to remain at the headquarters until now.

Tang Wentao saw Zhuang Jin as well. The student he had once taught martial arts to had reached such heights—a Seventh-Meridian level expert and a Ward Warden—while he himself was now a mere squad leader under a Street Warden who reported to Zhuang Jin. With the world turned upside down and their roles reversed, Tang felt a mix of shame, awkwardness, and anxiety. Subconsciously stooping, he hurried forward two steps and called out, "Master... Master Zhuang!"

"Ah, Instructor Tang!"

Zhuang Jin did not call him "Master Tang." At his current level, one had to be careful with words; every action and title was subject to scrutiny. To call him "Master Tang" would signal that he regarded Tang Wentao as a mentor figure, much like Ping Yongfeng. Their relationship simply did not warrant such a gesture, and it would not actually benefit Tang. However, because Tang had been genuinely dedicated when teaching him, and had even gifted him a tael of silver when he broke through the Third Meridian, there was still some sentiment there.

After a moment's thought, Zhuang Jin said, "Instructor Tang has dedicated his life to our Shen family. It wouldn't be right for you to be here risking your life at your age. Next month, get transferred back to the Shen family headquarters or to the medicinal fields outside the city."

Had he still been a mere house servant, saying this would have been overstepping. But now, as a guard-level expert and a pillar of the family's defense, these words were entirely appropriate. There was also a deeper meaning: if he was to be transferred next month, his safety had to be ensured this month—otherwise, what would be the point of sending a dead man back? Once these words got out, it would be enough to make Tang Wentao’s Street Warden pay close attention to his safety, significantly reducing the risks for the month.

"Thank you, Master Zhuang!" Tang Wentao’s emotions were a volatile mix of excitement, gratitude, and nostalgia.

"It is only right," Zhuang Jin nodded and walked inside. After he left, many martial artists gathered around Tang Wentao, casting envious glances and showering him with flattery.

...

At noon, Tang Wentao’s wife came by. When he mentioned what had happened, she was filled with regret.

"A Seventh-Meridian Ward Warden? Since when did you have such a student?"

"Have you forgotten? Back when he broke through the Third Meridian, I wanted to give him five taels of silver as a gift, but you wouldn't allow it. In the end, we only gave one..." Tang recounted.

He had actually considered seeking out Zhuang Jin to see if he could help him stay, but the memory of that single tael of silver made him feel too ashamed to ask.

Upon hearing this, Tang’s wife felt deep regret. But she was a woman who, while soft in many ways, was stubborn in her pride: "I didn't give it, but did you try to reason with me? Could I really have stopped you if you had insisted?"

"Didn't I reason with you at the time? I told you Master Zhuang was different, that he was a man of character. I pleaded until my throat was dry, but you just wouldn't give it!"

"I..."

Tang’s wife recalled that it seemed, perhaps, likely... that things had indeed happened that way. But admitting fault was impossible. She stubbornly retorted, "Fine, I didn't agree to give the money back then, but if you had been firm, you could have acted on your own and given it secretly, or borrowed it! Could I have really stopped you?"

"If I had done that, wouldn't you have raised hell once you found out?"

"Bah! You didn't do it, so how do you know I would have raised hell? Oh, so that's the kind of person I am in your heart? You heartless man, I gave you two sons..."

"I... you... sigh!" Tang Wentao lacked an education; otherwise, he would surely have sighed, "Only women and small-minded men are difficult to deal with!"

...

Time shifts back slightly to when Zhuang Jin parted with Tang Wentao to attend the meeting at the Ward Headquarters.

The moment Zhuang Jin entered, the six Street Wardens stood up in unison. Although many had already heard that Zhuang Jin would be the Ward Warden for the month, seeing him in person left them with complex feelings.

Zhuang Jin looked at his six subordinates. It was a standard configuration: two Sixth-Meridians, two Fifth-Meridians, and two Fourth-Meridians.

Of the two Sixth-Meridians, one was Duan Tao. He felt conflicted: in May, Zhuang Jin had been a squad leader under him, toasting him and calling him "Master Duan"; by August and September, he had been "Brother Duan." Now, he had to call Zhuang Jin "Master Zhuang." Dammit! Who could he complain to?

The other was Xue Yandao. He was arrogant, but he valued strength above all else. After the night of September 18th, when Zhuang Jin displayed Sixth-Meridian strength and mastery of the Black Fiend Palm, Xue had voluntarily attended two small meetings at Zhuang’s place. By comparison, he was quite calm and convinced.

As for the two Fifth-Meridians, one was Wei Xun. He was panicked. Because Zhuang Jin had taken his street and declined a share of the profits, Wei had, in a fit of spite, poured boiling water on one of Zhuang Jin’s orchids. Now that Zhuang was his superior, he felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him.

The other, Du Shiyuan, was just as conflicted. He had been the first among the externally recruited martial students to break through to the Fourth Meridian—Zhuang Jin had been second. Yet now, after using the "War Merit Loan" to obtain a Meridian-Clearing Pill, Du had only just reached the Fifth Meridian, while Zhuang Jin was already at the Seventh! He hadn't been lazy, so how could the gap have grown so wide? Was this reasonable? Was it logical? He consoled himself by thinking that among the recruits, there wasn't even another Sixth-Meridian, and he was still one of the best. He chose to view himself as a normal genius and not compare himself to a freak like Zhuang Jin.

Of the two Fourth-Meridians, one was Lin Hong, who had served under Zhuang Jin in August and September. After fulfilling his Third-Meridian accumulation, he couldn't afford a Meridian-Clearing Pill, so he had used a "Poison Dragon Flower" to break his bottleneck. The Poison Dragon Flower was like the "Lotus Grass" Zhuang Jin had once given Ping Yongfeng—both were main ingredients for the pill—but while the grass was mild, the flower was violently potent and could easily damage the meridians if not properly refined. Lin Hong had broken through, but his meridians suffered minor injuries that took a month to heal.

The other Fourth-Meridian Warden was Qu Zhe, who had been transferred to the North Ward after sustaining injuries in the South.

Zhuang Jin could guess their thoughts. "There are many acquaintances here. I’m not a man who stands on ceremony; call me by my name in private if you wish. But business is business. No joking or slacking off on duty. Those who delay matters... will be dealt with by military law!"

He flicked his body, using the Gale Step to leave behind an afterimage as he moved to the head of the table. The six wardens' pupils constricted. Such speed was beyond their comprehension; in a fight, they wouldn't even be able to react before being struck down. They realized his strength was likely no less than the former Ward Warden, Xing Yan. Strength commanded respect, and whatever they felt internally, they suppressed it, bowing in awe.

"Gentlemen, for the sake of our lives, for the sake of war merits, and for the great plan of the Shen family, let us work in unison and obey orders... Now, let’s discuss the arrangements for this month."

Zhuang Jin issued his directives, including the joint operation with Ping Shui Bo on the night of the 6th, and various street affairs. The meeting concluded.

...

On the afternoon of the first day of the twelfth month, Wei Xun arrived with Xiang Qichen, bringing a generous gift to apologize for the past. He brought Xiang Qichen because they had been roommates, hoping to leverage any potential sentiment—or, if there was none, to sell Xiang out by revealing how he had badmouthed Zhuang Jin behind his back.

"Master Zhuang!"
"Brother Zhuang!"

Zhuang Jin looked at the two nervous men and the gift—valued at five or six hundred taels of silver, along with paintings and calligraphy. They had clearly done their homework.

"If you knew it would come to this, why act that way in the beginning?" He patted Wei Xun on the shoulder, leaving the man drenched in cold sweat. Only after Zhuang accepted the gift did Wei finally breathe a sigh of relief. The orchid incident was minor, and the apology was substantial. Moreover, as a Fifth-Meridian subordinate, being petty would only hinder unity. As for Xiang Qichen—did not many people talk behind his back? To hold a grudge against a subordinate's subordinate would be beneath him.

That day, not only Wei Xun but also Qu Zhe, the Fourth-Meridian Warden who had been injured in the South, came to pay his respects with a gift, showing he was a man who understood the way of the world. With Wei and Qu bowing, and the other four—Duan Tao, Xue Yandao, Du Shiyuan, and Lin Hong—either having ties, respecting strength, or being savvy, Zhuang Jin had effectively taken full control of East Bridge Dock in a single day.