Chapter 115: The Backstab

For the next few days, Zhuang Jin enjoyed a rare period of leisure. As a District Warden, his responsibilities were even lighter than those of a Street Warden. He held a meeting at the beginning of the month, while the Street Wardens handled the stability of their respective areas. He also had two squads of personal guards at his disposal to manage any trivial matters.

These two squads were the standard configuration for a Street Warden’s unit. The squad leaders were Bi Kai and Qian Wende—the latter had benefited greatly from following Zhuang Jin and had recently broken through to the Three-Meridian stage.

Zhuang Jin only needed to hold the line when the front lines were engaged in an offensive; otherwise, he was essentially free to focus on his cultivation.

During these days, Liu Licheng often stopped by. His territory, Ping Shui Bo, was right next to the East Bridge Dock, and their district residences were only separated by one street.

Knowing that other District Wardens treated Zhuang Jin with cold indifference, Chen Yun made a conscious effort to foster a positive relationship between Zhuang Jin and Liu Licheng. Every time the two men gathered, she prepared elaborate dishes, and upon learning that Liu Licheng enjoyed fermented bean curd, she even gifted him a jar.

Perhaps due to Chen Yun’s culinary skills and generosity, Liu Licheng had become much more attentive during his recent visits to chat with Zhuang Jin, and their relationship had developed and deepened rapidly.

On this day, Liu Licheng came over again. Zhuang Jin finished his martial arts practice, sat down beside him, and shared a drink.

"Every time I come by, I see Warden Zhuang practicing so diligently. It seems the rumors of you being a 'martial arts fanatic' are true. Such effort and self-discipline are truly humbling!" Liu Licheng praised.

"It is only because of the current situation. I would rather sweat a little more in practice today than bleed or lose my life at a critical moment due to a lack of strength."

"Well said. It is just that everyone’s talent differs. For someone like me, stuck at a bottleneck, I wouldn't even have the opportunity to be this diligent," Liu Licheng said with a complex expression, sighing, "Warden Zhuang, your talent is extraordinary. You are truly fortunate!"

"Those of us with talent for the martial path can indeed be called fortunate. I am simply a bit more fortunate than most."

Zhuang Jin agreed, then brought up a memory: "When I was teaching martial arts students at headquarters, I met a student who could be called diligent, but without the aptitude for the path, he eventually had to leave in sorrow..."

As they chatted, the conversation turned to the former District Warden, Xing Yan. Perhaps because they had become more familiar, Liu Licheng hesitated for a moment before suddenly saying, "I heard that Warden Zhuang also participated in the selection for the Eighth Young Master’s personal guards?"

"That is true, though I was ultimately cut."

"I have information that, during the selection, Warden Zhuang had already reached the final stage. You were among the three on the final shortlist, and I heard the Eighth Young Master was most inclined toward you."

Liu Licheng sighed with regret: "Your final elimination was not due to misfortune, but rather... human interference!"

"Xing Yan... his evaluation... mentioned the months of August and September... and the final stroke of genius: 'Overly protective of one's own life, perhaps concealing one's true ability'..."

Zhuang Jin listened to this, recalling how Zou Qingfeng had stopped short of speaking his mind at the end of last month. He had already harbored a suspicion or two, but having no proof, he refused to accuse anyone baselessly. Now, hearing such detailed information, he was eight or nine parts convinced. He fixed his gaze on Liu Licheng, waiting for further explanation.

***

Liu Licheng and Xing Yan had been on good terms, so why would he stab Xing Yan in the back by telling Zhuang Jin these things? Moreover, how did Liu Licheng know all of this so clearly?

"I won't hide it from you, Warden Zhuang. I was also on the preliminary list. When I didn't make it, I suspected Xing Yan had done something. Furthermore, now that Xing Yan is gone, you are my partner, and our relationship is closer. As for how I know these things, I have some connections within the Shen family headquarters!"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly. The explanation held water. After learning the truth, his expression remained calm, as if nothing had happened. He continued to chat with Liu Licheng about other matters until the latter took his leave shortly after.

...

Once Liu Licheng had gone, Chen Yun approached and asked, "I heard that Xing Yan helped you quite a bit. Why would he do such a thing during the selection?"

"Yun-niang, do you remember the matter of Miao Lun? It is simply that 'all the bustle in the world is for profit; all the chasing in the world is for gain'."

Zhuang Jin spoke as if he were an outsider: "Xing Yan did indeed help me often. He saved me a lot of trouble during the affair with my uncle, Zhuang Yutang; he looked out for me in the North City during August and September; and when the Miao Lun matter arose, he was there immediately when I asked..."

"Looking at all this, Xing Yan appears magnanimous, considerate of his subordinates, and protective of his juniors, fostering goodwill everywhere... He used these daily trifles, sacrificing minor gains, to craft such an image... However, one gives only to receive, and one sows only to reap. This opportunity to be a personal guard offered immense profit, so naturally..."

He shook his head slightly, putting it more bluntly: "In other words, he didn't do anything before simply because the price wasn't high enough. But this time... it was enough. That is all."

"This..." Chen Yun understood the logic, but still found it hard to accept.

Zhuang Jin paced over to the pond, pinched some fish food, and scattered it into the water: "Look at these fish. I feed them every day, and in their eyes, I am surely a good person. They don't know that I am only doing this to reap the harvest all at once at a certain moment."

Chen Yun understood his meaning. This was exactly like feeding the fish; Xing Yan’s previous displays were merely a ruse, intended to cash in at the critical moment.

There was a deeper layer to this: the past favors were merely a debt of gratitude stored away, and this time, it was all cashed out at once. Zhuang Jin would not seek revenge, but from now on, the bond was severed.

Watching Zhuang Jin, who remained completely calm, Chen Yun asked with concern, "Are you not angry, husband?"

"Angry? Not really. Just a little disappointed. The opportunity to be a personal guard, which Xing Yan valued so much, didn't actually hold much appeal for me. If he had come to talk to me, it wouldn't have been impossible for me to step aside voluntarily..."

Zhuang Jin thought of Miao Lun and that beast core of skin-refining perfection. If Xing Yan had negotiated in good faith and offered compensation, he might have ceded it. But when faced with massive profit, the man chose to strike from the shadows, acting with such ruthlessness... and this was despite the fact that he owed Zhuang Jin a debt for saving his life.

With the example of Miao Lun, Xing Yan's betrayal was not hard to accept. He had already experienced the anger and heartbreak of such things; now, his heart was as still as water.

This stillness was not the indifference of someone who had been betrayed and had shut off their heart, but rather something closer to the "way of the sage"—to have emotions without being burdened by them, moving with the world while remaining objective, composed, and open-minded.

Zhuang Jin’s explanation put Chen Yun’s heart at ease.

***

"By the way, Xing Yan sent an invitation yesterday to celebrate his appointment as a personal guard to the Eighth Young Master. Are you still going?" Chen Yun asked.

She was not asking about attending for the sake of celebration, but whether he intended to go and confront him.

"I think not." If Zhuang Jin didn't go, Xing Yan would know that the message had been received.

Zhuang Jin knew Xing Yan had betrayed him, Xing Yan knew that Zhuang Jin knew, and Zhuang Jin knew that Xing Yan knew that he knew. They could still greet each other if they met again, but they could never return to the way things were—that was the reality of the adult world.

His attention, however, was not on that, but on deeper concerns: 'On the surface, it took me less than two months to go from the Sixth to the Seventh Meridian. This includes the time spent accumulating the necessary foundation for the Sixth and breaking through the bottleneck... Things seem calm now, but has this really gone unnoticed? Those with keen eyes might see through the first layer—that I was hiding my strength in August and September. Who are the people who have discovered this first layer? Xing Yan, the Eighth Young Master, the upper echelons of the Administrative Department?'

'Even if they pierce that veil, I still stand out among the recruited martial students. Everyone else is at most at the Fifth Meridian, like Du Shiyuan... This is slightly exaggerated!'

'Even if it can be explained by talent—which is the truth—has it really not attracted attention?'

Zhuang Jin thought of Liu Licheng. His visits had seemed a bit more frequent lately. This could be explained by the deliciousness of Chen Yun’s cooking, or by the camaraderie of being partners, or by a desire to curry favor with someone of such potential. But to reveal Xing Yan’s betrayal—was that truly because they were closer now? And did he really learn those details through his own connections?

He remained cautious. After the Miao Lun incident, he had learned to weigh things repeatedly and think them through multiple times, becoming increasingly careful, as if walking on thin ice.

...

That evening, Xing Yan hosted a feast to celebrate his new position, inviting friends and family.

As the banquet was about to begin, Xing Yan stood at the door, peering into the distance.

"Father, who are you waiting for? It's already this late; the guests who were coming have already arrived, and those who haven't likely won't. Shall we begin? Otherwise, the food will go cold."

"Yes, cold... it’s all gone cold," Xing Yan murmured, as if realizing something. He cast one last glance into the distance before turning back to join the party.