On the other side, sunlight slanted into the training ground of the Qing residence.
Qing Chen withdrew his palm, the warm inner energy within him slowly calming. At this moment, memories of the original owner of this body surged through his mind;
—In the raging flood, a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to him used his last strength to push him onto a piece of driftwood, only to be instantly swallowed by the surging, turbid waves.
However, it was a pity that even though his father had pushed him onto the driftwood, the original owner had not survived.
"Years ago, you saved that wandering swordsman and received the inheritance of the Jade Forging Technique, but in the end, you only had the foundation. When faced with a life-or-death situation like this raging flood, you couldn't even unleash a tenth of your strength, unable to save your father, and unable to save yourself… Such a death is not entirely unjust."
Qing Chen muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips.
Although he was still somewhat lacking in skill, his inner energy was not yet fully developed.
But ordinary three or five strong men couldn't even get close to him.
Now, this body, this mess, all fell to Qing Chen.
...
"Big...Big Brother, can we not go to the brothel?" A slightly hesitant voice interrupted Qing Chen's thoughts.
Fourteen or fifteen-year-old Qing Jie rubbed his hands, his eyes filled with unease.
This younger brother was born to his 'second wife,' who was also his biological father's second wife.
Since Qing Chen transmigrated, relying on the ruthless nature he had developed as a sales champion in his previous life, he had no affection for this family.
But at this moment, he had other plans.
The secret revealed by the wandering swordsman before his death burned like a fire in Qing Chen's heart.
But to accomplish that, he needed help; he couldn't do it alone.
This younger brother before him, whose physique he had tested, was a good candidate for martial arts, and not unintelligent either—just the right person to use.
But he vehemently resisted joining a brothel, spending his days holed up at home studying the Four Books and Five Classics, and the texts for the imperial examinations.
This wouldn't do.
Therefore, under Qingchen's calculated yet unpreparedness, the scene of his second brother being humiliated last night unfolded.
Qingchen's gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Qingjie, suddenly speaking: "Second brother, in this chaotic world, what do you think is most important for getting ahead?"
Qingjie scratched his head: "Uh... study, study the classics well, and pass the imperial examinations?"
"Ruthless!"
Qingchen stomped his foot sharply, the ground trembling slightly. "Without ruthlessness, you'll only be a fish to be bullied!
Think about it, if I hadn't stood up for you yesterday, what would have become of you and your mother? You would have been humiliated!"
Qingjie's face instantly flushed red, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Qingchen was secretly delighted, his words pressing further: "But what if you're not ruthless enough?"
Qingjie's eyes darted around, and he flattered, "Big brother's martial arts are so high, you're definitely ruthless enough!"
Qingchen sighed, pointing to his family's three-courtyard house: "Those thugs yesterday were just appetizers.
The Double Eagle Society has their eyes on this mansion. Your mother, still beautiful, just happened to be caught in the crossfire.
Even if I'm a great fighter, I can only handle three or five people. What if a dozen come?"
Qingjie opened his mouth, but was speechless, only able to stare helplessly at Qingchen.
Looking at his expression, Qingchen coaxed, "Second brother, we were born to do great things! Hard labor, carrying heavy loads, washing dishes—these are not our jobs!
If you're not ruthless enough, no problem, we'll find someone ruthless enough to protect you! Tell me, what's the ruthlessest thing in Tianjin?"
"Officials, soldiers! And... the underworld!" Qingjie blurted out.
"That's right."
Qingchen chuckled, but his smile held a chill. "That's why I joined the brothel. From today onwards, you'll be a servant."
"Come on, follow me to the brothel."
...
As dusk fell, the lanterns of Hongxiuzhao were lit, illuminating the scene of singing and dancing before the door.
"Young master, come in and have some fun~"
"It's very fun."
Several women dressed in thin gauze were already waiting at the door, one in a pink dress with her breasts half-exposed, reaching out to tug at the sleeve of a passerby.
Qingjie, the second brother, had never witnessed such a scene of singing and dancing.
His head buzzed, his face instantly flushed red, and his steps slowed.
Qingchen, on the other hand, didn't even glance at the women. He simply grabbed Qingjie's arm and quickly pulled him aside.
These sluts, there would be plenty of time to deal with them later; no need to rush.
The two moved swiftly, soon turning into a secluded alley.
At the end of the alley, a wooden door was half-open.
Qingchen pushed open the door with practiced ease, and a foul stench immediately assaulted his nostrils.
In the courtyard, a dozen or so ragged men were squatting or standing.
The leader, a man with a pockmarked face, had a dagger at his waist and was picking his teeth with the tip of the blade, a look of pure enjoyment on his face.
Two other men were massaging his shoulders and legs.
The wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and everyone instinctively looked towards the entrance, only to find Qingchen with a young boy.
The pockmarked man frowned, slamming his dagger onto the table with a clang, his face full of impatience:
"What are you doing bringing your second brother here? For a midnight snack?"
Qingchen, unusually quiet, replied calmly, "This is my second brother. I brought him here to ask for some work."
"Hahahaha!"
The pockmarked man was taken aback for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into wild laughter.
Hearing their leader laugh, everyone in the courtyard joined in, their eyes gleaming with malice.
It turned out that recently, Tianjin had been overrun with vagrants, and some audacious individuals had even been going to brothels to "eat for free."
This had caused considerable losses for the Red Sleeve Brothel.
To deal with this chaos, the Red Sleeve Brothel had posted a notice seeking thugs, offering significantly higher pay than those for porters.
Previously, Qingchen was unfamiliar with the internal energy of this body.
But to earn a living, relying on his strength and ruthlessness, he had barely joined the ranks of brothel thugs, though he wasn't particularly outstanding.
After laughing a few times, seeing no reaction on Qingchen's face, the pockmarked man's expression suddenly turned cold, transforming into a furious roar:
"I'm already being lenient by taking you in, and you want to bring along a burden? Does this brothel belong to your family? Erhuzi, you son of a bitch, break his arm for me, let him wake up!"
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man jumped out in response.
His eyes flashed with ferocity. Without uttering a single polite word, he lunged straight at Qing Chen.
Without any probing, his right leg rose high, a vicious, piercing kick aimed directly at Qing Chen's heart.
This was a direct attempt to kill!
Qing Chen was prepared. His Jade Forging Skill was already circulating throughout his body, his muscles taut like iron.
In a flash, he shifted his footwork, dodging Er Huzi's fierce kick.
At the same time, his right palm, like a knife, slashed fiercely at Er Huzi's nape.
This seemingly ordinary move, amplified by the power of the Jade Forging Skill, possessed immense power and speed.
Er Huzi sensed danger and tried to dodge, but it was too late.
"Bang!"
A muffled sound rang out as the palm struck Er Huzi's nape heavily.
Er Huzi's forward momentum abruptly halted.
His vision went black, his limbs twitched a few times, and he collapsed to the ground