Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

Night falls at the west corner gate of the Chen residence.

Normally, the swill and toilet water from the Chen residence would be transported out of the residence through the West Corner Gate.

This makes the air here smell rotten all year round.

"Damn it, what bad luck!" Li Dayi plopped down on the steps by the gatehouse.

"After eating meat for just two days, I was sent here to smell the stench."

"I think Old Lu is clearly messing with us on purpose."

The foreman, Lu Wu, left the two men at the west corner gate, making an excuse that he needed to inspect the front yard, and then left.

Xu Hao didn't reply. He leaned against the shadow of the door frame, his right hand pressed against his chest.

The listening talisman pressed against the skin, sending waves of warmth through the body.

Jiang Hu really chose a good location.

It's remote, deserted, and smells bad; you don't even have to go far to kill someone and dump the body.

"Stop complaining, grip the baton tightly," Xu Hao gently reminded him.

"What? There really are thieves?" Li Da muttered, his eyelids drooping, his hand propping up his cheek, almost falling asleep as he spoke.

Suddenly, Xu Hao's fingertips trembled.

A few cat meows were mixed in with the sound of the wind.

"Meow—meow—"

Two short cries and one long one, the calls were harsh and shrill, not like a sign of heat, but more like a secret code.

Immediately afterwards, a suppressed breathing sound entered Xu Hao's ears.

It's not outside the wall, it's inside the wall.

It was behind the Xiangfei bamboo in the courtyard, less than ten steps away from them.

One person was breathing rapidly and heavily, his heartbeat tinged with excitement.

It's Jiang Hu.

Xu Hao's lips twitched quickly. It seemed this bastard really hadn't slept and was waiting here to be put in a sack.

"Get up." Xu Hao grabbed Li Da, who was already nodding, and dragged him into the shadows of the gatehouse. "Don't make a sound."

Li Da was startled by the strength in Xu Hao's hand. He was about to open his mouth when Xu Hao's cold gaze silenced him, and he could only grip the baton tightly in his hand.

Just then, a very faint "rustling" sound came from the top of the wall of the west corner gate, like fallen leaves sweeping across the tiles.

Two dark figures, like raccoon dogs, flipped into the room and landed silently, clearly skilled in martial arts.

The two men, dressed in black and carrying gleaming short knives, did not rush to move after landing. Instead, they cautiously leaned against the wall and scanned their surroundings.

Behind the bamboo grove, Jiang Hu held his breath, clutching a pebble in his hand.

His plan was quite clever: once the two men approached the gatehouse, he would flick a pebble to break the gatehouse window and alert them.

He would use these two men's knives to kill Xu Hao. If the newcomers were incompetent, he would rush out and finish them off, ultimately pinning all the blame on them.

"Anyway, they're working for Master Sun, so they can let people go during a fight."

Jiang Hu's arm muscles tensed, just about to exert force.

"Snapped!"

A crisp impact rang out in the silent night.

It wasn't Jiang Hu who threw it.

It was Xu Hao.

He somehow picked up a broken tile from the ground, mustered all his strength, and hurled it hard at the bamboo grove where Jiang Hu was hiding.

The sound was particularly jarring in the empty back alley.

The two men in black who had just landed by the wall were already easily frightened. Upon hearing the strange noise, they instinctively thought they had been ambushed.

"Something's fishy! This is a dangerous idea!"

One of them gave a low shout and flicked his wrist, sending three blue-glowing sleeve arrows in a triangular formation straight towards the bamboo forest.

"Grass!"

Jiang Hu was preparing to ambush someone, but he never expected this to happen.

Hearing the whooshing sound, his scalp tingled, and he rolled on the spot in a disheveled state.

Knock knock knock!

Three hidden arrows were embedded in the bamboo where he had just been standing, penetrating deep into the wood, their fletchings still trembling, and their tips hissing with black smoke.

It's been poisoned!

With his whereabouts exposed, Jiang Hu could no longer hide and rolled out of the bamboo forest, covered in dust and dirt.

Upon seeing that there was an ambush, the two men in black started slashing without saying a word.

"when!"

Jiang Hu hastily drew his waist knife to parry, sparks flying everywhere.

"Damn it! I am..." Jiang Hu wanted to curse, but the opponent's knife skills were ruthless, and every move was aimed at vital points, forcing him to block with all his might, and he couldn't say the rest of his words.

"Guards! Seize the assassin!"

A shrill, hoarse voice boomed from the shadows of the gatehouse.

Xu Hao grabbed Li Da with one hand and frantically banged on the gong in his other hand.

when!when!when!

The sound of gongs was deafening, instantly spreading throughout half of the Chen residence.

"Assassin! Help! Tiger can't hold on!" Xu Hao shouted as he pulled Li Da back, showing no intention of going up to help.

Jiang Hu was surrounded and attacked by two men in black, and he was already struggling to defend himself.

He wasn't exactly a master; he was only good at bullying the servants. But when faced with a desperate criminal like him who dared to break into the Chen residence at night, he immediately showed his fear.

"puff!"

One of the men in black feinted with his knife, while another seized the opportunity to slash Jiang Hu's left arm. Blood instantly stained his sleeve, the flesh torn open, the wound deep enough to expose bone.

"Ah!" Jiang Hu screamed and staggered backward.

At this moment, torches flickered in the distance, and the sounds of voices and footsteps surged in like a tide.

"Over there!"

"Surround it!"

The two men in black exchanged a glance, realizing the situation was dire and that they would die here if they didn't leave soon.

The two feinted again, forcing Jiang Hu back. Using the wall as leverage, they flipped over the wall and disappeared into the night.

"Chase!"

Instructor Lin led a large group of men over, each holding a torch, illuminating the west gate as bright as day.

Seeing the mess on the ground and Jiang Hu covered in blood, Instructor Lin's face turned ashen: "What happened?"

Jiang Hu clutched his arm, sweating profusely from the pain. He looked up and saw Xu Hao huddled unharmed by the gatehouse, his eyes blazing with resentment.

He was about to open his mouth and accuse Xu Hao of throwing stones to frame him.

"Tiger! You're a real man!"

Xu Hao looked "excited" and rushed forward, kneeling down in front of Jiang Hu with a thud. His eyes were red and his voice was choked with sobs.

"If it weren't for Brother Tiger noticing something was wrong early on and lying in ambush here, taking those two knives for us brothers, Li Da and I would be dead tonight!"

Xu Hao turned to Instructor Lin, tears streaming down his face, "Instructor! Brother Tiger arrived a long time ago, hiding in the shadows and keeping watch, saying he was worried we newcomers might make a mistake because we didn't know the rules. The moment those two thieves came in, Brother Tiger rushed out! His courage is truly exemplary!"

Although Li Da was slow-witted, seeing how realistic Xu Hao's acting was, he quickly knelt down and echoed in a simple-minded manner, "Yeah, yeah! Tiger Brother is too fierce! I was so scared I peed my pants, Tiger Brother didn't even utter a sound before he went in!"

Upon hearing this, the guards who rushed over immediately changed their gaze towards Jiang Hu.

Jiang Hu is usually cunning and deceitful, but I never expected him to be so loyal in a critical moment.

"Well done."

Instructor Lin stepped forward, patted Jiang Hu's still-intact right shoulder, and rarely showed a hint of approval: "I always thought you were a rascal, but I didn't expect you to be so responsible. This injury was for the Chen family. Go to the accounting office and collect five taels of silver for medicine. Your leave this month will be doubled."

Jiang Hu's mouth was open, as if there was a wad of cotton stuck in his throat.

What could he say?

He said he wasn't there to save people, but to kill them?

He claimed he hid in the bamboo forest to trap his colleague's sack?

That would be more than just shameful; it would mean being punished according to family rules by having your legs broken and being expelled from the household.

Looking at Xu Hao's grateful face, Jiang Hu felt a pain in his chest that was worse than the wound on his arm. He felt a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat, unable to swallow or spit it out.

"...Of course."

Jiang Hu squeezed out those three words through gritted teeth, his face turning bright red. He swayed, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from anger.

"Quick! Get Tiger to the clinic!" Xu Hao shouted anxiously, frantically helping to lift him, and in the chaos, he pressed hard near Jiang Hu's wound.

Jiang Hu, who was unconscious, suddenly twitched.

Xu Hao lowered his head, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

Tiger, you made a profit by accepting a loss you can't speak of for five taels of silver.