The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

Outside the shed, the footsteps were light but hurried, as if deliberately trying to keep quiet.

Ye Sheng got up alertly, reached for the wood-chopping knife in the corner with his right hand, then walked to the door and looked out through the crack.

There was a stranger outside. The man was dressed in a gray cloth short coat, with a hemp rope tied around his waist, and his straw sandals were covered in mud. Judging from his appearance, he should also be a migrant worker, but Ye Sheng did not recognize him.

Shuilongdu is such a small place with seventeen households. Even if Ye Sheng couldn't remember their names, they all looked familiar.

This person is unfamiliar.

The man stopped outside Ye Sheng's shed, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then quickly walked to the door and knocked.

"Knock knock knock!"

The knocking was soft, but the rhythm was rapid.

Ye Sheng didn't open the door immediately, but instead asked through the door, "Who is it?"

"Brother Ye?" The man's voice trembled slightly. "It's me. Er Gou sent me."

Er Gou? That tall, skinny guy under Wang Laizi?

Ye Sheng's eyes turned cold, and he gripped the wood-chopping knife tightly in his right hand.

"What did he ask you to do here?"

He asked me to pass on a message to you.

The man's voice trembled even more. "He said tomorrow is the deadline. Three hundred coins for medical expenses, not a penny less. If you can't come up with it..."

He swallowed hard.

"I'll break your brother's other leg."

Ye Sheng remained silent.

The person outside waited for a while, but heard no response, so he cautiously added another sentence.

"He also said that if you know what's good for you and send the money over today, he might let Brother Wang off the hook. But if you dare to try anything funny..."

"roll."

Ye Sheng coldly uttered a single word.

The person outside the door trembled in fright, turned and ran, his footsteps fading into the distance and quickly disappearing at the end of the pier.

Ye Sheng loosened his cleaver and took a deep breath.

Er Gou was testing him. He was testing whether he had raised enough money, and whether he would compromise.

But Ye Sheng wouldn't tolerate them.

In the afternoon, around 3 PM.

Ye Sheng followed Liu the Cripple along the riverbank toward Longmen Gorge.

The river narrows, and the cliffs on both sides are sheer. The cliffs are covered with moss, and in some places you can still see the remains of arrow emplacements left by the naval garrison. The boatmen's incense hall is located in a natural cave at the foot of the cliff.

At this moment, seven or eight fast boats were moored at the cave entrance, with black flags flying on their masts and gold-embroidered dragons fluttering in the wind.

Several strong men were squatting at the bow of the boat, smoking and chatting. When they saw Liu the Cripple coming over, they all stood up to greet him.

"Master Liu, what a rare guest."

"Uncle Liu, it's been a long time since you've been here."

Liu the Cripple nodded, leaning on his crutch as he walked into the cave, with Ye Sheng following closely behind.

The cave is very deep, and there is a hidden world inside.

Oil lamps hung on the cave walls, casting a dim, yellowish light that illuminated the furnishings inside.

In the center was a long, rough wooden table, on which were placed account books, an abacus, writing brushes and ink, and several stacks of copper coins neatly arranged.

Behind the table sat a middle-aged man, about forty years old, wearing a faded blue cloth long gown, his hair neatly combed, looking down at the account book.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and said calmly, "Brother Liu is here."

This middle-aged man is Old Chen, who is in charge of the boatmen's accounts and is one of the most trusted people by the leader of the Meng Gang.

"Old Chen." Liu the Cripple walked to the table with his cane, pointed to Ye Sheng behind him, and said, "This is the kid I mentioned to you this morning."

Upon hearing this, Old Chen sized up Ye Sheng, his gaze sweeping over his face and body before finally settling on the wood-chopping knife at his waist.

"Is it you who wants to see me?"

"Yes." Ye Sheng clasped his hands in greeting. "This junior greets Uncle Chen."

Old Chen didn't reply, but simply gestured for the two of them to sit down.

After Ye Sheng sat down on the low stool opposite the long table, he straightened his back.

Old Chen looked down at the ledger again, flipped through a few pages, and then slowly began to speak.

"Brother Liu said, 'You want to make a donation?'"

"Yes."

"Five hundred coins a year, that's the rule." Old Chen looked up at him. "Do you have that?"

Ye Sheng paused for a moment: "Not for now."

Old Chen raised an eyebrow: "Then what are you here for?"

"I think..." Ye Sheng took a deep breath, "I'll hang the sign for three months first, and pay the rest later."

Upon hearing this, Old Chen put down his ledger, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Put up the sign first, then pay the rest?" he repeated, his voice indifferent. "Kid, do you even know the rules of charity donations?"

"I understand," Ye Sheng said in a deep voice. "Donations are voluntary, and the transaction is completed on a cash-and-carry basis."

"Since you know that, why do you still dare to make such a request?" Old Chen's voice turned colder. "Do you think our boatmen's guild is a charity?"

Ye Sheng did not back down and looked directly into Lao Chen's eyes.

"Uncle Chen, I had no choice. If I had money, I would never have made such a request."

He paused, then added, "But I guarantee that I will make up the five hundred coins within three months. If I cannot make up the difference..."

"What will you use to make up for it?"

Old Chen interrupted him, "You're a vagrant, with no land or property, just that dilapidated shack and a sickly younger brother. What can you offer to pay off your debts?"

These words were harsh, but they were all true. Ye Sheng clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"I'd give my life for it."

Old Chen was stunned. Liu the Cripple also glanced at Ye Sheng, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Pay with your life?" Old Chen sneered. "Is your life worth five hundred coins?"

"It's not worth it." Ye Sheng shook his head. "But I could sell my life to the boatmen for three months."

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Within three months, if the boatmen need any errands, cargo handling, or even fighting, I'll take it all. No wages, just to get my license first."

Old Chen squinted and said mockingly, "You, a vagrant, can fight?"

Ye Sheng didn't say anything, but simply stood up and walked to the cave entrance.

There were several wooden stakes, each as thick as a bowl, piled up there; these were materials used by the boatmen to repair their ships.

He walked to the thickest wooden stake, took a deep breath, and assumed the stance for standing meditation.

He gripped the ground with both feet, lowered his center of gravity, and let his blood and qi flow slowly through his body. Then, he suddenly exerted his strength and slammed his fist into the wooden stake.

"Bang!"

The dull thud echoed through the cave.

The wooden stake shook violently, a small dent appeared on its surface, and sawdust fell off in a flurry.

Old Chen's eyes narrowed, and Liu the Cripple also sat up straight.

Ye Sheng withdrew his fist, turned around and walked back to the table, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, but his expression remained unchanged.

"You've practiced martial arts, kid?" Old Chen asked.

"No, but Uncle Chen, although I am a migrant worker, I am not useless. I usually chop wood and carry goods, so I have developed some strength."

Old Chen was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Heh, you're quite an interesting kid."

He picked up the ledger again, turned to a certain page, and wrote a few words on it with a pen.

"Alright, this time I'll give you this chance because of Brother Liu and because of your ruthlessness."

Ye Sheng felt a sense of relief.

"But..." Old Chen changed the subject, "I have conditions."

"Uncle Chen, please speak."

"First, you must pay a down payment of one hundred coins now, otherwise I will be unable to explain myself when the gang leader checks the accounts. Within three months, you must pay the remaining four hundred coins, with interest calculated at one hundred and fifty coins."

"Secondly, for the next three months, you must be available whenever needed. If the boatmen have any work, you must take it; you cannot refuse."

"third..."

Old Chen raised his eyes and looked coldly at Ye Sheng.

"Your shack and your brother are both mortgaged to me. If you can't repay the money and interest in three months, the shack will belong to the boatmen, and your brother..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Selling it to small workshops in town that are short of temporary workers can fetch a hundred or so coins."

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng felt his blood run cold instantly.

Sell ​​to small workshops? Those places are like cages that devour people without spitting out their bones.

With Ye Kai's physique, he would be worked to death within three months of going in.

"Uncle Chen..." Ye Sheng's voice trembled, "Could you..."

"No," Old Chen interrupted him. "These are my rules. You either accept them, or you leave now."

Ye Sheng frowned, clenched his teeth, and pondered deeply.

At this moment, the cave was completely silent, with only the sound of the river water lapping against the cliff outside, deep and long.

After a long pause, Ye Sheng slowly exhaled and said coldly, "Fine, I accept."

Immediately, he took out one hundred copper coins from his pocket and handed them to Old Chen.

After receiving it, Old Chen nodded and took out a peach wood plaque from the drawer. The front was engraved with "Dragon Gate Blessing" and the back was engraved with the sexagenary cycle year and month.

He tossed the sign to Ye Sheng and said casually, "Take it and hang it under your shed. From today onwards, you are the protector of the boatmen."

Ye Sheng reached out and took the plaque. The wooden plaque felt warm and light to the touch, but to Ye Sheng it was heavy, as if weighed down by a huge rock, because it held his younger brother's life in its hands.

"Thank you, Uncle Chen."

"Don't thank me yet."

Old Chen looked down at the ledger again and reminded him, "If you can't pay back the money in three months, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng felt a pang of anxiety. He said no more, gripped the wooden plaque tightly, and turned to walk away.

Liu the Cripple bowed to Old Chen and followed Ye Sheng out of the cave.

As the river breeze blew, Ye Sheng felt a tightness in his chest.