Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

At eight o'clock the next day, before the sky had fully brightened, a hazy fog enveloped the entire dock area.

By the time Yue Shan knocked on the door, Chen Mo had already finished getting ready.

His luggage was simple, containing only a change of clothes, a few pieces of Crimson Sun Blood Crystal, and a roll of ghost skin wrapped in oilcloth.

The weapons and pistols were handed over last night. As for the uniform and token, Yue Shan told him to keep them for when he went to Jinshi to report for duty.

"I'm gone."

Yue Shan spoke succinctly, looked him up and down, and handed him an envelope. "Follow Squad Leader Wang and the others, take the Pingjin ferry back to Tianjin at nine o'clock this morning. This letter was sent by your father. Take care on the journey."

"Understood, Captain Yue," Chen Mo replied.

On the dock, a sizable steam paddle steamer was belching out grayish-white soot and emitting a muffled whistle.

The ship's hull is painted with three faded white characters: Pingjin.

Several men in beige military uniforms were maintaining order. The one in the lead, who was about forty years old, had a dark complexion and a Mauser pistol slung over his waist. He was Squad Leader Wang.

Yue Shan brought Chen Mo to him, gave him a few brief instructions, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned and left in a hurry, clearly indicating that there were other follow-up matters to attend to.

"Chen Mo, right? Follow us. Once on board, stay in second class and don't wander off." Squad Leader Wang said calmly, waving his hand to signal them to follow, acting as if it were business.

After waiting on the boat for half an hour, the ferry slowly left the shore, its paddle wheels splashing against the murky river water, making a splashing sound.

Chen Mo stood on the corridor outside the second-class cabin, holding onto the cold iron railing, watching the Linhe County dock gradually recede into the distance, and could still vaguely hear the sound of crying coming from that direction.

Although the formation of the Moon Worship Cult was interrupted by Yue Changkong after only a short time last night, some elderly people or children who were weak did not survive.

In Linhe County today, you can probably see families holding funerals everywhere.

The ship had sailed far away, and the crowd on the dock had long since blurred into a gray blur, but the howling wind seemed to still carry an unyielding sorrow, pounding against the ship's side.

Several white river lanterns floated on the water, probably just released this morning, swaying gently along the murky river, carrying lingering sorrow as they drifted downstream.

Once the boat was stable, Squad Leader Wang walked over to Chen Mo, took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, lit one for himself, and handed one to him.

Chen Mo waved his hand to indicate that he wouldn't.

"Team Leader Yue instructed us to look after you on the way." Squad Leader Wang exhaled a puff of smoke, gazing at the rolling river. "I heard you caught Inspector Yue's eye? Kid, you're in luck."

"It's all thanks to Captain Yue and all the officers for their guidance," Chen Mo said politely.

"A favor?" Squad Leader Wang grinned, revealing his teeth stained yellow from smoking. "In this world, a favor is not as good as having your own fists. Jinshi is a much deeper place than Linhe County, a mixed bag of people who will devour you without spitting out the bones."

A thought struck him, and he asked, "Squad Leader Wang, I've just arrived in Jinshi and I'm completely clueless. Could you please tell me what it's like there? So I don't make any mistakes since I'm new here."

Squad Leader Wang glanced at him, seemingly weighing something, before flicking off his cigarette ash and saying in a low voice, "Fine, that'll save you from getting into trouble by being clueless."

"At the great wharf, at the confluence of nine rivers, Chinese and foreigners mingle. The largest area is the concessions of several foreign countries: the French Concession, the British Concession, the Japanese Concession... In those places, foreign laws are supreme, and the police station is run by foreigners or fake foreigners. Sometimes, the reach of the local authorities is not that far."

"Moreover, the foreign churches in the concessions also have considerable influence. There are churches like the Truth Society and the Gospel Church, which have many followers and often do some mysterious things. Ordinary people don't provoke them."

He took a drag of his cigarette and continued, "Besides the foreigners, there are only the local bullies."

"The top-tier families are the four major families of Tianjin: the Li, Wang, Zhao, and Liu families. They have been entrenched in Tianjin for over a century, deeply rooted and with extensive business operations. They have connections in both the legitimate and underworld sectors, maintain skilled martial artists within their families, and it is even rumored that they have ties to important figures in Beijing."

"When you meet people from these families, it's always good to be polite, but don't try to curry favor with them too much; the waters run deep."

"Further down, there are gangs of all sizes, such as the Green Gang and the Hung Gang's branches, and the local porters and dock gangs. There are countless of them. Fighting and killing each other is commonplace for them in the struggle for territory and business."

"Some gangs might have some powerful backing, or they might even be connected to evil sects like the Moon Worship Cult." When the Moon Worship Cult was mentioned, Squad Leader Wang's voice lowered, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

"The Inspection Bureau and the Town Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs," he pointed to Chen Mo's uniform, "are nominally in charge of all extraordinary matters and have considerable power, but the various forces in Jinshi are intertwined, and many things require a balance and tacit understanding. Even within the bureau... hey, it's not a monolithic entity."

"In short, talk less and observe more, act cautiously, preserve your life, and improve your strength—that's the right thing to do."

Chen Mo listened silently, memorizing all the information.

Foreign concessions, churches, four major families, gangs... the situation in Tianjin was indeed incredibly complex, far more so than in Linhe County.

The role played by Zhen Yisi in this seems rather subtle.

"Thank you for your guidance, Squad Leader Wang," Chen Mo said sincerely.

"It's not really about giving pointers, just some old advice."

Squad Leader Wang threw his cigarette butt into the river. "Once you get to Jinshi, report to headquarters first. Focus on your studies during training. The storms outside won't reach those high walls for now, but..." He paused, "After graduation and job assignment, whether you're a mule or a horse, you'll have to find your own way."

"Remember, sometimes, people are scarier than ghosts."

With a long whistle, the ferry was heading towards a wider stretch of river.

Where the water meets the sky ahead, the city's outline is faintly visible in the mist, like a lurking beast.

The Pingjin ferry sounded its long whistle and slowly docked at the Jinmen Wharf.

The massive dock was deafeningly noisy, a hundred times busier than Linhe County.

The thick cable was thrown down and secured by the bare-chested dockworkers, and the gangplank was lowered with a bang.

The roar of steam engines, the chants of laborers, the cries of peddlers, and the clamor of different accents and even different languages, mixed with hot air and various smells, all rushed towards us.

Squad Leader Wang was clearly used to this. He waved to his men to quickly form a team and then pointed to an area outside the dock with sentries.

"Over there, see that gatekeeper with the Tianjin Inspection Bureau sign? Take your token and someone will escort you to headquarters to report. We'll part ways here."

"Thank you for taking care of me all the way, Squad Leader Wang." Chen Mo clasped his hands in thanks.

Squad Leader Wang waved his hand and led his men to quickly disappear into the flow of people and vehicles loading and unloading goods.

Chen Mo tightened his baggage, walked through the noisy dock area, and headed towards the gatehouse with two stone xiezhi statues standing there.