Chapter 90: The Night Is Dark

Everyone in the yard shuddered when they heard this. Killing and taking lives was still far too shocking for these fourteen- and fifteen-year-old youths, but as they glanced at one another, it suddenly dawned on them that killing was just that — they had already done it yesterday, so what was there left to be shocked about?

"I want to seize a faction for my brothers, lay a foundation, and take the very first step. Are you brothers willing to help me?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

He asked casually, but the others' expressions turned solemn. Chen Sheng abruptly stabbed his blade into the ground and said gruffly, "I'll help!"

"Help!" "Help!" One after another they spoke, only Sun Dalei was a bit slow with his words. It wasn't until everyone looked his way that he hesitantly said, "Help!"

Chen Sheng shot him a cold glance but said nothing. Zhao Jin nodded and said, "Good. Everyone keep training. Just follow my arrangements."

Right up until lunchtime, no one could calm their minds enough to train. Zhao Jin's plan was simply too earth-shattering and exciting for them.

Amidst such anticipation, the day came to an end. Liu Yong did not return. Zhao Jin smiled and told everyone, "Let's go home, eat well, and sleep well. Preserving our strength is what matters most."

Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang had to help out at home every day. They only came by for a look in the afternoon just before things wrapped up. Zhao Jin arranged for Ji Xiang to go check the south of the city. He didn't need to seek out Liu Yong, just see if Liu Yong showed up. Whether he saw him or not, he was to come report first thing tomorrow morning.

The next day was as usual. Zhao Jin brought Mu Shulan to the yard to train. Everyone gathered early. Sun Dalei brought quite a few tasty things again. Seeing these treats, Zhao Jin said with a smile, "Things have been so busy lately, we haven't gone to that goods yard to spar. I reckon the crowd there has thinned out quite a bit."

"How could that be? In all the surrounding countryside, that's the only place with room for kids to play. It won't thin out," Chen Sheng chimed in with a grin.

Ji Xiang came early and told Zhao Jin he had seen Liu Yong the day before and couldn't tell anything different from usual.

This day also passed uneventfully. Zhao Jin led Mu Shulan home. As the family was eating dinner, someone knocked at the outer gate. Zhao San went to open it. Not long after, Zhao San came in and said someone outside was looking for the young master. Who would come looking so late? Zhao Jin hurried out to see. Outside, it was Liu Yong.

Liu Yong's expression was faintly agitated. Seeing Zhao Jin come out, he first clasped his fist in salute, then leaned in and said in a low voice, "Big Brother, Copper Head has gone to his mistress's place in the south of the city. If it's like before, he'll probably sleep there the whole night and only return to the God of Wealth Temple tomorrow morning."

Zhao Jin glanced back. Zhao San was standing far off inside the gate; no one was watching them. Zhao Jin asked quietly, "Nothing off with Chen Ergou? Do you know where Copper Head's mistress lives? How many men will Copper Head bring with him?"

"Chen Ergou went back and busied himself with his own affairs. He only showed his face once at the God of Wealth Temple. Copper Head usually just brings two men. His mistress lives by Bitter Water Gully in the south of the city. I delivered something there once. Tonight I followed behind the whole time and watched Copper Head go through the door." Though Liu Yong answered calmly, his voice trembled slightly.

Zhao Jin exhaled, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Wait for me here at the fourth watch. Can you do that?"

The fourth watch was just half a double-hour past midnight, one in the morning by the old reckoning. At that hour, all was quiet and pitch-black everywhere. Zhao Jin and his friends were still young, after all; they probably had no experience going out at such a time.

But upon hearing Zhao Jin's proposal, Liu Yong nodded without any hesitation. Zhao Jin reached out and clapped Liu Yong heavily on the shoulder, saying, "Remember to bring your tools. Go back now, eat your fill and sleep well. Don't miss the hour. We brothers will do this together!"

Hearing the words "we brothers," Liu Yong's face flushed bright red, and he nodded forcefully.

Watching Liu Yong leave, Zhao Jin turned back and said to Zhao San, "I'm going to the Wang house to find Wang Zhaojing and arrange tomorrow's training."

The Wang house wasn't far from the Zhao house, and Zhao San knew Zhao Jin and the other were good friends, so he nodded. Zhao Jin dashed off at a run.

Getting Wang Zhaojing to come out was simple enough. Zhao Jin just said he wanted to arrange an early training session for the next morning. The gatekeeper and household servants dared not be negligent and hurried in to report. Not long after, Wang Zhaojing, dressed in his scholar's robes, came out. Zhao Jin pulled Wang Zhaojing a couple of steps away and said loudly, "If we're training hard, we need to rise early. Others rise at the fifth watch, how about we rise at the fourth watch to go running?"

He let the servants at the Wang house gate hear these words, then immediately said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Fourth watch. Bring your weapon. Meet at my house gate. We're going to the south of the city to take care of business."

"That matter?" Wang Zhaojing asked in a low voice. Zhao Jin nodded. Wang Zhaojing hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement and said, "Alright!"

After agreeing, Wang Zhaojing asked again, "Just the two of us?"

"Liu Yong will lead the way. I'm also planning to call Chen Sheng. The four of us should be enough for over there. Too many people going would cause too much commotion," Zhao Jin answered in a deep voice.

Wang Zhaojing nodded and said solemnly, "In that case, be there or be square!"

"Be there or be square!" After replying with this, Zhao Jin raised his voice and added, "See you tomorrow morning."

Chen Sheng's home wasn't too far either; otherwise, Chen Sheng wouldn't come looking for Zhao Jin every morning to hang out. Zhao Jin jogged over and arrived quickly.

Compared to the Wang family's large, wealthy household, the Chen home had far fewer rules. A quick word was all it took to call Chen Sheng out. Once Zhao Jin laid out the plan, Chen Sheng immediately frowned and said, "Going out at that hour... I'm afraid it'll wake the family..."

But after mulling it over for a moment, Chen Sheng clapped his hands and said, "My little brother's room is next to the back courtyard. When the time comes, I'll just climb over from there. Fourth watch, meet at your house gate!"

After running to these two houses, Zhao Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Unlike Liu Yong, who lived independently, Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng were not young, but they still lived with their parents and elders and were strictly controlled. He hadn't even been sure they'd dare agree to go out in the wee hours. He hadn't expected both to be so decisive.

On the way home, Zhao Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. Were the things he was doing a career or just children's games? It was too bizarre.

He had been out and about for nearly half a double-hour. Returning home, he inevitably got a few words of nagging from He Cuihua. Zhao Zhentang, however, just stared at Zhao Jin for a while, then said, "The child is grown and has his own affairs. Don't meddle so much."

Hearing this, He Cuihua glared at Zhao Zhentang but said no more.

After dinner, Zhao Jin went into the courtyard and made some special arrangements. He moved the long spear that usually leaned by the door and placed it beside the spirit screen, then brought the short blade back into his room. Once in his room, he thought for a moment, then took a candle stub and secretly rubbed it on the door hinges a few times.

Mu Shulan now returned to her own room very early every day. The girl's father had died suddenly, and she had experienced the calamity of being abducted. Her mood was, in truth, deeply gloomy. It was fine during the day when she was playing with everyone, but at times like this, she would often hide in her room in a daze.

Zhao Jin did not do his strength training, nor did he take off his clothes. He just lay on the bed like that. He had already adapted to the timekeeping of this era. As long as he deliberately set his mind to wake, he would definitely rouse around the fourth watch.

He regulated his breathing, relaxed his mind, and the fatigue from martial training washed over him. Zhao Jin soon drifted into dreamland.

When Zhao Jin opened his eyes and awoke, it was pitch black before him. He groped his way up, put on his boots, then tucked the short blade at his waist and lifted the door curtain to walk out.

It was just past midnight, the time when people sleep most deeply. He could hear Zhao Zhentang's snoring from the room opposite. Zhao Jin tiptoed as he opened the door and stepped out of the room.

When he opened the door, because he had rubbed candle wax on the hinges, it made no creaking sound.

He walked lightly and quietly across the courtyard. The monkey in its nest let out a cry. Zhao Jin was so startled he immediately froze, but the monkey made no further sound. Listening to its breathing, it was also fast asleep.

Zhao Jin cursed inwardly. He removed the door bar from the courtyard gate. A scraping sound arose as he drew the bar out, but it wasn't very loud, and it didn't disturb the quiet courtyard.

Carrying the long spear, he walked out and gently pulled the door shut. He could hear the sound of the night watchman's clappers in the distance. It was the fourth watch. Nowadays, the night watchmen patrolling Xuzhou City basically only moved around the northern part of the city; they didn't go anywhere else, because only this area was home to officials and wealthy families.

The night wind was chilly. Zhao Jin yawned, then shivered. At this moment, he felt a bit of regret. Last night, he had taken things for granted again. At such an hour, who could wake up on time, let alone make their way here in the pitch dark?