In lockstep the two pirates walked down the alley towards me. I looked around frantically searching for a way out, but the walls were too high to scale, and the only doors I could see were locked and barred. The only escape was through this pair.

  The woman twirled her blade. "Jin Duyi spent all of yesterday getting drunk. Didn't help his mood that he'd lost his purse as well. Kept going on about how he'd get his revenge on that Lieutenant Ren." She grinned wider. "And you, obviously."

  "Said he'd give a handsome reward to the first one of us who brought you to him," the man added, pointing his sword at me. "So here's how this goes. You come nice and quiet, we get paid, everyone's happy." He paused. "Well, we're happy anyway."

  I sneered at them and drew my dagger. "If you want me to go with you, make me." Nothing like a bit of entirely unjustified bravado to get the blood flowing.

  The woman smirked. "If you insist."

  Then they advanced, blades gleaming in the dim alley light.

  I watched them closely as they approached. They held their weapons like they knew how to use them. And I was pretty sure that their skills had been learned on the job. This body wasn't up to this fight, but it might just hold its own if I powered it through my meridians. I pushed ki through all four of my open meridians and felt strength course through me.

  The woman struck first, a downward slash that was meant to disarm me. I parried, felt the shock of steel on steel reverberate through my wrist. My body stumbled back half a step when it should have held firm.

  I grimaced. Even enhanced, this mortal flesh was struggling.

  The man came in from the left. I twisted, narrowly avoiding the thrust, then countered with a slash. My brain knew that it should connect but my muscles executed too slowly. He danced back, laughing.

  Frustration burned through me. I blocked another strike, then redirected a third, but each exchange reminded me how far I had fallen.

  The woman's blade scraped across my ribs. Not deep, but it stung.

  I considered Raging Tide. One surge of overwhelming power could end this.

  But I was holding my own. Barely, but managing. No need to risk permanent damage yet.

  I focused instead on adapting. Forget what my body used to do. Work with what it can do now.

  The dagger was not the worst weapon to have in the cramped confines of the alley. I shortened my strikes and increased the tempo to compensate for my lack of reach. The pirates were limited in what they could do by the space and by each other. It meant they weren't able to come at me with the most powerful strikes. Forced instead to stick to thrusts and the occasional awkward slash.

  My breathing steadied as I started to understand the rhythm of this fight.

  The man thrust again. This time I didn't try some elaborate counter. I simply stepped inside his guard and drove my elbow into his throat. He gagged and stumbled.

  The woman glanced over at him and I took advantage of her momentary distraction.

  A feint high, then low, then I saw the opening I needed. My dagger punched through her sword hand between the small bones. She shrieked, and her weapon clattered to the cobbles.

  The man recovered enough to swing wildly. I spun around his clumsy attack and toward him to slash across his face. It landed and my short blade bit deep from his temple to his jaw.

  He screamed and lifted a hand to stem the flow of blood.

  I didn't wait to see what either of them would do next. I pushed past them both, shoulder-checking the woman aside as I burst from the alley.

  Boots pounded behind me for perhaps a dozen steps. Then the sounds faded, replaced by agonized cursing that faded as I ran.

  I continued to run anyway, focusing what little ki I had left into my Sea Gate meridian to help speed me up. Within seconds my lungs were screaming and I could tell that my meridians would be damaged if I continued to use them like this. This body wasn't healthy enough for an extended pursuit. After a minute I slowed and ducked into another alley.

  I watched the street closely even as I tried to get my ragged breathing under control. The minutes passed, and all I could see were the ordinary citizens of Shuilin Haven going about their day.

  It appeared that the pirates had quit, presumably assuming that I had run off as fast and as far as my legs would carry me. I mean they were right, it's just that this body couldn't go either very fast or very far.

  I slipped out of the alley after another minute and carried on toward the Dockside District while keeping a sharp eye out for trouble. That encounter had been annoying. If nothing else, I would have to avoid that corner of town for a long while.

  However what I took away from it was that Jin Duyi's mortal minions weren't really a threat. However, with the likes of the brutish Wu Shengli from last night and Jin Duyi himself still in town, I would have to keep my wits about me.

  I reached the Dockside District without any further incidents and headed to my first destination. The Rusty Anchor sat at the edge of the district and I had spotted it on my deliveries. It seemed to be a respectable looking establishment catering to laborers after their shifts. As I walked in, my guess was confirmed as the floors were neatly swept, and the air smelled of roasted meat.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "What can I get you?" The landlady, a broad-shouldered woman with graying hair tied back in a tight bun, eyed me with mild suspicion.

  "A mug of beer and some information, if you're willing. I'm looking for a place to rent in the area."

  She poured me a beer. "What sort of place?"

  "Modest but furnished. Three bedrooms, a living space and, most importantly, a large cellar."

  She wiped her hands on her apron, brow furrowed in thought. "Nothing like that comes to mind immediately..." She tapped her fingers on the counter. "Wait. Old Feng the cobbler, one street over, just inherited a house. Mentioned he might rent it out rather than sell. Don't know all the details but it might be what you're after."

  I slid an extra copper across the counter along with payment for my drink. "Much appreciated."

  "Second left past the baker's, blue door with brass fittings," she called after me.

  Even from the outside Old Feng's cobbler shop I could smell the leather and chrysanthemum oil. Through the window, I could see that the main room was empty, but I caught sight of a movement in the back.

  I pushed through the door and ki washed over me. It wasn't overwhelming, and many people wouldn't notice it, but to me it was unmistakable. This was the controlled signature of a cultivator who knew what they were doing.

  Through the crack in an almost shut door, I could see an old man sat hunched at a workbench in the back room. His hands hammered nails into the sole of a leather boot, but beneath him, barely visible through the doorway, I could see lines traced across the floorboards in a pattern that shouldn't exist in a cobbler's workshop.

  Most people, particularly those in this part of town would have no idea what they were glimpsing, but for someone like me who had spent lifetimes focused on their study, this was unmistakably an array. A formation designed to enhance and focus ki for some purpose.

  Or was it? Maybe it was just my imagination seeing patterns where there were none.

  The old man looked up as I walked into the shop, his pale eyes sharp despite the wrinkles framing them. He stood up from his workbench and headed out from the back room, shutting the door carefully behind him and the ki cut off. If there was an array there it was now hidden from view. I shrugged. If I tried to ferret out every secret in Shuilin Haven I would never get anything done.

  The man pushed his spectacles up on his nose and smiled. "How might I help you? New shoes, boots? Maybe a repair?"

  "Actually, I heard you might have a house for rent."

  His face brightened. "Indeed! The wife came into it from her uncle last month. Been trying to decide what to do with it." He set aside his tools. "I can show it to you now, if you'd like."

  The house stood three streets away, a modest but well-maintained two-story structure with whitewashed walls. Inside, it was plain but solid, with three small bedrooms upstairs. A single room that served as both kitchen and living area made up the entirety of the first floor. A small courtyard in the back housed a well and a privy.

  There was also a promising looking set of stone steps to one side. "Is there a cellar?" I asked.

  Feng lit a stub of a candle and led me down to a spacious underground room with a surprisingly high ceiling. Unless I was mistaken, this cellar extended under much of the courtyard as well.

  Feng rubbed his nose as he looked around. "My wife's uncle, may the gods have mercy on him, was a wine merchant. He used to store his barrels here. It's a good space."

  The walls were dry, without a hint of mold or seepage. I gave a satisfied nod. "Perfect."

  "Two silver a month payable in advance," Feng said. "Furnished as is."

  "I'll take it." I counted out two coins, then paused and paid the full amount for the next six months.

  Feng looked at the coins quizzically. "Are you sure?"

  I nodded. "Wanted to pay while I've got the coin. Wouldn't want to fall behind." One way or the other, in six months, I would either have outgrown this place or I would be dead trying. Not that Old Feng needed to know that.

  On my way back to the slums, I swung by the dock and found Yanzi hanging around with a few similar looking urchins.

  "Fancy earning a few petals?"

  He grinned. "Always."

  We found Kaelen sitting on a log outside the old house. He was frowning in concentration as he mended a fishing net.

  "Pack up," I announced. "We're moving."

  Kaelen looked up, confused. "Eh? Moving? To where? Why?"

  "A friend had to leave the city suddenly. Offered me his lease at a good price." The lie came easily. "Three bedrooms, solid roof, actual furniture."

  "Honest-to-gods bedrooms?" Kaelen's hands stilled on the net and he studied my face. "How good a price. This friend seems a bit too generous. What's the catch?"

  I shrugged. "We were close. And I'm covering the rent so you and Sarei don't need to worry. You've paid my way long enough, now it's my turn. So, are you going to sit there all day, or shall we hire some carts?"

  The three of us loaded our meager possessions onto two rented hand carts. The pitiful collection barely filled them, a stark reminder of how little this family had.

  As Kaelen and I pushed the carts toward our new home, Yanzi skipped ahead, his face bright with excitement. Kaelen walked beside me, silent but with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

  If he had that look on his face now, I couldn't wait to see his reaction when he actually saw the new place.

  Once we arrived, it took barely any time to unload. Our few belongings disappeared into the space and barely made any difference to the appearance of our new home.

  I pulled out a silver fang and pressed it into Yanzi's palm. His eyes widened as his fingers closed around it.

  "Take one of the carts and get some coal for the fire," I instructed him. "Then buy us a proper dinner for tonight, something hot and fresh from one of the places in the market. Don't hold back. Oh, and don't forget breakfast for tomorrow. Bread, cheese, and fruit should do."

  "A fang just for that?" Yanzi's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  "When you're done, go to Qin's and bring Sarei here after she finishes work. Keep whatever's left as payment for all of your help today."

  His face split into a grin as he realized how much he would have remaining. "You won't regret it, cuz!" He darted out the door, nearly tripping in his excitement.

  I turned to Kaelen, who was examining the empty kitchen shelves with a frown. I handed him a few fangs.

  "The house needs some basics. Linens for the beds, pots, pans, dishes, that sort of thing. Can you handle that? I want everything ready when Sarei arrives."

  Kaelen's large hand closed around the coins. "You're being awfully free with money lately." His eyes searched mine. "Where's it coming from?"

  "Does it matter? We needed this."

  "Is it legal?"

  "Mostly."

  He stared at me a moment longer then shrugged. "I'll go get it then."

  After they both left, I stood alone in the empty house and looked around. The silence felt good. This place, simple as it was, would serve my needs perfectly.

  I walked down to the cellar, my footsteps echoing on the stone steps. The space below was perfect. Spacious and away from prying eyes and ears. I could train here without interruption.

  Better living conditions were necessary, but only because hunger, cold, and lack of sleep would distract me from what actually mattered.

  One year. That's all the time I had before that Vanguard would come hunting me. One year to rebuild what had taken me centuries to achieve in my past life.

  I ran my hand along the cool stone wall. Yes, this would do nicely. Upstairs, my new family would build an ordinary, respectable home. That home would hide the fact that down here I would forge myself into a weapon.

  Time to train.

  So my boy wasn't going to be spending longer in the slums than he needed to. In fact I wonder if he's even going to make it six months here?

  Like I said at the start, we've passed 300 followers so there'll be a bonus chapter later today. Just need to edit it first and I really want to get it right. It's actually somewhat different in tone in parts, I think you're going to like it. I certainly do!

  See you again in a few hours!