Yu Ping shot out first, snatching the rabbit’s left hind leg. With a deft twist and a yank, he tore it off and began to gnaw on it.
Zheng Hui cursed under his breath, "You little brat. If only you were this deft with your saber practice."
Han Anbo tore off the other thick hind leg and thrust it into Li Qingxian’s hands without a word. He then broke off a foreleg for himself and started eating.
"Thanks!" Li Qingxian said with a smile, gripping the rabbit leg.
The room, lit by the faint moonlight, echoed with the soft, constant sound of chewing.
Li Qingxian chuckled as he ate. ’Who knew eating a rabbit leg could be this thrilling?’
They had barely finished half when a loud shout came from the next room. "I smell meat! Which room is having a feast? Don’t let them get away!"
In an instant, nine of the ten rooms erupted into an uproar.
"It must be Yu Ping!"
"Yeah, let’s check Room A9 first!"
"Let’s go..."
Zheng Hui said hurriedly, "I’ll block the door! You all eat faster, get the meatiest parts first!"
The three of them scrambled, tearing at the meat, desperately stuffing it into their mouths, and chewing with wild abandon.
"Blocking the door? In that case, we won’t be polite! Get two Squad Commanders over here, let’s kick it down together!"
BANG!
Zheng Hui was sent flying backward along with the door. A mob of ravenous men, their eyes practically glowing green, surged in, sniffing the air. The dark room filled with the sound of sharp, greedy inhalations.
The eyes of the three Tenth-Grade Squad Commanders gleamed as they charged straight in. Li Qingxian felt a dark gust of wind blow past, and the remains of the rabbit and the paper bag on the table vanished.
Even the gnawed-on bones left by the paper bag were gone without a trace.
The savages who had burst in first were already charging back out, still eating.
"Who dares hog it all for themselves? Get them!"
In the courtyard, a scramble under the moonlight began.
Suddenly, someone cursed loudly, "Are you guys that desperate? You licked the bones completely clean? I fought like hell to grab this, and all I get is a mouthful of your spit!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The crowd joked and laughed for a while, discussing who managed to get a bite, before heading back to their own rooms.
Li Qingxian and Zheng Hui tried to reinstall the door panel. After struggling for a long time without success, they gave up, deciding they would have to find someone to fix it tomorrow.
"Next time, let’s eat behind the rockery," Yu Ping said.
"Alright, just get some sleep," said Zheng Hui.
"I’m still hungry..." Yu Ping whined pitifully.
"Then starve!" Zheng Hui retorted with a laugh.
"Sigh..." As he spoke, Yu Ping pulled a paper bag from his robes, grabbed a few pastries from inside, and stuffed them into his mouth.
Li Qingxian shot Yu Ping a look. "You’re really something else."
Yu Ping finished eating with a satisfied look. "I figured the rabbit would get snatched, so I saved a few pieces. I’m full now."
"Hurry up and sleep. We’re on patrol tomorrow."
The four of them lay down, the aroma of roasted rabbit still hanging in the air.
Through the broken, half-open door, the chirping of insects, calls of birds, and the laughter and chatter of other Night Guards drifted in.
"Qingxian, how are you feeling? Think you can make it to the training grounds for evening practice? Morning training starts in a few days. Will you need to request leave?" Zheng Hui asked.
"I feel like I’m almost recovered. I’ll try evening practice tomorrow, and if it’s too much, we’ll go from there. If I don’t start training this body of mine again, I’m afraid it’ll just fall apart," Li Qingxian said.
"Alright. Since you’re feeling better, we’ll switch back tomorrow. You’ll patrol with Anx Bo. He’s sharp—thinks things through more carefully than I do, even. You have to listen to him."
"Okay."
"Get some sleep..."
The room fell silent. Before long, the varied sounds of deep sleep filled the air.
A little while later, a CRUNCHING, CHEWING sound started up.
Li Qingxian rolled over in a daze. "Is that a mouse?" he asked.
The CRUNCHING sound stopped abruptly.
Zheng Hui cursed, "Yu Ping, can you have a little self-respect?"
"SQUEAK... SQUEAK..." A mouse-like sound came from under Yu Ping’s blanket.
Li Qingxian squinted. In the dim room, he could see Yu Ping’s blanket was propped up into a small tent. The sight was so funny it shocked him fully awake.
"You little brat!" Zheng Hui cursed, then rolled over and went back to sleep.
It was only after Yu Ping finished eating that Li Qingxian finally felt sleepy again and slowly closed his eyes.
Early the next morning, Zheng Hui was shouting and hollering for everyone to get up, his voice so loud that even the men in the next room started to complain.
Li Qingxian blearily opened his eyes to see Zheng Hui, already neatly dressed, pacing back and forth in the room and nagging them to hurry up.
After washing up and getting dressed, the four of them stood by the door.
Zheng Hui stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted up at the sky, lingering at the doorway.
The other three exchanged confused glances, unsure what was happening, and could only stand there without moving.
Suddenly, Han Anbo’s eyes darted to Zheng Hui’s waist. A look of realization dawned on his face. He bent over, examining Zheng Hui’s leather belt closely, and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Old Zheng, who got you this new belt? This leather is much better than our standard-issue ones, and the craftsmanship is so exquisite. Now *this* is a belt worthy of your Tenth-Grade status."
Li Qingxian followed his gaze. The brown leather belt looked as if it were coated in a layer of oil, gleaming in the morning light.
Zheng Hui stroked the belt and chuckled. "Heh, who else? A gift from my boy last night. The kid does nothing productive all day, just loafs around. Said it’s calfskin. But what’s the point? A Tenth-Grade belt, no matter how nice, is still just Tenth-Grade. The real prize is the patterned leather belt you get at Ninth Grade."
"So your son knows how to be filial. I’m truly envious, Captain Zheng," Han Anbo added, falling into his usual role of flattering him.
"Filial? I’d be burning incense in gratitude if he just managed to stay out of trouble! Let’s go, time for breakfast." As he walked, Zheng Hui kept stroking his new belt and humming a little tune. He was practically bursting with pride, smiling at everyone he saw.
As usual, the four of them finished their slop and headed out for patrol.
On the way, they ran into Instructor Dong Ying. They chatted for a bit. He said his mother’s health was gradually improving, and he would soon be getting things in order for the Drunken Country Inn. He insisted that the four of them must grace the opening with their presence.
Zheng Hui watched Dong Ying’s retreating figure. Once he was out of earshot, Zheng Hui clapped Li Qingxian on the shoulder. "I have you to thank for this. Years ago, he defeated me by a single move to become an Instructor. But he stubbornly swallowed a mouthful of blood instead of spitting it out, leaving him with a lasting internal injury. If he hadn’t been so proud and just let the blood out, he probably would have reached Ninth Grade by now. It’s hard to say who was right or wrong. That’s why we butt heads sometimes, but we always know where to draw the line."
"Is that what happened? No wonder I always felt things were a bit tense between you two," Li Qingxian said.
"A few days ago, he came to see me in private. He said all that is water under the bridge and insisted that I have to come to the Drunken Country Inn. So I’ve decided to let it go, too. We’re all just trying to make a living. It’s not easy for any of us," Zheng Hui said, starting to walk again.
Along the way, the four of them chatted about all things related to the Night Guard.
Gradually, Li Qingxian started to think that being a Night Guard was actually pretty good.
’You’ve got teammates who are like brothers, elders who act like fathers and uncles, plenty of food and drink, good conversation and laughter... and you even get Qi Fortune for free. It’s perfect.’
As usual, the four of them patrolled Wanping Street together, then split into two groups.
Yu Ping tried to drag Han Anbo away, but Zheng Hui slapped his hand down. Zheng Hui then wrapped his right arm around Yu Ping’s neck in a headlock, squeezing until Yu Ping’s face turned bright red.
Zheng Hui waved to Li Qingxian and Han Anbo. "See you at noon!"
Under the cool morning sun, Zheng Hui continued to curse and lecture Yu Ping as their two entangled shadows slowly receded into the distance on the bluestone path.
As they walked, Li Qingxian asked, "Brother Han, do you think Brother Zheng partners up with Yu Ping just to keep him from eating everything in sight?"
"You don’t even have to ask. That’s exactly it. But Yu Ping’s a pitiful kid, really. His family was quite poor when he was little, and he’d often go two or three days on a single meal. His family’s fortunes improved later, but the fear of starvation stuck with him. Now, whenever he has money, he spends it on food. Since becoming a Night Guard, he’s always eating. His entire salary goes to food."
"Is it enough?"
"How could it be? That’s why he often sneaks home to ask for more money. His parents know he only spends it on food, so they spoil him. Captain Zheng is worried that eating too much will interfere with his Cultivation and prevent him from ever achieving Entering Grade, so he’s always keeping him in line."