Choosing an Assignment

Over on Xu Yuan's side, people were warm or cold as circumstance dictated, and the breeze was neither dry nor harsh.

But on this day, at the outskirts of the prefectural city where the Wild Wolf Gang was based, things had turned into utter pandemonium.

"What?"

"You're saying Li Daqiang failed to get it done and was even killed?"

A dark-skinned, middle-aged brute with knotted muscles across his bare upper body suddenly turned to glare at the scar-faced thug beside him.

That thug was Zhang Ergou, the one who had previously kept watch over the Xu family. As for the burly man before him, his identity was obvious—he was Quan Xiong, who had returned from traveling and making acquaintances.

Quan Xiong was also beside himself with rage. Dealing with the Xu family had been no more than a minor matter he had casually ordered handled, yet it had somehow ended up like this.

"Gang Leader, it was definitely that second son of the Xu family!" Zhang Ergou hunched over, grief and indignation mingling across his face, as if he were suffering even more than if his own father had died.

"I heard it from Niu Er's nephew. He'd already become an official martial artist by then, yet he deliberately kept it hidden. His scheming was truly vicious! Poor Brother Qiang died such a miserable death!"

"Enough!"

The noise grated on Quan Xiong's ears. He raised a hand and slapped Zhang Ergou flying, sending him sprawling head over heels, then said coldly:

"You're all useless trash. You can't even handle such a trivial matter."

"Gang Leader, you can't blame us! That kid became a martial artist—what could we possibly do?" Zhang Ergou covered his swollen, aching cheek, his face full of grievance.

"What about his eldest brother?"

"Ah, don't mention it. That brat moved into the inner city with his older brother and second sister-in-law long ago."

"Good! Very good!"

The fury on Quan Xiong's face deepened by another measure. With a cold sneer, he said, "A mere First Meridian martial artist dares run wild over my head? Did he not bother asking around about the name of Quan Xiong?"

This matter had to be handled properly!

If everyone could act like Xu Yuan—offend his taboos, hide away, and be left alone—then how was he, the gang leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, supposed to survive in the future?

"Where are his brother and sister-in-law now? If I could play his father to death, I can play them to death too!"

After giving it some thought, Quan Xiong still had no intention of swallowing this grievance. Just as he was about to call someone over to ask—

A Servant Boy suddenly strolled in and whispered in his ear, "Master, Manager Liu is outside asking for you."

"Manager Liu?" Quan Xiong froze, still unable to react.

"Have you forgotten? Manager Liu from the Shangyang Family," the Servant Boy reminded him again.

"What does he want with me?"

Filled with questions, Quan Xiong headed for the reception hall outside.

A middle-aged man in blue stood inside. He was Liu Yue, also one of the minor managers at the Personnel Hall.

After hearing that Quan Xiong had returned to the city, Liu Yue feared that he would let his temper get the better of him and stir up trouble, so he had rushed over without stopping for a moment.

After all, among the Shangyang Family's newest batch of martial artists, there were only four or five who possessed both fist technique and cultivation. Xu Yuan was one of them.

And after Zhao Qiusheng's deliberate warning, Liu Yue naturally understood the stakes.

"What!"

Upon hearing this news, Quan Xiong shot to his feet and said in disbelief, "That brat broke through to the Second Meridian Realm?"

"Not only did he reach the Second Meridian Realm, he also brought the martial skill Thunderclap Fist to the beginner level," Liu Yue added.

"Both his martial skill and cultivation improved within a single month..."

Quan Xiong was somewhat stunned. He muttered, "I've trained for nearly ten years and I'm still stuck at the Second Meridian Realm. Why did he manage it in just one month?"

Liu Yue rose as well and said slowly:

"Xu Yuan's talent has already caught the eye of some higher-ups. You absolutely cannot suppress him anymore. What you should be considering now is how to resolve this matter."

"How am I supposed to resolve it?" Quan Xiong came back to his senses, but had no idea where to begin.

"We've been friends for many years. Tell me honestly—just how badly have you offended him?" Liu Yue fixed his gaze on the other man and asked.

"How badly?" Quan Xiong thought back carefully. "Actually, it wasn't anything too outrageous. When his father came gambling back then, the gambling house used a few tricks, but no one forced him to keep gambling!"

"Who could he blame for losing everything? The troublesome part is what Li Daqiang did when he went looking for trouble with his family..."

As Liu Yue listened, his brows gradually furrowed. His friend had never been a good man; whenever he found a fat sheep, he would butcher it to the bone. The outcome was hardly surprising.

But he also had a share in the Wild Wolf Gang's business, which brought in quite a bit of income every year. Naturally, he could not allow it to rot away just like that.

Fortunately, Xu Yuan is only at the Second Meridian Realm. The situation can still be kept under control.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Yue said:

"There is still room to turn this around. Prepare a valuable gift carefully, apologize to him, and do your best to see whether this matter can be settled."

"After all, Xu Yuan's family is poor. If a martial artist wants to advance, silver is indispensable. There is still room to maneuver."

Apologize to a yellow-haired brat at the same realm as himself?

The moment Quan Xiong heard that, even his dark face flushed several shades redder. Other than during his early days as a bandit, when had he ever suffered such humiliation and disgrace?

However, Xu Yuan was in the Shangyang Family and had gained attention, so he could not make a move against him.

Moreover, the other party's talent was outstanding, while he himself was stuck at a bottleneck...

With one side waxing as the other waned, circumstances were stronger than any man!

"Brother Yue is right."

Quan Xiong decided to give it a try, though he still asked uneasily:

"But what if—I'm saying, what if... Xu Yuan refuses to reconcile?"

Now that Xu Yuan had become a Second Meridian martial artist overnight, perhaps his temperament had changed completely and he had become arrogant and looked down on everyone?

After all, there had always been no small amount of conflict between them.

"He probably won't. We're taking the initiative to lower our heads and apologize. As for the business of looking for trouble, just pin it all on Li Daqiang. Besides, I have a little standing in the Shangyang Family," Liu Yue said with a dismissive wave.

But what if he truly refuses to show us any face?

At that thought, Liu Yue's expression darkened. Then they could only abandon Quan Xiong and draw a clean line between them.

Yes, that was right. He was not planning to go head-to-head with Xu Yuan.

He was preparing to abandon Quan Xiong.

As he had said before, Xu Yuan had reached the Second Meridian Realm in a month, possessed outstanding aptitude, and was within the Shangyang Family. Liu Yue could not possibly move against him under such circumstances...

Though it pained him to part with his good brother's Silver Ingots, there was no helping it. He could only grit his teeth and cut off a piece of flesh.

He could still distinguish what was weightier and what was lighter.

After all, reality was not some storybook novel. If one clearly knew offending someone was not worthwhile, was one still supposed to fight to the death and, in the end, drag down the whole family register?

Liu Yue glanced at Quan Xiong and thought, If it truly comes to that, then I can only blame you for being blind enough to offend Xu Yuan.

The next day, Xu Yuan went to his elder brother's place for a New Year's meal. After the group strolled through the streets for a while, they returned to the Shangyang Family.

Time reached the third day of the first month.

The morning light was faint.

The entire Shangyang Family began operating at high speed once more, like a precision machine. The training compound where Xu Yuan had previously stayed also welcomed a new group of students.

As for their group of "graduates," they arrived outside the Personnel Hall, forming a queue as long as a dragon.

They were here to collect their monthly stipends, have their evaluations confirmed, and select or be assigned duties.

"This scene is rather like the dual-selection job fairs from my previous life."

Xu Yuan looked at the scene before him and could not help smiling.

Following the line, he arrived at the Personnel Hall window overseen by Zhao Qiusheng.

There were too many eyes and ears around, unlike when they were in private. Zhao Qiusheng merely nodded at him and spoke in his usual tone:

"Xu Yuan, Second Pattern Household Guard. Both your cultivation and fist technique have improved. You have six months to choose your own assignment. Hand over the Jade Pendant issued by the martial master."

"Mm, assessment confirmed. You may look over the assignment list on the right and come back here to register after deciding."

"Thank you, Manager Zhao." Xu Yuan nodded and cupped his hands toward him.

He then went to the materials section beside it to look things over and found, as expected, that there were no assignments in the first-level areas.

He continued reading downward, eliminating all assignments in the third- and fourth-level areas, including the medicinal fields, until only positions within the Shangyang Family residence in the second-level areas remained.

He then picked out the assignments that Second Pattern Household Guards could undertake.

"Hmm... chief guard at the Gate of Outer Courtyard A. Isn't that basically a security captain? No, there are too many trivial matters."

"Pill Hall Supply Line Three leader. It requires escorting goods from the medicinal fields into the residence. This job carries no small risk."

Xu Yuan kept scanning the list before finally fixing his gaze on one particular assignment.

"Outer Courtyard D Instructor Martial Master."

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