Sparring Session (Upper)

Bad breath?

What kind of ridiculous reason is that?

Cheng Shaojiu, who had clenched his fists, loosened them again, putting them behind his back, but unconsciously clenched them once more.

He looked at Wei He, who had a calm expression, and suddenly felt a mix of amusement and helplessness, a sense of complexity, and relief, but most of all, touched.

He had heard the entire conversation and knew how good the terms Jiang Yan had offered were.

To put it bluntly, even if other factions came to recruit him later, no one could offer a better deal than this.

Therefore, Wei He's reason for refusal simply didn't hold water.

"You shouldn't have rejected him. The price the Jiang family offered is already the best available on the market. Most importantly, your Second Sister can also move into the Inner City, so you won't have to worry about her safety anymore." Cheng Shaojiu took a deep breath and said earnestly.

"If it's because of me, I'll go and explain things on your behalf right now." He turned to leave.

But Wei He immediately called him back.

"Brother Cheng, don't rush. I have my own considerations, and it's not just because of you. Sit down and let me explain."

Wei He strode over, forcefully pulled him back, and pressed him into his seat.

"Brother Cheng, do you realize that if I join the Jiang family and enter the city, it won't be so easy to get out?" Wei He lowered his voice.

"??!" Cheng Shaojiu was stunned for a moment, then something occurred to him. His eyes widened. "You mean!?"

"I know the rules. A contract like this is at least five years. That means once I join the Jiang family, I'll be tied down for five years," Wei He said seriously.

"You're betting on the Hong family?" Cheng Shaojiu immediately understood.

Although the Seven Families Alliance seemed stable now, it was hard to say how long they could last against the Hong Family Fort's relentless pressure.

Wei He remained silent.

He wasn't actually betting on the Hong Family Fort; he simply didn't want to tie himself down to one place.

In the current situation, choosing a looser affiliation with fewer benefits was the safest option.

Compared to Cheng Shaojiu, he actually had a third option.

This was an option that the original Xiao Ran could have chosen, but now he was no longer qualified.

And the only person who knew about this was Master Zheng.

Because everyone else had no idea about one of the rules of Huishan Fist.

That is, one must break through from Ox Hide to Stone Hide within a year to have the potential for further advancement.

This rule was also observed by Old Zheng over many years of teaching disciples.

However, he didn't intend to reveal it, lest it dampen the enthusiasm of others. What if diligent practice led to a miracle? That was also something no one could say for sure.

Therefore, only Wei He and Xiao Ran knew about this matter.

And Old Zheng, in addition to offering him a choice between joining either side, had given Wei He another option.

That was to continue staying at the Huishan Fist Academy, with him supplying Wei He with subsequent resources to continue his diligent practice, with the aim of breaking through.

But by staying, apart from resources for accumulating Blood Essence, there would be no shortage of anything else. In other respects, it couldn't compare to joining a major power.

After all, his Huishan Fist Academy was not a prominent family.

However, Wei He was most satisfied with this last option.

This was because he was not optimistic about either the Seven Families Alliance or the Hong Family Fort.

The current world was chaotic, and Feiye City was such a mess. He was already considering leaving this place and finding a better city to settle in.

Moreover, joining the Seven Families Alliance or the Hong Family Fort would inevitably mean bringing his Second Sister along.

This would be equivalent to being completely tied to their chariot. He couldn't see or understand the overall situation clearly. Making such a casual and hasty choice of faction, if there were any changes in the future.

Then, facing death against his will would be truly difficult.

"Brother Cheng, do you know about the situation outside Feiye City? The Yonghe Escort Agency deals with transportation, so they must have traveled to more places than ordinary people and have some understanding of the external situation, right?" Wei He asked in a low voice.

Cheng Shaojiu was still looking at the four empty plates on the table, his face filled with heartache.

Four plates of meat!!

Even a pig wouldn't eat that much!

He had planned to use his share for the month to treat a few more brothers to a meal. Now it was all gone.

This meat was all limited supply; once it was gone, it was gone, and he couldn't help but feel pained.

Hearing Wei He speak at this moment, he sighed and looked at Wei He with a mixture of amusement and helplessness.

"You brat, you're saying you'd give up such good terms from the Jiang family. And you still want to covet these few plates of meat from me. Let's go, let's talk in the car."

Although he felt heartache, he inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

He immediately called the waiter to pay the bill.

He swore that this was the most satisfying time he had ever paid for something in his life.

The gold notes in his wallet were almost emptied, but his mood was as exhilarating as drinking plum juice in the summer, sour and refreshing.

As he went downstairs, he saw Jiang Yan looking over from the window of a private room on the second floor.

Cheng Shaojiu puffed out his chest and left the door expressionlessly with Wei He.

Without looking back, the two got into the Cheng family's carriage waiting at the entrance.

Jiang Yan was slightly taken aback, as if he had understood something.

"What's wrong, Brother Yan?" the young master at the opposite banquet asked curiously.

"Nothing." Jiang Yan retracted his gaze. Was this attitude a declaration of his stance?

Interesting.

He remained calm and picked up a stalk of emerald green heart vegetable, putting the matter behind him in an instant.

Since he didn't want to, so be it. His Jiang family was wealthy and powerful, and they didn't lack one Wei He.

Although good fighters like him were rare, they weren't nonexistent.

In the vast Feiye City, with its dozen or so towns and the inner city, plus over a dozen earth forts outside, could they really be short of a second-stage Blood Essence expert?

It was just that Wei He, by refusing him now, would have cause to regret it later.

After all, he was someone whose potential had been exhausted, and who had broken through by sheer luck. Such cases weren't uncommon in Feiye City.

Even if other factions made offers, they wouldn't be as generous as his.

"What? Brother Yan, are you troubled by something?" the young man in green on the opposite side chuckled.

"Nothing, I was just rejected when I tried to recruit a junior brother," Jiang Yan said with a smile, recounting what had just happened.

"A second-stage Blood Essence expert. Buying him for five years at this price isn't a loss. His refusal is merely him waiting for a better offer," the young man in green said with a smile.

"When he later realizes that no one else will offer a higher price than you, Brother Yan, he'll surely regret it. After all, he's not exactly a genius.

Someone like him will at most become a middle manager in the future. If he's given an important position and trusted, it'll be a stroke of luck. If he doesn't amount to anything, don't bother thinking about him."

"That's true." Jiang Yan thought for a moment and then decided not to bother with it.

"What about the Flying Bear Saber side? That young genius, he's even better than Xiao Ran. Do you have any thoughts on that, Brother Yan?"

"Are you talking about Zhou Jihan, who sparred with someone yesterday, from the Flying Bear Saber?" Jiang Yan smiled. "My eldest brother has already taken people to him, but there's no guarantee we can invite him. After all, this person's talent is even greater than Xiao Ran's. It depends on each family's methods."

That Zhou Jihan was the key focus for all the families.

The Flying Bear Saber itself was the strongest martial arts academy in the largest Outer City town.

And Zhou Jihan, at only sixteen, had already reached the peak of second-stage Blood Essence, with immense future potential.

The most crucial point was that this person, unlike Xiao Ran, wasn't arrogant and easily offended by a few words. He was also highly valued by Elder Yun of the Flying Bear Saber.

Elder Yun's influence was far greater than Old Zheng of Huishan Fist from Shiqiao Town. That Elder Yun had even taught quite a few third-stage Blood Essence experts who held important positions in various factions.

Being valued by Elder Yun meant that Zhou Jihan's allegiance wasn't simply a matter of his own talent.

On the Cheng family carriage leaving the Inner City.

Cheng Shaojiu let out a breath and looked at Wei He, who was sitting upright opposite him.

"What do you want to know? On this land of Yunzhou, among the eighteen cities, my Yonghe Escort Agency has traveled through more than half of them."

"Brother Cheng, do you know which place is the most stable in the current Great Yuan? The situation is chaotic, disasters are frequent outside, there are constant droughts, and the price of grain and meat is getting more expensive."

Wei He paused and sighed.

"I see people being carried away to be buried every day due to starvation. The towns are getting emptier. If it weren't for the occasional sight of people during market days, I would almost think Shiqiao Town had become an abandoned city."

"I can understand why you think that," Cheng Shaojiu nodded, also falling silent for a moment.

"But I'll tell you the truth, Feiye City is relatively peaceful in this region of Yunzhou. Do you know why Hong Family Fort raises elite soldiers, yet no one dares to touch them?

It's because other places are even more chaotic, and the local officials alone are incapable of apprehending Hong Family. So, they can only feign ignorance and let it be."

He sighed.

"The cities near Feiye City are even more chaotic. Some places have already experienced battles long ago. I heard that one city was even captured by mountain bandits and outlaws. Can you believe such a thing?"

"Then are there no safer places?" Wei He asked in a low voice.

"There are," Cheng Shaojiu replied.

"Where?"

"Yunzhou Prefecture. It has heavy troops stationed there, it's prosperous and abundant, and it's the center of the entire Yunzhou. But it's too far away. If it weren't for the current chaos, it would have been easy to get there.

But now, with the war and disasters constantly occurring, bandits and robbers are everywhere, and there are many fierce beasts. I'm afraid people would perish halfway there. That's why, before, our escort missions only went as far as Sucheng."

"Sucheng?"

"Yes, it's a major grain-producing city nearby. However, they've also cut off supplies recently. Now, they rely entirely on the inner fields cultivated by the surrounding earth forts for their grain.

These inner fields are covered with long cloths to block light, and the cloths are removed at regular intervals to expose them to sunlight, which can somewhat shield them from the scorching sun and slow down light exposure. Coupled with their own irrigation, they can stabilize a portion of their harvest."

Upon hearing this, Wei He thought, isn't this like large greenhouses in ancient times?

"How is it in Sucheng then?" he asked again.

"Sucheng... is currently dominated by gangs. The Su Gang is the largest among them, and their notorious reputation within the city is well-known. Outsiders might not know, but if you were to visit and experience it yourself, you would understand why I say Feiye is better."

Cheng Shaojiu helplessly shook his head.

The two returned to the Cheng family while it was still early.

While still feeling the effects of the wine, Cheng Shaojiu pulled Wei He to the training grounds.

"Come, come, since you've broken through too, let's train together, brother."

Cheng Shaojiu changed into a set of training clothes and stood in an open space.

"You've just broken through, so I can share some of my experience and help you avoid detours."

Wei He readily agreed.

The two stood facing each other, both adopting the Huishan Fist stance.

From the outside, they looked like two boxers preparing for a fight.

The moonlight was soft, like a veil spread across the training grounds.

The two quickly quieted down and stood still.

With a sudden low shout, Cheng Shaojiu charged forward, his fists striking Wei He's face and abdomen in rapid succession.

This was an offensive move from Huishan Fist called Twin Flying Swallows, with one punch being direct and the other unexpected.

The direct punch to the face was meant to obscure vision and draw attention.

The other punch to the abdomen was the real killing blow, aiming for surprise.

Of course, if needed, this move could be adjusted, with the direct and unexpected punches switching places. There was no need to be rigid with the form.