"I know! Brother Nezha, I know!"
Whether it was the medicine, the candied hawthorn, or perhaps Li Cunxiao's influence, after the time it took to drink a meal's worth of wine, Huzi's face was still somewhat pale, but his spirits had improved considerably. Hearing the two talking, he immediately cut in excitedly:
"I heard Bald Snake from the Green Snake Gang got hold of a martial arts manual. The Wolf Gang's boss found out, and the two sides had a vicious fight. It was terrifying!"
Gao Cheng frowned as soon as he heard that.
"You're just a child. Where did you hear about such things? Don't go learning all this fighting and killing, understand?"
Huzi immediately shrank his head back. Li Cunxiao's eyes flickered, and he comforted him instead.
"Huzi, your father is right. You're still young. Getting mixed up in such things is dangerous."
"By the way, where did you hear about this?"
"Er Zhu Zi from West Bridge Street told me. His uncle is a resident physician at the apothecary. Bald Snake and his gang got their medicine there."
Li Cunxiao fell into thought. He had already formed a plan, intending to pay an old friend a "visit" later.
As for some manual or other, he did not think much of it.
His experience learning martial arts at the escort agency had taught him that, for ordinary people, manuals were fundamentally just decorative goods they could neither understand nor use.
To say nothing else, if you followed the diagrams and text in a manual, how would you know whether you were practicing correctly? Whether your movements had gone out of shape? Whether your body had already suffered damage?
Shutting oneself away to build a cart would only injure one's body for nothing. That was where martial school masters truly had value.
Only with guidance from one's elders could one take fewer detours—or none at all.
Of course, that was not to say manuals were entirely useless. If a martial master already possessed substantial accumulated martial experience, then by drawing inferences from one instance to another, studying manuals could at least broaden his thinking, perhaps even allow him to cast off the old and bring forth the new.
Besides, thugs like Bald Snake relied only on sturdy physiques and brute force. They probably had not even reached Sensing Vitality.
At that level, what kind of martial arts manual could they possibly get their hands on?
After chatting idly a while longer, Li Cunxiao remained concerned about the Green Snake Gang. Estimating that the time was about right, he took his leave.
Gao Cheng naturally kept urging him to stay, but he could not prevail. In the end, he could only personally see Li Cunxiao to the door.
Watching the other man's retreating back, Gao Cheng could not help placing a hand over his heart. It felt warm inside.
For a straightforward, honest man, wasn't sincere hearts exchanged for sincere hearts the greatest reward of all?
"But Sanlang is far too careless with money. He'll still need to marry a wife someday."
After standing at the entrance for a while, Gao Cheng was about to close the door when he suddenly heard someone shout loudly.
"Disciple! Disciple! Wait!"
"Master?"
Gao Cheng stared in astonishment at the ball of flesh running toward him in the distance. Yet this time, the latter was not wearing his usual sour expression.
Though he was panting so hard he could barely catch his breath, he still squeezed out a smile.
"Disciple, Chief Escort Zhang suddenly ordered a whole roast lamb feast. Without you, Master can't manage it alone."
"I was somewhat... harsh with you before. Take this roast chicken and wine."
Gao Cheng was a generous man. Put another way, he did not hold grudges.
After all, when learning a trade, who did not get scolded?
An apology had been made, gifts had been accepted, and the matter was over.
Besides, he understood perfectly well that Master Zhang and the shopkeeper were being polite only because Li Cunxiao had his back.
It was not his own ability, so what was there to be arrogant about?
Learning all of Fat Zhang's skills as soon as possible—that was the foundation for standing on his own two feet!
After giving his wife and child a few instructions, Gao Cheng followed Master Zhang back to the restaurant.
Anyone who had been a butcher knew slaughtering was hard labor, and roasting lamb was even harder labor. Among the kitchen hands, Gao Cheng was the strongest. Slaughtering sheep, draining blood, cleaning the innards and offal, seasoning and roasting—his hands and feet moved with swift efficiency.
For some reason, work he had long grown sick of felt especially different today.
When Zhang Lishi arrived that evening, he lavished praise on the roast lamb. He specifically ordered another portion made and sent to his residence for his wife and several daughters to taste.
Seeing this, Shopkeeper Sun simply had Gao Cheng accompany the delivery, giving him a chance to show his face.
Gao Cheng could not think that far ahead. He only knew he had worked all afternoon and was exhausted.
Fortunately, Shopkeeper Sun had a bit of conscience and gave him a reward. Otherwise, as a kitchen hand, why would he bother doing this delivery errand?
"Elder Brother Gao?"
Gao Cheng had delivered the lamb and was just about to leave when a crisp child's voice caught him off guard.
"Wood Fork?! Oh, right, I remember now. Your brother said you were serving as a pageboy at the Zhang Family."
"My brother came looking for you?"
Wood Fork's eyes lit up. He took a bag of candied fruit from his clothes and stuffed it into Gao Cheng's hand.
"This is for Huzi. Is Huzi doing well?"
"He is. Everyone is well."
Looking at the child before him, exquisitely carved from jade and dressed in blue cotton, Gao Cheng could not help recalling the Li brothers' former days. For a moment, his feelings were beyond words.
"Wood Fork, who is this?"
Que'er sprang out from somewhere, followed by Zhang Yuelu and two maids.
"I-I'm here to deliver roast lamb."
Gao Cheng did not recognize the two girls, but seeing them dressed in silks and brocades, they were likely young ladies of the residence.
After working in the kitchen all afternoon, he had inevitably gotten blood and viscera on himself, and naturally did not smell pleasant. Seeing that the others were all frowning slightly, he immediately felt awkward. He mumbled vaguely, gave Wood Fork an embarrassed smile, and prepared to withdraw.
"He's Elder Brother Gao! Back when Big Brother and I couldn't afford food, Elder Brother Gao gave us things to eat!"
"Elder Brother Gao is a good man!"
Li Muxia's voice rang out loud and clear. His little face was held high, without the slightest sense that there was anything shameful about it. Instead, Gao Cheng's old face reddened as he stammered:
"...It was only a few meals. Your big brother became an escort, yet he never forgot me. He's the truly good one."
"Third Sister, does this count as praising each other shamelessly?"
Que'er tilted her head up, her eyes full of innocence, making Zhang Yuelu laugh.
"No. This is called repaying gratitude."
"Qiuju, take a few coins of silver and see Master Gao out. Making a trip at night is not easy."
Only after Gao Cheng left amid profuse thanks did Zhang Yuelu look toward Wood Fork, curiosity deepening in her eyes.
Li Cunxiao had joined the escort agency less than a month ago, yet he had already become an escort?
Minor Accomplishment in Tiger Form Fist?
For children of the Inner City, such speed was not unusual. But considering his impoverished background, it was no easy feat.
Moreover, judging from what Gao Cheng had said, this Li Sanlang was also a rare man of loyalty and feeling.
She only wondered whether he could reach Blood Qi Perfection before the age of twenty and be accepted by her father. As for the Muscle and Tendon Realm hurdle...
A strange light flashed in Zhang Yuelu's eyes. Beside her, Que'er began chirping around Wood Fork again.
"Wood Fork, what kind of person is your big brother?"
Wood Fork had originally been angry that Li Cunxiao had visited Huzi but not him. At those words, he immediately puffed out his chest.
"My big brother is amazing!"
"But he's fierce and ugly."
Wood Fork's cheeks puffed up at once.
"All those stories I told you were taught to me by Big Brother. If he studied, he could definitely become the top scholar!"
"You mean the Monkey King stories?"
Zhang Yuelu recalled that legendary tale of the Heavenly Court and Dragon Palace, of subduing demons and exterminating evil. She had listened to it several times herself, and it truly was quite interesting.
She had heard Li Sanlang had attended private school for only a year. She had no idea how he had come up with it.
"You dumb Wood Fork, the imperial court hasn't held the Imperial Examination for years. There hasn't been a top scholar in ages!"
Que'er refused to yield. She simply liked teasing Wood Fork, and every time, she could stir up his fighting spirit.
"My big brother has far more good points than that!"
As Wood Fork spoke, he began counting on his fingers one by one.
"My big brother has a good memory, patience, and he loves being clean."
Outer City, Green Snake Gang headquarters.
Calling it headquarters was generous. It was really just a small courtyard. After all, the Green Snake Gang only had a dozen or so people in total. Bald Snake, together with several core enforcers, numbered only four or five.
Yet at that moment, all four or five of them lay sprawled on the ground, groaning weakly. Beneath every pair of trousers was a pool of foul, unidentified matter. Looking closely, quite a few of them also had medicinal plasters and bandages on their bodies.
On the table sat a delivery box from a restaurant, picked clean.
Bald Snake's face was pale. He barely leaned against the edge of a stool. Though he had emptied his bowels to the point of hollowness, he still could not suppress the urge to spray.
He could not help glaring furiously at the leisurely young man beside him.
"Li Sanlang! How have I offended you? Drugging the food with laxatives—you're shameless!"
Li Cunxiao smiled.
"Bald Snake, your memory may be poor, but mine is very good."
"And I have plenty of patience."
His expression turned cold. Under the terrified gazes of everyone present, he drew the short blade at his waist.
"The moment I heard you were injured, I came right away."
After leaving Gao Cheng's home, it had not taken Li Cunxiao much effort to find out where the Green Snake Gang was staying.
These people usually bullied men and women alike, acting without restraint and utterly ignorant of the meaning of keeping a low profile.
After finding them, Li Cunxiao secretly observed them. Sure enough, every one of them was injured. But even so, he had not rashly charged in.
After he could manipulate blood essence, the power of his fists and kicks had increased greatly. Taking on four or five men alone was not a problem. But if he wanted to kill people, making too much noise might let one or two escape.
With the mindset of giving it a try, he found a nearby restaurant, ordered delivery, and once it was prepared, used the excuse of a taste test to add a large amount of laxative.
Fearing that the Green Snake Gang would grow suspicious, Li Cunxiao did not have the waiter deliver it directly to their courtyard. Instead, he had it delivered somewhere nearby, where the waiter merely had to pass by.
One could only say that a dog could never stop eating shit. Bald Snake's underlings had grown accustomed to taking things for free. Seeing delivery food pass their door, they snatched it away in one grab.
Thus, by the time Li Cunxiao came here two quarters of an hour later, the Green Snake Gang had become the Shit Snake Gang. Not one of them could stand.
"Li Sanlang, y-you, don't act rashly. We can talk this out. I was wrong before, you—mmph!"
Li Cunxiao grabbed a rag and stuffed it into Bald Snake's mouth. Under his terrified gaze, he walked over to the limp underlings and slit their throats one by one with his short blade.
The laxative had left them weak-limbed and numb. Li Cunxiao was a martial artist who could manipulate blood essence, and his strength already surpassed theirs. Thus, the instant he entered the courtyard, he had tied their hands and feet and gagged them.
As a result, this slaughter was quiet and peaceful. There were no screams, no struggles. Outside the courtyard, birds chirped clearly, every call entering the ear.
Vivid red blood soaked the ground. Reflected in the pools of blood were venomous eyes in their final moments.
In Li Cunxiao's mind, the light on the Vajra Scepter, which had only recently been exhausted, visibly increased. But he had no mind to look at it now.
He gripped Bald Snake's neck as if strangling a chicken. Though the other man was fairly tall and strong, the feel beneath Li Cunxiao's palm was much like Zhao Heishe's had been.
"Mm-mm—ptui!"
Bald Snake knew his death was upon him, but he still refused to abandon hope. With great difficulty, he spat out the rag blocking his mouth. The blood-slick blade at his neck had already raised a layer of goosebumps across his skin.
Though his jaw ached terribly from being forced open just now, a string of hurried, low words was still squeezed out of his mouth.
"Don't kill me! I have money, silver! Right, I also have a manual, a manual!"
Li Cunxiao raised a brow. Whether it was true or false, he did not care. He pressed harder with the blade, piercing the skin of the man's neck.
"Playing me?"
"It's under the bed! Under the third bed in the inner room, tied to the underside of the bedboard!"
Bald Snake grew even more terrified, even instinctively holding his breath. Those few seconds felt as agonizing as several days and nights.
Only when the blade finally left his neck did his mouth gape open with a gasp. Blood carried oxygen into his brain, and delight and resentment surged into his heart at once. He knew that once the other man heard there was silver, he would surely be distracted. No one in this world did not love silver.
All he had to do was wait for the other man to enter the room and search for the things, then he—
Crack.
Li Cunxiao cleanly snapped Bald Snake's neck. Expressionless, he wiped the blood from his blade on the man's sleeve before entering the room.
A moment later, he left by vaulting over the wall with a small bundle in hand.
After returning home, Li Cunxiao removed his coarse hemp clothes and cloak. Only then did the tension in his heart finally ease.
Since he was seeking vengeance, he naturally would not wear the escort agency's clothes. A small gang like the Green Snake Gang did not live in any bustling district. Moreover, from entering the courtyard to leaving it, not even a quarter of an hour had passed. The chance of being discovered was very small.
Gangland thugs were fierce and fond of fighting. Being killed by someone seeking revenge was nothing unusual. The county constables were neither master detectives nor men with any heart for justice. It could be said that Li Cunxiao's grudge with the Green Snake Gang had ended here.
"All broken silver, no silver notes?"
Li Cunxiao frowned, then quickly relaxed again.
How could hoodlums who lived from day to day have savings? Besides, the Green Snake Gang was only a small gang, surviving on extortion. They were unlike the major gangs of the Outer City, which ran brothels and gambling dens.
"More than twenty taels of silver, neither much nor little. I happen to need to rent a new house. This money came at just the right time."
"This is that manual?"
Li Cunxiao curiously held the yellowed thin booklet in his hands. Judging from the cover, it was a palm technique called the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands.
Opening it, he found nothing remarkable at first. There were only some blurry pictures and a pile of obscure cryptic phrases, even mixed with loan characters from local dialects. Li Cunxiao frowned deeply as he read.
"Sure enough, finding some divine manual and cultivating peerless martial arts from it is only a trope from novels. Only martial arts passed down generation after generation by escort agencies and martial schools, tested through real combat and constantly summarized and corrected, are good martial arts."
"This manual should be burned, lest... hm?"
Why did the final page of the manual feel thicker than the ones before it?
Li Cunxiao took out his short blade and carefully cut it open. Sure enough, he pulled out a sheet of skin paper as thin as a cicada's wing. Curious, he unfolded it and his expression immediately turned solemn.
There were actually sixteen illustrations of men and women joined in union. Beside every image were dense, tiny characters recording cultivation essentials. The large line of text at the very top of the skin paper made his brow knot tightly.
"Heaven and earth possess spirit, yet their spirituality does not shine; all things possess demons, and demonic nature burns fiercely."
"The beginning of martial arts lies in seeding demons; the beginning of seeding demons lies in luring demons."
"Use the Pure Yang Sixteen Forms to lure the Filthy Heart Silver Fox, and enter the Dao with demonic essence!"
Updates have been changed to combined chapters; both parts will be released together at seven in the evening.
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