"Had Zhao Heishe's affair been discovered?"
Li Cunxiao's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately dismissed the thought.
Not to mention how well-hidden the corpse was, he had smashed Zhao Heishe's face to pulp and mangled the tattoo into a bloody mess.
Even the constabulary's expert thief-catchers could not possibly find the murderer overnight, much less a pack of street rats who only knew how to eat, drink, whore, gamble, and bully the market.
Steadying himself, he continued forward as though nothing had happened. Yet, seemingly by chance, he fastened the round collar he had opened for ventilation, once again revealing the large embroidered crimson character for "tiger" over his left chest.
The Green Snake Gang had indeed not discovered that Zhao Heishe was dead.
But the reason they had come here was rather similar to Zhao Heishe's reason last night.
"Damn it, those bitches at Red Sleeve House are really something, but they're too damn expensive. One night nearly emptied me out!"
Hearing their boss's double entendre, the lackeys beside him let out strange, snickering laughs.
People like them did no honest work, making their living solely by bullying the market. Their parents did not keep them in line—did anyone expect them to save money and start families?
When they ran short of money, they simply went out and robbed someone.
They were young and strong. Ordinary poor folk had families to feed; they lacked the strength to resist, and they did not dare resist either.
Never mind whether they could win—if their family's able-bodied laborer got hurt, losing an arm or breaking a leg, the whole household would lose its livelihood and could only drink the northwest wind.
How would they dare gamble? How would they dare fight?
And if they reported it to the authorities, it was one thing if no one intervened. But once the county lieutenant stepped in, those yamen runners and petty clerks were the real ones who ate people without even spitting out the bones.
Who cared who won or lost? So long as you filed a lawsuit, you had to pay silver. Refuse to pay? That was contempt of the authorities. Both sides would get fifty strokes of the paddle, beaten until skin split and flesh tore. Unless the masters were satisfied by your filial offerings, they would never let you leave.
Thus, the people of the Outer City sometimes trusted gangs more than the yamen. At least after paying, they could have peace and safety. Unlike the latter—never mind losing a lawsuit, even winning one could bankrupt you!
"Speaking of which, Zhao Heishe hasn't shown his face all night. Where did that brat run off to?"
The Green Snake Gang's bald-headed boss rubbed his scalp as a lackey beside him chimed in.
"If you ask me, he probably cheated at gambling, got caught, and had his legs broken!"
Everyone burst out laughing, without the slightest concern on their faces.
Brothers of the underworld—what real brothers were there?
"Eh, isn't that Li Sanlang?"
Noticing the figure gradually approaching, the bald boss revealed a malicious grin.
"I knew that brat looked like one of our kind. I wanted to give him a bowl of rice to eat, but who knew he wouldn't know what was good for him? He'd rather pay protection money than appreciate my kindness."
"Look at that, he's even changed into new clothes, with embroidery and all—this old man can't read, so who knows what's embroidered on his chest?"
The lackeys looked at one another. Only after a moment did someone squint and say uncertainly,
"Boss, it looks like the character for 'tiger.'"
"Tiger? Pretty damn imposing. Keep your eyes open today and watch how I—"
The bald man stopped halfway through his sentence, the smile at the corner of his mouth freezing solid.
Tiger?
His eyes widened as he looked closely. He could not read, but he dared not fail to recognize that white round-collared robe and the crimson embroidered tiger character.
Flying Tiger Escort Agency!
What stroke of luck had this Li Sanlang stumbled into?
The bald man's expression changed. Seeing that the newcomer was already close, he immediately turned around and barked in a low voice,
"Move, now!"
"The Flying Tiger Escort Agency's signboard is this effective?"
Watching the group change faces faster than turning the pages of a book and flee without even daring to greet him, Li Cunxiao gained a deeper understanding of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency's prestige.
But he would not let off the thugs who had extorted him so easily.
"Once I learn Tiger Form Fist and have the strength to protect myself, I'll wipe this bunch out at the first opportunity. I can't leave behind future trouble."
After staring deeply at the thugs' retreating backs, Li Cunxiao turned and entered the room. Not long afterward, he came back out carrying a bundle containing several relatively clean and intact pieces of clothing belonging to him and Wood Fork. The ten taels of silver had already been tucked into the hidden pocket at his waistband.
As for the rest of his belongings, they were mostly tattered junk. Once he entered the escort agency, he would have two meals a day, so he had no use for anything else.
His feet flew as he retraced his route back to the escort agency.
It was nearing dusk. The escorts all had families of their own, while most of the attendants ate and lived here. Thus, even the group that had gone out during the day to join the excitement and drink birthday wine had largely returned.
The Room D-3 where Li Cunxiao lived had originally housed four people. One was Qin Yu, who had shown him the way during the day; Qin Yu's family ran an Herbal Medicine Shop.
Another was called Run Dong, whose family sold burial clothes and coffins.
"But this room is really only occupied by the three of us. He Bi only comes to the escort agency to practice martial arts; he doesn't sleep here at night."
Qin Yu sounded somewhat envious as he said this. Clearly, He Bi's family circumstances were even better.
"Forget it, enough about that. I'll take you to dinner. Dongzi, are you coming?"
Run Dong was a young man with a flat nose. Hearing this, he replied gloomily,
"You two go ahead."
With that, he left the room.
"Run Dong has been here for two months and still hasn't sensed Vitality."
"Before every meal, he sneaks off to the training ground to practice."
At the dinner table, Qin Yu spoke softly while Li Cunxiao held a bowl of stew in one hand and a steamed bun in the other, devouring them like a wolf swallowing a tiger.
Apart from a little dry rations in the morning, he had not eaten a thing all day.
Besides cabbage and glass noodles, the stew was actually half pork belly. It was probably because there was a happy occasion today, and the cook had added extra ingredients.
"But you can't blame him. It costs a hundred taels of silver a year to come to the escort agency and learn a trade. Who wouldn't fight desperately?"
A hundred taels?!
Li Cunxiao nearly choked when he heard that. He knew the Flying Tiger Escort Agency's signboard was expensive, but he had not expected it to be this expensive.
A dock laborer only earned a little over one tael of silver per month. Skilled workers such as carpenters and masons could earn two or three taels, and that did not even include the household's food and clothing expenses.
In other words, ordinary people like them would have to save for ten years just to enter the escort agency, not to mention illness or accidents at home.
"No wonder all these people's families own shops. Anyone who isn't a small business owner simply can't afford such expenses."
As Li Cunxiao thought this, he asked instinctively,
"Then do you receive wages?"
Qin Yu rolled his eyes. "No."
"We pay to learn a trade. The work we do here is all part of our 'tuition.'"
"Only those young masters and ladies from the Inner City, along with people like He Bi whose families are wealthy and powerful, pay more money and have strong connections. They don't have to do menial work and can focus entirely on martial arts."
Li Cunxiao understood that this was actually a form of hunger marketing. The greater the price these martial artists paid, the more they would cherish the opportunity.
Still, even without wages, people from small business-owning families could expand their connections by coming here. It was the same principle as certain clubs in his previous life; even if they failed to learn martial arts, they would not lose out.
"I was admitted with the Chief Escort's approval. Not only was the hundred taels for learning waived, I can still receive wages as usual."
"That's bound to make people hate you a little."
Sure enough. Early the next morning, when the several dozen attendants gathered at the training ground saw the unfamiliar new face, they cast all sorts of looks his way and whispered among themselves. Nothing but talk of him having stepped in dog shit, along with remarks about "selling his younger brother" and the like.
Cui Yao, one of the escort agency's only three Great Escorts, was a burly man with a knife scar on his face.
He merely glanced at Li Cunxiao before shifting his gaze away, then shouted in a deep voice,
"You still have the mind to worry about others? Some of you have already been here for over a month, so let me make the ugly words clear first."
"Only those who can manipulate blood essence within three months are qualified to become escorts."
"If you dawdle for three or four months even at the stage of Sensing Vitality, that means you simply aren't cut out for martial arts. Go home early and stop wasting your family's silver!"
At those words, every attendant, Li Cunxiao included, felt a chill run through their hearts. The grounds fell silent in an instant, while Run Dong's face turned bright red.
"You attendants who still haven't sensed Vitality, your top priority is to master the Tiger Form still stance, use stone locks to build strength, and lay a solid foundation."
"Only when you have entered the gate of Tiger Form Fist and sensed Vitality will you be qualified to learn moving stances and combat methods."
"Only when you achieve Minor Accomplishment in Tiger Form Fist and can manipulate blood essence will you be qualified to learn weapons and follow the veteran masters on Escort Missions."
His words stopped abruptly. Cui Yao wasted no breath, immediately planting his hands on his hips, sinking his hips and qi, lifting his crotch and drawing in his belly, like a vicious tiger crouching on its haunches.
"Come, take your stances!"