Six Factions

Wu Village.

At the center of the village stood a noticeably more spacious residence. Unlike the other homes, it was not enclosed by a fence, but by walls piled from grass, wood, and mud plaster, nearly two meters high, hiding the inner courtyard from view.

This was the home of Wu Qu, the Clan Head.

As the Clan Head of Wu Village and the village's sole Martial Path expert to achieve Second Blood Forging, Wu Qu naturally lived far differently from the other villagers. He had a plot of land of his own, as well as an orchard, both ordinarily tended by the villagers.

A martial artist at First Blood Forging could only be exempted from the Head Tax and Residence Tax, not the land tax. But upon reaching Second Blood Forging and gaining official recognition from the imperial court, one could be exempted from the Land Tax on ten mu of land. Thus, only martial artists who had reached Second Blood Forging generally had the means to own land; ordinary commoners simply could not shoulder the heavy Land Tax and its many accompanying troubles.

If one went further and attained Third Blood Forging, one would not only be exempt from the taxes on a hundred mu of land, but also qualify to establish an estate in the city, take in servants, and so on. At that point, one could truly be called a prominent city household.

Inside the courtyard.

"...In short, that is the situation in Jingye City. Now that you are a Blood Forging martial artist, you may choose any faction to join. However, the Cautious Punishment Division and Demon Suppression Bureau are too difficult to enter. Either you need connections and backing, or your talent must be exceptional. Blood Blade Pavilion is unsuitable... Therefore, among the One Alliance, Two Divisions, and Three Sects, the Seven Martial Alliance suits you best."

Wu Qu was explaining the various factions of Jingye City to Wu Ming.

After word got out that Wu Ming had become a martial artist, he had wanted to learn about the city. He had previously asked his two clan uncles, Wu Yang and Wu Sanbai, both martial artists themselves, but Wu Qu had come over shortly afterward. Wu Yang and Wu Sanbai had both smiled and told Wu Ming to go with Wu Qu.

Wu Qu was no longer as sparing with words as he had been in the past. He brought Wu Ming to his home, sighed and praised him for a while, then took the initiative to tell him about Yong Country, Jingye City, and what came after becoming a martial artist.

Wu Qu's account of Yong Country was brief. He only said that Yong Country was governed by a system of "cities," divided into fifty-four cities, with Jingye City being one of them.

But his description of Jingye City was much more detailed.

According to Wu Qu, six great powers truly held authority in Jingye City. They were known as the One Alliance, Two Divisions, and Three Sects.

The One Alliance referred to the Seven Martial Alliance. Seven powerful Martial Masters each commanded a hall, joining together in what was essentially an alliance of several loosely connected forces. At first, its status in Jingye City had been low, but as time passed, the Seven Martial Alliance opened its doors wide and accepted nearly anyone. Its number of martial artists gradually surpassed those of the other major powers, making it a force that could tip the scales in Jingye City.

The Two Divisions needed little explanation: the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Cautious Punishment Division. They were the two great official bureaus directly under the Yong Country imperial court, holding high rank and great power. Jingye City also had bureaus overseeing household registration, salt transport, and the like, but none could compare to the Demon Suppression Bureau and Cautious Punishment Division in status or authority.

As for the Three Sects, the Black Fiend Sect and Profound Jade Sect were local sects within Jingye City's territory. Both had been passed down for centuries and were said to have existed when Jingye City was first founded, having rendered tremendous service in its construction. Thus, the Yong Country imperial court had permitted both sects to establish themselves within Jingye City, and the Sect Masters of the two sects throughout the generations had all inherited the title of fourth-rank hereditary marquis, as a mark of honor.

The last sect, Blood Blade Pavilion, was the most mysterious. What stood in Jingye City was merely a branch pavilion; even Wu Qu did not know how vast the power of its main sect was. Moreover, when Blood Blade Pavilion came up, Wu Qu spoke with great reserve and passed over it in just a few words.

The six great powers were intertwined in a tangled web, their boundaries far from clear-cut, making them difficult to sort through one by one.

For Wu Ming, having just forged his blood and stepped into the realm of martial artists, he needed to find a faction to join. On one hand, he needed to earn silver as a martial artist to meet his daily expenses and cultivation needs. On the other, after Blood Forging, he would need guidance from a sufficiently powerful faction to find the most suitable road ahead.

According to Wu Qu, the Black Fiend Sect and Profound Jade Sect were relatively closed off, each having its own channels for recruiting disciples. They generally would not accept an unaffiliated martial artist like Wu Ming. The Demon Suppression Bureau and Cautious Punishment Division were also difficult to enter. Though Blood Blade Pavilion placed no restrictions on one's origins and any martial artist could join, it dealt in "dark bounties," making it even less suitable for Wu Ming, who had only just forged his blood.

Therefore,

for an unaffiliated martial artist like Wu Ming, the most suitable destination was the broad-minded and relatively loose Seven Martial Alliance.

"Compared with the other factions, whose rules are strict, the Seven Martial Alliance is the most relaxed. It has practically no mandatory rules. If you join the Seven Martial Alliance, not only can you find suitable work there, but you can also train your fists and feet."

Wu Qu gave Wu Ming a simple introduction to the Seven Martial Alliance.

From Wu Qu, Wu Ming quickly came to understand its structure. Rather than calling it a faction, it was more like a brokerage house. The Seven Martial Alliance had ties to almost every power, large and small, throughout Jingye City. Added to its own near-neutral stance, nearly every job requiring the hire of martial artists would be sent to the Seven Martial Alliance at the first opportunity.

Even

the Demon Suppression Bureau and Cautious Punishment Division would hire martial artists from the Seven Martial Alliance whenever they encountered an incident and lacked sufficient manpower.

Thus, the Seven Martial Alliance was the best place for unaffiliated martial artists. If one wanted to earn money, one could immediately take on all kinds of suitable jobs there, without having to search slowly on one's own.

Beyond that, the Seven Martial Alliance's business structure was comprehensive. One could buy rice, flour, grain, meat, and even various medicinal formulas and medicinal powders needed for cultivation. It also had internal martial training halls where one could practice fist and foot techniques.

If one's talent was high enough, one might even be recruited into one of the Seven Martial Alliance's Inner Halls. Compared with the massive and loose outer structure of the Seven Martial Alliance, its seven great Inner Halls were its true core, and their treatment was utterly different from that of the loose outer halls.

"Oh, right. Your brother-in-law's elder brother, Xu Hao, joined Return Mountain Hall, one of the Seven Martial Alliance's Inner Halls."

When Wu Qu said this, a faint ripple entered his voice.

Back then, he too had joined the Seven Martial Alliance under the guidance of an older generation of martial artists from Wu Village, but he had failed to enter an Inner Hall. Though he had exhausted every means to achieve Second Blood Forging, that was where he had stopped, with no chance to advance further.

By comparison, Xu Hao's ability to enter Return Mountain Hall naturally meant his talent and aptitude were somewhat greater than Wu Qu's. He might even have a chance to attain Third Blood Forging in the future. Among the nearby villages, such a talent was undoubtedly one rarely seen in a hundred years.

Wu Ming caught the faint undercurrents in Wu Qu's words. Naturally, he would not take the initiative to ask something like, "Then which hall did you join, Clan Head?" After pondering for a moment, he asked:

"Then does joining the Seven Martial Alliance bring only benefits?"

"If you can join an Inner Hall, then naturally it brings only benefits. But as for the outer halls..."

Wu Qu shook his head. "For every job taken through the Seven Martial Alliance, outer-hall martial artists must surrender twenty percent of the silver they earn. That is the Seven Martial Alliance's cut for taking on all manner of work on behalf of the martial artists under its banner."

Upon hearing Wu Qu's words, Wu Ming understood as clearly as a bright mirror.

In essence, the Seven Martial Alliance's Inner Halls were probably its true main body, while the outer halls were more like a business of the Seven Martial Alliance, only one with an extremely broad reach.

Indeed,

if Wu Ming only wanted to earn silver, he could seek out jobs in the inner city on his own, such as guarding a household or escorting shipments, without paying the Seven Martial Alliance a cut. But on one hand, it was troublesome to hunt for scattered jobs unless he found something long-term. On the other, only by joining an outer hall of the Seven Martial Alliance could he receive further guidance in Martial Path cultivation.

That included all manner of fist and foot techniques, as well as something even more important: the road to Second Blood Forging!

"I'll follow the Clan Head's arrangement."

After weighing all the pros and cons, Wu Ming spoke to Wu Qu.

Wu Qu nodded slightly at once. "Good. Then pack up tomorrow and enter the city with me."