Old Friends

The carriage rattled away from the reed marsh, growing farther and farther in the distance.

Captain Zhao withdrew his gaze and walked toward the riverbank.

A man stood by the river with his hands behind his back.

Captain Zhao clasped his fists in greeting.

The man had a lean, sturdy build and wore a fitted outfit, with a long saber at his waist. He was none other than Ding Yi, commander of the Qi Residence's guards.

"Brother Ding, the young master came by just now."

Ding Yi said indifferently, "Did he notice anything unusual?"

"He didn't." Captain Zhao shook his head, then hesitated. "It's just that the young master is completely different from before. His eyes are gleaming, and his steps are steady. He no longer seems as frivolous as he used to."

Ding Yi said, "He's been practicing martial arts at the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall lately. He went there today as well."

Captain Zhao froze for a moment and blurted out, "Brother Ding, don't take this the wrong way, but the young master is practicing martial arts now? This..."

Seeing his expression, Ding Yi laughed. "You really think the young master is practicing martial arts so he can go into battle and fight to the death?"

It was merely for the martial examination.

When the time came, the Master would make some arrangements. If he could win the title of Martial Scholar, it would be a great boon to Third Master's residence.

The Qi Family was deeply entangled with the government. Whether a branch's younger generation possessed an official title made a world of difference, affecting the distribution and inheritance of the family's core assets.

After saying this, Ding Yi continued, "Let the young master practice in peace. Don't tell him anything else, lest you frighten him and make him lose this hard-won drive. This... is also the Master's intention."

Captain Zhao nodded in understanding. His gaze turned toward the direction of the earthen stone head, and a cold glint flashed through his eyes. "Wolf Bro's death actually won't be hard to investigate.

"Whoever suddenly became stronger and richer in the territory where he usually collected protection money is most likely the killer.

"They probably crept to his door in the dead of night, settled the matter with one slash, then dumped the body in the reed marsh.

"But... the person who fished out the body and arranged it like that... definitely wasn't the same person."

Ding Yi narrowed his eyes at the murky river. "Of course it wasn't the same person.

"Those ghostly things did it. We'll just wait for those ghostly things to take the bait.

"All three branches are watching this lead now. Move quickly, and don't let anyone else seize the initiative."

When Qi Yu stepped into the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall, the courtyard was already bustling.

A row of sandalwood chairs had been set along the covered walkways surrounding the Training Grounds. Six or seven richly dressed men and women sat there.

The men mostly wore brocade robes, while the women wore ornate dresses and jeweled hairpins.

From the courtyard came a series of explosive whooshing sounds as several martial hall disciples took turns displaying their skills.

The martial hall master, Song Qinghong, stood with his hands behind his back, watching the disciples sternly so that his establishment's reputation would not be ruined.

Practicing martial arts cost money.

But not everyone had money.

Thus, once many disciples achieved a little success in their training, they had to affiliate themselves with outside establishments in exchange for financial support.

Today's demonstration was an opportunity for the martial hall to connect its disciples with the outside world.

These men and women had all sorts of backgrounds: restaurants, escort agencies, gangs, and lineages...

As soon as Qi Yu entered the covered walkway, several gazes turned toward him.

Among them, a young man suddenly brightened and waved repeatedly at him.

The young man was unkempt, with loose clothing and half-undone buttons. His messy hair fell carelessly around his head, making him utterly out of place among the richly dressed spectators.

Yet he occupied an excellent seat, clearly indicating that his status was anything but ordinary.

Qi Yu recognized the young man as well.

He smiled and walked over, saying in a low voice, "You..."

The young man smiled too. "You..."

The two stared at each other, evidently finding it both surprising and amusing that the other had appeared here.

Qi Yu said, "I came to learn martial arts."

The young man grinned. "Really?"

Qi Yu punched him. "Of course it's real."

The young man sighed. "Looks like you were forced to work too..."

As he spoke, he let out a long sigh and leaned back, resting both hands behind his head. "My family needs to recruit someone. I heard that the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall was holding a demonstration for outsiders today, so they sent me to take a look."

Then he rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and finish. I still want to go back to the gambling house and play a couple rounds."

Suddenly, he leaned close to Qi Yu and lowered his voice with a sly grin. "By the way, what about that little lady from the Umbrella Sect you chased after so desperately that you donated your residence? Did you get her?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he lightly smacked his own lips in self-mockery. "Oh, look at me, my memory! You've come to the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall, so you must be here for Miss Song, right? I deserve a beating, I deserve a beating!"

The two chatted and laughed as though no one else existed. Though the people around them cast sidelong glances, no one interrupted.

One did not strike a monk while sparing the Buddha's face. These two wastrel heirs were people one would invite disaster by offending.

The young man's name was Wang Yuan. Though born to a concubine, he was the son of the Wang Family's head.

The Wang Family had immense standing, and its Golden Hook Quarter was the largest money pit in Mount Wei City.

There was a saying in the streets: If you had money but didn't know where to spend it, the Golden Hook Quarter let you squander it in style.

Wang Yuan was addicted to gambling, yet his gambling skills were atrocious. His conduct at the tables, however, was impeccable; no matter how much he lost, he never changed expression. He was a living gift-bringer, and his popularity among the wastrel circle was excellent.

In their younger days, Wang Yuan and Qi Yu had been close enough to wear the same pair of trousers, indulging in wine, women, and song and never apart.

Later, the Wang and Qi Families developed rifts over their interests, and the two gradually drifted apart. But their old friendship remained. Now that they had reunited, they were still as familiar as ever.

They chatted idly, their gazes occasionally sweeping over the martial hall disciples moving with mighty force in the courtyard.

After several disciples withdrew from the courtyard, Song Qinghong's gaze fell on the last young disciple. He said solemnly, "Chu Xiao, don't be nervous. Train today just as you do every day."

The young man stepped forward steadily and clasped his fists toward everyone in the covered walkway.

He wore a blue martial outfit with tightly bound cuffs, and his slightly sallow complexion had grown rosy.

Song Qinghong introduced him. "This is my disciple, Chu Xiao.

"He broke through the Ninth Rank in three days. Now, in less than half a month, he has already touched the threshold of the Eighth Rank. His breakthrough is just around the corner.

"These days, he has practiced martial arts under my watch every day, and I hold him in very high regard.

"Everyone... please look after him."

Qi Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

Interesting.

Uncle Song had gone out of his way to emphasize that Chu Xiao had "practiced martial arts under my watch every day." This was...

If he had not seen the corpse in the reed marsh earlier, he would never have thought much of it.

But now, his mind sprang to life.

Wolf Bro was clearly a thug and tyrant from the outer city, most likely guilty of countless crimes before someone settled his account in the night. If Chu Xiao happened to be one of his victims... then Chu Xiao's suspicion would be considerable.

Yet Uncle Song's one sentence had directly shielded him from any possible suspicion.

He really did value him.

Qi Yu swept his eyes over Chu Xiao.

Chu Xiao's body was taut. Qi Yu could not tell whether he had sensed the deeper meaning in his master's words or was simply nervous about the demonstration that was about to begin.

The last time they met, the data above his head had read "8~8." Now it had become "9~16."

The "9" meant that his method of practice had reached perfection. He truly was a genius.

"Senior, please forgive my crude display."

As his voice fell, the young man's body suddenly moved.

His fists tore through the air. The Spirit Serpent Battle Art unfolded, and Chu Xiao's body moved like a wandering serpent, swift and ethereal, each move fierce and precise.

Suddenly, he darted into the wooden stake formation nearby. His footwork grew even lighter, and both hands whipped up the wind as his fingertips pecked at the iron-wrapped hardwood stakes, producing crisp tok tok sounds like spearheads piercing armor. The force behind each strike was astonishing.

After completing the set, Chu Xiao withdrew from the stance. His expression remained normal, and he merely exhaled a faint breath of stale air.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

A woman spoke first. "The Qian Family is willing to offer four thousand a month. Once he breaks through to the Eighth Rank, we will raise it to ten thousand. Normally, he would only need to come to Pin Hai Restaurant every few days to watch over the place. Any additional work would be separately rewarded."

The speaker was a woman in her early thirties. She wore cotton clothing with a leather belt around her waist and tightly bound cuffs, while her hair was swept high into a bun. Her brows and eyes were free of makeup, her hands folded before her, and her posture ramrod straight. At a glance, she was a capable woman accustomed to managing affairs for many years.

Four thousand a month at the Ninth Rank and ten thousand at the Eighth Rank, merely for watching over the place—that was an extremely generous offer.

More importantly, it was an olive branch, expressing the Qian Family's regard for the young man.

"Pin Hai Restaurant..."

Delight appeared in Chu Xiao's eyes.

He knew that restaurant.

He had seen it from afar.

But he had never dared approach.

Only high officials and nobles frequented that place.

The few people beside her had originally wanted to speak, but after hearing how high the Qian Family's offer was, they immediately fell silent.

Just then, Wang Yuan suddenly raised his hand. "Me. The Wang Family. Double."

Then he leisurely looked up at the sky and casually added, "You just keep raising the offer. I'll still pay double."

The Qian Family woman froze for a moment. She glanced at the roguish Wang Yuan, then fell silent.

Wang Yuan laughed loudly as he looked at the young man standing in the distance. "You don't need to do anything proper. Just consider it making a friend. However... you occasionally need to show your face at my residence and walk around beside me, so my old man knows that I, Wang Yuan, am also recruiting talent for the family.

Chu Xiao unconsciously clenched his fists.

These days, he had also come to understand his own talent and prospects.

Pin Hai Restaurant was the proper destination, while this wastrel heir of the Wang Family... either wanted to treat him as a plaything to show off, or intended to drag him into some kind of turmoil.

What did this sort of wastrel take him for?!

He was a great genius with a bright future ahead of him. How could he mingle with these dregs whose futures were shrouded in darkness?

Naturally, he was unwilling!

The air fell silent.

Song Qinghong sensed what his disciple was thinking, but he was also troubled.

If he spoke up and refused, the matter would be simple. But then, before his disciple had even graduated, he would have offended someone.

If there were another way, this... ultimately was not the best course of action.

Just then, another voice came from the courtyard.

"I'll pay double too."

Wang Yuan was stunned. He turned his head and followed the voice, only to see Qi Yu beside him.

"Brother Qi, what are you..."

"Brother Wang, Junior Brother Chu is pure-hearted. If he follows you to the gambling house, I'm afraid he won't learn anything good. Why not let him go to Pin Hai Restaurant and find proper employment?"

Wang Yuan laughed. "Since Brother Qi has spoken, it's a small matter. The old man forced me to come and put on a show anyway. But... you have to treat me to drinks another day. How about it?"

"It's a deal."

The matter was settled.

Song Qinghong also let out a long breath of relief, then invited everyone into the inner hall to discuss the details.