He didn't rush to answer Old Man Li.
Jiang Shu bent down, twisted Zheng Kun's neck, and made sure he was completely dead. Only then did he search the corpse and find a small pouch of gold beans.
Zheng Kun had been even more disappointing than he'd expected. Though he had achieved Full Body Vital Energy Circulation, he possessed a wealth of qi and blood but had only mastered the training method. When it came to fighting techniques, he was far inferior to Jiang Shu, who had already mastered Tiger Form Three Styles.
It was clear that a gang hall master from the Outer City still fell short of a formal disciple of an Inner City martial arts school.
The former had only reached the required level of qi and blood, which was enough to overpower ordinary people with sheer force.
But against formal disciples who had truly mastered all three methods—training, cultivation, and combat—even three or four ordinary hall masters might not be enough to surround one.
After making sure nothing had been overlooked, Jiang Shu stood up. At that moment, he was immensely grateful that he had joined Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School early and mastered all three methods.
Otherwise, with only his mastered Horse Stance, he might have been able to run from the wounded Zheng Kun, but without any fighting techniques, what then?
Old Man Li would have been as good as dead.
And the members of Poison Fang Hall's Green Snake Gang would have hunted Jiang Shu down.
This world was ultimately no Mystic Star.
Even the Outer City of this little Pingling County was rife with danger. You never knew when it might strike.
And the Inner City, where martial artists gathered, was another matter entirely.
Without strength of his own, even under the noses of titans like the County Office and the wealthy families, the best he could hope for in the Inner City was to scrape by, living with his life hanging by a thread.
"Young Master Jiang... why don't we run?"
"Run from what? I didn't kill Zheng Kun. Wasn't he killed while being hunted by the Black Water Gang?"
Jiang Shu rose and stretched his limbs. Turning to Old Man Li, he spoke as calmly as if nothing had happened. "Don't worry, Old Uncle Li. If anything happens to Zheng Kun, the Green Snake Gang will suspect the Black Water Gang. No matter how much the Black Water Gang denies it, do you think the Green Snake Gang's leader will believe them?"
"When the rain gets heavier, I'll dump him in some corner of the Outer City."
"He hid here without telling anyone. He brought this on himself. Now that he's dead, who would know he ever showed up in Coiling Snake Alley?"
"As for you and me, Old Uncle Li, tomorrow you should go to the escort agency and say you're afraid because the Green Snake Gang and Black Water Gang have been fighting over territory. Ask if you can go back and sweep the place for a while. This is exactly when you should call in a favor."
"As for me, I'm a formal disciple of Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School. Of course I live in the Inner City. Why would I come to a place like this in the Outer City?"
Jiang Shu's voice was flat. He sounded as if he hadn't just killed a man, but had merely brushed some dust off himself.
Old Man Li's mind felt like a tangled mess. By then, he couldn't get a single word out.
Young Master Jiang... hadn't he been studying under Master Qin?
How had he suddenly become a formal disciple of Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School?
During those few months he'd spent sweeping floors at Poison Fang Hall—
What on earth had happened?!!!
"Old Uncle Li, you told me before that your daughter was sold to the Inner City. Do you remember which broker's house bought her? About how many years ago was it? I'll keep an eye out and see if I can find any trace of her."
"Once I become a martial artist, I'll go to the County Office and help sort out your household registration. Then you can move to the Inner City too. With the gangs fighting in the Outer City, moving from place to place isn't safe. You're old enough now. You should enjoy your life instead of living in fear every day."
As he spoke, Jiang Shu picked up a wooden bucket from Old Man Li's room, went outside to collect rainwater, and washed the blood off the floor.
He killed.
He cleaned up.
All in one smooth motion.
Three days flashed by in the blink of an eye.
In the Outer City, the Green Snake Gang and Black Water Gang continued to clash without end. After word spread that Hall Master Zheng had died, Poison Fang Hall fell apart, and the Green Snake Gang was driven back further and further. Strangely, though, neither gang leader ever joined the fighting. It was only their followers who died and were wounded, one wave after another.
The displaced poor and commoners from Coiling Snake Alley and several other alleys moved away in droves.
The County Office, however, didn't care.
If one batch of displaced people didn't want to live here—
Wouldn't the next batch be willing to?
Inner City.
Jiang Shu stood in the small courtyard he'd just rented. After the rain, the air in Pingling County was unusually fresh.
In those three days, he'd not only sorted out his household registration, but had also rented a small courtyard in the eastern part of the Inner City.
It was secluded and reasonably priced.
The courtyard itself was only about twenty square meters. Jiang Shu had planted a few things he couldn't even identify, just to bring it to life. There were two rooms: one for himself, and the other he'd tidied up and turned into a training room.
"At last, I've got a foothold in Pingling County. I really have to thank Hall Master Zheng. Without that little pouch of gold beans, I'd never have had this much silver."
"'Murder and arson fill a man's belt with gold'—the ancients weren't wrong. Even a little hall master had this much money. I can't imagine what the wealthy families have amassed..."
"If I were strong enough, why bother doing business? Robbing those fat cats would bring in money faster."
"Too bad I'm not strong enough, and I don't seem to have much talent either. It's been three days, and I still haven't even grasped the basics of Roaring Tiger Mountain Strength. Looks like I'll have to use the stupid method and grind all three methods—training, cultivation, and combat—to perfection first."
Jiang Shu muttered to himself and pushed open the door.
Unlike the cramped alleys of Coiling Snake Alley, the flagstone road outside his courtyard was clean and wide. Nearby, vendors called out as they hawked their wares. Bathed in a sliver of sunlight, Jiang Shu headed for Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School.
By the time he arrived, drums and gongs were already sounding at the school entrance, and the place was bustling.
Nearby residents crowded around. The apprentices practicing Qi and Blood Transportation were all stationed outside, keeping order. Thanks to Jiang Shu, Zhou Yang had shaken off his usual laziness and was now standing in the most conspicuous spot, loudly announcing the various congratulatory gifts presented by the visiting groups.
Before long—
Inside the school—
All the martial arts school masters from Pingling County's Inner City had arrived.
The wealthy families had also sent their illegitimate sons and stewards to congratulate Elder Qiu on taking a new disciple.
Qiu Hai sat in a tall chair. Beside him stood his twelve formal disciples, all of whom had become martial artists in the Skin Grinding Realm.
Once everyone was seated—
Qiu Hai cleared his throat and looked at Jiang Shu in the middle of the courtyard.
"Apprentice Jiang Shu is kind-hearted and diligent in his martial training. He has now achieved Full Body Vital Energy Circulation, and I have accepted him as my formal disciple, ranking him thirteenth. May he never betray the martial path or defy his master's instruction. May he train diligently, day and night, and reach the Skin Grinding Realm soon, so that he may uphold the reputation of Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School..."
Amid a chorus of congratulations—
Jiang Shu changed into the training uniform of a formal disciple of Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School.
A ferocious tiger's head, its fangs sharp, was embroidered in gold thread over the chest of the pure-black uniform.
He accepted a cup of clear tea from his senior brother, stepped forward, and knelt. With both hands, he respectfully offered it.
"Master, please accept this disciple Jiang Shu's bow."
"Brother Jiang, from now on, you're my own brother!"
Zhou Family Restaurant.
In a private room—
A whole table of dishes gave off an enticing aroma.
Zhou Yang had never imagined that after Jiang Shu added those white crystals to the dishes, the food—which had barely had any flavor before—would gain such an intense savory taste.
If Jiang Shu hadn't been there, Zhou Yang would have devoured the lot.
With a secret recipe like this, how could the family restaurant's business not flourish?
"Save it. You've tasted the food, so go discuss it with your father. Are we partnering, with me taking a stake in Zhou Family Restaurant, or are you buying my salt and MSG outright?"
Jiang Shu sat in the place of honor and leisurely sampled the dishes. After the apprenticeship ceremony yesterday, his status had undergone a transformation. For the first time, he'd truly felt the weight of Elder Qiu's reputation.
His courtyard had been filled with a steady stream of visitors bearing gifts. Merchants from various shops had even waited at his gate, begging him to lend them his name.
Some illegitimate sons from wealthy families had sent invitations, asking to meet at Sparrow Pavilion.
Jiang Shu hadn't known exactly what sort of treatment martial artists received.
But now he was utterly certain: even with the same Full Body Vital Energy Circulation, formal disciples and ordinary apprentices lived in two entirely different worlds!
The other apprentices at the martial arts school, just like him, were still working hard to earn one extra dose of Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine a month.
But now he could buy a dose from Elder Qiu every three to five days for five taels of silver.
Ordinary apprentices could also lend their names to shops, but they generally had to sit there and protect the business.
He, on the other hand, only needed to let it be known that his name was associated with the shop.
An ordinary apprentice might get about ten taels of silver for lending their name.
But the lowest offer he'd received was thirty taels of silver.
In a single day, his status had become unrecognizable.
He was only a formal disciple with Full Body Vital Energy Circulation, yet he was already treated so well. He'd gone from being a displaced person in Coiling Snake Alley in the Outer City, living with his life hanging by a thread...
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