Recruitment

Boom!

Xu Yi's mind exploded with a sudden flash of insight, as if enlightenment had been poured straight into him.

Master Zhou saw the look on his face and thought, This young man is truly teachable. He continued, "You could even say that Martial Skills are not merely the perfect combination of strength and speed. Over countless millennia, countless Martial Arts prodigies and peerless experts have developed them with dazzling brilliance and wisdom. Truly exquisite Martial Skills can enhance and even surpass strength and speed."

"Just as that student said a moment ago, a Body Tempering Peak martial artist may only possess the strength of one ox. How, then, can he unleash an attack with the strength of three oxen? That is precisely the wonder of Martial Skills. Perhaps that explanation was not quite clear enough. Let me give you an example. Furong Town lies beside the water, and countless cargo ships pass through. I'm sure you've all seen the pulleys on their masts, used to load and unload cargo. An ordinary person can use one to move a load several times heavier than he could manage with his own strength. You could say that exquisite Martial Skills are to strength what a pulley is. With the aid of a 'pulley,' is it really so hard to understand how one could unleash the strength of three oxen? In a word, strength is the foundation, and Martial Skills are the means. A powerful foundation combined with exquisite means—that is the secret to victory in every battle!"

Applause thundered through the hall, deafening and unceasing.

Xu Yi could only marvel. Only someone who had once seen the vast oceans could describe the wonders of water so completely.

After Xu Yi finished praising Master Zhou, he was just about to rise and ask another question when someone beat him to it.

Master Zhou's display had made everyone realize that a true master stood before them. If they let such a rare chance to ask questions slip away, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.

And so Xu Yi had no chance at all. Half an hour later, the remaining seven questions had all been asked.

Master Zhou answered them all with effortless ease. After replying to the final question, he grabbed his gourd, stood, and left without the slightest hesitation, displaying the full bearing of a true master.

Xu Yi watched Master Zhou's retreating figure, feeling a little forlorn.

The questions his fellow students had asked had not been entirely without value to him, but he still had one crucial question that urgently needed an answer. Yet he had lost his chance.

The sun climbed higher, and a sudden breeze stirred the bamboo, its rustling mingling with the fragrance that drifted through the window and filled the room. It took Xu Yi a while to recover from his melancholy. When he looked around, the room had emptied out completely.

Xu Yi was about to get up and leave when there came two knocks at the door. The Sable-clothed man who had tested everyone's aptitude outside the Martial Arts Hall earlier stepped in with a broad smile. "Brother, you were hard to find. I circled around outside several times, but couldn't catch sight of you. If I hadn't asked the right person, I might really have missed you."

"May I ask what you want with me, Class Leader Gu?" Xu Yi asked curiously.

"Don't worry, brother. It's good news, very good news. By the way, I still don't know your name or where you're from." The Sable-clothed man kept smiling.

Xu Yi's heart tightened, but his expression did not change. "What is this good news, Class Leader Gu? Why not tell me first?"

How could he casually reveal his name and origins to an outsider? Guang'an Prefecture might be vast, but to a major figure like Zhou Daogan, it was no bigger than a handspan. If Xu Yi let even the slightest clue slip, a brutal pursuit might come hot on its heels.

The Sable-clothed man had inexplicably asked for his name and hometown, and Xu Yi couldn't help but read too much into it.

The Sable-clothed man said, "Brother, there's no need to worry. I've learned a little about your situation. Old Man Mu pulled you out of Dragon Whisker River three days ago, and you're currently staying as a guest at the Mu Family's home. Am I right?"

"Class Leader Gu certainly has your ways."

Xu Yi smiled as he spoke, but his heart had already gone cold, and he began preparing for the worst.

The Sable-clothed man waved his hand. "Brother, don't misunderstand. I'm here to invite you to join the Sable-clothed Class in Furong Town. I'm not interested in your true identity or whatever enemies you may have made, and I don't want you to become hostile toward me over it."

"The Sable-clothed Class? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

Xu Yi was growing more and more confused.

The Sable-clothed man stared blankly at Xu Yi for a moment, then suddenly remembered that he wasn't a local. He might never even have been to a major city. So he explained, "The Sable-clothed Class is Furong Town's security force. To put it simply, aside from the military that protects the foundations of the Great Yue Royal Court, there are also security forces that govern local regions. They wear five colors: gold, purple, black, white, and blue. The Gold-clothed Class guards the imperial capital, the Purple-clothed Class protects the vassal states, the Black-clothed Class safeguards the provinces and commanderies, and the White-clothed Class serves in the various prefectures."

"Furong Town belongs to Baima County in Guang'an Prefecture. Since the town's security force doesn't rank among the formal grades, we wear sable clothing. I have the honor of serving as the Class Leader of Furong Town's Sable-clothed Class. I happened to see you testing your strength at the Martial Arts Hall today, and I was struck by your impressive skills. You're clearly a promising talent, so I swallowed my pride and came to invite you. What do you say?"

Now Xu Yi understood. The "police chief" of Furong Town had taken a liking to him and wanted him to join his ranks.

From the sound of it, as long as Xu Yi agreed to join, he wouldn't have to worry about his identity or origins at all.

That was exactly what Xu Yi cared about most. The Sable-clothed Class might be low-ranking, but if joining could solve his problem of being unregistered, why not? If the job didn't suit him, he could simply leave. He didn't believe anyone could tie Xu's hands and feet.

Having made up his mind, Xu Yi cupped his fists. "I'd be honored to accept!"

The Sable-clothed man burst into hearty laughter and clapped Xu Yi firmly on the shoulder. "Brother, I guarantee you won't regret this decision! Let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Gu Jianming!"

Gu Jianming was genuinely delighted. The Furong Town Sable-clothed Class was woefully short on skilled fighters and urgently needed reinforcements.

At first, he hadn't paid much attention to Xu Yi, an outsider. But not long after the lecture at the Martial Arts Hall ended, he heard people talking about how impressive the "stranger" was. A little inquiry was all it took to learn what questions the outsider had asked in class.

After thinking it over, Gu Jianming realized that anyone who could ask such questions could hardly be mediocre.

Even if this man's current Martial Arts level was low, it still showed that he was exceptionally talented and had a bright future ahead.

With such a promising talent, if he didn't bring him under his wing while he was still at a low level, when would he get another chance?

Once the thought of recruiting Xu Yi had taken hold, Gu Jianming began asking around about his background. Furong Town was small, and as a local powerbroker, finding out about an outsider was naturally easy.

After learning how Xu Yi had entered the Mu Family's home, Gu Jianming had formed his own judgment about Xu Yi's identity.

But he didn't want to dig any deeper. In these times, vendettas between wandering fighters were as common as eating and drinking. Those who concealed their identities were as numerous as fish crossing a river. Only if Gu Mou had nothing better to do would he bother investigating every last detail.

That said, although Gu Jianming had no intention of exposing Xu Yi, he had correctly guessed that Xu Yi wanted to keep his identity hidden. So when he made his offer, he had immediately assured him that he needn't worry about his identity or origins.

Sure enough, he had struck right at the heart of Xu Yi's concerns and drawn him straight into the net.