The Masked Man's Invitation

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Li Xuan, bare-chested, drove his fists into the wooden post in the corner of the courtyard, one punch after another.

Every punch carried a muffled boom as it tore through the air. The surface of the post was already riddled with dents, and wood chips flew everywhere.

The medicinal power of the Ironhide Pig's heart meat had yet to be fully digested. The qi and blood in his body churned like boiling water.

He had not slept all night, spending it practicing his punches in the courtyard.

"Li... Li Xuan."

Zhang He approached cautiously with a bowl of thin gruel. "Eat something. You've been practicing all morning."

Li Xuan withdrew his fist, took the bowl, and drained it in one gulp.

"Thanks."

"No need to be polite." Zhang He rubbed his hands, hesitating. "Um... Liu San was dragged to the disciplinary hall last night. I heard they broke three of his ribs, and he was thrown out of the martial hall this morning."

"Mm." Li Xuan wiped away his sweat.

"And there's more." Zhang He lowered his voice. "I went to the kitchen to get food this morning and overheard several outer-court disciples talking about you. They said Senior Brother Zhou Peng had declared that he'd make sure you couldn't stay in the martial hall."

Li Xuan's movements stopped.

"They also said... they said someone would come looking for trouble today." Zhang He's voice trembled. "Li Xuan, why don't you talk to Steward Zhao? Or... go apologize to Senior Brother Zhou?"

"Apologize?" Li Xuan looked at him. "What did I do wrong?"

"This..." Zhang He was rendered speechless.

"What's meant to come will come." Li Xuan put on his clothes, picked up the Mountain Breaker Axe, and said, "Time to work."

He walked to the woodpile and was just about to split some firewood—

The courtyard gate was kicked open.

Three outer-court disciples walked in.

All three wore gray martial outfits with black belts around their waists. A single silver line was embroidered along their cuffs—the mark of ordinary outer-court disciples.

The leader had narrow, triangular eyes and looked to be twenty-five or twenty-six. A cold sneer hung from the corners of his mouth.

"Who's Li Xuan?" The triangular-eyed man swept his gaze across the courtyard.

All the handymen lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Only Li Xuan set down his axe. "I am."

The triangular-eyed man looked him up and down. "You? The one who killed the Ironhide Pig?"

"It was Senior Brother Zhou who killed it," Li Xuan repeated.

"You've got quite the silver tongue." The triangular-eyed man sneered. "But Senior Brother Zhou asked me to tell you this—when you're a person, you need to understand the rules. Break them, and you pay the price."

He walked up to Li Xuan and reached out to pat his cheek. "Understand? Handyman."

The gesture was deeply insulting.

"Lost your tongue?" The triangular-eyed man patted him twice more.

"Take your hand away," Li Xuan said.

"What?"

"I said..." Li Xuan raised his head, his eyes cold. "Take your hand away."

The triangular-eyed man froze, then laughed. "What, dissatisfied?"

He withdrew his hand and stood with his arms crossed. "Fine, I'll give you a chance. I'm Zhao Hu, an outer-court disciple at Body Tempering Layer Two. I heard you're pretty good at fighting? Come, let's spar. If you lose, kneel and kowtow three times. From now on, take a detour whenever you see me. If you win..."

He paused, his smile growing colder. "I'll break both your legs and teach you what rules are."

The courtyard fell deathly silent.

An outer-court disciple against a handyman—the difference in strength was utterly disproportionate.

At Body Tempering Layer Two, one's strength was at least 1.3, with a constitution of at least 1.2.

No matter how strong Li Xuan was, he was still only a handyman. How could he possibly fight?

"What? Afraid?" Zhao Hu taunted.

Li Xuan remained silent for three breaths before speaking. "The wager isn't equal."

"Oh?"

"If I lose, I kneel and kowtow. If you lose..." Li Xuan stared at him. "You sever one of your own arms."

Whoosh—

The courtyard exploded.

"He's crazy?!"

"Make an outer-court disciple sever his own arm?"

"This... How could that be possible?!"

Zhao Hu's face turned livid. "Say that again?"

"Afraid?" Li Xuan shot back.

"Fine! Fine!" Zhao Hu laughed furiously. "We'll do it your way! Come on!"

He retreated three steps and assumed a fighting stance.

The other two outer-court disciples moved back to the entrance, blocking the way out.

Li Xuan set down the Mountain Breaker Axe and walked to the center of the courtyard.

The two faced each other.

Zhao Hu moved first.

His body lunged like a tiger pouncing, one fist driving straight at Li Xuan's face. The wind of his punch howled, and he was more than twice as fast as Liu San.

Body Tempering Layer Two truly was no joke.

Li Xuan sidestepped it. At the same time, his right hand formed a palm and chopped toward Zhao Hu's wrist.

Iron Fist Three Forms—Hand Severing!

The edge of his palm struck Zhao Hu's wrist. Zhao Hu's arm went numb, and the force of his punch instantly dissipated.

"Interesting." Zhao Hu's gaze turned serious. "Looks like Liu San didn't lose unjustly."

He changed his fist into a claw, his five fingers hooking toward Li Xuan's throat.

Eagle Claw Technique!

One of the outer-court's basic martial arts, it specialized in attacking vital points.

Li Xuan leaned backward to evade, but his foot suddenly slipped—a puddle of water had appeared on the ground at some point.

Damn it!

A pleased look flashed through Zhao Hu's eyes as his other hand clenched into a fist and smashed toward Li Xuan's chest.

If that punch landed solidly, his breastbone would shatter.

At the critical moment, Li Xuan violently twisted at the waist. His entire body spun like a top, narrowly avoiding the punch.

At the same time, his left foot swept upward with the momentum, kicking toward Zhao Hu's groin.

Groin Kick!

Low and dirty, but effective.

Zhao Hu's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly retreated.

Li Xuan pressed his advantage without mercy, closing in and raining both fists against Zhao Hu's chest and abdomen.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Seven punches in succession, each one sinking into flesh.

Zhao Hu was beaten back again and again, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"You..." He was both shocked and furious.

A mere handyman was actually suppressing him in a fight?

"That's enough!"

One of the disciples at the entrance could not stand watching any longer. He drew his sword and prepared to step forward.

"Stay out of it!" Zhao Hu shouted. "This is a one-on-one fight!"

He wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes vicious. "Kid, I admit I underestimated you. But this ends here."

He drew a deep breath. The muscles throughout his body bulged, and his skin took on a faint red hue.

Qi and blood eruption!

The full-force strike of Body Tempering Layer Two.

Zhao Hu shot forward like a cannonball, both fists thrusting out and sealing off every route of retreat.

There was no way to dodge.

Li Xuan's gaze sharpened, and instead of retreating, he advanced.

He mobilized all the qi and blood in his body, circulating it frantically along the route of his cultivation technique.

Qi and blood erupted at full force!

Two fists against two fists.

A head-on collision!

A wave of force exploded, sending dust flying.

The two retreated at the same time.

Li Xuan took five steps back. His arms trembled, the skin between his thumb and forefinger split open, and blood flowed freely.

Zhao Hu retreated three steps. His face was pale, and after his throat turned sweet, he forcibly swallowed the blood back down.

A draw?

Zhao Hu knew clearly that he had lost.

He was an outer-court disciple at Body Tempering Layer Two, and he had used his full strength.

His opponent was only a handyman, yet he had taken the punch head-on and retreated only five steps.

If word of this got out...

"Senior Brother Zhao," the disciple at the entrance said softly, "should we..."

Zhao Hu raised a hand to stop him.

He stared at Li Xuan, his expression complicated. "You win."

The three words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Li Xuan shook the blood from his hand. "What about your arm?"

Zhao Hu's expression changed. "Li Xuan, don't push it! I'm an outer-court disciple. You really want me to sever my own arm?"

"You agreed to the wager," Li Xuan said.

"You..." Zhao Hu gritted his teeth. "Fine! I'll give you an explanation!"

He drew the short blade from his waist and aimed it at his left arm—

"Stop."

A voice came from the courtyard entrance.

The old handyman stood there holding a broom, his back hunched as though the wind might blow him over at any moment.

"Zhao Hu, take your people and get out," the old handyman said.

"Old bastard, who do you think you are..." The disciple behind Zhao Hu cursed.

Before he could finish, a broom smacked him across the face.

The disciple was sent flying and crashed into the wall, knocked unconscious.

It had happened so quickly that no one could see how the old handyman had made his move.

Zhao Hu's pupils contracted. "You..."

"Get out," the old handyman repeated.

Zhao Hu gritted his teeth, helped up his unconscious companion, and glared viciously at Li Xuan. "This isn't over!"

The three left in disgrace.

The courtyard fell silent once more.

All the handymen stared at the old handyman in terror.

This old man who had swept floors for ten years was actually this powerful?

The old handyman ignored everyone else and walked up to Li Xuan. "You're injured?"

"Just a minor injury," Li Xuan said.

"Come with me." The old handyman turned around.

Li Xuan followed.

Behind the woodshed was an abandoned warehouse.

The old handyman pushed open the door and lit an oil lamp.

The lamplight illuminated one corner of the warehouse, which was piled high with sundry objects. Dust and cobwebs covered everything, clearly showing that no one had come here in a long time.

"Sit." The old handyman pointed at a broken wooden chest on the ground.

Li Xuan sat down.

The old handyman sat across from him. After a long silence, he said, "You've gotten yourself into serious trouble."

"I know."

"Zhou Peng won't let you off." The old handyman said, "Today it was Zhao Hu. Tomorrow it might be Li Hu or Wang Hu. As long as you remain in the martial hall, the trouble won't end."

Li Xuan said nothing.

"I'll point you toward a path." The old handyman looked at him. "Join the Shadow Guard."

"The Shadow Guard?"

"The martial hall's covert division, specializing in handling things that can't see the light of day." The old handyman said, "Assassinations, reconnaissance, purging traitors... all dirty work."

"Why me?"

"Because you're ruthless enough, decisive enough, and clever enough." The old handyman said, "I heard about what happened last night. Liu San's downfall wasn't undeserved. You even dared to provoke Zhou Peng. The Shadow Guard needs that kind of nerve."

Li Xuan pondered. "What benefits are there to joining the Shadow Guard?"

"Resources." The old handyman spat out two words. "Body Tempering Powder, cultivation techniques, Contribution Points... As long as you complete missions, you can have as much as you want. And the Shadow Guard's identities are kept secret. Zhou Peng won't be able to trace anything back to you."

"Then what's the price?"

"Your life," the old handyman said. "You could die on every mission. Moreover, once you join, you may never withdraw for the rest of your life. Those who withdraw, die."

Li Xuan fell silent.

"I'll give you the time it takes an incense stick to burn to consider," the old handyman stood up. "If you want safety, pack your things and leave the martial arts hall right now, finding a place where no one knows you and hiding. If you want to become stronger, join the Shadow Guard and dance on the edge of a blade."

He walked to the door and looked back. "Let me remind you—Zhou Peng's uncle is Wu Ming, an outer courtyard instructor at Body Tempering Layer Six. You beat up Zhao Hu today, and in three days at most, Wu Ming will personally come looking for trouble with you. When that time comes, no one will be able to protect you."

The door closed.

Only Li Xuan was left in the storeroom.

The oil lamp crackled.

He closed his eyes.

Leave? Hide?

He had transmigrated here not to cower and scrape by.

He wanted to become stronger, to stand at the absolute peak, and to see clearly what this world was truly like.

Since this world operated on the law of the jungle where the strong preyed upon the weak, he would make himself the strongest one of all.

An incense stick's time later, the old handyman pushed the door open and entered.

"Have you decided?"

"I've decided," Li Xuan opened his eyes. "I'll join."

The old handyman nodded, pulled a black iron plaque from his bosom, and tossed it over.

The iron plaque was the size of a palm and felt ice-cold to the touch. The front was engraved with the character "Shadow", and the back bore a serial number: seventy-nine.

"Bite your finger to bind it with your blood," the old handyman said.

Li Xuan bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the iron plaque.

The blood soaked in, and the iron plaque grew faintly warm before returning to normal.

"From now on, you are Shadow Guard Seventy-Nine," the old handyman said. "Your direct superior is 'Ying Qi', and he will contact you. Remember three ironclad rules: first, never leak your identity; second, absolute obedience to orders; third, mission failure means committing suicide."

Li Xuan put away the iron plaque. "What is the first mission?"

"Tonight at the third watch, outside the west wall of the martial arts hall, someone will be waiting for you," the old handyman said. "He will take you to meet Ying Qi to receive your first task."

With that, the old handyman turned and left.

As he reached the door, he paused. "Right, there is also internal competition within the Shadow Guard. Complete more tasks and perform well, and you can be promoted. Above Ying Qi, there is Ying Liu, Ying Wu... all the way to Ying Yi. It is rumored that above Ying Yi, there is an even more mysterious 'Shadow Master'."

"What are the benefits of promotion?"

"Permissions, resources, martial arts manuals," the old handyman said. "Ying Qi can collect three portions of Body Tempering Powder and one bottle of Vitality Pills every month. Ying Liu doubles that. Ying Wu... rumor has it they get access to true martial arts cultivation techniques."

Martial arts cultivation techniques!

Li Xuan's eyes lit up.

What he was currently practicing was still an incomplete body tempering method, but if he could obtain a complete manual...

"I understand."

"Return alive," the old handyman said last, vanishing outside the door.

Late at night, at the third watch.

Li Xuan changed into black clothes and slipped out of the woodshed without a sound.

Outside the west wall of the martial arts hall lay a patch of wasteland, overgrown with weeds and jagged with irregular rocks.

The moonlight was pale, casting a desolate sheen over the ground.

As soon as Li Xuan arrived, he spotted a dark figure standing beside the pile of rocks.

"Seventy-Nine?" the dark figure spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Yes."

"Follow me."

The dark figure turned and left, moving with extreme speed.

Li Xuan kept pace.

The two of them, one right after the other, traversed the night. Crossing two ridges, they arrived before a secluded cave.

The cave entrance was concealed by vines and utterly impossible to spot without close inspection.

The dark figure pushed aside the vines. "Go in."

The cave was pitch-black, with only a faint glimmer in the depths.

Li Xuan walked in, advancing about a hundred paces before the view suddenly opened up.

It was a natural karst cave, roughly ten zhang in circumference. Stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, the ground was flat, and a stone table sat in the center with a person seated beside it.

A man in black, masked, with only his eyes exposed.

"Lord Ying Qi, Seventy-Nine has been brought here," the dark figure reported respectfully.

Ying Qi waved a hand, and the dark figure retreated.

Only the two of them remained in the stone cave.

"Li Xuan," Ying Qi began, his voice low. "Seventeen years old, a refugee from the Northern Territory, entered the martial arts hall as a handyman half a month ago. Superior physique, formidable combat prowess, once slew an ironhide pig. Cautious disposition, decisive in killing."

He rattled it all off in one breath, then looked up. "Am I right?"

Li Xuan nodded. "Right."

"Very good." Ying Qi pulled a roll of animal skin from his bosom and spread it out on the table. "First task: scout the 'Fulilai Inn' in the south of the city. Within three days, find out what kind of people are staying in the inn, their identities, and what they do."

"Just that?"

"Just that," Ying Qi said. "But remember—do not expose yourself, do not make a move, only observe. If discovered, withdraw immediately. Failure to withdraw means suicide."

Li Xuan took the animal skin; it showed a terrain map of Fulilai Inn.

"Complete the task, and the reward is twenty Contribution Points and a bottle of Body Tempering Powder. Failure..." Ying Qi left the rest unsaid.

"I understand." Li Xuan put away the animal skin.

"Go. Three days from now at the same time, report back here," Ying Qi waved.

Li Xuan turned and left.

Walking out of the cave, the night wind blew past, carrying a chill.

He looked at the animal skin in his hand, his gaze solemn.

Meanwhile, in a quiet room within the martial arts hall.

Zhou Peng knelt on the ground, while seated before him was a middle-aged man—outer courtyard instructor Wu Ming.

"Uncle, that Li Xuan..."

"Trash," Wu Ming closed his eyes. "You couldn't even handle a mere handyman; I wasted all those years cultivating you for nothing."

Zhou Peng lowered his head. "This nephew knows his mistake."

"Does knowing your mistake change anything?" Wu Ming opened his eyes. "I've already found out that Li Xuan went to the apothecary yesterday and collected two portions of Body Tempering Powder. Today, he even had a fight with Zhao Hu and didn't lose."

"He..." Zhou Peng gritted his teeth. "He must have hidden his strength!"

"Duh," Wu Ming sneered. "Would someone capable of stabbing an ironhide pig to death with a spear in the Trial Forest be an ordinary handyman? I told you long ago to be careful, but you wouldn't listen."

"Then what do we do now?"

Wu Ming mused for a moment. "Tomorrow, I will arrange an 'accident'. The handyman quarters catching fire and a few people dying is completely normal."

Zhou Peng's eyes lit up. "Uncle is brilliant!"

"Remember," Wu Ming looked at him. "Do it cleanly. Leave no incriminating evidence behind."

"Nephew understands!"

Zhou Peng withdrew from the quiet room, a savage grin breaking across his face.

Li Xuan, let's see how you die this time!

Fulilai Inn in the south of the city.

Li Xuan crouched on the rooftop opposite, having already waited for two hours.

He had changed into a set of tattered cloth garments and smeared coal ash on his face, making him look like a beggar.

[Divine: 1.6]

The sharp observational power granted by this allowed him to clearly see every single detail inside the inn.

The inn had two stories and eight guest rooms. The innkeeper was a fatty, and the waiter was skinny. There weren't many guests, with lights lit in only three rooms.

Room Three on the first floor housed a middle-aged man dressed like a merchant, who had gone out and returned three times, carrying a chest each time.

Room Five on the second floor had its windows tightly shut, though shadows occasionally flickered across them.

In Room Seven, the light remained constantly on, and the sound of talking drifted out.

Li Xuan's ears twitched as he listened intently.

"...When is the cargo arriving?"

"Tomorrow night at the zi hour, the old place."

"What about the money?"

"Half as a deposit, the rest paid in full upon delivery."

"Alright, don't try any funny business."

"Rest assured, this isn't our first or second time cooperating."

Smuggling?

Li Xuan frowned.

He continued listening.

"...What kind of cargo is it this time?"

"Thirty precision-steel sabers, ten sets of leather armor, and... three crossbows."

Li Xuan's pupils contracted.

Under the laws of the Great Yan, secretly possessing crossbow arrows was a capital offense. Privately selling crossbow arrows meant the execution of all nine familial generations.

These people actually dared to sell such things?

Just as he wanted to listen further—

"Who's up there!"

A shouted cry echoed from the inn's back courtyard.

Damn it, he had been discovered.

Li Xuan did not hesitate in the slightest, flipping off the rooftop, rolling the moment he hit the ground, and diving into the shadows.

Several figures in black rushed out from the inn, scanning their surroundings in all directions.

"I clearly heard movement just now..."

"Did you see wrong?"

"Be careful, this transaction cannot afford any mistakes."

The men in black muttered a few words and retreated back into the inn.

Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and quietly departed.

By the time he snuck back to the martial arts hall, the sky was already growing light.

He slipped into the woodshed, and the moment he lay down, he heard panicked shouts erupting outside.

"Fire! The handyman quarters are on fire!"