The Master's Aide

Li Gou'er rubbed his gauze-wrapped arm, hissing through his teeth in pain.

As soon as he walked back into the main hall of the clinic, he saw the female physician blushing as she looked over a small booklet with Zhao An, her expression a mix of shyness and a furtive desire to peek at the contents.

"Brother Zhao, what are you two..." Li Gou'er asked, feeling puzzled.

Meng Wanyi jumped in surprise. "Th-that's all for today's lesson."

With that, the girl scurried off to the clinic's backyard, snatched the fan from her younger sister who was busy brewing medicine, and began fanning the furnace with a blank look on her face.

"Sister, what are you doing?" Meng Shao asked, confused.

"It's too hot, just fanning the fire..." Meng Wanyi babbled, making even less sense than before.

On the other side, Li Gou'er finally realized that the small book Zhao An had been looking at with the physician was none other than the erotic manual they had confiscated from Cao Li.

Li Gou'er suddenly understood, a knowing smile spreading across his face as he leaned in to apologize repeatedly for ruining his big brother's good time.

Zhao An couldn't be bothered to explain much to his subordinate; he had simply been trying to learn how to read.

Without Meng Wanyi's translation, he would have found it nearly impossible to decipher the secret martial arts manual hidden within that book.

"Take Chunzi and let's go back."

It was already afternoon when they left the clinic. Passing through the streets and alleys, Zhao An had just approached his small courtyard.

He saw Zhao Chunzi point into the distance and say, "Brother Zhao, isn't that Master Hao!"

Zhao An looked up. Amidst the bustling crowd of commoners, Hao Wei was dressed in a fine cotton long gown, wearing a square cap on his head, his long hair tied with a jade hairpin, and a sachet hanging from his waist. He looked every bit the refined scholar, standing out quite prominently.

He was accompanied by two core members of the Tiger Head Gang who were acting as his escort.

"Master, we've been waiting for an hour already. Does that Zhao An really have the gall to make you wait this long?" one of the core members muttered impatiently.

"He just finished a battle, so he likely went to the clinic to tend to his wounds. We just need to wait," Hao Wei said calmly, showing no signs of urgency.

"Even if we have to wait, Master, you should at least go inside and sit down," the other core member said, moving to kick the door open.

"No, don't ruin my business today," Hao Wei immediately stopped him, scolding him with dissatisfaction.

If they kicked the door down, there would be nothing left to discuss once Zhao An returned.

Seeing this, the two gang members had no choice but to desist.

"I wonder what brings you here, Master?"

Zhao An's voice drifted closer. Seeing that Zhao An had returned, Hao Wei immediately put away his folding fan and offered a smiling bow.

"Nothing major, I just wanted to have a cup of tea with you."

Hearing this, Zhao An nodded and pushed open the courtyard gate. "Please, Master."

The two gang members originally intended to follow Hao Wei into the courtyard, but as Zhao An's gaze swept over them, they felt an inexplicable fear and didn't dare to take another step forward.

No matter how little seniority Zhao An had in the gang, his actual combat record was simply too ferocious.

Especially today, when he had cut down a group of Python Gang experts led by Cao Li; that invisible aura was enough to strike fear into anyone.

"Zh-Zhao An, we just came here with the Master..."

The core member, terrified that Zhao An might draw his blade, hadn't even finished his explanation when he heard Hao Wei turn his head to give an order.

"You two can head back."

"Right, right away." Unable to withstand Zhao An's gaze, the core member left in a hurry, looking rather dejected.

Inside the courtyard, at the stone table.

Two simple cups of hot tea were placed before Hao Wei and Zhao An.

Zhao An naturally didn't have any high-quality tea at home, but Hao Wei didn't seem to mind the coarse brew, a gentle smile still on his face as he took a small sip.

"The water temperature is just right."

Zhao An remained silent. He disliked the roundabout way scholars discussed matters and simply waited for the gang strategist to continue.

"The gang leader is already aware of the matter regarding Cao Li, and the reaction throughout the gang has been quite significant," Hao Wei said, setting down his teacup. Seeing that Zhao An didn't want to chat, he got straight to the point.

"So, what does Zhou Hu want?" Zhao An asked directly.

He didn't care about the others in the Tiger Head Gang; in his eyes, they were nothing more than a rabble. The only person who truly concerned him even slightly was the Tiger Head Gang leader, Zhou Hu.

Now, there was little politeness left in his tone when speaking of Zhou Hu, calling him by his name directly.

At this, Hao Wei merely smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "A martial master suddenly appeared in the gang out of nowhere, so he is naturally full of suspicion and wants to find you to question you in person."

"However, I have managed to hold him off for now."

"..." Zhao An took a closer look at the strategist.

In the man's words, there was clearly a lack of respect for the gang leader, his tone becoming quite casual.

"What is your opinion of the Tiger Head Gang, Master?"

"I don't have any particular opinion of the Tiger Head Gang. Like you, my ambitions do not lie there," Hao Wei said openly and honestly.

"Are you planning to leave, Master?" Zhao An asked again.

Hao Wei shook his head and sighed, "In this day and age, what kind of place is there for a scholar like me who lacks the strength to truss a chicken? Even the imperial court is unreliable."

"In the end, one must still attach themselves to a powerful figure and seek their protection just to survive in this world."

"Zhou Hu is shortsighted and dim-witted; the Tiger Head Gang is nothing more than a rabble, and their demise is only a matter of time. If the opportunity arises, I naturally have to consider seeking another path."

As Hao Wei said this, his gaze fell back onto Zhao An.

"In my view, you have more potential than Zhou Hu."

Ever since the day of the Three Trials, when Zhao An had acted as if he were reborn, Hao Wei realized that perhaps he had never truly understood this young man in the past.

Zhao An was not some reckless brute with nothing but raw strength.

On the contrary, compared to Zhou Hu, Zhao An was more reserved and knew how to endure. The fact that he had stepped into the realm of a Martial Master without anyone noticing truly shocked him.

And if he remembered correctly, Zhao An was only in his early twenties this year.

Even if his current strength as a Martial Master could not yet compare to Zhou Hu, his future growth potential far exceeded that of the Tiger Head Gang leader.

He had already weighed in his heart how to choose between the two.

"You want to cooperate with me?" Zhao An quickly understood the intent behind what Hao Wei had said.

"That's right. How about replacing Zhou Hu and becoming the leader of the Tiger Head Gang yourself? As long as you nod, I will assist you with all my might!" Hao Wei withdrew his smile, his expression turning serious.

His demeanor told Zhao An that he was not joking.

After hearing this, Zhao An shook his head quite bluntly and said, "Not interested."

"You yourself said they are a rabble; what is the point of being the leader of such people?"

"But once you become the leader, you can reorganize the entire gang however you wish. You would gain both power and wealth; wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?" Hao Wei had not expected Zhao An to refuse so bluntly without even thinking.

He had assumed he could guess what was in Zhao An's mind, but it was clear he had guessed wrong again.

Zhao An's endurance and hard training were not for the sake of sitting on the throne of the Tiger Head Gang!

Zhao An finished the tea in his cup, stood up, and said, "Master Advisor, you were right about one thing: the demise of the Tiger Head Gang is only a matter of time. It would be best for you to make other plans sooner rather than later."

"..."