When Yan Kai returned, Sun Mingting and the others looked at him strangely.
Clearly, in their eyes, that scene had meant something else.
Especially when Yan Kai had been walking over, only to suddenly turn back and say something meaningful to Shi Wen. There was obviously something going on.
"Let's go," Yan Kai said.
Zhou Heling couldn't help asking, "Junior Brother Yan, did that kid come all the way here just to bribe you for a spot with the Boat Gang?"
Her tone was rather sharp.
They had publicly finished selecting candidates for the Boat Gang the day before.
Yet this kid had come back the next day to bribe Yan Kai for a position stationed with the Boat Gang?
What did he take their operation for?
A game?
"No, it was nothing important."
Yan Kai shook his head, not mentioning Shi Wen's purchase of exotic beast meat.
To Zhou Heling, that only made him look guilty. She said unhappily, "Heh, I don't care whether you did anything or not. That kid absolutely cannot be stationed with the Boat Gang. Don't let this bad influence tarnish the Fist Academy's reputation!"
With that, Zhou Heling stormed off.
The others gave Yan Kai meaningful looks too, leaving him utterly speechless.
The group went outside the Fist Academy, where two carriages were already waiting. The leading man from the Xingshui Gang said respectfully, "Five Attendants, please!"
"Mm."
Sun Mingting climbed into the first carriage, followed by Qin Huan.
Zhou Heling and Wei Shan got into the carriage, and Yan Kai climbed in too, but the conversation died. The atmosphere inside was painfully awkward.
The carriages rolled on, soon arriving at a wharf.
It was clearly one of the other wharves besides Black Cloud County's two largest. The grounds were spacious, with ships coming and going, and several bustling streets outside. The teahouses, restaurants, and taverns were all doing brisk business.
When they reached the wharf, Yun Guangyuan, the head of the Xingshui Gang, was already waiting, accompanied by two Blood-Tempering Realm martial artists.
As soon as they saw Sun Mingting and the others approaching, they hurried forward to greet them. They chatted amiably as they led the group to the most luxurious restaurant outside the wharf, where a banquet had already been laid out.
The mood at the table was cheerful.
After all, they had already settled the terms. Today's meeting was merely to strengthen their relationship and sign the contract.
This sort of thing was commonplace in Black Cloud County.
Aside from the Black Whale Gang, the county's greatest gang, which had endured for ages, the remaining spoils were divided among the second- and third-rate gangs, as well as the bottom-tier ones.
The wharf was large; by rights, only a third-rate gang should have been able to occupy it.
A third-rate gang needed a Blood-Coagulation Realm martial artist to hold down the fort. If it didn't have one, it could hire someone from a martial arts school or fist academy to keep watch, preventing unrest from affecting its income.
Once the contract was signed, Yun Guangyuan of the Xingshui Gang was clearly in even higher spirits. He grabbed a small wine jar and drained it.
The atmosphere grew livelier.
After several rounds of drinks, Yun Guangyuan grinned and said, "From now on, we'll be counting on all of you Attendants for your full support. If your academy has any suitable disciples, you can recommend one or two. We'll make sure their pay is generous."
Yan Kai was tempted. "Gang Leader Yun, I happen to know a junior brother. He's diligent and hardworking. Why not—"
Zhou Heling suddenly cut him off, her voice cold. "Junior Brother Yan, I told you not to let this bad influence affect the Fist Academy. If you insist on doing this, then I'll withdraw!"
"No, Senior Sister Zhou, I... sigh, forget it."
Yan Kai sighed softly. He had only thought Shi Wen was a decent person and wanted to help him find another source of income.
He hadn't expected Senior Sister Zhou to be so domineering.
He had heard that she could be stubborn and had clashed with plenty of people. He hadn't expected this matter to turn into such a mess too.
The lively banquet fell silent, while Shi Wen knew nothing about what had happened.
At that moment, he was still in a corner of the Outer Courtyard, diligently practicing and working to improve his mastery of the basic techniques.
As for Iron Whip Leg...
Practicing Iron Whip Leg here would draw too much attention. He didn't want to stand out.
After a while, a servant from the Yan Family arrived and personally handed Shi Wen an exquisitely wrapped wooden box.
Shi Wen sat beneath the shade of a tree with the box in his arms and inspected its contents.
Eight catties of Red Python Meat and ten doses of Blood Strengthening Powder. Everything was in order.
It was just that money didn't go far. He now had less than ten taels of silver and three gold leaves left.
"Ah, money really doesn't last."
Shi Wen held up a piece of Red Python Meat and examined it in the sunlight.
Each strip of Red Python Meat was about as thick and long as his little finger. The flesh was a dark, dull red, with black python markings on the surface. It didn't taste as tough as it looked; on the contrary, it was quite chewy.
He chewed one up, swallowed it, and took a sip of water. Warmth spread through his body.
It really was much more effective than Stone Raw Meat!
Each strip weighed about half a liang.
The waterproof bag containing the Red Python Meat in the little wooden box held about 160 strips.
There were ten doses of Blood Strengthening Powder, with five small packets in each dose.
"For a while, I won't have to worry about resources."
Shi Wen took everything out and put it into the small basket he usually carried, then continued practicing his fists.
The sun set in the west, and the gongs and drums sounded.
The day's lessons were over. The Outer Courtyard disciples left in groups of two and three. Shi Wen kept practicing, and after finishing the final move of his fist technique, he went to put away the training equipment scattered around the Outer Courtyard.
Li Qianqian, tall and slender, was putting things away too.
Shi Wen greeted her, curious as well.
He had heard that Li Qianqian was the second-ranked senior sister of the Inner Courtyard.
The Inner Courtyard was different from the Outer Courtyard.
It had ten top disciples, ranked not by seniority, age, or status, but by strength alone!
Their rankings represented not only their order but also a share of resources and other hidden benefits.
For example, every so often the Fist Academy distributed high-grade pills, shares of the profits paid by the city's gangs and merchants, precious medicinal ingredients, and opportunities to affiliate with powerful backers.
But becoming one of the top ten disciples wasn't easy.
If someone challenged you and you lacked the strength to defend your place, you would be knocked down, and all your resources and benefits would disappear.
As far as Shi Wen knew, the much-admired Senior Brother Sun, Sun Mingting, was in the Blood-Coagulation Realm, yet he was only ranked tenth among the top disciples!
And Li Qianqian had held second place in the Inner Courtyard for a long time. Her strength spoke for itself.
The problem was that he had never seen Li Qianqian practice during this time.
After putting everything away, Shi Wen was about to leave when Li Qianqian suddenly called out to him. "Junior Brother Shi, do you have time to sit and chat?"
"Huh?" Shi Wen was a little taken aback. He didn't think he and Senior Sister Li had ever had much to do with each other. What did she want with him?
The two of them sat down in a resting area in the Outer Courtyard.
Shi Wen asked curiously, "Senior Sister Li, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Junior Brother Shi, how old are you this year?" Li Qianqian asked instead of answering his question.
Shi Wen replied, "Senior Sister Li, I'll turn fifteen after my birthday next month."
"Mm. That's neither young nor old, but most people get married around that age."
Li Qianqian continued, "Junior Brother Shi, you've been practicing for a while now. Have you realized that becoming a martial artist isn't easy?"
Shi Wen felt the blood and qi in his body, which had grown stronger, circulating within him.
His hunger came much sooner than before.
He sighed deeply. "You're right, Senior Sister. Becoming a martial artist isn't easy."
"Mm. In the early stages, you're only learning the basic techniques. Only after you've mastered them—or reached perfection—can you find the rhythm and sensation needed to temper your blood and qi. That's when things become most difficult."
"Without someone to support them, people from poor families have a hard time successfully tempering their blood and qi."
Li Qianqian said, "I can see that you're persistent and responsible, and that you're honest and kind. If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce you to a woman from a merchant house in the city. She's a friend I've known for a long time. She's four or five years older than you, but her family is wealthy."
"Her family needs a live-in son-in-law. Would you like to give it a try?"
"With someone supporting you, Junior Brother Shi, you'll be able to build up your reserves quickly and temper your blood and qi within two months. Your cultivation will go much more smoothly after that..."
She explained the benefits of having someone support him.
Shi Wen stared at her in surprise. A live-in son-in-law?
He wanted to refuse, but seeing how serious Li Qianqian was, he decided not to spurn her kindness.
At the very least, he could meet the woman once, then find an excuse to decline afterward.
"All right, Senior Sister."
"Mm. I'm glad you've thought it through." Li Qianqian smiled and nodded. "Don't practice martial arts tomorrow morning. Come to the Fist Academy and wait for me. I'll take you to meet her."
"All right..." Shi Wen nodded. "Senior Sister, it's getting late. I'll head back first."
"Mm."
Li Qianqian watched the boy's thin figure disappear into the distance.
She felt her maternal instincts stirring.
She had lacked a mother's love since childhood, while her father, Li Heshan, was very strict and kept her under his thumb.
Lately, when she looked at Shi Wen, she seemed to see her younger self: quietly doing his work, practicing diligently, cold on the outside but kind at heart, persevering and clinging to a little kindness that no one respected in this chaotic world.
Shi Wen was modest and gentle, handsome, and well-spoken. He treated her with respect, too.
Why not give him a chance?
"It's been a long time since I saw Xiao Ni, too."
Li Qianqian summoned a servant, climbed into a carriage, and headed for Tooth City in the east.
Tooth City was the true heart of Black Cloud County.
It had sturdy high walls and a moat, with guards patrolling the ramparts. Everyone in Black Cloud County with wealth and power lived there. It was also the county's most prosperous commercial district!
The carriage entered Tooth City.
Countless people were heading into the Inner City to shop or do business, all crowded in line outside the small city gate.
Li Qianqian's carriage showed no sign of stopping. It headed straight into Tooth City.
The guards at the gate looked displeased and were about to go over and reprimand them, but when they saw the carriage's insignia, they sheepishly stepped aside. They didn't even dare collect the entry tax.
Inside Tooth City, neat, clean roads paved with blue bricks stretched out before them, with orderly rows of shops on either side and people coming and going.
The bustling restaurants and brothels were even packed to the rafters!
The carriage rolled on, finally stopping outside a residence.
The servant driving it went to announce their arrival. Before long, a figure rushed out and climbed straight into the carriage, beaming. "Qianqian, you haven't come to see me in ages. What brings you here today?"
Before you continue