Peerless Heavenly Pride, Peerless Di Hao

"Why wouldn't an escort agency take disciples?"

"Besides, the Long Wind Escort Agency's situation is already different from before."

The four of them passed through the crowded streets. Fatty was being dragged along at a brisk pace by Thin Bamboo Pole while turning his head to explain things to Lu Cheng.

"The Long Wind Escort Agency used to focus on escort work. It truly did not throw open its gates and broadly recruit disciples like martial sects did. The old chief escort had only three disciples under him, along with a few escort hands."

"But at the beginning of this year, something happened to the old chief escort. For some reason, his three disciples no longer wished to work escorts either."

"But without escort work, they had no livelihood. So the three of them turned the escort agency into a Martial Arts Hall and began taking disciples, though they still kept the name Long Wind Escort Agency."

"Luckily, the old chief escort was... was a true martial artist. What he left behind... my god, Skinny Monkey, you... slow down. You're going to wear me to death."

Fatty was broad and heavy. Being dragged along at a fast walk while explaining things to Lu Cheng, he began gasping for breath after only a few steps, his words coming out in broken pieces.

As for the pork knuckle, he had long since stopped having time to eat it.

"Shut up. What time do you think it is? We can talk after we get there and sign up."

Before Thin Bamboo Pole could speak, the little girl snapped at Fatty again without the slightest courtesy.

Thin Bamboo Pole, however, did not slow down. He continued Fatty's explanation.

"Though the old chief escort of the Long Wind Escort Agency has passed away, the martial arts he left behind are indeed enough to enter the martial path."

"The current three masters have only just entered the Body Refining Realm, but it is said that together, they can fight an expert at the peak of Body Refining to a draw. Thus, the Long Wind Escort Agency cannot be considered weak within all of Yangcheng County."

"Besides that, there is another advantage. They have only recently established their school and have few disciples. Every disciple receives personal instruction from a master; there is no situation where senior brothers pass down the arts in their place."

"If one cannot enter Emerald Cloud Abbey or Heavenly Spring Temple, then comparatively speaking, the Long Wind Escort Agency is the best choice."

After hearing the explanation, Lu Cheng had a general understanding and could not help feeling tempted.

The school's martial arts were not weak, the masters taught personally, and the tuition was not expensive. Put that way, the Long Wind Escort Agency really was not bad.

Yet Lu Cheng always felt that something was not quite right.

Only after they walked for a while, as the crowd gradually thinned and the surroundings became somewhat quieter, did he suddenly realize it and ask, "But in that case, wouldn't those wishing to join be as numerous as hairs on an ox? Even if they had been taking disciples for less than a year, they should not have 'few disciples.'"

Thin Bamboo Pole shook his head.

"That is related to the Long Wind Escort Agency's rules for taking disciples."

"The escort agency accepts disciples once every three months, and each time, only for one day. Miss this chance, and you must wait another three months."

"After entering, during the three months until the next recruitment, if one cannot cultivate force, the escort agency will not keep them. The day they accept disciples is also the day they eliminate and expel people."

"So even now, the Long Wind Escort Agency has fewer than thirty disciples."

What the hell?

For an instant, Lu Cheng even suspected that the memories of his two lives had clashed, causing him to mishear.

They recruited every three months, then expelled anyone who failed to meet the standard.

How had a last-place elimination system appeared here?

Just as Lu Cheng was about to confirm whether he had heard wrong, another burst of clamor arose ahead.

A long line extended from an alley seven or eight meters away.

Lu Cheng did not know how many people were lined up inside the alley, but there were already more than ten standing outside.

"We're finally here."

Fatty let out a long breath, shook off Thin Bamboo Pole's hand, and dropped his butt onto the roadside.

"I told you we didn't need to hurry so much. Look, the line is still this long."

For once, the girl did not snap at Fatty. She stood beside him and took out a piece of pastry from a small pouch.

Thin Bamboo Pole did not stop walking and headed straight into the alley.

There was no need to ask. He was definitely going to inquire about the situation.

This fellow really was thorough.

Lu Cheng had carried more than sixty jin of copper coins while running around for half the day. He was already exhausted as well.

Without another word, he sat down beside Fatty.

"Hehe, I thought you were pretty tough."

Fatty took out his pork knuckle and mocked Lu Cheng while gnawing on it.

Lu Cheng looked at the fat wobbling all over Fatty's body and shook his head. "I don't know whether I'm that tough, but I should be tougher than you."

Fatty was displeased to hear that. "Hey, who are you trying to impress? You're just not gasping for breath. You haven't sweated any less than I have."

Lu Cheng slowly set down his bundle. Carrying more than sixty jin of copper coins on his back had indeed left him drenched in sweat.

Fatty took two more bites of the pork knuckle, thoroughly satisfied, then asked Lu Cheng, "So? Are you going to join the Long Wind Escort Agency?"

Lu Cheng nodded. After hearing the two of them introduce the Long Wind Escort Agency along the way, he had already made up his mind.

Fatty and Thin Bamboo Pole were right. Apart from Emerald Cloud Abbey and Heavenly Spring Temple, the Long Wind Escort Agency truly was the best choice.

Emerald Cloud Abbey and Heavenly Spring Temple might not accept him, while the Long Wind Escort Agency only recruited on this one day.

The Fish Gang's threat was right before him. He had no room to be picky.

No matter what, he had to first step through the gates of the martial path and get some martial arts into his body.

Lu Cheng's nod made Fatty quite pleased. He actually tugged over the bundle beside him and offered it to Lu Cheng. "Since that's the case, we'll be our own people from now on. Come, come, don't stand on ceremony."

Lu Cheng lowered his head and was greatly surprised.

He had assumed the bundle held clothes and luggage, but it actually contained two large pork knuckles.

Lu Cheng had not eaten breakfast. After fighting You Lanchuang on the river, he had rushed nonstop to Yangcheng County.

Even Lu Cheng's iron stomach, forged by hunger since childhood, could not take it anymore.

In his previous life, he would not even have glanced at the greasy pork knuckles before him.

But this body had never eaten anything so rich. Just smelling it made his stomach start growling.

Eat!

The man had already offered. Refusing now would be far too disrespectful.

"Hehehe. Since Brother Pork Knuckle... ahem, Brother Fatty has offered, then I won't stand on ceremony."

With that, he reached out.

But before he could grab the pork knuckle, a roar of discussion erupted from the alley.

"Di Hao! A Di Hao has appeared inside!"

Immediately afterward, no one remained in line. They swarmed into the alley like a hive of bees.

"What? A Di Hao has appeared?"

"Is that real? A Di Hao didn't go to Emerald Cloud Abbey or Heavenly Spring Temple, but came here instead?"

"Of course it's real. The three masters conducted the Tendon Measurement and Bone Weighing together. How could it be fake?"

Emperor Hao?

What the hell was Emperor Hao? I'm Liqun, then.

Lu Cheng was utterly baffled, thinking he had misheard again.

He listened carefully. The people in the alley were indeed discussing something called "Di Hao."

Just as he was about to ask Fatty what this so-called "Di Hao" was, he heard a slap.

Turning his head, he saw Fatty looking as if he had seen a ghost. He had even failed to hold onto the pork knuckle in his hand, and it had fallen to the ground.

Lu Cheng looked at the alley, then at Fatty, and asked, "Hey, what exactly does this 'Di Hao' mean?"

Fatty seemed not to hear him. His eyes shone as he muttered, "Unbelievable, unbelievable. I never thought there would actually be someone among this group with talent equal to mine!"

Then his expression changed drastically, and he gritted his teeth. "No, no. Di Hao aptitude is rarely seen in this world. How could two appear at once in remote Yangcheng County?"

"This person must have stolen my destiny and fortune!"

The little girl beside him could not help snickering. She said bluntly, "Liu Guicai, can you have even a little shame? Why not say you're a Heavenly Pride?"

"I think you're only a tiny bit better than an ordinary man. You don't even qualify as Fine Jade Talent."

Fatty immediately glared at her. "Pah, pah, pah! What nonsense are you talking about? How unlucky. Let me tell you, if I don't test as a Di Hao, I won't let this go!"

Though he said that, even Fatty himself knew it was all a joke.

He looked toward the alley, his face full of shock and envy.

By then, Lu Cheng had roughly understood from their exchange what had happened.

But he still had no clear concept of these things, so he could only ask the two beside him again, "Hey, stop bickering. Can someone explain? What do Di Hao and Heavenly Pride actually mean?"

Fatty sighed, packed away the pork knuckle that had fallen to the ground separately, then explained to Lu Cheng, "Those refer to a martial artist's talent."

Lu Cheng nodded. It was indeed as he had guessed.

It seemed that among those seeking apprenticeship, an apprentice with terrifying talent had appeared.

Fatty continued, "Rotten earth and decayed wood, common sons and ordinary men, Fine Jade Talent, a generation's Human Hero, Peerless Di Hao, Peerless Heavenly Pride."

"These are the six grades of martial aptitude. Though they are not completely accurate, throughout ancient and modern times, eighty percent of martial artists ultimately failed to surpass the upper limit of their aptitude."

"So based on these standards, one can basically tell a person's future potential."

"Those born with deficient qi and blood, or naturally foolish and witless, are the lowest class: rotten earth and decayed wood. Such people are not suited to martial practice."

"Most of the rest are ordinary common sons and ordinary men. With acquired effort, they can also step onto the martial path, but breakthroughs are exceedingly difficult. How far they can go depends entirely on resources and opportunities."

"A step above that are the one-in-ten-thousand Fine Jade Talents. For such aptitude, breaking through to the Body Refining Realm is practically without any threshold."

"And above that are the three grades of heaven, earth, and man..."

Fatty shook his head.

"Forget Yangcheng County. Even for Dongyang Prefecture, producing a Human Hero would already be extraordinarily rare. Who would have thought that a Di Hao would emerge today?"

"Peerless, peerless—the Peerless Di Hao is talent truly capable of crowning the world and suppressing an entire generation. Even throughout the Great Yun Dynasty, they are rarely seen."

As he spoke, he suddenly stood and walked toward the alley.

"No, I have to see what the person who stole my destiny looks like!"

Lu Cheng and the little girl were naturally curious as well, so they followed him over.

The alley was now packed with people in chaotic disorder. After only a few steps, the three of them could no longer squeeze forward.

All they could see ahead was a large plaque bearing the words "Long Wind Escort Agency."

Fatty shouted, "Give me back my innate talent!" as he constantly shoved inward, but he could not move an inch.

The person in front grew impatient, turned around, and shouted angrily, "Pighead, what are you pushing for?"

Fatty froze when he heard someone call him pighead, then trembled all over with rage.

"Who are you calling pighead?"

The other party had not expected Fatty to talk back. He gave an "oh ho" and glared at Fatty together with two young men beside him who resembled him somewhat.

Lu Cheng had come with Fatty, so naturally he could not simply stand by. He stepped up beside him and calmly looked at the other side.

The little girl hurriedly shouted toward Thin Bamboo Pole, who was somewhere within the crowd ahead.

Thin Bamboo Pole was tall. When he turned around and saw that something was wrong, he began squeezing his way back out as well.

The three on the other side were not afraid. Apart from Lu Cheng, who looked difficult to deal with, the remaining fat man, skinny man, and girl were not worth their notice at all.

Lu Cheng looked at the three and spoke slowly. "Everyone is here to seek a master. We may even become fellow disciples later. Making trouble now brings no benefit."

The three opposite them were all big, sturdy young men. Lu Cheng had no problem fighting one, but two would be difficult enough.

Besides, he was telling the truth. It was naturally best if they did not have to fight.

By then, Thin Bamboo Pole had also squeezed out. The three on the other side had grown somewhat wary after hearing Lu Cheng's words.

They no longer had the nerve to fight and intended to just throw out a few harsh words and leave it at that.

But before they could speak, two loud shouts came from the entrance several steps away, voices so booming that they instantly drowned out the clamor in the alley.

"Move aside! Quickly, move aside! Clear a path!"

Then the crowd ahead parted swiftly to both sides like receding tides, and two fast horses charged out one after the other.

Because Fatty had been glaring at those three men, he dodged too late and was nearly trampled.

Yet the two horses did not pause in the slightest. They vanished in the blink of an eye. A few breaths later, even their hoofbeats could no longer be heard. Clearly, they had accelerated again once they left the alley.

"Damn it, that was..."

Fatty stared furiously toward the alley entrance, but Lu Cheng interrupted him halfway through his curse.

"Were the Long Wind Escort Agency's training uniforms embroidered with a black eagle on the chest?"

Lu Cheng had seen it clearly. Both riders wore training uniforms with black eagles embroidered on their chests.

At the entrance of the Long Wind Escort Agency stood two blue-cloth banners. One bore the words "Long Wind," while the other displayed an enormous black eagle.

Fatty immediately came to his senses and dryly continued, "Th-those riding skills were pretty good, huh? Who knows what they went off to do. Hehe."

Lu Cheng looked toward the alley entrance, deep in thought. "Most likely, they went to Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey."

"Why?" Thin Bamboo Pole asked curiously.

Not only Fatty and the little girl, but several people ahead who had overheard also turned to look at him.

Lu Cheng lowered his voice and explained:

"Since 'Di Hao' is rare even throughout Great Fortune, the Long Wind Escort Agency probably can't teach him. Not only can they not teach him, they likely can't even protect him."

"Rather than that, it would be better to send him to a larger sect. That way, not only could this 'Di Hao' make full use of his talent, but this bond of goodwill could also greatly benefit the Long Wind Escort Agency in the future."

"And in all of Yang City, aren't the largest sects Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey? But in my view, even Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey are still not enough."

"I heard from Brother Fat that the strongest experts in Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey are only at the peak of Body Tempering. Whoever teaches 'Di Hao' should at least be at the highest Qi Refining Realm, shouldn't they?"

After Lu Cheng finished speaking, silence fell over the surroundings.

It was not because of Lu Cheng's words, but because a brawny middle-aged man had suddenly appeared before everyone.