"Senior Brother, your family?"
Hearing Zhuang Tao's words, Chen Jing was clearly stunned.
The Zhuang Family's business included one of the biggest restaurants in Red Rock County. Its customers came and went all day, and it raked in gold by the bucketload. Needless to say, the family's wealth ran deep.
Besides, during his time at the Fist Academy, Chen Jing had heard that Zhuang Tao's family had a Beast-Hunting Squad of its own, so they could obtain all kinds of rare Exotic Beast Meat year-round.
Zhuang Tao nodded and said seriously, "That's right. I like the way you handle yourself, Junior Brother. So if you come work for my family, all your food and drink will be covered, and you'll also get three catties of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat and twenty-five taels of silver each month!"
Hearing the terms Zhuang Tao was offering, Chen Jing's heart gave a sudden leap.
Three catties of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat... That alone was worth a fortune.
And on top of that, twenty-five taels of silver?
You could toss out an offer like that and recruit a whole band of loyal death warriors!
But now it was being used to recruit him. This wasn't just a pie falling from the sky—it was gold!
"Then... what would I have to do?"
Chen Jing drew a deep breath, trying to suppress his excitement as he asked.
After all, with benefits this generous, the danger might be that much greater.
"My family's opening a new restaurant soon. You'd usually keep things in order there."
At this, Zhuang Tao's face took on a mysterious smile. He continued, "More importantly, though, there's the Beast-Hunting Squad!"
Chen Jing raised an eyebrow, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "The Beast-Hunting Squad?"
Zhuang Tao explained with some pride, "That's right. The Zhuang Family doesn't just run restaurants; we also have a Beast-Hunting Squad that specializes in hunting Exotic Beasts."
"They supply all our Exotic Beast Meat, Exotic Beast hides, and Exotic Beast materials."
"Otherwise, how do you think my family managed to build such a big restaurant business?"
At this, Zhuang Tao's expression turned serious. "When you come work for us, Junior Brother, you'll have to join one Exotic Beast hunt each month."
"Of course, the hunts won't be too difficult. We're not going to send you to your death for nothing. We'd be the ones to lose out."
Chen Jing nodded and replied, "I see."
No wonder Zhuang Tao was offering him such generous benefits. The real work was in hunting Exotic Beasts.
Then Zhuang Tao said earnestly, "All right, Junior Brother. We're friends, and if you come work for me, I'll never treat you poorly."
He clapped Chen Jing on the shoulder and continued, "Of course, there's no rush. You can go back and think it over. The County Government Office has probably already heard that you've broken through Blood Creek and become a First Blood Martial Artist. The other powers will hear about it soon, too. Compare their offers, and you'll know."
Chen Jing replied, "All right!"
"Okay, Junior Brother. Now that you've broken through Blood Creek, we can start sparring for real."
At that, Zhuang Tao's smile vanished, and he said with a stern expression, "Then let your senior brother teach you your first lesson: danger can strike at any time!"
Before he'd even finished speaking, a fist came crashing down!
Seeing Zhuang Tao's attack, Chen Jing hurriedly raised his arm to block it. "Senior Brother, that's a little unfair!"
After sparring with Zhuang Tao all afternoon, Chen Jing finally finished training as evening fell. He headed home, thinking over the offer Zhuang Tao had made.
There was no denying that Zhuang Tao's offer tempted him.
Three catties of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat, twenty-five taels of silver, and all his food and drink covered...
Anyone would be tempted.
But friendship was one thing; he still had to shop around. Only after seeing what everyone else offered would he know what the deal was. There was no harm in making his decision then.
The women in the slums were sitting outside their homes, sewing and chatting idly.
Suddenly, a figure came sprinting toward them from afar.
Aunt Li took a closer look. Wasn't that her own son? She hurriedly called out, "Zhuzi, why are you running so fast? What happened?"
At her words, Zhuzi stopped in his tracks, panting as he said, "Ma, I saw... I saw..."
Aunt Wang spoke up from nearby. "Zhuzi, what did you see? Spit it out already! Why are you stammering?"
Aunt Li glared fiercely at Aunt Wang, then patted Zhuzi on the back. "Whatever you saw, don't say it yet. Catch your breath first!"
After a moment, Zhuzi took a breath and shouted, "My friend at the County Government Office just told me Chen Jing's become a First Blood Martial Artist. He said we should get on his good side!"
At that, the women present froze for a moment, then burst into discussion.
"What!"
"Xiaojing became a martial artist?"
"Xiaojing really became a martial artist!"
"Oh dear, Old Chen once came to borrow money from me, and I turned him down. He won't hold a grudge, will he...?"
"Exactly! Aunt Wang, didn't you say Xiaojing was wasting his time practicing martial arts? Now he's a martial artist. What if he comes to beat you up? Those martial artists kill without blinking..."
In an instant, the whole alley erupted in a babble of voices.
"This... He probably won't, right...?"
Listening to all the women chatter, Aunt Wang's face changed. Then she clenched her teeth, stamped her foot, and hurried off toward Chen Sanwu's house.
The other women hurried after her.
Before long, Chen Jing arrived at the mouth of the alley. From a distance, he saw a crowd of women gathered outside his home.
"Xiaojing's here!"
"Xiaojing, come on in!"
"Xiaojing's back from martial arts practice! I said it when he was two or three that he'd grow up to be somebody!"
"Old Chen, your son's back!"
The moment Chen Jing appeared, a chorus of chatter rose around him.
Listening to their jumble of voices, Chen Jing figured it out: somehow, his neighbors had learned that he'd become a First Blood Martial Artist.
"Xiaojing... No... Lord Jing, I was blind back then. I said the wrong thing. Please don't take it to heart!"
Aunt Wang hurried over to Chen Jing and begged him for forgiveness.
Hearing Aunt Wang change the way she addressed him from "Xiaojing" to "Lord Jing," Chen Jing was taken aback.
Then he could clearly feel the way his neighbors looked at him had changed, too.
The indifference and disdain of before had become wariness, fear, and even a faint dread.
An invisible divide had appeared between him and the people around him...
Seeing Chen Jing fall silent, Aunt Wang panicked. She hurriedly pleaded, "Lord Jing, I was wrong... Could you please spare me...?"
"Aunt Wang, I didn't take those words to heart."
Hearing her beg for forgiveness, Chen Jing waved a hand and said dismissively.
Truth be told, he'd long since forgotten what Aunt Wang had said back then.
After all, to Chen Jing, she was just a vaguely familiar stranger.
"Jing'er, come inside!"
Chen Sanwu hurried out of the house and waved Chen Jing over.
Seeing him, Chen Jing followed Chen Sanwu inside.
"Father, I've broken through. I'm a First Blood Martial Artist now!"
Chen Jing hurriedly told Chen Sanwu.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Hearing Chen Jing's answer, Chen Sanwu was so excited his hands trembled, and his face was lit up with an unstoppable smile.
"It's good that you broke through. I should've sent you to learn martial arts sooner!"
At the end, Chen Jing even saw a few tears slide from the corners of Chen Sanwu's eyes.
Then Chen Jing asked, "By the way, Father, why are all the neighbors gathered outside our house? How did they find out I'd broken through?"
Chen Sanwu explained, "It seems Aunt Li's son saw someone from your martial arts school deliver something to the County Government Office. That's how he found out you'd broken through."
Chen Jing nodded. "I see."
As Chen Jing and Chen Sanwu were talking, someone knocked at the door.
Chen Jing got up to answer it. Outside stood a tall man with a blue scarf tied around his arm.
Chen Jing showed no reaction on the surface, but secretly he had already set his blood and qi in motion.
If the man in front of him made even the slightest suspicious move, Chen Jing would throw a punch without hesitation!
"Are you Chen Jing, Brother Chen?"
Fang Cai hurriedly introduced himself. "I'm Fang Cai of the Blue Scarf Gang. I've come to invite you to work for our gang!"
Although Chen Jing had already decided he wouldn't join the Blue Scarf Gang, he still invited the man inside as a matter of courtesy and asked about the terms.
As soon as Fang Cai entered, he laid out the offer.
But the Blue Scarf Gang's benefits were clearly much worse than Senior Brother Zhuang's.
Never mind the lack of Exotic Beast Meat. They were only offering fifteen taels of silver, and they didn't even provide free meals every day.
Chen Jing wondered whether the chance to enjoy the Blue Scarf Gang's brothels for free, as Fang Cai had mentioned...
Would count as a benefit of the job?
Before you continue