Noon.
Four Seas Martial Arts Hall, dining hall.
Li Xiuwen ordered a plate of beef, a roast goose leg, a plate of poached chicken, a bowl of rice, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a bowl of medicinal soup...
For the people at the bottom of the Enclave, a meal like this was a rare luxury even during the holidays.
"A Wen, eating that well? Where'd you strike it rich? Let me in on it!" A Zhen looked at the food on her own plate and lost her appetite.
"The Factory's been doing pretty well lately. My uncle-in-law's been giving me more," Li Xiuwen said with a smile.
He had already agreed on a story with his uncle-in-law some time ago. If anyone asked, they would say the Factory was doing better.
That would explain his increased spending.
Cultivating the Martial Way was thirty percent training and seventy percent eating. Cutting corners on food would only backfire.
A Zhen asked, "Do you still want to join Hesheng Tu? With the aptitude you've shown lately, I think I could ask Sister Buddha for you."
"Let me train a little more first. My martial constitution's poor. They wouldn't want me," Li Xiuwen politely declined.
It wasn't out of spite. Now that he had money, there was no need for the moment. Improving his strength came first.
With gangs, the treatment you received when you asked to join was a world apart from what you got when they invited you.
After lunch, Li Xiuwen went to the Study and found Huang Sihai.
"Master, I'd like to buy some fish balls."
"Again? Did everything I told you go in one ear and out the other?"
"I'm not eating them every day. Just one or two a week. I'll still rely mainly on my own training."
"That's still quite a lot... Oh, fine. As long as you know what you're doing. I've explained the pros and cons, so I've done my duty as your master... How many do you want?"
"Just two." Li Xiuwen didn't dare buy too many at once. It would draw too much attention, especially with the Thirteen Guardians incident still so recent.
Huang Sihai took out two, wrapped them in oiled paper, and handed them to Li Xiuwen. "Are you trying to make a push for the Second Floor?"
Li Xiuwen nodded. "I heard there's no monthly fee on the Second Floor. Getting in would save me quite a bit."
Huang Sihai sighed. "All right. But there are only two months left for the Second Floor selection. Liu Chun has already reached black membrane.
"I'll be frank, A Wen, so don't take offense... Your chances this year aren't good.
"Even if you eat fish balls every week, going from purple membrane to black membrane is harder than going from an ordinary person to purple membrane.
"I'm not trying to discourage you. I just want you to be prepared. The higher your hopes, the greater your disappointment."
Li Xiuwen smiled. "I know. Do what I can and leave the rest to fate... If I don't get in this year, there's always next year."
Ever Joy Street, Central District, Walled City.
The Enclave had suffered from rampant lawlessness in recent years. Only the Central District, home to Ever Joy Headquarters, could still be called relatively peaceful.
Five figures walked side by side down the street.
Huang Sihai led the way while Li Xiuwen and the others curiously surveyed the shops around them.
A Zhen said, "It's all the same Enclave, but Ever Joy Street is nothing like our Dragon-Tail Alley. Our area's full of dragon-chasing dukes."
Liu Chun smiled. "This is the Central District. Experts are everywhere here. Even someone who's passed the Flood-Dragon Muscle Gate wouldn't dare cause trouble."
Li Xiuwen asked, "Master, how much would a little house here cost?"
Huang Sihai smiled. "You want to live here? Demand far exceeds supply. Only core members of Ever Joy can buy homes in the heart of the Central District. Money alone won't do."
Big Silly Qiang sounded surprised. "Huh? These houses are much shabbier than the New Walled City Housing on the edge of the Enclave or those apartment buildings outside. And you still can't buy one?"
Huang Sihai sneered. "The people living in the Central District are all martial artists. They don't care how nice their surroundings are. They just want to be closer to the Learning Society and Mr. Ming. Understand?
"These aren't even the good ones. The truly good homes are over by the Learning Society. The Enclave's seen plenty of battles, big and small, over the years, but that place has always stood firm."
A Zhen asked curiously, "Just how strong is Mr. Ming, Master? So many experts flock to follow him."
Huang Sihai shook his head. "How would I know? Mr. Ming hasn't fought in ten years... And ten years ago, he was already the strongest man in the Enclave.
"With his extraordinary talent, he reached peak permanence long ago. His qi and blood never decline, and he only grows more formidable with age. That saying about old fighters fearing the young doesn't apply to him.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves. Forget everything else-if you can manage Crossing the Three Gates and achieve what the Three Heroes have, you'll already be among the finest people in the Enclave."
Homes at the Learning Society? Li Xiuwen murmured inwardly.
In this Enclave, safety was the most precious thing of all.
Li Xiuwen wanted his aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law to move into a home at the Learning Society too, where they could shelter beneath the great tree that was Mr. Ming.
"The Nine Dragons Grand Arena is just ahead."
Huang Sihai pointed at a sprawling cluster of red buildings in the middle of Ever Joy Street. They wound and coiled like a long dragon.
The Grand Arena wasn't a single fighting platform. Fighting platforms dotted the entire complex.
Some were in teahouses, some in bars, and others in restaurants and shops.
In short, every inch of space had been put to the most profitable use.
"The first arena is at the Thread of Sky Teahouse. Let's go." Huang Sihai's gaze grew distant as memories welled up in his heart.
With his hands behind his back, he looked up at the sky and said in an even voice, "That year, I was seventeen and had reached great mastery of black membrane. I fought my way through nine platforms in a row at the Thread of Sky. A guest's cup of tea below the platform was still warm."
"Master, you're amazing!" Li Xiuwen gave him a thumbs-up.
Now that was a boast worth drinking to!
Thread of Sky Teahouse.
The buildings on either side crowded so close together that, looking up, one could see only a "thread of sky"-hence the name.
The master and his four disciples sat down. Huang Sihai grandly ordered a pot of tea, declaring over and over that it was his treat, only to take his sweet time reaching for his wallet.
Li Xiuwen was quicker. He paid first, then poured Huang Sihai a cup of tea.
That raised Li Xiuwen in Huang Sihai's estimation. Blowing on his tea, he coughed and said, "A Wen, watch the others fight first. Ask me if there's anything you don't understand."
"Sure, Master." Li Xiuwen stood to one side and looked toward the platform.
Watching this, Liu Chun laughed inwardly. No talent, just scheming. His devotion to the Martial Way isn't pure. He'll never amount to much.
On the platform, a dark, skinny man was fighting a pale, fat man.
Huang Sihai said, "The skinny one practices the Black Tiger style. It also specializes in hard, fierce attacks.
"The fat one practices the White Crane style. If you can beat a White Crane practitioner at your own level, the Night Heron style won't be a problem either.
"Come watch fights at the Grand Arena whenever you have time. Watch closely and remember what you see! Get a rough idea of how these styles work, and you'll know how to handle them when you encounter them later.
"Just watch. The fat one's going to win this bout."
A little later, the fat man used a White Crane Sends Off Its Son to send the skinny man off the platform. Thunderous applause immediately erupted from the crowd below.
"Master, you're amazing!"
"Incredible!"
His disciples began singing his praises.
Huang Sihai.
He truly was an expert. He only needed to see a few moves to predict who would win.
The next several matches went the same way.
Old Huang loved money, but he had real skill.
Li Xiuwen asked, "Master, if your predictions are so accurate, why didn't you place a bet just now?"
Huang Sihai sneered. "At a New Blood Grand Arena like this, anyone with a little grounding can tell who'll win. Betting won't earn you much. It wouldn't even cover the handling fee.
"To make money, you need an upset. But on a platform in this first arena, that's practically impossible-unless someone deliberately hides their cultivation level and martial arts.
"Not just anyone can step onto a platform where people bet on the fights. Everyone who does is registered, with a known background.
"If you want to fight, you have to report your martial arts and style first. No hiding anything. Otherwise, you're breaking the rules of the trade, and the man in charge of this first arena will come looking for you."
Before you continue