Recruitment (Please Follow)

Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.

"You two talk. I'm leaving." Huang Sihai left after bringing him in.

He was only a Straw Sandal, not important enough for Huang Sihai to accompany. If he had been a Red Pole, Huang Sihai might have shown him some courtesy.

"I am. What does the boss want with me?" Li Xiuwen asked with a polite smile.

He often sparred with Longlegs Seven in the [Grand Illusion Realm], so he was intimately familiar with the bearing of a Second Gate expert.

This young girl was about the same age as Longlegs Seven, yet her presence surpassed his. Her talent was absolutely that of an exceptional person.

In most martial arts halls throughout the stronghold, someone like her would be among the best, a key disciple carefully groomed by their master.

At her age, becoming a Straw Sandal in Hesheng Tu was proof enough.

"Handsome, interested in joining Hesheng Tu?" Little Loudspeaker asked in a flippant tone.

"What would I do if I joined?" Li Xiuwen asked.

His cultivation expenses were far too high now, averaging one hundred and fifty a day.

The money remaining in Third Master's private stash was gradually running dry.

Of course, at lower realms, martial arts could still be cultivated through bitter training and slow grinding.

But after getting used to the good life, he did not want to downgrade his spending.

Little Loudspeaker smiled. "With your Purple Membrane cultivation at this age, you'd start at the bottom as a Four-Nine. A Zhen and Big Silly Qiang from your martial arts hall are both Four-Nines."

"How's the pay?"

"That depends on your performance that month. You get paid for guarding turf, selling discs, fighting, and the like... but there's a guaranteed minimum cut of five hundred every month."

Li Xiuwen fell silent. Five hundred was honestly beneath his notice now.

Gang work was not overly demanding, but it would still delay his cultivation to some extent.

Not to mention that it might bring powerful enemies down on him.

Five hundred was not worth it.

"I heard Liu Chun is a reserve Straw Sandal and earns one thousand a month," Li Xiuwen said.

"She's already at Black Membrane, and her natural endowment is better than yours. She'll most likely enter the Second Gate someday, so naturally she earns more," Little Loudspeaker said with a smile.

"If I reach Black Membrane, could I become a reserve Straw Sandal?" Li Xiuwen asked.

Little Loudspeaker shrugged. "I don't know. You'd have to ask Sister Buddha. I work under Sister Buddha.

"You've only been at Purple Membrane for two months, yet you already want to reach Black Membrane? Other than stuffing yourself with Fish Balls, there's no way.

"The society doesn't really like people who advance by taking Fish Balls. They'd rather you spend more time cultivating on your own."

"Why?" Li Xiuwen asked.

Little Loudspeaker shook her head. "Cultivation gained from Fish Balls is flimsy. Their qi and blood are unstable, and they're automatically a level weaker when fighting others. They're not useful."

I have the incense burner. Once certified, always certified. What flimsy cultivation could there be?

Li Xiuwen smiled. "Let me think it over a little longer."

Little Loudspeaker stared at Li Xiuwen and smiled. "Handsome, is that your polite way of refusing?"

"More or less. My time is precious. I don't want to be a Four-Nine."

"Your family isn't well-off, is it?" Little Loudspeaker asked, somewhat puzzled.

"My uncle-in-law owns a factory, after all. He can still support me for now," Li Xiuwen said.

"Miss this chance, and there won't be another. Think carefully," Little Loudspeaker said, leaning close to whisper in Li Xiuwen's ear.

"Thanks for the warning." Li Xiuwen took a step back with a smile.

Little Loudspeaker whistled. Several young Four-Nines at her side cleared the way as they strode off with their hands in their pockets.

Huang Sihai came out and asked, "You didn't agree?"

"They offered too little. It wasn't worth it," Li Xiuwen said.

"Looks like you've really struck it rich lately," Huang Sihai said with a smile.

"Not me. My uncle-in-law," Li Xiuwen said.

Inside Graffiti Tower,

Lion-Head Buddha sat on an electrified chair, allowing silver-white arcs of electricity to dance over her body.

Every strand of her afro stood upright, making her look like a golden lion.

Leaning against the wall, Little Loudspeaker said in frustration, "Sister Buddha, that Li Xiuwen actually turned me down."

"Oh?" Lion-Head Buddha seemed surprised. "Too little money?"

"From the look of it, he wants the same treatment as Liu Chun." Little Loudspeaker sounded helpless.

"Then forget it. He has a little talent and insight, so he's gotten full of himself. He doesn't understand that natural endowment is the foundation. Let him be," Lion-Head Buddha sighed.

"Exactly. Even with my exceptional talent, didn't I still work my way up from being a Four-Nine?" Little Loudspeaker pouted.

Inside a casino on Guangwang Street,

Gap-Toothed Za Jiu stood before the restroom sink, washing blood from his hands as the basin water turned crimson.

Several martial artists lay sprawled across the floor.

Some had their bellies split open, their intestines spilling out.

Some had their chests torn wide open, their hearts pulled out and dangling.

Others had been decapitated.

Za Jiu's underlings were talking among themselves.

"These little bastards didn't even check whose turf this casino was before causing trouble here."

"Who on Guangwang Street doesn't know the prestige of Master Jiu?"

"Could Hesheng Tu be testing us?"

After washing his hands, Za Jiu elegantly put on his suit jacket and tied his tie, saying nothing.

Only when one of his underlings ran over did he speak. "Master Jiu, there's some progress on Brother Ji's case."

Master Jiu raised a brow. "Let's hear it, Gap-Tooth."

The underling flashed his large gold-capped tooth and smiled.

"First, anyone who could silently take out Brother Ji and Third Master of the Thirteen Guardians had to be a martial artist, and not a weak one.

"Rotten-Life Ji and his men operated around Longjin Road and never left the area. They shouldn't have offended any experts from elsewhere.

"Of course, in the worst-case scenario, maybe they offended some wandering hero and got beaten to death.

"Then there's nothing we can do about it. But we still need to find someone to take the blame and give Brother Ming an explanation.

"So I investigated all the martial artists from Longjin Road who had achieved something over the years. Two people are suspicious.

"One is an old Second Gate expert. He left the stronghold long ago and became a Straw Sandal for an outside society. He's doing fairly well.

"I asked his neighbors. That man hasn't returned in over a decade and has cut off contact with this place.

"He's suspicious, but not very."

Za Jiu nodded. "What about the other one?"

The underling smiled and took out a copy of the Ming Pao. "Boss, look. There's a Li Xiuwen at Chen's Rice Noodle Factory who's also somewhat suspicious.

"This kid smuggled in from Prosperous State and went to rely on his uncle-in-law. He was timid and afraid of trouble, and no one had ever heard of him practicing martial arts before.

"I only learned from the Ming Pao that he'd actually been training at Four Seas Martial Arts Hall for several months.

"Not long ago, he even reached Purple Membrane. Tian Er from Night Heron Martial Arts Hall was no match for him.

"Think about it. This rice noodle factory was a major source of income for the Thirteen Guardians. That family of three must have been holding in a bellyful of resentment all these years.

"So Li Xiuwen had plenty of motive to kill the Thirteen Guardians... Master Jiu, just give the word, and I'll bring him in."

Za Jiu lit a cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and said, "No direct evidence?"

The underling gave an embarrassed smile. "No. I was just speculating. After all, it happened so long ago, and the dead can't testify."

Za Jiu said coldly, "No evidence, and you want to arrest a disciple of Four Seas Martial Arts Hall? That's disrespecting Master Huang. If you go arrest him, you're courting death!"

"Huh? With Thunder God Lo backing us, why should we fear Master Huang?" the underling asked.

Thunder God Lo was the leader of Thunder God Shed and held great status in the martial world.

Za Jiu sneered. "You really are stupid. Would Thunder God Lo offend Master Huang over a murderer without direct evidence?

"Master Huang reached the third grand arena years ago. Though he's a little old now, he might still pass the Third Gate and step into an entirely different realm."

The underling lowered his head and muttered, "He's still not as strong as Thunder God Lo. Thunder God Lo is at the age when his qi and blood are strongest, so he has a better chance of passing the Third Gate."

"He may not be, but don't forget that although Four Seas Martial Arts Hall keeps a low profile, its Three Elites are renowned far and wide. Can we afford to provoke people who can enter the Learning Society?" Za Jiu said.

The underling said helplessly, "Then what do we do? Just leave it alone?"

"We'll deal with it. Find an opportunity and investigate it properly first. We need a legitimate reason, understand?" Za Jiu said with a smile.

"Damn it, you little brats have followed Master Jiu for so long, yet you still rush into things without thinking. You need training!"

When you drift through the martial world, you're bound to get cut.

But if you're more cautious, you can take a few less cuts!