Waiting for the Highest Bid

Zou Feng had been able to wait outside the yamen and accurately catch him the moment he came out. This person definitely came from some well-connected force in Yuan Guang County.

Although Zou Feng had long been prepared for certain forces to try recruiting him, he was still rather surprised that they had come so quickly.

"That would be me," Zou Feng answered.

"Young Master Zou, this humble one is a clerk from the Vermilion Heart Alliance. Our Elder Zhu Qiming wishes to invite you to a banquet at White Crane Tower tonight."

As he spoke, the man presented an invitation with both hands.

Zou Feng accepted it and said, "Much obliged!"

But he did not immediately promise that he would go.

Clearly, the other man did not need to wait for his answer. After clasping his fists once more, he hurried away.

"What, not interested in joining the Vermilion Heart Alliance?" Zhao Tianhu could not help reminding him. "The Vermilion Heart Alliance is actually pretty good. Among Yuan Guang County's three gangs, its overall strength sits firmly at the top."

"Still, they do seem a little lacking in sincerity..."

Zhao Tianhu's reasoning was simple. If the Vermilion Heart Alliance had truly been sincere, they would not have sent only a young clerk to deliver an invitation.

It was understandable that Elder Zhu, with his lofty status, had not come in person.

But he should at least have sent one of his own disciples. That would have been more appropriate.

Zou Feng said unconcernedly, "It's not that I'm completely uninterested, but I should at least see whether there are other options, shouldn't I?"

"True enough. Put yourself up for sale and wait for the highest bidder!"

"Brother Hu, listen to yourself. It's not like I came out here to sell myself..."

"Not necessarily. Martial arts are an art too—we're all performers selling our craft!" Zhao Tianhu laughed heartily.

Afterward, as they had agreed earlier, the two headed straight for Jade-Cross Tower.

With the silver Zou Feng had on him now, as well as his status as a ranked martial artist, he could have gone to a more upscale pleasure house.

But there was no need. It was not as though he truly wanted to do anything.

Besides, Jade-Cross Tower's cook was exceptionally skilled, several notches better than even his master, Luo Yong...

And drinking and making merry with Zhao Tianhu was not entirely for celebration, either.

Zou Feng took the opportunity to learn more about the situation in Yuan Guang County from Zhao Tianhu, an old hand in the martial world.

Before, he had merely been a family slave and had not yet entered the ranks. It had not been convenient for him to ask too deeply about many matters in advance.

Now, no matter how deeply he asked, it was only reasonable.

Especially the matter from over a month ago: after Yang Yanpeng had been killed by him and properly disposed of, the authorities had still managed to find his remains with astonishing speed.

He very much wanted to find out exactly how the authorities investigated cases.

After all, he would definitely commit similar crimes in the future.

By then, Zhao Tianhu was already slightly drunk. Hearing the question, he burped. "Why were the remains found so quickly?"

"When you handled the procedure to remove your registered status just now, that clerk burned your contract of sale, right?"

"That was a specially made blood contract. So long as the person involved pressed a bloody fingerprint onto it, the authorities naturally had methods of tracking them. As for what method they use exactly, I have no idea..."

Only then did Zou Feng understand.

He felt immensely fortunate that he had not rashly chosen to run away before.

"Also, the yamen keeps a spirit beast whose sense of smell is outrageously sharp. They say that even if only bones remain, it can compare the scent of the person's clothing from before their death and determine whether it is truly them."

Zou Feng nodded and asked no more about such matters.

An outrageously sharp sense of smell?

Then what would happen if it smelled poisonous fumes?

As they drank and chatted, invitations were delivered one after another outside their door. Some lobbyists even entered the room directly to state their purpose.

There were families even more extravagantly wealthy than the Yang Family, seeking to hire Zou Feng as a guard.

There were messages from martial hall masters, promising that if Zou Feng joined them, they would accept him as a disciple.

There was also an invitation from the Mountains and Rivers Society, which clearly intended to recruit him as well.

By now, two of Yuan Guang County's three gangs—the Vermilion Heart Alliance and the Mountains and Rivers Society—had sent invitations.

Only the Black Flood Dragon Gang had yet to make an appearance.

But what surprised Zou Feng most was that he had actually received an offer from Heartfelt Martial Hall.

Zhuang Sixuan had someone deliver a letter.

Its contents were simple: Come to Heartfelt Martial Hall. I'll teach you!

Zou Feng scoffed at that.

You don't even practice evil arts. What can you teach me?

Teaching him some other skills would be fine... but the problem was that Heartfelt Martial Hall was absolutely somewhere he could not go.

There were quite a few eighth-rank experts in Heartfelt Martial Hall, and its master was a seventh-rank heavyweight. As someone practicing evil arts, was he so full that he had nothing better to do than raise the difficulty of his own passage?

It was worth mentioning that Heartfelt Martial Hall had originally been Yuan Guang County's strongest force aside from the authorities.

Although Yuan Guang County actually had more than just the Heartfelt Hall Master as a seventh-rank martial artist, that man was still publicly recognized as Yuan Guang County's number one expert.

Just as Zou Feng was thinking that more or less every force interested in recruiting him should have appeared by now, another knock came from outside.

"Come in!"

The first person to enter after pushing open the door was Jade-Cross Tower's madam.

Naturally, she recognized Zou Feng. She simply had never imagined that the impoverished lad who had always chosen the cheapest "girl" whenever he came by had now become a ranked martial artist...

Had I known, I should have gone into battle myself back then!

For free!

While silently regretting it, she respectfully stepped aside and said ingratiatingly, "Master Zou, pardon the interruption. This is Fragrance Master Wang from the Black Flood Dragon Gang!"

Ah, a Fragrance Master had come in person?

Zhao Tianhu immediately rose to his feet without thinking.

He did not dare continue sitting there drinking as if nothing had happened while a Black Flood Dragon Gang Fragrance Master was present.

Zou Feng, meanwhile, raised his eyes for a look.

In truth, when the madam had introduced him as Fragrance Master Wang, Zou Feng had already felt that he would most likely be meeting an "acquaintance."

Sure enough, it was Wang Xingjian, Fragrance Master Wang—the sallow, skinny man he had once met in the Ghost Market.

The man had a keen eye. Back then, he had surely seen that Zou Feng was not someone to provoke, so he had promptly stepped in to discipline his subordinate and lowered his stance to apologize.

However, Zou Feng had worn a veiled bamboo hat at the time and had deliberately released poisonous fragrance. Wang Xingjian should not be able to recognize him now.

"Fragrance Master Wang!"

Zou Feng rose and returned the greeting.

With a smile on his face, Wang Xingjian first examined Zou Feng for a few moments before praising him. "Brother Zou, you truly are a fine-looking talent!"

"Would you be willing to speak with me alone, Brother?"

"Of course. You are too courteous, Fragrance Master Wang..."

Without needing to be told, Zhao Tianhu had already taken the initiative to leave the room. The girl assigned to pour their drinks and the madam immediately followed.

As for the subordinates accompanying Wang Xingjian, they had not entered from the very beginning.

There was no need to talk, really. Just from the other party's attitude, Zou Feng knew he had definitely come to recruit him.

And this was undoubtedly the most sincere offer he had received so far.

Both were ranked martial artists—one was wild-grown and freshly minted, while the other was a Black Flood Dragon Gang Fragrance Master. At least on the surface, the difference between them was anything but small.

To be fair, Zou Feng had formed a favorable impression of Wang Xingjian during their previous meeting.

But it was not because of the way the man had lowered his stance to handle the matter. Just one look at him was enough to tell Zou Feng...

This fellow was ninety-nine percent likely to be practicing evil arts too!