We Have Another Secret

To be honest, Zhou Ye had only asked casually. But when he heard Gao Xiaoyi say that, his jaw nearly hit the floor. There really was one?

"Brother Ye, Big Gold and the others formed a Hao-Yi Brotherhood. Aren't Black Six and those hooligans always bullying us? And behind those hooligans is the Flower Snake Gang, so we have to band together and fight back. They've actually already sworn brotherhood as men of different surnames. Big Gold is the eldest brother of the Hao-Yi Brotherhood."

"Uh? Can resisting really work?"

"It can! Big Gold came up with an idea—everyone pools their money and sends him to a martial hall to train first. Once Big Gold has mastered martial arts, we'll pool money to send the next person to the martial hall. In the end, everyone can become martial masters."

"No. Is becoming a martial master really that easy?"

"Isn't it? I heard Black Six was eliminated by a martial hall. Doesn't he still run rampant and throw his weight around?"

At that, Zhou Ye immediately understood. In the eyes of ordinary folk, even martial artists who had been eliminated were still martial masters. Some might not even have reached Force Entry, but having learned a few half-baked techniques, they were still far stronger than ordinary people. With a little bragging, they too could call themselves martial masters.

"Brother Ye, there's another secret. You absolutely, absolutely mustn't tell anyone outside."

"Oh, okay." He had not expected there to be more.

"Big Gold is actually already a martial master!"

"Huh?"

Zhou Ye was not particularly surprised that Big Gold had reached Force Entry. But as for what they were doing, he did not even know where to begin mocking it.

Are kings and nobles born to their stations? Faced with oppression, the common people of this other world still knew how to resist.

"Xiaoyi, you know so much. Could it be that you're also...?"

"No, no." Gao Xiaoyi's face reddened as he waved his hands repeatedly. "Big Gold and the others did ask me. But I only put in a little money, and then my dad gave me a beating. So I didn't agree."

"No way? Your dad couldn't bear to part with that little money?"

"That wasn't it. My dad said Big Gold and the others wouldn't come to a good end. My mom even held me and cried all night. She said our Old Gao family only has me left as its lone seedling. Brother Ye, you won't laugh at me, will you?"

"Of course not." Zhou Ye hurriedly denied it. So the guy in front of him was a mama's boy.

Still, Old Gao's reasoning made sense. Setting everything else aside, regardless of whether this spirit of resistance was right or wrong, shouldn't they at least keep it secret? Even he had heard about it. The Flower Snake Gang would find out sooner or later, wouldn't they?

The only thing worth applauding was Big Gold's idea—crowdfunding martial arts training? The guy was a damned talent.

"Right, Brother Ye. They mentioned you too. They wanted to bring you into the Brotherhood."

"Huh?"

"But it was rejected afterward. You're always going into the mountains and often aren't home. When the time came, they wouldn't even be able to find you."

"Uh..." Zhou Ye was speechless. He quickly changed the subject. "Xiaoyi, your family's circumstances are actually pretty decent. Why doesn't your dad send you to a martial hall?"

"My dad said learning martial arts means fighting others, and people can easily end up dead or injured. So he won't let me learn. He'd rather have me slaughter pigs and sell meat with him in the future. It was only after this incident that he taught me a little—those stance exercises and such. Oh, right! My dad told me never to tell anyone."

Zhou Ye: "..."

Fine! So in your eyes, I'm not a person! You really are a damned blabbermouth!

Still, it was clear that Old Gao and his wife doted on their son. They were the sort of timid, trouble-avoiding ordinary people who hoped their son could safely muddle through life. Gao Xiaoyi listened to his parents as well and was a filial child. He had even already regarded Zhou Ye as a friend, which was why he had revealed so many secrets.

As for Old Gao teaching his son martial arts? A butcher with his own meat shop, in this chaotic world where martial arts reigned supreme, would surely know a few rough fighting moves if he wanted to protect his property. He had been unwilling to teach Gao Xiaoyi before, but after being rattled by this incident, he had begun having his son train in martial arts?

After returning home, Zhou Ye still found it rather amusing. Young men dared to dream and act, but perhaps they were also fearless because they knew nothing.

After all, no matter how small a gang was, it would have martial artists or martial masters holding the fort. Like the Flower Snake Gang—he seemed to have heard Big Dog mention it before, and Big Dog's tone had carried some wariness. The Flower Snake Gang's leader was actually a martial artist at late Force Entry.

Even Big Dog was unwilling to casually offend veteran Force Entry martial artists like that. They were not people whom fresh Force Entry rookies could hope to challenge.

There was just one strange thing. Black Six, supposedly a Force Entry martial artist... why did he look like an ordinary person?

After thinking it over, Zhou Ye roughly guessed the reason—perhaps it was not that complicated. Black Six was simply an ordinary person!

One had to brag one's way into a reputation in the martial world. As long as one was a little stronger and a little more ruthless, it was enough to frighten ordinary folk! Thus, Force Entry martial artists were a mixed bag of dragons and snakes. Many had not cultivated qi and blood at all; they were merely bragging about themselves.

He would not bother with that for now. First, he needed to replenish his nutrition.

He cleaned the three pig trotters, added soaked soybeans, and began simmering them over low heat.

He cleaned the pig liver and kidneys as well, sliced them, and marinated them with seasonings and starch. Then he chopped up two peppers and made a stir-fry of liver and kidney.

At dinner, Zhou Ye ate two large bowls of white rice alongside that one dish and one soup.

Unexpectedly, after formally training in martial arts, his appetite had increased again. He would have to start consuming large amounts of nutrition once more...

The next morning, when Zhou Ye arrived at the Wind-Thunder Martial Hall again and was preparing to begin training, several people suddenly came over.

Zhou Ye recognized the one leading them. His name was Xu Feng. His family ran a restaurant in the outer city, making him one of the older students at the martial hall with relatively good family circumstances. He was not from Zhou Ye's batch, but from several earlier batches.

Xu Feng wore a stern expression and immediately accused him, "Zhou Ye, if you don't want to train properly, then don't affect the rest of us. You won't be welcome here from now on."

"Hm?" Zhou Ye was utterly baffled. Who are you? Do I know you? Did your family open this martial hall?

The training ground was so large—how could he possibly affect anyone? Could they have... mistaken him for someone else?

That was understandable, though. After all, Zhou Ye's soul was that of an adult, and sometimes he simply could not understand the thought process of chuunibyou teenagers.

Unexpectedly, someone behind Xu Feng also spoke up in accusation. "Weren't you slacking off yesterday? You're a rat dropping that ruins the whole pot of soup. How is that not affecting us? Brother Feng is doing this for your own good, so that you won't disgrace your family's tuition money. If you still won't train seriously, you might as well get the hell out now!"

Zhou Ye: ((゜ロ゜;)

He recognized this person too. His name was Cheng Jianghe. Zhou Ye had a good memory; after everyone introduced themselves yesterday, he had already more or less remembered them all.

But what did they want? Was there even a class monitor here? Whether he trained or not was none of their damned business.

Zhou Ye rolled his eyes inwardly. He did not want any conflict, so he moved elsewhere and continued practicing the Small Wind-Thunder Stance.

Seeing that Zhou Ye did not pay them any attention at all, Xu Feng and the others found it boring. After tossing out a few mocking remarks, they too began training...