Business

Skinny Monkey answered and withdrew, his steps light. Before long, he returned.

Someone followed behind him.

The newcomer was tall and slender, crossing the courtyard with calm, unhurried steps as he headed toward Jiang Chong.

It was Chen You.

The current Chen You was no longer the poor young fisherman who had once struggled to make a living on the Dragon King River.

He wore an indigo martial arts academy uniform, neat and sharp from head to toe.

Jiang Chong sat on a stone stool, one brow lifting slightly as he looked Chen You over.

He had seen all sorts of people.

From every walk of life to every kind of Jianghu drifter, he could get a rough read on someone with a single glance.

This young man... there was a vicious edge in his eyes, deeply buried.

"You're a disciple of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy. Instead of looking for the Black Tiger Gang in Eight Treasures Ward, you came to Four Waters Ward to find the Dragon King Gang?"

Jiang Chong curled his lips and gave a derisive snort, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"Kid, you've got some nerve!"

Faced with the hidden threat in Hall Master Jiang's words,

from beginning to end,

Chen You remained utterly fearless, his expression calm.

He stood only seven or eight paces from Jiang Chong, his gaze steady, with even a faint smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

"Hall Master Jiang, you jest."

"Who doesn't know by now that the Black Tiger Gang is no longer a match for your gang? With Gang Leader Qiu around, I'm afraid it'll only be a few more days before the Black Tiger Gang disappears from the Outer City."

Jiang Chong's eyes flickered, but he neither confirmed nor denied it. He picked up the teacup on the stone table and took a light sip, his expression giving nothing away.

Seeing this, Chen You continued, the smile on his face deepening.

"Since it's business, does it matter who I do business with? Naturally, I should choose the strongest. What do you think, Hall Master Jiang?"

Jiang Chong let out a cold laugh and set the teacup back on the stone table.

His gaze was sharp as a blade as he stared straight at Chen You.

"What business do you want?"

"Take care of someone for me."

"What's his background?"

Jiang Chong asked casually, though his eyes were serious.

"Hall Master Jiang needn't worry."

Chen You waved a hand, his tone casual.

"He's just a nobody living in your Mud Bay Alley. His name is Fang Han. As for the payment... twenty taels of silver. How about it?"

Twenty taels of silver for Fang Han's life.

A strange glint flashed through Jiang Chong's eyes, though his face remained impassive.

A poor kid living in Mud Bay Alley was worth twenty taels of silver?

Yet Jiang Chong's expression suddenly changed.

He slapped the stone table hard, then turned to Skinny Monkey beside him and scolded him with a grin.

"You fucking idiot, don't you know the rules? An honored guest comes to visit, and you don't even bring him a chair? You're just going to make him stand there talking?"

Skinny Monkey froze at first, then quickly caught on.

He nodded and bowed repeatedly, answering with a broad smile. He immediately turned and brought over a wooden chair, placing it attentively beside Chen You before rubbing the seat back and forth twice with his sleeve.

"Honored guest, please sit. Please sit."

Chen You watched the scene, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he gave a cold laugh. He did not sit.

He reached into his robe, took out a ten-tael silver ingot, and casually tossed it to Skinny Monkey.

"Within three days, I want to see results."

After saying that, Chen You turned and strode through the courtyard, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

With the name of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy behind him,

Chen You was not worried that Jiang Chong would go back on his word, trick him, and swallow the ten-tael deposit.

Chen You's figure vanished beyond the courtyard gate, and the courtyard fell quiet again.

Jiang Chong reached out, took the ingot from Skinny Monkey's hand, and weighed it in his palm.

He narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, somewhat puzzled.

As a disciple of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy, why had Chen You not dealt with Fang Han himself?

Why had he gone out of his way to find the Dragon King Gang for this business?

But on second thought, none of that mattered.

Taking care of a mud-legged nobody with no background or status would earn him twenty taels of silver for nothing.

He could also make connections with a disciple of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy. No matter how he calculated it, this deal was a profit.

Jiang Chong picked up his teacup, casually tossed the ten taels back to Skinny Monkey, and said lightly, "I'll leave this matter to you."

Skinny Monkey caught the silver with both hands, his face breaking into a broad grin as he repeatedly bowed and flattered him.

"Hall Master, you're so generous! Rest assured, Hall Master, leave this little matter to me. I guarantee it'll be handled perfectly!"

Ten taels of silver was simply money falling from the sky for Skinny Monkey.

Jiang Chong waved a hand indifferently.

Of the twenty taels, it was enough for him to keep the remaining ten.

After all, he would not even need to do it himself. It was like ten taels of silver being delivered to his doorstep while he sat at home.

The silver was not much, but he could use it to buy his subordinates' loyalty as well. It was the best of both worlds.

Skinny Monkey carefully tucked away the silver and bowed as he withdrew.

Jiang Chong leaned back against his chair again and closed his eyes to rest.

Elsewhere.

When Fang Han arrived at the Outer Court of Flood Peak Martial Arts Academy, the training ground was already buzzing with voices.

All the apprentices had gathered in the center of the training ground, forming a large semicircle as their gazes focused ahead.

The Ten-Day Minor Examination had already begun.

Fang Han quietly slipped into the crowd without drawing the attention of the other apprentices.

Everyone's attention was on Zheng Hongfeng, the academy master standing at the front of the crowd.

And on the graceful, beautiful young woman standing beside him.

Zheng Hongfeng wore a dark gray robe today, cinched at the waist with a broad belt and paired with cloth boots. He stood there with an imposing air even without displaying anger.

Fang Han calmly swept his gaze over the surroundings.

He found that quite a few apprentices were rubbing their fists and itching for action.

Their eyes were full of confidence, as though they were certain of doing well in today's Minor Exam and were ready to challenge the rankings.

Many stared straight ahead, their eyes burning with excitement.

Fang Han pricked up his ears and listened to the hushed conversations around him. Only then did he realize something.

The young woman standing beside the academy master was Zheng Yuanming, the academy master's daughter.

"Senior Sister Zheng is one of the Inner Court's true disciples!"

"Her talent is terrifying. Her martial cultivation has already reached Manifest Force Initiation!"

"Really? She's already at Manifest Force Initiation?!"

"Of course it's true! And do you know how old Senior Sister Zheng is this year?

Eighteen! Manifest Force Initiation at eighteen—throughout the entire Outer City, people like her are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!"

Hearing this, Fang Han could not help taking a few more looks at the young woman ahead.

Zheng Yuanming wore a moon-white martial outfit, with a pale green silk sash tied around her waist. Her long black hair was simply pinned behind her head with a jade hairpin, while a few loose strands fell beside her ears, making her profile appear all the more clear and refined.

Her features were exquisite, her brows like distant mountains and her eyes like autumn waters. Her nose was elegant and straight, while her lips naturally carried a faint blush.

Eighteen years old, Manifest Force Initiation!

Fang Han truly admired her.

He himself did not even count as a proper Martial Artist yet.

Yet she had already crossed the threshold of the Body Tempering Third Layer and entered the realm of Manifest Force.

Still, Fang Han did not feel much envy.

Zheng Yuanming was the academy master's daughter. Since childhood, she had received the guidance of famous teachers and the aid of medicinal pills.

She was not someone a poor kid from Mud Bay Alley like him could compare to.

Zheng Hongfeng raised one hand, and the clamor on the training ground gradually subsided.

"The rules for the Ten-Day Minor Examination remain the same."

Zheng Hongfeng's voice rang out like a bell, echoing across the training ground.