Arrangements

"Impressive! Impressive! Junior Brother Chen really is no ordinary man."

Zhang Youde showed no frustration at losing. Instead, he praised Chen Yiming.

"I got lucky! I only had the advantage in swordsmanship. Once you complete your Third Body Metamorphosis, Senior Brother, and I'm still at the Second Body Metamorphosis, I definitely won't be a match for you."

Chen Yiming answered modestly. Winning against Zhang Youde had not gone to his head.

The less trouble, the better. He just wanted to brush this off and leave. They barely knew each other.

Zhang Youde realized Chen Yiming was looking for another excuse to slip away, so he hurried to explain the real purpose of his visit:

"Have you heard of the Mutual Aid Association, Junior Brother?"

"The Mutual Aid Association?"

"You haven't been in the martial arts world long, Junior Brother, so you don't know how things work. The top tier of East Lake City's martial arts world is controlled by factions backed by martial artists. The middle and lower tiers are monopolized by major families and corporations. These factions tacitly work together to keep outsiders out. Without connections, you'll struggle to find suitable work or buy the resources you need for cultivation."

"The Mutual Aid Association is an organization founded by descendants of small and midsize Martial Arts Families in the eastern part of the city."

"You want me to join?"

Chen Yiming tested the waters with a question.

By now, he had a vague idea of Zhang Youde's true purpose.

"Exactly. You can't make your way in martial arts entirely on your own. You'd waste too much time on trivial matters, slow your cultivation, and miss your prime years for training."

"You're probably a case of hidden talent overlooked. No one discovered your gift when you were fourteen or fifteen, the age most people begin learning martial arts. You wasted years studying at school, then soared once you joined the martial arts school."

"And the First Body Metamorphosis is only the beginning. The further you go, the less talent alone will suffice. You'll need the right cultivation resources too."

Zhang Youde took his time, laying everything out step by step.

Hidden talent overlooked? So that's how everyone sees me.

Chen Yiming felt a weight lift from his chest.

No matter how he tried to hide it, the original owner's terrible aptitude for martial arts was a fact he could not change.

He could not travel back to when the original owner had first encountered martial arts and use the Martial Arts Talent System to boost his talent from the start.

"With the talent you've shown, Junior Brother Chen, the Mutual Aid Association would make sure you received the best resources. You could focus on cultivation without a worry. We can support you all the way through the stages below the Sixth Body Metamorphosis."

Zhang Youde confidently offered a benefit he expected Chen Yiming would find hard to refuse.

Cultivation resources did not appeal to Chen Yiming much. With his special ability, he hardly needed them. Still, he pretended to be interested.

"What restrictions would joining the Mutual Aid Association place on me? I'd like to understand them first."

Chen Yiming was cautious. No matter how generous the benefits, he would not consider joining if there were too many restrictions.

"Mutual aid means helping each other. That's the organization's purpose, so we don't bind members with a long list of rules. You only need to let the organization use your name. In effect, you'd be affiliated with us. When we need members to help, we post tasks, and the organization pays generous rewards for completing them."

Zhang Youde made no attempt to hide the terms.

"You want to use my name to conduct business?"

Chen Yiming immediately understood what lay at the heart of the organization.

The Mutual Aid Association was a group of second-generation martial arts heirs recruiting commoners in the Apprentice Realm, then using their names to gain a foothold in East Lake City's various industries.

"Take your time to think it over at home, Junior Brother. You can give me an answer in a few days."

Having accomplished what he came for, Zhang Youde said no more and soon left.

After Zhang Youde disappeared from view, Chen Yiming gave it little thought. He got back on his bicycle and rode the short distance home.

"Son, are you hurt? Why were you fighting someone right outside our home?"

Chen Yiming had barely stepped inside and had not even had a drink of water when his mother rushed over to ask what had happened.

His father and Chen Yingying followed behind her, their faces full of worry.

"Mom, it's nothing. Don't worry. He's a senior brother from my martial arts school. He came to see me about something."

Chen Yiming did not want his family to worry too much, so he told them only part of what had happened.

"You call that nothing? You two were fighting."

His mother clearly was not convinced and waited for him to explain further.

"She's right. If something's wrong, don't hide it from us. We'll face it together as a family. If worse comes to worst, we can move."

His father spoke up too, trying to steady the family.

"Are you hurt, Brother?" Chen Yingying asked softly.

She did not care what had happened. She only hoped her brother was unhurt.

"Wait, wait. That was just my senior brother testing my strength. He wants to invite me to join an organization."

Seeing that he could not brush them off, Chen Yiming told them a little more.

"A test?"

"Right. Think of it as finding a part-time job."

Chen Yiming tried to explain it in terms they would understand.

"That's a relief. We were worried you'd made an enemy out there and they'd come looking for you."

His mother voiced what the three of them had feared.

Things were unsettled these days. They could not help worrying about Chen Yiming's safety.

"By the way, Mom, Dad, I've reached the First Body Metamorphosis. I can earn money with my martial arts skills now. Dad, when you have time, could you ask around about apartments in the city center and see what they cost? If buying one isn't possible, we could rent one for now."

Chen Yiming did not want to discuss the organization any further, so he brought up his plan to move.

"What does the First Body Metamorphosis mean?"

His mother knew nothing about it and waited for him to explain.

"It's the first stage of the Apprentice Realm, the first realm of martial arts. The details wouldn't mean much to you. What matters is that we move to an apartment in the city center as soon as possible. This neighborhood isn't safe."

Chen Yiming gave them a brief explanation of the basics.

"All right. I'll go ask around tomorrow."

His father knew his son understood this world better than they did and agreed to take care of it as quickly as he could.

His mother suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly:

"I'll go with you tomorrow. A younger relative on my side of the family works at a real estate agency. We can ask her directly."

Chen Yiming's parents then left him to discuss their plans for the next day.

With nothing more to say, Chen Yingying went into the kitchen. Using a damp towel, she carried out the pot of Black Boar Meat that had been simmering over a low flame.

His mother had added soup seasonings to the Black Boar Meat and simmered it in a clay pot for over an hour.

"Smells amazing!"

The aroma rising from the clay pot made Chen Yiming's stomach growl.

He would normally have eaten by now. Zhang Youde had held him up for nearly half an hour, and he was starving.