Dark Eight Gates

A tavern in the south of the city, a private room on the third floor.

Li Rui sat upright in a wooden chair, glancing around the room.

This was yellow rosewood, fine stuff shipped all the way from Cliff Prefecture, ten thousand li away. He had only ever seen it in Master Zhu of the Zhu Family's room. The furniture set before him was worth a full thousand taels.

"I'd long heard that Wine Fragrance Pavilion had someone formidable backing it. So this is Piao-Ba Zi Wu's territory."

Across from him sat a burly man with a face full of stubble and a vicious, menacing look.

This man was Wu Tu, the Piao-Ba Zi of the Rong Branch, one of Qinghe Dark Eight Gates.

Tu meant slaughter, a baleful character. Respectable people did not use such a character in their names.

He had heard that Wu Tu had changed his name later on. It had not been this before.

"Elder Brother is a forthright man. My subordinate didn't know his place and deserved a lesson."

Wu Tu burst into hearty laughter, his voice echoing around the room several times over.

Ding Liang, standing to one side, had eyes swollen like bronze bells. He looked on the verge of tears.

This old man had no martial ethics!

He had wanted to explain sooner, but Li Rui had not given him the chance.

Wu Tu said, "Rest assured, Elder Brother, everyone here is one of our own. I only wonder how Elder Brother, after serving as a groom for the Zhu Family all these years, learned such fine martial skills."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly.

Wu Tu had secretly investigated his identity!

Wu Tu looked careless and boorish, but his mind was anything but simple.

Li Rui sighed inwardly.

The Rong Branch had long had more than a hundred men in Clear River, and he himself had lived in Clear River for decades. Too many people knew of him; it would not have been difficult for them to find him.

"Does Piao-Ba Zi Wu have some business with this old man?"

Li Rui was not overly alarmed.

Though Wu Tu's name carried weight, he was merely a Ninth Rank Stonehide Realm martial artist. Li Rui did not fear him.

Wu Tu said, "What meaning is there in being a groom for the Zhu Family, Elder Brother? Why not join us and accomplish great things together?"

Li Rui understood at once.

Wu Tu wanted to recruit him.

That made sense.

His martial skills were not uncommon in Clear River, but neither were they plentiful. Those who also understood the rules of the martial world were rarer still.

Those who worked the crooked trades were not great martial sects. They never concerned themselves with potential; whoever arrived was put to use. He truly was a suitable fit.

The Dark Eight Gates were "Bee, Hemp, Swallow, Sparrow; Heng, Lan, Ge, Rong." The Hemp, Lan, and Ge branches had no organization, while the other five all had their so-called Piao-Ba Zi—their leaders.

Each of those leaders had their own abilities. In Qinghe City, they were all figures capable of stirring up storms.

Anyone roaming the martial world, unless they had something wrong with their head—

Otherwise, the more friends, the better. The Dark Eight Gates were no exception. Everyone understood the strength in numbers.

"Ba-Tou Wu, this old man already has one foot in the grave. I cannot be put to use."

Li Rui shook his head.

Wu Tu looked somewhat regretful. "Elder Brother truly will not reconsider?"

Li Rui refused again. "At my age, Ba-Tou Wu should seek someone more capable."

He needed money, but he would not earn just any money.

At the very least, the Dark Eight Gates' money was not something he could touch lightly. Otherwise, he might earn it with his life, only to have no life left to spend it.

Seeing Li Rui's resolute attitude, Wu Tu did not press him further.

As he had said, Li Rui had some ability, but he was too old. Wu Tu had only been trying his luck. It did not matter if he refused to join.

"If Elder Brother ever changes his mind, the Rong Branch's doors will always be open to you."

Wu Tu was indeed a forthright man.

He did not force Li Rui. After drinking a cup of tea, he left with Ding Liang.

Li Rui sat alone in the private room.

Only after Wu Tu and Ding Liang had completely departed did he go downstairs.

"Big Brother, are we really letting that old bastard leave?"

Ding Liang asked with his pig face.

Every so often, he looked back at Wine Fragrance Pavilion behind them. That old man had set him up twice. It would be a lie to say he was not angry.

"Since he refuses to show us respect, why don't we—"

A vicious glint flashed through Ding Liang's eyes.

In the eyes of those from the underworld, there were only two kinds of people in this world: friends and enemies. There was nothing else.

With friends, they drank wine from great bowls and ate meat in great mouthfuls.

Enemies...

Since that old man was unwilling to join the Rong Faction, he was an enemy. Moreover, they had already investigated thoroughly: Li Rui was not from the Ge Branch at all, merely an old groom, easy to handle.

Wu Tu cast Ding Liang a glance.

"Put away those petty thoughts of yours. They only make you look foolish."

"You think you can fight well? Can you beat an Entering Rank martial artist?"

Ding Liang was startled. "That old man is an Entering Rank martial artist?!"

All along, he had only thought Li Rui was an old man with a sturdy body. He had never expected him to be a martial artist.

A chill ran down his back.

He was thankful that he had only been beaten and had never actually fought Li Rui. Otherwise, he would already be a corpse.

Wu Tu's eyes flickered.

"A groom. A Ninth Rank martial artist. Interesting."

"Tell the brothers to keep their eyes open from now on. Do not start any conflict with that man."

"Yes."

Ding Liang nodded obediently.

Wu Tu practiced the Eagle Claw Skill. It was not merely a technique of the hands; one also had to train one's eyesight. Thus, the moment he saw Li Rui, he had determined that Li Rui was an Entering Rank martial artist.

Did they truly think he was such an easygoing man?

After going to such great lengths, how could he have let Li Rui leave so easily?

He simply had not been certain of victory.

"Being watched by the Rong Faction is no good thing."

Li Rui walked down the street, his gaze cold.

Wu Tu might seem careless and bold in his dealings, but one must not forget that he had once been a bandit of the Heng Sect and was now the leader of the Rong Faction.

At least more than twenty people had died by his hand.

They had spent so many people finding out his identity. They certainly would not let the matter rest.

"Forget it."

"I'll take it one step at a time."

He did not fear Wu Tu, but the Rong Faction knew that he worked for the Zhu Family. Those people could deal with him with ease.

Just then—

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Streams of fireworks shot into the high sky, leaving trails of white smoke in the air.

"The year-end is almost here."

Li Rui raised his head and looked up.

The New Year was the most important day of the year for most ordinary families. Only at this time each year were the Zhu Family's servants guaranteed to eat meat.

But this year carried a different meaning for Li Rui.

He could redeem himself.

According to the laws of the Yu Kingdom, once one reached seventy, one could be removed from the household register. Generally, masters would grant this favor during the New Year to preserve appearances and display their benevolence.

He had already offended Zhu Lie. If he remained, every step would grow harder.

And once he was no longer of lowly status, even if the Rong Faction learned his identity, they would no longer be able to do anything to him.

Many martial artists never married or had children in their lives, choosing instead to take disciples.

The reason was simple.

The more ties one had, the more weaknesses one had. Those who roamed the martial world would inevitably make enemies, and no one wished to see their wife, children, and elderly family slaughtered. Thus, most treated disciples as sons, expecting them to provide for them in old age and wear sackcloth and mourning for them after death.

He had spent more than half his life in the Zhu Family.

Almost everyone close to him had died of old age. The only ones left were Yang Yong and Wang Zhao.

As long as he left the Zhu Family—

In the eyes of outsiders, he would be utterly alone, no longer someone they could easily hold hostage.

From then on, the vast sea would let fish leap, and the high heavens would let birds fly!