Lao Xu's Conditions

"Find two more?"

Wei Sheng narrowed his eyes. "Lao Xu, you'd better not be pulling my leg."

"I may not be anyone important in the gang, but I have plenty of old brothers, and quite a few have retired."

Lao Xu grinned.

Wei Sheng considered for a moment, then asked, "What's the condition?"

"Kill someone for me!"

Lao Xu's calm face suddenly twisted into a savage grimace, hatred surging to the heavens.

"Who?"

"Hong Chengdu!"

"The Hong Family in the Inner City?" Wei Sheng looked puzzled.

Lao Xu wore a peculiar expression. "No, the Eldest Master of the Hong Family in Black Glory Ward in the Outer City!"

"Done!"

"??"

Lao Xu was at a complete loss.

He had already prepared himself for Wei Sheng's refusal and was ready to explain his feud with the Hong Family, as well as why he wanted Hong Chengdu dead.

But then.

Wei Sheng agreed.

That left him with nowhere to voice what he had prepared to say.

After holding it in for a long while, Lao Xu asked quietly, "Do you know anything about him?"

"He likes young boys, has a vicious temper, and is nothing special in terms of strength... his family has someone at the Fourth Refinement holding the fort, along with a dozen or so Skin Refinement martial artists."

"??"

Lao Xu was even more bewildered.

How did Wei Sheng know so much? It was as though he had investigated beforehand.

After all.

He had never mentioned his desire for revenge to anyone.

He gave Wei Sheng a long look. "I'm suddenly starting to think you can kill him."

"My strength is still nowhere near enough."

"There's no hurry. A doctor from Spring Return Hall examined me a couple of days ago. Barring illness or disaster, I can live another ten-odd years."

Lao Xu had not expected Wei Sheng to kill the Eldest Master of the Hong Family immediately. The pain of losing his son had already tormented him for over a decade; he could wait a little longer.

Besides.

The Eldest Master of the Hong Family was not so easy to kill. Without Fourth Refinement strength, it would be marching to one's death.

Even if Wei Sheng was the dark horse who had recently risen to prominence on Gaoliu Street, with talent surpassing others, he would still need at least ten years of grueling training to reach the Fourth Refinement.

"It won't take that long. After all, it only took me two months to reach the Second Refinement."

Lao Xu had been about to warn the young man not to be so brash, but the latter half of that sentence made his eyes widen in shock, leaving him speechless.

By the time Wei Sheng left Lao Xu's home, he had a small black booklet tucked against his chest.

The Black Jade Skin Refinement Method!

For the remaining two Skin Refinement Methods, Lao Xu asked Wei Sheng to give him three days.

Wei Sheng agreed.

"Brother Sheng, are you really going to kill the Eldest Master of the Hong Family? Honestly, that Lao Xu-he clearly agreed to trade the Skin Refinement Method for seven taels of silver..."

A Chang rambled on, his brow tightly furrowed.

Having lived in the Outer City for so long, he naturally knew how frightening the Hong Family was.

Even if Brother Sheng cultivated at an astonishing speed, he was still only one man. How could he contend with a great lineage with such deep foundations?

"If I hadn't agreed, do you think Lao Xu would have given me the Skin Refinement Method?"

"Y-you lied to him?"

"Of course not. Since I agreed, I'll certainly work hard to fulfill it! Of course, if the Hong Family offends some powerful enemy in the future and gets slaughtered to the last member, leaving me unable to kill him, that won't count as breaking my promise."

Wei Sheng smiled faintly.

When he first heard that Lao Xu had a condition, his heart had lurched. He had thought it would be something harsh.

But that was all?

Could killing the Eldest Master of the Hong Family even count as a condition?

Even if Lao Xu had said nothing, he would still kill him.

Someone who was doomed to die could fetch him three Skin Refinement Methods. The Eldest Master of the Hong Family's death would be well worth it.

Even if Lao Xu failed to obtain the other two, the Black Jade Skin Refinement Method alone made this a gain for him.

"If that's the case, that would be wonderful!"

A Chang spoke happily.

He did not want to see Wei Sheng take risks, but neither did he want Brother Sheng to deceive Lao Xu over this.

"A Chang, you've really done me a huge favor this time. How would you like me to thank you?!"

Wei Sheng looked at A Chang. He truly had not expected A Chang to solve the problem that had been troubling him.

"Brother Sheng, we're brothers. Besides, you saved my life from Zhang Yan. It's only right that I help you."

A Chang spoke earnestly.

"One thing is one thing, another is another. You have to let me repay you for this."

"Then, how about giving me some pointers on my Savage Bull Fist? Since getting started, it hasn't felt right no matter how I practice, and I haven't improved much..."

A Chang spoke timidly.

He had long wanted to ask Wei Sheng for some pointers, but had never dared bring it up, afraid of interfering with Wei Sheng's cultivation.

"That's hardly any trouble for me! Go through your Savage Bull Fist once. Let me take a look first!"

"Sure!"

After Wei Sheng left.

Lao Xu put on a dark felt hat and went out.

Half a day later, he already had a Skin Refinement Method tucked against his chest.

Once I've seen Old Zhou, I'll have both Skin Refinement Methods I promised Wei Sheng.

With that thought, Lao Xu arrived outside a shared courtyard compound by the street.

One of his old brothers, Zhou Huan, lived here.

Of all his old brothers, this man had the greatest talent. He had once reached the Fifth Refinement, served for a time as one of the Five Tiger Generals, and even had hopes of attempting Six Refinements.

Unfortunately, the Firewood-Fisher Gang had plotted against him, leaving him severely wounded and damaging his meridians. His cultivation had fallen to the Skin Refinement Realm. Later, tired of the gang's endless fighting and killing, he had retired at Lao Xu's urging.

But unlike Lao Xu, who was all alone, Zhou Huan had married and had children after retiring.

Now, with a lovely wife at his side and both a son and a daughter, he had a happy family.

Zhou Huan was delighted by his old brother's visit. Only his lovely wife, who was dressed garishly, looked down on this wretched old man and could not help rolling her eyes.

Knowing he was unwelcome, Lao Xu exchanged a few pleasantries before explaining why he had come.

"You want to ask for a Skin Refinement Method?!"

Zhou Huan himself showed little reaction, but his lovely wife beside him spoke in a shrill voice.

Lao Xu shook his head. "Not ask for it. I'm willing to pay five taels of silver for a handwritten copy."

For a mere copy, without any instruction from Zhou Huan, five taels of silver was a high price.

At those words.

Zhou Huan immediately grew displeased. "Lao Xu, what do you mean by that? Is the friendship between us old brothers not worth five taels of silver? There's no need..."

He had intended to say there was no need to pay, but before he could finish, his lovely wife interrupted. "Lao Xu, you're getting on in years. What do you want a Skin Refinement Method for?"

Zhou Huan fell silent and looked at Lao Xu curiously as well.

Lao Xu did not conceal his purpose, though he said nothing about revenge. He merely said that he thought highly of a rising talent in the gang and wanted to help him cultivate and compete for a place among the Five Tiger Generals.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing "compete for a place among the Five Tiger Generals," Zhou Huan's lovely wife frowned, then whispered a few words into his ear.

Zhou Huan gave his lovely wife a startled look, then said helplessly to Lao Xu, "Lao Xu, I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Once Lao Xu had left, Zhou Huan looked at his lovely wife in displeasure. "When did you give my cultivation method to your younger cousin Xiao Ran? Do you have any regard for me as the head of this household?"

Faced with Zhou Huan's reproach, his wife instead began shouting. "Do you think I did it for myself? Wasn't I doing it for you?

"Once Xiao Ran becomes one of the Five Tiger Generals and his status rises, he'll be able to help you avenge what One-Eye did to you back then...

"Besides, he hasn't risen yet. Investing in him now is like sending charcoal in the snow. For the sake of this kindness, he'll also be able to help Xiaohu and Erni in the future... everything I've done is for you, for this family, and you're blaming me!"

With that, she began sobbing.

Zhou Huan's head ached. A woman crying was what he found most irritating, and his tone softened:

"I was wrong to blame you this time, but next time, could you discuss it with me before doing something like this? Also, I'm planning to give Lao Xu a copy of the cultivation method."

"You can't!"

Zhou Huan's wife immediately shouted, "Lao Xu is helping Wei Sheng compete for a place among the Five Tiger Generals. Isn't that setting him against Xiao Ran? Besides, a mere Second Refinement practitioner probably hasn't even figured out the Ox Demon Skin Refinement Method, yet he wants to practice a second one? The delusions of a fool."

Zhou Huan frowned, but did not argue further.

He only said, "Prepare a table of food and wine tonight. I want to see Xiao Ran."

That evening, Xiao Ran came to the meal, and Zhou Huan first congratulated him on breaking through to the Third Refinement.

Then he changed the subject and brought up what had happened during the day:

"Lao Xu offered twenty taels of silver to buy the Skin Refinement Method to support Wei Sheng, but I refused him..."

Xiao Ran froze.

He had not expected that, after being rebuffed by Fire Ox that morning, Wei Sheng would manage to find his way to this cousin-in-law of his that very afternoon.

Of course, he also understood what Zhou Huan meant and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Cousin-in-law."

After a pause.

Xiao Ran smiled again:

"Actually, it wouldn't matter if you sold it to him. Ordinary people struggle to master even one Skin Refinement Method, yet he wants to divide his attention between two. He really is greedy. Even if he gets the method, mastering it would be nothing but a dream!"

Wei Sheng opened the Black Jade Skin Refinement Method, memorized its entire contents, then practiced it once.

[Black Jade Skin Refinement Method (Entry)]