Within the Tianyang Sect, the two ministers who had gone out recruiting finally returned to their loyal Tianyang Sect.
Old Fourth and Old Fifth were not actually tired. It was mostly their mouths that had done the work.
At the sight of the mountain gate, Old Fourth looked utterly satisfied and sighed. "Finally here!"
Old Fifth really wanted to punch him. Speechless, he said, "What, did it work you to death?"
Old Fourth rolled his eyes and muttered, "You're hopeless with words. You can't even recruit people."
"What's that supposed to mean? Would I have been so angry if you hadn't kept winding me up along the way?" Old Fifth complained.
Old Fourth straightened with a jerk. "I was winding you up? I was teaching you the art of language, teaching you how to communicate with outsiders."
"I... couldn't you have taught me nicely, then!" Old Fifth turned his head away, somewhat in the wrong but unwilling to back down.
Their journey could be summed up like this: Old Fourth thought he had a way with words, so he used an elder's tone to teach Old Fifth how to talk to people.
And Old Fifth?
He simply disliked Old Fourth's high-and-mighty attitude.
They had completed their task, but the journey had been a mess of flying chickens and broken eggs.
Old Fourth said indignantly, "I'm never going on a mission with a man again."
"Hmph!"
Old Fifth folded his arms. He hated this position to death, too.
What was Qingyuan thinking? He knew perfectly well I had a fiery temper and liked to blow up, yet he made me minister of personnel. Isn't that just setting me up to offend people?
The two entered the mountain gate and saw that the sect had changed considerably, but neither felt like looking around. Each returned to his own room.
Early the next morning, Old Fifth was to rest for a day before continuing to recruit.
They had already recruited enough first-year teachers to meet Zhang Qingyuan's minimum requirements. But that was only the minimum, and recruitment had to continue.
Old Fifth sat in his room, having dressed himself up to look dashing and elegant, and waited for Zhang Qingyuan to come looking for him.
More than ten days earlier, Zhang Qingyuan had told him to return early so the two of them could conduct diplomatic outreach together.
Although he had said last night that he would not go on missions with men, this was Qingyuan, after all. He was no ordinary man.
Around seven to nine in the morning, the two met over breakfast in the dining hall.
Seeing the flashily dressed Bai Shuyan, Zhang Qingyuan asked with a smile, "You're back?"
"Yes, I got back last night." Bai Shuyan was brimming with anticipation, already itching to head out on their diplomatic mission.
"Let's eat first."
"Sure!"
They sat down to eat and listened as their eldest senior brother reported on the sect's current situation.
The Tianyang Sect now had three hundred thousand jin of grain stockpiled. Some of the newspaper office's money had been transferred over, with more coming in continuously. Until other newspapers began publishing, their income would keep growing steadily.
Five training grounds had been repaired, half the dormitories had been refurbished, and more than a thousand bunk beds had already been brought up the mountain.
Bian Zhenxuan was in the closest contact with Zhang Qingyuan. The finance department was always the lifeblood of any business.
After breakfast, the two descended the mountain.
Upon entering Phoenix Cry City, they saw newspaper boys running around, exchanging sheets of newspaper for copper coins.
"Extra, extra! The Tianyang Daily follows the Tianyang Sword Immortal's latest battles! He has defeated the White Cultivation Sword Master, Bai Liangping! Predictions for his next challenger!"
"The autumn examinations approach! New works from the ten great scholars! The Lianshui county magistrate calls them timeless masterpieces!"
"The Tianyang Daily brings you the Tianyang Sect's past and present!"
"Journey to the West, installment four! The Handsome Monkey King searches for treasure in the Eastern Sea, battles the Dragon King with magic, and obtains the Ruyi Jingu Bang!"
"Old Seventh, you and Old Third put together the Tianyang Daily, right?"
Watching the newspaper boys calling out as they hurried back and forth, Old Fourth was full of admiration. The Tianyang Sect's Old Second had become famous. Tales of him had been everywhere these past few days.
Listening to the legends about his second senior brother almost gave Bai Shuyan a strange impression.
Was the Zheng Jianxin in the newspaper really the same second senior brother he knew?
The newspaper's filter had embellished Old Second until he could barely recognize him.
And the newspaper's influence was still spreading, so quickly that it had almost reached the prefectural seat.
Zhang Qingyuan had intended to advance steadily, but Old Bian was rather impatient, so things had moved considerably faster than he had expected.
By now, the newspaper office covered five cities.
The corners of Zhang Qingyuan's lips lifted as he asked with a smile, "Well? Pretty effective, isn't it?"
Old Fourth gave him a thumbs-up. "It's absolutely brilliant. Our Tianyang Sect and our Phoenix Cry City have practically become a giant whirlpool. Quite a few cultured scholars and martial experts are already heading our way.
"Yes, they all want to challenge Old Second's position."
"Second Brother's under a lot of pressure."
"But he'll definitely love it!" Old Fourth thumped his chest in assurance.
"Hehe, he'll love it even more in a few days," Zhang Qingyuan said thoughtfully.
"How so?" Seeing how mysterious he was being, Old Fourth did not understand and asked, "Shouldn't you be worried? Fourth Brother's martial skills might have improved, but ultimately, he's only a Fourth Rank martial artist. If this attracts an expert from the Upper Three Ranks, Second Brother could be in real danger."
Hearing how cautiously he put it, Zhang Qingyuan said, "It's not just Second Senior Brother who's in danger. In fact, our Tianyang Sect is in the greatest danger.
"Whether it's the Tianyang Daily, our own foundations, or Second Senior Brother's rise to fame, they'll all draw countless eyes.
"There's no shortage of jealous people in the martial world, nor any shortage of deceit and intrigue.
"There are plenty of people who want Second Senior Brother dead and our Tianyang Sect destroyed."
Old Fourth stared at him in astonishment. "So you do know! I thought you didn't care!"
"How could I not care?" Zhang Qingyuan took a deep breath. "I'm simply taking a gamble."
"That's one enormous gamble," Old Fourth said ruefully, though he also found it thrilling.
Zhang Qingyuan recalled the conversation he had held with Old Second and Old Third in his room two days earlier.
That day, he had called both his second and third senior brothers back and laid out the stakes.
Now, not only the surrounding cities but the whole of Yu Province had its eyes fixed on Phoenix Cry City, the Tianyang Sect, and the Tianyang Sword Immortal.
Some were watching, some were curious, and some were itching to make a move.
Second Senior Brother's task was still to become famous, and he need not worry about his cultivation being insufficient.
Zhang Qingyuan had given him the One Hundred Percent Advancement Pill awarded by the system at level ten and told him to use it at a critical moment.
At the same time, the two of them had analyzed the martial path Second Senior Brother would take and identified the field he should study in the Upper Three Ranks.
They had also given Old Third a task, to be published in the next issue of the newspaper.
With Old Second and Old Third, the Tianyang Sect could weather this whirlpool by taking everyone by surprise.
As long as they survived this wave, the next would be easier to handle.
After walking a while longer, the two stopped outside the Northern Dipper Escort Agency.
Looking at its gates, Old Second asked in confusion, "An escort agency? What are we doing here? Do you have something to send?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head lightly. "I'm here to discuss cooperation."
"What cooperation?"
"Come inside and you'll find out!"
The Northern Dipper Escort Agency was the largest escort agency in Fengyang City, with seven or eight escort chiefs and countless escorts and trail hands.
Once inside, Zhang Qingyuan went straight to the agency's owner.
The three then talked in a room for four hours. No one knew what they discussed, but when they emerged, Old Fourth was deeply shaken.
Over the next three days, Zhang Qingyuan took Old Fourth to every major business in Phoenix Cry City.
Then, without stopping to rest, the two headed straight out of the city.
Old Fourth was simply dumbstruck by his maneuvers!
What had Zhang Qingyuan been taking him around to do these past three days?
Discuss cooperation!
In short, the Tianyang Sect would have many disciples in the future, but Zhang Qingyuan would not keep them all in the sect.
Most would make their own living after graduating.
Some would roam the martial world, while others would use the skills they had learned to earn money and support their families.
The sect would leave those roaming the martial world alone, but for those who wanted to earn money to support their families, Tianyang Sect would find suitable jobs for them.
Zhang Qingyuan called this guaranteed job placement upon graduation!
The reason Zhang Qingyuan had taken Old Fourth around the major businesses these past few days was to discuss recommending future graduates to work at their enterprises.
Wealthy people needed bodyguards, escort agencies needed escorts, and some young masters wanted teachers to instruct them in martial arts...
What Zhang Qingyuan discussed with them was having them recruit from the Tianyang Sect whenever possible when the time came.
Thinking about all this, Zhang Qingyuan felt he truly was a conscientious sect master!
Ah!
Just tell me, what other sect has someone as responsible as me? Answer me!
After three days, Old Fourth's eyes had truly been opened.
"Where are we going next? We've visited every prominent household in Fengyang City. Is our next stop Ripple Water City or Donglin City?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head. "Neither."
"Where, then?"
"The Listening to the Rain Pavilion!"
"The assassin organization?"
Old Fourth's worldview was shattered again. Bewildered once more, he hurriedly stopped Zhang Qingyuan. "Wait, that's a fucking assassin organization! Assassins, not escorts!"
Zhang Qingyuan ignored him and tugged him along. "Let's go!"
The Listening to the Rain Pavilion was the largest assassin organization in Yu Province, with countless assassins under its banner. No one really knew exactly how many.
The Listening to the Rain Pavilion was about six hundred li from Phoenix Cry City, in a valley of beautiful scenery.
By the time the two arrived at the Listening to the Rain Pavilion, five days had passed.
As soon as they entered the valley, they sensed no fewer than several dozen gazes fixed on them.
Somewhat nervous, Old Fourth followed behind Zhang Qingyuan like a quail.
"Old Fourth, can we manage with just the two of us?"
His gaze darted from side to side, afraid that one moment's inattention would leave him dead here.
Zhang Qingyuan reassured him, "Relax. Assassins don't kill indiscriminately, either. They have to be paid to kill."
"But I feel like the killing aura here is so heavy."
"Relax. I sent a visiting card."
They walked another two hundred-odd meters into the valley before two black-clad assassins suddenly leaped out from either side.
The assassins wore veils, but their eyes were filled with indifference-indifference toward life.
One extended a hand to stop them and asked, "May I ask whether you are His Excellency Zhang Qingyuan, sect master of the Tianyang Sect?"
The voice held not a trace of warmth. It was frighteningly cold.
Maintaining his composure, Zhang Qingyuan said, "I am indeed the sect master."
The assassin looked him up and down. "The pavilion master has been waiting for some time."
"Sorry to trouble you to lead the way."
Following the assassin deep into the valley, they twisted and turned, walked this way and that, and passed through a bamboo grove before a small three-story building suddenly appeared before them.
Although there was no trace of anyone's presence upstairs or downstairs, Zhang Qingyuan could sense that more guards were hidden here than outside.
"Please."
The building's doors stood wide open, and the assassin gestured for them to enter.
"Are we really going in?"
"Of course."
With that, Zhang Qing strode straight inside.
Bai Shuyan thought for a moment, then took a deep breath. If I die, I die!
The two entered the building and saw a short saber enshrined in the ground-floor hall.
There was nothing else, not even tables or chairs.
"Where is everyone?" Old Fourth looked around but detected no movement.
Zhang Qingyuan looked toward the stairs. "Probably upstairs."
After some thought, he decided to announce himself first and called loudly, "Pavilion Master, may I ask if you're here?"
"Zhang Qingyuan, Sect Master Zhang."
A voice rang out, seeming to come from every direction. It was hoarse, impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman, much less how old its owner was.
"Here they come."
Looking upstairs, Old Fourth nervously hid behind Zhang Qingyuan.
Zhang Qingyuan also looked upstairs. An assassin chief was indeed an assassin chief-more cautious than ordinary people.
That air of mystery exerted a powerful sense of pressure, making one unconsciously feel diminished.
Taking a deep breath, he cupped his hands. "That is indeed me. Forgive my presumptuous visit. I hope you won't take offense, Pavilion Master."
After speaking, Zhang Qingyuan continued to survey his surroundings.
The voice sounded again. "Sect Master Zhang truly has ingenious ideas. Even I read every issue of the Tianyang Daily."
"You flatter me, Pavilion Master."
"Hehe, only someone with such a lively mind as yours could think of cooperating with the Listening to the Rain Pavilion. I have never seen a sect leader willing to send disciples they painstakingly trained to an assassin organization."
The words sounded like a challenge, yet also like teasing.
Zhang Qingyuan cupped his hands and said, neither servile nor overbearing, "Pavilion Master, I believe one learns the literary and martial arts to sell them to an emperor's household.
"As I see it, among martial practitioners making their way through the martial world, how many do so to repay kindness and settle grudges as they please, and how many to explore the limits of the martial path?"
Zhang Qingyuan paused, then answered his own question. "Very, very few!"
"Indeed." The pavilion master seemed to sigh, then said, "Your words are incisive, Sect Master Zhang. The greatest truths are the simplest. Most people practice martial arts for nothing more than a few scraps of silver."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded. "Seven things await us when we open our eyes: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. Every one costs money. So I think martial artists learning martial arts are just like cobblers, pedicurists, masons, and blacksmiths. It's simply a trade to put food on the table.
"Of course, if you believe martial arts are about some higher pursuit, Pavilion Master, I won't deny it. Some people truly do seek to explore the martial path. But most are simply doing it to earn money."
"Making money-there's no distinction between high and low, noble and base, among the trades.
Some people work as bodyguards, some as assassins, some collect debts for others, and some rob the rich to help the poor. They all do it for money.
Being an assassin is just a profession, and that profession isn't evil either."
"Oh? Is that what you think?"
"Of course. Those people who collect debts for others-does that make their killing noble?
Those who rob the rich to help the poor-is their killing worthy of praise?
Assassins are hired. The truly evil ones are the employers.
To my mind, the Listening to the Rain Pavilion is merely an organization where assassins huddle together for warmth. Even without the Listening to the Rain Pavilion, would no one hire martial wanderers to kill others?
They would. Some of those hired are even great heroes with glittering reputations.
So there really isn't much to the profession of assassin.
They're like carriage drivers hired by a boss, except carriage drivers take people to the end of their journey, while assassins take people to the end of their lives."
When Zhang Qingyuan finished speaking, the air suddenly fell silent.
Old Fourth's heart pounded, not from fright, but because he felt Old Seventh's art with words was just too fucking impressive.
Just listen-taking people to the end of their lives. It sounded so artistic.
Making murder sound so artistic-a role model in life!
In truth, Zhang Qingyuan really did think that way. Practicing martial arts was about making money, after all.
It was just like those film and television stars in his previous life, with actors entering the industry in droves.
They all claimed to love the art, to love acting. To put it bluntly, wasn't it simply because acting brought in money quickly?
And the profession of assassin wasn't all that evil in his mind, either.
In a martial arts world, martial heroes broke the law through force to begin with.
Those great heroes drew their blades at a word of disagreement and challenged anyone they disliked to a duel. Did that make them noble when they injured or killed someone by mistake?
"What're you looking at?"
"You. What about it?"
"Hmph! You dare disrespect our sect leader and insult our sect? You deserve to die!"
No matter how good their reputations were, people like that were, at their core, worse than assassins. At least assassins wouldn't kill over a word of disagreement.
"Whew..." The sound was muted, like a long sigh. The pavilion master's voice was full of mixed feelings.
"Sect Master Zhang, you truly spoke to my heart... If possible, I would be willing to call you a friend."
"The honor is mine!" Zhang Qingyuan said, cupping his fist.
Old Fourth's eyes nearly popped out. Fuck, he just made a friend in the Third Rank Realm like that?
He might be Third Rank, but he was the head of the assassins. He didn't play at fighting openly with real blades and spears; he dealt in assassination. Even someone in the Second Rank Realm could be killed, given the right opportunity.
"Then it's settled. In the future, when your Tianyang Sect disciples descend the mountain, they can use those..."
"Graduation certificates," Zhang Qingyuan reminded him. It had already been clearly written in the visiting card he had provided earlier.
"Right. With a graduation certificate, they can come to my Listening to the Rain Pavilion and take up employment."
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. He raised his head and said, "Actually, you could come directly to my Tianyang Sect to recruit."