The Deal

The thirty taels Lu Qihui offered was quite enticing. Adding everything together, Lin Zheyu currently made only about thirty taels a month. However, the outside world was in utter chaos, overrun with bandits. A single slip could lead to disaster. His predecessor had hailed from a wealthy merchant family and had fled ahead of time, yet still ran into bandits. If not for sheer luck, he would never have made it to Songyi City alive. Lin Zheyu intended to lie low in Songyi City for a while and advance his strength to the Qi and Blood Realm. Only when he had some measure of security would he consider leaving. "Why is that?" "Songyi City isn't far from Baohe City, and the situation right now is terrible. If Baohe City falls to the rebels, Songyi City won't be far behind." "You'll have to leave sooner or later anyway, Master Lin. Why not travel with our Lu family? We can look out for each other," Lu Qihui urged, reluctant to give up. "Young Master Lu, you must have run into quite a few bandits on your way here from Baohe City, haven't you?" "With unrest everywhere and bandits running rampant, setting out rashly carries immense risk." "My Lin family was once wealthy in Jiunan City, with many skilled fighters under our employ. Yet on our escape from Jiunan City, we still crossed paths with formidable bandits." "Traveling right now is simply too dangerous." "I choose to believe in Great Wei's might—to believe that Great Wei will soon respond and dispatch troops to crush the rebellion," Lin Zheyu offered as a polite excuse to decline. "True enough. It is indeed chaotic outside the city walls, crawling with bandits." Lu Qihui sighed with emotion. They had encountered numerous bandits along the way. If his uncle were not formidable in martial strength and backed by a large retinue of guards and servants, they might well have met with misfortune. In times of chaos, when the common folk could no longer scrape a living, many were driven to banditry. Yet such desperate people were not what was truly terrifying; what was terrifying were the powerful figures who hid among the brigands to commit atrocities. "What a pity." Lu Qihui let out a sigh. The journey ahead was bound to be terribly dull. "You should plan ahead as well, Master Lin. Songyi City isn't safe. Great Wei has its hands full right now and can't spare any forces to suppress the rebels." "Let me let you in on a secret, but don't spread it around." Lu Qihui lowered his voice. "I heard that these rebels have powerful backing, with many major factions fueling the flames from the shadows. Great Wei won't find it easy to resolve." "So if you set out with me, it'll be far safer than fleeing later when the rebels march upon us." "My uncle is a Qi and Blood Realm expert, and our Lu family guards are strong. They will definitely keep us safe," Lu Qihui said with confidence. "Where do the rebels come from, exactly?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously. "That, I don't know." Lu Qihui shook his head. He had only heard rumors and knew no specifics. After all, if even he knew the identities of the schemers in the shadows, they could hardly be called schemers in the shadows. "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, then. I have no plans to leave Songyi City for the time being." "You invited me along because you wanted to hear my stories, right?" "I have a suggestion that can keep you entertained on the road," Lin Zheyu said with a smile. "Let's hear it," Lu Qihui said, his interest piqued. "I can write down the rest of the tale for you. You can read it yourselves on the way, or hire another storyteller." "However, the complete tale won't be cheap. It will cost eighty taels of silver. I wonder if Young Master Lu finds that acceptable?" Lin Zheyu said. If the other party agreed, it would mean a tidy windfall. "That works too!" Lu Zhenfang was overjoyed at the idea and turned to Lu Qihui. "Brother, let's head over to Yixiang Teahouse later to find that storyteller and buy that tale as well!" "Are you referring to the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* series?" "Mm-hmm! That story is wonderful too, completely different in style from the one you're telling now." Lu Zhenfang nodded. "I was the one who provided that story to Yixiang Teahouse as well; they simply hired other storytellers to perform it," Lin Zheyu said with a faint smile. Both Lu Qihui and Lu Zhenfang looked at him in astonishment. "Impressive!" Lu Qihui gave him a thumbs-up. "Master Lin, I truly admire your literary talent!" "If you want both, I can offer a discount: one hundred and fifty taels of silver in total," Lin Zheyu said with a grin. To him, that was a massive sum of money. Many ordinary families would likely never earn that much in a lifetime. Once the manuscripts were written out, he could also provide a copy to Gang Leader Xu, which would surely earn him further goodwill. "Deal. It's settled." "We're leaving Songyi City in four days. Will four days be enough for you to write the rest of the stories?" Lu Zhenfang asked worriedly. "No problem at all." "Most of the material is already written, and I have the rest mapped out in my head. Writing it won't take long," Lin Zheyu replied. "Good. It's settled, then." *** After finalizing the agreement with the Lu siblings, Lin Zheyu followed Jia Yanyong and Xie Jiang to get acquainted with the other brothers in the gang. The man in charge of their squad was named Qiu Gaoxuan, around forty-five years old. He was said to be an expert at the peak of viscera refining. He looked exceptionally aloof, his face devoid of expression. After meeting the Feihong Gang brothers and putting faces to names, Lin Zheyu drank with them until past nine in the evening before taking his leave. When martial artists drank, every one of them was like an animal, downing bowl after bowl with astonishing capacity. *Hic—* He arrived at Master Liang's residence, letting out another wine-scented burp. Master Liang did not reprimand him. Having been through it all himself, the master knew that drinking was one of the most common and effective ways to integrate into a group. After downing a bowl of hangover soup, Lin Zheyu's head cleared considerably. "We'll continue training tonight." "Han Mo, come trade a few blows with Lin Zheyu. Let me see where your strength stands these days." Liang Song glanced to the side. Under the cover of night, a young man stood there. He looked to be around thirty, powerfully built, with short-cropped hair and a square jaw that gave off an impression of upright righteousness. "And this is...?" Lin Zheyu looked at the man, only now noticing that someone else was in the courtyard. "His name is Han Mo. I taught him some martial arts a few years ago," Liang Song said. "So it is Senior Brother Han. I am Lin Zheyu." Lin Zheyu cupped his hands in greeting toward Han Mo. Manager Wu had mentioned that Master Liang had taught martial arts to others in the past; this man was evidently one of them.