The noodle factory was one of his major clients, steadily paying two hundred dollars each month in protection money, so he naturally knew all about this family of three.
"That kid has probably been sneaking off to study martial arts," Viper said. "I asked around for a long time before finally learning someone once saw him enter Four Seas Martial Arts Hall."
Third Master said in a low voice, "Four Seas Martial Arts Hall... Huang Sihai is a formidable master. We can't afford to provoke him."
Viper nodded. "Third Master, Huang Sihai is notorious for his greed. He wouldn't care too much about ordinary pupils. If we grab the kid and Daoyou Ming comes looking for answers this month—should we fail to talk our way out of it—we'll at least have something to account for it."
Third Master frowned. "Even if he's learning boxing, he hasn't been at it long. How could he possibly beat Lanming Ji, who had already reached Green Membrane?"
Viper smiled. "Lanming Ji offended an expert earlier and was injured. On top of that, he relied on drugs to push through his breakthrough, so his blood-and-breath energy was hollow and unstable. Those bulging muscles of his were just for show—in truth, he was only slightly stronger than an ordinary man. Besides, that kid ambushed him from behind and used a sharp weapon... It wouldn't be surprising if he got caught off guard and capsized in the gutter."
Third Master nodded. "Still, we must be careful. Lanming Ji's death sounded an alarm for us. Let's thoroughly investigate that kid's martial foundation first before making any rash moves."
***
The next day, around noon.
Li Xiuwen looked back at the low-slung behemoth of the Walled City sprawling behind him, then turned toward the towering skyscrapers piercing the clouds all around ahead.
A gap of a hundred paces, yet two entirely different worlds.
Within the Walled City, buildings topped out at no more than fourteen stories, lest they pose a threat to landing and departing airplanes.
This was not his first time stepping outside the Walled City; he had occasionally come out to look around before.
Leaving the Walled City today was to attend a reunion of fellow townsmen.
That period of illegal crossing was an unpleasant memory belonging to this body's previous owner.
Back then, their group of over a dozen people had smuggled themselves across the sea, only to be captured by snake-catchers and dragged into a snake pit, where they suffered endless torment.
Some died, while others were violated and driven mad.
Li Xiuwen was among the lucky ones. Aside from a few superficial scrapes, he had been spared worse agony before his uncle paid the ransom to free him.
In the end, only four people escaped that snake pit alive: himself, Zhao Dalong, Li Nanshu, and Ding Sheng.
***
Hongyun Restaurant.
This was an old Shu cuisine establishment, and far from cheap.
Zhao Dalong picked quite a fancy place for the gathering. Splurging on a meal here would cost an ordinary person a whole month's wages, wouldn't it?
Li Xiuwen made up his mind to eat his fill today. Having just broken through to Purple Membrane, he desperately needed to replenish his nutrition.
When he arrived at the second-floor private room, three people were already seated around the table: one man and two women.
The man was cracking melon seeds, sporting thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a broad, burly build. He wore a suit and sunglasses, with his arm wrapped around a trendy young woman who had dyed hair, heavy makeup, and a low-cut neckline.
The other young woman wore ordinary martial arts training robes, sitting upright and poised with her slender legs together, her exposed ankles as fair and tender as fresh lotus root. She had a delicate, above-average face and refreshing short hair.
Judging by contemporary tastes, her attire was far plainer than that of the trendy woman beside her, yet her indescribable aura of quiet composure surpassed the latter by leagues.
"Ah Wen is here!" The man took off his sunglasses, stood up, and wrapped a thick arm—tattooed with an azure dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right—around Li Xiuwen in a hearty embrace.
"Zhao Dalong—no, wait... I should call you Brother Long. Haven't seen you in three years, and you're rolling in style! Made it big running with the triads?" Li Xiuwen laughed.
"Hardly made it big. I'm just a Forty-Nine, with a few Lantern Boys under me." Zhao Dalong pulled out a cigarette, and the woman at his side lit it for him.
"Looking sharp! You really look the part of a big boss from the movies," Li Xiuwen joked.
Zhao Dalong took a drag of his cigarette and laughed. "Nowhere close. After knocking around for three years, I'm still just a Forty-Nine, not even quite at Straw Sandal yet. Only when I make Red Pole can I be called a real boss!"
After catching up with Zhao Dalong for a bit, Li Xiuwen turned toward the short-haired young woman across the table and smiled. "Sister Shu, looking at your getup, have you taken up martial arts too?"
The short-haired girl was Li Nanshu, four years his junior. In his memory, she had always been an introverted, gentle Southern girl.
Zhao Dalong chuckled. "Tsk, tsk, show some respect! You should be calling her Sister Nanshu. Nanshu is a disciple of Nantian Martial Arts Hall now."
"Nantian Martial Arts Hall?" Li Xiuwen's gaze froze for a second.
That was one of the most prestigious martial arts halls in all of Xianghai, completely beyond comparison to an obscure outfit like Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.
Its master, Ye Tiannan, was an expert of the Nantian Style. Rumor had it that in his younger years, he had crossed the sea on a single reed to reach Xianghai, and within a single year had challenged over a hundred martial arts halls across the city without suffering a single defeat, cementing his legendary reputation.
"Impressive." Li Xiuwen gave her a thumbs-up. To enter and cultivate at Nantian Martial Arts Hall meant that after three years, Li Nanshu's strength was likely not a bit inferior to the Three Paragons.
"It took me a whole month to enter and develop Green Membrane, which is already considered impressive in our gang—yet look at her! Isn't that enough to make a guy jealous?" Zhao Dalong grumbled.
Having said that, he made sure to explain, "Ah Wen, Green Membrane means you're a trained fighter. Taking on those punks from the snake pit—one guy beating up a whole bunch of them is no problem at all."
"How about you?" Li Nanshu looked at Li Xiuwen and asked with a smile.
"Same as always, I suppose... working odd jobs in the Walled City, living the life of an ordinary civilian," Li Xiuwen replied.
"That's good too. Living in peace and happiness is a blessing for ordinary people." Li Nanshu looked Li Xiuwen over, nodding with a gentle smile without pressing further.
With her high realm, she could tell Ah Wen actually carried the presence of a trained fighter—he was certainly no ordinary man.
Yet since Ah Wen did not care to mention it, she did not expose him. The Walled City was too chaotic, and anyone with half a brain there kept a card up their sleeve.
Zhao Dalong breathed a sigh of relief. "We agreed to fail miserably together, but Sister Shu took off like a rocket! Good thing I have you to cushion the bottom, Ah Wen, or I'd be dying inside."
"Right," Li Xiuwen echoed with a chuckle.
After the three of them had been eating and drinking for a while, another person arrived.
His hair was slicked back with pomade, his face handsome, and he was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, radiating an imposing aura.
"Well, well, well, Young Master Ding graces us with his presence! Forgive me for not welcoming you earlier!" Zhao Dalong laughed, rising to greet him.
"Ding Sheng?" Li Xiuwen stared at the prim and proper young man before him.
Zhao Dalong sighed. "Can you believe how wild life is? When I got in touch with him a few days ago, I only then learned that Young Master Ding has a long-lost great-grandfather... Ding Yichun."
Li Xiuwen asked in astonishment, "The newspaper tycoon who founded the Spring and Autumn Daily?"
Ding Sheng nodded slightly and smiled. "Indeed."
Zhao Dalong grinned. "That snake pit that kidnapped us really capsized in the gutter. They had to go and cross Young Master Ding, so he sent men and wiped the entire place out."
Li Nanshu was taken aback, then smiled. "No wonder when I went back seeking revenge, I found the place completely deserted... Turns out Young Master Ding beat me to the punch. Impressive."
Zhao Dalong raised his cup and said, "Who would've thought that little fishing boat of ours would produce two hidden dragons and crouching phoenixes like Young Master Ding and Nanshu? Everyone, here's what I'm thinking: no matter how well or poorly we're doing now, or how glamorous our lives look, we've all shared life-and-death bonds, and friendship lasts forever! I was thinking the four of us could start a little fellow-townsman association, and down the road bring in others who share our background. It would make it easier to support one another in Xianghai. You all know this place isn't nearly as easy to get by in as those foreigners make it out to be. What do you all say?"
Chapter 25