Recruitment

Four Seas Martial Arts Hall. "You two talk. I'm leaving," Huang Sihai said as he led the visitor inside, then turned and walked away. A mere Straw Sandal didn't warrant his presence; had it been a Red Pole, he might have shown some courtesy. "That's me. What did Big Boss need from me?" Li Xiuwen asked with a polite smile. From his frequent bouts against Gaojiao Qi inside the Illusionary Realm of the Great Void, he was intimately familiar with the aura of an expert who had passed the second gate. This girl looked about Gaojiao Qi's age, yet her aura was even half a notch sharper than his. Her talent certainly possessed the makings of a superior. Across most martial arts halls in the Walled City, someone like that would be among the finest prodigies, receiving prime focus and grooming from the master. Reaching the rank of a Straw Sandal in Hesheng Tu at such an age was proof enough. "Hey handsome, got any interest in joining our Hesheng Tu?" Xiao Laba said in a swaggering, streetwise drawl. Li Xiuwen asked, "What would I be doing there?" His cultivation expenses were enormous now, averaging a hundred and fifty yuan a day. The spare funds from Third Master's secret stash were running dangerously low. True, one could grind through the lower realms through sheer bitter ascetic training. But having grown accustomed to the good life, he had no desire to downgrade his standard of living. Xiao Laba smiled and said, "With a Purple Membrane cultivation at your age, you'd start at the grassroots as a Forty-Nine. Ah Zhen and Da Sha Qiang from your hall are Forty-Nines." "How's the pay?" "Depends on your performance each month. Watching venues, selling pirated discs, fighting—you get cash for all of that... But the guaranteed monthly cut is at least five hundred." Li Xiuwen fell silent. Five hundred was truly beneath his notice now. Triad business wasn't overwhelmingly demanding, but it would still cut into his cultivation time to some extent. Not to mention the risk of provoking major enemies. Five hundred simply wasn't worth it. "I heard Liu Chun is a reserve Straw Sandal, pulling a thousand a month," Li Xiuwen remarked. Xiao Laba laughed. "He reached the Black Membrane long ago, and his innate physique is stronger than yours. Down the line, his odds of passing the second gate are high, so of course he gets more." Li Xiuwen asked, "If I reach the Black Membrane, can I become a reserve Straw Sandal?" Xiao Laba shrugged. "I don't know. You'd have to ask Sister Fo. I work under her. "You've only been in the Purple Membrane for two months. If you want to reach the Black Membrane so soon, stuffing yourself with fish balls is the only way. "The triad doesn't really care for people pumped up on fish balls. They'd rather you take more time to build it on your own." Li Xiuwen asked, "Why?" Xiao Laba shook her head. "Cultivation pumped up by fish balls is hollow. The blood and qi end up flighty and unsettled. In an actual brawl, you automatically drop half a tier. Useless in a real scrap." Inside, Li Xiuwen thought to himself: *With my incense burner, once proven, it's permanently proven. What hollow foundation could there possibly be?* He smiled and said, "Let me think about it a bit longer." Xiao Laba fixed her eyes on him with a grin. "Handsome, does that mean you're turning me down?" "Pretty much," Li Xiuwen replied. "My time is valuable. I don't want to be a Forty-Nine." "Your family isn't well-off, right?" Xiao Laba asked, looking somewhat puzzled. "My uncle does run a factory, after all. He can still afford to support me for now," Li Xiuwen said. "Once you pass up this village, you won't find another inn. Watch out for yourself," Xiao Laba whispered close to his ear as she stepped forward. "Thanks for the heads-up." Li Xiuwen took a step back with a polite smile. Xiao Laba blew a shrill whistle. Hands jammed in her pockets, she swaggered off, flanked by several young Forty-Nines who parted the way before her. Huang Sihai strolled back out and asked, "Turned them down?" "The pay is too low. Not worth it," Li Xiuwen said. Huang Sihai chuckled. "Seems you really struck it rich recently." Li Xiuwen replied, "Not me. My uncle." *** Inside the Graffiti Building. Lion-Head Buddha sat in an electrified chair, letting silver-white arcs of lightning dance across her skin. Her afro stood bolt upright, resembling a golden lion. Leaning against the wall, Xiao Laba said in mild frustration, "Sister Fo, that Li Xiuwen actually turned me down." "Oh?" Lion-Head Buddha sounded slightly surprised. "Thought the pay was too little?" "Looks like he wants the same deal as Liu Chun," Xiao Laba said helplessly. "Forget it then. A sliver of talent and comprehension, and his head is in the clouds. He doesn't understand that innate physique is the foundation. Let him be," Lion-Head Buddha sighed. Xiao Laba pouted. "Exactly. Even with the makings of a superior, didn't I start out grinding as a Forty-Nine?" *** Inside a casino on Guangwang Street. Standing before the restroom sink, the gap-toothed Za Jiu rinsed the blood from his hands, turning the basin water crimson. On the floor lay several martial artists strewn in disorder. Some had their bellies split open, intestines spilling out; some had their chests torn wide, their dangling hearts gouged free; others were decapitated. Za Jiu's lackeys chatted among themselves. "These little bastards didn't even check whose venue this casino is before causing trouble here." "On Guangwang Street, who doesn't know Ninth Master's reputation?" "Could Hesheng Tu be testing us?" Having washed his hands, Za Jiu elegantly slipped on his suit jacket and straightened his necktie, saying nothing. Not until a lackey hurried over and spoke up: "Ninth Master, we've got a lead on Brother Ji's matter." Ninth Master raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it, Gap-tooth." The lackey showed off a large inlaid gold tooth and smiled. "First off, whoever wiped out Brother Ji and Third Master of the Thirteen Taibao without leaving a trace had to be a trained fighter with serious cultivation. "Rotten Life Ji and his crew operated exclusively around Longjin Road and never strayed far, so they shouldn't have offended any experts from other districts. "Of course, in the absolute worst-case scenario, if they really crossed some passing wandering hero and got beaten to death, there's nothing we could do about that. But we still have to find someone to take the blame to give Brother Ming an explanation. "So I checked every trained fighter who's achieved anything in Longjin Road over recent years. Two people fit the bill. "One is a veteran expert who passed the second gate. He left the Walled City long ago to serve as a Straw Sandal in an outside gang, doing quite well for himself. "I asked his neighbors. The man hasn't come back in over a decade and cut ties with the area. He's a suspect, but not a very likely one." Za Jiu nodded. "What about the other?" The lackey chuckled and produced a copy of *Ming Pao*. "Boss, take a look. There's a kid named Li Xiuwen at Chen's Noodle Factory who's also suspicious. "He smuggled himself in from Sheng to seek refuge with his uncle. Cowardly and cautious, never known to practice martial arts before. "I only learned from *Ming Pao* that he's actually been training at Four Seas Martial Arts Hall for months. "A few days ago, he even broke through to Purple Membrane. Tian Er from Night Heron Martial Arts Hall was no match for him. "Think about it: that noodle factory was the Thirteen Taibao's biggest cash cow. Over the years, that family of three must have choked down a bellyful of rage. "Li Xiuwen had every motive to kill the Thirteen Taibao... Ninth Master, just say the word, and I'll go drag him in." Za Jiu lit a cigarette, blew a smoke ring, and asked, "Do you have any direct evidence?" The lackey smiled sheepishly. "Well, no. That's just my own conjecture. After all, so much time has passed, and dead men tell no tales." Za Jiu said coldly, "No evidence, yet you want to snatch a disciple of Four Seas Martial Arts Hall? You're showing too little respect to Master Huang. Going there to snatch him is looking to die!" "Huh? With Old Leigong backing us, why should we fear Master Huang?" the lackey asked. Old Leigong was the dragon head of Leigong Shed, holding immense prestige in the underworld. Za Jiu sneered, "You truly are stupid. Would Old Leigong cross Master Huang over a suspected killer with no direct evidence? "Years ago, Master Huang fought his way to the third grand ring. Old as he may be, he still has a chance of passing the Three Gates and stepping into another realm entirely." The lackey lowered his head, muttering softly, "Still not as strong as Old Leigong, though. Old Leigong is still in his prime, with even better odds of clearing the Three Gates." Za Jiu said, "Master Huang might not be, but don't forget: Four Seas Martial Arts Hall keeps a low profile, yet their Three Paragons have reputations that precede them. Can we afford to provoke someone who made it into the Academy?" The lackey said helplessly, "Then what do we do? Just let it go?" Za Jiu grinned. "We handle it. Find an opportunity to investigate thoroughly first, so our actions are justified. You understand? "Damn it, you little brats have been following me for so long, yet you're still as reckless as ever. You need more training!" Drifting through the underworld, taking a blade was inevitable. Yet a little caution would keep a few blades away!