19. Unsolicited Flattery

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Xie An, as before, covered half of his face with a black cloth, yet Zhang Lin still recognized him at a glance. There was no helping it; his head full of white hair was hard to miss.

Upon seeing Zhang Lin again, Xie An was less wary than before. After some recent inquiries, he learned that the Tiger Wolf Sect was not some gang disguised as a sect but a legitimate organization determined to establish deep roots and long-term development around Qingwu County. They valued reputation and tradition greatly.

Xie An felt there was no major issue in choosing the Tiger Wolf Sect as his target. The next step was to up the ante by joining them.

He was no longer young; joining as a mere errand boy was out of the question.

Xie An cupped his hands respectfully. "Steward Zhang."

Zhang Lin regarded Xie An highly and was unpretentious. "Hmm. Here to buy bear heart?"

Xie An did not hide his purpose. "Buying a bear heart to strengthen my body."

Zhang Lin gave a knowing look. "Bear heart is indeed a powerful tonic—strong and dominant in its medicinal effect, not only strengthening the body but also ensuring a night without faltering. Old brother, you know how to live well... Lao Liu, this is my friend. Give him a good price."

The latter was said to the stall owner.

The stall owner, a man over forty well-versed in worldly affairs, glanced at Xie An in surprise before smiling warmly. "So, old brother is a friend of Steward Zhang. My apologies for not recognizing you before. I’ll give you wholesale price—thirty taels."

Just by calling him a "friend," Xie An saved a full thirty taels of silver.

The world of the big shots was truly beyond ordinary people's understanding.

Xie An agreed happily and purchased the bear heart. Lao Liu carefully wrapped it and handed it over with both hands. "Old brother, whenever you come here, this will be the price."

Lao Liu had long wanted to curry favor with Zhang Lin but had never found the chance. Now that opportunity had come, he naturally seized it.

Zhang Lin accepted the favor, promising to reduce Lao Liu’s stall fees and give priority access to good goods in the black market, which delighted Lao Liu immensely.

"Old brother, you left in such a hurry last time. It’s still early today; how about I take you for a tour of the black market?"

Having received Zhang Lin’s kindness, Xie An could hardly refuse and agreed. "Then I’ll trouble Steward Zhang."

"Old brother, no need for formalities; just call me Zhang Lin."

Xie An smiled but naturally had no intention of calling him so casually.

The Xueling Black Market spanned five or six towns, serving over a hundred thousand villagers. The position of steward-guard was obviously very prestigious.

They were just being polite; how could he take it at face value?

After a leisurely stroll, wherever they went, everyone treated Zhang Lin with utmost respect, and by extension, they showed Xie An more courtesy. Zhang Lin, accustomed to this, enthusiastically introduced the black market.

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“The Xueling Black Market is the largest within a six-town radius, selling everything imaginable—weaponry, herbs, secret manuals…”

“The stalls along this road all sell weapons: knives, swords, spears, bows and crossbows… Many are fine items banned by the imperial court. There’s also a blacksmith shop here; the smith is quite renowned and can custom-make weapons to your specifications.”

“The stalls on this street focus mainly on medicinal herbs, and there are apothecaries who can prepare prescriptions for you…”

“This street specializes in selling martial arts manuals…”

After Zhang Lin’s detailed description, Xie An finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the Xueling Black Market.

Rather than a black market, it was more like a large village.

Watching the endless stream of merchants and customers, Xie An estimated the annual transaction volume of this market likely exceeded the entire output value of Wuqiao Town.

No wonder the Tiger Wolf Sect did not need to rely on robbery and plunder for money; just this market alone brought in massive profits each year. Moreover, this black market was merely the tip of the iceberg among the sect’s enterprises.

By nature, a sect and a gang were fundamentally different.

If he could join the Tiger Wolf Sect and become a steward of the black market, wouldn’t it be easy to acquire the cultivation resources he needed?

The key was to be a steward—not a lowly underling.

After their tour, Zhang Lin invited Xie An to a courtyard for a chat.

Xie An thought it a good opportunity to learn more about the Tiger Wolf Sect and agreed.

Zhang Lin was delighted upon hearing this. He led Xie An to a small courtyard near the black market and courteously brewed tea.

After some polite conversation, Zhang Lin reiterated his intentions. "Old brother, you’ve seen the thriving scene of the Xueling Black Market. The cultivation resources you want are all here, and you can get discounts. It’s much better than struggling alone."

Xie An held his tea cup quietly, showing signs of interest.

Seeing this, Zhang Lin grew more enthusiastic. "Let me tell you about the general situation of our Xueling…”

Listening carefully to Zhang Lin, Xie An learned:

The Xueling Black Market was under the jurisdiction of the White Feather Hall.

White Feather Hall was one of the seven major halls under the Tiger Wolf Sect.

The hall was led by the hall master Fang Baiyu, a martial artist at the second level of the Bronze Skin stage.

Besides Fang Baiyu, there were two deputy hall masters.

Under the deputies were four major incense masters.

The Xueling Black Market was overseen by Wei Dianxiang, one of the incense masters, while Zhang Lin was one of the three stewards under Wei Dianxiang, responsible for order and security near the market, commanding a dozen armed guards.

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“I saw you easily draw a stone bow with one finger and shoot two arrows in quick succession. This shows you’re vigorous despite your age. Lifting four hundred jin with one arm is no problem for you. That’s the strength of a first-level Bronze Skin martial artist. If you join White Feather Hall, you can start as my deputy steward. The monthly pay is eight taels. Additionally, you’ll get discounts on all kinds of resources purchased in the market. When a steward position opens up, I’ll do my best to have you promoted.”

After explaining the benefits, Zhang Lin looked at Xie An expectantly.

Eight taels a month—one hundred taels a year—was no small sum.

It was five times more than Xie An’s current income as a pawnshop attendant, plus various other perks.

It was unrealistic to say Xie An wasn’t tempted.

It was just that… the deputy steward position was too low-ranking.

Above it were steward, incense master, deputy hall master, and hall master—many levels away from the Tiger Wolf Sect’s top leadership.

It wasn’t that Xie An lacked ambition, but who wouldn’t want a better position and benefits when looking for a job?

If you can be the big brother, who wants to be the little brother?

Xie An showed a troubled expression.

Zhang Lin’s sharp eyes immediately caught on to Xie An’s dissatisfaction with the deputy steward position and began sweetening the deal. "Actually, with your strength, you could become a steward directly, but currently, Wei incense master’s three steward positions are all filled. However…”

When he reached the crucial part, Zhang Lin suddenly paused, clearly tempting Xie An’s curiosity. When Xie An looked at him, Zhang Lin continued, “Recently, one steward has fallen out of favor with Wei incense master. I suspect Wei incense master intends to replace him but hasn’t found a suitable candidate yet.”

Xie An’s interest peaked. "What do you mean?"

Lowering his voice, Zhang Lin said, “Zhang Biao, one of my fellow stewards, is addicted to gambling and neglects his duties. He’s changed temperamentally and frequently defies the incense master. Unfortunately, he has powerful backing, so Wei incense master can’t deal with him for now. If something happens to Zhang Biao, his steward position would open up—just right for old brother to take over.”

Hearing this, Xie An was startled and grew cautious.

As the saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Zhang Lin had twice enthusiastically extended an olive branch to him, and now subtly pointed out Zhang Biao’s situation…

Xie An suspected that it was not just Wei Dian who was displeased with Zhang Biao, but that Zhang Lin had a grudge against him. He was hinting at using Xie An to remove Zhang Biao.

That made perfect sense.

Xie An wasn’t bothered by this; the martial world was always about a little give and take.

Since he was masked, and Zhang Lin didn’t know his identity, Xie An asked, "What are the steward’s benefits?"