Chapter 42: Master Wei

The next day, early in the morning.

The Li residence.

Li Ru and Madam Li rose early and stood by the main gate, waiting for Li Shaoyun to return.

Yesterday had been Li Shaoyun’s first day reporting for duty at the Blood Ridge Black Market. Following Zhang Biao’s death, a new deacon had taken over. Li Ru and his wife were deeply concerned about whether Li Shaoyun could get along well with the new deacon, and whether he would win the deacon's favor and subsequently secure resources for martial arts training.

It was no exaggeration to say that Li Shaoyun’s future rested entirely on the word of this new deacon.

The Blood Ridge Black Market opened at night and closed at dawn.

Around this hour, Li Shaoyun should have been returning.

Before long, the couple saw a thoroughly exhausted Li Shaoyun walking back. His clothes were soiled, his face covered in grime, and he looked as though he had been severely mistreated.

Madam Li felt a pang of deep distress. She hurriedly pulled Li Shaoyun into the inner courtyard to wash up, had the kitchen prepare some pastries, and only asked what had happened once his emotions had settled somewhat.

"What on earth happened to you?"

Li Shaoyun bolted down a steamed meat bun and said with indignation, "Don't even ask. The new deacon has an insatiable appetite. After accepting my one hundred and eighty taels of silver, he wasn't satisfied at all. Not only did he refuse to give me any martial arts resources, but he also gave me the cold shoulder. He hinted that I needed to keep sending money... What an exorbitant demand!"

Alas!

Madam Li sighed with a troubled expression, knowing full well that the Li residence had very little spare money left.

Li Ru angrily criticized the new deacon for his base character, lack of bottom lines, and so on, until a glare from Madam Li finally made him shut his mouth.

The Tiger and Wolf Sect was a powerful martial arts faction that spanned both inside and outside Qingwu County; it was certainly not something a minor household like the Li residence could criticize lightly. If Li Ru's angry words today were spread by someone with ulterior motives, the entire Li residence might face utter annihilation.

Finally, Li Ru let out a long sigh. "The Tiger and Wolf Sect is too powerful; we cannot afford to offend them. I will prepare another two hundred taels for you to go and smooth things over with this new deacon. Remember, be low-key and humble. Do not provoke the deacon, and strive harder to please him."

"I know, Father."

Though he said this aloud, resentment still churned in Li Shaoyun's heart. He hadn't even caught a glimpse of the new deacon's face, so how could he have provoked him? And how was he supposed to please him?

***

Three days later.

Li Shaoyun once again entrusted Liang Zhi to deliver two hundred taels of silver to the new deacon.

This time, Li Shaoyun was certain he would be granted an audience with the new deacon, followed by the allocation of certain martial arts resources.

According to the rules of the Tiger and Wolf Sect, deputy deacons also had the opportunity to receive free medicinal supplements, secret manuals, and the like, though it required a written note from their superior deacon.

He was fast approaching four hundred taels given away in total, which was a colossal sum of money. No matter how insatiable the new deacon's appetite was, surely this would satisfy him?

However, Li Shaoyun quickly realized he was overthinking things.

The result was identical to last time: the deacon accepted the silver without granting an audience, on the grounds that... he was too busy.

Liang Zhi didn't even bother to exchange pleasantries before leaving.

"Damn it, this new deacon is going too far!"

Li Shaoyun cursed inwardly, though he dared not show it on the outside, and had to briskly return to his chores.

As a deputy deacon, he was still stuck doing the most menial labor, and there was nowhere to appeal for fairness. He more than once felt he had come to the wrong place and even contemplated moving elsewhere.

Yet the Li residence's finances were limited and could no longer sustain such a drain.

A hasty month passed, and Li Shaoyun gradually lost his initial drive. He became numb to his work, grew depressed, and turned somewhat into a walking corpse...

***

Meanwhile, during this past month, Xie An had remained entirely within the Blood Ridge Black Market.

Aside from patrolling the black market, familiarizing himself with its operations, and getting acquainted with the proprietors of various shops, he spent all his remaining time in his courtyard grinding his longevity technique to the limit.

As for Li Shaoyun's affairs, Xie An... had already forgotten about them.

During this period, Chief Deacon Lin Yun had visited twice. The first time was on behalf of the incense master to check in on Xie An.

The second time was to inspect the ledgers. Upon discovering that the market's surplus revenue had increased, he praised Xie An for his efficient and capable management.

Although Lin Yun found it strange that Xie An still wore a mask, he didn't say much about it. After all, the disciples of the Tiger and Wolf Sect were a diverse and unruly bunch, and a place like the black market was a gathering of dragons and serpents. Many managers hid their identities for safety reasons, which was hardly a rare occurrence.

Furthermore, Xie An's appointment as deacon had been personally approved by Elder Tang Qingyun of the Examination Hall. Since Elder Tang himself hadn't raised any objections, it naturally wasn't appropriate for a mere deacon like Lin Yun to say too much; otherwise, he might run the risk of offending Elder Tang.

Lin Yun reminded Xie An that he could go to the branch hall to practice martial arts. Xie An expressed his gratitude and stated that, being a newcomer, he wished to handle his primary duties well before pursuing martial arts training.

Seeing Xie An's calm, steady, and unhurried demeanor, the cultured middle-aged man Lin Yun couldn't help but hold him in higher regard and offer greater appreciation.

Holding a massive fortune of four hundred taels, Xie An was in no rush to practice martial arts at the White Feather Branch Hall. Instead, he wanted to steadily fulfill his duties in the black market, ensuring that no errors occurred under his watch.

With silver now in hand, preparing Tang Qingfeng's exclusive medicinal formula was no longer a financial strain.

Bolstered by the medicinal formula, Xie An's longevity technique progressed at a steady, albeit slow, pace.

Although the gains were modest, improving every few days filled Xie An with a deep sense of enjoyment.

In the small hours of a certain morning, as the Blood Ridge Black Market closed for the day, Xie An returned to his courtyard to rest and began to map out his future:

"After a month of dedicated management, the Blood Ridge Black Market has operated without a single mishap, and business is even better than when Zhang Biao was in charge. I have also won the endorsement of Chief Deacon Lin Yun. Moreover, I am now thoroughly familiar with every detail of the black market, large and small. It is time to head to the branch hall, learn a martial art, and pay a visit to the elusive Incense Master Wei."

"Furthermore, through a month of rigorous cultivation, my longevity technique has advanced considerably, and my physical strength has reached a new level. Even if three Zhang Lins joined forces, they would be no match for me."

Although the longevity technique did not specialize in lethality, with his continuously increasing strength and speed, crushing a Copper Skin realm martial artist of minor accomplishment with bare hands would be a breeze.

Only when engaging in close combat with a Copper Skin realm martial artist skilled in weaponry would Xie An feel he lacked a winning chance.

Overall, Xie An felt he had firmly established his foothold in the black market and could now begin plotting his next steps.

Zhang Biao's backers were still lurking in the shadows, and there was also the Giant Whale Gang... All of this made Xie An realize that he needed to practice martial arts as soon as possible to deal with any sudden contingencies.

After a simple breakfast, Xie An sought out Zhang Lin. Stating his purpose, Zhang Lin readily agreed upon hearing it. "What a coincidence, I was planning to go to the branch hall today to collect my medicinal supplements as well. Let's go together."

"Thank you for the trouble, Brother Zhang."

"Don't be so polite. Recently, the Chief Deacon rewarded me with two extra portions of medicinal supplements and even permitted me to learn the Red Tiger Saber Technique. On one hand, this acknowledges my contribution in recommending talent; on the other, it recognizes the steadily improving business of the black market. I owe all of this to your blessing, old brother."

Zhang Lin did not take undue credit, frankly admitting that he was riding on Xie An's coattails.

Xie An took note of this in his mind.

Over the past month, thanks to Li Shaoyun's two deliveries of silver, Xie An had already paid back the one hundred and twenty taels he owed Zhang Lin. However, the expense of the exclusive medicinal formula was immense.

To this day, Xie An only had about a hundred taels left in his possession.

He was still poor...

It was worth mentioning that after working alongside Zhang Lin for over a month, Xie An found him to be sensible and genuine, though Zhang Lin still harbored a trace of petty ambition.

Even so, Xie An still did not remove his mask.

During this time, he had not returned to Wuqiao Town precisely out of fear that Zhang Lin might discover his true identity.

This was Xie An's only vulnerability and risk, and he had no desire to take unnecessary chances.

He figured it would be wise to wait until he possessed greater strength before making any further plans.

Zhang Lin clearly understood Xie An's reservations, yet he never brought the matter up. The two maintained a courteous and polite working relationship.

However, wearing a mask all day long was naturally uncomfortable.

When they arrived at the White Feather Branch Hall by the Water Lamp Wharf, Xie An realized he was not an exception. Many of the disciples and deacons coming and going wore masks or facial coverings.

With his sharp eyes, Zhang Lin noticed Xie An's confusion and explained, "The White Feather Branch Hall is located in the Six Towns region near the Great Yin Mountain. Apart from the chaotic black market, many disciples and deacons go deep into the bandit lairs of the Great Yin Mountain to act as undercover agents, while others carry out underhanded dealings on behalf of the branch hall. Aside from the upper echelons who know their true identities, they always wear masks when visiting the branch hall. Such situations are hardly new."

Xie An understood inwardly.

Passing through the bustling Water Lamp Wharf, they entered the White Feather Branch Hall.

This was a heavily fortified large estate. Although it lacked the grand splendor of the Tang Family Fortress in the county town, it still possessed three or four tenths of that grandeur.

Inside the estate was a magnificent martial arts training ground, where numerous disciples practiced and sparred, frequently drawing cheers from the surrounding onlookers.

In addition to this, there was a dispensary, a scripture library, an instruction hall, an armory... an overwhelming array of facilities.

Disciples and deacons sweating over their martial arts practices could be seen everywhere.

It was brimming with vigor and enthusiasm, truly living up to the standards of a major faction's branch hall.

As a first-time visitor, Xie An was deeply inspired, feeling a strong drive to push himself forward.

Zhang Lin acted as a familiar guide for Xie An, explaining as they walked, "Now the old brother should understand why so many people break their heads trying to join the White Feather Branch Hall. In the surrounding Six Towns, if our White Feather Branch Hall claims to be second, no one dares claim to be first."

Xie An deeply agreed.

Compared to ordinary people taking the formal route to enter the county's martial arts academies or various private martial arts schools, the threshold to join the Tiger and Wolf Sect was clearly much lower, and the financial cost was not as exorbitant. However, the Tiger and Wolf Sect's path was much rougher; it required working for the faction and came with certain risks, unlike martial arts schools where one simply paid tuition and focused purely on training.

No matter, it was clear why the Chief Deacon and Incense Master Wei spent almost all their time here, rarely visiting the Blood Ridge Black Market—they were wholly dedicated to cultivating their martial arts and increasing their strength.

Suddenly, Xie An noticed several wealthy gentry and merchant-like gentlemen entering the estate accompanied by servants carrying chests.

"Brother Zhang, what are they here for?"

Zhang Lin smiled and explained, "These are the wealthy gentry and merchants from the surrounding Six Towns. Whenever they suffer from bandit raids on their villages and towns, they come to seek help from our White Feather Branch Hall to suppress the bandits. These boxes are offerings of tribute."

Xie An clicked his tongue inwardly.

That made sense. When bandits plundered villages and towns, the gentry and merchants were inevitably the primary targets. To protect their wealth, they had no choice but to spend heavily to offer tribute to the White Feather Branch Hall and maintain good relations.

No wonder the White Feather Branch Hall was so prosperous; the tribute alone was an astronomical sum.

As for whether these bandits were genuine outlaws or simply actors hired by the White Feather Branch Hall... that remained unknown.

"Old brother, I'll take you to the scripture library. With your deacon's identity token, you can freely select one martial art technique." When Zhang Lin said this, he felt a private sense of astonishment, thinking to himself that this old man possessed truly formidable patience.

Other deacons couldn't wait to collect their free martial arts and medicinal supplements on their very first day in office. This old man had actually endured a full month before finally coming.

Yet Xie An replied, "Since I am a newcomer, I ought to pay a visit to Incense Master Wei and the Chief Deacon first. Please lead the way, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Lin was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "Senior brother thinks things through thoroughly, as expected. I will take you to the private courtyard where Incense Master Wei practices his martial arts."

Guided by Zhang Lin, they bypassed the bustling plaza and arrived at a secluded courtyard.

Zhang Lin gently knocked on the courtyard door and cupped his fists, saying, "Incense Master Wei, Zhang Lin has brought the new deacon to pay his respects."

After a brief pause, an elderly voice sounded from within: "Come in."