Simon Harper, cloaked in black and wearing his bronze ghost mask, nodded with satisfaction as Thomas Keen knelt before him in the candlelit room. The air carried the faint scent of ink and worn paper from the medical book on Thomas's table. "To prove your loyalty, take this pill," Simon said, offering a dark poison pill.
Thomas hesitated, eyeing the pill in the masked figure's hand. At thirteen, his mind was sharp, and he knew it wasn't benign.
But joining an organization that promised martial arts and funds for his mother's treatment required a price. If it meant easing her suffering, he'd pay it.
His hesitation wasn't about sacrifice—he'd do anything for his mother—but doubt. What if the masked man's promises were lies?
Simon sensed the pause and pulled out five hundred taels in silver notes. "This is for your mother's treatment."
The wealth from the Vance and Holt families made Simon generous. If money secured loyalty, he wouldn't hold back.
Thomas's doubts vanished. He took the notes, swallowed the pill without a word, and looked up with resolve.
Simon handed him an antidote. "That was poison. This delays its effects for six months."
"Without another dose, you'll die."
Thomas nodded solemnly, prepared for the cost. His mother's health was worth any risk.
"Stand," Simon said. "You're now part of the Verdant Society."
He showed Thomas a black token etched with a coiled dragon. "Memorize this. Our agents will use it to contact you."
Thomas studied the token, committing its design to memory.
"What's your role, sir? How do I reach you?" Thomas asked.
Simon smiled beneath the mask. "My role isn't your concern. You'll learn how to contact us in time."
Revealing he was the Verdant Society's leader would shatter its mystique. Leaders didn't recruit personally—that was for underlings.
"Keep your membership secret unless someone presents this token," Simon added. "Only then admit you're with the Verdant Society."
Thomas nodded, absorbing the instructions.
"I'll teach you basic martial arts now," Simon said. "Prove your worth, and you'll learn greater techniques."
He closed the door to ensure privacy, the faint creak echoing in the quiet house.
Thomas's eyes lit up with anticipation. Martial arts were closely guarded, even in gangs and sects, making this a rare opportunity.
Simon's masked face hid a faint smile as he began teaching basic techniques from his past life—rudimentary forms that couldn't generate Inner Breath.
After a while, he stopped. "Your aptitude is strong. That's enough for now."
Simon had chosen Thomas for his learning potential, which stood out among Marcus Grey's disciples, sharp and promising.
Thomas bowed deeply. "Thank you for teaching me, sir."
"These are basic," Simon said. "Contribute to the Verdant Society, and you'll learn profound techniques."
Thomas nodded, excitement and ambition stirring at the promise of greater skills.
After a few more instructions, Simon left, slipping into the shadowed streets of Yewell City.
As he moved swiftly, he reflected on his actions. "The Verdant Society is new, with too few members. I'm forced to recruit myself."
"But it's on track now. I'll monitor Thomas, then teach him a fused martial art from both worlds—the Society's true strength."
An organization needed a unique edge to thrive, and Simon's was a martial system blending the Starlight Flow Art and Serpent Coil Technique.
It wasn't true creation—just a complementary fusion of the real world's Serpent Coil with the Martial Realm's energy circulation methods.
"My body's aptitude is average, yet I reached Inner Breath in a month," Simon mused, still awed by the speed. "The fused system, plus my experience, made it possible."
This hybrid martial art was his key to power in the Martial Realm and a tool to reshape it, but it had to be guarded.
"Those who learn it must take poison," he decided. "It's the only way to ensure control."
If the technique spread unchecked, his advantage would weaken, harming future simulations despite potential point gains.
The night air was cool as Simon returned to his mansion, his plans for the Verdant Society taking shape.
More than a month later, sunlight streamed through the windows of Simon Harper's Yewell City mansion.
Simon watched the children he'd adopted, now numbering a few more, studying diligently under their tutor's guidance. The room echoed with the soft murmur of their lessons, the air carrying a faint scent of ink and parchment.
"In two or three years, they'll be ready to serve," he thought, nodding with approval.
His Inner Breath surged within, stronger than ever, filling him with satisfaction. Over the past month, he'd broken through to the Minor Achievement stage of the Acquired Inner Breath Realm.
Unlike the initial stage's fleeting energy, his Inner Breath now flowed like a steady stream, enhancing his endurance and explosive power.
"My Blood Surge Technique has also reached Major Achievement," Simon noted, smiling faintly. "I can unleash my strength freely without harming my body."
His progress was remarkable, a stark contrast to his modest beginnings in this simulation.
As he observed the children, the mansion gate creaked open. Xu, one of his adopted orphans, approached, his small frame moving with purpose.
"Godfather, I found the mark you described in Tanner's Alley," Xu whispered.
Simon frowned. The graffiti was his contact signal for Cedric Holt. "Why is he reaching out? Trouble?"
"I'll send Thomas Keen to investigate," he decided. Cedric was bound by poison, but human loyalty was fickle, and Simon couldn't risk carelessness.
His strength, though improved, couldn't withstand a crossbow ambush or a concerted attack.
"I hope Cedric isn't plotting," Simon thought, his gaze hardening. Betrayal would be met without mercy.
He handed Xu a Verdant Society token, etched with a coiled dragon. "Tonight, go to Thomas Keen's house on Blackrock Street. Show him this and tell him to visit Cedric Holt to find out why he contacted us."
The orphans, handpicked for loyalty and trained by Simon, were reliable for small tasks like delivering messages or checking signals.
Xu nodded, taking the token, and left.
That night, Thomas Keen faced Xu, a boy of seven or eight, holding the Verdant Society token. His expression shifted to respect. "Envoy, what does the Society need?"
Despite Xu's youth, Thomas treated him with deference, recognizing the token's authority.
"Go to Cedric Holt's mansion with this token," Xu said. "Use the secret phrase at the gate to enter and ask why he contacted the Society."
Thomas's face tightened. Cedric Holt, a wealthy magnate, was part of the Verdant Society? He nodded, taking the token. "I understand."
"Wait here, Envoy. I'll go now."
Xu sat in Thomas's modest room, its walls cracked and candle flickering, awaiting his return.
Hours later, Thomas returned, relaying the information to Xu.
"Someone's targeting the Holt family's wealth?" Simon said, stunned, as Xu reported back. "Cedric wants the Society to eliminate them?"
"Yes," Xu confirmed. "Thomas said Cedric needs to gather his wealth and move it to Blackridge Forest in a month."
Simon's thoughts raced. The Holts had a crossbow team, but against agile martial artists, it was less effective unless they were surrounded.
"Cedric can't always hide behind crossbows," Simon mused. "His enemies are likely Acquired Inner Breath martial artists, not Innate Qi Refining experts."
Feeling his Inner Breath flow steadily, Simon's eyes gleamed. "Tell Thomas to inform Cedric to stage a show—pretend to gather his wealth but take no rash actions."
"In a month, the Society will send agents to deal with those targeting him."
Xu nodded and left to relay the message.
Simon watched him go, his mind calculating. "In a month, my cultivation will advance further. I'll see who dares rival me for the Holts' wealth."
"If they're only at Acquired Inner Breath, they'll regret crossing me."
His Inner Breath pulsed, a testament to his growing power. Though at Minor Achievement, his dual cultivation of the Starlight Flow Art and Serpent Coil Technique, plus the Major Achievement Blood Surge Technique, made him far stronger than his realm suggested.
"My combat power rivals a Major Achievement martial artist," he estimated, smiling.
"Realm is one thing; combat power is another. My dual systems give me an edge."
At the Innate Qi Refining level, his advantage would widen, setting him far above ordinary martial artists.