A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Morning. Outside the house.
Zhao Xuanqi assumed the opening stance of the Tiger Form Fist. With a sudden burst of movement, he launched into the Nine Tiger Forms.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Seven crisp cracks echoed in succession. Zhao Xuanqi, however, was already starting to pant. He launched the eighth form, which still produced a crack, but the sound was much fainter than before. Immediately after, he felt his strength completely give out.
'I can barely manage Eight Sounds. This body's foundation is truly terrible. My physical ability is growing too slowly.'
Over the past week, Zhao Xuanqi had consumed all seven portions of the Secret Medicine he had acquired. This had barely managed to raise his physical ability to the level of Eight Sounds.
Releasing force for the later forms of the Nine Tiger Forms was increasingly difficult, demanding greater and greater physical ability.
Zhao Xuanqi estimated he would need at least fifteen more portions of Secret Medicine just to barely reach Nine Sounds. As for reaching the peak of Nine Sounds and accumulating the Qi and Blood strength required to officially begin Cross-Training, that was likely impossible without several dozen portions of Secret Medicine.
The ultimate reason was that Zhao Qi's physical foundation was too weak. The resources and effort required were at least several times that of someone with a superior foundation like Zhou Ze.
If it were the original Zhao Qi, even with full meals every day and the Martial Arts Hall's regular rations of Secret Medicine, reaching Nine Sounds would have been impossible in under ten years. As for Cross-Training, without Zhao Xuanqi's Martial Dao experience, he probably would never have achieved it in his lifetime.
'The Secret Medicine is gone, and I have almost no silver coins left. If a job doesn't come soon, I'll have to figure something out myself.'
Zhao Xuanqi muttered to himself.
After the competition a week ago, during the placement assignments for new Outer Disciples, Liu Changfeng had assigned him to be a member of the Xiaolin Escort Agency's "Wind Shadow Hall".
The Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall had close connections with many businesses in Celestial Sea Prefecture.
Escort agencies, freight, restaurants, dance halls...
Aside from the escort agency, the other businesses were managed by the Martial Arts Hall's third True Inheritance disciple. The escort agency, however, was run by the second True Inheritance disciple, Liu Changfeng. It served as the armed wing of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, and its primary business was not escorting cargo, but rather "bodyguarding."
In these chaotic times, in addition to those affiliated with the eight great Warlords and the various Martial Arts Halls, independent Martial Artists were also emerging in droves.
Martial practitioners, with their vigorous Qi and Blood and headstrong natures, inevitably stirred up trouble. Although the local security details and military garrisons could maintain overall control, they couldn't possibly handle every minor incident.
This was how the escort agency business came to be. Public gathering places in Celestial Sea Prefecture prone to trouble—such as dance halls, restaurants, casinos, and brothels—would hire the agency to station men there long-term, using the Martial Arts Hall's reputation and might to deter petty criminals.
The Wind Shadow Hall was one such division of the escort agency, though its nature was rather unique. It was under the direct command of the Martial Arts Hall, composed of disciples with formidable real-world combat skills. They took orders from Weng Xiaolin and Liu Changfeng to handle matters that ordinary disciples could not.
Compared to other posts, Wind Shadow Hall disciples received a larger monthly allotment of Secret Medicine and earned extra rewards for completing missions. Moreover, they weren't required to stand guard at a business during fixed hours, giving them immense freedom to arrange their own schedules. The corresponding risks, however, were also extremely high. All in all, it was a cushy post that a newly initiated disciple could never hope to get. This made it clear that Liu Changfeng was treating him exceptionally well.
However, for an entire week, Zhao Xuanqi had not received a single order. He spent his days training at the Martial Arts Hall and getting free meals, causing the other Outer Sect disciples to give him strange looks. They seemed to suspect some kind of secret, behind-the-scenes deal between him and Senior Brother Liu.
Relaxing his stance, he went back inside, ate the breakfast Zhao Qin had made, then changed into a Martial Arts Uniform and headed to the Martial Arts Hall.
Although Wind Shadow Hall disciples had relatively free schedules, they still had to report to the Martial Arts Hall daily to await assignments.
"Senior Brother Liu is looking for you."
He had just arrived at the Martial Arts Hall when the towering Li Zhongquan approached him.
'Looks like I won't have to go find work myself,' Zhao Xuanqi thought. He bid farewell to Li Zhongquan and went to find Liu Changfeng.
"What are your orders, Senior Brother?"
Zhao Xuanqi asked.
"Our Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall has many businesses in the Upper River District. While I can't say all of them are strictly legitimate, there is one rule in the territories we control: no selling opium. That is the Martial Arts Hall's bottom line."
"Recently, someone has been secretly selling opium in the restaurants and dance halls belonging to the Martial Arts Hall, breaking our rules. We used our connections to investigate and eventually traced it to an organization called the Cang Mountain Gang."
"As is our standard procedure, we will make this organization disappear from Celestial Sea Prefecture and then seize their assets. The Escort Agency will carry out an eradication mission tonight. However, we've never heard of this Cang Mountain Gang before. Our intelligence suggests they're likely a group of exiled desperados, and they even seem to possess a Secret Transmission. I'm worried there might be complications, so I'm sending you to assist and ensure everything goes off without a hitch."
"For the specific details, take this letter to 66 Fulin Road. Someone will meet you there."
"Putting you in this position has caused some grumbling. This is your first mission. Show them what you've got, or you'll make things very difficult for me."
Liu Changfeng told Zhao Xuanqi bluntly, his expression calm.
"I understand."
With a calm expression, Zhao Xuanqi nodded, took the letter, and turned to leave.
...
...
Manlin Dance Hall. 66 Fulin Road, in the northern part of the Upper River District, Celestial Sea Prefecture.
Zhao Xuanqi, now changed into dark plain clothes, stood before the dance hall. The Manlin Dance Hall was one of the Martial Arts Hall's directly owned businesses.
The dance hall's main doors were shut tight; it wasn't open for business during the day.
His expression calm, he pushed open the main doors of the dance hall and went inside.
Inside, the booths and chairs were not set up, making the dance hall look somewhat dim and stuffy. Only at a central table sat five men and one woman.
When the doors opened, all six people instantly looked toward Zhao Xuanqi. No one spoke. No one stood to welcome him. The room was utterly silent, their gazes filled with scrutiny as they sized him up.
Zhao Xuanqi, of course, knew the reason why.
He, a newcomer who had been in the Outer Sect for barely a month, had been unprecedentedly assigned to the Wind Shadow Hall. Just as Liu Changfeng had said, this move was bound to stir resentment and suspicion among the veterans. Many suspected some inside dealing or foul play was involved, but they held their tongues out of deference to Liu Changfeng's status and power.
And now, he had been dropped right into the middle of this mission.
From what he understood, on this type of mission, the greatest spoils weren't the official rewards from the Martial Arts Hall and the Escort Agency, but the wealth seized from the target organization. A portion had to be turned over, but the rest was divided among the participants. One more person naturally meant a smaller cut for everyone.
This amplified their resentment. By now, they probably all thought Liu Changfeng had deliberately sent him to piggyback on their efforts, steal the credit, and pad his own record.
So of course, they weren't going to give him a warm welcome.
Zhao Xuanqi paid them no mind. His expression calm, he walked toward them. When he was about five paces away, they finally made a move.
"So, you're our junior brother from the Wind Shadow Hall? A pleasure to meet you. We'll be counting on your contributions for tonight's mission."
A sturdy, horse-faced man suddenly stood up, a smile on his face, and slapped sharply at Zhao Xuanqi's shoulder as if greeting an old friend.
But in mid-motion, his palm changed into a claw, whistling through the air as it aimed straight for the collarbone.
However, his vision blurred. A light breeze seemed to pass by, and he was stunned to find that Zhao Xuanqi, who had been right in front of him, had already walked past him.
Just as he was about to turn, the horse-faced man suddenly felt his waistband loosen and his pants start to fall. His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly grabbed his falling trousers, only to discover that his belt had, at some unknown point, been sliced in two.
And in Zhao Xuanqi's hand, a brightly gleaming dagger had appeared from nowhere.
"Hmph?!"
Seeing that Zhao Xuanqi had actually drawn a weapon, the expressions of the others changed, and they shot to their feet.
HAAH!!
The man and woman closest to him roared, their hands forming claws. The explosive crack of Sound Force erupted from their bodies as they simultaneously executed Furious Tiger Piercing the Forest, clawing at Zhao Xuanqi from left and right in an attempt to completely subdue him.
However, they quickly forced themselves to a halt, freezing in place, not daring to move an inch. Cold sweat broke out on their backs.
Another dagger had appeared in Zhao Xuanqi's hand. As if he had foreseen their moves, the two daggers were perfectly positioned in the path of their techniques. If they moved another inch, the sharp tips would pierce their abdomens.
The instant the pair froze, Zhao Xuanqi flicked his wrists. The two daggers spun in his palms before he slid them back into the sheaths at his waist.
The entire motion was fluid, without the slightest hesitation.
He had neutralized three people in the blink of an eye.
Now that he had Liu Changfeng's approval, he no longer needed to hide so much of his ability.
He casually pulled out an empty chair and sat down, placing his hands flat on the tabletop. His expression was calm. Though his frame was not large, his presence in that instant was overwhelming, as if he were the master of all present.
"Everyone sit. The joke is over."
The room fell silent. The six of them remained frozen in place, seemingly unable to process what had just happened.
What had just happened had thoroughly stunned them.
After all, the people present were no greenhorns. To be dispatched by the Escort Agency for such a mission, even the weakest among them was a veteran of at least Seven Sounds with extensive combat experience.
Although they had been empty-handed while Zhao Xuanqi held a blade, and it had all happened so suddenly, his ability to subdue three people in an instant still spoke volumes.
Recalling the scene, the Wind Shadow Hall newcomer's methods were ruthless, simple, and efficient, without a single wasted motion. The more they thought about it, the more their blood ran cold.
If it had been a real life-or-death battle, even if they had also been armed, what were their chances of survival against such an opponent?
A chill ran down their spines. They no longer dared to treat Zhao Xuanqi as a mere rookie.
The Martial Dao is simple. Can you fight or can't you? One test is all it takes to know.
"As expected of a master from the Wind Shadow Hall. Forgive our rudeness."
The leader, a strongly-built, square-faced man of about 1.8 meters, said.
The others exchanged glances and returned to their seats at the table. The horse-faced man whose belt had been sliced by Zhao Xuanqi's blade even made a point to apologize as he passed him.
The way of a Martial Artist is also simple: as long as you are strong, you will earn respect.
"Are you Cai Mingliang? You're the one in charge of this operation. Brief me on the situation."
Zhao Xuanqi said to the square-faced man, his face calm.