Underhanded

Luo Zhan finished speaking with an arrogant laugh.

He completely ignored the dark look on the Ji family steward's face, nor did he care what Shen Xiuhan would ultimately choose.

With a wave of his hand, he swaggered away, taking the newly recruited outer courtyard disciple surnamed Zhang with him.

The disciple surnamed Zhang cast a look of pity at Shen Xiuhan, as if looking at a dead man walking.

His previous envy had completely vanished.

He hurriedly cupped his hands to Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting, then followed Luo Zhan without a word.

A cold wind swept through the courtyard.

Shen Xiuhan stood in place, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes.

It seemed the friction between the Luo and Ji families was even deeper than he had anticipated.

But this was actually perfect...

At this juncture, if he still chose to accept the Ji family's offer, he could use this show of courage—offering help in their hour of need—to gain the trust of the Ji family's upper echelon!

No sooner had the Luo family members departed than the silence in the courtyard was shattered.

An uncontrollable wave of hushed discussions rushed into Shen Xiuhan's ears like a tide.

“Senior Brother Bai, what kind of place is Chenjian Dock? How dare they publicly kill a genius of the Ji family?!”

“Shh, keep your voice down. You might not know of Chenjian Dock on its own, but if I mention the Raging Sea Sect on Cloudwater Lake, surely you understand?”

“The Raging Sea Sect?! Is that the colossus entrenched on Cloudwater Lake, gathering fierce bandits and outlaws from the three states of Qi, Yue, and Wu?”

“Exactly! The Raging Sea Sect gathers underworld experts from three states, and its internal factions are clearly defined. This Chenjian Dock hails from the Qi State, and most of its members are ruthless characters from our Great Qi. I heard that the chief leaders who hold the decision-making power are all Anjin Rank experts without exception!”

“That's not all... I heard from people on the streets that the Blood Dhuta, who decapitated the Ji family's genius, is an evil monk who betrayed the Buddhist teachings. He was already a late stage Anjin Rank expert ten years ago, and now his strength is utterly unfathomable!”

“Hiss, to think he is that terrifying? Senior Brothers, this junior brother entered the sect late and doesn't know about that tragedy. Who exactly was captured back then?”

“It was the Ji family's young genius of that era, Ji Guannan. His talent was astonishing, reaching the peak of the Mingjin Rank before he was even twenty. He was truly brilliant, but alas...”

“Ahem!”

Just as the crowd was getting increasingly worked up, Xu Chuan let out a heavy, dark-faced cough.

The disciples choked on their words and followed Xu Chuan's gaze.

When they saw the murderous glare of the Ji family steward, their faces turned pale with fright. They became as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe loudly!

For a moment, a pin drop could be heard in the entire outer courtyard of the Mei Family Martial Arts Hall.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, the stewards of the remaining factions felt that this was a muddy puddle they should not wade into, and they all prepared to take their leave.

“Brother Shen,” the Ji family steward suddenly spoke.

His gaze swept over everyone present before finally landing on Shen Xiuhan, his expression solemn.

“The duty on Yunyi Island involves dealing with river pirates year-round, so it is indeed somewhat dangerous.”

“But our Ji family has stood in Changyun County for a century. We are absolutely not unrighteous people who would send our subordinates to their deaths for nothing!”

“To give the Patrol Envoy stationed on the island some real skills to kill enemies and preserve their life, our Ji family has specially made an exceptional promise...”

He paused, saying each word deliberately:

“Any martial artist recognized by this old man who is willing to accept the Yunyi Island Patrol Envoy token may enter the first floor of our Ji family's Library Pavilion and freely select one martial technique or stance work!”

The courtyard fell into a brief silence.

Then, like oil splashed on a roaring fire, everyone was shocked!

The entire martial arts arena erupted!

The Library Pavilion!

That was the true lifeblood and foundation of a great family in Changyun County.

Secret techniques were not easily passed down.

Martial techniques and stance work had always been the closely guarded secrets of major forces.

Let alone outsiders who only held nominal posts; even the collateral branches of the family's own clan might not have the right to step inside without making monumental contributions.

Had the Ji family been driven mad by the Luo family's provocation?

To recruit an outsider, they were actually willing to pay such a staggering price?!

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, the Ji family steward pulled out a waist token forged from dark iron. Holding it flat in his palm, he stared intently at Shen Xiuhan:

“Brother Shen, you are a genius recognized by this old man. Whether you are willing or not, the choice is in your hands.”

Shen Xiuhan's heart skipped a beat.

An unexpected pleasant surprise?

No matter how dangerous Luo Zhan claimed Yunyi Island to be, Shen Xiuhan had never once thought of refusing.

Because for him, there would be no better opportunity than aligning with the Ji family to get close to the Diaohai Pavilion legacy.

But he hadn't expected that just to save face, the Ji family would throw in a treasured martial art for free!

Then what was there to hesitate about?

“I will keep the Ji family's sincerity close to my heart,” Shen Xiuhan said without any pretense, simply cupping his hands in response. “I accept the post of Yunyi Island's Patrol Envoy.”

“Good!”

The tight expression on the Ji family steward's face instantly relaxed. He couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh heartily, saying “good” three times in a row. He immediately strode forward and handed over the waist token.

“Brother Shen is straightforward indeed! Our Ji family will not mistreat you!”

“Take these next two days to settle your family affairs. The day after tomorrow, come to the Ji Mansion in the north of the city to find me. This old man is named Ji Zhong. At that time, I will personally lead you to the Library Pavilion!”

Shen Xiuhan stepped forward, took the token, and bowed with cupped hands. “Thank you for the opportunity, Steward!”

The placement meet drew to a close, and the stewards of the various forces departed one after another.

Xu Chuan and Xiang Yunting quickly walked over, their faces bearing expressions of exasperation.

“Junior Brother, you are foolish!”

Xu Chuan lowered his voice, his tone filled with anxiety.

“The Luo family has a Huajin Rank expert backing them and the county magistrate's office behind them; they have always suppressed the Ji family. Today, when Luo Zhan acted so insolently, the Ji family didn't even dare to utter a peep. Aren't you just...”

“Second Senior Brother, haven't you realized yet?”

Shen Xiuhan raised a hand to interrupt him, shaking his head helplessly with a wry smile.

“Do you really think Luo Zhan was kindly advising me? He only saw that the Han and Ji families had offered too high a price, and he no longer had any intention of recruiting me.”

“Since he couldn't have me, he simply decided to tear open an old wound in public. It both disgusted the Ji family and served to plant a seed of doubt in my mind.”

Hearing this, Xu Chuan was stunned.

His anger was instantly doused like cold water poured over fire, leaving him frozen in place.

Beside them, the meticulous Xiang Yunting stroked his chin and nodded in deep agreement.

“Junior Brother sees things clearly. Though your talent is remarkable, in the end, you have only just entered the Mingjin Rank and have not truly grown yet.”

He paused, exposing the truth in a single sentence:

“An undeveloped genius—who can say for sure if they won't become the next Ji Guannan?”

“So Luo Zhan simply flipped the table, using Chenjian Dock's fearsome reputation to strike fear into your heart so you would back out on your own.”

“If you had really been frightened away, the Ji family's face would have been completely dragged through the mud today.”

“Sigh...”

This layer-by-layer analysis caused Xu Chuan's expression to shift repeatedly, his fists clenching until his knuckles cracked.

He couldn't help but curse under his breath:

“That old dog Luo Zhan is truly underhanded to the extreme!”

After a long while, he let out a heavy breath, turned to look at Shen Xiuhan, and said seriously:

“Junior Brother, although the Ji family is willing to pay a heavy price, that Yunyi Island... is ultimately not peaceful. Once you are out on the water, you must be extremely vigilant and never stick your neck out when trouble arises.”

“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I understand!”

Shen Xiuhan nodded with cupped hands, his expression sincere.