Chapter 3

(1)

"Brother, this is all we have..."

The two brothers, Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si, searched their entire bodies and managed to scrape together 250 taels of silver.

Their pockets were now completely empty, not even a single coin left.

One of the results of this was that the two brothers started to stay in the sick room, eating the food provided, and refused to leave the clinic.

As the saying goes: Conscience is lost in dire straits, and without money, one cannot take a single step.

With no place to stay and no food to eat, if they didn't shamelessly stay at the clinic, these two standard poor and injured brothers would have no choice but to rob or freeze and starve to death.

"We will recover... As soon as we get better, we'll leave, take on missions, and earn money..."

"We can work..."

"We can do anything..."

"Anyway, we have no money left. A benevolent and compassionate person like you wouldn't just watch us lie here in the clinic, right..."

Xu Lao San said with a sly smile.

Xu Lao Si, standing beside him, looked flushed.

The elder brother could say such things because he was truly sick.

But he himself, being uninjured and strong, how could he bear to lie there?

After a long pause, he said, "I... I will take care of my brother..."

He paused and added, "I'll go out to find work and earn money during the day, and take on missions... If I can complete a mission, sell the elixirs I earn, we'll have money soon."

"What? Sell the elixirs you earn?!"

Feng Yin, who was about to mock them, suddenly widened his eyes, full of disbelief.

How could such good things be sold?

I eat them all myself...

"To treat and save lives, you are the expert. But when it comes to assassins and missions, we brothers have more to say. The mission rewards from Jun Tian Hand are recognized as top-quality across the continent. Even the most common and ordinary elixirs are hard currency!" Xu Lao Si said proudly, his chest puffed out.

"I am an iron-ranked assassin of Jun Tian Hand! Iron-ranked, a very high level!"

"Tsk... Really impressive, not even 500 taels... Indeed impressive... Just an iron rank, truly impressive!"

Feng Yin clicked his tongue, shook his head, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

He looked very calm and cool, with a high level of sophistication.

Damn, now you know the iron rank is impressive?

You two rookies, a god is right in front of you!

Unfortunately, you two can't recognize a mountain when you see one!

...

The drizzle lasted for three days, not heavy but continuous, never stopping.

This led to the two brothers, Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si, being stuck in a state of worry, their faces full of distress.

In the Jun Tian Mirror, missions kept refreshing.

Iron and wooden rank missions were endless, making you want to take on missions until your hands were sore, no exaggeration.

But most of the simpler, easier, and closer missions were already completed by others by the time Xu Lao Si got there...

This vividly proved an old saying: Even eating shit can't be as fresh as you want it to be!

The business of Jun Tian Hand assassins was so hot, and the competition so fierce... This was evident.

Several times, he had to turn back halfway because the target was already completed...

And it was completed by that iron-ranked Gentle...

Xu Lao Si ran until his legs were thin, but he didn't get a single mission.

He cursed Gentle to eternal damnation in his heart.

Is this damn Gentle my nemesis?

Wherever I go, you follow.

Do you have any shame?

...

In these three days, Feng Yin found himself losing a lot. He had provided the two brothers with three days of food and lodging, and even the medicinal herbs for their recovery, but got nothing in return, which naturally made him angry.

Although I took the business, but... You can't stay at my place without paying, right?

Seeing the two of them gradually settle in, as if they were planning to live and work there, how could this be acceptable?

Feng Yin's face visibly darkened.

But the two brothers were incredibly resilient, firmly holding on, not only taking the initiative to cook, wash dishes, and clean, but also showing a submissive attitude, not retaliating even when hit or scolded...

As for making faces... What are faces?

Can they be more important than hunger, cold, and having no place to sleep?

There was no way Feng Yin could drive these two stubborn people out using normal means!

Once, Feng Yin even decided to drag Xu Lao San out and throw him at the door. But when it was time to cook, Xu Lao Si sneaked in to cook and politely reminded him, "Sir, the food is ready, just eat, don't worry about us brothers, we won't die from a meal or two."

After that, he diligently served the dishes and stood by the table, drooling as he watched Feng Yin eat.

Xu Lao San lay by the door, his neck twisted, watching Feng Yin eat and drooling...

Damn...

How can I eat?

How can I eat with peace of mind?

Feng Yin took out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Swear an oath, connect with the righteous heavens, and sign a promissory note with a fingerprint; 250 taels for medical expenses, plus 450 taels for food and lodging until recovery, totaling 700 taels, rounded to 500 taels. You have three months to pay back, with interest, totaling 1,200 taels. Sign and stay, or leave without signing, the choice is yours!"

The two brothers' faces twitched for a long time, but they finally accepted it with a dark expression.

Feng Langzhong's conditions were indeed harsh, with a lifetime restriction and an insane interest rate...

But, with no other options, the two brothers had to accept it.

Both of them, experienced in the world, understood that Feng Yin's actions were already a kindness, giving them a way out!

The two brothers had nothing of value, no special skills, and being thrown out to fend for themselves would be the most beneficial for Feng Yin.

With one brother severely injured and the other with shallow cultivation, they would likely freeze and starve to death within ten days.

In this world, ordinary human labor was the least valuable!

The two brothers, feeling both frustrated and relieved, quickly signed, pressed their fingerprints, and swore...

Then they settled down in the sick room at the back of the clinic.

They unexpectedly found that there were even cotton quilts to cover them, and they sighed with relief and comfort as they lay on the bed.

"Really black-hearted..."

The two brothers sighed in unison, feeling both relieved and resentful.

...

(2)

Feng Yin didn't keep these two out of kindness.

His kindness had long been fed to the dogs with his growing understanding of this chaotic world.

After dinner, with nothing to do, it was a good time to chat.

Xu Lao Si was checking his Jun Tian Mirror, constantly sighing, "You said this thing, you can only take things out, if you could also put your own things in and take them out whenever you want, that would be great... It's a bit wasteful."

Xu Lao San and Feng Yin both chuckled at the same time.

You wish.

Wouldn't that be like a legendary storage space? With so many Jun Tian Hand assassins, it's already unimaginable that it can do this.

If everyone had a storage space... Ha.

You're just dreaming.

Feng Yin interrupted Xu Lao Si's fantasy with a single sentence.

"What are your real names? You can't just be called Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si, right?"

"That's impossible. We have names. Lao San and Lao Si are just our ranks at home..."

"Ranks? So you have at least two older brothers, Xu Lao Da and Xu Lao Er, right?"

"Not just two brothers, there's also a sister, but girls don't count in our male ranking. My two sisters are older than Lao Wu and Lao Li, but Lao Wu and Lao Li are still Lao Wu and Lao Li..."

"Two sisters, Lao Wu, Lao Li? Your father, Xu Laodie, is really something, impressive, impressive!"

"Oh? Do you know my father?"

"No, no, let's talk about your real names!"

"My name is Xu Qingtian, and Lao Si's name is Xu Dadi."

Xu Lao San said proudly, "These are the names we chose after entering the world. In the world, you need a loud and clear name. At home, it doesn't matter what you're called. I am known as Whirlwind Blade, Whirlwind Blade Xu Qingtian, and Lao Si is Snowflake Blade Xu Dadi."

Self-titled?

Xu Lao San started to use fancy language?

Whirlwind Blade, Xu Qingtian...

Snowflake Blade, Xu Dadi...

Looking at their rough faces, almost seeing their stomachs...

Feng Yin's lips twitched involuntarily, and his facial muscles spasmed as he said, "I'll still call you Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si, it's less confusing."

"Whatever, it's all the same to me."

Seemingly remembering his identity as a wanderer, Xu Lao Si also started to use fancy language.

"Ah..."

Feng Yin sighed.

...

"Do you have that much freedom in your Jun Tian Hand organization? No rules or restrictions? No secrets to keep?"

Feng Yin, who had been in this world for over ten years, was very cautious. Apart from himself, no one knew he was the assassin Gentle.

But this low profile also meant that his information, news, and understanding of the organization were far less than others.

He never inquired, and occasionally overheard things as a bonus. If he didn't overhear, he wouldn't force it.

He never deliberately investigated or sought out information.

Every day, he paid attention to the iron-ranked mission updates, took on missions when appropriate, and returned quietly whether he completed them or not.

As the saying goes:

"Deaf to the world outside, focused on the art of killing."

When it was time to take risks, Feng Yin never lacked the courage for adventure.

But when it was time to be cautious, he was also very clear and steady.

"Jun Tian Hand is of course free, otherwise, how could it have so many members?"

Xu Lao San touched his chest, the itching from the medicine after brewing made him feel both uncomfortable and comfortable.

"If you want to earn money, you work; if you don't want to earn money, you don't. If you want to join, you join; if you don't want to work, you can leave without anyone stopping you. You don't even need to do anything special, just stop taking missions, and it's considered done..."

"Truly completely free, everything depends on your own strength and choice."

"Exposing your identity is your choice, keeping it secret is also your choice. How you use the techniques and elixirs you earn is up to you, whether you use them yourself or sell them is also your choice."

Feng Yin listened and thought.

This made him think of a profession on Earth: online writers.

Seemingly just as free, just as flexible...

A mix of thoughts and strange feelings arose in his mind: Jun Tian Hand assassins = online writers?

Then the most handsome and talented author I admire, if he were a Jun Tian Hand assassin, he would at least be at the sacred level, right?

That person is so impressive, he must be at least this level...

The most remarkable thing is that he is so handsome... He could live off his looks but chooses to live off his talent...

...

"Who doesn't want to live a stable life? But it's impossible in this world. To live a stable life, you need enough strength."

After boasting about Jun Tian Hand, Xu Lao San began to complain.

"I and Lao Si also thought about it. After completing missions for a while, improving our cultivation, saving some money, buying a house, land, and finding a wife, we wouldn't roll in the world anymore... But how easy is that? After all this effort, one injury can wipe out all our savings, and we're back to being poor... and... and..."

Hmm?

Feng Yin immediately gave him a sharp look.

This doesn't sound right. Isn't this implying that I'm black-hearted and took their savings?

I'm black-hearted, but I charge fairly!

If you dare to say more, I'll make you pay!

Xu Lao San quickly changed the subject: "Every year, every month, every day, many Jun Tian Hand assassins quit, stop taking missions, and some even throw away their badges, but more rejoin and take missions... After all, their ranks don't drop."

"In this chaotic world, the world is hard to navigate. We wander around, and we've seen many people who look ordinary but suddenly become wealthy landowners, living in luxury, eating and sleeping like they haven't eaten for eight generations or haven't had women for three lifetimes... Many of them are probably our fellow assassins, making up for their hard times... But that's their luck, they're just better off than us..."

"But there are more like us, living day to day, not knowing where the next meal will come from..."

"Living in the open, wandering the world, lonely and miserable... If we had enough strength, who wouldn't want a stable life..."

"I don't want much in this life, not a lot of land or money. If Lao Si and I can reach the gold rank, we can attack or defend as needed; we can live a peaceful life at home. When that time comes, not only will our lives be comfortable, but with strength, we won't worry about people with ill intentions. If anyone dares to cause trouble, they'll think twice. Even if we run out of money again, we can rejoin and take missions. With gold rank strength, we can aim for the right missions, make a big profit, and enjoy life. That life, just thinking about it, is beautiful..."

"Sleeping in a cold pit on a snowy night, how can it compare to the comfort of a warm bed with a wife? Tsk... Slurp, slurp..."

Talking about their future dreams, Xu Lao San and Xu Lao Si looked forward to it, their eyes bright and full of longing.

They slurped down several bowls of saliva...

Feng Yin looked away from their faces, rolled his eyes at the ceiling, and said insincerely, "Good luck."

"Thanks."

Xu Lao Si quickly got off the bed and added some oil to the lamp.

The light flickered, becoming brighter.

The shadows of the three of them on the wall became much clearer.

...

(3)

"The world is hard..."

Xu Lao San sighed after a while.

"First, there are countless experts, and among them, there are countless black-hearted and cunning people, making it even harder... In such a chaotic world, how can there be any good people among the experts... They are all ruthless killers..."

"In a chaotic world, human life is cheap. There are about seven or eight large-scale assassin organizations across the continent, not to mention many smaller organizations and local factions... Other things like transportation, escort services, salt guilds, boat guilds... Whatever... Almost all the ways to survive are dominated by others... Even the position of a beggar leader is fought over to the point of breaking heads, the world is full of competition..."

"And those hidden sects, major sects... Damn!"

"Intrigues and plots, open and hidden attacks, are hard to guard against... There are also beasts and demon races, constantly emerging to devour lives, destroy families, villages, and entire towns, as if it were an everyday occurrence... Damn... These few human countries are still at war..."

"Speaking of which, our luck is really good. We just started and joined Jun Tian Hand... Thanks to the Jun Tian Hand of the Great Qin Empire, which is much stronger and more organized than in other places."

Xu Lao Si spoke with a sense of small fortune.

"Oh? Xu Lao Si, you mean the Jun Tian Hand assassins of the Great Qin Empire are quite different? Tell me more, tell me more."

Feng Yin, who usually didn't like to inquire or investigate, was truly ignorant about this. Today, he had the opportunity, so he wanted to dig deeper.

"Ha, even if I tell you, you won't understand. You're just a village doctor, knowing too much is harmful."

Xu Lao San gave Feng Yin a slightly contemptuous look.

This look immediately triggered Feng Yin's anger. He frowned, his eyes fierce, and showed a creditor's aggressive face: "Pay up immediately, or get out!"

"I was wrong... Sir!"

Xu Lao San pleaded pitifully.

Xu Lao Si looked at his brother angrily: Can't you control your mouth?

You owe him money and still talk back.

"The Jun Tian Hand assassins of the Great Qin Empire, strictly speaking, are actually