Chapter 7

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A strong wind blew, the evening mist turned the sky red, and the setting sun slanted, shining on Lin Xiao's face, who stood woodenly in the courtyard. The light made his numb face look even more emotionless, except for his eyes, which were filled with grief and委屈.

Zhou Zheng knelt on the ground, bowing three times to the master of the Blue Tiger Martial Arts Hall, looking very serious. The sunset glow illuminated his small face with thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving him a very formal appearance.

"Zhou Zheng, my name is Fang Qinglei, the eighth-generation Tiger King of the Earth Tiger School of the Heaven and Earth Sect." The fierce face of the master of the Blue Tiger Martial Arts Hall had a solemn and dignified look in the sunset: "From now on, you are my second disciple, and the only rule of the Earth Tiger School of the Heaven and Earth Sect is..."

Zhou Zheng's face was more serious than ever, and Lin Xiao, standing woodenly, also perked up his ears to listen.

"Damn it." Fang Qinglei cursed in a serious tone.

"Don't corrupt Zheng." Lin Xiao protested in surprise.

"What?" Zhou Zheng was completely confused.

"Cough, cough." Fang Qinglei coughed lightly, seemingly realizing how fierce he sounded: "If someone provokes you, don't be afraid. Hit them first, then talk about the reason."

"But you have to be able to beat them." Lin Xiao added, unwilling to be left out.

"Shut up." Fang Qinglei scolded, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. As the boss spoke, the little newbie could only obediently shut up: "You, go out."

Lin Xiao's face changed.

"Master, he is my brother." Zhou Zheng said immediately.

"Next, I have important things to discuss with you. Idle people have no right to listen." Fang Qinglei said sternly.

"My brother is not idle, I won't become a disciple." Zhou Zheng stood up and pointed to the door: "You go."

Fang Qinglei's face was fierce, and he felt a bit of a toothache. Originally, he had noticed Lin Xiao at the martial arts hall, but unexpectedly found that Zhou Zheng's bone structure was more suitable for inheriting the Earth Tiger School's martial arts. After a casual chat to test his character, he immediately decided to take him as a disciple.

A good successor is not easy to find, and when found, should not be missed.

"Zheng, listen carefully." Lin Xiao said, walking towards the door.

Although very curious and wanting to know more, Lin Xiao was puzzled by the strange questions and the sudden request for Zhou Zheng to kneel. It turned out that Zhou Zheng was to become a disciple.

Lin Xiao was sure that Fang Qinglei was a martial arts expert, though he didn't know how strong, but definitely more powerful than Zhou Xingmu, the big boss.

Although Lin Xiao was Zhou Zheng's brother and had raised him and supported his education, he had never completely decided Zhou Zheng's life. Even for school, Lin Xiao had had a comprehensive discussion and serious consultation with Zhou Zheng, confirming that he truly wanted to go to school before sending him.

As for Zhou Zheng's occasional complaints about school, that was unacceptable. In Lin Xiao's view, once a choice was made, it had to be seen through, unless it was proven that he had no talent for it.

Whether to become a disciple and practice martial arts should also be decided by Zhou Zheng himself.

Another reason Lin Xiao had was that, being in a gang, he didn't know when he might be killed. If Zhou Zheng became a disciple, he would at least have a foothold, and a master wouldn't neglect his disciple.

Considering all this, he agreed to let Zhou Zheng come out. Zhou Zheng was very excited about becoming a disciple and, after consulting with Lin Xiao, knelt down without hesitation.

Now, Lin Xiao had to make some concessions.

"Brother." Zhou Zheng looked at Lin Xiao immediately.

"It's fine, listen carefully. Tell me what he said later." Lin Xiao said in a nonchalant tone.

Walking outside, Lin Xiao was full of resentment.

Damn, you came to my house, intimidated me, asked all sorts of questions, and I thought you were impressed by my talent, like a firefly in the night, and wanted to take me as a disciple, giving me weapons, skills, and treasures. But in the end, you wanted to take Zheng as a disciple.

Lin Xiao felt as if his back had been hit hard, but he couldn't do anything about it. If he grabbed the iron sword with his bare hands, it would shatter, and if it hit a bone, it would be completely crushed. Just think about that.

Standing outside, Lin Xiao listened carefully but heard nothing. After a while, the courtyard door opened, and Zhou Zheng poked his head out: "Brother, come in."

Lin Xiao went in and asked: "Where's your cheap master?"

"He's gone." Zhou Zheng answered.

"Come, tell me everything your cheap master said." Lin Xiao said, picking up the beef and the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken.

"Master told me to go to the Blue Tiger Martial Arts Hall tomorrow, and he will teach me the Earth Tiger School's martial arts." Zhou Zheng said obediently: "He also said that you are a quasi-martial artist, having entered the external cultivation stage. He said I should focus on the basics and don't need to know too much yet."

"Quasi-martial artist... external cultivation stage..." Lin Xiao rubbed his chin: "I'm a quasi-martial artist? I didn't know. What else? Did he say I have extraordinary talent, a rare genius in the world?"

"No." Zhou Zheng's face darkened, and he replied unhappily.

"It seems your master's eyesight is not good." Lin Xiao said regretfully.

External cultivation corresponds to the quasi-martial artist stage, so what does internal cultivation correspond to? When did I enter the martial arts stage? Why do I have no feeling at all?

"Brother." Zhou Zheng hesitated for a moment, then looked determined: "Since I'm going to practice martial arts, can I stop going to school?"

"Of course..." Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly, making Zhou Zheng's face light up: "No, you must go to school, no matter the weather or disasters, unless the teacher stops teaching you."

Zhou Zheng's face darkened again. Normally, he would ignore Lin Xiao, but this time he argued: "Brother, since I'm practicing martial arts, what's the point of school?"

"Zheng, today I'll teach you a lesson." Lin Xiao said solemnly: "A martial arts expert as tall as a mountain once said, 'If you practice martial arts without studying, you'll be empty-handed in old age.' Studying is like reading."

"Brother, I think you're just fooling me." Zhou Zheng thought for a moment, his face full of suspicion.

"Think about it, if you don't study, and one day you get a profound martial arts manual, and after practicing it, you become invincible, but when you open it, you can't understand anything. Wouldn't you regret not studying?" Lin Xiao said earnestly.

Zhou Zheng was stunned, thought for a moment, and nodded. Brother's words made sense. He had thought that practicing martial arts meant he could skip school, but now he had to go to school.

"Little brat, I can still handle you." Lin Xiao saw Zhou Zheng's sad face and felt secretly amused. Then he noticed the broken pieces on the ground, his expression changed, and he cried out: "Damn, the sword I bought for one tael of silver..."

...

White clouds fill the sky, righteousness moves the air!

This is the motto of the White Cloud Gang, and the couplet of the White Cloud Hall.

This is the second time Lin Xiao has entered the White Cloud Hall. The first time was a few months ago when he was promoted to an elite member. He learned horse stance and basic sword techniques and bought an iron sword from the armory. At that time, he was very happy, but this time, he couldn't be happy.

Because he was here to spend money.

One tael of silver.

That's a month's salary, especially recently, after mastering the horse stance, his appetite has increased, and he spends 200 coins a day just on food. One tael of silver only lasts five days, and his savings, which were only a few taels, are now even less.

Toothache, heartache.

Painful as it was, he still needed to buy a sword. Although mastering the basic sword techniques allowed him to use his fists and feet like a sword, Lin Xiao knew the difference between a real sword and a practice one was significant.

At the entrance of the White Cloud Hall, two muscular men with knives stood guard, their expressions cold and their auras condensed. They were the Flying Cloud Guards, said to be martial artists.

"Stop, state your name and purpose." The man on the left shouted.

"Elite member Lin Xiao, here to buy weapons." Lin Xiao responded calmly, taking out a small oval gray wooden token from his pocket and handing it to the man.

This is the gang

(To be continued, please turn the page.)

Token, symbolizing his status in the gang, with "White Cloud" carved on one side and "Lin Xiao" on the other.

Elite members have wooden tokens, small leaders have iron tokens, and big leaders have copper tokens. Ordinary members are cannon fodder and have no tokens.

"Go in, no loud talking, no running around." The muscular man handed the token back to Lin Xiao, who nodded and put it away, then walked into the White Cloud Hall.

The White Cloud Hall's training ground was spacious, able to accommodate hundreds of people without feeling crowded. The ground was made of large gray square stones, very flat and wide. In front was a large building, the gang's meeting hall. Next to the meeting hall's entrance was a stone platform with a ten-meter-high flag, blue with cloud patterns forming the words "White Cloud," the flag of the White Cloud Gang.

The flag fluttered in the wind under the clear blue sky, the sound like a strong wind in the ears, making Lin Xiao's mind wander. He stopped and stared at the meeting hall, where he could vaguely see a large chair facing the entrance, symbolizing the leader's position. A desire to sit in it and experience the feeling of being in a high position grew in his heart.

"When will I sit in it and feel the power of a leader?"

"I am now a martial artist."

"I have a golden finger, even if it's a bit cheap."

"I am no longer the same as before. My future will not just be about raising Zheng to be talented." Lin Xiao suddenly muttered to himself: "I should have my own goals."

Thoughts kept emerging from Lin Xiao's heart, like a spring gushing out. In the past, he had no goals or many thoughts, just wanting to raise Zhou Zheng to be talented, find him a wife, and continue the family line, completing his goal and giving a good account to his deceased adoptive parents. As for his own future, that was another matter.

After all, he was just an ordinary person, with no special abilities, and being able to survive in this world was already good enough.

But now, it's different. The golden finger has appeared, and he is no longer the ordinary, unremarkable Lin Xiao. Thinking about the predecessors who have traveled through time, can he still be ordinary?

No!

"People like me will eventually be as bright and distinct as a firefly in the night. One day, I, Lin Xiao, will stand at the top of the world, looking down on all, and let the world sing my name." Lin Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up, as if trying to compete with the sun, burning with passion: "Now, let's set a small goal, a promotion and a raise, step by step, to the position of leader."

"Small leaders earn five taels a month, big leaders twenty taels, and the leader even more. Haha, I, Lin Wuming, am a man who regards money as dirt. The promotion is not for the money."

Lin Xiao nodded fiercely, that's right.

...

The armory was in the corner of the training ground. Lin Xiao walked over, and at that moment, two figures came from the direction of the meeting hall.

"Stop." A loud voice came, and Lin Xiao instinctively turned around, his eyes narrowing.

The one rushing over was the same person who had eaten and fought at the Zhenwei Building and was taught a lesson by him. The other had a similar appearance but a different expression.

"Lin Wuming, it's really you." The arrogant young man stared at Lin Xiao, laughing coldly: "I said we would meet again. Surprised? Unexpected?"

"My name is Lin Xiao, you must have the wrong person." Lin Xiao looked at him suspiciously, speaking calmly, with no sign of recognition in his eyes, tone, or actions.

The arrogant young man was taken aback, then looked Lin Xiao up and down suspiciously and asked: "Where is Lin Wuming, and what is your relationship?"

"Lin Wuming? That's my alias." Lin Xiao answered casually.

"Tell your brother that at the tavern, I, Feng Yuan, was drunk. Now I'm waiting for him here. If he's a man, he'll come and settle the score. I want to show him my strength." The arrogant young man said proudly.

"My brother." Lin Xiao was slightly stunned, then nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll tell him."