Early the next morning.
Before dawn, Lin Xun already got up and walked into the courtyard, practicing Marching Boxing. His fists, like sea waves roaring, struck the air.
Though Marching Boxing was a preliminary boxing which was very popular in the empire, very few people could reach Accuracy as Lin Xun did.
It was only a pity that he hadn’t practiced it to the realm of Mastery yet.
He had mastered the quintessence and moves of Marching Boxing, but lacked a unique spiritual temperament, namely the style of martial arts peculiar to a person.
Lin Xun knew that what he needed now for breakthrough was an actual combat to sharpen himself and refine the soul of this boxing!
He practiced for a full half-hour and stopped until his Qi and blood were boiling. After washing hurriedly, Lin Xun had breakfast with Shia Zhi and left home alone with a bundle on his shoulder.
Today he was going to sell the Explosive-flame Saber he made last night.
Shia Zhi stayed at home because she wasn’t interested in anything of Donglin Town, but reading. These days, for Shia Zhi, Lin Xun bought a lot of books, which were enough for Shia to count her thumbs.
……
Even in the early morning, the Civilian Area looked dark. Decrepit buildings ran crazy, forming cobweb-like alleys which were long and narrow.
Walking through those lanes was like being in a maze.
Fortunately, thanks to his good memory, Lin Xun didn’t get lost. But not long after coming out of the house, he seemed to sense something and stopped, saying, “Two bros, show yourself now, or I will force you to.”
Before the sentence was finished, two figures hurried out of the corner of an alley nearby.
It was a fat guy and a thin guy. “Childe, please don't be mad! We are waiting here specially to discuss something with you.” The fatty one exclaimed as soon as he showed up.
Raising his eyebrows, Lin asked, “What is it?”
The fat guy hesitated and glanced at the thin guy beside him.
“Childe, honestly, since you killed the Head Snake a few days ago, some people have been out of line and all sorts of dirty things have happened, for which the nearby residents are suffering in silence.” The thin guy, rolling his eyes, said with a flattering smile.
Lin Xun was at a loss for words. It was funny that the two guys who didn’t look like nice ones dared to complain about evildoers.
“We think this region cannot run without a leader, so we hope you can dominate the situation.”
The thin guy said quickly, “Of course, you’ll also benefit from it. In keeping with tradition, everyone in the gangs of this region will offer up a sum of money to you every month. What do you think?”
Lin Xun finally got that the two guys wanted him to play the role of “boss”, but he wasn’t interested in it, and even less inclined to cooperate with some local ruffians, thieves, villains and the like.
“Sorry, I’m not interested.” Lin said and walked on.
“Childe! Childe!”
The fatty one got panic and tried to stop Lin Xun. However, upon a brief eye contact with Lin, he felt a shudder running through him, just like being stabbed by a blade, and dared not to make any more moves.
“Go away, you two. I’d never meddle in a thing like that since I am not interested in it.” Lin Xun said inexorably, and his figure soon disappeared in the depths of the alley.
Hearing that, both of the two guys were disheartened, unable to stop sighing.
“Fatty Diao, what should we do now? I don’t want to become a retainer of Boss Shiong. I once offended a relative of Boss Shiong for Head Snake.”
The thin guy said, wearing a woebegone look.
“Damn! Since Head Snake died, Boss Shiong has been trying to take over control of this region. It’s outrageous!”
Fatty Diao gnashed and said, “But it’s a pity that the young Childe doesn’t want to wade in. Alas, I don’t know what to do now, either.”
The Civilian Area was very big, covering a radius of dozens of miles, where lived more than 100,000 people at least. Most of the inhabitants were underprivileged small potatoes from all walks of life, and all sorts of people, including thieves, local ruffians, villains and prostitutes, could be found here.
Naturally, gangs sprung up out of nothing.
The underground order of the whole Civilian Area was now completely in the charge of over 20 gangs, each of which controlled a region, and fights for territory took place frequently.
The Head Snake killed by Lin Xun a few days ago was the gang leader of this region, while Boss Shiong was the gang leader of another region.
Now since Head Snake was dead, Boss Shiong got a chance to take over the underground forces of this regions.
“Shit! If there’s no other choice, let’s turn to Boss Lyu!” The skinny one clenched his teeth and said, “Anyway, Boss Lyu is the mightiest one of all.”
“Bones, are you crazy? Boss Lyu is sadistic. It’s too risky to follow him!”
Fatty Diao shook his head repeatedly.
The thin guy called “Bones”, with a wry smile, said, “You have a better idea?”
At this point, a light voice rose from a distance, “You might as well take refuge in me."
A delicate young figure in a black cloak appeared with the sound, and her face was covered by the hood.
Apparently, it was Shia Zhi whom Lin Xun had left at home.
“You?”
Fatty Diao was in a trance for a while. This figure looked pretty mysterious, but obviously it was just a child, which made Fatty Diao’s face fall. He grinned hideously, “Kiddy, make fun of me in broad daylight, uh-huh? Do you want to di...”
Bang!
Before finishing the sentence, Fatty Diao felt like he was hit in the chest by a huge hammer, and his whole body uncontrollably flew away and fell hard on the ground. All his bones seemed like to fall apart, making him give out sad cries.
Bones was stupefied. Since before he could see what happened clearly, Fatty Diao had already flown away…
“From now on, I’m the boss of this region while you are my subordinates. Do you have any problem?” Shia Zhi stepped forward, and said in a cold voice, indicating she would not take no for an answer.
Even though she might be just a child, Bones shuddered with irrepressible fear and shook his head again and again, saying, “No problem!”
“What about you, aha?” Shia Zhi turned her eyes to Fatty Diao.
Fatty Diao stopped his screech abruptly and picked himself up with a bounce, exclaiming, “Absolutely no problem! We’ll be your loyal henchmen and won’t hesitate to go through fire and water for you!”
Thwack!
Shia Zhi raised her hand, smacking Fatty Diao in the face across separated space. He fell down, screaming and writhing in pain.
Then, Shia Zhi said, “I don’t like to hear nonsense. Following me, you just need to do one thing - obey my orders! I will mete out the proper awards and penalties. Have you got it?”
“Got it.”
The two guys were completely awed and nodded.
“Good. You, go to tell everyone in this region that I’m your boss now.”
Offering a slight nod, Shia Zhi turned away.
Seeing this, Fatty Diao, with unforgotten trepidation, exhaled a long breath of foul air, and suddenly recalled something. Then he shouted, “Boss!”
Shia Zhi stopped and asked, “Any question?”
Trembling all over, Fatty Diao said, “I just want to know…you name.”
After a long silence, Shia Zhi said, “Shuang Mu (which implicated ‘Lin’ in Chinese).”
“Shuang Mu?”
Having an eye contact, the two guys kept the name in their mind.
Until the figure of Shia Zhi disappeared, Bones whispered, “So, we...are really serving this Shuang Mu?”
Fatty Diao, touching his swollen cheek, gasped with pain, “Idiot, didn’t you see the slap on my face? Only the practitioners who have stepped into Gang Spirit Realm can attack people from a distance! Nowadays, there might be just five or six people who can do that in the Civilian Area.”
Bones understood immediately and said joyfully, “Great! We are saved! Boss Shiong is just at the eighth level of Martial Realm. How can he compare with our boss - Shuang Mu?”
“Although our boss Shuang Mu looks like a child, she is indeed a master! Following her, perhaps we can really get somewhere in the future!” Fatty Diao said with a sense of pride.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go to tell the others that we have got a new boss!” Bones got excited.
Fatty Diao nodded.
……
Had Lin Xun seen this, he might have been speechless out of shock.
The center of the 800 Avenue.
Tall buildings, standing in the most prosperous core area in Donglin Town, appeared antique and superb, with black bricks, yellow tiles, carved beams and painted pillars.
Here throngs of well-dressed people with confidence and noble temperament came and went in an endless flow.
When Lin Xun arrived here, he was dressed in rough linen, with a bundle on his shoulder, which highlighted him.
From time to time, Lin could feel the loathing and disdain of passers-by, and many young belles directly got as far as possible away from him as soon as seeing him.
This was no exaggeration. Ordinary people couldn’t afford the services on the 800 Avenue, the most prosperous money-squandering den in the town, where ran multifarious stores, including business houses, restaurants, and inns. Therefore, most people showing here were well-heeled.
In the eyes of others, the simple and clean clothes Lin wore was a symbol of poverty.
Lin Xun seemed to be unaware and looked into the distance, where stood a towering building over 30 meters high.
Keystone Business!
Lin Xun thought for a while and finally walked in.
In the Green-sun Tribe, although Mu Wansu’s attitude toward Lin Xun was not good enough, she offered Lin a big help after all. Now Lin Xun needed to find a place to sell a spiritual weapon, so Keystone Business was naturally his first choice
Besides, Lin Xun would not only sell one spiritual weapon, but also certainly refine and sell more spiritual weapons later. He believed that the Keystone Business could be very interested in this and might develop long-term cooperation with him.
After all, what kind of wolf would reject unsolicited meat?
Anyway, Lin Xun offered such benefits to the Keystone Business the first time out of gratitude, not for more profits.