A Martial Saint Among Men: From Joining a Martial Arts School

"Brother, you're back..."

As soon as the door opened, Chu He, the younger sister, ran out of the house upon hearing the noise and reached out to take the package from his hand.

At the age of thirteen or fourteen, she had grown into a beautiful young woman, though she was somewhat malnourished and looked rather thin. However, this also made her eyes appear even more bright and lively, which explains why Xie Hui had his eye on her.

Chu Xuan put the package aside and asked, "Did Xie Hui come to keep watch again today?"

"Mmm," Chu He responded, her face still pale with lingering fear. "Not long after you and Mother left, they started loitering outside and knocked on the door a few times! I didn't answer! I guess they thought no one was home, so they stopped knocking!"

Chu Xuan's heart sank.

He knew perfectly well what the Three Heroes Gang was up to! On the surface, they collected protection money and lent out loans at exorbitant interest rates in the outer city, but the outer city was inhabited by the poorest people at the bottom of society, so how much could they possibly squeeze out of them?

Those with connections and money have already moved to the inner city!

The real money-making scheme of the Three Heroes Gang was human trafficking! They would abduct women or children from the outer city, selling the pretty ones to wealthy families in the inner city or to brothels and theaters. The less attractive ones, or those no one wanted, would be maimed and left to beg on the streets.

Another purpose of collecting protection money was to scout locations and select suitable candidates.

He instructed Chu He, "Don't go out for the time being, and don't go to the market with your mother to sell things. From now on, don't answer the door or come out if anyone knocks! I will find a way to resolve Xie Hui's matter."

"I understand," Chu He nodded obediently.

After comforting the little girl, Chu Xuan let her cook while he began selecting fabric scraps.

These scraps of cloth were leftover materials from the dye house, which could be considered a hidden perk he received there.

My mother, Zeng Ke, could make some simple clothes. She could use these scraps to make clothes, shoes and other things, and take them to the inner city market to sell. She didn't earn much, but it could help supplement the family income.

Not long after, Zeng Ke, the mother, returned carrying a bamboo basket. Upon learning of Xie Hui's visit, she was filled with anger and lingering fear, but even more so with a profound sense of helplessness and sorrow.

The lunch was rather dull. The meal consisted of coarse rice mixed with bran and other grains, without any meat or salted vegetables. For ordinary people, it was already quite good if they could barely fill their stomachs.

This was because Chu He was growing, and at Chu Xuan's insistence, and because Chu Xuan would eat lunch at the dye shop, saving a lot of food, the mother and daughter finally started eating lunch.

For ordinary families, two meals a day is the norm. Even during busy farming seasons, they might have a light porridge at noon that's so thin you can see your reflection in it.

Chu Xuan took out a pencil made of yellow paper and charcoal and went back to his room.

Neither his mother nor his younger sister paid any attention. Chu Xuan had been doing this for quite some time; ever since he recovered from his illness, he would often mysteriously bring paper back to his room and write or draw on it. The two of them simply assumed he was practicing calligraphy.

After dinner, the mother began to sort through the scraps of cloth, planning how to make the most of them, while Chuhe assisted and learned from her.

Not long after, Chu Xuan came out with a stack of yellowed paper covered in writing. He took off his servant's clothes and put on his usual patched clothes. He greeted his mother and then left the house.

Although he temporarily fooled Xie Hui with Manager Wu's tricks today, there will always be a time when he runs out of ideas.

With his attribute panel in hand, he naturally wouldn't, and never even considered, sitting idly by and waiting for his doom.

After navigating several narrow alleys, Chu Xuan soon arrived at a teahouse.

This is the junction of the inner and outer city, and is considered the most prosperous area of ​​the outer city. Not far from the teahouse is an impressive restaurant called "Yun Ding Xuan".

Yundingxuan is a place for the wealthy to indulge in their desires. Not only can one drink and dine there, but one can also listen to music, watch operas, and enjoy various performances, as well as receive special services. Of course, the prices are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Teahouses were places where the poor spent their money.

They are clearly distinct!

As soon as Chu Xuan entered the teahouse, he was almost suffocated by the stench inside.

Although it was afternoon, the teahouse was packed with people, even more bustling than a market. There wasn't a single empty seat; he couldn't even find a place to put his feet.

The entire teahouse was filled with a pungent odor—sweat, foot odor, and bad breath—mixed with a strong smell of tobacco, creating a unique and indescribable stench, but no one seemed to mind.

A bowl of coarse tea costing just a few coins, paired with some melon seeds, while listening to the storyteller on stage recount thrilling tales—this was one of the few pastimes available to the lower classes, aside from procreation.

At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the storyteller on the stage at the front.

*Smack!*

The storyteller struck the gavel.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Last time we talked about two strange events in Qinghe County. One was that the beautiful Pan Jinlian poisoned her husband, and the other was that Ximen Qing secretly married Pan Jinlian. Next, we will talk about: Ximen Qing's secret marriage to Pan Jinlian, and Wu the constable's mistaken beating of the clerk Li..."

The storyteller took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and then began his tale:

"After Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian burned Wu Da's memorial tablet, they arranged a banquet the next day. Who were they inviting? Of course, it was Granny Wang..."

The teahouse, which had been filled with some noise, became surprisingly quiet after the storyteller began to speak.

The only sound in the entire teahouse was the storyteller's melodious voice. Even a cough from choking on tea would draw angry glares from those nearby.

Chu Xuan was certainly not there to listen to a story.

The storyteller on stage is also the teahouse owner, and he calls himself Li Tiezui (Iron Mouth Li).

He opened a teahouse to make money, but storytelling was a hobby.

Six months ago, when Chu Xuan passed by the teahouse, it was deserted. There were only a few people inside, and Li Tiezui on the stage was still talking non-stop, but unfortunately, he was just repeating the same old things that everyone was familiar with, and the tea drinkers only found him noisy.

If he didn't go on stage to tell stories, there might be more people drinking tea.

Thanks to Chu Xuan's father in this life, who taught him to read and write; and thanks to Chu Xuan in his previous life, who didn't like watching short videos or live streams.

Black stockings, white stockings, flesh-colored stockings, long-legged beauties, lolis, mature women, A8, A6—none of it matters to him!

He'd never heard of any of this!

He had only one refined hobby: reading!

The book Li Tiezui is talking about now is his bedtime reading material!

A must-read every night!

Only in this way can this great work be brought to the world.

As the sun began to set, and with Li Tiezui's final words, "To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next episode!" the spectators in the teahouse reluctantly left amidst sighs of regret such as "Oh dear...", "It's over...", "What's next?", and "I haven't had enough..."

Chu Xuan secretly went backstage to find Li Tiezui.

"Hey, you're finally here!"

Li Tiezui, who had been lazily lounging in his chair, jumped up with a gleam in his eyes when he saw Chu Xuan enter, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Where's the rest of the content? Hurry up and show it to us!"

He had already mentioned the latest chapter given by Chu Xuan. Today was actually the third "rebroadcast." Although the scene was still lively, it had already aroused the dissatisfaction of many tea drinkers.

If there's no follow-up to bring this to a close, not only him, but even his own teahouse would probably be smashed up by angry customers!

Chu Xuan simply looked at Li Tiezui, smiling without saying a word.

Li Tiezui immediately burst out laughing: "You little rascal, you really don't act until you see the rabbit! I've already prepared everything for you."

With that, he tossed a money pouch to Chu Xuan: "Now you can take it out, right?"

Chu Xuan weighed the money pouch in his hand, put it away with satisfaction, and said with a smile, "No rush. I still have a business deal to discuss with Boss Li."

Li Tiezui's eyes lit up: "What, you have other books?"

"No, not at all." Chu Xuan shook his head. "I urgently need money recently, and I plan to buy out my future income to you, Boss Li. I will no longer take a share."

"Buyout?" Li Tie raised an eyebrow. Although he hadn't heard of the term before, its meaning was easy to understand. He asked curiously, "How much are you planning to pay for the buyout?"

"Fifteen taels, fixed price!" Chu Xuan said firmly, with a resolute air.

"Ten taels!"

"make a deal!"

"???" Li Tiezui stared at Chu Xuan in astonishment, wondering if he had misheard.

What happened to the agreed-upon fixed price?

"Is that ten taels?" Li Tiezui asked Chu Xuan uncertainly.

Chu Xuan looked at him as well: "Deal!"

"You little rascal..." Li Tiezui was stunned for a long time, then burst into laughter, pointing at Chu Xuan and shaking his head.

Then he waved his hand and said, "Forget it! Fifteen taels it is! I guess you're going to a martial arts school to learn martial arts, right? Consider the extra five taels as a donation to you, to make a good connection. Any more... I can't afford to donate any more."

Chu Xuan was somewhat surprised, then solemnly cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Li. If I achieve anything in the future, I will repay your kindness tenfold."

Five taels of silver was no small sum even for Li Tiezui. For Chu Xuan at this moment, it held even greater significance!

"Don't thank me yet." Li Tiezui's tone changed, becoming serious. "We've got a deal. From now on, this *Jin Ping Mei* belongs exclusively to me. Even if I go elsewhere to tell the story, I won't give you any more shares. And you can't give this book to anyone else! Besides, you have to do me a favor!"

"Please speak, sir," Chu Xuan said.

"Um..." Li Tiezui's old face rarely showed a hint of embarrassment, "The name 'Li Tiezui' is a bit too common. I've thought of a few names lately, but I'm not quite satisfied with any of them. I feel they don't do justice to the work 'Jin Ping Mei.' How about... you think of a more elegant name for me?"

Chu Xuan thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng?"

"Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng? What does that mean?" Li Tiezui asked, looking puzzled.

"I don't know either, the name just suddenly popped into my head," Chu Xuan said honestly.

"The name is too long. No good, no good!" Li Tiezui shook his head. "My new name should be concise yet meaningful, profound, and easy to pronounce. Ideally, it should be three characters, like Li Tiezui."

Chu Xuan was speechless.

Old Deng has high standards!

His mind was constantly searching through familiar memories from his past life, trying to recall which three-character names he remembered most vividly.

The next moment, a name suddenly popped into his mind. Chu Xuan looked at Li Tiezui and hesitated before asking, "Ipponmichi?"

"What do you mean?"

"One true heart, pointing straight to the Great Way!" Chu Xuan said solemnly.

"Excellent!" Li Tiezui couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes shining. "A single-minded devotion, pointing directly to the Great Dao! What a wonderful name! Not only is it concise and clear, but it also possesses a profound and far-reaching meaning! Elegant, so very elegant! My new name will be..."

"How about... Li Tiezui? I think that name is pretty good too!" Chu Xuan said hesitantly.

"Don't talk nonsense! Who is Li Tiezui? What does he have to do with me?!" Li Tiezui puffed out his beard and glared, then chuckled, "You're the author of *Jin Ping Mei*, from now on you'll be called 'Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng.' As for me..."

He stroked his beard, straightened his chest, and declared with an air of arrogance: "I, this old man, follow the One-Way Path!"