Chapter 040 – Young Master Li

Senior Li reclined on a bamboo lounge chair, eyes half-closed, facing the wide lake. Nearby at the freshwater pier, menial workers and merchants bustled about in the snow, loading and unloading goods.

Anyone passing by the small pavilion would offer a slight bow or murmur

Senior Li

, though he remained unmoved, seeming perfectly content to lounge there in silence.

Li Yuan closed his umbrella and waited quietly. After a while, another group arrived, three Blood Blade Sect disciples led by the same attendant who had shown Li Yuan the way. Two were young men, one a young woman, all around Li Yuan’s age or just a few years older.f

Only when the four of them stood together did Senior Li speak, still not bothering to open his eyes:

“Associate No. 180, Zhao Zhinan.”

A grim-looking youth, with faintly visible numbers 7~8 around him, responded, “Here.”

“Associate No. 187, Zhang Yue.”

A gentle, scholarly youth, 6~7, answered, “Present.”

“Associate No. 197, Li Yuan.”

Li Yuan gave a brief acknowledgment.

“Associate No. 198, Wen Xiaoqiao.”

The last was a girl of rather substantial build, nearly twice Li Yuan’s size. Yet she spoke in a sweet voice, “Here.”

The contrast of her name, figure, and tone momentarily threw Li Yuan off. He recalled reading stories in his past life about meeting enchanting beauties in the martial world, but apparently, those tales weren’t always so accurate.

Senior Li continued, “Li Yuan, the others have all practiced blade techniques. You haven’t, correct?”

“Yes, Senior Li,” Li Yuan replied respectfully. “I’m a hunter and I’m good with a bow. I’ve never really trained in blademanship.”

“Then show me your archery,” Senior Li commanded.

“Yes, sir.”

Li Yuan stepped forward, took out his bow and nocked an arrow. Slowly, he drew the string back. The other three newcomers watched intently. Though the Blood Blade Sect forbade its disciples from harming each other, everyone understood that competition within the sect was fierce.

In truth, they were all rivals, potential enemies. They stood at cautious distances from one another, each secretly gauging the others’ strength.

As Li Yuan pulled the string, the bow limbs creaked. At half-draw, he reached about 8~9 in combat power. The three onlookers all grew more serious, each with their own thoughts.

Li Yuan exhaled and prepared to relax his grip when Senior Li barked, “Don’t hold back! The greater your skill, the higher your standing here. What good does hiding your ability do?”

“Yes, sir...”

Li Yuan nodded and fully drew the bow a second time, this time putting in enough force to reach 13~14. The bow curved into a perfect arc, emanating a tense, dangerous energy. His three fellow associates exchanged startled, wary glances.

At that, Senior Li finally sat up. Studying Li Yuan for a moment, he said, “You need a better bow. That blacksmith’s bow you brought isn’t even up to our basic standard.”

With that, he walked over to a weapon rack behind his chair, rummaged around, and tossed over a steel bow and a quiver of arrows. “This is just an ordinary bow in our sect. Give it a try.”

Li Yuan took the bow from Senior Li. As soon as he held it, the numbers hovering around him changed from 39~40 to 54~55, making him pause in surprise. He raised an arm and slowly drew the bow; this time, he had to exert about 19~20 overall combat power.

Senior Li said, “You’ve reached an entry rank, haven’t you?”

Li Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could reply, Senior Li continued, “That’s good to see. Among all the associate members stationed here at the black market, you’re the only one who’s achieved entry rank.”

Li Yuan simply stood there in silence.

Senior Li then asked, “How old are you?”

“I’m 17 years old.”

Senior Li nodded and closed his eyes again. “I heard them call you Young Master Li just now. At such a young age, already at entry rank, sharing a family name with me—well, you can at least borrow the courtesy of that title. Whether you can keep it is up to you.

“That said, the Blood Blade Sect focuses heavily on blade skills, which come bundled with their own internal martial cultivation technique. If you’ve already been cultivating something else, switching to our system won’t be easy. In that sense, the black market suits you well enough. Look around here; maybe you’ll find some martial art that fits you better. If you build sufficient strength, you can rise in the sect without fully adopting our blade skills.”

“Thank you, Senior Li,” Li Yuan said.

Senior Li gestured toward the bow. “It’s yours. Toss out that old thing.”

“Yes, sir...” Li Yuan replied respectfully.

Beside them, the other three associates stood in shock. They had expected to be on equal footing, not to find themselves overshadowed by someone already at entry rank. Then again, if he was that capable, why hadn’t he joined as an outer disciple?

But they soon realized the key was his bow. If he planned to learn the blade from scratch—switching from archery to blade—he’d be effectively starting over. Cultivation techniques and combat skills didn’t always mesh well; they couldn’t be stacked like building blocks.

That realization made them feel a little less pressured.

Senior Li cleared his throat to address them again. “Now that we’ve handled Li Yuan’s situation, let’s get to the main points.

“You’re all assigned to guard this black market, typically for three years. At the end of that, you’ll undergo an assessment. If you pass, you’ll become outer disciples, eligible to formally train in the Blood Blade Sect’s martial arts. Until then, you can start learning our basic blade forms. An instructor from the inner sect will be here in a couple of days to teach you the fundamentals.

“While on duty here, you’ll be paid 10 taels of silver per month. The black market is staffed in two shifts, swapped every seven days. We have 300 menial workers, 20 associate members stationed here permanently, and 10 outer disciples overseeing the island. Those 10 form five pairs, each pair patrolling one section of the market—four outer sectors plus the center—and each pair leads 60 menial workers.

“You do get certain perks here at the black market, but remember these three rules.

“First, never ask where the goods come from. If someone pays the fees for a stall or a shop, they’re permitted on the island...

“Second, do not interfere in anyone’s trade. Deceptions and scams will happen here—if both parties consent to a deal, leave them be. Don’t expose them or get involved.

“Third, don’t let fights break out on the island. If someone does start a brawl, we step in with lethal force if necessary, and their goods are confiscated. Of course, whoever puts a stop to it gets to pick one item from the confiscated goods as a reward.”

Sensing some eagerness from the group in front of him, Senior Li continued, “Do you know why there are always 20 permanent associates stationed on this black market island, and yet more keep arriving?”

Zhang Yue stepped forward. “Senior Li, I suspect...it’s because of casualties. If a disciple can’t keep the peace, they might end up killed in the process.”

Senior Li nodded. “Good enough. The four of you will now be divided into pairs and assigned to fill the two vacancies, which are in the east market and the central market. Once you’re paired off, head there at once and keep things under control. No mistakes.”

“Yes, Senior Li,” the four chorused, then went off to form their pairs.

By the numbering system, Zhang Yue and Zhao Zhinan teamed up, while Li Yuan was grouped with Wen Xiaoqiao. Next came drawing lots to determine whether each pair would take the east market or central market. Four slips of paper—two labeled

East

and two labeled

Central

—were placed in a small jar. Only when both disciples in a pair drew matching slips would their assigned area be settled.

After a few tries, Li Yuan and Wen Xiaoqiao both drew the central market.

And so, the groupings and patrol routes were set.

“Young Master Li, please take care of me,” Wen Xiaoqiao said in a coquettish tone that jarred with her large, sturdy physique.

Li Yuan felt at a loss for words but reminded himself that a plump woman was still a woman; politeness cost him nothing. He inclined his head. “Likewise, Miss Wen. It’s a pleasure to work with you.” Then he added, “And just Li Yuan is fine.”

He hadn’t wanted to stand out so much the moment he set foot on the island. Already, revealing his entry rank strength had put him on everyone’s radar.

Deep down, Li Yuan felt a renewed urgency to grow stronger. He had showcased a 19~20 draw strength for the bow. But in reality, his full potential hovered at 54~55—which suddenly didn’t feel like it would be enough in a place like this.

Author’s Note

Some readers have asked about skill development, how the protagonist might acquire and refine various abilities. The short answer is that it won’t be easy. He needs the right tools, enough time, and the right environment. If every skill could be mastered in just a few days, that wouldn’t really be a

skill

, would it? Nor would it make for an interesting story if the protagonist just stayed home

training in bed

and became invincible overnight.

Our protagonist already knew how to train dogs and had plenty of interaction with a tiger, which led to the development of the beast-taming ability. Rest assured, the story won’t neglect such skill-building elements, but neither will it be over the top. This isn’t a tale about becoming godlike in isolation and steamrolling everything unchallenged.

Instead, it focuses more on a small individual surviving in a strange, chaotic world, gradually growing more formidable while witnessing the endless ebb and flow of time. As for questions about the fate of the female lead—like whether she dies, and how it’ll be handled—I do have plans. It won’t be an abrupt,

she died, the story ends

, nor will it be a simple,

get stronger together and achieve eternal life

. I’m aiming for a third path. Stay tuned!