I have an endless army of warriors, rampaging across the heavens.

Chapter 22 The Five Wonders
"go!"

"Come in with me, I'll arrange accommodations for you."

Zuo Rong pulled Zuo Jing and Zuo Cheng to enter the Yang family's old house.

Zuo Cheng looked at his second brother.

Zuo Jing grabbed his older sister: "Big sister, what's the meaning of us two boys from our own families moving into your husband's house?"

Zuo Rong was displeased: "What are you saying! You are my brothers, and the Fourth Master of the Yang family is your brother-in-law. I am carrying the Yang family's child in my belly. Don't you even have a room to sleep in?"

Zuo Jing comforted his elder sister: "That's not what I meant, but the Yang family is a prominent and wealthy family after all. Zuo Chengye and I are used to living there, and we're not used to it."

Zuo Cheng chimed in, "Second Brother is right."

Zuo Rong said without giving an inch, "You two brats! If you come to Xiayang City, where will you stay if not at my house? Enough said! It's decided!"

Zuo Rong was unusually assertive.

However, Zuo Jing was even more defiant: "Big sister, don't think we came to Xiayang City so casually. In fact, I had already found a place to stay before we came."

Zuo Rong didn't believe her: "You've never been to Xiayang City before, where would you find such a good place?"

Zuo Jing had already prepared his answer: "Big sister, has a new restaurant called 'Five Wonders Pavilion' recently opened in Xiayang City?"

Zuo Rong was taken aback.

Five Wonders Tower?
Have not heard.

She turned to her maid, Xiao Huan: "Have you heard of it?"

Xiao Huan hurriedly replied, "Of course I've heard of it! The Five Wonders Pavilion is incredibly powerful, known as the 'Five Wonders of Cooking, Chess, Painting, Arithmetic, and Ventriloquism.' It has five masters who are skilled in cooking, chess, painting, arithmetic, and ventriloquism, respectively. It's hard to find a match for them in Xiayang City."

so smart?

Zuo Rong asked in surprise, "How come I've never heard of this before?"

Xiao Huan smiled and said, "Madam spends her free time tending to flowers and plants and reading books. She has never been interested in these things outside. This Five Wonders Pavilion has only been open for less than half a month. Although it has a great reputation, its foundation is still shallow. It is normal that Madam has not heard of it."

It turned out to be the case.

Zuo Rong understood, then suddenly realized what was going on and looked at Zuo Jing: "What does the Five Absolutes Pavilion have to do with you?"

Zuo Jing lied: "Elder sister, you don't know, last month, the 'Chess Master' from the Five Wonders Pavilion lost his travel money when he passed through Shangyang City. I kindly let him stay at my house, which saved him from sleeping on the streets. A few days ago, he wrote to me to tell me that if I come to Xiayang City, I can go to the Five Wonders Pavilion to find him and settle down."

Zuo Rong's mouth dropped open: "What a coincidence?"

Then he added, "That won't do either. He's a 'chess master,' with such a great reputation! You're only asking him to stay at your house for a few days. Now that he's successful, he'll at most offer you a few taels of silver. Why would he come to settle you down?"

Zuo Rong, being knowledgeable about human relationships, felt that this was very unreliable.

Zuo Jing said, "He took the initiative to write the letter, so it's probably not just a formality. Here's what we'll do, elder sister, Zuo Cheng and I will go to the Five Wonders Tower first. If Qi Jue is willing to take us in, that would be great. If it's just a formality, we can come back to find you later."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Rong immediately said, "I'll go with you!"

She didn't believe that the chess master would really settle down two poor boys.

……

"Ha ha!"

"What's so difficult about this?"

"I got along very well with you two young brothers. You are welcome to stay at the Five Absolutes Tower for as long as you like."

"If you have nothing to do, you can learn chess from me, or you can learn painting, arithmetic, or other skills from the other four."

Zuo Rong brought her younger brother to meet the chess master at the Five Wonders Pavilion. He was a very young man, gentle and refined. He readily agreed to Zuo Jing's request to stay at the Five Wonders Pavilion and even offered to teach him chess.

Zuo Rong was shocked.

Is this chess master really that good?
Xiao Huan tugged at Zuo Rong's sleeve and whispered in her ear, "Since arriving in Xiayang City, the chess master has played more than thirty games and has never lost. Even the 'chess fanatic' Mr. Shi is no match for him. The prefect of Xiayang is obsessed with chess, and this chess master has been a guest of honor of the prefect ever since he became famous."

Xiao Huan reminded Zuo Rong, "If Second Uncle can learn chess from Qi Jue, his future is limitless!"

"this--"

Zuo Rong was reluctant to let her younger brother stay at the Five Absolutes Tower, but after hearing what Xiao Huan said, she realized that this was indeed a tremendous opportunity.

They dared not stop them.

I was just reluctant to leave.

The chess master was very kind and offered, "There is a private room upstairs. Why don't you all sit down? It just so happens that it's time for the thirteenth brother's performance soon, so you can have a chance to appreciate it."

Xiao Huan was overjoyed: "The ventriloquism of the Thirteenth Master of the Five Wonders Pavilion is praised by everyone as being indistinguishable from the real thing, and tickets are always hard to come by! Madam, we've made it in time!"

Not just the maids.

Even the two strong women who were always by Zuo Rong's side were slightly moved and filled with anticipation.

Seeing that Zuo Cheng also seemed interested, Zuo Rong felt it wouldn't be right to refuse, so she replied, "Thank you, sir."

……

Ventriloquism is an excellent folk performance art and a type of acrobatics. It originated in ancient times when people used it for hunting, imitating animal sounds to trick prey into giving them food.

Performers use their mouths, teeth, lips, tongues, throats, noses, and other vocal organs to imitate various sounds of nature, such as birds of prey, wild beasts, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. This allows listeners to feel as if they are actually there.

This skill belongs to one of the 'Hundred Entertainments' and is also known as 'Neighboring Entertainment'.

The so-called "Kou Jue" and "Thirteenth Master", including the previous Tenth Master Qi Jue, are not outsiders, but rather sixth-level assassins under Zuo Jing.

As early as April 11, the moment the 13 Level 6 assassins spawned, Zuo Jing made arrangements to send Wu San, Wu Shi, Wu Shiyi, Wu Shier, and Wu Shisan to Xiayang City.

As the saying goes.

Money can make the world go round.

Back then, Li Yi and his gang robbed a lot of money from the home of Constable Wang in Shangyang City. They left the cash with Zuo Jing, but brought four silver notes worth 400 taels to Xiayang City to exchange for silver.

after that.

Wu San and his group then used the money to take over a bankrupt restaurant in Xiayang City, made some minor renovations, and reopened it.

Wu San's cooking skills are so delicious that the aroma fills the air.

Wu Shisan's ventriloquism is so realistic that it's hard to believe he's the real thing.

There was also Wu Shi, who was skilled in Go, and Wu Shiyi, whose painting skills were exquisite.

The Five Wonders Tower quickly gained fame in Xiayang City.

Cooking skills!

Go!

Danqing!

arithmetic!

Ventriloquism!

The five level-six assassins each possessed unique skills. As soon as they displayed them, they gained immense fame in Xiayang City, easily climbing the social ladder and making connections with the upper echelons.

among them.

Wu San's culinary skills are at their peak. He runs the Five Wonders Restaurant, and guests are full of praise for him.

Wu Shi was at the pinnacle of Go, and was revered as a half-master by the prefect of Xiayang.

Wu Shiyi's paintings and Wu Shisan's ventriloquism are the trump cards that attract customers to Wujuelou.

Thanks to their relationship with the Prefect, Wujue Tower has been doing business honestly and no one has dared to cause trouble for the time being.

This was the first time Zuo Jing used his assassins to launder his money and run a business on the surface, all to give himself and Zuo Cheng a new identity.

In Shangyang City.

Zuo Jing shouldn't be associated with gangs or assassins.

But in Xiayang City.

There's nothing special about a legitimate business like the Five Wonders Pavilion; it's just a place to temporarily settle down and improve one's living conditions.

after all.

In Shangyang City, things were in chaos. Fighting was raging outside, and Zuo Jing and Zuo Cheng stayed at home every day, never leaving the house. They couldn't stand it anymore.

We arrived in Xiayang City.

A change of scenery.

On the surface, it has the thriving Five Wonders Tower as a cover, making it a thousand times better than Shangyang City.

"With this background, my older sister will have more confidence in her husband's family if she makes a little effort in the future."

Humans are social animals.

Zuo Jing couldn't spend his whole life dealing with obedient assassins, nor could he hide in the shadows forever. It might be okay for a short time, but in the long run, he'd just end up in jail.

Zuocheng is also impossible.

Then.

Whitewashing!

As an identity!
These things should be done sooner rather than later.

Five Wonders Tower.

A disciple of the chess master.

This is just the beginning; we'll take it one step at a time from now on.

……

(End of this chapter)