Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

As night falls, the liveliness of Yingzi Street is just beginning.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was packed with guests, who were toasting each other, talking loudly, and all sorts of people drinking and having fun together, putting on a show.

Inside one of the small private rooms, two young martial artists were celebrating.

Wang Teng ordered a table full of delicacies, including rare and exotic foods, especially the main dish, a strange fish with black horns on its head. The fish looked very much like a carp, with red scales all over its body, as if it had been smeared with fresh blood, making it quite extraordinary.

Zhou Sheng, a fisherman by trade, immediately recognized the strange fish as a rare treasure called the Unicorn Carp, which was highly beneficial to martial artists and extremely valuable. This Unicorn Carp wasn't large, but it was worth at least five or six taels of silver.

"Senior brother, you've gone to too much trouble!"

Zhou Sheng looked at the table full of food and said.

Wang Teng's meal probably cost ten taels of silver, enough to buy three Hammer Bone Pills and still have some left over.

"Hehe, Junior Brother, you've broken through the bone and tendon barrier, congratulations! This little bit of silver is nothing. Come, try this unicorn carp and see how effective it is," Wang Teng said with a smile.

Then, he picked up a new pair of chopsticks, used one of the carp's fleshy horns to pick up a piece, and handed it to Zhou Sheng. As a treasure fish, most of the carp's essence was concentrated in these fleshy horns.

"Haha, senior brother is too kind."

Zhou Sheng didn't refuse and picked up the meat patty and ate it.

The meat horn was soft and mushy upon entering the mouth, and a unique aroma rushed straight to the head. After swallowing it, one felt a cool current swirling in the abdomen, slowly spreading to the limbs and bones.

"As expected of the treasure fish, it lives up to its name!"

Zhou Sheng gave a thumbs-up in praise.

"Haha! I'm glad you like it, junior brother."

The two chatted as they ate, and halfway through the meal, Wang Teng suddenly said, "Junior brother, besides celebrating for you today, there's something else I want to tell you."

Zhou Sheng was not surprised to hear this, because today's celebration banquet was just the two of them, and no one else was invited to accompany them, which obviously meant that Wang Teng had something else to do.

"Please speak, senior brother," Zhou Sheng said.

"Aren't newly initiated disciples allowed to take up temporary posts outside the family? Would you be willing to take up a temporary post in our Wang family?" Wang Teng asked seriously.

"On temporary assignment?"

Zhou Sheng looked at Wang Teng in surprise.

Actually, he had a nominal position, working alongside Liu Cheng at the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. They received payment for each escort mission; otherwise, they received nothing. The agency didn't hire them for every mission; they were only called upon for longer journeys or when there were dangers along the way. Their monthly earnings were meager.

Zhou Sheng was still thinking about finding a second temporary post when Wang Teng unexpectedly offered it to him.

Wang Teng's family had connections with the county magistrate and ran a blacksmith shop called Wang's Forging Edge, whose weapons were famous in Qingshan County. They were also one of the friendly forces of the Hammer Cloud Martial Arts School.

"That's right. Not long ago, one of our sword-testing masters on the Lianfeng ship had an accident, so we need to find a new sword-testing master," Wang Teng explained.

"A trial offering? What do we need to do?" Zhou Sheng asked, looking puzzled.

"The weapons forged by our Lianfeng ship are renowned far and wide, among which the most famous are the swords, known as the Lianfeng swords. The reason why my swords are so good is because I strive for perfection."

"Every batch of the steel blades we forge undergoes a testing process. Ordinary steel blades are tested by the master craftsman himself, while high-quality blades are tested with the assistance of a martial artist who has completed a cultivation stage. If any flaws are found after the testing, the blade is destroyed and remade."

"The 'testing knife offering' is specifically for assisting the blacksmith in testing the knife."

Wang Teng gave a detailed explanation.

Zhou Sheng roughly understood what this temporary post entailed, and then he asked, "But I don't know any swordsmanship, do I?"

Wang Teng waved his hand and said, "We don't need overly advanced swordsmanship. The main requirement for testing swordsmanship is a stable lower body and strong arms. Our Hammer Cloud Fist disciples are perfect for that. Moreover, our Lianfeng will provide a basic swordsmanship technique for free, which will allow you to utilize the most commonly used basic moves."

"Basic knife skills?"

Zhou Sheng was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected to learn swordsmanship while serving as a sword-testing offering. This would be beneficial for his escort missions. When encountering bandits, many of whom were armed, he would be at a disadvantage without weapons.

Wang Teng continued, "The swordsmanship is very simple, nothing special. Testing swords for you won't take up too much of your time, about three days a month. The payment is three taels of silver per month, and there's a discount if you want weapons forged."

"Okay, I've done it."

After thinking it over, Zhou Sheng felt that this temporary post was a good one. Three taels of silver was a lot of money, enough to buy one more Hammer Bone Pill. Moreover, it was recommended by a friend, so there was nothing to worry about. He readily agreed.

"Haha, okay. Come on, let me toast you."

Upon seeing this, Wang Teng laughed and picked up his wine glass.

"Dry!"

"Dry!"

"By the way, senior brother, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Zhou Sheng remembered his grandfather mentioning buying a courtyard house, so he decided to ask Wang Teng for help. In this regard, Wang Teng might be more suitable than Liu Cheng.

"Please speak, junior brother."

"It's like this, my yard is too small, making it very inconvenient for me to practice martial arts at home. Therefore, I'm planning to move to a larger yard. Do you have any connections, senior brother?"

"That's easy, I'll ask around for you tomorrow," Wang Teng readily agreed.

......

Back home, Zhou Sheng told Zhou Fugan about his temporary post.

"Wang Teng and I are good friends, and the Wang family is a major weapon forger. It's beneficial to be on good terms with such a powerful family. Moreover, if I could learn a sword technique, it would also improve my strength. It would also give me more options for survival if I encountered bandits while escorting goods."

Zhou Sheng explained his considerations when making his choice.

"Hmm. It's good that you can think that far ahead."

Zhou Fugan nodded in agreement, but then changed the subject, saying, "Of course, you also need to know that nothing comes for free. While you gain benefits, you also reveal your stance to others. Getting close to some people will inevitably offend others. Once you make a choice, don't harbor any illusions. Understand?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng's heart tightened. After careful consideration, a resolute expression appeared on his face, and he nodded vigorously, replying, "I understand, Grandpa. I still choose to take the temporary post."

"Okay! Remember, think twice before you act. If there's something you can't solve, don't forget that Grandpa is here at home."

Zhou Fugan smiled with satisfaction.

He didn't object to Zhou Sheng taking the post, after all, it was a form of training; martial artists weren't just about martial arts, they also needed to learn interpersonal skills and how to conduct themselves in society. As for the possibility of being targeted by the Wang family's rivals if he went there, that needed to be considered, but there was no need to be afraid. Where in this world is there absolute neutrality? He just needed to be careful to guard against some risks.

Young eagles need to grow. If they are afraid of danger and just stay in the nest, they will eventually become useless.

"I've got it."

Zhou Sheng's heavy heart instantly relaxed. Yes, with his grandfather at home, why should he be afraid of anything?

"Alright, practice the Mountain-Stepping Leg technique you learned today," Zhou Fugan continued.

"good!"

Zhou Sheng then displayed the leg techniques he had just learned.

After Zhou Fugan studied it several times and memorized it, he pointed out a few shortcomings of Zhou Sheng, showcasing the demeanor of a reclusive master, and garnered a series of words of admiration from his grandson.

"Hahaha!"

He couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He learned martial arts himself, gave pointers to his grandson, and incidentally improved the relationship between grandfather and grandson—killing three birds with one stone!