Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

The grocery store was dilapidated and closed, but a faint, unpleasant smell still wafted out. Li Xin frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "How could a reclusive master like Zhen Yuanzhai have such a friend living in a place like this?"

But then he thought about it again. Chin Gentsai looked like an ordinary old drunkard. If it weren't for Athena Asamiya taking care of him, his life would probably be the same. So he put aside his contempt and knocked on the door, saying, "Is Senior Wang Da here?"

After knocking on the door, Li Xin waited for a long time but no one answered. He then went around to the back of the general store and tried to see through the window if anyone was inside. If Senior Wang Da was not there, he would have to come back another day.

Unexpectedly, there was another space behind the general store. In a courtyard surrounded by a tattered bamboo fence, He Jinyin, the young man who had rescued Li Xin the night before, was being whipped repeatedly.

The person whipping He Jinyin was a middle-aged man who looked very slovenly and lewd. He was very ruthless, and He Jinyin could only dodge and evade under his whip.

Upon seeing this, Li Xin immediately shouted, "Stop!"

Then, he leaped over the bamboo fence and flew to He Jinyin's side, grabbed the whip, and shouted at the lewd old man who was whipping He Jinyin, "What are you doing? Why are you hitting him!"

Fueled by anger, Li Xin grabbed the whip and pulled it back, dragging the sleazy old man who had been whipping He Jinyin along with him. The man stumbled and fell to the ground.

Li Xin came to his rescue, but He Jinyin did not express his gratitude to Li Xin. Instead, he excitedly rushed towards the lewd-looking old man lying on the ground, shouting, "Master, are you alright!"

He Jinyin's address of "Master" instantly froze Li Xin's expression, who had just thought he had repaid He Jinyin's kindness in saving him.

The sleazy-looking middle-aged man lying on the ground kept rolling around, yelling, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I fell so hard, I'm going to die! I don't think I'll ever heal without a hundred thousand or twenty thousand!"

Li Xin: "..."

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Nine Chrysanthemums School

"So, your master was just training your reaction speed, as well as your ability to withstand blows and endure pain?"

In the house behind the grocery store, after hearing He Jinyin's explanation, Li Xin's face was full of embarrassment. Fortunately, he had a dark complexion, so no one could see his embarrassment.

Looking back now, although He Jinyin was being whipped, he only dodged the whole time and did not run away. Moreover, even when he was hit by the whip, he did not make a sound. This is enough to show that there was something strange about it. It's just that Li Xin was too anxious at the time and did not notice these things.

He Jinyin laughed and said, "Ah Xin, you were really amazing just now! I could barely see Master's whip, but you caught it with your bare hands. That's incredible!"

Li Xin's embarrassment deepened. He said to the sleazy-looking man next to He Jinyin, "Excuse me, are you Senior Wang Da?"

He already knew that this seemingly slovenly middle-aged man was the owner of this place. Needless to say, his identity was that of the old friend that Chin Gentsai had asked Li Xin to visit, the former Southeast Asian free fighting champion, who had defeated all the karate masters in Japan and was known as the "karate nemesis" and the "devil muscle man" Ghost King Da!

He Jinyin was taken aback and said to the middle-aged man, "Master, aren't you called Ghost King Da? Why does Ah Xin call you Wang Da?"

The middle-aged man glanced at He Jinyin and looked at him with disdain, saying, "Have you ever seen anyone with the surname Gui? Gui Wang Da is just a nickname. My real name is Wang Da, but after I became famous, few people knew this name anymore. They all used to call me Gui Wang Da."

Actually, there are people whose surname is Gui (鬼). Gui is a surname listed in the Hundred Family Surnames...

Li Xin muttered to himself, but still said to Ghost King Da, "Senior Wang Da, I have been entrusted by Senior Zhen Yuanzhai to give you something."

As he spoke, Li Xinzhen handed the small porcelain bottle that Yuanzhai had given him to Gui Wangda.

Ghost King Da took the porcelain bottle, a hint of nostalgia on his face, but instead of putting it away, he casually tossed it to He Jin Yin beside him: "Why would I eat this? You eat it, Ah Yin. You've been training with me these past few days, and your body has been overloaded. It's okay for a while, you're young and your body can handle it, but when you get older, all those hidden injuries will come out at once and torment you. Eating this will keep you from wetting the bed even when you're ninety."

"So powerful!"

He Jinyin's eyes gleamed with golden light, but he quickly suppressed his joy and looked at Ghost King Dadao: "But Master, what about you?"

Compared to himself, He Jinyin felt that Ghost King Da needed this medicine more.

Ghost King Da's lips twitched slightly. He stood up, revealing a walking aid under his trouser leg. Instantly, He Jin Yin fell silent.

Ghost King Da patted He Jinyin on the shoulder and said to He Jinyin, "Don't think too much. Just take this medicine in a bit. That old man Zhenyuanzhai still has some goods on hand. What he gives you must be good."

"Yes, Master."

He Jinyin nodded.

"Alright, go practice your skills by yourself. I want to have a chat with this kid."

Ghost King Da dismissed He Jin Yin, then looked at Li Xin: "Your name is A Xin, right?"

Li Xin nodded respectfully.

"That kid Ah Yin said he found someone on his way home yesterday. He didn't have money to take him to the hospital, so he took him home. The person looked half dead, but after sleeping for a while, he was fine. Was that you?"

Ghost King Da asked Li Xindao.

Li Xin nodded again.

Patting Li Xin's chest, Ghost King Da asked in confusion, "Judging from your breathing and physique, there are very few young people with martial arts skills like yours, especially your internal strength. Even the older generation of seniors rarely can compare to you. How did you end up seriously injured and unconscious, and how did you get saved by that kid Ah Yin?"

Ghost King Da has been out of the martial arts world for a long time, but he knows a little about the famous masters in Hong Kong. He has never heard of anyone who could beat a master like Li Xin into a serious injury and unconsciousness.

Li Xin thought for a moment, and this was a good opportunity to tell Ghost King Da about his doubts, so he said, "Senior Wang Da, the matter is like this..."

Then, he told Ghost King Da about his experience the previous night.

Ghost King Da was initially quite casual, but when he heard that Li Xin had punched through the chest of the sword-wielding warrior, yet the warrior was still able to move without any hindrance, he immediately frowned.

After Li Xin finished speaking, he waited quietly for Ghost King Da to speak. Ghost King Da looked at Li Xin and slowly said, "It's evil magic!"

Li Xin nodded; this was indeed quite eerie.

Ghost King Da looked at Li Xin: "Ah Xin, your martial arts are quite good. Do you know anything about supernatural arts?"

"Uh, I'm not very knowledgeable about art. Those paintings that people say have high artistic value, I just don't think they're anything special..."

Li Xin recalled several paintings he had seen before that were supposedly masterpieces, and thought they were all messed up, not even as good as the scribbles of the children in Shibali Village. Li Xin felt that he probably had no talent for art.

“That’s right, I feel the same way. Picasso from the West? His paintings are a mess, not even as good as the illustrations in those third-rate erotic novels…” Ghost King nodded repeatedly, then quickly realized he had gone astray and shouted, “No, I’m talking about supernatural arts! The strange ‘strange’ one, not the art of painting!”

Ghost King Da sighed and said, "How come you don't even know anything about supernatural arts? How did your master teach you?"

"I don't have a master!"

Li Xin replied, and then told Ghost King Da about his opportunity, which made Ghost King Da's eyes pop out.

This is even possible!

Ghost King Da became famous in his twenties and boasted of his extraordinary talent. However, it was only through the guidance of a famous teacher and diligent practice that he achieved his impressive cultivation. But Li Xin actually developed such profound internal strength without any guidance, which greatly surprised Ghost King Da.

"Alright, let's get back to talking about supernatural arts."

Ghost King Da didn't want to talk to Li Xin about martial arts anymore, and instead started talking about supernatural arts: "Supernatural arts... Actually, I can't define exactly what supernatural arts are. After all, I used to be just a martial artist myself. But besides us martial artists, there are indeed people in the world who possess supernatural powers. Unlike martial artists who hone their muscles and bones and practice internal energy, supernatural arts don't have a fixed way of cultivation. The Taoist arts of the Central Plains, the Yin-Yang arts of Japan, the magic of the West, and all sorts of strange and unusual spells can all be called supernatural arts."

"With the help of some strange and unusual methods, supernatural arts can unleash tremendous power, and are impossible to defend against. Some supernatural arts can even take lives from thousands of miles away."

When Ghost King Da talked about supernatural arts, he subconsciously touched his leg—his severed leg.

Li Xin asked Ghost King Da, "Senior Wang Da, since supernatural arts are so powerful, why have I never heard of any master of them?"

Li Xin had met several martial artists with genuine skills and had heard of many powerful martial arts schools in Japan. There must have been masters in those schools. However, Li Xin rarely heard of masters who possessed extraordinary abilities. Even when he did hear of them, they were all eventually proven to be frauds.

But if those who possess extraordinary abilities are so powerful, why are they completely unknown?

Ghost King Da smiled and said, "Although supernatural arts are incredibly powerful, they are ultimately just opportunistic tricks. Therefore, as long as you master the method, even a seven-year-old child can easily break through seemingly powerful supernatural arts. Moreover, once a supernatural art is broken, some supernatural arts will even harm the caster. So, those who know supernatural arts often hide themselves and try to use them as little as possible to protect themselves. Even when they do use supernatural arts, they try to keep it as secret as possible. Firstly, they are afraid that the supernatural arts will be broken and harm them. Secondly, if they use supernatural arts too much, it will be easy for others to figure out how to break them."

In his words, Ghost King Da showed great disdain for those who possessed supernatural abilities. In his words, those who possessed supernatural abilities were like rats in the gutter, unable to stand the light of day.

But is it really true as Ghost King Da said?

Ghost King Da touched his leg once again.

"'Nine Chrysanthemums School'"

Ghost King Da suddenly said.

Li Xin was taken aback, and then Ghost King Da continued, "The Japanese samurai you encountered who survived being shot through the chest was probably a puppet controlled by the evil magic of the 'Nine Chrysanthemums School.' Moreover, he didn't let you go because he heard the flute music. Rather, the person controlling him noticed that the puppet was damaged and was afraid that the core of the puppet was lost, so he summoned the puppet back."

Li Xin hurriedly asked, "Senior Wang Da, what is this 'Nine Chrysanthemums School' you're talking about?"

Ghost King Da casually explained: "It is said that during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, a batch of books on calendars, astronomy, geography, and divination techniques from the Central Plains were introduced to Japan by monks from Baekje. Some knowledgeable people in Japan found those books to be extremely profound. They studied and researched those books, and gradually two schools emerged. One school took the orthodox aspects of the books, which became the Yin-Yang School. The other school took the unorthodox aspects of the books, which gradually formed the current 'Nine Chrysanthemum School'."

"Originally, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums School' was just a school of thought that studied Qimen Dunjia and Yin-Yang numerology. However, because Yin-Yang Dao, which shared the same origin, was highly regarded by the Japanese imperial family at the time and became an official organization in Japan with a high status, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums School' was unwilling to accept this and wanted to prove that it was no less than Yin-Yang Dao. So it went further and further into the strange and bizarre path of studying Qimen Dunjia and Yin-Yang numerology, and eventually fell into evil ways."

"In modern times, when Japan launched its war of aggression, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Faction' seized the opportunity to follow the Japanese army in invading other countries. On the one hand, they protected the Japanese army and harmed strange people and strange talents in various countries. On the other hand, in order to strengthen their power, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Faction' extensively collected evil arts from various countries to strengthen themselves. It is said that the sorcery of Southeast Asia, Western witchcraft, and various evil arts from the Central Plains were all collected by this group of 'Nine Chrysanthemums Faction' demons."

"After the defeat of Japan, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums School' was also severely weakened. However, the cultivation of supernatural arts is different from martial arts. It does not require decades of hard work. It can often be mastered in just a few years. Those who practice evil arts can cultivate even faster. Therefore, the 'Nine Chrysanthemums School' was able to revive quickly after the war. Moreover, because it had collected many evil arts, its strength was even greater than before the war."

“In recent years, the ‘Nine Chrysanthemums Faction’ has been infiltrating various forces in Japan. They are no longer satisfied with just Japan and have extended their reach overseas. Ashin, you have a past with that old man Chin Gentsai. I advise you not to get involved in this matter. The strength of the ‘Nine Chrysanthemums Faction’ is not something a young person like you can contend with. It would be better to withdraw as soon as possible.”

Ghost King Da patted Li Xin on the shoulder and said.

Li Xin remained silent. After listening to Ghost King Da's introduction of the "Nine Chrysanthemums Sect," he roughly understood how large and terrifying this organization was. However, the problem was that he had already accepted the mission to protect Gao Jin, and he would not give up because of fear.

That's two million US dollars! What "Nine Chrysanthemums Faction"? How dare they interfere with Li Xin's money-making! Let's take them down!

Moreover, according to Gui Wangda, this "Nine Chrysanthemums Faction" has long been guilty of numerous crimes. If Li Xin were to back down in fear, even he himself would despise himself.

"Senior Wang Da, why do you know so much about the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Sect'?" Li Xin asked Ghost King Da. Ghost King Da had previously said that he didn't know much about supernatural arts, but he seemed to know a lot about the "Nine Chrysanthemums Sect" and spoke about its origins in great detail.

"Why do you know so much about the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Sect'?" Ghost King Da smiled and touched his broken leg again: "Because my leg was broken because of an ambush by the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Sect'!"

Li Xinqi said, "But I heard from Master Zhenyuanzhai that your leg was broken during a martial arts match!"

Ghost King Da nodded, then said calmly, "That's right, I was interrupted during a martial arts competition. But that was because the person I was fighting with had hired a master from the 'Nine Chrysanthemums Sect' before the competition to use evil magic to enhance his power. I didn't expect that the other party would be so unethical, so I fell for their trap and had my leg broken. That's when my martial arts were ruined."

As he spoke, Ghost King Da placed his hands on his knees and clenched them tightly, revealing that his inner state was not as calm as he appeared.

Li Xin suddenly realized why he hadn't sensed any internal energy from Gui Wangda. He had originally thought that Gui Wangda had cultivated his internal energy to the point of returning to simplicity, just like Master Zhen Yuanzhai, but it turned out that his internal energy had been destroyed.

For martial artists, internal strength is more important than limbs. Ghost King Da has a limp, but with a few years of diligent practice, he can recover about 70-80% of his martial arts skills. However, without internal strength, Ghost King Da would be useless even if his limbs were intact, not to mention that his leg is broken. In the eyes of outsiders, he is just a useless cripple.

Feeling that he had said something heavy, Ghost King Da immediately added, "But it's nothing. I only lost a leg and all my martial arts skills. The 'Severing Water Flow' master who fought me was in a much worse situation than me. He had thirty years of his lifespan taken away by that evil magic and turned from a strong young man into an old man overnight. It is said that he pees on his hand every time he goes to the toilet!"

As he spoke, Ghost King Da gloated again: "And I heard that the old man spent thirty years of his lifespan to win the title of 'Number One School in Japan' for 'Broken Water Flow,' but after only a few years, it was snatched back by 'Extreme Flow' which returned from overseas. It's like he spent thirty years of his lifespan and got nothing in return. What a loser! Unlike me, although I've lost my martial arts and a leg, I've learned that there are many wonderful things in life besides martial arts. I'm eating and drinking well every day now, and I'm so happy. Of course, if you, Ah Xin, are willing to give me a hundred thousand or twenty thousand, I'll be even happier!"

Li Xin looked at Gui Wangda, whose face was full of longing, smiled slightly, and decisively said, "No money!"

"cut!"

Chapter Fifty: As expected of him

After speaking with Li Xin, Ghost King Da picked up his whip and returned to the courtyard. He then began training He Jinyin, the same person Li Xin had seen being whipped.

With each lash of the Ghost King, He Jinyin would dodge. If he couldn't dodge, the whip, as thick as a little finger, would fall on him. He Jinyin remained expressionless and didn't even pause in his movements when he was whipped, clearly having been whipped many times before and getting used to it.

Although He Jinyin had previously explained that he was practicing his dodging ability and his ability to withstand blows and pain, Li Xin still found it puzzling and couldn't help but ask Ghost King Da, who was whipping him, "Senior Wang Da, isn't your training of Ah Yin a bit... excessive?"

Even Li Xin, who had little knowledge of martial arts, knew that martial arts training required a gradual approach. If one rushed things and exceeded the limits that the body could withstand, serious problems would arise.

Ghost King Da didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to whip He Jin Yin with increasing vigor, making it hard for Li Xin not to suspect that there might be some personal grudge involved.

Gui Wangda did not answer Li Xin, but He Jinyin, who was constantly dodging under Gui Wangda's whip, defended his master, saying, "A Xin, you don't know, Master is doing this for my own good!"

"You dare to chat and get distracted while practicing? When you get to the ring, are you going to read comics while fighting?"

Ghost King Da's whips lashed out faster and harder, making He Jin Yin, who couldn't adapt to the sudden increase in power, howl in pain.

"There's no time!"

While cracking his whip, Ghost King Da explained to Li Xin, "Ah Yin has signed a life-or-death agreement with someone. She will have to fight to the death in a tournament in half a month. It's better to suffer a little now than to die in half a month!"

"A life-or-death contract? A life-or-death arena?"

Li Xin looked puzzled.

"Ugh……"

Ghost King Da tossed the whip aside and shouted to He Jinyin, "Rest for a while!"

After being whipped and looking as pathetic as a dog, He Jinyin felt as if he had been granted a pardon upon hearing Gui Wangda's words. He lay straight on the ground, motionless, like a dead dog.

Seeing He Jinyin's pathetic state, Ghost King Da shook his head and sighed to Li Xin, "Alas, it's all my fault for dragging A-Yin into this..."

Through Ghost King Da's explanation, Li Xin finally understood what had happened to He Jinyin.

Basically, He Jinyin was originally a deliveryman for an ice cream parlor near the Elite Center. Because he admired a female student at the Elite Center, and after learning that she liked strong men, he became a disciple of the dignified, imposing, and awe-inspiring (three thousand words omitted below) Ghost King Da. He learned the secret technique "Invincible Wind and Fire Wheel" from the "Central Plains Ancient Fist Technique" and defeated a judo club captain who wanted to remain anonymous and attempted to sexually assault the female student He Jinyin admired.

Then, you thought what followed was the familiar scene of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress and the beauty throwing herself into his arms?

No, because He Jinyin was masked when he rescued the female student named Ali, so Ali didn't know that He Jinyin was the one who saved her. She mistook a despicable, treacherous, arrogant, and conceited overseas returnee student (the following three thousand words are also omitted) for the one who saved her and started dating him. That overseas returnee student was none other than the senior brother of "Duan Shui Liu" who had a long-standing feud with Ghost King Da!

He Jinyin was filled with righteous indignation. He could accept that Ali was not with him, but he could not accept that Ali was hurt by a hypocritical and despicable person. In order to expose the hypocritical mask of the senior brother "Duan Shui Liu", he bravely challenged the senior brother "Duan Shui Liu".

Originally, Master Duan Shui Liu wouldn't have bothered with He Jin Yin, a piece of trash at the very bottom of society. However, after discovering that He Jin Yin was actually a disciple of "Devil Muscle Man" Ghost King Da, Master Duan Shui Liu immediately changed his mind.

The master of "Broken Water Flow" back then used the evil magic of the "Nine Chrysanthemums School" to enhance his power, which is why he unexpectedly broke Ghost King Da's leg. However, his fate was even worse than Ghost King Da's, and the title of "Number One in Japan" that he had not long obtained was taken away by "Genkiryu".

Driven by deep-seated resentment, the hatred of "Duan Shui Liu" towards Gui Wang Da can be described as unparalleled. "Duan Shui Liu"'s senior brother is the disciple of that master, so of course they must defeat He Jin Yin, the senior disciple of "Zhongyuan Ancient Fist," in the most conspicuous way.

So, the two sides signed a life-or-death agreement, agreeing to a life-or-death duel in a month, which is half a month from now. Not only that, the entire duel will be broadcast live on television. If Ah Yin wins, he can move into the Elite Center and "Zhongyuan Ancient Fist" can open a school and teach students there. But if he loses, the "Zhongyuan Ancient Fist" brand will disappear from the earth!

Ghost King Da rambled on for half an hour, mainly emphasizing his own brilliance and the despicable shamelessness of "Severing Water Flow." He also "subtly" mentioned his current financial difficulties and the considerable expenses of training Ah Yin, making it impossible for Li Xin to pretend he didn't understand. He could only take out several thousand yuan from his wallet and hand it to Ghost King Da. Everyone knows how difficult it is for Li Xin to give money to someone else, but Ghost King Da did it!

Licking his lips, Ghost King Da counted the money with a smug look on his face. Li Xin bid farewell to Ghost King Da and said goodbye to He Jin Yin before leaving.

He Jinyin had recovered by this time and was sitting on the ground waving to Li Xin.