Watching Gao Dazhuang sway out, Sui Yunzhu sighed, “Lord Gao is a good person, just soft-hearted but stubborn. Next time you see him, be more accommodating. After all, he’s nominally half a master to you!”
“There are no good people in the Crane-Controlling Army. I only acknowledge his passionate nature,” An Jiu paused, “A passionate nature that nurtured a fiery female heart.”
“Cough!” Sui Yunzhu nearly spat out his tea.
An Jiu frowned, “What’s wrong?”
Seeing her serious face, clearly not joking, Sui Yunzhu waved it off, “Nothing, nothing.”
Since their old acquaintance declined to join them, the two ordered some snacks at the teahouse to make do for a meal, then found an inn to stay.
An Jiu lay on the bed, fully clothed, pondering. To quickly organize a formidable fighting force, they couldn’t start by training recruits. So where could they recruit martial artists?
Martial artists… Martial artists… Crane-Controlling Army… Crane-Controlling Army… Assassins…
An Jiu suddenly sat up and went next door to find Sui Yunzhu.
She silently slipped into the adjacent room, crouching on the rafters. She saw Sui Yunzhu undressing to bathe.
After a moment’s thought, she abruptly said, “I’ve thought of an idea. Help me consider if it’s feasible.”
Sui Yunzhu was startled, nearly throwing his hidden weapon.
“Phew!” Sui Yunzhu put on his outer robe and exhaled. “Our rooms are only a few steps apart. Why didn’t you knock?”
Even a mud Buddha would be startled.
An Jiu reflected on this. “You’re right. I’m working for the court now!”
“We’ve always been working for the court,” Sui Yunzhu said.
An Jiu lightly leaped down, with a noncommittal expression.
Sui Yunzhu asked, “What idea did you just mention?”
“I want to recruit assassins from the bounty list!”
The bounty list was just an organization, with a few assassins directly under it. Most who took bounties were “freelancers,” and some martial artists in the jianghu occasionally earned extra money this way.
Sui Yunzhu pondered, “That’s an idea.”
An Jiu was slightly pleased. “I want to know how to subdue them.”
“Force, benefits, or perhaps appeal to their emotions and reason!” Sui Yunzhu answered without much thought. “The simplest way is to defeat them, forcibly establish a subordinate relationship, then entice them with benefits. This is a common method in the jianghu. But there’s a shortcut—compete for the title of Wulin Alliance Leader.”
“Wulin Alliance Leader?” An Jiu had never heard this term before but roughly understood its meaning.
Seeing her partial comprehension, Sui Yunzhu was slightly surprised. He explained, “It’s the person who commands the jianghu.”
“That sounds good,” An Jiu asked enthusiastically, “Where is the jianghu?”
“Eh?” Sui Yunzhu was stumped. “The jianghu… is everywhere…”
What kind of answer was that? Since he didn’t know either, An Jiu changed the question, “How do you compete to become the Wulin Alliance Leader?”
“The martial arts world holds a grand meeting every three years. There’s an arena where you must defeat everyone to challenge the current leader. If you beat the leader, you take their place.” Sui Yunzhu thought for a moment. “This term’s leader just took office last year. The next grand meeting is in two years.”
An Jiu snorted, “By the time I become the Wulin Alliance Leader, grass will be growing on Wu Lingyuan’s grave!”
Sui Yunzhu, thinking of the fates of the previous two Hexi County magistrates, felt this statement had no exaggeration at all. Without the ability to protect itself, Hexi County’s magistrate would surely meet a bad end.
“It’s more reliable to subdue them one by one. For the next few days, let’s split up. You recruit ordinary strong men, and I’ll challenge martial artists.” An Jiu wasn’t overly confident in her martial skills; she just had no confidence in her persuasive abilities.
Although Sui Yunzhu didn’t doubt her martial prowess, he was still uneasy about her going alone. “We’re not in a rush. After things are settled, I’ll go with you. At least I’m more familiar with jianghu rules.”
An Jiu considered this and reluctantly agreed.
After making their plans, they retired for the night.
Sui Yunzhu, still shaken, carefully checked all doors and windows to prevent another scare.
The next day, news of the official household registration check spread quickly, causing anxiety among many. The entire Xingzhou city bustled with activity under Gao Dazhuang’s vigorous efforts.
Sui Yunzhu coordinated with the Xingzhou government office, setting up a sign at a nearby teahouse. It announced that Hejian Prefecture could accommodate homeless people under generous conditions: First, four mu of land allocated per adult; Second, no rent or taxes for ten years, plus a five-tael silver subsidy from the court; Third, regardless of social status, all who registered in Hejian Prefecture would be granted commoner status.
These three conditions were unimaginably generous, especially the last one. For those of low-born status for generations, it was like heavenly music. Commoner status meant no longer being treated like cattle, the ability to marry commoner women, and future generations could participate in imperial examinations!
Sui Yunzhu hired a clever waiter from the teahouse to explain the notice to onlookers.
By noon, although the crowd hadn’t diminished, no one had come to sign up.
After all, no matter how generous the conditions, one needed to be alive to enjoy them!
An Jiu, dressed as a man with a wide-brimmed hat, sat behind a screen drinking tea. After a dry morning, she was puzzled. “Aren’t you telling them that Xingzhou and Hejian Prefecture are colluding in this household registration check? Why would they willingly come with us?”
Moreover, what kind of place was Hejian Prefecture? It was practically Liao’s hunting ground.
Sui Yunzhu lowered his eyes, looking at the tea in his cup, and spoke slowly, “Our situation is already bad. If we deceive and force a group of rabble to come, they’ll only drag us down when trouble comes. We want clear-headed people. Only when they understand what they want will they give them all to protect these hard-earned things. If they protect hope, Hexi County has hope.”
The last sentence was a bit convoluted, but An Jiu found it quite reasonable after careful thought. She felt Wu Lingyuan’s decision to send Sui Yunzhu along was indeed foresighted.
“Hope, huh…” A faint smile appeared in An Jiu’s eyes.
Sui Yunzhu’s notice stirred up heated discussion in Xingzhou, but after two days, still no one came to sign up.
Sitting idle wasn’t An Jiu’s style; she was always a person of action.
On the third day, after breakfast, An Jiu sat at the table with her feet up, watching the sparse crowd outside.
Her gaze fell on a short, thin middle-aged man, and her eyebrows raised slightly.
Sui Yunzhu followed her gaze. The man was in tattered clothes, his hair like withered grass, his face dirty—seemingly a beggar from the city. But he quickly noticed the man’s deep, calm gaze. Someone with such a gaze was no ordinary person.
As Sui Yunzhu was about to ask An Jiu about the man’s martial arts level, he turned to find An Jiu’s seat empty!
Looking back, An Jiu was already approaching the man.
A fourth-level martial artist, not too high. An Jiu’s spiritual power far surpassed his. When they were just half a zhang apart, the man glanced at her but noticed nothing unusual.
“Hey,” An Jiu called out, standing still.
The man looked around. “Are you calling me?”
An Jiu slightly raised her chin, gesturing at the notice. “Interested?”
Only then did the man become wary. He hadn’t sensed An Jiu’s spiritual power, nor could he detect any internal energy from her. Yet this mysterious woman had singled him out from the crowd of onlookers. He instinctively felt this wasn’t a coincidence.
He thought carefully before nodding.
“Then come with me,” An Jiu said.
Her tone was flat, almost cold, but spoken so matter-of-factly that it carried an air of authority, giving a sense of irrefusable pressure.
The man’s heart tightened. “Who exactly are you?”
An Jiu smirked.
With her hat covering half her face, this smirk appeared to the man as a mysterious, enigmatic expression.
As he grew uneasy, he heard that cool voice say, “What’s the point of hiding? Do you dare to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth with me?”
Such boastful words spoken so calmly by a petite woman startled everyone around.
No one dared to question, for they wouldn’t even dare to say such things themselves.
“Haha! Good!” A tall man nearby exclaimed. “Well said, little miss! Snatching from a tiger’s mouth, I’m in!”
He strode into the teahouse.
Though imposing, the man wasn’t a martial artist. An Jiu kept her focus on the beggar.