Promise!

Chapter 222, Mutual Aid

"Do not……"

Ji Tongxiu instinctively wanted to refuse, subconsciously categorizing these messy organizations as scammers.

Zhuang Jin raised his hand to stop her, sensing that this masked young female martial artist was only at the fourth level of cultivation, and asked curiously, "Oh, could you tell us about this Freemasonry?"

"Our Freemasonry aims to unite all oppressed martial artists, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to practice. First, one must cultivate Qi to guide others; first, one must open the meridians to guide others; first, one must practice embryonic breathing to guide others..."

As the masked young female warrior spoke, she would occasionally clench her fists, using gestures that were quite persuasive: "In short, now that you two have joined the Freemasons, we'll be a family, sharing the same fate."

'Oh, the Freemasons even have a doctrine?!'

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly, then looked over and asked, "Are there any specific benefits?"

"Of course there are rewards. You get one coin for each martial artist you recruit, and three coins for each martial artist you recruit..."

'Wow, this even has some characteristics of a pyramid scheme.'

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly and said, "I'll think about it." Then she was handed another flyer, which contained some basic information about the Freemasons. The masked little female warrior also reminded them that if they joined the Freemasons, the recommender must say that it was "Little Carp."

The two then went into the black market. Ji Tongxiu reminded them, "Mr. Zhuang, there were some similar organizations that appeared in previous years, such as the World Business Alliance, the People's Party, and the Success Society... but in the end, they all ended up in a mess."

The World Merchants Alliance was a business organization that wanted to monopolize the daily necessities of the state capital and raise prices. However, it was met with a strong crackdown from the state government and eventually fell apart.

The "Everyone Party" promoted slogans like "Everyone for me, and I for everyone," "Many hands make light work," and "One-time investment, lifelong benefits, and share of profits," but ultimately collapsed.

Success meetings, filled with motivational speeches and pep talks, taught people how to succeed and reaped the benefits of a large number of people.

The relatively open and free environment of the state capital provided fertile ground for these chaotic ideas to thrive. Over the long period of eight hundred years, many interesting things and phenomena have emerged, and it seems that they have been repeated every few decades or centuries.

As they entered the black market, Zhuang Jin discovered that, as Ji Tongxiu had said, the items here were of extremely low quality, consisting only of basic cultivation techniques from the first to the sixth classics, cultivation resources, and the like. The quality, variety, and cost-effectiveness were far inferior to those of the Xuantian Division and the stalls within the Third Ring Road.

Compared to the orderly environment within the Third Ring Road, this place is extremely chaotic.

The stall owners were all greedy and contemptible, cheating and swindling as many people as they could, with no intention of making repeat customers. Their attitude was also extremely bad. If you didn't buy anything, they would say things like, "You poor bastard, get lost," "Can't afford it? Stop pretending to be rich," or "What, there's something wrong with the stuff? Are you blind? Look at yourself and ask yourself if you're not trying hard enough to afford it."

It was a complete mess.

In Zhuang Jin's perception, most of them were Qi Condensation martial artists, and most of them were below the fourth meridian. There were very few with more than the seventh meridian. The highest-ranking guard in this black market was only a Qi Opening Meridian martial artist.

It can only be said that the area within the third ring of the state capital is where the elite of the state are concentrated. If you don't go to the area within the third ring where martial artists gather, in other parts of the state capital, martial artists who have reached the Meridian Opening stage are all considered to be people of some importance.

After walking around, Zhuang Jin didn't encounter any bargains—nobody is stupid. If someone really couldn't recognize something, they would go to the Xuantian Bureau for appraisal. If something is actually displayed, it's almost certainly a scam.

This shattered his illusions about finding bargains on the black market in novels, and in the end, the two of them only bought a piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron after searching all the way through.

—Martial artists below the Innate Realm rarely use weapons, so the demand for this material is relatively small. The Suspended Heaven Division tried to lower the price, but after some bargaining, Ji Tongxiu bought it at a relatively reasonable price.

Even this piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron was considered a display of wealth, attracting attention. Some martial artists, like hyenas and wolves smelling blood, followed him.

These people are only at the Qi Condensation Realm, mostly at the first to third meridians, with a very small number at the fourth to sixth meridians. They are just too low-level and still at the low Qi Condensation Realm. They haven't even opened their meridians or their martial arts intuition yet, otherwise they wouldn't have the courage.

Zhuang Jin and Ji Tongxiu didn't take it to heart. When they went out, they saw that the masked little female martial artist was still there.

Zhuang Jin glanced behind him and deliberately asked, "We're being watched in the black market. If we join the Freemasons now, can you help us resolve this?"

"No, even if you join the Freemasons now, it doesn't mean I have to be with you through thick and thin!"

The masked young female warrior blurted out, inwardly rolling her eyes: 'I'd only make ten taels of silver a night recruiting people here, is it worth risking my life?'

"Brother and sister, please take care. Once you've resolved this trouble, come back to our Freemasonry for support. Remember to name the recommender 'Little Carp'! Take care!"

As she spoke, she gave the two of them a little fist clench, then quickly ran away.

Zhuang Jin: ...

Ji Tongxiu: ...

Ji Tongxiu was amused: "No need for Mr. Zhuang to take action, I will handle it."

"Ah."

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly: "Hurry up."

Facing the pursuing martial artists, Ji Tongxiu lightly touched the ground with his toes and dodged them with incredible speed, sometimes brushing, sometimes striking, each move deadly.

She does have some empathy, but as the person in charge who leads the caravan to trade in the city, she is certainly not a saint and has ruthless methods.

Swish!
As soon as Ji Tongxiu stopped, the seven or eight martial artists chasing after her fell to the ground like wheat being harvested. She clapped her hands and looked in the direction of the black market: "Thank you for collecting the corpses!"

In that instant, her tied-up hair fluttered in the wind, and the heroic spirit between her brows almost overflowed, making her resemble Shangguan Yunchang by a large margin.

"Not bad!" Zhuang Jin nodded approvingly, and put his arm around Ji Tongxiu's waist after she came over.

Ji Tongxiu rarely heard Zhuang Jin praise her, and feeling his affection for her, she felt shy and pursed her lips, knowing that tonight…

……

"Tonight, you and your sister will go to serve Venerable Zhuang. Remember, watch your sister's expression and be careful to flatter her..."

The Ji family patriarch, Ji Gongji, was giving these instructions to Ji Tongxiu's younger sister, Ji Tongxiao.

"Father, how can you do this? Besides, besides... I already have someone I love."

"So you also found yourself a Primordial Venerable?"

"No, I..." It turns out that a few days ago, Ji Tongxiao went out with her best friend and accidentally met a man named Gong Bangrong, and they secretly pledged their lives to each other... The Gong family has been in business for generations and has a small business. They live in the Sixth Ring Road.

"WTF?!"

As if struck by a sudden thought, Ji Gongji straightened his face and looked at Ji Tongxiao seriously, asking, "Xiao'er, is your reputation still intact?"

"Father, how could I have known this before the wedding..."

"That's good. Break up with that guy surnamed Gong immediately and go follow Venerable Zhuang. I'm doing this all for your own good!"

Looking at her father, Ji Tongxiao felt only estrangement: "Father, weren't you just talking about reputation? How come now you'd rather have your daughter be a concubine without status, or even a plaything, than have her be someone else's lawfully wedded wife? And you still say it's for your own good?"

"Foolish! Absurd! Foolish! Even if she is a concubine, a plaything, she is still a plaything of a Celestial Venerable; even if she is a lawfully weeded wife, she is still the wife of a worthless wretch, like roadside weeds or a stray dog!"

“Father, he’s not some nobody like roadside weeds or stray dogs. The Gong family has been in business for generations, and our family’s assets amount to at least 100,000…”

"Ha, let's not even talk about the so-called 100,000. How much could it really be converted into cash? Even if it were 100,000 in cash, what would that be? What use would it be? Can mid-to-high-end martial arts resources be bought with money? Can you buy a house in the fourth or fifth ring road just because you have money?"

Ji Gongji looked at his daughter and said earnestly, "In this world, the best are those who practice martial arts, the middle are those who become officials, and the worst are those who do business. That Gong family, they can't even compare to Venerable Zhuang... No, I'm comparing them to Venerable Zhuang, it's an insult to Venerable Zhuang. Not to mention Venerable Zhuang, or even our family, just a small official in the state government can make things difficult for that Gong family."

"What good is money if you have no power, no strength of your own? You're just like meat on a plate... It's better to be a concubine of a nobleman than a wife of an ordinary man. Don't you understand this principle?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Tongxiao's face turned pale, but she still insisted, "He treats me very well, and we even agreed to meet another day to propose marriage..."

"Be good to you? How good? Does it mean giving you a secondary card comparable to the Cloud Pattern Golden Carp Token, or letting you enjoy all the honors within the Third Ring Road? If it's just empty words and sweet talk... Ha, to put it bluntly, if I threw a bone to a stray dog ​​on the street, it would be good to me too! You even made an appointment to come and pay a visit, to propose marriage. What a down-and-out, yet you dare to dream of climbing the social ladder of my Ji family!"

"Father, how could you say that?"

"I'm being polite by saying that. What do you mean by 'public' or 'private'? He should take a good look at himself in the mirror. He's not someone who dares to presume to associate with the Ji family of the Fourth Ring Road."

Ji Gongji looked at his daughter, suppressing his anger, and coaxed, "I know you and your sister have always been attracted to good looks. Venerable Zhuang is so handsome. Would it be a waste for you to follow him?"

"But... but following Venerable Zhuang, like an older sister, would just be like being a plaything without any status!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Gongji almost laughed in anger: "If there were a proper title, would it be your turn?"

"I've lived for over sixty years, and I haven't lived in vain. I won't betray you. Trust my judgment in people. This is the greatest opportunity of your life, so cherish it!"

Looking at his daughter, who was silent and unresponsive, he scolded her angrily, "My daughter, do you have to wait until you lose something to wake up? Do you have to wait until you're battered and bruised before you know how to regret it?"

Hearing such harsh words, Ji Tongxiao finally couldn't help but sob softly.

"Ugh!"

Upon seeing this, Ji Gongji sighed and said, “My Ji family, counting from my generation and from my great-great-grandfather to the present day, has finally risen to become a second-rate family in the fourth ring of the state city through the efforts of six generations. Even so, your father is still trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice, afraid that if I make a wrong step, I will fall down the social class... For a Venerable Zhuang to come to the state city alone as a Primordial Venerable is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

"Xiao'er, ask yourself, has the Ji family ever mistreated you since you were a child? We have nurtured you with care and given you our full support, which is why you are where you are today. Now, I ask you to give back to the family, to help me, to help the Ji family, is that alright?"

Seeing his daughter's struggling expression, he said again, "Father knows you have a hurdle in your heart that you can't get over, but let me tell you, in this world, people laugh at poverty but not prostitution, they laugh at the lowly but not the noble. If you follow Master Zhuang, who will laugh at you? Who would dare to laugh at you? There will only be flattery and fawning over you!"

Hearing this, Ji Tongxiao felt like a lowly commodity, being passed around by her father and family. She pondered, struggled, and hesitated, before finally kneeling down with a thud: "Father, I can't do it, I can't do it! Please, Father, let me be willful one last time!"

Ji Gongji's forehead veins bulged, his hands clenched and unclenched, he took a deep breath, and said as if relieved, "Fine, what can I do? You're my daughter, aren't you? Here's what we'll do: tomorrow you invite that boy from the palace over so your father can take a look. If he's really good, then so be it!"

He didn't really agree, but seeing that it was difficult to break through Ji Tongxiao's side, even if he forced her, he was afraid of offending Zhuang Jin. So he prepared to change his approach, put in some effort, and expose Gong Bangrong's true colors so that Ji Tongxiao would be willing.

"Thank you daddy!"

"Well, you go ahead!"

Ji Gongji watched his daughter leave, and only after she had gone far away did he sweep the teacup to the ground with a flick of his sleeve. He would see what kind of person that man surnamed Gong really was tomorrow.

……

Meanwhile, Mu Bai went to find Ji Tongxiu. He had heard that Zhuang Jin and Ji Tongxiu hadn't come home for dinner that night, and he had also found out what snacks Ji Tongxiu usually liked to eat. So he thoughtfully went outside and bought them for his cousin, wanting her to have something to eat and feel his warm care and love, like springtime.

But when he arrived, the maid told him, "Young Master Mu, don't you know? Miss went to Venerable Zhuang's place?"

Hearing this, Mu Bai continued to deceive himself, making excuses for Ji Tongxiu: "It's so late, is my cousin still going to talk to Venerable Zhuang?"

But the illusion was shattered the next moment. The maid gave him a strange look and said honestly, "No, Miss brought a change of clothes with her."

Under what circumstances would you bring a change of clothes?

Although Mu Bai said that Zhuang Jin was a Xiantian martial artist and that it would be beneficial to get closer to Zhuang Jin, I never expected it to be in this way!
pain!
it hurts!

It hurts so much!
Mu Bai returned in a daze, and as he walked back, he finally understood: his cousin had already... and perhaps even...

Since he couldn't win against the system, he decided to try someone else. Thinking about the goddess constable Chu Jing he had met during the day, she seemed even better. He decided to gather information and find someone else to lick... cough cough, to pursue.

Upon realizing this, Mu Bai suddenly felt enlightened, rallied his spirits, and resolved to work hard.

He had also heard about Zhuang Jin's rise to power, and now, after learning from this experience, he realized that a man should have strength, status, and position!
"I haven't worked hard enough in the past. As long as I work hard enough, I will have martial arts prowess, status, and women!"

That night, Mu Bai had a dream. After three years of hard work, reaching the Meridian Opening stage, five years of Fetal Breathing stage, and ten years of Innate Stage, he finally had the courage to pursue the goddess constable Chu Jing. However, when he arrived, he saw Chu Jing being embraced by a man in white. Enraged, he stepped forward and saw that the man was actually...

"Lord Zhuang?!"

Mu Bai woke up and sat up. Seeing the bright moonlight shining through the window, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh and exclaimed, "What a nightmare!"

He put on his clothes, got up to use the restroom, and saw that the lights in Zhuang Jin's courtyard were still on. He suddenly felt an urge to go to Zhuang Jin and ask him to be more restrained and not to tire his cousin out too much. But then he remembered that he had now changed his target to the goddess constable Chu Jing, so he pressed down and lay back down on the bed, but he couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

……

(End of this chapter)