Childe Ji

Main Hall-- Li Manor

The orders of the Grand Chief was still ringing in the ears of Flaming Spear, Charming Leopard, Red Monkey and Storm Sword, the four Seniors of the Si Lak Mercenaries, second only to the Grand Chief in authority.

"I think it's time to change the way I do things. Now that I've determined to wipe out the Scorpion Hall and Yan Temple, we have to prepare accordingly. That involves accepting more disciples. And we also need eyes everywhere. Those people out there are here to suck up to my dad now. I don't think he can handle them. Help him deal with them,"

The thirty from the Si Lak Mercenaries sat at a long table with Flaming Spear Xi Yun at the head. On the left side were the other Seniors, followed by eight mercenaries referred to as the Vanguards, among whom was Shadow Claw Jun Ru. On the other side sat twelve from the Weapons Guild, and the other six, three on the right and three on the left, were prodigies of unlimited talent in alchemy and cultivation. A dense suffocating aura, the trademark of anyone from the Si Lak Mercenaries, emanated from each and everyone of them.

The fourth prince, Xi Huazing, solemnly bowed with apprehension in his heart. This-- these people were the ones his elder brother the third prince dared speak casually about? Who his father the emperor dared grit his teeth at?

"Xi Huazing pays his respects to Esteemed Seniors and Masters. I'm representing my father, the Emperor of Phoenix Empire, who sends his regards to the Seniors of the Si Lak Mercenaries. May I present a token of his recognition," he withdrew from his sleeve a ruby encrusted sword and presented it with lowered head. A snake shot out from one of the Mercenaries' sleeves, wrapped around the sword, and withdrew it from Xi Huazing's hand at a speed that shocked him. He only faintly saw the slitted red eyes before it was gone.

The mercenary unsheathed and examined the sword.

"Hmm-" he stroked his beard, which protuded out from under his beaver mask, "good make," and the sword disappeared.

"Speak," Flaming Spear Xi Yun growled.

Xi Huazing swallowed a mouthful of saliva. To think the Dragon Bone Sword, the treasure of the Phoenix Empire, would be treated with such contempt! However, he opened his mouth quickly.

"My imperial father envisions a time when relations between the Phoenix Empire and the Si Lak Mercenaries will be for mutual benefit--"

"What mutual benefit?" A mercenary growled, "what do you have that can enter our sights? Just because we took your toy doesn't mean you weigh much in our eyes!"

T--toy?! But Xi Huazing began to reel off the imperial family's priceless treasures.

"Our humble imperial family possesses a third grade armament weapon, the Mutinous Hammer-- seven beads of crystallized Phoenix Tears-- a five hundred year burning Perpetual Flame-- a mid tier concealment matrix--"

"A concealment matrix?" a masked Senior, Red Monkey, opened her mouth. Everyone at the table glanced at her quizzically, even Flaming Spear Xi Yun.

"Sister Red Monkey-- what do you need a concealment matrix for?" Flaming Spear Xi Yun asked.

Red Monkey shook her head slightly, the black doupeng covering her face parting slightly to reveal the flawless fresh face of a nineteen year old girl. Xi Huazing was shocked.

"What are you looking at?" Tao He growled, and Xi Huazing retracted his gaze immediately.

"Well," Storm Sword opened his mouth, and his voice was rough and boorish, "Big Sis Red Monkey seems to need this concealment matrix of sorts--" Xi Huazing licked his lips in anticipation, and Storm Sword continued, "hey, Weapons Guild folks, don't you have so many concealment matrices lying around all the time? Give twenty top tier ones to Big Sis Red Monkey on my account. Heh heh, Big Sis Red Monkey, you owe me one!"

"Roger, Senior," about four or five youngsters replied at once.

What?! Xi Huazing was shocked. Twe-- twenty!! Twenty top tier concealment matrices?!!

Flaming Spear Xi Yun hissed in annoyance.

"Seems like this imperial family of the Phoenix Empire is only so-so,"

"No, no!" Xi Huazing hurriedly said, "they still have me! I'm a fifth rank initial stage cultivator! The only cultivator in the capital!"

There was silence for a moment.

"Hahahaha!" Sword Saint Tao He burst out laughing, "you call that talent? Do you know what the Si Lak Mercenaries are? Do you know what we call talent? A mid-rank Martial Grandmaster, at a maximum of eighteen years of age! That's talent,"

Blood drained from Xi Huazing's face. A -- a what?! He-- he was not even a Martial Practitioner yet! With his current progress at twenty-two, he would only reach the second rank of Martial Grandmaster when he was thirty years old! And that-- that was if he entered closed door cultivation for the space of a year every three years!

If that was the case, then these people-- what stage of cultivation were they, to set such unachievable standards?!

"This Phoenix Imperial family is too presumptuous, sending us a small cultivation fry. We have no interest in your mediocre 'treasures'," Tao He spat.

"You--," Xi Huazing's entire life seemed to crumble before his eyes, "we-- really-- have more than this--" the bells tolled in his head. If he were unable to secure the Si Lak Mercenaries support... Wouldn't his father short of disown him? "We are willing to give anything-- everything-- to serve-- whatever it is that you require of us, we are willing to do it--"

"Oho," Charming Leopard chuckled, "do you think there is anything that we can't get ourselves?"

"Since the Phoenix Imperial Family is of no benefit to us--"

"Wait," Red Monkey spoke unconcernedly, but it seemed like the light at the end of a dark tunnel to Xi Huazing, "I want to see your concealment matrix,"

"Yes, Esteemed Senior!"

"Big Sister Red Monkey, didn't I already ask these kids from the Weapons Guild to give you twenty? Why are you so interested in this kid's cheap toy?" Storm Sword grumbled.

"Enough," Flaming Spear Xi Yun cut in, her eyes sharp, "let Sister Red Monkey do as she pleases,"

"I'll go inform my royal father of your request right away," Xi Huazing bowed and hurried out before these yamas could change their minds. Waiting outside was his personal eunuch, who had been with him since he was a child. Li Zhenming standing a little further away, noticed Xi Huazing come out of the main hall, so he signalled to the next person.

"Uncle Zhenming," Xi Huazing called out.

"Please enter, Lord Ji," Li Zhenming said to the prime minister's son, then turned around, "yes, your highness?"

"Thank you for your help," Xi Huazing smiled delicately, "and you're making me uncomfortable calling me your highness. We're family, after all,"

Li Zhenming pursed his lips and did not reply. Instead, he asked, tilting his head towards the hall:

"How was your meeting with them?"

"It was not bad," Xi Huazing replied composedly, "I'm on my way to inform royal father that they requested for a concealment matrix,"

"A concealment matrix?" Li Zhenming was slightly shocked, "So the Imperial Family has this treasure,"

Xi Huazing merely smiled. But inside, he was screaming. With those two good for nothing elder brothers of his, the crown prince and the third prince, how would he convince the imperial family to hand over the concealment matrix? Thankfully, he had a support in the person of the second prince, but he did not fully trust the latter either. Who knew what nasty schemes were lurking behind that stoic face?

"I'll be leaving now, Uncle Zhenming. Please take care of yourself," Xi Huazing pushed all this to the back of his mind, maintaining the image of a filial nephew instead.

"--Your highness," Eunuch Tan helped Xi Huazing into the carriage, "how did it go?"

"My cultivation is virtually nothing in the eyes of the Si Lak Mercenaries," Xi Huazing narrowed his eyes, "they want a Martial Grandmaster of eighteen years,"

Eunuch Tan: !!!!!

People awakened their cultivation talent at fifteen years, some sixteen, and it took one full year to advance through the Initial Stage cultivation ranks, before eventually breaking through to become a Martial Practitioner and discovering their element affinity. From here, cultivation depended on one's skill, luck, and diligence, therefore there was no really set time laid down. Yet, the average was three years of cultivation and training as a Martial Practitioner, before breaking through to Martial Skills. At this stage the cultivator would choose a fighting skill, from the likes of weapons, armaments, flames, elements or contract creatures. Another three years down the line as a Martial Skill would lead to breakthrough to become a Martial Master, and also another four years before eventually becoming a Martial Grandmaster! That was an average of eleven years of cultivation before a person reached the level of Martial Grandmaster! The cultivator would be at least twenty six years old! That was if they encountered no bottlenecks or unforseen circumstances. So how did the Si Lak Mercenaries come about eighteen years? Did they expect the person to have started cultivating in the womb?!

"But we still have a chance. One of the Seniors wanted one of the imperial family's treasures that I mentioned. She's called Red Monkey, and I briefly saw her face. She's really beautiful!" Xi Huazing smiled as he remembered the flawless face of Red Monkey. Yes, he thought, when he entered the Si Lak Mercenaries in the future, he would woo her, ke ke ke.

"What treasure did they ask for," Eunuch Tan asked, bringing Xi Huazing out of his fantasy. The fourth prince pursed his lips as he replied forlornly.

"The mid-tier concealing matrix procured by the former emperor during the Winter Moon Hunt,"

Eunuch Tan:!!!!

"What will the imperial family get in return then?"

"What do you mean? It's simply a blessing to be able to serve them. How dare I ask?! Now, with this gift, they already have a connection with the Phoenix imperial family, and me, Xi Huazing. On a day when we need their help, that's why they will answer us. If they don't know us, will they care if we perish?"

"But wait till the crown prince or third prince or even my imperial father confronts them. Sword Saint Tao He, that was so renowned already decades ago, joined the Si Lak Mercenaries and isn't even one of the higher ups! Even he calls others Seniors. But I guess I'm lucky, because it's one of those Seniors that asked for the concealment matrix. I just hope my third brother won't spoil all my hard work," the carriage rolled away.

Back at the Li Manor, Ji Hanming, the prime minister's eldest son,was sweating profusely in the face of the pressure from the Mercenaries. His uncle wasn't doing too well either.

The ledger of the Ji family's top-tier treasures was directly handed over humbly for the Mercenaries to peruse and pick what they wished.

"Why do I feel that the Prime Minister's family is even more well to do than the imperial family?" Xi Yun asked, as she casually flipped the pages. Her hand paused slightly when she came to a part of the ledger.

"Spider Lily, what's the name of that herb you're always harping about again?" She asked someone from the Alchemy Guild.

To have the support of the Si Lak Mercenaries alchemist... Ji Hanming was estactic, but he remembered to keep his head down.

"Wilted Fawn Leaf," Spider Lily opened his mouth and replied, "Is there a problem, Senior?"

"It's here," Xi Yun replied, and Spider Lily jumped up from his seat, exclaiming as he rushed to Xi Yun's side, snatching up the ledger. All the others expressed their displeasure at his behaviour.

"Spider Lily?! What's up with you?" Charming Leopard grunted.

"I can't believe it's here! I've searched for it for over two decades! It's part of the reason I joined the Si Lak Mercenaries back then! Senior," he turned earnestly to Xi Yun, lifted his robes and knelt, "thank you!"

Xi Yun glanced at the Ji duo.

"You have seen that our Alchemist is interested in your herb. State your price,"

Ji Haoran, the prime minister's brother, only now dared to look up. He cupped his hands respectfully.

"If Esteemed Senior is not offended, our only wish is to have our young master enter the Si Lak Mercenaries,"

"I hope you don't regret this," Xi Yun smirked, "Luo Bai!"

A grainy image of a hefty man with a side cornrow hairdo appeared next to Xi Yun.

"Yes, Senior Master?" His voice was full of static too.

"Bring this person back," Xi Yun said.

The man called Luo Bai glanced at Ji Hanming with his heterochromatic eyes. In a second, he vanished and reappeared next to Ji Hamming. Luo Bai grabbed his hand and activated a teleportation matrix. Ji Hanming's eyes widened as he saw the room dissolve. He caught his uncle's flabbergasted expression. This! This was not what he anticipated!

They appeared in a dimly lit passageway. Luo Bai didn't let go of Ji Hanming's hand and marched him to the end of the passage, where there was a heavy iron door built into the wall. Luo Bai placed his palm against the door and a faint orange light shone on the door, then was extinguished. Luo Bai pushed the door open and marched Ji Hanming down the flight of steps leading into a pitch dark room.

"Where-- where are we going?" Ji Hanming finally found his voice.

"We are already here," Luo Bai replied ominously. Ji Hanming suddenly felt himself being pushed against a wall. A beam of light shone as magical shackles locked him in place. By the light, he saw that the room was actually a long one, and only a foot away from him was another boy chained, and another, and another!!

"What are you doing?!" Ji Hanming cried out in shock!

Luo Bai stood back after making sure that the chains and the shackles were secured.

"Checking to see if you're really worthy," and he turned his back and walked away.

"You!--"

"Conserve your energy," the person next to him suddenly spoke, "there'll be no water and no food; only cultivation essence, and there's no telling how long you'll be here,"

Ji Hanming: !!!!