I want to die!

Chapter 5 Nine Yang Divine Skill

"Brother Xiaoqing," Luo Zitou forced a smile, "this isn't the place to talk. Shall we go inside?"

He gestured for him to enter.

Although Hanako-fukuko-ju has long been abandoned, the rooms inside are of varying sizes.

The brightest and most intact room on the east side, facing the sun, is the residence of the head manager of the Hanako-san's house, with an empty bamboo basket in front of the door.

An old man with a goatee walked out. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a large gold chain around his neck and a jade bracelet on his wrist.

In the shadows inside the door that wasn't fully closed, you could see two women wrapped in quilts sitting on the edge of the bed.

This is Zhang Dakuang, the head manager of the flower shop.

The person in charge of issuing orders, Luo Zitou, also had to beg along with others, while Da Kuang had already left the front-line work and was now a high-level executive behind the scenes.

Every time he returned from begging, all his belongings had to go through his large basket for redistribution, which shows his low social status.

The beggar among beggars was no longer just a beggar; he was a figure who had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds of the county.

At that moment, Zhang Dakuang walked out with a dark face, carrying an old cowhide whip with a horn-tipped tip. Without saying a word, he began to lash out viciously at the martial arts beggars who had blocked his way earlier.

Instantly, the whip flashed, skin was torn and flesh was ripped open, and cries of agony echoed throughout the courtyard.

Zhou Xing stood to the side without saying a word. They were all beggars, and who hadn't had the experience of crying and begging for sympathy? He just stood there, his eyes fixed on the leather whip in Zhang Dakuang's hand.

As the saying goes, "A big basket holds an old ox whip, and a single strike can yield a piece of meat." The old ox whip in the big basket's hand also has a story: it has ox horn tips embedded in it, and each strike can cut off a piece of meat.

More importantly, the whip bears the official vermilion seal of the government, and it must be reported to the government every year to be stamped again.

The whip in Da Kuang's hand could kill even a beggar without breaking the law.

This is also one of the reasons why Zhou Xing did not report the matter to the authorities to seek justice and instead demand money to sell his life.

Zhang Dakang didn't hold back this time either, whipping the men until their skin was torn and their consciousness was blurred, unable to scream, before finally stopping:

"Don't bother arguing with these clueless people." Zhang Dakang's face changed to a smile:

"They don't know your skills. After all, the ability to come back alive after having a nail pierced through your head is something that probably no one else can do."

As he spoke, Zhang Dakang led Zhou Xing into the inner room of the flower shop.

This so-called inner hall was actually a meeting room in the old welfare home. It was relatively well preserved, with all four walls standing intact. It served as the place where Zhang Dakuang and Luo Zitou discussed matters.

Upon entering the inner hall, Zhang Dakuang tossed a money pouch from his robes. Zhou Xing weighed it in his hand, frowned, and opened it to count the money:

"Only ten taels left? Big basket, are you really trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

"The banquet certainly didn't cost ninety taels. To be honest, Hua Zifang only received a little over twenty taels of silver," Zhang Dakuang said with a faint smile.

"Fifty percent of the money we collect is handed over to the state; this has been our rule for many years, so there's no need to elaborate."

Zhou Xing frowned as he recalled the original owner's memories and found that they were indeed true.

Begging isn't a profession you can just start begging on the streets whenever you feel like it and lose your job.

In the southern part of the city alone, there were about a hundred beggars occupying this entire area. Meanwhile, in the eastern and western parts of the city, and even in the inner city of the county seat, there were other beggar houses, which had become distinct beggar gangs.

If you beg for food and cross the line, you might get beaten to death and thrown into a ditch by the other beggars.

When the original owner of this body, Li Xuanqing, entered this profession, he was only fifteen years old. He entered Fuxingju in the south of the city and learned the skills of a martial beggar, which qualified him to make a living in the south of the city.

"As for the remaining seventy or eighty taels, they never even passed through my hands," Zhang Dakuang continued.

We all thought you were dead that day.

"But your hundred taels were dropped on the street in broad daylight. Money that has been exposed to the light of day and is ownerless will naturally attract everyone's attention and be snatched by everyone."

"We were already being very lenient by managing to snatch twenty taels."

Zhou Xing asked suspiciously, "What kind of beast could steal money from a beggar's bowl?"

Zhang Dakuang smiled slightly and gave an irrefutable answer:

"The soldiers of Da Mang."

Zhou Xing fell silent for a moment.

He suspected that Da Kuang was trying to shift the blame, but he had no evidence.

"It was Zhang De, the head soldier guarding the granary. That day, he passed by with five or six men and started robbing the silver."

"Tell me, how much guts must our beggar's hut have to dare rob the soldiers?"

"It was only because a few quick-handed people secretly hid a few taels of silver on their bodies that the soldiers didn't take it all away."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask around and find out what happened on the street after you died and fell unconscious yesterday."

Zhang Dakang didn't care whether Zhou Xing believed him or not, and explained with a smile, then pulled out another small money bag.

The silver inside was poured out and placed on the small wooden table; it was roughly ten taels.

"Brother Xiaoqing, we know you don't earn money easily, and you're doing this kind of business that risks your life."

"I will take charge of giving you this 50% on behalf of all the brothers in the flower shop, and you can also take the position of 'helping with the move'."

"You're young and strong, and you're willing to work hard and aren't afraid of trouble. You'll have to take over Hanako's responsibilities from now on."

Zhou Xing looked at the small money pouch containing ten taels of silver, but did not reach out to take it.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

These ten taels of silver are money to be handed over to the big basket, so I'm afraid it won't be so easy to get them.

As for the so-called "helper of the brick-laying," he was actually the deputy of the strategist Luo Zitou, and could be considered as the management behind Wu Huazi who issued orders. He generally did not need to lay bricks himself, and could be considered the third most important person in the Huazi's room.

Of the more than one hundred beggars in the beggar's hut, a portion of the 50% of their daily begging earnings would go to the beggars who helped with the game.

They earn no less than the frontline martial arts practitioners who work tirelessly and sacrifice their lives.

Zhou Xing simply said, "If you have any instructions, please speak freely."

"Although I am short of money, if Da Kuang hadn't said what it was for, I would have felt it was too hot to handle these ten taels of silver."

"Unless more money is added."

Zhang Dakang clearly gave Zhou Xing a hard time.

Is this how you negotiate prices? Ten taels of silver is too hot to handle, but adding more money makes it not so hot.

"Once you're a member of the card game guild, the game company will naturally have business that you and the card game leader need to handle," Zhang Dakang said.

"You know that Luo Zitou is getting old, and some businesses still need to be handled by young, strong, ruthless, and steady young men."

"And this lucrative business..." Zhang Dakuang glanced at Zhou Xing a few times, "is actually related to the eighty taels that were stolen from you by the soldier."

"If things go smoothly, we might even be able to get our principal back with interest."

At this point, Zhang Dakang even took matters into his own hands, moving a small wine jar from the corner and pouring Zhou Xing a glass:

"Drink this cup, and we'll be family."

Zhou Xing's heart stirred; he was actually tempted, but he remained outwardly calm.

Because he noticed something.

He had made such a big fuss by storming into the flower shop, even overturning the table, and making such a big scene just to get money, which had already caused Zhang Da Kuang to lose face... but Zhang Da Kuang not only spoke to him politely, but also wanted to share the money with him and even give him a promotion and a raise?

Is that correct?

That's right!

Through bold hypotheses and rigorous deductions, Zhou Xing arrived at a conclusion:

I'm so awesome!

The sheer strength with which he lifted the stone table was astounding. Wu Huazi immediately kowtowed and admitted defeat, while Zhang Dakuang clearly showed some apprehension as well.

Of course, it's a sense of apprehension, not fear.

Zhou Xing's attention fell on the large gold chain around Zhang Dakuang's neck and the jade bracelet on his wrist, and he had already guessed what was going on.

Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who wear shoes.

This big basket, although he is the head of the beggar's house, he is no longer a barefoot beggar.

While Zhou Xing was pondering and hesitating, Zhang Dakang, standing beside him, also seemed to be going through a difficult internal struggle. After much deliberation, he finally spoke:

"You've got a knack for bargaining, haven't you?"

"Let me put it this way, if you really take on these few important deals, I'll pass on all our best-kept secrets in this industry to you!"

As he spoke, Zhang Dakang rummaged in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a thin, thread-bound book.

"See those two women in my room?" Zhou Dakang asked mysteriously.

"Back then, I built my empire on this very skill, rising from a humble martial arts performer 'fan' to where I am today."

"Learn this from me, and not only will you be able to make money from it, but you'll also be able to have three or five women without any problem."

Zhou Xing took a closer look and was completely shocked.

Nine Yang Divine Skill

My goodness, this beggar has the Nine Yang Divine Skill in his hands...

"You want to teach me martial arts?!" Zhou Xing was taken aback, and his gaze towards Zhang Dakuang changed completely.

Could this big basket belong to some kind of martial arts master, the Sweeping Monk...? No, it should be the Divine Beggar of the Beggar Clan.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Dakang's face immediately darkened upon hearing this.

"What martial arts? The skill I possess has nothing to do with those reckless brutes in the martial arts world who live on the edge and risk their lives."

"This is our beggars' specialty!" Zhang Dakuang said through gritted teeth.

How rare! Even beggars look down on martial arts performers.

It was obvious that Zhang Dakang could also see that Zhou Xing didn't believe him at all.

"Don't you believe it? Our beggars' guild, although it is one of the lowest professions among the three religions and nine streams, was not looked down upon by martial arts practitioners or those who deal with the dead in the past, let alone the masters of the three religions."

"But everything changed after the extraterrestrial beings appeared. These so-called 'three religions and nine schools' are no match for the celestial beings' firepower and have to bow down. What can the upper classes still pretend to be?"

The history of this world differs considerably from that of Zhou Xing's previous life, basically starting from the appearance of extraterrestrial beings three hundred years ago.

No Taoist priests descended the mountain to subdue demons, nor did any Buddha open his eyes to save all living beings.

Whether they are renowned for their mysterious and unpredictable esoteric practices or martial arts masters whose bodies have been tempered through countless trials... all so-called masters who have been immersed in any of the 360 ​​trades are the same under the equal treatment of all beings by the Heavenly Man.

Thus, the world order changed.

What about the three religions and nine schools of thought? From now on, everyone is just a beggar. Who can be better than anyone else?

In Zhang Dakuang's eyes, beggars were far superior to martial artists who toiled in the coldest and hottest winters to hone their skills.

"I'd rather live on food for three years than be a county magistrate! Look at Magistrate Wei of Qingshui County, he's so busy all day long he doesn't know what the world is like. How can we beggars live as comfortably as we do?" Zhang Dakuang said indignantly.

Zhou Xing was still a little skeptical, but he went along with Zhang Dakang's words:

"Then what's the story behind our Beggars' Sect's signature skill, the Nine Yang Divine Skill?"

Zhang Dakang simply handed the thread-bound book to Zhou Xing and said indifferently:

"Take a good look at what's written on this."

Upon closer inspection, Zhou Xing noticed a small character hidden between the characters for "god" and "merit".

gun.

It is the "Nine Yang Divine Spear Technique".

Zhou Xing fell silent.

I wondered if this huge basket was a result of not finishing the Meng Po soup (a type of elixir of immortality) and transferring my special skill of selling mobile phones from my past life.

"Open your eyes and take a good look." Zhang Dakuang looked at the doubt in Zhou Xing's eyes without offering any explanation.

He simply smiled and walked to the wall of the inner hall, exhaled slightly to concentrate, and then suddenly straightened his back.

With a bang.

But when Zhang Dakuang turned around, there was a hole in the wall as thick as an arm. Sunlight streamed in through the hole, and dust motes floated in the light.

Is that the legendary marksmanship?!

Zhang Dakuang smiled reservedly, now that he seemed like a true reclusive master, and added:

"Don't rush, go outside and take a closer look."

Zhou Xing immediately ran out the door, circled the house to the outside of the wall, and then froze again.

But on the outside of the wall, there was a crater the size of a human head, with cracks inside as dense as a spider web, and only a small opening as thick as a child's arm at the center...

Holy crap, Rasengan!...

"Master, I want to learn this!"

Zhou Xing almost knelt down and kowtowed on the spot.

"It's human nature, it's human nature. Who wouldn't want to learn?" Zhang Dakang stroked his little goatee and said with a smile.

"Martial arts practitioners train in the skills of fighting and killing."

"But the martial arts beggars in our beggar guild practice the art of taking a beating."

"You can make money steadily without hurting anyone or taking any risks, just by harming yourself to protect yourself."

"You're saying that beggars are somehow far superior to martial artists?"

"The beggars' guild is awesome! I'm destined to be a beggar my whole life!"

"No problem, no problem, after this drink, we're family!" Zhang Dakuang raised his glass to Zhou Xing.

"Let's just do it!" Zhou Xing took the wine glass without hesitation.

Although I did have my suspicions that the wine might contain some kind of toxin or parasite that controls people.

But then he thought, this body wasn't his, and he only had three days left to live, so what was there to be afraid of?

At worst, I'll give you my life.

Zhou Xing tilted his head back and drank it.

He didn't forget to rummage through the small money pouches on the table and put them into his pocket; the two money pouches together contained twenty taels of money earned from risking his life.

Seeing Zhou Xing accept everything without question, Zhang Dakuang's eyes twitched slightly, clearly unable to hide his heartache, but he quickly forced a smile:

"Alright!" He slammed his hand on the table. "Come back here at this time tomorrow, and Luo Zitou will explain that 'deal' to you in detail."

Soon, Zhang Dakang personally led Zhou Xing to the courtyard outside and announced the matter to the hundred or so beggars.

In an instant, many gazes, a mixture of envy, confusion, and jealousy, fell upon them.

"Let Xiao Qing help us with the moves? He's only sixteen, right? We usually listen to him?"

"He even has a home to return to, and he's not exactly the same as us beggars living in that brothel..." the beggars whispered among themselves.