Master of Chinese Martial Arts: I Can Steal the Skills of a Grandmaster from the Republic of China E

Chapter 25 Today We Cheer for Sun Wukong

Zhou Xing stared at the dark yellow paper.

How does one trade opportunities?

He asked, "If my biggest opportunity in these three years is a breakthrough in my boxing skills, can you take it away too?"

Tao Zhugong smiled, but in a lukewarm way.

"My friend is joking. Opportunity and fortune are not about specific things; what I'm referring to is the 'luck' that triggers the outcome."

He gently ran his fingers across the abacus. "As for how to obtain it, I have my own methods. In business, trust is paramount."

He took out a small inkstone, a worn-out brush, and a dark red inkstone from the drawer.

"This is the 'Blood Pact Ink.' It requires your birth date and time as a guide. A drop of blood is poured into the inkstone, ground into ink, and the contract is written down for it to be valid."

He looked up, his gaze chillingly bright:

"Fair trade. Write a contract, and the information will be given to you immediately. Of course, you can also choose not to write one."

Zhou Xing remained silent for a moment.

Tao Zhugong didn't urge him; he just slowly moved the abacus.

"it is good."

Zhou Xing uttered a single word.

He gave the original owner of the body's birthday. Then he bit his fingertip and squeezed a drop of blood into the inkstone.

Tao Zhugong personally ground the ink, and the ink emitted a faint, dark red sheen.

Zhou Xing picked up his pen and wrote on the blank sheet of paper:

"I voluntarily pledge my greatest opportunity and good fortune over the next three years in exchange for core intelligence of the Tianjin Chinese and Foreign Charity Association. This is a written agreement."

Sign your name and affix your fingerprint.

As soon as the pen touched the paper, the dark yellow background shifted slightly before returning to normal.

Tao Zhugong picked up the paper, examined it carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.

He locked the note in a small ebony box next to his desk, then turned and pulled a thin kraft paper envelope from a cabinet, pushing it in front of Zhou Xing.

"This is the foundation of the charity, even more detailed than you requested..."

Tao Zhugong tapped the envelope, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.

Zhou Xing picked up the envelope, opened it, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.

The transaction is complete.

Tao Zhugong's smile deepened as he turned to He Jiu, who had been huddled in the corner, and spoke in a gentle voice:

"Xiao Jiu, you did a good job this time."

He Jiu trembled all over, and knelt down with a "plop," his voice trembling with sobs:

"My lord! I know I was wrong! I was blinded by greed back then and secretly kept that tortoise shell... Today I'm making amends by bringing this... this Mr. Zhou!"

"Please, Your Excellency, have mercy and return to me the 'luck' I pawned years ago! I've had such bad luck these past few years!"

Tao Zhugong shook his head, shook his sleeves, and pulled out a yellowed and brittle old paper contract from another drawer.

Without even looking, he twisted his fingers together and with a "rip," it tore in two.

"Fine. Considering your helpful introduction today, this old contract will be cancelled."

He Jiu was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly:

"Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Your Excellency!"

He got up, turned to Zhou Xing, his face still wet with tears, but his eyes had changed, filled with a mixture of guilt, triumph, and ruthlessness.

"Brother Zhou... Brother Zhou,"

He sniffed. "I'm so sorry. But I had no choice. Please...please don't blame me."

Zhou Xing didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

"I could tell the moment I saw you. Your face is the sign of a 'young tiger with broken teeth,' destined to die young, not living past twenty."

But you're alive and kicking! This is clearly a case of "surviving a calamity and regaining light," you've literally overcome a near-death experience and changed your fate!

He Jiu licked his lips, speaking rapidly.

"You are now a 'hidden dragon in the abyss,' a destiny that is one in ten thousand."

Do you know how precious you are to a great spiritual practitioner like Master Tao?

This is an excellent vessel for carrying destiny, capable of sharing his burdens and nurturing his fate!

You're not losing out either. Master Tao has everything you need. It's better than working for foreigners. What difference does it make who you work for?

I know you're a good person. Please do me a favor; I, He Jiu, am not one to forget kindness.

He Jiu became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, as if he was doing all this for Zhou Xinghao's sake.

Zhou Xing understood that He Jiu was trying to rationalize all his actions in order to reduce his sense of guilt.

Tao Zhugong then spoke up leisurely:

"Xiao Zhou, now that you're here, it must be fate. Stay here and do my bidding."

Your fate is special; you've taken on some of my karmic burdens. As time goes by, I might be able to redeem what's yours, just like Xiao Jiu did.

My rules here are strict, but fair.

"fair?"

Zhou Xing raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it supposed to be an exchange of opportunity and intelligence? What, after the transaction is over, you're detaining people? What use is this intelligence to me then?"

Tao Zhugong adjusted the abacus, and the beads made a crisp sound.

"The deal is done. But what you've pawned is a 'future opportunity.' This opportunity is connected to your destiny; a change in one aspect can have far-reaching consequences."

The contract has been made, and now we are entangled by cause and effect.

Using this contract as a starting point, and based on your birth date and destiny, I will temporarily 'stabilize' this connection.

"I'll keep you here to serve, lest something happens to you before the opportunity arises, which would ruin my deal."

He spoke lightly, with a gentle smile, "This is called 'a contract as proof, cause and effect as a lock,' a method passed down from our ancestors. It's not that I'm forcing you to stay."

Just then, chaotic footsteps and curses came from the corridor outside the door.

"Damn it, what kind of place is this? It's like a maze!"

"Boss, this way! The footprints are heading this way!"

The ebony door was kicked open with a bang!

Three musketeers appeared at the door, panting and looking disheveled.

They were covered in mud, and the second brother had several bloody cuts on his face, clearly indicating that it had taken him a lot of effort to escape the enraged river demon and find his way here.

The three of them were taken aback when they saw the scene inside the room.

The eldest brother's gaze swept over Zhou Xing, Tao Zhugong, and the kneeling He Jiu, his facial muscles twitching as he didn't immediately understand the situation.

Zhou Xing looked at He Jiu, and finally spoke, but he didn't speak of himself:

"He Jiu, how can you face your mother? She's waited for you for so long."

He Jiu's expression changed:

"If it weren't for you, my mother wouldn't be in any danger. Besides, if you stay and I leave, I'll be free and able to take better care of her, right?"

Zhou Xing remained silent for a moment, looked at everything in the room, and suddenly smiled.

It turns out that people can actually laugh when they're speechless.

He shook his head and said:

"He Jiu, the most foolish thing in the world is to be self-righteous. Do you really think your plan is foolproof?"

He Jiu straightened his back, his reckless spirit returning, now tinged with ruthlessness:

"At a time like this, stop pretending. I'm already sick of it after a whole day."

Zhou Xing sighed:

"We've only known each other for half a day, and you, just to gain my trust, immediately told me exactly where your mother lives. You're too hasty."

"You described that place, 'The Ghostly Play,' as something eerie, yet you dared to come in yourself. I had to struggle to resist, but you were just 'scared.' It doesn't make sense."

"Besides, you're too enthusiastic. A tomb raider just released from prison, willing to brave this dangerous place with me just to 'even things up'? I don't believe it."

The shame on He Jiu's face vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression of having been exposed. He let out a sneer:

"Alright, Commander Zhou, you know exactly what's going on. Since you've already figured it out, why did you come with me?"

"Because you're not part of the charity, and you're not on the same side as Ruan Wenzhong."

Zhou Xingdao said, "You're familiar with the Ghost Market and can lead me to Tao Zhugong, that's enough. As for what happens after we arrive..."

His gaze shifted to Tao Zhugong, and the smile on his face gradually faded:

"On the first day I came into this world, I was filled with resentment. Even after killing Nguyen Van Trung, my anger did not subside."

"It was only when I arrived at the ghost market that I realized that my frustration wasn't directed at any one person."

"It's against this world that treats people like dogs, lives like money, and dignity trampled underfoot."

"In the white-light district, they sell former dynasty official robes, blood-stained funerary objects, and the palms of living people. Prices are clearly marked; they call cannibalism a business."

"In the red-light district, there are red banners that read 'Stealing three years of good fortune from a young child.' People hire murderers and seek to cause trouble, making a living by killing and harming others."

"It's even more wonderful that we've reached your green light zone. A piece of paper, a few words, and you think you can lock up a person's fate and opportunities, and detain them as slaves?"

He then glanced towards the doorway:

"Three useless lackeys, all they have are their skills. In public, they have to obey their master's orders, but in private, they have to abide by the rules of the Ghost Market."

The three men at the door glared angrily upon hearing this, but still dared not make a move here.

Zhou Xing looked at He Jiu:

"You cowardly blusterer, selfish and greedy yet trying to find some high-sounding reasons. To save your own life, you sold me out in the blink of an eye?"

He Jiu's face flushed red, and he finally let out a sneer:

"You're the best, yet you're stuck here risking your life for others?"

Zhou Xing ignored him and turned his gaze to Tao Zhugong:

"You went through all this trouble—contracts, birth charts, destiny—going through all this trouble, just to leave me here to 'share the karma'?"

Zhou Xing shook his head and gave a mocking smile:

"He Jiu makes you sound like a god. If you really had such great abilities, would you need to play these fancy tricks? Wouldn't it be more straightforward to just take action?"

"You're nothing but a swindler who relies on scheming, manipulating private rules, and playing with people's hearts."

He spoke the last two words very softly, but they were full of disdain.

"besides,"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his hand that had just pressed his fingerprint.

"My fate? Is what you calculated really my fate...?"

"You dare to take anyone's life? You're courting death!"

He raised his eyes, and a flame seemed to flicker in them:

"Have you heard of a deadbeat? Since this is a debt, if I kill the creditor, will the debt be settled?"

The accounting office was deathly silent.

Only the faint sound of the gas lamp burning could be heard.

For the first time, the gentle smile on Tao Zhugong's face slowly faded.

"Young man, you're too arrogant. Do you even know where you are?"

"Where is this place?"

Zhou Xing laughed and slowly unbuttoned his collar. "Even in the Lingxiao Palace, there's a monkey who wants to rebel against heaven."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the pent-up frustration, resentment, and anger that had been building up inside him for who knows how long was ignited by a burst of fury.

Like aged wine meeting a spark, it "booms" from the dantian straight to the top of the head!

"A heart as sharp as gunpowder, a fist as powerful as a pawn; a sudden flash of inspiration, and even a bird cannot escape."

Zhou Xing had never learned Xingyi Quan, but at this moment the principles of the art were similar.

The mind is the essence of the fist!

The fire that ignited did not penetrate the bones and muscles, but went straight into the spirit.

This peak-level Ming Jin strength felt like it was filled with lead and then quenched in fire; it was heavy, scalding hot, and possessed a soul.

His fist intent surpassed his physical strength.

Zhou Xing stepped forward, lifted his coat, and the air in the room seemed to suddenly tighten.

"Today we cheer for the Great Sage Sun, only because the demonic fog has returned."

He sighed, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced He Jiu and the bewildered gunman before finally settling on Tao Zhugong's face.

"Police station handling a case."

"A layperson... to be executed immediately."