Evergreen Immortal-Chapter 17: The Hidden Eight Sects

In the southern part of the city, on the third floor of a restaurant's private room.

Li Rui sat upright on a wooden chair, sweeping his gaze over the surroundings.

The furniture here was made from huanghuali wood, imported from Yazhou thousands of li away, truly fine material. He had only seen such furnishings in Master Zhu's room before. The entire set in front of him was worth at least a thousand taels.

“I’d long heard that this Fragrant Wine Restaurant had powerful backing. So it turns out to be the turf of Gourdhead Wu.”

Sitting across from him was a burly, fierce-looking man with a face full of stubble.

This man was none other than Wu Tu, the Gourdhead of the Rong Sect, one of the Hidden Eight Gates of Qinghe.

“Tu” meant slaughter, no decent person would use such a character in their name.

Rumor had it that Wu Tu had changed his name; he hadn’t been called that before.

“Brother, you’re a straightforward man. My subordinate was out of line and deserved a lesson.”

Wu Tu let out a hearty laugh. His booming voice echoed around the room several times, giving off a bold and forthright aura.

Standing off to the side, Ding Liang looked miserable. His eyes were so swollen they resembled bronze bells, and he looked like he wanted to cry but couldn’t.

This old man doesn’t fight fair!

He had wanted to explain himself earlier, but Li Rui didn't give him a chance.

Wu Tu said, “Brother, rest assured, everyone here is one of us. I’m just curious: you’ve been working as a stable hand at the Zhu household for years. Where did you learn such formidable martial skills?”

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

Wu Tu had investigated his background in secret!

He might look bold and careless on the outside, but clearly, Wu Tu was anything but simple.

Li Rui sighed inwardly.

The Rong Gate had over a hundred men under them in Qinghe alone. Li Rui had lived in Qinghe for decades, too many people knew him. For someone like Wu Tu, digging up his identity wouldn't be difficult.

“Master Wu, what business do you have with this old man?”

Li Rui wasn’t particularly flustered.

Wu Tu might have a fearsome reputation, but he was still just a ninth-grade Stone Skin Realm martial artist, not someone Li Rui feared.

Wu Tu grinned: “What’s the point of working as a stable hand for the Zhu family, old brother? Why not join me, and we’ll chase greatness together?”

Li Rui immediately understood.

Wu Tu was trying to recruit him.

It made sense.

While his martial skills weren’t extremely rare in Qinghe, they weren’t common, and even fewer knew the rules of the jianghu.

People in the underground world weren’t like those righteous sects. They didn’t care about potential. What they wanted was instant usability, and in that sense, he was a perfect fit.

The Hidden Eight Sects were: Feng, Ma, Yan, Que, Heng, Lan, Rong, Ge. Among these, Ma, Lan, and Ge had no formal structure, while the other five were led by so-called Gourdheads, their respective leaders.

Each of these leaders had their own abilities and could stir up waves within Qinghe City.

Those who lived in the Jianghu, unless they were fools, understood one principle:

The more allies, the better.

The Hidden Eight Sects were no different. Strength in numbers was a law everyone abided by.

“Master Wu, this old man is already halfway into the grave. I wouldn’t be of much use.”

Li Rui shook his head.

Wu Tu looked a bit disappointed. “Brother, won’t you reconsider?”

Li Rui turned him down again: “At my age, Master Wu would do better to find someone more capable.”

Yes, he needed money but not all money was worth earning.

At the very least, money from the Hidden Eight Sects wasn’t to be taken lightly. One might earn it, but might not live long enough to spend it.

Seeing that Li Rui was firm in his refusal, Wu Tu didn’t press further.

As he’d said, while Li Rui had some skills, he was too old. Wu Tu had merely taken a chance. If he didn’t join, so be it.

“If you ever change your mind, the doors of Rong Gate will always be open.”

Wu Tu was indeed a forthright man.

He didn’t force Li Rui. After drinking a cup of tea, he left with Ding Liang in tow.

Li Rui sat alone in the private room.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Only after confirming that Wu Tu and his lackey had truly left did he go downstairs.

“Boss, you’re really going to let that old guy go?”

Ding Liang, with his pig-like swollen face, couldn’t help but ask.

He kept glancing back at the Fragrant Wine Restaurant. He’d been ambushed by that old man twice now, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't angry.

“Since he doesn’t give us face, why not just...”

A vicious glint flashed in Ding Liang’s eyes.

In the eyes of the underworld, people were divided into only two types: friends or enemies. Nothing in between.

With friends, you drank heartily and feasted together.

With enemies...

Since that old man refused to join Rong Gate, then he was an enemy. Plus, they had already investigated and confirmed: Li Rui wasn’t part of the Ge Gate, he was just a lowly stable hand. Easy to handle.

Wu Tu glanced sideways at Ding Liang.

“Put away those petty thoughts. You’re just making yourself look foolish.”

“You think you can fight a ranked martial artist?”

Ding Liang was stunned. “That old guy is a ranked martial artist?!”

All this time, he’d thought Li Rui was just a tough old man. He never imagined the man was a real martial artist.

A chill ran down his spine.

He was thankful that he’d only ever been beaten and had never fought back. Otherwise, he’d be a corpse by now.

Wu Tu’s eyes flickered.

“A stable hand... and a ninth-grade martial artist? Interesting.”

“Tell the brothers to keep their eyes sharp. Don’t provoke that person.”

“Got it.”

Ding Liang nodded obediently.

Wu Tu practiced Eagle Claw Technique, and it wasn’t just about strength, it was about observation too. He could tell at first glance that Li Rui was a ranked martial artist.

Did they really think he was so easy to talk to?

After going to all this trouble, how could he let Li Rui go so easily?

He simply didn’t have the confidence to make a move yet.

“Being targeted by Rong Gate is no small matter.”

Li Rui walked through the streets, eyes cold.

Don’t be fooled by Wu Tu’s bold and brash demeanor, he used to be a mountain bandit under the Heng Gate, and now he was the leader of Rong Gate.

He’d killed well over ten people with his own hands.

If the man had gone to the trouble of digging up his identity, he definitely wasn’t going to give up easily.

“Forget it.”

“I’ll take it one step at a time.”

Though he wasn’t afraid of Wu Tu, the fact that Rong Gate now knew he worked at the Zhu household made him vulnerable. It would be easy for them to make a move against him.

Just then-

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Several fireworks shot into the sky, leaving white trails of smoke behind.

“The New Year is almost here.”

Li Rui looked up.

New Year’s was the most important day for ordinary families. In the Zhu household, this was the only time of year when the servants were guaranteed meat on the table.

But this year, it meant something else for Li Rui.

He could buy his freedom.

According to the laws of the Yu Kingdom, once a person turned seventy, they could be removed from the registry of servitude. Typically, the masters would willingly grant freedom during New Year’s as an act of kindness and to maintain appearances.

Li Rui had already offended Zhu Lie. Staying any longer would only make things harder.

Moreover, once he was freed from his servitude, even if Rong Gate knew his identity, they could no longer touch him.

Many martial artists went through life without marrying or having children, instead, they took on disciples.

The reason was simple:

The more emotional ties you had, the more weaknesses you carried.

In the Jianghu, grudges were inevitable. No one wanted to see their entire family slaughtered. That’s why many martial artists raised their disciples like sons, people to care for them in old age and mourn them when they died.

He had spent most of his life in the Zhu household.

The people he was close to were mostly long gone. The only ones left were Yang Yong and Wang Zhao.

As long as he left the Zhu household...

To the outside world, he would be completely alone, no longer easily manipulated.

From then on, the seas would be wide enough for the fish to leap, and the skies high enough for the birds to fly!

missed yesterday's update, some work popped up O_O