Then, would my favorite handsome and most accomplished author of the same surname, say, if he were to become an assassin of Heavenly Judge, he'd at least have to be of Sacred Level, right?
The guy's so awesome, he's got to be this level...
What's even more charming is that he's so handsome... He could have relied on his good looks to get through life, but instead he chose to rely on his talent...
...
"To be honest, who doesn't want to live life quietly? But it's impossible. Given the current state of the world, you can't live quietly without enough strength."
Having boasted about the Heavenly Judge, Xu the Third starts to grumble.
"The Fourth and I thought about it. We could execute missions for a while, increase our cultivation level, save some money, buy a house, find a wife, and no longer be involved in the martial arts world... But f**k, it's not that easy, is it? We've struggled so far, got injured, lost all our savings, lived in poverty again, and on top of that, we have to... have to..."
Huh?
Feng Yin quickly cast him a sideways glance.
Something doesn't sound right about what he said, is he implying that I robbed them of their savings?
I did it with my own skills, charging at a fair price!
If you dare to continue, you're asking for trouble!
Xu the Third hurriedly changes the subject: "You know, many Heavenly Judge assassins quit every day, month, year. They stop taking assignments, some even throw away their tokens, but more assassins return... After all, they stay the same rank."
"The world is chaotic, the martial arts world isn't great. We wander around looking for a living, we've seen people who don't look great but somehow end up with a big house and loads of land overnight. They live in the extreme luxury, eating and sleeping all day as if they've never had food or played with women in all their lives... There must be many of our comrades among them, making up for their past hardships... But that's their luck, they blend better than us..."
"But we brothers, living day by day, often without our next meal in sight, there are even more of us..."
"Eating and sleeping wherever we can, wandering all over the world, lonely and miserable... If we were powerful enough, who the f**k wouldn't want a peaceful life?"
"In my life, I don't want too much. I don't want loads of land and silver. If the Fourth and I can reach the Gold Rank, then we can attack or defend as needed; go home and live a peaceful life. By then, not only will we have a comfortable life, but we'll also have the strength to keep others at bay. If anyone dares to bother us, they would have to think twice. It can only be called peaceful then. Even if we run out of money, we can return to take on tasks. Regardless, the Gold Rank status wouldn't be ordinary. We target suitable tasks, and with one shot, we can earn a lot and continue to enjoy life. That kind of life, it's fantastic even just thinking about it..."
"Sleeping in a dirt hole in a snowy night, how comfortable can that be compared to being in a cozy bed hugging your wife? Tsk... Slurp slurp..."
Talking about their ideal future, Xu the Third and Xu the Fourth are full of longing, their eyes sparkling desirously.
They've swallowed several bowls of saliva, just like noodles...
Feng Yin shifts his gaze away from their faces, rolls his eyes to look at the ceiling, and says somewhat insincerely: "Keep it up."
"Okay."
Xu the Fourth hurriedly steps down from the kang, very considerately adding some oil to the lamp.
The lamp flickers, transitioning from dim to bright.
Their shadows on the wall become clearer than before under the illumination.
...
(3)
"The martial arts world is hard..."
Xu the Third sighs after his daydreaming episode.
"There are countless masters, that's one thing, and among these masters, countless are ruthless and scheming, which makes life all the more hard... In this chaotic world, those who become masters in the martial arts world, where could you find good people? They're all murderers who don't blink an eye..."
"In chaotic times, human life is worth least. There are seven or eight large-scale assassin organizations across the continent, not to mention countless smaller organizations and local gangs... Then there are those transport enterprises, security enterprises, salt gangs, boat gangs... Whatever... Basically, all the ways to make a living have been occupied by people... Even the position of beggar gang leader is being fought for, there's competition everywhere..."
"And those hidden sects, major sects in the martial arts world... Damn!"
"Defending against conspiracies, plots, open attacks and hidden dangers is already tough... There's also those Demon Beasts and Demon Tribes, devouring lives all the time, annihilating families and villages, even wiping out entire towns, as if it was nothing. There are just a few human kingdoms still at war... My goodness..."
"In this regard, our luck as brothers is really good. As soon as we started out, we joined Heavenly Judge... It's even better that it's the Heavenly Judge of our Great Qin Empire, it's much stronger than those in other places, and more orderly."
There's a hint of gratitude in Xu the Fourth's words.
"Oh? So you mean, the Heavenly Judge assassin of the Great Qin Empire is quite different from others? Tell me, tell me."
Feng Yin, who usually doesn't like to probe, really doesn't know anything about this, so he seizes this opportunity to delve into it.
"Nah, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. You're just a village doctor, knowing too much won't do you any good."
Xu the Third looks at Feng Yin with slight disdain.
This look, however, is enough to set off Feng Yin's anger. Frowning, he looks fierce, showing his true debtor-collector face: "Pay me back immediately, if you won't pay, get out!"