Baihua Lake

Li Xian didn't inform Che Dong and Kang Li about his resignation right away, uncertain of their reactions. Particularly with Chen Dong, who might even contact his parents directly. He decided to address it after completing the mission.

"Ok! Time to make some real money."

Li Xian declared as he left their house at 6 am.

'Where is Wu Jing? Should I call him again?'

Li Xian wondered, having waited for more than 15 minutes.

"Li! Come, hop on."

Wu Jing called out as he pulled up in a car just as Li Xian was about to call.

"What took you so long? You said five minutes."

Li Xian grumbled as he got in.

"Well! I just bought some breakfast. You can eat that for now; I'll drive."

Wu Jing said, already starting to drive.

"Nice! I'm kind of hungry. Also, do you know where this so-called Mr. Zhao's residence is?"

Li Xian asked, unaware of the location beyond the mention of Zhao residence.

"Yeah! I did a little research and found that this Zhao is actually a business magnate in Guiyang city. He is conducting an event, which doesn't have much information about."

Wu Jing explained.

"We will know it once we go there anyhow."

Li Xian said nonchalantly, indifferent to the details of the event as long as he gets paid.

"Yup! Also, I may need to introduce you as my senior brother, who is actually from the same sect as me for now, or else they may not take you in for the mission."

Wu Jing explained, expressing more confidence in his sect than his master.

"Oh! Which sect are you from? Are there more sects like yours? And do sects stay in the mountains, or can they also open one in cities?"

Li Xian fired off questions, finding the concept of sects interesting.

"There are more sects! But almost all of them are indeed in the mountains. Some dojos, similar to sects but a little different, can be found in cities."

"About my sect, it is called Yu Xuan sect, one of the top sects in the southwest of the country."

Wu Jing added with a hint of pride. Even though it is only one of the top in the southwest, it still ranks among the top 30 sects in the entire country, making it quite powerful.

"Ok! As long as I get my money at the end of the day. You can even introduce me as your henchman."

Li Xian nodded in understanding.

"I wouldn't dare... No, even my master wouldn't dare, Li. You still don't know what your status as a master martial artist means, or else you wouldn't talk like this. Not to mention us, even that Mr. Zhao would welcome you like he is meeting his ancestor for the first time."

Wu Jing said, a shudder passing through his body. He doubted whether taking Li Xian was truly a good or bad decision.

"Whatever! I just want my money."

Li Xian said uninterestedly, a bit of greed in his eyes. This was the first time he was earning such a huge revenue in such a small time.

Soon, their car entered the suburban area of Guiyang city. Although it looked like a suburban area, all the houses in this neighbourhood appeared to be private villas worth millions of yuan.

After about five more minutes of driving, the car stopped in front of a massive villa that dwarfed the surrounding ones.

"This is the place, Li! Let's go inside."

Wu Jing said as he got out of the car, and Li Xian followed suit. Observing the area, Li Xian nodded, ready to follow Wu Jing.

"Please state your name and purpose."

The guard at the entrance gate asked, looking at the newcomers. Informed by the house security guard head, he was not worried about them trespassing.

"Wu Jing from Yu Xuan sect. This is my senior brother, Li Xian."

Wu Jing informed, and the guard confirmed their identity.

"Please follow the path all the way, Mr. Wu. Before entering the villa, you will find a garden-like area, which is the meeting venue."

The guard respectfully instructed.

"Thank you!"

Wu Jing and Li Xian expressed their gratitude before walking through the path to the end.

At the end, they found a garden with a gazebo in the center, and some people were already waiting. Wu Jing and Li Xian assumed they were the others hired by Mr. Zhao.

"Welcome! Mr. Wu Jing and this gentleman. I am Dong Li, the security head of Zhao's residence. Please have a seat and have breakfast... Mr. Zhao is going to be here soon."

One of the middle-aged guys hurriedly approached them.

Li Xian considered checking this guy's stats, sensing he might be stronger than Wu Jing. However, he decided to postpone it, given the attention they were receiving.

"Thanks, Mr. Dong!"

Wu Jing said, choosing seats away from others.

Li Xian followed, sat beside him, and enjoyed his second breakfast. After a brief moment of curiosity from the other attendees, they resumed their own activities.

Li Xian, taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, began to discreetly scan each person with his ability.

Dong Li's Stats:

Name: Wu Jing

Cultivation: Novice level advanced stage ( Intermediate stage entry stances) (UPDATED)

Life: 95

Strength: 250 Kg

Agility: 9 sec/100 meters

'Hm! He is the highest among all the people here, apart from me. But it looks like the increase in life span is quite low compared to Orion martial techniques. And the agility is also a bit on the lower side.'

Li Xian analysed the group, recognising himself as the strongest person among them. Two individuals had a strength of about 200 kg, placing them in the intermediate stage of the novice realm, while the remaining four, including Wu Jing, had a strength of around 150 kg.

However, Li Xian refrained from making judgments based solely on strength. As martial artists, they could specialise in specific martial arts, enabling them to utilise their strength to a perfect level or even beyond.

After a moment of consideration, Li Xian shifted his focus back to his breakfast. With his strength almost reaching 1 ton and the ability to move at speeds that could evade bullets, he felt confident and unafraid of anyone in the group.

"Li, it appears to me that Dong Li and those two are the most formidable individuals here. Naturally, excluding you."

Wu Jing remarked, observing them closely and subtly signalling to the trio.

"Hm! One at the Novice advanced stage and two at the Novice intermediate stage."

Li Xian straightforwardly assessed their strengths, prompting a wry smile from Wu Jing.

"Alright, Mr. Zhao is on his way."

Li Xian announced.

Shortly after Li Xian's words, a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his mid-forties, entered the garden.

"Mr. Zhao."

Dong Li greeted, walking over and offering a respectful nod before standing alongside him.

"Hello, everyone! Thank you for accepting this mission. Before we delve into the details, let's have a brief introduction. I am Zhao Yun, the president of the Zhao Pharmaceuticals branch in Guiyang city."

The middle-aged man introduced himself, taking a step forward.

The group eyed Zhao Yun with a hint of hesitation, but it was one of the intermediate novice-level experts who stepped forward first.

"I'm Wen Tian, a disciple of the Wolf Star Sect in Guiyang City, and this is my junior brother, Wen Kun. Both of us are at the intermediate novice level."

Wen Tian introduced, with his junior brother nodding in confirmation.

Shen Xi, from the trio sitting together, took the cue and introduced himself along with his companions.

"I'm Shen Xi, and these two are my junior brothers, Wu Zheng and Shen Lian. The three of us are at the early novice level and hail from the Sun Fire Sect."

He explained, placing particular emphasis on his sect. However, there was a noticeable lack of interest or awe from the rest, which left him slightly embarrassed.

"I go by the code name Lone Wolf. I don't belong to any sect and currently operate at the novice level, early stage."

The final member introduced himself, his tone notably void of emotion, momentarily capturing everyone's attention.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao! I'm Wu Jing, and this is my senior brother Li. We both operate at the early stage novice level and hail from the Yu Xuan sect."

Wu Jing stated, eliciting raised eyebrows, particularly from Dong Li and Mr. Zhao, who greeted them with polite expressions.

"Alright, I'm pleased to have all of you here. Now, onto the mission—we'll be heading to one of the islands in Baihua Lake. From the moment we step onto the island until we leave or until the next morning, I need all of you to ensure my protection."

Mr. Zhao explained, his gaze sweeping across the group. Their responses were composed, marked only by nods indicating their understanding.

"I'll be forthright with you all. I've received intel about a potential ambush during this mission. Should any of you manage to neutralise the assailants while protecting me, you'll receive an additional 10,000 yuan for each kill. So, gentlemen, I hope for a productive collaboration."

Zhao Yun continued, prompting some members to briefly hesitate at the mention of an ambush. However, the promise of extra compensation seemed to outweigh their concerns. Even Wu Jing found the terms agreeable.

In the midst of this, Li Xian observed Zhao Yun with curiosity. He noted a subtle flinch in Zhao's expression when the ambush was mentioned, raising questions about why Zhao appeared uneasy despite hiring them.

Although Zhao Yun had a dedicated security team for close protection, Li Xian couldn't quite figure out the source of Zhao's unease.

Regardless, Li Xian decided not to overthink it. He kept in mind that if the situation got too risky, he would be the first to make a quick exit.