Chapter Five: Testing the Blade Technique

Page (1/3)
The banner bore a painting titled "Lord Mengchang Hosting His Retainers." In it, he made a courteous gesture, smiling warmly as he invited his guests to tea. Though the retainers had varied appearances, each wore a black long robe.
The gallant young lord Mengchang, renowned across the land for his heroism and benevolence.
Beneath his banner gathered three thousand retainers, their exploits like a stirring saga of the martial world.
The hanging painting signified that the proprietor of the medical hall was recruiting talented individuals.
All retainers wore uniform black robes, indicating those invited were “black thieves.”
What exactly are black thieves?
They are grave robbers who, ignoring the rooster’s crow, sneak into tombs under the moonlight, unearthing artifacts to sell on the black market—hence the term black thieves.
There were also white thieves (petty thieves from noble households), red thieves (jealous treasure hunters), pink thieves (flower thieves), and green thieves (scholars in green robes who plunder using mystical arts), among others, which need not be elaborated here.
The female nurse appeared bewildered, as if thinking, "Are you crazy?"
At that moment, a sharply featured man in his thirties with piercing eyes and a buzz cut approached, glanced at the banner in my hand, and showed no expression.
“This way, please!”
He led me to the seventh floor and knocked on a door with respectful tone.
“President Xu, a chef dressed in black robes is here to see you.”
A chef, also called the head cook or the leader, was the backbone of a grave-robbing gang.
A crisp female voice came from inside.
“Please come in.”
The buzz-cut man opened the door for me and stepped out.
The office was vast, furnished entirely with redwood, walls lined with numerous medical books; in the southeast corner stood a bronze statue depicting the human meridian system, accompanied by several potted plants. The décor was luxurious and tasteful.
A young woman in her twenties sat in the boss’s chair, her long ponytail tied neatly, dressed in a suit with a short skirt; her black eyes were large and bright, her skin creamy, her eyebrows delicately shaped like willow leaves. She was engrossed in taking notes from a book.
Sunlight gently streamed through the window, a breeze softly ruffled strands of her hair, creating a scene reminiscent of a breathtaking beauty grading papers.
This was Xu Qingguo, CEO of Xu Pharmaceutical Group.
“Please have a seat; I’ll be with you shortly.”
Xu Qingguo didn’t look up, focusing intently on her notes.
I glanced at her flawless, long white legs and waited quietly.
I’m not one to be easily distracted, but such beauty in full bloom demands appreciation—it would be a loss not to admire.
After a few moments, Xu Qingguo closed her book and looked up. She intended to greet me with a polite, charming smile, but upon seeing me, her expression shifted to surprise, her brows furrowing slightly.
“You… revealed the banner?”
I nodded.
“Yes!”
Her lips curled upward slightly, eyes flashing a hint of disdain. She pulled open a drawer, took out a red envelope, and tossed it onto the coffee table across the desk.
“Sorry! I invite only experienced chefs; you’re too young. I don’t trust you.”
“Just a small token—young man, use it to buy two drinks!”
She resumed flipping through her book, ignoring me completely.
Concise and to the point.
Cold yet sharp.
I opened the red envelope and peeked inside—six hundred yuan.
This was a bribe for a beggar.
She was impolite, and I wasn’t about to tolerate it!
I tossed the red envelope into the trash, pulled out a lighter, unfolded the banner, and prepared to burn it.
Xu Qingguo’s eyes widened in disbelief, her delicate face showing shock.
“Wait! What are you doing?!”
I replied calmly,
“According to martial world rules, if you don’t pay the chef, I could send a message to peers to overturn your stove—burning the banner would be the least of your troubles.”

Page (2/3)
Revealing the banner was dangerous not only for the employer but also for the chef who dared to do it.
No one knew if the employer was setting a trap to catch enemies, extort money, or collect bounties.
I had arrived, and she refused even to negotiate, fully justified in suspecting Xu Pharmaceutical Group was setting a bait.
If word got out, the tomb-robbing community would see her as a thorn in their side.
At this, Xu Qingguo swiftly rose from her chair, strode over, snatched the banner from me, her face cold and sharp.
“Who said I didn’t pay the chef?”
“Where’s the payment?!”
“I’m afraid incompetent chefs waste good ingredients!”
“Isn’t testing knife skills the way to tell the difference?!”
“What if you ruin the test?”
“I’m just afraid the knife work will blind you!”
Our eyes locked, tension crackling like drawn swords—neither willing to yield.
After a moment, Xu Qingguo brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled at me gracefully.
“Fine! Several fake chefs have come before to scam clues or money, and ended up beaten so badly their own mothers wouldn’t recognize them!”
“You’re young, so I didn’t want to hassle you—I planned to let you off easy. But since you’re so confident, shall we test your knife skills?”
I lit a cigarette.
“Should I thank you?”
Xu Qingguo sat back down, crossing her beautiful legs elegantly, her face turning serious and stern.
“If we’re going to play, let’s play big! If you have real skill, I’ll apologize and double your pay afterward. If you’re a fake, you’ll break one arm and one leg yourself—do you dare?”
The stakes were cruel—was she trying to scare me off?
I’m actually quite handsome, but she must really look down on me!
I waved my hand.
“No need for apologies or double pay. Let’s change the wager.”
Xu Qingguo raised an eyebrow.
“What kind?”
I pointed to the door.
“You, the employer, will carry me in a human sedan chair down to the seventh floor, escorting me out in full view of everyone!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingguo’s face flushed slightly, her chest rising and falling with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
I must admit, it was quite a striking sight.
Seeing her silent, I snorted coldly, lit the lighter again, and prepared to take the banner from her to burn it.
“Puff!”
Xu Qingguo pressed her hands lightly on the coffee table, blew out the flame in one breath, and leaned close to me, her eyes brimming with fierce competitive spirit.
“Bold! Let’s play!”
She stood and walked to the desk, dialing a number on the landline.
“Wu Ping, bring two porcelain vases!”
Shortly after, Wu Ping, the buzz-cut man, entered wearing white gloves, carrying two identical blue-and-white porcelain vases. He placed them on the table, performed a few quick sleight-of-hand switches as if performing magic, then turned to leave.
Xu Qingguo’s lips curved slightly as she extended a slender hand, inviting me to identify the genuine one.
“Your turn!”
I glanced once, picked up the vase on the right, held it midair, then gently set it down.
“Crack!”
The vase shattered upon hitting the floor, porcelain shards scattering everywhere!
Xu Qingguo’s expression froze; staring at the broken pieces, she was dumbfounded.
I stubbed out my cigarette.
“Fake glaze, little patina, greenish rim shows powdery frost—counterfeit! Want to try again?”
Some might ask, you’ve only trained two years—is that really impressive?
I have solid fundamentals, talent, and determination.
More importantly, I’ve been coached by a top industry expert’s wife.
Xu Qingguo, young as she was, managed such a vast pharmaceutical empire and clearly had seen much of the world. She quickly composed herself after the shock, smiling calmly.
“Not bad! But a good chef can’t just recite recipes; they have to produce good flavors.”
“You just came up from the lobby; you must have noticed the layout of the pharmaceutical building. How’s the feng shui?”
Reciting the recipe meant antique appraisal.
Producing good flavor referred to feng shui and dragon-seeking.
Her reasoning was sound.
But I had only glanced briefly, without even using a compass.
Yet she was testing me on the building’s feng shui—how absurd!
I remained silent.
Seeing this, Xu Qingguo’s eyes gleamed with a slight smugness. Sitting back, she gently massaged her delicate neck, picked up her book, and spoke with an air of casual elegance.
“Each to their specialty. You excel in antiques but neglect feng shui, that’s normal.”
“But I don’t invite half-baked masters to reveal banners. The wager is off; maybe we’ll cooperate another time.”
I actually wanted to tell her:
She had just walked into a trap!
Judging feng shui, whether for a residence or tomb, is all about yin and yang manipulation.
I smiled at her.
“The main entrance faces a hidden canal flowing southeast; the water floods the manhole, causing corrosion and a fatal missing corner, harming the male head.”
“You must have hired an expert—there’s a screen painting of wooden swords in the right corner of the lobby, and a precious gourd hanging in the position of the ‘Double Black Giant Door Star,’ forming a ‘water and wood double barrier’ to break the curse.”
“Unfortunately, it’s too late to mend the fold. If I’m right, President Xu’s father is frail and chronically ill, bedridden long-term, and medicine has little effect!”
After delivering this verdict,
“Clatter!”
The book fell to the floor; she was speechless for a long moment.
I had to prod her to respond.
“President Xu.”
She snapped out of it, picked up the book, a hint of delight flashing in her eyes.
“Again!”
Again? No chance!
Before she could finish, I stood and walked away.
Xu Qingguo’s eyes widened.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
I retorted coldly,
“Rules for revealing banners say one knife test is enough!”
“I’ve already bought one and got one free, but you won’t stop. Should I also test your bedroom skills?!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingguo’s face flushed a deep red, like a fully cooked prawn.

Page (3/3)