Chapter 83: Martial Artists
“Forty-two!”
“How can Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s ranking be so high?”
At the Green Sparrow Gang stronghold, Valrod stared in surprise at the latest information displayed on his smart watch, but no matter how many times he checked, the name Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was in forty-second place.
“Gang Leader, could the Martial Artist Association have made a mistake?” Fischer, who was in a meeting with him, could not help widening her eyes.
Their Green Sparrow Gang had over a thousand members and was widely regarded as capable of entering the top thirty, yet their final ranking was only thirty-ninth.
As for the White Feather Gang, originally considered a contender for the top ten, under normal circumstances, after losing two quasi-martial artists, their ranking should have fallen. However, for some unknown reason, the White Feather Gang had absorbed many experts from the Winged Tribe and now had five quasi-martial artists, yet their ranking was only seventeenth.
The strongest strength Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had shown was only a Limit Apprentice, and in the previous battle two advanced apprentices had died. It was hard to imagine Obsidian Martial Arts Hall could rank in the top fifty.
“The ranking will not be wrong. This is information released by the Martial Artist Association.” Valrod shook his head and swept his gaze over the senior officials at the conference table. “Right now, the focus of our Green Sparrow Gang is the tasks issued by the Association and the development of Crimson Moon Mountain, as well as trade with the various companies in the suburbs. Most importantly, we must expand recruitment as soon as possible and improve the gang’s strength. Entering the top fifty this time is just getting a ticket into the suburbs. Whether we can remain in the suburbs in the future depends on our ability.”
“Gang Leader, can you leave the Crimson Moon Mountain side to me?” Flo volunteered.
“The control over Crimson Moon Mountain currently lies with Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. We are only sending people to mine and are not responsible for garrisoning it, so there is no particularly important work. Are you sure you want to go?” Valrod looked at his nephew Flo with some confusion.
Now that the Green Sparrow Gang was in the top fifty, they had obtained the qualification to freely trade in the suburbs. It could be said this was the best time to grow. Instead of taking the lucrative post of gang recruitment, he actually wanted to go to the dull supervisory work. Valrod truly could not understand.
“I am sure. At present we share Crimson Moon Mountain with Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. Although the White Feather Gang will not target the energy vein of Crimson Moon Mountain because of the contract, no one can guarantee they will not have other gangs make a move. That is why I want to go keep an eye on it and ensure the gang’s energy ore.” Flo explained.
“Fine. That old fellow Isaac indeed will not just let this go. Miniature energy veins are rare in the wilderness, and who knows when we will find the next one within a hundred kilometers. It does need to be watched closely.” Valrod felt Flo was right and nodded.
“Thank you, Gang Leader.” Flo’s face immediately showed excitement.
He was going to Crimson Moon Mountain certainly for the energy ore, but an even more important reason was to interact with Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. If he could latch onto the Phosphor Fire Gang’s thigh, even the number one gang in the wilderness would have to make way.
Flo even suspected that Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s entry into forty-second place had been secretly helped by the Phosphor Fire Gang. This showed Obsidian Martial Arts Hall held a high position in the Phosphor Fire Gang’s eyes, which made him even more eager to get closer to Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
While the Green Sparrow Gang was shocked by Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s ranking, all the major gangs in the abandoned area who had received the news were also stunned by this gang. They had not expected that a newly rising gang, having already made it exaggerated enough by winning a death match against the White Feather Gang, would now be ranked forty-second. It was simply incomprehensible.
For this ranking, weaker gangs and unregistered nomads were filled with admiration for Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, but for those gangs in the top hundred, especially those kicked out of the top fifty this time, it was anger.
Never mind the Green Sparrow Gang and White Feather Gang, but what virtue or ability did Obsidian Martial Arts Hall have to enter the top fifty?
In the abandoned area, at Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“Do you think Obsidian Martial Arts Hall having such a high ranking this time is abnormal?” Qin Mu looked at the puzzled Lin Qi and could not help asking with a smile.
“It is a bit.” Lin Qi nodded. “I originally thought making it into the top eighty would already be good.”
“Under normal circumstances, with the overall strength of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, it is indeed not qualified.” Qin Mu smiled and explained. “But our Human Race is not without people in the Martial Artist Association. Especially since a certain senior learned that there are several genius apprentices in Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, he valued this greatly. So this time he used a little connection to get Obsidian Martial Arts Hall placed in the top fifty first, to obtain the trading rights in the suburbs.”
“A Human Race senior?” Lin Qi was slightly surprised. He had not expected that there were Human Race experts willing to give the Human Race vagrants a hand.
In Lin Qi’s understanding, the official residents living in the City of Light Chasing had never regarded unregistered nomads as the same kind of people, and this was no different even for other races.
As for unregistered nomads wanting to become official residents of the City of Light Chasing, usually only quasi-martial artists and above had a chance. Martial artists, on the other hand, were scarce in every major city; as long as they applied, they would naturally become official residents.
“That senior holds a very high position and has always been very concerned about the Human Race, but he is usually not in the City of Light Chasing. You are lucky. That senior happens to be in the City of Light Chasing during this period. If one day you are promoted to martial artist, you might be able to meet him.” Qin Mu nodded and said with a smile. “However, that senior using his connections to place Obsidian Martial Arts Hall into the top fifty, if the senior officials of other races learned of this, it would affect that senior. So do not let others know about this. It is enough that only you and I know.”
“Understood. Thank you, Brother Qin Mu, for telling me.” Lin Qi nodded. He was not stupid. How could news of such a favor be carelessly spread around and risk displeasing that Human Race big shot?
Just as Qin Mu was planning to inform Lin Qi about matters related to the top fifty ranking, there was a sudden uproar outside Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, prompting Lin Qi and Qin Mu to walk out of the lounge.
They saw a flying car outside Obsidian Martial Arts Hall slowly landing on the hall’s training ground.
“Looks like people from the Association have come.” Seeing the Martial Artist Association emblem on the flying car, Qin Mu explained, “When a wilderness gang enters the top hundred for the first time, the Association will usually send someone over to give relevant explanations and also inform them of some obligations.”
“The Martial Artist Association personally sends someone?” Lin Qi was also quite surprised as he looked at the flying car. He had not expected the Martial Artist Association to place such importance on wilderness gangs ranked in the top hundred.
In his understanding, the Martial Artist Association was the core faction of the City of Light Chasing, standing high above and jointly managing the city with experts of all races.
To join the Martial Artist Association usually required reaching the quasi-martial artist level, or being a young genius who had passed certain trials. Now, the Association sending someone specifically over gave them immense face.
At this moment, not only Lin Qi was surprised. Many players who had been repairing the hall had also gathered at the training ground entrance, staring in shock at the flying car.
Though the flying car was not large, only about the size of a medium transport vehicle, the fact that it could fly was enough to make everyone envious.
While everyone was discussing the suddenly arrived flying car, a middle-aged Half-Scale Race man wearing B5 battle armor stepped out from the stopped car. Although this middle-aged Half-Scale Race man was only about 3 meters tall, the moment he stepped out of the car door, everyone felt a suffocating pressure.
Especially the apprentices who were very sharp to blood qi; it was as if a sea of blood qi crashed over them, completely beyond anything a quasi-martial artist could compare to.
“A martial artist?” Looking at that middle-aged Half-Scale Race man, Lin Qi was extremely shocked.
Although he had long known that those below martial artists were like ants in the eyes of martial artists, only now, seeing one in person, did he realize that even a limit quasi-martial artist was a joke before a martial artist. The two were simply not the same kind of being.
“Lord Feng Ge Lin, why have you personally come?” Qin Mu was also a little surprised when he saw the middle-aged Half-Scale Race man.
“The kid who tested microscopic at the Association some time ago?” The man named Feng Ge Lin glanced at Qin Mu and said casually, “It is my turn on duty during this period, so naturally I am the one to come.”
“Brother Lin, let me introduce you. This is Lord Feng Ge Lin, a steward of the Martial Artist Association.” Qin Mu quickly introduced. “Lord Feng Ge Lin, this is the hall master and spokesperson of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.”
“You are the spokesperson of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall?” Feng Ge Lin’s eyes swept over Lin Qi, his expression indifferent.
“Yes, that is me.” Lin Qi replied respectfully.
“Good. I came to inform you of some rights and obligations of wilderness gangs.” Feng Ge Lin immediately took out a stack of documents and tossed them directly to Lin Qi. “But since Qin Mu is here, I can save myself some effort. These are the tasks the Association is giving you. Qin Mu will tell you the rest.”
With that, Feng Ge Lin returned to the flying car and drove it straight out of the abandoned area.
“Association tasks?” Lin Qi did not mind Feng Ge Lin’s indifferent attitude. After all, experts in the high martial arts world were generally like this. He looked at the stack of documents in his hand with some confusion.
He had just heard from Qin Mu that, based on the ranking of a wilderness gang, the business they could take on in the suburbs would differ. Along with profit came obligations, or rather, the obligations of vagrants.
In different abandoned areas, there were mandatory obligations that vagrants had to complete every year. Those who did not comply would be directly expelled from the city.
The stronger the abandoned area, the fewer the sacrifices. And apart from vagrants living in the abandoned areas, who had such mandatory tasks, wilderness gangs in the top hundred also had mandatory tasks.
These mandatory tasks were even more dangerous than those for vagrants. Normally, they would be assigned a transport route.
This transport route was to deliver necessary supplies to nearby towns. But because the volume was huge and required many people, and because the City of Light Chasing did not have that much manpower and it was extremely dangerous, wilderness gangs were forced to handle it. Usually, one supply run a month was enough, one cycle a year.
What Lin Qi had not expected was that these were tasks specially issued by the Association.
“I really did not expect Lord Feng Ge Lin to personally come.” Qin Mu watched the departing flying car and said slowly. “Lord Feng Ge Lin is not simple. He has his own company in the suburbs and has trade with many surrounding towns. I guess he has taken a liking to Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s potential, so he came in person. Take a look at what the task is.”
“Alright.”
Lin Qi nodded. He understood what Qin Mu meant.
In the suburbs, apart from doing business with local residents, many companies mainly sold items to surrounding towns, so they needed powerful gangs to handle long-distance transport. The stronger the gang, the safer the transport of goods. It was perfectly normal for Feng Ge Lin to personally make a trip.
As Lin Qi opened the documents and checked the tasks issued by the Association, Qin Mu, who was also reading, frowned slightly.
“Brother Lin, did you have a grudge with Lord Feng Ge Lin in the past?” Qin Mu looked at Lin Qi in puzzlement.
(The chapter ends here.)
