Evergreen Immortal-Chapter 43: Recruitment

Xu Hour（9–11 PM）。

The moon was bright and the stars sparse, and the town of Qinghe lay shrouded in night.

In ancient times, with little in the way of evening entertainment, most households had already turned off their lights and gone to bed by this hour.

Only a few places remained lit.

The Jiaofangsi was one of them.

"In the cultural hierarchy of ancient brothels, the goulan sat at the bottom. Essentially common whorehouses catering to the lower classes, manual laborers and such, where services were cheap and crude.

In contrast, pleasure houses were far more upscale, admitting only wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials. At that level, you’d start to hear claims of ‘selling artistry, not the body.’

But sitting at the very top of the social disdain chain, was the Jiaofangsi."

So thought Li Rui, inwardly commenting with a trace of amusement.

Old man Li Tou was really climbing the ladder. He could actually afford to show his face in the Jiaofangsi now.

The Jiaofangsi had transcended the vulgar reputation of ordinary pleasure quarters. Patrons were known to throw away dozens of taels of silver for nothing more than a single musical performance.

Thirty taels. And not even a glimpse of a thigh.

“Truly… elegant. Refined, even.”

Still, Li Rui couldn’t help but feel he preferred things more grounded… more vulgar.

At that moment, the crisp sound of a zither, delicate and clear, like jade beads falling on a plate, filled the air around him. Behind a nearby screen, the soft silhouette of a graceful woman could just barely be seen. That was all.

Li Rui glanced sideways at Wu Tu, who was fidgeting restlessly like the couch beneath him had grown spikes.

Clearly, the man was having trouble sitting still too.

Once the tune ended—

Wu Tu grinned and raised his cup.

“Miss Chunnuan's zither is unmatched in Qinghe. No one would dare claim second place. I’m just a coarse fellow, can’t appreciate such things properly. I’m sure Deputy Branch Master Zhang here can understand the meaning hidden in her music.”

A lean, refined-looking man in his forties chuckled and waved dismissively.

“I just listen for the sound. Wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur. But Miss Chunnuan’s rendition of ‘Bodhisattva Barbarian’ tonight was truly haunting. Her technique has clearly improved.”

This man was Zhang Yang, one of the four Deputy Branch Masters of the Heaven-Earth Alliance.

Li Rui’s eyes lit up slightly.

Old Wu really was a veteran of Jianghu. That flattery was masterfully timed.

When praising someone, the safest route is to humble yourself in the same breath, highlight their excellence by contrast.

Especially if it’s in an area they take pride in.

Sycophancy needed to be tailored to its target.

Zhang Yang was known for his pretentious, cultured tastes. That’s why Wu Tu had deliberately brought them here to the refined Jiaofangsi rather than some crude pleasure house.

Women here weren’t just entertainers, they had once been young ladies of well-to-do families, trained in the four arts since childhood. The class here was far above that of your average brothel.

Of course, that also made it incredibly expensive.

Zhang Yang took a sip of wine, clearly pleased.

“This year’s plum wine is excellent. Brother Li, have a few more cups with me.”

He fancied himself a gourmet, after all.

Li Rui smiled on the surface but muttered internally:

“This guy’s clearly from the underworld. Where the hell did all this refinement come from?”

Compared to him, Zhao Wei at least stayed true to his outlaw roots, boisterous, uncouth, and always surrounded by women. Just like a proper thug.

Zhang Yang waved his hand.

Wu Tu nodded to the girl behind the screen, and she quietly carried her instrument away.

Soon, only the three of them remained in the room.

Li Rui straightened up.

It was time for the real conversation.

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly at Li Rui.

“Master Li, what a brilliant move, so quietly dealing with Ying Liu. I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed.”

Li Rui shook his head calmly.

“Ying Liu died in the line of duty. Nothing more.”

Zhang Yang chuckled, clearly not believing a word.

Li Rui knew there was no point arguing.

Two men dead in Tianyi Hall in quick succession, both of whom had crossed him.

Anyone with half a brain could guess what had happened.

“Deputy Branch Master Zhang, I assume you called me here for something specific?” he asked.

Zhang Yang laughed.

“I’ve heard of your abilities, Brother Li. I truly wish to befriend you. That’s why I had Brother Wu arrange this meeting.”

Li Rui was publicly under Zhao Wei’s banner.

But in the world of Jianghu, real allegiance was rarely about formal titles. It was about personal bonds.

Zhang Yang was clearly trying to recruit him.

“Brother Li, the Branch Master only assigned you a light role because of your age. But I know your worth. Tianyi Hall is far too small for you.

Why not join my Civil and Martial Hall as an honored elder? Same rank as a Hall Master. What do you say?”

Wu Tu’s eyes widened instantly.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Yang to offer so much just to recruit Li Rui.

Civil and Martial Hall wasn’t some obscure corner, it was one of the Alliance’s central power bases. Coveted by many.

Even though the honored elder ranked just below a Hall Master, it was still far above a Deputy Hall Master, or even the Tianyi Hall’s top seat.

Li Rui’s heart trembled as well.

Zhang Yang wasn’t pulling punches.

But then Zhang changed tack:

“Of course, you know such a position can’t be handed out lightly.

As long as you can rank in the top eight in next month’s combat assessment, I promise you that position is yours.”

Li Rui nodded with dawning clarity.

No wonder the invitation had sounded so generous, it came with strings attached.

No one in their right mind would hand over such a prestigious seat to someone untested.

The assessment was the perfect opportunity to measure Li Rui’s real strength.

The top eight spots were all currently held by Hall Masters.

If Li Rui could rise to that level, then becoming one himself wouldn’t be far off.

Zhang Yang was simply getting ahead of the game by offering the honored elder role as a stepping stone.

“I’m sure someone of your caliber, Brother Li, will make a fine showing,” Zhang added confidently.

He genuinely hoped Li Rui had real skill.

The internal situation of the Heaven-Earth Alliance was rapidly shifting. The Branch Master had recently broken through to a higher realm, shaking the hierarchy.

The Deputy Branch Masters were all feeling the pressure.

But advancing beyond the eighth rank wasn’t something that could happen overnight, not even for a talented martial artist. It could take decades just to break through Bronze Bone stage.

So the best solution was to gather loyal experts.

All four Deputy Branch Masters had quietly started building up their own power bases.

After all, when outside threats loomed, even the neighboring counties or Anning Prefecture might send someone to contest Qinghe’s leadership.

Li Rui simply chuckled.

“I’m just an old man. That’s a young man’s game.”

Zhang Yang didn’t push.

Though he admired Li Rui’s potential, an entry-level cultivator wasn’t worth begging.

Everyone had their own path.

If Li Rui joined, great. If not, no loss.

At his age, with few years left, Zhang Yang wasn’t about to waste resources on someone who might soon die of old age.

He valued Li Rui for his immediate combat power, not long-term investment.

After all, once Li Rui passed, the position could always be handed to one of Zhang Yang’s true confidants.

Either way, he couldn’t lose.

Zhang Yang had played his cards well.