Yong'an City, Jili Wharf.
Night fell.
Firelight flickered. The sounds of fighting filled the air.
"Charge! Drive them back!"
"Damn it, Jili Wharf can only belong to our Fierce Tiger Sect!"
"My head! He cracked my head open!"
"Shut your mouth! You think you're a dog?"
On one side of the wharf, two groups of people were locked in a fierce brawl. Some swung wooden staffs, others threw fists. The fight was intense and noisy.
Meanwhile, in the alley.
Two figures squatted in a dark corner. Wooden staffs lay beside them, and some food was spread out in front.
"Little Fatty, where'd you get this pig head meat? Why does it taste like liquor?"
Lin Fan, who was squatting, picked up a piece of pig head meat and popped it into his mouth. The liquor flavor was strong, but the meat itself was pretty good.
"Brother, I didn't buy it. I snagged some leftovers my sect master threw away. My sect master's such a waste—he pours liquor into his leftovers." Little Fatty said truthfully. With his allowance from the sect, how could he afford something like this?
"If this is poisoned, we're both dead."
"Hehe, don't worry, bro. I'd die first. I tried it already—it's not poisoned." The chubby kid grinned foolishly.
Looking at the chubby kid in front of him, Lin Fan didn't say anything. He picked up another piece and ate it, then turned his head to watch the distant dock where the fight was happening. He felt really helpless.
How could a person be this unlucky?
That's right.
He wasn't from this world. He'd transmigrated here. All he remembered was walking while looking at his phone, accidentally stepping into a sewer, and then when he opened his eyes, he was lying in some strange place.
It had been exactly two months now.
New to this place, he could only try to blend in. No respectable place would take in someone of unknown origin wearing weird clothes like him. He had no choice but to join the local martial sect and become the lowest level lackey.
The kid he called Little Fatty was named Zhao Er, the second son in his family. He came from a poor background and belonged to the Fierce Tiger Sect.
Lin Fan, on the other hand, belonged to another sect that was currently fighting hard—the Loyalty Hall.
Since he was a low level lackey, getting into fights was unavoidable. Fighting was super dangerous for him; one wrong move and he could end up crippled. Luckily, he had sharp eyes and spotted Zhao Er right away—a guy with extraordinary talent and clear, bright eyes.
The first time, not sure if Zhao Er would even agree, he dragged him into an alley and gave him a proper beating. Made Zhao Er scream and cry for his parents, teaching him that what goes around comes around. After a heartfelt talk, Zhao Er had a change of heart and became his formidable partner in the Fierce Tiger Sect.
Whenever a fight broke out, they'd quickly find each other, confirm identities with a glance, and then during the chaos, they'd fight their way to a corner to rest and wait for things to end.
"Brother, meeting you is really my blessing. Ever since, I haven't gotten hurt again," Zhao Er said, genuinely grateful to Brother Lin. He never imagined sect life could be this easy.
"Nonsense. With your skills, you'd be bedridden after a few fights."
"Brother, you're so strong. Why don't you show it? If you did, you'd definitely catch the sect's attention. You wouldn't be a nobody anymore."
This was what Zhao Er couldn't understand. He remembered a few days ago, acting with Brother Lin like usual, when some of his own men, like they were on something, charged at Brother Lin like madmen.
They thought something bad was about to happen. But who would've thought Brother Lin would shatter their momentum with three hits? They fell on the spot, sleeping soundly.
"You wouldn't get it."
Lin Fan shook his head.
When he first transmigrated to this ancient world, his first thought was: early stage martial arts, mid stage cultivation, late stage becoming an immortal ancestor.
So he immediately started asking around about martial arts. But the news was cruel. Yong'an City didn't have a single martial arts school. The so-called martial arts didn't exist. Those who seemed powerful were just skilled from practice and taking care of their bodies.
But he didn't believe it.
No way.
If there really was no martial arts, then how did he get a system?
The system appeared when he was angrily whipping Zhao Er with a wooden staff. He vaguely remembered that when he was really into the whipping, a panel popped up in his mind, along with a notification sound.
[Comprehended Basic Staff Technique]
[Proficiency +1]
He absolutely refused to believe this world didn't have extraordinary martial arts.
Maybe the imperial court in this world was too strict. They didn't allow any dangerous people who could take on a hundred men to appear among the common folk, so they completely suppressed martial arts.
And those who could truly master martial arts had always been members of the royal family.
That was his thought, and the most likely possibility.
Because there was also the most important piece of evidence—the display on his system panel.
[Name: Lin Fan]
[Realm: None]
[Basic Staff Technique (Mastery 12/1000)]
If there was no martial arts, no extraordinary abilities, why would this system display a realm? Having a realm meant you could cultivate, right?
He firmly believed this.
"Brother, brother..." Zhao Er nudged Lin Fan's arm.
Lin Fan snapped out of his daze. "What's wrong?"
"It's getting quiet at the dock. It's almost over. We should head out." Zhao Er reminded him.
This was their usual trick, and so far no one had noticed anything wrong. After all, it was dark and windy, and with so many people moving around, who would notice them hiding here?
By now, the pig head meat on the lotus leaves on the ground was finished. Lin Fan wiped the grease from his mouth, picked up his wooden staff, and stood up.
"Oh yeah, how's your mom's sickness? Got enough money? If not, just tell me. I still have some saved." Lin Fan asked.
They rarely met in private, exactly because they were afraid of being seen by someone with bad intentions. Why would rival sect members be so chummy with each other? That would definitely raise suspicion.
"Brother, it's enough. Didn't you say you were saving money to go legit? You should keep it for yourself."
He didn't really understand what "going legit" meant.
But he felt it must be really important to Brother Lin.
So he wouldn't mess with Brother Lin's plans.
"Alright then."
Lin Fan nodded. Zhao Er was the first and most familiar friend he'd made since coming to this world. The guy was only in the sect because he had to be. He was a perfectly decent person.
Then Zhao Er took out the prepared chicken blood and smeared some on each other. This was to prove that their fight was also intense and they'd both bled, so no one would suspect anything.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"Go."
As the two neared the alley entrance, without a word, they grabbed their staffs and started fighting, yelling insults and swinging at each other. The fight was evenly matched, and they moved from left to right, blending into the corner of the crowd without anyone noticing.
Bang!
Lin Fan kicked Zhao Er to the ground. Zhao Er, trying to get up, got kicked again in the butt. Using the force, Zhao Er scrambled away, rolling and crawling, escaping the fight. He got up, rubbed his backside, pointed at Lin Fan, and roared with a fierce expression.
"I'll fight you to the death! Our Fierce Tiger Sect won't lose!"