When it’s time to take risks, Mr. Brooks never lacks the courage for adventure.

But when it’s time to lay low, Mr. Brooks is just as clear-headed, keeping things steady and safe.

“Of course Jun Tianshou is free—otherwise, how could there be so many members under its banner?”

Mr. Smith patted his own chest, the tingling from his healing after taking medicine making him feel both uncomfortable and oddly pleasant.

“If you want to make money, you work. If you don’t, you don’t. If you want to join, you join. If you want to quit, no one stops you. You don’t even have to do anything special—just stop taking jobs, and that’s considered graduation…”

“True, complete freedom. Everything depends on your own strength and choices.”

“Revealing your identity is your own choice, keeping it strictly secret is also your own choice. If you earn cultivation techniques or pills, you can use them however you want—keep them for yourself or sell them, it’s all up to you.”

Ethan Brooks listened while pondering.

Hearing this, he couldn’t help but think of a profession on Earth: online novelist.

It seems just as free—work when you want, stop when you don’t…

A jumble of thoughts arose, and he felt a strange sense: Jun Tianshou assassin = online author?

Then, his favorite, most handsome, and talented author with the same surname—if placed among Jun Tianshou assassins, would at least be at the divine level, right?

That guy is so awesome, he’d have to be at least that level…

And the most impressive thing is, he’s so good-looking… He could easily live off his looks, but insists on relying on his talent…

…

“Honestly, who doesn’t want to live a peaceful life? But there’s no way—in times like these, you can’t live peacefully without enough strength.”

Having boasted about Jun Tianshou, Mr. Smith now started to complain.

“Mr. Smith and I have thought about it too—do missions for a while, improve our cultivation, save up some money, buy a house and land, find a wife, and never have to wander the jianghu again… But damn, is it really that easy? After all this struggle, one injury wipes out all your savings, and you’re not just back to being broke overnight—you even have to… have to…”

Hmm?

Ethan Brooks immediately shot him a sideways glance.

That didn’t sound right—wasn’t he hinting that I’m heartless and swallowed their savings?

I’m heartless by skill, and charge by conscience!

If you dare keep talking, you’ll be sorry!

Mr. Smith hurriedly changed the subject: “Every year, every month, every day, plenty of Jun Tianshou assassins quit and stop taking jobs. Some even go so far as to throw away their badges. But even more come back to take jobs again… Anyway, your rank doesn’t drop.”

“The world’s in chaos, the jianghu is tough. We wander everywhere to make a living, and we’ve seen plenty of people who look ordinary but suddenly become big landlords with huge houses and fields overnight, living in extreme luxury—eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, like they’ve never had a meal in eight lifetimes or never been with a woman in three. I’m sure plenty of them are our peers, making up for their previous miserable days… But that’s their luck—they just do better than us…”

“But for brothers like us, living day to day, never knowing where the next meal comes from—there are only more like us…”

“Eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew, making our home wherever we go, drifting to the ends of the earth, lonely and desolate… If we had enough strength, who the hell wouldn’t want a peaceful life…”

“I don’t want much in this life—not huge fields or piles of silver. If I could just reach gold rank with Mr. Smith, we could attack or retreat as we please; go home and live a good life. By then, not only would life be comfortable, but with strength to back us up, we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone targeting us. If anyone dared to mess with us, they’d have to think twice. Only then could we truly call it a peaceful life. And even if, worst case, we run out of money again, we could just come back and take on more jobs. With gold rank, we’d never have to stoop to the bottom—just pick the right job, make a big score, and go back to enjoying life. Just thinking about it sounds wonderful…”

“Sleeping in a dirt pit on a snowy night—how could that compare to cuddling your wife in a warm bed? Tsk… slurp, slurp…”

As they talked about their beautiful dreams for the future, both Mr. Smith and Mr. Smith looked full of longing, their eyes shining with hope,

Slurping up drool like they were eating bowls of noodles…

Ethan Brooks averted his gaze from their faces, rolled his eyes at the ceiling, and said, very insincerely, “Good luck.”

“Got it.”

Mr. Smith quickly got off the kang and, being quite perceptive, added some oil to the lamp.

The light flickered, turning from dim to bright.

The three shadows cast on the wall became much clearer than before.

…

(3)

“The jianghu is tough…”

After daydreaming for a while, Mr. Smith sighed again.

“There are countless experts, that’s one thing. But among those countless experts, there are just as many with black hearts and devious minds, making things even harder… In such chaotic times, how could anyone who becomes a jianghu master be a good person… Every single one is a ruthless killer who doesn’t bat an eye at murder…”