The walk to the main gate wasn't a hard one. All the streets in the city lead to it, after all.

So, as Jin Chenxi navigated through the darkening streets, growing closer and closer to his destination. He began to think about the journey ahead. Mainly on what to do about Hu Meng, he could, of course, fight him at the first opportunity, getting his revenge.

If he was only thinking of revenge, that would be the best plan. Jin Chenxi, however, needed to consider the long-term consequences.

As he probably wouldn't be allowed to just kill Hu Meng. It would be extremely annoying to have a constant antagonist in the camp, getting in his way.

No, he thought, the best decision was to just ignore him. There was no need for any unnecessary conflicts, especially with someone like Hu Meng.

Though on the other hand, if Hu Meng wanted to duel, he would be more than willing to teach his bulbous face a lesson.

With that final thought, he was finally close enough to the gate to see the Dong Shan and Hu Meng. Dong Shan was clad in black robes with a large backpack while Hu Meng was in what he assumed was a set of new brown robes.

Moving quickly towards the group Jin Chenxi quickly bowed his head towards the large figure of what he assumed was Dong Shan.

Not paying attention to the almost constipated look on Hu Meng's face.

"I apologies for making you wait, sir," Jin Chenxi said, keeping his head down.

"It’s no problem kid raise your head," Dong Shan said, in his gruff voice "It'll be a three-day walk from here to Bai Lei's camp" Dong Shan informed as Jin Chenxi lifted his head.

"Now I don't want either of you, to be causing any problems" Dong Shan ordered, punctuating his point with a sliver of his Core formation Qi.

"Yes Sir"
"Got it, boss" Jin Chenxi and Hu Meng respond, voices overlapping.

Dong shan just nodded, seeing that the two of them understood and moved towards the gate, and the two guards that stood at it.

Both boys were quick to follow. Both aptly ignoring the other's existence apart from some light glares from Hu Meng.

Jin Chenxi observed as Dong Shan silently handed a coin purse over to one of the guards. He watched as the guard waved for the gate to be opened.

He stared at the guard as followed Dong Shan through the now slightly open gate.

He knew that the guards were corrupt. He knew that money talked. But the blatancy of the transaction, the normalcy of it shocked him.

It didn't matter, not really. It wouldn't affect him anymore. But it still left a bad taste in his mouth.

He knew he was going to commit worse crimes while working for Bai lei, he knew that. But he didn't have a choice, right?

No. It's best to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. He'd made his choice.

He would need his wits about him, anyway. This was going to be a tense three days.

And so Jin Chenxi just kept walking.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And it was a Tense three days, almost as tense as it was uneventful.

Dong Shan knew his job well and made sure that we stayed away from any trouble. Not that we needed to fear bandits, all of them were under the Syndicates control and we technically, we're a part of the syndicate.

He also didn't have much chance to talk Dong Shan, he liked it silent apparently. And he, of course, stayed away from Hu Meng.

So, after three boring days of walking, only resting for a few hours a day, we arrived a bit past midday in the middle of a random forest, miles from the nearest village.

Dong Shan stood there for a moment flanked either side by Jin Chenxi and Hu Meng, before pulsing his Qi out rhythmically.

A code Jin Chenxi deduced, they're organized for bandits, the syndicate guarantees stability he supposes.

It didn't take long for two men to walk out of the shrubbery. Both men wore a scruffy tang suit with a speer lazily rested on their shoulders.

Neither of the men is that strong, he thought. The peak of the internal realm. Given their age, they probably won't form cores until they're old and don't have any use for it.

"What ya want?" one of the men asked stopping a few meters from our group

"I'm Dong Shan here to make a delivery to Bai Lei from Tou Zhong, I have also brought some new requites as requested," said Dong Shan, clasping his hand together in respect.

"Delivery eh," the man said scratching his short beard staring us "Fu you take the good man to the quartermaster, ill handle the newbies" he finished, staring at us

"Alright, if you'll follow me, sir," the other man said, his tone polite as he motioned Dong shan to follow him there was no goodbye between them.

We stood in an awkward for a few seconds as Dong Shan and the other guard left.

"Alright, boys, follow me and ill take yous to where you'll sleep and get ya sorted out" declared the man, as he turned and started walking in a slightly different direction to the one Dong Shan had.

"you two are lucky ya know, another couple days and you'd have found an empty camp" the man laughed out as we made our way through the forest "The names Jia Waimin by the way, you'll probably see me around a lot" Jia Waimin finished.

We kept walking for a few minutes before the forest began to open up into a clearing, and the sight of hundreds of multi-color tents appeared before them.

Jin Chenxi and Hu Meng's eyes winded at the sight, Jia Waimin just smiled at their reaction.

"Big camp isn’t it" chuckled, Jia Waimin.

"Why does Bai Lei need so many men to raid caravans?" Jin Chenxi asked, still shocked and intimidated by the number of men, it was a small army you could equal a small sect out with this many men if they have any high-level cultivators.

"Cause we're not raiding caravans, why'd ya think the boss was requesting men from the syndicate, he's planning something big" informed, Jia Waimin "we'll find out tomorrow whatever it is. Anyway, let's go get you set up, we got room in my tent for two more, so you'll be bunked with me" Jia Waimin concluded, as he began moving toward the massive camp.

The camp was a melting pot of activity as men shouted, drunk and gambled. There were even men wrestling with each other. It was odd how such a chaotic group could form such a large camp without killing each other.

It was like a dance Jin Chenxi thought, as he tried to keep out of the way of bumbling men walking the opposite way, which he was doing well for the most part. Unlike Hu Meng, who seemed to bump into every other person like the fat oaf that he is.

It didn't take long though for us to find our apparent destination, a quite large brown tent big enough for probably five people.

"Home sweet home eh, the two bedrolls at the back are free," said Jia Waimin gesturing into the tent "Now what are ya names, I’ll go register yous and get back to duty" questioned Jia Waimin, glancing at the two of them.

"Jin Chenxi, sir," he said with a small bow.

"Hu Meng” stated Hu Meng curtly.

"Alright, ya better get a rest boy, probably a big day tomorrow" Advised Jia Waimin with a wave as he walked back the way we came.

And take that advice Jin Chenxi would, quickly making his way into the tent and to the bedroll, on the left side, he was quietly followed by Hu Meng.

It wasn't a good bedroll by any measure, but it was better than what he had before. Nothing at all.

Flopping down on the bedroll the last thoughts he had before he fell asleep was that he couldn't wait until he formed a core and made sleep a thing of the past.