Joining the Black Dog Company was far easier than Sage thought it would be. The first step was some simple paperwork that consisted of a name and a place of origin, which Sage gave as Ling Sheng from Flying Wind Province. Ling was pretty close to Lang in sound, which would help him from being confused and Flying Wind Province was simply something he saw on a map of the provinces. The next step was a set of testing with some magical objects. Sage was surprised that such things existed. He just had to touch a stone pedestal and a number popped up on it showing his age. Then he had to put his hand on an orb and send his qi into it. From there it lit up different colors to show cultivation rank and how bright it was showed what stage the cultivator was.

All in all, Sage had signed up within an afternoon. After taking the tests he had to read and sign a large contract and was then given a membership badge. The badge he got was made out of plain black iron and he had to drip a drop of blood on it. After doing so it was linked to him and used as his identification within the company. He was told that higher ranks had their badges made out of different materials. They were, Black Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, and finally Black Gold. The first four ranks were based on how strong and what level of missions a company member could take while the final two were about authority. The contract terms were also pretty simple, Black Dog Company members were forbidden from attacking other company members while on a mission or the company would expel them and put a price on their heads. Other than that, there was really no other rules, everything would be decided by the mission one accepted. Even better, there was even various services available to company members with more unlocking as the rank rose.

No longer having any family members left, Sage didn’t need to leave a will or any benefits for anyone should he pass away and the other benefits for a new member was just a listing of reputable businesses in the area that also offered discounts for company members. Wanting to get a quick start to his new life, Sage picked out a mission that involved escorting a merchant caravan to the next town over. Not really sure where exactly he was heading to, he decided to take the journey one step at a time.

Wait a second, the only weapon I have is a knife.

Looking through the business listing, Sage found only a few sources for training manuals so he decided to simply go through the Black Dog Company itself. It was a business after all and every branch had its own in-house store. Walking to a counter at the back of the building he was given an index of all their training manuals. He was told it was all the manuals available for the Black Iron Badge. There was easily hundreds, all technique manuals turned in by Black Dog Company members in exchange for contribution points. Many of the services and items they offered could be purchased using Black Dog contribution points and the same goes for all their mission rewards or sales of items. Everything could be purchased for less or sold for more, encouraging their members to use their internal system.

Of course, the techniques weren’t really of the highest grade, since most clans and sects would always keep their best stuff secret. That said, if someone were to be careless and carry a manual they might be killed and the technique would fall into the hands of an outsider. With so many years of operation, the Black Dog Company actually had a massive collection of manuals. The only limiter was that Sage was only a Black Iron badge and so he could only access the most basic level of goods. The only fighting technique he knew was the Golden Mantis Body and that was too eye catching. With the entire Lang Clan annihilated he couldn’t just go around showing off their signature martial art. Deciding to choose something simple he picked out a staff technique, mainly because it was a weapon that did more than just kill and it was one he already knew some moves with using Golden Mantis Body.

The technique was called Wave Breaking Paddle, the description said the technique is usable with most types of polearm weapons and was the signature technique of a once major sect in 10,000 Wave Province. It was their equivalent of Golden Mantis Body, not their best move but the one everyone of them learned first. Now that their sect had died out, the Black Dog Company along with many others sold it without any worries about retribution from a sect. After asking, he was told they restricted the manuals to higher ranks and prices if they were too well-known or exclusive in order to keep from selling it too often. They didn’t want all those sects and clans to hate them, but they wouldn’t pass up good business. If you really want someone’s special move, you’d just have to pay more than something at the same power level.

With a technique chosen he asked for a list of weapons. Checking the prices he didn’t want to be too flashy and went with a Normal ranked Mortal Treasure. Most special items, or treasures, used the same ranking system. There was three ranks: Mortal, Magic, and Artifact. Mortal treasures were things specially refined and crafted from unusual materials, usually from Spirit Plants, Spirit Animals, Demonic Beasts, Spirit Metals, and other qi infused materials. The stronger materials made them tougher, sharper, lighter or even heavier than their normal counterparts. Magic treasures went a step further and had arrays constructed within them giving them not only better performance but special abilities activated with qi. The final rank, Artifacts, are nearly legendary as they had not only special abilities but their own item spirits that gave them their own intelligence.

There was also three quality levels of treasure items: Flawed, Normal, and Top-Grade. Most didn’t even mention if a treasure was normal as that was the standard. Flawed or False treasures had a flaw in their creation process and have very low efficiency when qi is channeled through them with special techniques. Many of them also had weak points that made them easier to destroy. On the other hand, Top-Grade treasures increased energy efficiency and many even had unique properties over their normal quality counterparts.

The weapon he chose was a simple wooden staff about five and a half feet long the most standard of sizes. It was made of a black hardwood variety of spirit tree and as close to a mass production staff he could find. It wasn’t too light or heavy and was tough enough to not get destroyed by most treasure weapons.

Best to keep a low profile till I get to another Province.

Sage wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. Lifting the staff he laid it across his shoulders, using it to stretch his back. The muscles sore and tight from the exercise. It felt so nice to be outside in the sunshine exercising. So much different than merely surviving down in a dark cave. Down there he could only cling to the hope that he would someday find a way out, and now he was comparatively carefree. His entire clan had been wiped out and he was on the run, but at least there was sunlight, blue skies, soft beds, and delicious food.

I hope I never have to eat another spider again in my life. That was so gross.

The caravan wasn’t set to depart for a couple weeks. As such Sage was spending his days outside of town learning Wave Breaking Paddle with his new staff. He no longer had a home to return to and he certainly didn’t wish to live underground any longer. During the daytime he walked outside of town and trained in a clearing while at night he returned to town and stayed in an inn.

It was the third day and the sun had reached its highest point in the sky. The hottest part of the day was exactly when Sage always took his lunch break. He walked under the shade of a large tree and set his staff against the trunk. Walking a couple steps away and sitting down on a large rock. It was the end of summer and the cicadas were singing off in the grass. He pulled out a few meat buns from his storage ring and dug in. Biting at the still warm meat inside.

Thwack!

Sage heard a soft whirring sound before he was knocked backwards atop the rock. The bun falling out of his hand as he felt a sharp pain spreading through his body. Looking down to see the handle of a throwing knife jutting out from his left shoulder, less than a foot away from his heart. Terrified, he nearly froze up with fear before his instincts from surviving in that mine for six months kicked in. Rolling over the back of the rock to hide behind it and then lunging out to grab the staff with his right hand.

Another knife thunks into the tree next to his head and Sage nearly wets his pants as he takes off running. The staff was already in his storage ring, freeing his hands up to pump rapidly, trying his best to run away. He had no idea who was attacking him or how he could escape, he merely remember something he’d heard from a movie. Serpentine! Running in a slightly zig-zagging pattern, he was trying not to get hit by another one of those knives. He had watched a few medical dramas so he knew that he was better off leaving the knife in till he could bandage up the wound. It would bleed less with the blade stuck in his shoulder, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. Gritting his teeth to resist the pain and running for his life!

Why didn’t I learn a movement technique!