The gangsters looked at each other when they heard what Zhang Heng said. How could he do that? Rob them of their money, and then use it to hire their men?
What was this? Did he order them around without spending even a single copper coin?
However, they really needed money now. In the end, the leader of the gangsters reacted quickly. They had already lost the money, and if they did not agree, they would not get the money back. It was better to listen to the other party's conditions first.
So, he said, "Do you want us to teach the people from Unapur Arena a lesson?"
"Oh, no. Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you," Zhang Heng said. "It has nothing to do with Unapur Arena. I just want you to help me investigate something else."
Varo's wife and his friend are just civilians. They shouldn't be able to do that. I need you to help me find out who is behind this. A friendly reminder. You can ask a slave trader named Chickpea to find out more about this. I will give you ten Denarius first, and I will give you the rest after the job is done. What do you think? If this cooperation goes well, maybe I will look for you next time. "
The leader of the gangsters looked at his companions. One of the four was hesitant, and the other three nodded at him. So the leader nodded and said, "Okay."
"A wise choice. Come to the gladiator school to find me when you get the news." Zhang Heng counted ten silver coins and returned them to the five gangsters along with the short sword.
…
Zhang Heng had always helped Varo whenever he needed help. For example, he guided Varo to pass the final assessment. During the twelve-man melee, he chose to help Varo after killing Nasika instead of helping him kill his opponent. He wanted to boost Varo's confidence. If everything went well, the two of them would not team up anymore.
Zhang Heng had always suspected that there was a mastermind behind Varo's death, and it would not be easy for Varo to regain his freedom. However, both of them were still in the training camp at that time. Hence, Zhang Heng did not say much about it. Since there was a chance now, he would ask the five gangsters to investigate the mastermind. If everything went well, he could at least let the former antique dealer know who his real enemy was.
Other than that, Zhang Heng was also trying to train some people to work for him. After all, he was just an outsider to the city of Rome. His ability to deal with people from all walks of life was not as good as the local gangsters. Besides, he was still a slave.
Of course, according to Dadatis, the Balance Blade had a group of excellent peripheral members. However, Zhang Heng was still in the testing period, and he had no use for those people. Besides, even if Zhang Heng passed the test and joined the Balance Blade, he would not be able to fully trust the Balance Blade. After all, he still needed to form his own team. It might not be these five people, but he could start with these five.
In short, whether it was the gladiator school or the Balance Blade, Zhang Heng needed to keep a secret from them.
After the attack, Zhang Heng did not go to the temple again. It was not because he was worried that the people from the Hunahpu Arena would attack him again, but it was because the sky had begun to darken.
So Zhang Heng returned to the gladiator school. It seemed that Mark Reuss was really optimistic about him. Not only did he agree to Zhang Heng's request, but he also changed his residence. When Zhang Heng walked into the new room, he found that it was more than twice the size. This time, he did not have to listen to other people's snoring. There was also a female slave who served him. Not only could she take care of his daily life, but she could also satisfy some of his needs.
However, Zhang Heng preferred to live alone. Considering that the girl might be punished if he drove her away, Zhang Heng did not say anything in the end. After dark, he washed up and went to bed.
This time, his senses were much sharper. When he opened his eyes, he saw Dadatis standing in front of the bed.
The old trainer waved at him, and the two walked around the girl who was sleeping soundly on the floor and came out of the room.
In the previous week, Dadatis had also come to Zhang Heng several times, but it was always late at night. It seemed that the old trainer did not want others to see him interacting with Zhang Heng. However, he did not seem to have such a problem with Habitus before this.
"How was it? Did you have a good afternoon?" Dadatis asked.
"Did you find those people who attacked me?" Zhang Heng was a little surprised because he did not think that those gangsters were lying.
"You are only half right. Those people were indeed recruited by other arenas. I just gave them your basic information in advance. Coupled with your performance in the twelve-man mixed battle, those who are not stupid will attack you," the old trainer said leisurely. The old trainer said leisurely, "Very good. You asked Mark Reuss for the right to go out freely. Our next stage of training happens to be outside."
"Huh?"
"It's time for you to put your stealth skills to good use. Only actual combat can help you digest the theoretical knowledge," Dadatis said. "You have to get rid of those who are tailing you, and you can't attack them like this time."
"It doesn't sound difficult," Zhang Heng said. Even if he did not learn stealth, he could still get rid of those who were tailing him with his speed.
"No, no, no. You don't understand what I mean. You need to stay close to them without being discovered. This is what an assassin should do," the old trainer said.
"Are you serious?" Zhang Heng asked rhetorically, "I am a foreigner. It's hard to ignore my appearance in the crowd."
"That's why this is the best practice for an assassin's stealth skills." Dadatis's confident words made it difficult for Zhang Heng to refute.
The old trainer paused and then continued, "Your skills are too good. So, the first thing you think of when you encounter a problem is how to solve it with your own skills. This is not a problem during normal times, but it will hinder your progress in the assassin's path. If you want to become an excellent assassin, you need to overcome this."
Although Dadatis's tone was the same as usual, Zhang Heng still heard a hint of meaning in it. "Have you encountered any trouble recently?" he asked.
"The organization does have some objections to recruiting you, but that is not what I am worried about." The old trainer hesitated and decided to tell Zhang Heng the truth. "About two hundred years ago, there was a traitor in our organization. He sought refuge with the Roman Emperor Octavian. With the help of Octavian, he also formed an assassin organization to assassinate the members of the Balance Blade. This is also the reason why I don't want to be seen getting close to you. Over the years, I have to show my face in public. Although I have disguised myself, I can't hide from the real masters."
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