Daoist Anomalous Immortal
"Sword techniques? Yes!" Zhao Qin answered decisively upon hearing this. "Although sword users are relatively rare in escort agencies, since you, benefactor, have asked, even if we don't have any, I'll find a way to get them for you through other channels!"
Li Huowang raised his wine cup and tapped it against the rim of Zhao Qin's cup. "Thank you very much, Chief Escort Zhao."
As they drank more, the atmosphere at the banquet warmed up, and the people at the table clinked their cups, enjoying the lively occasion. Li Huowang didn't particularly enjoy such occasions. Seeing that everyone else had almost finished eating, he prepared to leave. Just then, he saw Gouwa walk over with a cup of hot tea and place it on his table. He first glanced at Zhao Qin, who was accompanying them, then leaned closer to Li Huowang and whispered.
"Senior Brother Li, didn't Junior Sister Bai always say that we only spend and never earn, and that we should find a stable way to make money?"
"Hmm, what about it?" Bai Lingmiao had indeed complained about this more than once; his ears were practically calloused from hearing it.
Gouwa's face lit up with excitement. "Look, isn't this perfect? It's just what we need! We can ask them to teach us how to be escorts!"
"Anyway, we're heading towards Liang, and along the way, we can take on escort missions that are headed in the same direction. We can earn money and travel without delay!"
"And look, these guys are treating us to such expensive food, so they must have made a lot of money from escorting. We can earn that kind of money too!"
Li Huowang looked at Gouwa with some surprise. When it came to making money, Gouwa was surprisingly quick-witted. But he wasn't wrong; Li Huowang could indeed do something like that. The money he earned from escorting could not only serve as travel expenses but also be sent to Nun Jingxin. Although Nun Jingxin's mention of thirty thousand taels of gold was just a casual remark, it felt wrong to accept such a significant gift from her without reciprocating at all. He didn't want to owe anyone, especially not the only person who had ever helped him.
When Li Huowang raised the idea with Zhao Qin, he readily agreed. "Alright! If you, my young brother Li, want to join the profession, I'll be your guarantor! As long as you carry my letter of guarantee, you can reliably take on escort missions at any escort agency!"
However, after making the promise, he began to gently persuade him. "But, my young brother, escorting isn't as easy as it seems. The escorts at our agency have a saying: 'Three parts for safety.'"
"These 'three parts' mean: always have a bit of a smile, concede a bit of reason, and drink a bit of wine."
"Outsiders think escorts rely solely on their martial prowess, but that's only half true. The other half relies on managing connections at all levels, which is quite troublesome."
Zhao Qin, his face flushed, once again raised his wine cup and drained it, then waved his hand with a grand gesture. "My young brother Li, if you genuinely need any silver, just say the word, and I'll give you whatever you need!"
The other party spoke with great conviction, but Li Huowang knew he couldn't take it literally. Everything has its value. While it was true he had saved the man's wife, she wasn't fully cured, merely improved. Asking for a sword manual or for Zhao Qin to introduce him to the escort business was acceptable, but asking him to deplete his family's wealth would be crossing a line.
"Chief Escort Zhao, you're too kind. I prefer to be self-reliant."
After several polite refusals, Zhao Qin sighed. "Very well, if you insist, my young brother Li. Come to the escort agency tomorrow, and I'll personally teach you the 'jargon.'"
"'Jargon'? What is that?"
"'Jargon' refers to the underworld slang. If you encounter bandits or highwaymen who try to rob you, you'll need to know the proper responses."
"I see." Li Huowang, holding his wine cup, had a sudden thought. "Then, Chief Escort Zhao, what do 'Bing Jian Zi' and 'Shuai Ge Man' mean?"
Those were words the lake bandits had said to him back then. Now that he thought about it, those were probably examples of jargon.
"'Bing Jian Zi' means 'brother,' and 'Shuai Ge Man' means to 'report your name' or 'give your credentials,'" Zhao Qin explained.
"What if one doesn't match them?"
"If you can't even get the jargon right, then you're basically an outsider. Most of those who 'carry the black flag' will directly resort to violence."
"I see..." Li Huowang pondered, holding his chopsticks.
At this point, Gouwa interjected. "Chief Escort, actually, does it really matter if we don't use the jargon? Those petty thieves can't cause much trouble. Couldn't we just eliminate them all?"
"'Petty thieves'?" Zhao Qin scoffed at Gouwa's words. "Do you really think all highwaymen and mountain bandits are just random groups of villains gathered together to rob people? There's a lot more to it than that!"
This remark piqued Li Huowang's interest. "Chief Escort Zhao, please elaborate." In the short few months since he left Qingfeng Monastery, he had already encountered two groups of robbers. If nothing unexpected happened, he would likely encounter more in the future, so he needed to understand this aspect thoroughly. Escorts who had been in the business for many years would certainly be very knowledgeable about this.
"I admit, some roving bandits genuinely lack power. But in this 'greenwood' world, it's not just about those who 'carry the black flag'; there are big and small players alike."
"Not to mention the 'big and small rats' of Mount Dongyi or 'Southern Tyrant' of the Great Western Wilderness; anyone with a recognizable name is someone of capability."
"Becoming a 'king of the mountain' isn't just talk; there are countless groups with thousands of brothers under their command."
Zhao Qin took a sip of wine and continued, "The crucial point is, there's another saying: 'nurture bandits to gain respect.' Behind them, there might very well be connections with official circles."
"Furthermore, don't think they'll always be bandits. If they get 'recruited' by the government one day, they'll instantly turn from black to white."
"Can you keep all these connections straight? If you don't 'match the jargon' according to their established ways, do you still expect to run escorts? Everything has its rules, and the rules of the greenwood are also rules."
The hazy world, as explained by Zhao Qin, began to reveal a corner of itself to Li Huowang. Li Huowang once again recalled the scene of the lake bandits' sacrifice. After pondering for a moment, he spoke again.
"Among these robbers, are there any masters who use evil sorcery or immortal arts?"
He wasn't afraid of mere bandits now, but this world had never been simple. Even a small band of lake bandits in a reed marsh could use a 'Great Thousand Records,' obtained from who knew where, to cause harm in the area. It was hard to guarantee that there wouldn't be even more formidable ones among these larger mountain bandits.
As soon as he uttered those words, the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly turned cold. Seeing the escorts' somewhat nervous expressions, Li Huowang already knew the answer.
Zhao Qin hesitated for a few breaths, then sighed softly. "That's why everything must be done according to the rules. No one knows who truly controls these mountain and lake bandits."
"Although the Imperial Army has the Censorate, the current Emperor can't even sit securely on his own dragon throne, so how could he possibly manage all this?"
"Some things are simply not for us common folk to get involved in."
9194 · 0 · 24
