Chapter 43: When I was Traveling and Studying
Unused fields lay beside two groups of people, maintaining a comfortable distance from each other. The side closer to the cetery had more people, with horses and carriages. Two young won brought their children back into the carriage. The people outside gathered around a fire, guarding their surroundings. This trip was to pay respects to Yan Laoda for the first ti in seven days, or as the scholar put it, Yan Dajiada.
Yan Laoda was valiant and righteous, having served in the local militia. When the world began to descend into chaos, he rallied a group of well-connected militia mbers, laborers, and familiar neighbors. They ford a faction, securing a foothold in Bai Lu County Town amid the epidemic of evil and internal strife. They were able to secure a share of the benefits when resources were distributed within the county town. The horses they rode and the weapons they wielded were all acquired over the past year. However, Yan Laoda and so of his brothers t with an accident while traveling so ti ago, and now rested here.
Today, Yan Laoda's widow, Madam Liang, Lin Er Dajiada and his wife, along with several close brothers and trusted guards, ca to pay their respects. Many people had benefited from Yan Laoda's kindness, and so wanted to co along. However, a larger group would easily cause unnecessary trouble, so they brought everyone's good wishes and ca to burn more incense and paper.
"I heard that an enlightened expert performing rituals is very effective!"
"I've never seen a Taoist priest perform rituals, but I've only heard that true enlightened experts can commune with ghosts and spirits!"
"Do you think that person over there is truly an enlightened expert?"
"We'll know when the ti cos. If they dare to cheat us..." The speaker gestured with his knife. In this chaotic world, the governnt would not investigate even if people were killed and robbed. Although they were ordinary county residents in the past, their mindset had changed after more than a year of surviving the chaotic tis.
"If they truly have profound Taoist skills, should we accept this so-called commission? Will the County Lieutenant and other officials in the city have any objections?"
"What objections could they have for just this one trip? We're not skipping the bridge toll..."
While a few people on the side were chatting, the people around Lin Er Dajiada were also discussing. After a mont, Lin Er Dajiada stood up and walked towards Wen Gu. Wen Gu was waiting. He was wondering when the other side would speak, and now it seed they were ambitious, just a bit slow to react. If they didn't co over soon, he was prepared to approach them.
Wen Gu stood up, holding a piece of paper filled with writing, and bowed slightly to the other party: "Second Leader, you've co at the right ti. The contract is already drafted. Please take a look and see if any revisions are needed." Lin Er Dajiada was about to ask a question when he heard this. His face tensed again. He took the paper, looked at it, and without a word, returned to the carriage to whisper a few things. The young woman sitting inside took it.
Seeing this, Xiao Liu, who was behind Wen Gu, quietly said, "He can't be illiterate, can he?" Wen Gu: "Shush." Xiao Liu straightened his expression and continued to guard the surroundings, thinking to himself, "What did these people do before? They don't seem as capable as I am. At least I can read so characters."
At this mont, the young woman from the carriage walked out. This ti, she wasn't holding a child. She walked behind the Second Leader and the others, with two guards following closely beside her. Wen Gu understood that this was likely the wife of the deceased First Leader. Her status might be sowhat special; she was literate and her deanor was not like that of ordinary commoners.
The Second Leader had already walked over: "Let's sign according to this." The paper stated the terms for the "deposit." Wen Gu's group would provide a ritual as a deposit, and the other party would do their best to handle the subsequent matters. If they failed to do so... it wasn't written how it would be handled. The characters on the paper were written with a carbon pencil. After both parties confird there were no issues, Wen Gu signed his na below. He used running script, with smooth transitions between strokes, carrying the artistic beauty of calligraphy. Lin Er Dajiada could tell that Wen Gu wasn't just scribbling, but he didn't recognize what was written.
Looking at the pen Wen Gu handed him, Lin Er Dajiada's face tensed even more. Wen Gu didn't make things difficult for him and kindly said, "Conditions are limited, and there's no ink. Many people are not used to this type of carbon pencil. Why don't you rub so of this charcoal powder onto your hand and leave a fingerprint?" Lin Er Dajiada had no choice but to comply. However, the fingerprint he left was just a black smudge, impossible to tell whose it was. Was this thing useful?
Wen Gu took back the contract. As if sensing the other party's confusion, he smiled and said, "It's the rules of the jianghu. Although the current situation is special, this procedure must be completed." Upon hearing "jianghu rules," the Second Leader recalled what he wanted to ask. "Uh, that, the escort agency you ntioned before... what kind is it?" Wen Gu raised his eyes and looked at the Second Leader and the few people behind him, his gaze clear and upright: "Everyone, have you ever heard of bodyguards?" Lin Er Dajiada shook his head. The people following behind him also pricked up their ears, and those with poor hearing moved a few steps closer.
Not to ntion them, Xiao Liu and County Lieutenant Zhou also didn't know. However, the two did not doubt it, assuming their location was remote and they lacked sufficient experience. The two most knowledgeable individuals, Wen Gu and Daoist Master Qingyi, since Wen Gu said so, Daoist Master Qingyi did not deny it; it must exist.
Wen Gu's eyes were clear and sincere at this mont: "Then I will simply tell you all a bit about it. When I was traveling and studying..." Daoist Master Qingyi, who was drawing talismans not far away, skewed his brush tip. He took a deep breath, maintained his indifferent and detached deanor as an enlightened expert, and continued preparing the talismans he would need later. He wanted to block out sound and focus on drawing, but he couldn't help but want to know what else that "dog scholar" would talk about.
Wen Gu, with his back to the listeners, spoke steadily: "...economic prosperity gave rise to so groups providing security services. Employers would hire them to escort goods or important individuals. There were mainly two types of such groups: the thugs of the fighting guilds and the escorts of the escort agencies." Wen Gu glanced in the direction of Bai Lu County Town. "For example, in your current location, if there were fighting guilds, the composition of personnel would be more complex, such as strong porters..." Behind the Second Leader, three burly youths lowered their heads. "Fist-fighting ruffians from the marketplace..." Two more people's eyes flickered. "And so local militia..." Several people, including the Second Leader, had their gazes drifting.
Wen Gu pretended not to see and continued steadily: "Escort agencies are different. Like rchant associations, they are registered with the county and prefectural yan. They are officially recognized, legitimate organizations!" After introducing the escort services, Wen Gu began to talk about escort agencies. "Escort agencies deliver goods all over the country, so they naturally have their own identifying marks, that is, jianghu designations. For example, when I was traveling and studying, I heard of Fu Wei Escort Agency, Zhen Yuan Escort Agency, Fei Ma Escort Agency, and so on..." Wen Gu recounted those passionate jianghu legends.
The Second Leader and others listened attentively, pondering in their hearts: So this is a jianghu designation! So this is an escort agency! I can do that too! What kind of jianghu designation should I choose? We need to develop in a positive direction; we can't be re riffraff like those from fighting guilds!
After Wen Gu finished recounting jianghu anecdotes, he looked to the present situation: "Nowadays, more and more people are fleeing from south to north. The floating bridge over the river must have been kept open for these northbound teams as well. However, those who co this way should be large groups. Naturally, they are not afraid of numbers. But small and dium-sized teams like ours are hesitant and cannot make up their minds. We don't know the situation on the other side of the river or how many evil creatures there are. That's why I want to hire an escort agency here to escort us for a stretch."
Wen Gu spoke as if sharing confidences: "If this matter is handled well, there will surely be more small and dium-sized teams coming this way in the future, and you will be able to accept more commission rewards." The people following behind Lin Er Dajiada couldn't help but nod. That's right, this business can be done! They are also killing evil creatures; why not earn a little more? As the scholar said, from late autumn this year to early spring next year, for such a long ti, there will surely be many northbound teams, and we will have many opportunities to accept commissions and earn supplies. This way, the pressure of supporting the family will be greatly reduced!
"Furthermore..." Wen Gu paused slightly. He looked steadily at the other side, with a hint of appropriate arrogance on his face: "To lead a team north, doesn't everyone have so relatives in official positions in the northern lands?" The words "relatives in official positions" were emphasized. Regardless of what his maternal aunt and uncle were currently doing in the north, it did not prevent him from using them to elevate his status now.
The young woman who was being protected by the Second Leader's group suddenly asked, "Do you have relatives who are officials in the northern lands?" Wen Gu tilted his chin slightly: "They are rely military officers with so command of troops!" Military officers!! In tis of peace, the court valued civil officials over military ones. But when the world descended into chaos, military officers with troops under their command were true figures of power! Nowadays, noble and influential families from various southern regions were leading their people north, and the power of military officials in the northern lands would undoubtedly continue to expand! Looking at the scholar before them, his deanor and bearing indeed resembled soone cultivated by an influential official family. Perhaps his relative in the north, that military officer, held a rather high position...
Wen Gu turned sideways, looking in the direction of the river behind Bai Lu County Town, then swept his gaze back, as if implying sothing: "Every additional commission ans more supplies received, and also more connections made. If the situation in the southern lands becos dire in the future, you will have more choices when going north." After saying this, Wen Gu said no more. The Second Leader and the others returned to the cetery.
"That scholar is no ordinary person!" the young woman said. At this mont, a guard nearby suddenly said, "Eldest sister-in-law, I just heard the one with the bow call the one with the knife 'County Lieutenant Zhou'!" Everyone was shocked. The dignified County Lieutenant was rely acting as a guard. Then what was this scholar's status... and his relative who was an official in the north... Lin Er Dajiada also said at this ti, "Judging by his words and actions just now, he does seem to have so status, perhaps even so standing in the jianghu." With relatives who were officials and acquaintance with jianghu heroes, if they were to make a move against him, unless they could silence everyone, they would risk retribution. Although the world was in chaos now and information was scarce, this was a crossing point where teams frequently passed by, going from south to north or north to south. "We really don't need to conflict with him." "Then his commission... the people in charge might not approve." "We can try. When the higher-ups get to eat the at, the brothers below must at least get so soup." If they could get more soup, or even so at scraps, they would be even more satisfied.
Xiao Liu said to Wen Gu, "Second Brother Wen, you want them to escort us across the river?" Wen Gu: "Hmm... and more than that." If they could just cross the river, why not escort a bit further? Bodyguards don't just protect you across a bridge.
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