Chapter 001: The Day and Night of the Capital

Senior Brother Sun spoke somewhat evasively and did not give a direct answer, but he informed me that the Central Plains Escort Agency was hiring, and with my excellent martial arts skills, I could give it a try I took this to heart

After this matter fell through, I no longer held any hope of finding a job in the capital. Just as I was preparing to leave, I saw a piece of paper posted on a wall by the roadside, announcing that Scholar Zhang from Jinan was recruiting a guard for his residence

The manager sneered, "What era is this? You have no connections in the capital, and you lack good looks. We are not a charitable organization, so why should we want you?"

Zhang Xiucai is from Jinan Prefecture. After failing the imperial examination, his family spent money to secure him an official position. The mansion had just been completed when I went in for an interview. The steward asked me what I could do. I, being clever, replied that I could break large stones with my chest. The other party then asked if I could uproot the weeping willow. My face turned slightly red; I had indeed fought tigers barehanded a few times.

Senior Brother Qinian is currently working at a money shop, engaged in collection work, earning a monthly salary of 800 wen, with bonuses calculated based on the collection performance. Having stayed in the capital for over a month, the two taels of silver he had on him have been completely spent. It is not feasible to continue relying on Senior Brother Qinian every day, especially since he has recently started courting a young lady, so I have decided to move out.

I introduced them, but he shook his head and directly declined

What is wrong with my appearance? Although I may not be a dashing handsome man, I am still of fair complexion and features, and possess an impressive demeanor

I am not convinced. You haven't even tried my martial arts skills, so how can you refuse me

Oh? Taishan Sect? Do you know Muay Thai?

Alright, I will start working tomorrow

However, unfortunately, the day before the exam, I drank with my fellow brothers, thinking that I was about to embark on my journey into the world, filled with a sense of bravado. Encouraged by my brothers, I wrote a love letter to the goddess of the Taishan Sect, Su Wanqing. As a result, the love letter was mistakenly delivered to the chief examiner, the old maid Sun Yun, and the outcome was predictable. Thus, in a state of confusion, I ended up dropping out and embarking on my journey.

After spending a few days at another senior brother's house, Senior Brother Qinian found me and said he had introduced me to a job, which involved collecting debts at a casino managed by a steward of the Yongding Wang.

There are five or six senior brothers

It is not as good as imagined in the capital, and finding a job has been quite challenging. My senior brother said that there are too many prestigious families in the capital, and the four major sects do not accept disciples. Even the outer disciples of the four great families, any one of them could easily outmatch me in martial arts. For small sects like ours, it is difficult to find well-paying jobs in the capital; we can only take on positions such as guards or security, and even the city management does not have openings for us.

What relationships exist in the capital city

I said, I came here specifically for the three words: free meals and accommodation

Mount Tai

The person in charge said, "Do you think you are a handsome guy? We run a casino, and even Liu San at the entrance is more handsome than you"

What is it for

Oh, no, I have no place to stay tonight. I haven't arranged for dinner yet

Upon arriving at the casino, the manager glanced at my credentials and, noticing that I was neither from one of the Four Great Sects nor one of the Eight Great Families, his expression turned displeased

Chief Steward, is it possible today

This job is said to be a guardian position, but in reality, it is merely a menial task. The main responsibilities include running errands, doing miscellaneous work, receiving guests, and also being in charge of the night watch. This job is exceedingly dull and is far from the adventurous life I had imagined when I first descended the mountain.

I was given a stone lock weighing 200 jin, and I lifted over 100 of them in one go. The steward looked at me and said, "Not bad, you have quite a bit of strength. You are the one for this." The monthly salary is 500 wen, with food and accommodation provided.

It was not a difficult task; the Taishan Sect has thirty-six sets of martial arts. Except for the Jingtao Fist and Wuyue Fist, which can only be learned by direct disciples, I have practiced most of the martial arts. However, I was unfortunate during the interview and drew the Scholar Fist, which is only learned at the beginner level.

I am utterly perplexed

What’s going on? You seem eager to work, and your attitude is quite commendable

The first job has been settled like this, and during this year, the price of rice in the capital is 200 wen per dou

The Taishan Sect is not one of the renowned sects like Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng, or Emei. Disciples trained in such sects are often recruited by the court, military, or prominent families even before they complete their training. The Taishan Sect is merely a branch of the Five Mountains Sect, and for apprentices like me who have not graduated, finding a job is even more challenging

I was scorned. Although I am utterly destitute, I still possess a modicum of spirit, so I strode out with determination. At the door, I glanced at Liu San, whose face was full of flesh, with a scar running from his forehead to his brow. Truly impressive.

In fact, I was originally able to formally graduate, but there was a minor accident during the graduation competition. According to the rules of the Taishan Sect, to graduate and become a full-fledged member, one must pass examinations in the four arts of boxing, weaponry, horsemanship, and mathematics, and achieve a passing score.

In the sixth year of the Kai Tai era, I graduated from the Taishan School at the age of twenty. My first job was as a guard at the home of Scholar Zhang, with a monthly salary of 500 wen, including food and accommodation

After inquiring, I easily learned about the location of the Central Plains Escort Agency, which is a dilapidated courtyard with grass growing on the walls. Twenty years ago, the Central Plains Escort Agency was one of the four major escort agencies. However, it was once attacked while transporting tribute, and the head of the agency was held accountable by the court. He exhausted his family fortune and ended up being exiled to Liaodong, after which the Central Plains Escort Agency fell into decline. The current four major escort agencies are the Longmen Escort Agency, the Weiwu Escort Agency, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, and the Nanhai Escort Agency. The Central Plains Escort Agency was once one of the four major escort agencies twenty years ago, but after being attacked while transporting tribute, the head of the agency was held accountable by the court, exhausted his family fortune, and ended up being exiled to Liaodong, leading to the decline of the Central Plains Escort Agency.

sect

Having received my first month's salary, I treated a few fellow disciples to a meal at the Zui Xian Lou, spending two hundred wen. While venting about this lifestyle to my companions, a senior brother, Sun Debiao, who works at the Longmen Escort Agency, boasted about his experiences traveling across the country over the past few years, which made me envious. Thus, I inquired if he could introduce me to the Longmen Escort Agency.

This set of martial arts consists of eighteen forms. During the preparation for the exam, I did not review at all, and when I performed the set, I surprisingly forgot seven or eight forms. According to the words of a senior who graduated last year, this is not a big deal; one only needs to give the examiner a red envelope after completing the performance to ensure passing.

As a novice, I initially aspired to emulate those wandering heroes who had visited the Taishan Sect, wielding swords and traversing the vast landscapes of the martial world. My original intention was to first go to the capital to find a job and earn some travel expenses. Upon arriving in the capital, I sought refuge with my senior brother Wang Qinian, who had embarked on his journey the previous year.