The Head Guard

Si Wennian returned to his courtyard residence, swallowed two gulps of cold tea, and calmed his shaken nerves. He couldn't meddle in the affairs of Lanyang Village anymore. As for the Liu family's affairs, Liu Liangyi had likely met an ill fate, but his three sons were still alive. Whether the Liu family would be ruled by one person or split among the three from now on depended on their own fortune; Si Wennian had no intention of interfering in that, either. Then again, Lu Dongjun moving straight in to kill Monkey Qiu was something Si Wennian hadn't foreseen. If he had anticipated that, he never would have gone to Lu Dongjun today. What shocked him even more was that Lu Dongjun actually harbored feelings for his sister-in-law. A single word from Duan Shaoxia, and Lu Dongjun had dropped the matter entirely. Astounding! He was thoroughly and completely awed. What could this Lu the Second possibly accomplish? Eldest Master Lu, where on earth are you? Your family is in such shambles—can't you see it? Thinking of this, Si Wennian rubbed his temples, suddenly seized by a lingering dread. Whether Eldest Master Lu could see it was one matter, but Si Wennian had already seen it with his own eyes. This was the kind of thing one should never witness. Not only should he not have seen it, he shouldn't even have known about it. Si Wennian felt impending disaster looming over him. He needed to move out and lay low for a couple of days. Go back to the countryside? Not safe enough. With the Lu family's power, dragging Si Wennian out of the countryside would be child's play. Since he had a travel permit in hand anyway, he might as well go stay in Kucaizhuang for a few days. Once the Lu family's situation reached a conclusion, or Eldest Master Lu returned, he could move back to Lüshuiwan. With that in mind, he hastily called out to his servant, Xiao Qing: "Qingzi, pack my bags! I have an urgent matter; I need to get to the train station! Qingzi? Do you hear me?" After calling out several times without an answer, Si Wennian realized something was terribly wrong. He got up and started toward the entrance of the residence, only to see the Lu family's eldest young master, Lu Yuanshan, walking in. "Elder Si, where are you off to in such a rush?" Si Wennian shuddered, taking two steps back. "Young Master, what brings you here?" Lu Yuanshan smiled. "Didn't I come to pay you a visit? You just visited my home, didn't you? Courtesy demands reciprocity—this way, no one can say a junior like me was lacking in proper etiquette." Si Wennian was frightened stiff. "Young Master, I went to the mansion on Second Master's orders. I had no intention of causing trouble!" Lu Yuanshan frowned. "I didn't say a word about the mansion. You're inside the house, and I'm standing outside. You've kept me here without inviting me in all this time—is that proper etiquette?" Si Wennian had originally prepared to force his way out of the residence, but upon hearing Lu Yuanshan's words, he stepped back into the main hall and invited Lu Yuanshan inside. Treating someone with courtesy was also a good way to resolve conflict. Once everything was laid out and talked through, wouldn't it all blow over? The moment he entered the hall, Si Wennian instantly regretted it. How could he possibly think like that? How could something like this ever be talked through? Lu Yuanshan had come right to his doorstep, and he wasn't thinking about fleeing for his life? Only then did he realize he had fallen under a Literary Cultivator technique. Literary and martial arts were the orthodox cultivation paths of prestigious clans and prominent families. Backed by a mountain of medicinal pills, Lu Yuanshan had already reached the fourth tier of a Literary Cultivator. In his panic, Si Wennian had succumbed to the Lotus Tongue technique. "Elder Si, I've come all this way, and you haven't even offered me a cup of tea?" Lu Yuanshan continued to nitpick over etiquette. Si Wennian replied, "Young Master, please wait a moment. I'll go brew a pot for you." "Brew some good tea; don't be stingy!" Lu Yuanshan sat down on a chair, waiting for Si Wennian's tea. Si Wennian walked to the doorway of the sitting room again, intending to seize the chance to escape, only to see Monkey Qiu walking straight toward him. "Brewing a cup of tea doesn't require going outside, does it? Surely you don't need to buy fresh tea leaves right now?" Monkey Qiu patted Si Wennian's cheek. Si Wennian backed away step by step, pleading repeatedly, "Butler Qiu, Master Qiu, I wasn't targeting you! Second Master forced me to go, I really wasn't trying to go after you..." "Is that so?" Qiu Zhiheng smiled faintly. "Well, I came today specifically for you. A fifth-tier Ascetic Cultivator—you really did a number on me." …… Ten minutes later, Lu Yuanshan boarded a carriage with Qiu Zhiheng, carrying Si Wennian's severed head. As Lu Dongliang's eldest son, Lu Yuanshan had seen something of the world. Having killed Si Wennian with his own hands, his expression was now eerily calm. At his side, Qiu Zhiheng said, "In the future, just leave matters like this to me. For the next few days, you and Young Master Yuanhai shouldn't go out lightly." Lu Yuanshan smiled. "Uncle Qiu, you're wrong on that count. My mother told me that your life is more precious than ours. Only if you stay alive can we brothers survive. From now on, leave this rough work to me." In truth, this wasn't mere rough work; Lu Yuanshan was calculating, and this was an excellent opportunity to establish his authority within the family. Qiu Zhiheng understood what he meant and didn't urge him further. "Let's hurry home. We need to be on guard against Lu Dongjun catching us off balance." Lu Yuanshan made a suggestion: "Uncle Qiu, if everything falls on you alone, you're bound to be stretched too thin. Why don't we recruit Chief Zuo back? What happened before really wasn't his fault." Qiu Zhiheng nodded. "I've already sent men to look into Zuo Wugang's whereabouts." …… Zuo Wugang was waiting in the foyer of Second Miss Chu's residence. Yang Yanzheng had just gone inside to deliver word. Second Miss Chu gave her plump peach a vicious pinch. Deciding it wasn't painful enough, she sent a maid at her side to fetch a pair of pliers. Yang Yanzheng took the opportunity to mention Zuo Wugang's situation. Chu the Second was taken aback upon hearing this. "Zuo Wugang wants to seek refuge with me? That head guard of the Lu family? If I recall correctly, the night Lu Dongliang ran into trouble, that man didn't lift a finger, did he?" "The circumstances back then were exceptional; Zuo Wugang had no opportunity to strike." Chu the Second was plainly dissatisfied with Zuo Wugang. "When Lu Dongliang was in trouble, he had no opportunity to strike. When Lu Dongliang's whole family ran into trouble, he had no opportunity to strike either. Tell me, when will he ever get the opportunity to strike?" Yang Yanzheng made one last plea on Zuo Wugang's behalf: "Miss, Zuo Wugang is a sixth-tier Martial Cultivator. Men like him aren't easy to find." Chu the Second looked at Yang Yanzheng. "So what if he were an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator? Isn't a piece of trash still a piece of trash?" Yang Yanzheng said no more and hastily withdrew from Chu the Second's room. Holding the pliers, Chu the Second gave herself a pinch, but felt they were too cold—not the right sensation at all. "Hongyan, give me a pinch," Chu the Second said, sticking out her peach. Wen Hongyan gave Chu the Second's left peach a ruthless twist. Chu the Second hissed. "It hurts, but not that kind of hurt." "What kind of hurt, then?" Wen Hongyan rubbed her head with her forearm, not quite understanding. "That kind of hurt—the kind with real flavor to it!" Chu the Second rubbed her peach, seemingly lost in the lingering memory. …… Dejected, Zuo Wugang walked out of the Chu family mansion, gathered Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida, and returned to their lodgings. Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida were both third-tier Martial Cultivators. They had originally been guards at the Lu family mansion and had resigned to leave together with Zuo Wugang. Middle-aged men venturing out to make their way in the world had done so entirely out of trust in Zuo Wugang, yet Zuo Wugang had failed to earn the trust of the prominent clans. The He family, the Ma family, the Chu family—every prominent family had turned him down. All of them had some savings; even if they did nothing from now on, they could still ensure a comfortable life. Yet, carrying cultivation within them, they did not want to waste away like this, much less idle their lives away until their fortunes ran dry. Did Zuo Wugang have to serve as a head guard for a prestigious clan? Had he no other livelihood to pursue? Zuo Wugang had considered opening an armed escort bureau, but he didn't know the routes, recognized few words, and couldn't balance the books. Moreover, running an escort bureau was best done with Journey Cultivators, and his attempts to recruit a few old acquaintances had failed. He had also considered opening a martial arts hall, but establishing one wasn't easy; without backing from above, there would be more troublemakers than actual students. He had considered many other lines of work, but gradually came to realize one thing. He had spent his whole life as a guard; the only thing he was truly good at was guarding. He couldn't get into the main branches of the four great clans, and now that he offered to serve their young masters and mistresses as a guard, still no one would take him. The fallout from Lu Dongliang's incident had been too disastrous, ruining Zuo Wugang's reputation in the profession. Serve as a guard for a smaller household? Zuo Wugang couldn't bring himself to swallow his pride. At their wits' end, Cao Zhida piped up, "Chief Zuo, what if we go throw our lot in with the Ma family's young master?" Zuo Wugang replied impatiently, "Have you lost your mind? Didn't we go to the Ma family the day before yesterday? Ma Junjiang's face was pulled long enough to touch the ground; he clearly didn't want us. Are we supposed to go humiliate ourselves all over again?" Cao Zhida said, "Chief Zuo, not Ma Junjiang—Ma Junyang." "Ma Junyang?" Zuo Wugang hesitated. "Can he even still be considered a member of the Ma family?" "Why wouldn't he be? His surname is Ma, and he just conquered Lanyang Village. Fifth Master Ma's prestige and presence are still very much intact." Zuo Wugang pursed his lips. "If we get turned away at the door by this disgraced young master on top of everything, we'll lose whatever face we have left." Zhen Jincheng let out a wry chuckle, unable to fathom Zuo Wugang's stubborn mindset. "Chief Zuo, we can't find work right now—isn't that humiliating enough already? If you can't swallow your pride, Old Cao and I will make a trip to Lanyang Village first to test the waters. Our hides are thick; we're not afraid of losing face." With things put so bluntly, Zuo Wugang abandoned his pride and accompanied the two of them to Lanyang Village. Once they arrived, they did not see Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth was indeed in the village, but it was inconvenient for him to receive guests. He had ingested the Golden Origin Pill and succumbed to pill poison, lying in bed unable to move. Xiao Chuan went inside to announce them. Ma the Fifth knew that Zuo Wugang was a rare talent and wanted to invite him in, but he simply had no way to express it. Zuo Wugang stood outside in the cold wind for half an hour, his heart turning freezing cold. "Let's go!" Just as Zuo Wugang turned to leave, he saw a man wearing a fedora and sporting a full beard walking up to the wooden cabin's door. The brim of his hat was pulled extremely low; aside from the beard, Zuo Wugang couldn't see his face at all. Even if he had seen his face, it would have been hard to discern his features; having advanced to a third-tier Dwelling Cultivator, Li Banfeng's facial characteristics were exceedingly easy to overlook. "What are you here for?" Zuo Wugang was startled and said nothing. Cao Zhida chuckled and said, "We've come looking for work." "What kind of work?" Zhen Jincheng said, "We've trained in martial arts for some years and wanted to apply as guards." "Do you have cultivation?" Neither Cao Zhida nor Zhen Jincheng answered. Cultivation was the foundation of their very livelihood; they couldn't casually disclose it to strangers. Li Banfeng didn't press further and instructed Xiao Chuanzi, "Go find a private room in Mengchun Garden first, have some food and wine prepared, and we'll talk while eating." Xiao Chuanzi quickly led the three of them to Mengchun Garden. Zuo Wugang asked, "Who was that just now?" Xiao Chuanzi replied, "That's our Seventh Master." What was this Seventh Master's background? Zuo Wugang didn't dare ask rashly, but Cao Zhida inquired in a low voice, "What is this Seventh Master's relation to Fifth Young Master?" Xiao Chuanzi replied, "Seventh Master is Fifth Master's friend—a friend who can call the shots." Cao Zhida saw a glimmer of hope. "He can make decisions on Fifth Young Master's behalf?" Xiao Chuanzi nodded. "He can. Seventh Master's words carry more weight than Fifth Young Master's." At those words, the men exchanged glances. In Lanyang Village, someone's word carried more weight than Fifth Young Master's? Yet upon reflection, it made sense. Ma the Fifth had already been cast out of his family; conquering Lanyang Village by his own strength alone would have been far too difficult, so having a backer behind him was only natural. But where did this backer come from? The Chu family? The He family? The group entered a private room in Mengchun Garden. Before long, the food and wine were served, and Li Banfeng stepped inside as well. "Since you've come to apply as guards, you have to talk about your cultivation, or else we can't settle on a price." Li Banfeng's hat brim remained pulled low. Knowing that Li Banfeng could make the decisions, Zuo Wugang no longer held back. "My surname is Zuo, given name Wugang. Formerly the head guard of the Lu family, sixth-tier Martial Cultivator." Sixth tier! Such men were rare indeed. Li Banfeng had seen Zuo Wugang's name in the newspapers. After the Lu family disaster, Zuo Wugang's name had appeared frequently in the commentaries of prominent columnists. Xiao Chuanzi brought over two old newspapers and handed them to Li Banfeng. He didn't know many characters, but he could recognize photographs. These two newspapers contained photos of Lu Dongliang, and beside Lu Dongliang, Li Banfeng spotted Zuo Wugang. Having confirmed his appearance, Li Banfeng asked Zuo Wugang, "How much pay do you want?" Zuo Wugang replied, "Whatever the master deems fit." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Stop speaking in riddles. Name your price." Zuo Wugang wasn't quite used to Seventh Master's direct style, but Zhen Jincheng appreciated Li Banfeng's straightforwardness and spoke up plainly: "Seventh Master, since you've asked, we won't beat around the bush. Old Cao and I are both third-tier body cultivators. By the conventions of the guard trade, that's a hundred and twenty silver dollars a month. As for our Chief Zuo, his cultivation was just stated: sixth-tier Martial Cultivator, eight hundred silver dollars a month. What do you think—is that reasonable?" This figure was indeed the going market rate, but Zuo Wugang had prepared himself for counteroffers. His reputation was tarnished; it was only natural for the employer to haggle. Upon hearing this, Li Banfeng simply nodded. "Done."