Chapter 2: wages
Du Yunlong looked up and asked, "Who is Granny Wang?"
Yin Lizheng quickly responded, "She's a well-known widow in the village. It's just her and two children around seven or eight years old left in the family, and they're deep in debt, owing several thousand taels."
"Alright then!" Du Yunlong declared, standing tall and resolute. Though his words were firm, there was a trace of warmth in his tone, even his previously furrowed brow relaxed slightly. "A thousand coins a day, I agree! But you must also promise me something—help me with a few tasks when we return, and then lend a hand to Granny Wang for a few days."
His tone was commanding, leaving no room for disagreement. Liu Suiyun, quick to agree, nodded. "Alright, I'll even help Granny Wang for three more days if needed. Even if I fall ill, I'll hire someone to assist!"
That was enough. Just as the young men Du Yunlong had hired were about to haggle with Huo Qianshu, Du Yunlong decisively cut them off. "Let's go!"
"Hold on!" Liu Suiyun interrupted calmly. "There's still time. Let me gather my things quickly. And Yin Lizheng, you'll need to tie up loose ends here."
Huo Qianshu tossed a silver ingot to Yin Lizheng. "A three-tael ingot—enough, right? We must depart immediately!"
"It won't delay your journey, just a quarter of an hour," Liu Suiyun reassured as he swiftly packed his belongings. He opened his door, packed his bag, grabbed two books from his shelf, and took a half bag of his favorite five-spice seeds. He also strapped a two-foot short sword to his back. Then, he started working in his vegetable garden. "Brothers, lend me a hand. The road over Luoxing Mountain is long; we'll need some food for tonight!"
He was a true gourmand, and as soon as he left his yard, he began directing the others in the group. "Xiao Yu, you're quick on your feet—go borrow two pounds of salt from Aunt Zhang, and get some star anise and Sichuan pepper while you're at it. Also, pick up three to five pounds of broad beans from the shop. Liu Xing, get some extra rain gear—the rain in Luoxing Mountain doesn't care about our plans. We can't let Miss Gu catch a cold..."
Only then did Du Yunlong and Huo Qianshu realize that in their haste to cross Luoxing Mountain, they had overlooked these small yet crucial details, especially the need for rain protection. Du Yunlong's body wasn't up for dealing with harsh weather anymore.
The thousand coins were well spent, after all. At least it wasn't for nothing. Du Yunlong felt a faint flush on his face.
But it wasn't just about hearing something useful. Before they had even left the village, Liu Suiyun had already organized the team efficiently, with no margin for error. It was clear he wasn't just some wanderer who had seen the world. He might have even been a small leader in a gang. However, Du Yunlong's expression soon became cold and distant, weighed down by his own thoughts.
First, Liu Suiyun somehow managed to produce a sedan chair, urging Du Yunlong to get on. Two strong young men lifted it—this was more suitable for the treacherous paths of Luoxing Mountain than a regular sedan.
Then, moving like a silent cat, Liu Suiyun scouted the path ahead. Once he returned, he casually started a conversation with Huo Qianshu. "Not much to worry about. Brother Huo, your skills are impressive. Have you reached the Bone Refinement stage? Impressive, indeed!"
The so-called "Bone Refinement" stage was a level above Liu Suiyun's "Tiger Wrestler" stage. It meant that one's bones had been tempered to a steel-like hardness. Crushing stones on the chest or breaking bricks with bare hands would be child's play. For most mortal martial artists, this was close to the peak of what they could achieve.
Huo Qianshu's face showed a bit of pride. "Give me three to five more years, and I might reach the Yuanlong stage. I could even stand a chance against late-stage Qi Refining cultivators!"
The "Yuanlong" stage was just a refined way of saying that the temples on one's head had become prominent, a common trait among sect leaders and gang heads. It was the ultimate level for most mortal martial artists. The next stage, "Mountain Breaking," required mastering techniques like striking through air to harm distant targets, which was nearly impossible for ordinary warriors. To avoid sounding crude, people had started referring to it as the Yuanlong stage.
As for Huo Qianshu claiming he could take on late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, everyone knew he was exaggerating. Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were not easy to handle. Liu Suiyun, skilled in the art of flattery, continued peeling broad beans as he praised, "Remarkable, truly remarkable! A warrior at the Yuanlong stage is a rarity, even among tens of thousands. And your mastery of the meteor hammer is legendary. With you leading the way, we have a ten out of ten chance of crossing Luoxing Mountain safely. Impressive..."
However, before he could finish saying "impressive," Liu Suiyun suddenly sprang into action. He leaped forward three or four steps, snatched a hunting bow from a young man's hands, and pulled an arrow from the quiver. With a bend of his waist and a burst of strength, the arrow flew through the air in an arc, followed by a spray of blood from the forest. "Dinner's on me tonight, brothers!"
Only then did Huo Qianshu realize a leopard had been lurking beside the road. He had let his guard down and failed to notice the beast, but Liu Suiyun, a whole level weaker, had taken it down. Embarrassed, Huo Qianshu started to charge with his meteor hammers, but Liu Suiyun was quicker. He was already at the leopard's side, his blade flashing as he struck. Cheers rang out from the group, "Brother Suiyun, you're incredible!"
Liu Suiyun sheathed his blade and turned to Du Yunlong, who was still on the sedan, with a bright smile. "Miss Gu, wouldn't you say your thousand coins were well spent? Brother Huo, we should be extra cautious ahead; there are still wolves and tigers to watch out for."
Du Yunlong gave Liu Suiyun a brief glance, a slight frown returning to his brow as he offered a faint smile. "Not bad..."
As soon as they left the village, Liu Suiyun demonstrated his exceptional abilities. Crossing Luoxing Mountain seemed as simple as strolling through his own garden. He knew every potential danger, from wild beasts to lurking demons, like the back of his hand. But more importantly, his combat skills were extraordinary.
Liu Suiyun moved with the agility of a mountain lynx, not unlike elite scouts trained with great expense. Often, before the beasts even sensed their presence, the group was already prepared for battle. Moreover, Liu Suiyun was a remarkable archer, hitting his target with precision. Du Yunlong saw with his own eyes how Liu Suiyun shot a leopard dead with a single arrow. And that wasn't even mentioning his prowess in close combat, where he could hold his own against the fiercest of beasts. The younger men often spoke of how Liu Suiyun once killed three ferocious wolves with just a few swift strikes.
Du Yunlong also noticed the two-foot short sword on Liu Suiyun's back. A man with his experience wouldn't carry anything for show—this must be his ace in the hole.
A warrior like Liu Suiyun, even in a place like Yunzhong County, could easily command a rate of two hundred coins a day. Du Yunlong felt that he hadn't made a bad deal, though he couldn't understand why someone as skilled as Liu Suiyun would be stuck in such a small mountain village like Linjia.
Without waiting for Du Yunlong to ask, Liu Suiyun spoke frankly, coughing lightly as he did. "I'm injured."
"When I was seventeen, I didn't know my limits. I thought the sky was mine to conquer. And this is what it got me." Liu Suiyun spoke with a hint of regret. "I can still fight, but I can't last long."
This was the truth. The other warriors confirmed it—Liu Suiyun's skills were indeed formidable, but after ten moves, he'd be exhausted. Even a strong gust of wind could take him out. He could only fight in short bursts.
Huo Qianshu, ever straightforward, didn't hold a grudge over Liu Suiyun's earlier outburst. Instead, he lamented, "What a shame! Have you tried seeing a doctor?"
Liu Suiyun took it in stride. "No ordinary doctor could help. I take some herbal remedies to manage it, but to cure the root cause, it would take fifty thousand taels."
The group had heard this before and sympathized with his plight, but fifty thousand taels was an astronomical sum. Even the wealthiest family in the county would have to sell their lands and houses to raise that kind of money. Liu Suiyun had long given up hope of a cure.
From the sedan, Du Yunlong's voice rang out, delicate yet commanding. "Do a good job for me, and I won't treat you unfairly!"
No wonder Liu Suiyun asked for a thousand coins a day. For him, this was money for his life. But fifty thousand taels wasn't