The Sandboat Gang

The sky was growing dark.

Wu Ming didn't continue practicing.

He walked to a corner of the Martial Academy, where several large water vats were placed for the martial artists in the academy to drink from during practice. Wu Ming first gulped down a large amount of water to quench his thirst, then left the courtyard to return the spear in his hand.

As he returned the sinew spear, Wu Ming pondered whether he should buy it. However, after some thought, he gave up. After all, the weapons and equipment provided by the Seven Martial Alliance were all rough blanks, only for training purposes. If he wanted to truly use them, he would need to send them to a blacksmith for further refinement, which was quite troublesome.

Moreover, He could rent them for free with his Martial Token, so there was no need to buy them. The training process also caused wear and tear on these rough blanks. He could wait until his spear techniques were sufficiently practiced before considering purchasing a suitable spear.

Leaving the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall, Wu Ming walked all the way to the main entrance of the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall. This was where he was supposed to meet Wu Qu. However, Wu Qu was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't sure if he had arrived too early or if Wu Qu had been held up by something.

Wu Ming wasn't in a hurry, so he waited there.

A moment later.

Instead of Wu Qu, a man dressed in coarse linen clothes approached him and greeted him.

"May I ask if you are Brother Wu Ming?"

The man came closer, cupped his fist towards Wu Ming, and said, "I am Zhao Si, from the Sandboat Gang..."

Zhao Si looked much older than Wu Ming, but he addressed Wu Ming respectfully as 'Brother Wu'. After a brief conversation, Wu Ming understood Zhao Si's intention: to recruit him into the Sandboat Gang. They were willing to offer him seven taels of silver each month, and he wouldn't have to do much on a daily basis, only help them maintain order during crucial moments.

The Sandboat Gang was in the fishing business, and a stretch of river outside Jingye City belonged to them.

After hearing Zhao Si's words, Wu Ming found it strange. He had only entered the city for the first time today, so how could the people from the Sandboat Gang find him so accurately? However, with a moment's thought, he immediately understood.

When he joined the Seven Martial Alliance, he had gone through a series of processes, including aptitude testing and registration. There were many servants of the Seven Martial Alliance present at the time. Most likely, these servants had leaked the information about the newly joined martial artists to others. They might earn some money from this, which was a way of survival.

Seven taels of silver a month, and not having to do anything specific.

Was this the treatment for a Blood Forging martial artist?

His father, Wu Qi, worked tirelessly for a year and couldn't earn thirty taels of silver. More than half of that had to be paid as various taxes for the family. The disparity was clearly evident.

However, Although Wu Ming was tempted by the money, he was completely clueless about the actual work. He didn't understand the specific details, so he wouldn't agree easily. While he was contemplating how to respond, a familiar voice suddenly called out.

"Who are you, and what are you doing?"

Turning his head, he saw Wu Qu approaching with a bundle on his back, his gaze flickering towards Zhao Si beside him.

Zhao Si was not a Blood Forging martial artist. Under Wu Qu's sharp gaze, he instinctively flinched and hurriedly said with a smile, "I am from the Sandboat Gang. I wanted to ask Brother Wu Ming to help us maintain order."

Upon hearing this, the sharpness in Wu Qu's eyes lessened. He waved his hand and said, "Wu Ming has already joined the Seven Martial Alliance. If you have business, discuss it through the Alliance's channels. Don't try to arrange things privately!"

"Yes, yes."

Zhao Si chuckled awkwardly and quickly took his leave.

Wu Qu stared at Zhao Si, and after seeing him leave, he turned his gaze back to Wu Ming. His expression softened, and he said, "Now that you've become a martial artist and joined the Seven Martial Alliance, the news will spread quickly. It's estimated that many factions will approach you privately."

"They can approach me like this without going through the Seven Martial Alliance?"

Wu Ming asked with some curiosity.

Wu Qu shook his head and said, "The Seven Martial Alliance doesn't prohibit taking jobs privately. But you should know that anyone who approaches you privately generally doesn't have a good relationship with the Seven Martial Alliance. If you take their jobs and something happens, the Seven Martial Alliance won't be responsible. Even if they forcibly withhold your payment, you won't have anywhere to seek recourse."

"But if you take jobs through the Seven Martial Alliance, it's different. You receive your money from the Seven Martial Alliance, and every payment is guaranteed. Moreover, jobs that are approved by the Seven Martial Alliance are generally without major issues."

After hearing Wu Qu's words, Wu Ming immediately understood.

"So that's how it is."

The jobs offered privately might allow him to avoid the Seven Martial Alliance's commission, but who knew what hidden complexities were involved? If something happened outside the agreement, there was no one to turn to for justice. However, jobs taken within the Seven Martial Alliance were reviewed by the Alliance, making them much more secure. Even if unexpected trouble arose outside the agreement, the Seven Martial Alliance would still provide assistance, and both parties would be protected by the Alliance.

After all, this fell within the Seven Martial Alliance's scope of business.

"In any case, it's best for you to refuse all private, illicit jobs."

Wu Qu said concisely.

In reality, there were also private jobs, and quite a few of them. Some illicit jobs even offered very generous compensation, but these jobs lacked any guarantees, and the hidden traps were unknown, relying entirely on one's own judgment. He himself had taken a few illicit jobs back then, and on one occasion, an accident had nearly cost him his life, making him extremely cautious ever since.

Wu Ming was a novice Blood Forging martial artist, just beginning to explore the world of martial artists. It would undoubtedly be difficult for him to discern the complexities of various illicit jobs. Since it was so difficult to distinguish, the best approach was to refuse them all and avoid them completely.

"Mhm."

After hearing Wu Qu's warning, Wu Ming nodded in agreement.

"Let's go. It's getting late, and we should head back. Tomorrow, you'll have to come to the city by yourself."

Wu Qu looked at Wu Ming, his brow relaxing. "Now that you've just joined the Seven Martial Alliance, you should focus on practicing your skills first. Don't worry too much about taking jobs. Once you've stabilized your basic skills, find a job as a night guard or something similar. It will provide you with lodging, save you the trouble of commuting back and forth, and won't interfere with your practice."

Wu Qu's suggestion was exactly what Wu Ming had in mind. He also felt that such a job would be very suitable. However, such jobs weren't readily available and would require him to look for them patiently. In any case, he had enough money for now and wasn't in a hurry.

For him, practicing his spear was the most important thing right now.

Among martial artists, the treatment received varied greatly depending on their strength. For a novice Blood Forging martial artist who hadn't yet learned to exert force and hadn't even reached the 'Scattered Hand' level, their treatment was considered the lowest tier. Wu Ming had even noticed on the recruitment notices posted within the Seven Martial Alliance that most of them explicitly stated the requirement of at least a Blood Forging martial artist at the 'Scattered Hand' level.

Clearly, not reaching the Scattered Hand level meant they were not well-received outside.

Thinking about it this way, the Sandboat Gang privately inviting a young martial artist like him, a novice Blood Forging martial artist, to guard their gang might indeed have some strange implications. However, even without Wu Qu's reminder, with his cautious nature, he wouldn't have agreed so easily.

Meanwhile.

In a certain corner.

Zhao Si stood there nervously, head bowed, as if afraid to even breathe.

"...You didn't agree?"

A figure clad in a straw cape and wearing a bamboo hat shook his head slightly, saying in a calm tone, "No matter, we'll just find another."