The next day, Li Bufan arrived at the stewards' office on time to check in and began a new round of patrol duties.
Perhaps because of his current rank of "Seventeen," or because the story of his "brave fight against the thieves" that night had quietly spread, the patrol area assigned to him this time was no longer Tingxue Pavilion. It had been changed to a more central part of the manor—the area around the Accounting Treasury.
A great deal of Lin Manor's silver, account books, and important supplies were stored here, and security was clearly much tighter. The guards patrolling with him had also been replaced by two steady-breathed, clearly veteran Second-Class Guards.
When the two men saw Li Bufan, they showed no hint of disregard because of his youth. Instead, they took the initiative to cup their fists in greeting.
"Brother Li, I'm Zhou Meng, Number Fifteen."
"I'm Sun Gan, Number Sixteen. For the next seven days, the three of us will be one group, responsible for the safety of this area."
Li Bufan hurriedly returned the salute. "Li Bufan, Number Seventeen. I'm new here, so I hope you two elder brothers will give me plenty of guidance."
Zhou Meng was a dark, burly man with a forthright temperament. He laughed. "Guidance? I wouldn't dare. We've all heard about what Brother Li did that night. You're a real man! We'll look out for each other from now on!"
Sun Gan was somewhat leaner, with sharp eyes and few words. He merely nodded, but there was approval in his gaze as well.
Working with reliable companions put Li Bufan much more at ease. The three divided their duties clearly and took turns patrolling with meticulous care. Li Bufan discovered that after ten days of hard cultivation—especially after reaching Great