Embezzlement

"Copper Escort missions were the easiest. They took little time and did not travel far, usually running back and forth between a few county towns. Most escorts in the agency took such jobs, but even then, at least one Martial Artist escort had to hold the line. After one trip, an ordinary escort like you could earn anywhere from one hundred to three hundred copper coins."

"Iron Escort missions covered longer distances and carried a certain degree of danger. Since the goods were valuable, they easily drew the eyes of bandits. Still, our Four Seas Escort Agency had some reputation across more than a dozen nearby counties. Both the black and white paths gave us some face, so the chances of trouble were low. For one trip, ordinary escorts started at Half a tael of silver."

"Then, Senior, did you usually take Copper Escort or Iron Escort missions?" Jiang Ping could not help asking curiously.

"My strength was fairly decent, nearing that of an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist. Most of the time, I was willing to take Iron Escort missions. If there truly were no jobs, then I could only take Copper Escort missions."

"I see." Jiang Ping inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, Escort Huang said seriously, "It was my idea to place you under me. You now know that I like taking Iron Escort missions, so the ordinary escorts following me could earn quite a bit of silver as well."

"And since you had just become an escort, if you followed me on missions, most trips would earn you more than Half a tael of silver. That sounded quite good, a fine thing indeed. It might even make some Senior Drafters jealous."

"However!" Huang Youren abruptly changed his tone and said sternly, "As I said, Iron Escort missions were no light task and carried a certain degree of danger. You had only just become an escort, and you had some talent. You ought to have a promising future. If you were to die young under me, that would be a pity. You must consider this carefully. If you were unwilling to follow me on escort missions, I could make the decision to assign you to an Old Escort for practice. Once your strength had grown, it would not be too late to travel with me. Besides, silver could never be earned dry; you had to stay alive to spend it."

"This younger generation is willing to follow you, Senior. If I changed to someone else, I might not get used to it." Jiang Ping made his decision at once. The more silver, the better. Besides, with his current strength, he had some confidence.

"Fine. In all my years of taking Iron Escort missions, nothing life-threatening had ever happened." Escort Huang nodded, then added, "As for the finer details of escort missions, I would explain them to you once you set out on the road."

Next, Escort Huang spoke of Silver Escort and Gold Drafter missions.

"You should know that I was injured while accompanying Head Escort Liang on this escort mission. Even the Chief Escort had been left somewhat bedraggled, while the people below suffered many casualties."

"The mission we took this time was a Silver Escort!"

"Silver Escort?" Jiang Ping raised a brow.

A mere Silver Escort had been dangerous enough for even a Peak Seventh-Rank Martial Artist to return in defeat. How dangerous would a Gold Drafter mission have to be?

"Silver Escort missions generally went to unfamiliar lands. Most of the time, they even left Changping Prefecture and traveled to places beyond the reach of our Four Seas Escort Agency. With no familiarity of the people or land, it was like being blind in both eyes, feeling for stones while crossing the river. The danger was therefore extremely high, and accidents came easily."

"At the very least, in the few Silver Escort missions I had taken, not one had passed without trouble."

Escort Huang spoke slowly. He seemed to have recalled certain terrifying events, and even his eyes held a trace of reluctance.

"Since you knew it was so dangerous, why did you still take Silver Escort missions, Senior?" Jiang Ping could not help asking. If it were him, without the strength to preserve his own life, he would absolutely be unwilling to go.

"Because I was poor!" Escort Huang let out a long sigh. "One Silver Escort mission started at a hundred taels of silver. Who would not be tempted?"

"So that was it." Jiang Ping came to a realization. Martial Dao was a Money Pit, and a hundred taels of silver was indeed quite alluring.

"Speaking of which, the Chief Escort's failure on this mission had also affected our Four Seas Escort Agency. Since the incident, our volume of escort work had fallen by ten to twenty percent, and we had lost some regular clients."

"And this incident came very suddenly. Those bandits seemed to have come specifically for us. I strongly suspect that another escort agency in Yang City was dealing us a blow from the shadows." Huang Youren frowned.

"A blow from the shadows?" Jiang Ping's pupils contracted.

Escort Huang laughed. "Do not think that the only dangers escort agencies faced were bandits. This was a struggle for profit. Those in the same trade were natural enemies. Sometimes, even the authorities would make a move."

"The authorities?"

Escort Huang lowered his voice. "Great Li was in prosperous times, yet bandits and greenwood men were often found in every province. Silver Escort missions were bound to encounter trouble. Did you truly think those bandits lived so long because their strength was so great?"

"White within black, black within white?"

"That was precisely the logic." Huang Youren nodded and sighed. "How could anything in this world remain unchanged? In the end, it was nothing more than the two words: profit."

"I have learned much." Jiang Ping gave a slight cupped-fist salute, as though he had gained a new understanding of these prosperous times.

"So this Silver Escort incident was very likely connected to the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency?" he asked quietly.

There were only two escort agencies in Yang City, and their strengths were roughly equal. One was the Four Seas Escort Agency where Jiang Ping worked, while the other was the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency Huang Youren had mentioned.

"Head Escort Liang and I discussed it privately, and we did have our suspicions. But this matter would be difficult to find evidence for. Even if we knew they had done it, there was nothing we could do. At most, the next time they took a Silver Escort mission, we would pay them back in kind."

"So that was how it was." Jiang Ping pondered. If he took Silver Escort missions in the future, the first people he would likely have to guard against would be those in the same trade. Hmm, and he would have to guard against the authorities too!

"By the way, what dangers did Gold Drafter missions carry?" he asked again, looking quite curious.

"Gold Drafter?" Escort Huang paused before answering, "Once, the Chief of our Four Seas Escort Agency joined forces with the Chief of the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency. They also invited Great Experts from several martial arts halls in Yang City to travel with them. In total, there were seven Sixth Grade Martial Artists, and they took on a Gold Drafter mission."

"The result was that one of the seven great experts died, two were crippled, and four were heavily injured. Countless people beneath them were killed or wounded, and the two escort agencies nearly disbanded."

"Ah?" Jiang Ping was slightly stunned.

So many Sixth Grade Martial Artists had gone on a Gold Drafter mission, yet the result had been like this?

That was far too tragic!

Of course, this also fully proved just how dangerous Gold Drafter missions were.

"Afterward, the two Chiefs declared that unless one entered Fifth Rank in Martial Dao, Gold Drafter missions were not to be touched!"

"Fifth Rank!" Jiang Ping's gaze hardened, then flickered with a trace of anticipation.

Time passed. Their conversation soon drew to a close, and the wine and dishes had been eaten clean.

Jiang Ping had learned nearly everything he needed to know, and his thoughts had already drifted to the Stance Technique. He could hardly wait to switch his cultivation method at once, so he bade Escort Huang farewell.

"You ate quite a bit of Lingxi Meat. You should return early and experience the effects of this superior nutritious food."

Escort Huang nodded, then added, "Right, your Nourishing Life Technique was only at the Fourth Level, and your strength was still low. For the Two jin of Lingxi Meat awarded by the escort agency, it would be best to cook two liang of meat per meal. The effect would be better."

"Lingxi Meat? Becoming an escort came with such a reward?" Jiang Ping's heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked, his eyes full of confusion.

"Head Escort Wang did not give it to you?"

"Head Escort Wang? The one who received me was not Head Escort Wang." Jiang Ping quickly shook his head. He did not recognize every ordinary escort in the agency, but he had met the Four Great Heads and remembered them.

Hearing this, Escort Huang furrowed his brow deeply and suddenly asked, "Was the person you met a young man in his early thirties, somewhat similar to Head Escort Wang?"

"Now that you mention it..." Jiang Ping recalled the young man in the Accounting Room yesterday and answered, "He was somewhat similar. He did indeed look quite a bit older than me."

"Then that was it." Escort Huang slapped his thigh. "He was Head Escort Wang's offspring. He should have been helping Head Escort Wang handle these trivial matters."

"So this person embezzled my Two jin of Lingxi Meat?" Jiang Ping's face darkened slightly. A wisp of Saber Qi flickered in and out within his sleeve, showing signs of awakening.