A Lucrative Job

Li Tui stepped out and headed straight for Fengyang County.

Half an hour later, the city walls came into view. Once inside, he found the streets bustling. He didn't stop, instead following his memory into a quiet alley. A faded flag bearing the character for "tea" hung at the entrance. It was a teahouse.

The teahouse was dim, its air thick with smoke and the murmur of voices. People from all walks of life sat scattered about, chatting about this and that.

Li Tui took an empty seat in the corner and ordered a bowl of coarse tea. The brew was cloudy. He took a sip, but it was so bitter that his tongue went numb. He set it down and lowered his eyes, listening.

A few tables away, an old man in a melon-shaped cap was speaking in a low voice with a dark-faced man.

"...The Zhao Family in Yongle County, to the north, has been on the rise again these past few years."

The dark-faced man let out a snort. "The Zhao Family? Weren't they in such a mess they couldn't keep their house in order?"

"That's old news." The old man waved a hand. "Even a broken ship has three pounds of nails left. I heard they somehow got lucky and managed to get back on their feet. Here in Fengyang, isn't the Zhou Family making quite a stir too?"

At the mention of the Zhou Family, a gaunt man nearby raised his head, glanced left and right, and rasped, "The Zhou Family? You mean that business on the back mountain?"

The old man's eyes lit up. "You've heard about it too? They've fenced off a huge tract of land, claiming they're prospecting for ore. I've got a distant cousin working under the Zhou Family's Second Steward. He was dragged off to work as a laborer a while back."

"Prospecting for ore?" said the dark-faced man. "If they find a spiritual vein, won't the Zhou Family become even more powerful? That's a good thing."

"A good thing?" The gaunt man shook his head, his face showing the lingering fear. "What a load of crap! My cousin came back and said that place... is cursed! The people working there fall ill for no reason. Their whole bodies turn icy cold, and they shake with chills. No medicine can bring it down. Even a strapping man can be laid low in just a few days—and then he's gone without a sound."

The old man lowered his voice further. "Exactly. I heard even the Zhou Family can barely keep things under control. They're often... attacked by the Black Sand Bandits..." He trailed off, then gestured with a few fingers.

The dark-faced man drew a sharp breath. "The Zhou Family is powerful, and they're close to several stewards at the Loose Cultivator Bureau in town. We'd best not wag our tongues about this."

The gaunt man shrank his neck and hurriedly picked up his teacup, gulping it down.

The old man gave an awkward smile and changed the subject.

In the corner, Li Tui slowly turned his teacup in his hands.

The Zhou Family... the mine... the Loose Cultivator Bureau...

The words rolled through his mind. The Zhao Family's rise and fall had nothing to do with him for now. The Zhou Family's mess sounded dangerous, but it might still be possible to fish in troubled waters. The Loose Cultivator Bureau was involved, and the person his father had gone to see first thing in the morning seemed to be Steward Liu at the Bureau...

Li Tui tapped the table with his fingertip, left two copper coins, rose from his seat, and merged into the crowd outside.

By the time Li Tui returned home, it was already noon.

The clatter of a spatula came from the kitchen. His mother, Wang, poked her head out. "Qingzi, you're back? Just in time. Your father just got home too; he's in the main room. He looks like he's got good news."

Li Tui walked into the main room. Lin Shouyi sat at the table, clutching a teacup, his face glowing red. The moment he saw his son, his eyes lit up.

"Qingzi, come here!" Lin Shouyi's voice was much louder than usual, and he looked rather pleased with himself. "I've got good news!"

Li Tui sat down across from him. "Father, what good news?"

Lin Shouyi rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. His voice was low, but his excitement was impossible to contain. "Steward Liu gave me a definite answer today! You know the Zhou Family, right? They're prospecting for ore on the back mountain and need some people to help guard the place. They specifically asked for people who know a little basic magic and are honest and hardworking."

He paused, his eyes shining.

"Steward Liu said it's a lucrative job! The pay is generous—several times more than patrolling the streets for the Loose Cultivator Bureau! And..." He took a deep breath. "Steward Liu hinted that if I take the job and help out at the Zhou Family's mine, he can pull some strings at the Bureau and 'pass' my street-patrol position on to you! You'd probably just be in name only at first, doing odd jobs, but once you break through to Qi Refining, you can step straight into the position!"

When he finished, he stared intently at Li Tui, seeming to expect excitement on his son's face.

Li Tui's expression showed a trace of surprise, but it soon faded into hesitation.

"Father... Going to the Zhou Family's mine—couldn't that be... too risky? I heard things there might not be very peaceful."

Lin Shouyi was taken aback, then his heart warmed. His son was worried about him!

"Hey! Why are you listening to gossip, kid?" Lin Shouyi waved a hand, keeping his tone light. "The Zhou Family is a household of great standing. If there were any real danger to life, would the experts they keep on their payroll just stand by? Steward Liu said they're only petty thieves. Your father may only be at the first level of Qi Refining, but I'm still a proper cultivator. Ordinary thieves can't get close to me. Don't worry!"

His gaze grew even more earnest. "You're the one I'm doing this for, Qingzi. I'm taking this gamble so you can get ahead. How many people want to join the Loose Cultivator Bureau but can't? Steward Liu is doing us a tremendous favor this time."

As Li Tui listened, he understood. Lin Shouyi had clearly made up his mind, and there was no talking him out of it.

Li Tui raised his head again. The hesitation disappeared from his face, and he answered softly, "All right... If you've made up your mind, Father, then... please be careful. If I really do get into the Loose Cultivator Bureau, I'll do my best."

Seeing that his son "understood" and "accepted" the arrangement, Lin Shouyi felt the weight lift from his heart. His smile was genuine. "That's more like it! I know what I'm doing. You stay home and focus on your cultivation. Wait for good news from me!"

Li Tui nodded and stood. "I'm going to study."

He turned toward the small room and shut the door, cutting himself off from the outside.

The deliberate hint of joy on Li Tui's face had vanished without a trace.

This is obviously fishy. If it were really such a lucrative job, would it have fallen to him? Li Tui thought to himself. It looks like I'd better make plans soon...