A Lucrative Job

Li Tui stepped out the door and headed straight for Fengyang county town.

Half an hour later, the city walls came into view. Once inside, the streets were bustling. Li Tui didn't linger; following his memory, he turned into a quiet alley. A faded flag with the character "Tea" hung at the entrance, marking a teahouse.

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

Li Tui took a seat in a corner and ordered a bowl of coarse tea. The brew was murky; he took a sip, the astringency making his tongue go numb, then set it down and lowered his eyes to listen.

A few tables away, an old man wearing a skullcap was speaking in low tones to a dark-faced man.

"...Up north in Yongle County, the old Zhao Family has been making a comeback these past few years."

The dark-faced man let out a "heh": "The Zhao Family? Aren't they still in a state of chaos?"

"That's old news." The old man waved his hand. "Even a broken ship has three pounds of nails. I heard they caught some lucky break and managed to recover. Here in Fengyang, isn't the Zhou Family also stirring up quite a fuss?"

At the mention of the Zhou Family, a gaunt man nearby looked up, glanced left and right, and said in a raspy voice: "The Zhou Family? That business at the back mountain?"

The old man's eyes lit up: "You heard about that too? They've fenced off a huge plot of land, claiming they're prospecting for minerals. I have a distant cousin who works under the Zhou Family's second steward; he was dragged off to be a laborer a while back."

The dark-faced man said: "Prospecting? If they find a spirit vein, wouldn't the Zhou Family be even more formidable? That's a good thing."

"A good thing?" The gaunt man shook his head, his face showing lingering fear. "Good my foot! My cousin came back and said that place is... wicked! The people who go in to work fall ill for no reason—their whole bodies go cold, they start shivering, and no medicine can stop it. Strong men can be laid low in a few days, and then they just quietly pass away."

The old man lowered his voice even further: "Isn't that the truth? I heard the Zhou Family can't even keep a lid on things themselves; they're constantly being harassed by the Black Sand Bandits..." He stopped mid-sentence, merely extending a few fingers to make a gesture.

The dark-faced man hissed: "The Zhou Family is powerful and has close ties with several stewards at the Loose Cultivator Bureau in town. We'd best keep our mouths shut about such things."

The gaunt man shrank his neck and hurriedly picked up his tea bowl to gulp down the contents.

The old man gave a sheepish smile and changed the subject.

Li Tui sat in the corner, slowly turning his tea bowl.

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

Several terms rolled through his mind. The rise and fall of the Zhao Family had nothing to do with him at the moment. As for the muddy waters of the Zhou Family, while it sounded dangerous, there might be an opportunity to profit from the chaos. Since the Loose Cultivator Bureau was involved, and his father had gone to find someone early this morning, it seemed to be exactly Steward Liu from that very bureau...

Li Tui tapped his fingertip on the table, left two copper coins, rose from his seat, and merged into the flow of people outside.

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

The sound of a spatula hitting a wok came from the kitchen, and 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, and he looks like he has good news."

Li Tui walked into the main room. Lin Shouyi was sitting at the table, clutching a teacup, his face flushed with excitement. When he saw his son enter, his eyes lit up instantly.

"Qingzi, come here!" Lin Shouyi's voice was much louder than usual, and he appeared quite proud of himself. "There's a great opportunity!"

Li Tui sat down opposite him: "Father, what kind of opportunity?"

Lin Shouyi rubbed his hands together, leaned forward, and lowered his voice, though he couldn't suppress his excitement: "Steward Liu gave me the word today! You know the Zhou Family, right? They're prospecting for minerals in their back mountain and currently need some men to help with security. They specifically asked for people who know a bit of basic magic and are honest and hardworking."

He paused, his gaze burning.

"Steward Liu said this is 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 as long as I agree to take this job and help out at the Zhou Family's mine, he can pull some strings at the Loose Cultivator Bureau. Later on, he can 'transfer' my patrol position to you! Even if you start out just holding the title and doing odd jobs, you'll be able to take the position directly once you break through to the Qi Refining stage!"

After he finished, he stared intently at Li Tui, seemingly expecting to see excitement on his son's face.

However, Li Tui's face first showed a hint of surprise, which quickly faded into a trace of hesitation.

"Father... going to the Zhou Family's mine, wouldn't that be... too risky? I heard it's not very peaceful there."

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

"Pah! You're just a kid, why listen to that gossip?" Lin Shouyi waved his hand, his tone dismissive. "The Zhou Family is a major household, isn't it? If there were real danger to life, wouldn't the experts they employ handle it? Steward Liu also said it's just some petty thieves. Your father is at least at the first level of Qi Refining, a proper cultivator; ordinary thieves can't get close to me. Don't worry!"

His gaze became even more eager: "It's you I'm thinking of, Qingzi. Why else would I take this risk if not to secure a future for you? So many people want to get into the Loose Cultivator Bureau but can't! Steward Liu has given us a massive favor this time."

Listening to him, Li Tui realized that Lin Shouyi had clearly made up his mind, and there was no swaying him.

Li Tui looked up again, the hesitation on his face vanishing, and he replied in a low voice: "Alright... since you've decided, Father, then... please be very careful. As for the matter with the Loose Cultivator Bureau, if it really works out, I will do my best."

Seeing that his son "understood" and "accepted" the arrangement, the weight lifted from Lin Shouyi's heart, and he smiled genuinely: "That's right! Your father knows what he's doing. You just focus on your cultivation at home and wait for my good news!"

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

He turned and walked toward his small room, closing the door to shut out the world.

The trace of joy Li Tui had deliberately displayed vanished completely.

This looks suspicious at first glance. If it were truly a lucrative job, would it ever fall to him? Li Tui thought to himself, realizing he needed to plan ahead...

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