Choice

Upon hearing Li Beichen say this, the smile in Yan Fu's eyes vanished instantly, and he spoke with a mocking, insincere grin.

"Consultant Yuan, so your junior brother is such a grown man, yet he still needs others to make decisions for him? Very well, it seems we lack the affinity for this. I shall consider this my intrusion."

"Don't be angry, Guild Master Yan. Junior Brother is a man of his word; such a person is all the more reliable!"

"Give me, Yuan Dazong, some face, and give my junior brother another chance!"

"Very well. Give me an answer by tomorrow at the latest. If it weren't for the sake of your face, Consultant Yuan, would I have offered such generous terms?"

"Look at the other guilds; who else can offer a consultant thirty taels!"

Li Beichen watched Yan Fu and Yuan Dazong play their good cop, bad cop routine, but he did not get angry.

"Beichen is ashamed and has no face to remain here. Senior Brother Yuan, Guild Master Yan, farewell!"

He pushed away the beauty who was lingering and flirting with him, composed his expression, and left the room without looking back.

Only Yuan Dazong and Yan Fu were left, staring at each other in silence.

After a long while, Yan Fu's voice drifted out leisurely.

"Consultant Yuan, you have been eating the Tea Guild's salary for so many years. If this Li Beichen doesn't make the trip for you, you will have to go yourself."

"Rest assured, Guild Master Yan. One who takes another's money must resolve their troubles."

"In that case, Consultant Yuan, this old man has other matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."

Inside the room, only Yuan Dazong remained.

"Old bastard, one day, I will see you lose your head..."

The next day, Fourth Senior Brother Yang Ling came over with a smile, wanting to introduce Li Beichen to the Firewood Guild, and even Fang Meiqin sought him out, as her family operated the Cloth Guild in Ram City.

Of the Thirty-Six Trades of Ram City, other guilds also sent invitations to him, either through outer sect disciples or by visiting in person.

Li Beichen accepted them one by one, replying that he would consider them.

Meng Juxiang had left again, this time saying he would return in ten days. Li Beichen thought for a moment and went to find Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Meng.

At this moment, Zhang Meng was practicing his breathing technique. Using some unknown method, a bulge of air moved beneath his skin, flowing across his entire body like a small mouse.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I have something I would like to ask your advice on."

"Is it about the invitations from the Thirty-Six Trades?"

"Yes."

Li Beichen looked at the muscular man with thick brows and large eyes who was smiling at him, knowing that Zhang Meng was not as simple-minded as his physique suggested.

To be able to keep Yuan Dazong firmly suppressed, forcing him to remain the second-in-command, meant that beneath that explosive musculature, he possessed a sharp and cunning mind.

Zhang Meng slowly finished his practice and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

"The Thirty-Six Trades represent the hundred industries of the world."

"Every trade exists to pursue profit."

"Wherever there is profit, there is bound to be conflict."

He looked at Li Beichen.

"Although these conflicts are handled in the name of business, in reality, we martial artists are often the ones who must rely on our fists to settle them. The winner advances, and the loser retreats."

"The trades with the heaviest interests—such as salt and iron, brothels, or gambling dens—see the most intense fighting. If you become a consultant for them, you may earn a high salary, but you will inevitably have to risk your life."

"Seventh Junior Brother, my advice is that at your current stage, you should focus entirely on developing your strength and avoid participating in these interest-driven struggles."

Li Beichen's brows knitted together.

"What if I reject them all and focus solely on cultivation?"

Hearing this, Zhang Meng said with profound meaning, "The Thirty-Six Trades and we martial artists are like a web. Once you reach a certain rank, you are qualified to be on this web, and you must lean into it. If you are not on it, you will simply fall right through."

"Even Master is forced to be on this web."

"How much more so for you and me?"

Li Beichen caught the implication in Zhang Meng's words.

"Thank you for your guidance, Eldest Senior Brother. I understand now. I will consider it further."

After bidding farewell to Zhang Meng, Li Beichen took out the dozen or so invitations. Among them were the Tea Guild recommended by Yuan Dazong, the Firewood Guild introduced by Yang Ling, and the Cloth Guild of Fang Meiqin's family.

In addition to the factions his senior brothers and sisters were affiliated with, there were also the Wine Guild, the Rice Guild, and the Meat Guild.

Among them, only the Tea Guild offered the highest price—thirty taels of silver per month—while the others mostly ranged between fifteen and twenty taels.

Except for the vague terms mentioned by Yan Fu and Yuan Dazong regarding the Tea Guild, the requirements of the other guilds were stated quite clearly.

It was simple: when conflicts arose within or outside the guild, he would be required to step in and fight.

He was to be the muscle for the merchant guild.

Of course, this only happens once a month, and these are strictly bare-knuckle brawls; if weapons were permitted and it were a life-or-death struggle where blood must be spilled, the price would be calculated differently.

Li Beichen pondered for a while and ultimately decided to choose the Meat Guild.

He had the confidence to make this decision.

Currently, Li Beichen had Wang Er controlling the scale of the braised meat business, producing only one or two hundred catties a day, stopping once it was sold out.

Having operated for these two months, the reputation of Li Family Braised Meat was getting better and better.

A single month was enough to bring Li Beichen a dividend of forty to fifty taels.

After deducting the consumption for the Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment and food, he still had forty taels in hand.

With money in hand, this was the confidence he had to choose among the Thirty-Six Trades.

If one were starving, with elders above and young children below, and the household in need of money.

Many people, even knowing the risks, would take the gamble to try their luck.

Moreover, the Meat Guild retainer fee was only fifteen taels, but by joining the Meat Guild, his and Wang Er's braised meat business could also use this background to expand.

This was also one of the potential benefits.

"Brother Xiao Wu, please help me deliver this letter to President Zhou Zhongru of the Meat Guild."

"Understood, Senior Brother Li!"

Li Beichen sought out Xiao Wu from the martial arts hall to convey his intentions.

Two days later, with Zhang Meng as a witness, Li Beichen signed a contract with President Zhou of the Meat Guild and officially became a retainer of the Ram City Meat Guild.

The duties he was required to perform were merely the martial bouts that might occur once a month.

The relationship between the Thirty-Six Trades of Ram City and martial artists had reached a point where they were inextricably intertwined.

Everyone was eating from the same pot.

From the moment he reached the meat-refining stage and signed the contract, Li Beichen also became one of the elite who could eat from that pot.

If Li Beichen chose to settle down in Ram City and everything went smoothly, he could slowly develop his own family.

But in this world, Li Beichen had experienced it firsthand since drifting from Bing Province to the Jiangnan Circuit.

Whether it be vast wealth or a prominent clan.

Only by wielding force could one hold onto it.

Otherwise, in the eyes of others, it was merely a piece of fat meat.

Now that he had learned martial arts and caught a glimpse of the pugilistic world, he understood this even more deeply.

Once one is strong, all external things will naturally gravitate toward them without them having to do anything.

The Jiangnan Circuit still looks stable for now, but one can see the whole picture from the subtle details.

The prices of rice and oil have risen quite a bit since last year until now for Li Beichen.

And there are no signs of them falling back.

At this rate, without imperial intervention, sooner or later, the Jiangnan Circuit will also fall into chaos.

Li Beichen chose the Meat Guild and also updated his senior brothers and sisters, Yuan Dazong, Yang Ling, and Fang Meiqin, on the situation.

As for the other invitations, not responding was his answer.