On Rewarding Merit

In the fishy river breeze, the smell of blood mingled with the scent of charcoal, rushing into his nostrils and making his head swim.

Chen Ye leaned against the ship's rail with his eyes closed, replaying the battle in his mind.

This fight had been nothing like the one in the bamboo grove.

The ambush there had caught his enemies off guard while he hid in the shadows. This time, they had clashed head-on.

One pirate fell, and the next was already scrambling aboard. The pace was so relentless that they had no chance to catch their breath.

It was the first time Chen Ye had experienced a scene like this.

The battle had shown him that no matter how many moves one learned, only a few were truly useful when it came to killing.

Speed and strength were what mattered.

The fires on the deck were gradually put out.

Someone in the distance was calling out the rewards.

Chen Ye slid his short blade back into his belt, slowly got to his feet, and went over to collect his reward.

The pirates had cost the ship one guard and two reckless sailors, while the rest had all been wounded.

Manager Zhou was not stingy. He paid out every last bit of the promised reward.

"Guard Sun, two pirates killed. With the agreed-upon bonus for fighting off pirates, plus an extra two taels, that comes to six taels in all."

The old escort master had a strip of cloth wrapped around his shoulder, blood faintly seeping through and spreading into a red stain.

Aside from his initial contribution, he had not killed anyone in the later melee aboard the ship. He had only driven a few men back.

The old escort master silently accepted his reward, his face betraying no emotion.

"Guard Wu, four taels of silver."

The Jianghu Guest surnamed Wu had only killed the man who came up behind Chen Ye to finish him off. His reward was neither more nor less than the stated amount. He collected it and stepped aside.

"Headman Wang, two taels of silver."

"Deckhand Zheng, two taels of silver."

"Guard Zhang, six taels of silver."

"..."

The names were called out one by one.

Those who heard their names beamed as they came up to collect their rewards.

The ship was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Soon, the list reached Chen Ye.

"Guard Chen, ten taels of silver."

The people nearby fell silent for a moment, then all turned to look at Chen Ye.

Their gazes held seven parts surprise, two parts envy, and one part appraisal.

Someone nudged the person beside him with an elbow and muttered something under his breath.

That reward was almost the most any of them had received this time.

An ordinary laborer earned about two taels of silver a month.

Ten taels was nearly half a year's wages for a laborer, enough to cover a typical family of three for a year.

Chen Ye looked young, yet he killed more decisively than those who had spent their lives roaming the Jianghu.

To them, it was truly hard to fathom.

Chen Ye paid no attention to their gazes. He stepped forward and collected his reward.

The weight of the ten taels of silver filled him with delight.

With this money, plus the daily wages he had earned along the way, he could finally increase his lifespan a little.

He tucked the ten taels into his pocket and turned without a word, slipping into his cabin.

He closed the door, pondered for a moment, then summoned the Pawn System.

"Redeem!"

[Remaining lifespan: two months and fourteen days]

He had collected the reward in full view of everyone. If he used it all to redeem his lifespan and spent every last coin, people might grow suspicious if he needed money later and had none to produce.

So Chen Ye kept two taels of silver on hand and used only the remaining eight to redeem his lifespan.

After all his steady efforts these past days, his lifespan had risen from a single day to around two months.

It still wasn't much, but at least he could see hope now.

A hint of a smile crept onto Chen Ye's face.

At dusk, he went to the bow to eat, as usual.

After the battle with the pirates, Chen Ye could clearly feel that the people aboard were treating him with more respect.

As soon as he approached, someone shifted over to make room for him.

Chen Ye was a little surprised, but did not refuse. He sat down calmly and ate in silence.

The ship was full of travelers from all corners of the land. They knew they would go their separate ways once they reached the Capital City, so none of them had much interest in making friends.

After eating, Chen Ye returned to the corner of the cabin, sank his waist and settled his hips, then stood still in stance training.

Just then, the cabin door creaked open.

The old escort master walked in.

He carried an empty wineskin in his hand. The white cloth around his shoulder had just been changed, but faint traces of blood still seeped through. He had come to the cabin looking for a drink.

As he passed the corner, the old escort master slowed his steps and said nothing.

Chen Ye stood in the swaying cabin, his lower body utterly still. His breathing was measured, his breaths steady and orderly.

After watching for a while, the old escort master asked, "You've been practicing this stance training for about two years, haven't you?"

Chen Ye slowly lowered his stance and let out a long breath of stale air.

He had only known that the old escort master worked for an escort agency; he hadn't expected his eye to be so sharp.

The Foundation Cultivation Technique came from the Gao Family, and there was much involved in that matter. It was not something he could speak of openly.

"I picked up some crude moves from somewhere else. They're nothing worth mentioning." Chen Ye's tone was indifferent, clearly showing that he did not wish to discuss it.

The old escort master glanced at him but did not press further.

After decades with the escort agency, he had seen all kinds of young men with mysterious backgrounds.

Still, Chen Ye's remarkable promise at such a young age reminded him of someone.

The old escort master changed the subject. "Which branch are you from? The Runan Chen Clan?"

Chen Ye shook his head. "My family was poor. The elders never mentioned it, so I don't know."

"The Runan Chen Clan has been in decline for three hundred years. These days, they can barely even maintain the standing of a poor scholar's family. But I've heard that the Chen Clan still has a few scattered martial arts techniques. You must come from one of those branches to have learned even a fragment."

A trace of self-mockery entered the old escort master's voice. "Like our Sun Family. Our inherited martial arts were incomplete long ago, and none of the younger generation can carry them on. What a pity."

As he spoke, his expression suddenly grew desolate.

Chen Ye did not want to discuss his family background. Instead, he asked, "I heard Escort Master Sun has lived in the Capital City for many years?"

"Mm."

"Would you say you know the Capital City well?"

"I wouldn't say well, but I know a thing or two." The old escort master saw at once that Chen Ye wanted to ask for information. "What do you want to know?"

Chen Ye did not beat around the bush. "How much do you know about the Xie Family and the Cui Family?"

After rummaging through his things, the old escort master dug out a jug of wine from some hidden corner.

The old escort master made himself at home, sitting on a wooden chest nearby with the wine. He broke the seal and took a long swig.

"The Xie Family is a second-rank noble clan. They control the waterways and have students and former subordinates all over the court. Their family has an Xiantian Ancestor to keep them in power, and they like to leave no room for others to maneuver."

He unscrewed the wineskin, glanced at the injury on his shoulder, and began pouring wine over it. "As for the Cui Family? They're sworn enemies of the Xie Family. Everyone in the Capital City knows it. The Xie Family controls the waterways, leaving the Cui Family with only a few land trade routes. They've been squeezed hard these past few years."

He paused, and a faint smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Fortunately, none of the Cui Family's women are ordinary."

Then he began listing their merits as if he had them all at his fingertips. "The eldest daughter, Cui Lingyi, is skilled at managing the household and keeps the accounts for the Cui Family's trading firms. The second daughter, Cui Yingtang, is obsessed with martial arts. They say she's already reached the Dragon Elephant Realm and is one of the strongest fighters of her generation in the Cui Family."

At that, he clicked his tongue.

"Come to think of it, among their peers in the Capital City, there aren't many young talents who can beat her."

Dragon Elephant Realm.

Chen Ye silently committed it to memory.

With a younger generation like that, the Cui Family still being kept down by the Xie Family meant that the Xie Family's foundations were at least as deep, if not deeper.

He remained impassive and continued listening.

"Then there's the third daughter, Cui Xijun. She's the most beautiful of them all and is good at poetry and prose. She plays the qin beautifully, too, and is quite well-known among the women of the aristocratic clans in the Capital City."

At the end, his gaze swept over Chen Ye, and he joked, "The Cui Family has been recruiting retainers lately. Their bloodline is weak, and they have few men. They'd probably welcome someone like you."

Chen Ye was at a loss for words.

I'd like to, but they might not be willing.

The old escort master rose to his feet. The movement tugged at the arrow wound on his shoulder, and he paused as he straightened.

He lowered his head, tightened the wineskin, and hung it from his waist. As he reached the cabin door, he suddenly looked back at Chen Ye.

"Boy, the waters in the Capital City run deep. It's not an easy place to get by. I advise you to focus on practicing your martial arts and not set your sights on the great clans. Be careful, or you might lose your life."

The cabin door closed softly behind him.

Chen Ye stood where he was, silent.

"I don't want to provoke them either, but they've already provoked me."

"Courtesy demands that a blow be returned!"

He sank his waist and settled his hips again, taking up his stance.