Essence

The next morning, Lin Xuan rose early, intending to head to the Qiyun Sect as soon as possible to find a way to get his hands on that dual-cultivation technique.

Zhang Xiu accompanied him.

However, no sooner had they stepped out the door than he heard people whispering:

"Did you hear? Yesterday, a young military officer struck a wicked beggar who was blocking the road with a single blow of his staff, saying, 'You are strong and healthy, with all your limbs intact; you should be making an honest living.'"

"Really? I don't believe it. How could there be such a kind-hearted soldier?"

Listening to the chatter rising and falling around him, Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, feeling a touch of surprise.

What he had considered a trivial matter of punishing a wicked beggar yesterday had, in just one night, spread across half of Wuqu City.

"Uncle Zhang, do you know what kind of background this Qiyun Sect has?"

Zhang Xiu was a man of experience; after all, he drove often and was frequently by the side of Thousand-Household Commander Su. Every time Thousand-Household Commander Su went to Wuqu Province, he brought Zhang Xiu along, so he naturally knew quite a bit about the place.

"This Qiyun Sect basically monopolizes the entertainment in Wuqu Province. The pleasure pavilions, brothels, and teahouses are all essentially their properties.

These sects all have some assets, and they all have to honestly pay their dues to the government.

Take the Wuqu Beggar Sect, for example; they are under the jurisdiction of the government, and the money they beg must be handed over, layer by layer. Although the leader of the Wuqu Beggar Sect is called a beggar, the life he leads is no different from that of a wealthy merchant; they just wear tattered clothes to keep up appearances."

"Then, since they have the government's backing, why do they need to control violence? I've heard that every sect has its own unique secret techniques. Why is that?"

"Flag Commander, you may not know this, but the sects and factions in every city and territory today are all products of a 'survival of the fittest' landscape.

In the early years, Wuqu was not dominated by a few major powers as it is now.

In the past, the sects in the city were categorized by trade: some specialized in song and dance, some in opera, some in musical arts—there were countless small sects and even more gangs of street drifters.

Every trade and every faction fought year-round to seize territory, monopolize customers, and dominate street businesses.

Small sects couldn't beat the large ones; weak gangs were swallowed by strong ones, leading to mergers year after year.

Those that have survived until today and stood their ground are all those who climbed over the corpses of countless rivals.

You need force to conquer territory to expand your business, and you need force to suppress rivals to hold onto it.

The government only cares about collecting taxes and maintaining stability; they never help sects fight for territory or clear out competitors.

Although the imperial court didn't want any single sect to become too powerful in the past, as sects found patrons and officials were bribed with heavy gold, the balance was broken, and it became a natural progression.

If you want to avoid being swallowed and maintain a generational monopoly on a city's private interests, you must hold unique martial arts and keep martial artists as enforcers.

This is the fundamental reason why every sect or gang that occupies a territory today must have a martial heritage and experts to hold the fort."

Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a sudden clarity. In an instant, he understood many things. These weren't "Jianghu sects" at all; they were industry monopolies holding licenses for violence!

And if everyone followed this model, given the poor transportation in this ancient era, it was impossible to form large "cross-province conglomerates."

That was why Jianghu sects were blooming everywhere, each with different industries.

There were too many street drifters and idle martial artists for the imperial court to manage. If they tried to draft them into the army, there wouldn't be enough military funding.

By letting the sects monopolize industries and keep enforcers, allowing these dark forces to fight among themselves and thin their own ranks, many idle martial artists would die off.

If they didn't do this, what else would they do—sit together drinking and discussing state affairs?

Low-cost local governance and maintaining street stability seemed like a cost-effective strategy.

His understanding of this world was still too shallow. Although Zhang Xiu was a Squad Leader stuck at the peak of Bone Binding his whole life, his knowledge and understanding of the Jianghu and the government were far greater than his own.

The saying "among any three people, there must be one who is my teacher" was certainly no lie.

"Flag Commander Lin, we have arrived." Zhang Xiu led Lin Xuan to a Pleasure Pavilion.

Pleasure Pavilion—the name didn't reveal what it actually did.

In reality, it was a mid-range establishment for pleasure.

The courtyard facing the street was not as luxurious as the high-rise brothels, nor as dilapidated as the back-alley dens.

The main hall was furnished with elegant seating and private rooms, the courtyard was planted with flowers and trees, tables were set, and side chambers were used for resting and staying the night.

Many were directly attached to the second-floor private rooms of taverns. The facade was simple and elegant, hung with lanterns and wine flags, without any extravagant carvings.

Most of the people who came here were small-to-medium merchants and minor officials, so it was fresh and refined.

When the procuress saw two military officers arrive, her eyes lit up. She hurried over and greeted them enthusiastically: "Two officers, please come in.

You two have come at a good time. If you deposit fifty taels in the Pleasure Pavilion now, we will gift you ten taels of credit, which can be spent freely within the establishment."

Lin Xuan was stunned. Top-up bonuses... had even these places learned this kind of marketing?

He immediately replied: "I am here to inquire about purchasing a sect's dual-cultivation technique."

The fawning smile on the procuress's face stiffened instantly, and the lively expression she had used to solicit customers vanished.

She looked Lin Xuan and the nearby Zhang Xiu up and down, noting their Garrison uniforms and the standard-issue waist tokens. Her mind raced, and she lowered her voice, glancing toward the pavilion deep in the courtyard.

"Officer, you must be joking. This is a respectable Pleasure Pavilion; where would we find any sect techniques?" The procuress took half a step back, her tone polite but guarded.

"Although the Qiyun Sect owns many properties, the pleasure business is managed by stewards, and the sect's martial arts are all held by the martial masters within the sect. Ordinary shops can't even touch the fringe techniques. You've come to the wrong place, Officer."

Lin Xuan, however, did not show any disappointment upon hearing this; he merely smiled.

"You've misunderstood."

He reached into his robe, pulled out a waist medallion, and placed it on the table.

"Since I dared to come here and ask directly, I naturally know that dual cultivation techniques aren't goods sitting on a counter for sale."

The madam's gaze fell upon the medallion.

Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office, Flag Commander.

Although he was only a low-level military officer, to have reached the position of Flag Commander at such a young age meant he was someone with genuine ability.

The wariness on her face eased slightly.

"Since the military gentleman understands this principle, why must you come here to make things difficult for this humble one?"

Lin Xuan picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup, and blew on the hot tea.

"Because I know that while you may not be able to sell certain things, you certainly know who to find."

The purpose of the two of them coming here was precisely to have this person provide an introduction.

The madam fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then sighed softly.

"Since the military gentleman has put it this way, this humble one will stop playing the fool."

"However, this sort of matter is no longer something I can decide."

"The Qiyun Sect does indeed possess such techniques, but there are very few people who can access them."

"How can I meet someone who can make the decision?"

The madam looked up toward the depths of the courtyard, where a three-story pavilion stood with upturned eaves and several red lanterns hanging from it.

Unlike the refined elegance of the front courtyard, it faintly exuded a sense of mystery.

"It just so happens that a manager from the Qiyun Sect is upstairs today."

"If the military gentleman is truly sincere, I can pass on a message on your behalf."

As soon as the words fell.