Extravagance

"Junior Brother Xu, you really should have accepted. Becoming the Liu Family's live-in son-in-law isn't shameful."

The two of them left, and Wu Yongfeng spoke up.

Xu Yang didn't know what the Liu Family represented, but Wu Yongfeng knew perfectly well.

Compared to the Liu Family, the Huang Family was in a completely different league.

The Huang Family was merely in the inner city, while the Liu Family was one of the great families there.

"The inner city?"

Xu Yang's gaze sharpened. He had lived this long without ever entering the inner city. He only knew it was where Qingyuan County's true powers gathered, a place where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

Still, he had no regrets. He wouldn't become a live-in son-in-law even for the county magistrate's family.

Besides, even if he had agreed, the woman he'd marry probably wouldn't have been a legitimate daughter. She'd likely have been born to a concubine or belonged to a collateral branch.

Becoming a live-in son-in-law was already humiliating enough. If he married a concubine-born daughter on top of that, how much standing would he have in the Liu Family?

Following Wu Yongfeng through the streets and alleys, Xu Yang entered the inner city for the first time. What he saw before him felt like another world.

The broad streets had been swept spotless. Everyone looked spirited and alert. There were no beggars strewn about, and no one dressed in clothes patched all over.

The place was cheerful and harmonious.

"This is where people are meant to live!" Xu Yang sighed.

If I could bring my family to the inner city one day, I'd die content, Wu Yongfeng thought, secretly clenching his fist.

A place like the inner city was difficult to live in even for Qi-Gathering Martial Artists.

The Liu Family's residence was imposing. Its gate was more than two zhang wide, with a main entrance and a side gate, while its walls stretched for dozens of meters.

Two stone lions taller than a man's head sat on either side. Four burly men with long sabers at their waists stood guard, their bearing tough and their eyes sharp. They were clearly trained.

"Do you think we'll end up standing guard at the gates?" Xu Yang asked uncertainly.

"Probably not. No matter how overbearing the Liu Family is, they wouldn't have Qi-Gathering Martial Artists guard their gates. Those men probably failed to reach Qi Gathering."

Wu Yongfeng stepped forward, took out Sun Tao's letter, and clasped his hands. "Brothers, we are both disciples of Wei Yuan Hall. Senior Brother Sun Tao recommended us, and we've come to apply for positions as Attendant Martial Artists. Please let them know we're here. This is our letter of introduction."

The four guards looked at Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng. One of them immediately came forward and took the letter. "Please wait a moment while I go inside and report this."

Without waiting for Wu Yongfeng to reply, he turned and went through the side gate.

"The head family's rules are strict. Outsiders can't enter without permission. Please wait a moment, Sirs. There should be an answer soon."

Assuming these two young men would soon become the Liu Family's Attendant Martial Artists, the other three guards explained the situation to Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng. They weren't deliberately slighting them; these were simply the Liu Family's rules.

"Please follow me, Sirs."

The two waited a while before the guard who had left returned and led them inside. They soon arrived at a side hall.

A middle-aged man was drinking tea in the chair at the center of the room. Behind him stood a man who looked a few years older.

When Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng appeared, the man drinking tea set down his cup and rose, letting out a hearty laugh. "Welcome, two promising young talents of Wei Yuan Hall. I am Liu Yong, the Liu Family's steward of internal affairs."

Xu Yang had assumed that for something as important as recruiting Attendant Martial Artists, the Liu Family would at least send one of its true decision-makers. He hadn't expected them to send only a steward of internal affairs.

He wondered whether they thought little of the two of them, or whether this was simply a trivial matter to the Liu Family.

"Greetings, Steward Liu!" The two clasped their hands in unison.

"Please, have a seat!"

After seating them, Liu Yong called out, "Someone, bring tea!"

Once they had sat down again, Liu Yong looked at the two of them. "Which of you is Xu Yang, and which is Wu Yongfeng?"

Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng stood again and introduced themselves.

Xu Yang had thought Liu Yong would bring up the matter of becoming a live-in son-in-law, but he didn't. Instead, he began talking about their monthly stipend.

"You've probably already heard about the stipend from Brother Sun Tao, but I should still go over it."

"An ordinary Attendant Martial Artist receives five taels a month from the Liu Family. If you earn merit while carrying out your duties, you'll also be rewarded with silver. You'll receive festive bonuses during holidays, too.

"Of course, your stipend will change accordingly as your cultivation improves.

"As for what you'll need to do, it isn't much. Most of the time, you'll live at the residence and be responsible for its security. Sometimes, you'll escort the young masters or lords when they go out and serve as their guards..."

Liu Yong went on at length. Most of what followed was essentially an attempt to win them over: they had to be loyal to the Liu Family and to its young masters and lords; even if they died, they couldn't let anything happen to them.

If they were injured or killed, they shouldn't worry. The Liu Family would take responsibility.

Of course, he also mentioned some benefits. The Liu Family had many businesses, and they could buy things there that were unavailable elsewhere.

At last, Liu Yong said solemnly, "If neither of you has any objections, then we'll settle everything here."

Naturally, neither of them had any objections. They'd come here to sell their lives.

Xu Yang had paid Zhou Shunchang back and still had seven or eight taels of silver on him. But once this month was over, he'd have to pay Wei Yuan Hall's tuition again. If he didn't earn anything, he wouldn't even be able to afford it.

Liu Yong stood up. "Please follow me. I'll take you to the Retainer Courtyard."

The two followed Liu Yong deeper into the Liu Family residence. They passed quite a few people along the way, but most were maids and servants. They didn't see a single member of the Liu Family.

"There are many women in the residence. If you have nothing to do, try to stay in the Retainer Courtyard."

As they walked, Liu Yong explained many of the Liu Mansion's rules.

The two responded politely, and soon they arrived at a courtyard.

It was a large courtyard, somewhat like Wei Yuan Hall's Martial Arts Arena. It had all sorts of training equipment, including swords, spears, and staffs.

Several burly men were practicing their stances in the courtyard. When they saw Liu Yong, they quickly stopped and gathered around.

"Steward Liu, are these new arrivals?" A middle-aged man at the front clasped his hands toward Liu Yong.

Aside from him, the other four were young men like Xu Yang, appearing to be seventeen or eighteen years old.

Liu Yong smiled and gestured toward Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng. "These two are Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng. I'll trouble Brother Zhang to show them around."

The man addressed as Brother Zhang shook his head. "It's only my duty."

Brother Zhang was named Zhang Bo. Liu Yong had introduced him on the way over. He had reached Major Success in Qi Gathering and was only one step away from Marrow Cleansing. He was the leader of these Attendants, and the two of them would have to follow his instructions.

Just then, the man who had been standing behind Liu Yong came over carrying several sets of clothes and two waist plaques.

They were the Liu Family's standard uniforms for its Attendants. Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng would have to wear them whenever they were at the Liu Family residence. The plaques would serve as their passes to enter and leave the Liu Family's grounds.

Liu Yong soon left!

Zhang Bo then showed Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng to their rooms and told them to change into their uniforms.

"Now that's extravagant!" Xu Yang exclaimed.

The Huang Family truly wasn't in the same league as the Liu Family. The Huang Family could only afford to keep Lu Ren; it couldn't afford to support even one more.

Of course, the Huang Family probably had other Attendant Martial Artists, but certainly not many.

But from what Xu Yang had just seen, there were more than thirty rooms here. That meant the Liu Family probably had twenty or thirty Attendants like him.

Zhang Bo had also told them that the martial artists serving the Liu Family had been divided into shifts, with five or six people in each. There were four shifts in total, like theirs, taking turns at different times to ensure the Liu Family's security and stand ready to carry out its orders.

The two changed into their uniforms and walked out of their rooms.