Contract

In the tea room of the Su Family Escort Agency, the fragrance of tea curled in the air.

Su Jingming lifted his teacup, blew away the floating leaves, and fixed his gaze on Chen Jianghe. "Jianghe," he said slowly, "since you are Master Li's disciple and were recommended by Derong, our Su family will certainly not treat you unfairly. I have already drafted the terms for your registered position; listen closely."

He set down his cup, his voice steady. "As a registered escort, your monthly salary will be ten taels of silver, supplemented by twenty catties of meat and four portions of Blood Qi Powder. This is your fixed stipend. A guard's true income comes from the commission on each escort mission. Depending on the distance, the weight of the cargo, and the level of risk, you will receive a cut of ten to thirty percent. For valuable cargo, it is not uncommon to earn twenty or thirty taels in a single trip."

Su Jingming waved a hand. "Jianghe, you can go out and ask around. See if any other escort agency or merchant shop in Yilin County offers better terms than the Su family."

His tone suddenly turned somewhat helpless. "Actually, I wanted to offer you more. But Derong came to see me yesterday specifically to say that Master Li had given instructions—he did not want the terms to be too generous just because you are his disciple. He fears that if you are coddled, you will grow lazy and damage the foundation of your martial path."

Su Derong, fanning himself nearby, chuckled at this. "Little Uncle, Master's actual words were even harsher. He said, 'That kid has a decent temperament, but he is young. If he gets used to smooth sailing, he will inevitably grow arrogant and slothful. Let him suffer a little, let him learn that money is hard-earned and the martial path is difficult, so that he may go further in the future.'"

Hearing this, Chen Jianghe felt a complex mix of emotions.

He naturally understood his master's good intentions. Over the past six months, if not for the help of Uncle Liu, the meat provided by his third senior brother, and the rations from the martial arts hall, he could never have broken through to the Bright Strength stage so smoothly.

His master feared he would grow dependent on others and forget that the path of martial arts must ultimately be carved out with his own fists and feet.

Yet, deep down, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, Master, oh Master, you certainly don't show this kind of "far-sightedness" when you're drinking...

Seeing Chen Jianghe remain silent for a long time, Su Derong assumed he was calculating the offer. He tapped Chen Jianghe's shoulder lightly with his fan and teased, "What? Are you still not satisfied, kid?"

Chen Jianghe snapped back to reality and quickly cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, you misunderstand. I am not complaining that it is too little; I was just thinking... such generous treatment is more than I deserve."

Su Jingming waved his hand. "There is no talk of deserving or not. Once you join the Su family as a registered guard, you are one of us. I give you this in the hope that you will improve quickly and be able to contribute more when trouble arises. It is simply mutual benefit."

He paused, his expression turning serious. "However, Jianghe, I must speak plainly. This bowl of rice is easy to pick up, but hard to hold steady. The area outside the city is not peaceful; the Green Dragon Gang is eyeing us covetously, and various mountain bandits are taking advantage of the chaos. When escorting, blades have no eyes, and life and death are unpredictable. Since you have decided to take this job, you must be prepared."

Chen Jianghe replied solemnly, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Senior. These terms are already extremely generous; I have no complaints."

Su Jingming nodded and signaled to Su Derong. "Derong, take Jianghe to the accounting office to sign the contract. Let Old Zhou explain the details to him."

Su Derong acknowledged the order, stood up, and smiled at Chen Jianghe. "Let's go, Junior Brother. Once the contract is signed, we'll be in the same boat. But I must warn you—"

He dropped his smile, his tone serious. "When you sign, read the terms carefully. This bowl of rice is delicious, but it can also burn your mouth."

The accounting office was on the east side of the agency courtyard, a small but tidy room. As soon as they entered, they were met with the scent of paper and ink from aged ledgers.

The manager was a man of about sixty, surnamed Zhou, who had been the accountant for the Su family for over twenty years.

He was hunched over his desk, clicking an abacus, and didn't look up when he heard footsteps. "What is it?"

Su Derong smiled. "Mr. Zhou, this is my junior brother, Chen Jianghe, here to sign the registered guard contract."

Only then did Mr. Zhou lift his eyelids. He sized Chen Jianghe up, slowly set down his abacus, and pulled a two-part contract from a drawer, sliding it toward Chen Jianghe.

"Read the terms carefully." Mr. Zhou's voice was flat and emotionless. He pointed a finger at the first line. "Registered escort, monthly salary of ten taels, paid on the fifth. If summoned by the agency and absent without cause, the month's salary will be deducted; those who flee in the face of battle will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from Yilin County."

Chen Jianghe took the contract and read it carefully.

The terms were dense, spanning over a dozen clauses.

Beyond what had been mentioned, there were stipulations such as "no taking outside work," "no leaking of escort route secrets," and "the agency will provide compensation to the families of those injured or killed."

After reading, he was silent for a moment before asking, "Old Mr. Zhou, I have one question."

"Speak."

"If the agency summons me while I am in seclusion at the martial arts hall for a breakthrough, how is that handled?"

Old Mr. Zhou looked at him, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "You may report it in advance. But you may only report it twice a year, for no more than half a month each time. Failure to arrive after that period will be treated as an unexcused absence."

"And if we are robbed on the road and the cargo is lost, what then?"

"Responsibility is determined by the circumstances. If you fought hard but were overwhelmed, and were injured or killed, the agency will compensate your family according to the situation. If you fled out of cowardice... as I said, your cultivation will be crippled, and you will be expelled from the county." Mr. Zhou said dismissively.

Chen Jianghe fell silent.

Outside, the faint sounds of guards practicing their punches and the clashing of weapons drifted in.

In this world, which bowl of rice isn't stained with blood?

He finally picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote "Chen Jianghe" neatly on the contract, then pressed his thumbprint in red ink beside his name.

Mr. Zhou took one copy, checked it carefully, nodded, and handed the other to him. "Keep this safe. It starts from this month; come collect your pay on the fifth. Meat and medicine portions are to be collected on the first of each month with your token."

Chen Jianghe folded the contract carefully and tucked it into an inner pocket close to his chest.

Stepping out of the accounting office, the afternoon sun was somewhat blinding.

Su Derong fanned himself, tilting his head to look at Chen Jianghe with a smile. "Well? Can you hold this bowl of rice steady?"

Chen Jianghe touched the contract in his pocket and said in a low voice, "I can hold it steady. Thank you for the recommendation, Senior Brother."

"What are you thanking me for?" Su Derong waved his hand, the smile on his face fading slightly as he turned serious. "Jianghe, I know you have a steady temperament and don't like taking risks. But since you've entered this trade, some risks are unavoidable. If you ever run into trouble, remember one thing—staying alive is more important than anything else. Money can be earned again, but you only have one life."

Chen Jianghe nodded heavily. "I will keep your teachings in mind, Senior Brother."

Su Derong smiled again, snapping his fan open with a swish. "Good! That's one big thing settled today. Come, let me buy you a drink to celebrate your official entry into the trade!"

Chen Jianghe shook his head with a smile. "I appreciate the gesture, Senior Brother, but I must return to the martial arts hall to share this good news with my mother."

Su Derong did not insist, patting him on the shoulder. "That is as it should be. We shall talk another day. Remember, come collect your pay on the fifth; don't miss the time."