Outer City, Chen Jianghe's small courtyard.
Chen Jianghe stood in the courtyard, slowly playing a set of Five Elements Fist.
The five postures of splitting, collapsing, drilling, cannon, and horizontal are rotated in rotation, and the strength is inherent. The body moves with the fist, and the footwork is vaguely consistent with the fist's posture.
After last night's silent fight and the throwing of corpses to show off his power, he became a little more sober.
Troubled times are like chess, take one step and watch three.
Killing the Zhao Family spy is a demonstration, and it also forces the opponent to show his next move.
He is waiting.
"Knock, knock." The courtyard door was knocked twice with a regular tone.
Chen Jianghe stopped and turned to look at the courtyard door.
"Who?"
"Young Hero Chen, I, Qian Mansion, are in charge, and I have come here to pay you a visit on the order of the master of the family." A gentle middle-aged male voice came from outside the door. He spoke politely and even used the honorific title of "Young Hero".
Qian Family?
Chen Jianghe's eyes moved slightly and he stepped forward to open the courtyard door.
There were three people standing outside the door.
The leader is a middle-aged scribe in his forties, with a fair face and three long beards. He is wearing an indigo silk shirt and a chinchilla leather waistcoat. He is holding a foot-long rosewood box in his hand. Behind him are two young men in green clothes, each holding a Brocade Box.
Seeing Chen Jianghe open the door, the middle-aged scribe immediately bowed and saluted, with a very low posture. "I am Qian Lu, I am the foreign affairs manager of the Qian Mansion. I have taken the liberty to visit and disturb Young Hero Chen's Qing Dynasty. I hope Haihan."
"Manager Qian is very polite." Chen Jianghe stepped aside and said, "Please come in."
Qian Lu bowed again and then stepped into the courtyard, followed by two young men with their heads lowered.
The three of them stood still in the courtyard. Qian Lu glanced at the small courtyard quickly and politely. It was simple and clean. There were stone locks for practicing martial arts piled in the corners. The green bricks under the old locust tree had shallow marks from standing for a long time. Hard work and self-discipline were everywhere.
He nodded secretly in his mind, and the smile on his face became gentler, "Young Hero Chen is really diligent. No wonder he has such accomplishments at such a young age, which is admirable."
"Manager Qian deserves the award." Chen Jianghe pointed to the stone bench, "This is a humble house, please sit down."
"I dare not." Qian Lu did not sit down, but held up the red sandalwood box in his arms with both hands, with a solemn expression, "Qian came here today on the order of the head of the family. First, he wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday."
He paused, and seeing that Chen Jianghe's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "What happened to Inner City yesterday, the head of the family felt that it was inappropriate afterwards. Master Li is a highly respected young man, and Young Hero Chen is a young and talented person. I, Qian Family, should respect him."
"However, Zhao Family is so powerful and is threatening Inner City's face. The owner of the family was worried for a moment and had no choice but to take action. It was not his intention. The owner of the family felt deeply guilty about this and specially ordered Qian to come and apologize. He hopes that Young Hero Chen and Master Li will understand each other."
The words were beautifully put, and he downplayed yesterday's siege as being "forced by the Zhao Family" and "concerning face", which not only eliminated the suspicion of actively being an enemy, but also hinted that Qian Family and Zhao Family are not monolithic.
Chen Jianghe understood in his heart, but remained calm on his face. "Qian Family, the Lord's words are serious. Everyone has their own position in Jianghu matters, and the younger generation understands."
Seeing his softened tone, Qian Lu felt relieved and quickly handed the rosewood box forward. "Secondly, the head of the family heard that Young Hero Chen is extremely talented and cherishes his talents very much. Knowing that Martial Dao is practicing, a wealthy couple is indispensable for the Dharma and the land, so I have specially prepared a small gift to show my sincerity. I hope Young Hero Chen will not refuse."
With that said, he opened the wooden box.
The box was covered with dark red velvet, and two things were neatly placed on it.
On the left is a hundred taels of gold. On the right is a palm-sized jade bottle of mutton fat. The body of the bottle is clear, and two pills the size of longan and dark red in color can be vaguely seen inside.
"This hundred taels of gold is used as an ax for the young hero's daily needs. What is contained in this jade bottle is my Qian Family secret Bone Tempering Pill". Taking it can strengthen the muscles and bones, nourish the qi and blood, and is of great benefit to the Dark Strength warriors in laying a solid foundation and attacking the pass."
Qian Lu introduced, with just the right amount of pride and sincerity in his tone.
One hundred taels of gold is already a huge sum of money. Bone Tempering Pill is a valuable and unmarketable spiritual resource, and its value is even higher than gold.
Qian Family This gift is not light.
Moreover, what is given is resources, things that can actually improve one's strength, not empty promises or illusory status.
This is not only a show of goodwill, but also a test to test Chen Jianghe's attitude towards resources and whether he is easily impressed by "benefits".
Chen Jianghe glanced at the wooden box, was silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "Qian Family The Lord has given me such a generous gift, and I am not worthy of it."
Qian Lu's heart tightened, and he was about to persuade him again, but he heard Chen Jianghe continue, "It's a gift given by the elders, but I don't dare to refuse. Qian Family has good intentions, and I will keep them in my heart. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely repay you."
After saying that, he reached out and took the wooden box.
Qian Lu was startled at first, then overjoyed!
Accepted it! He accepted it!
I am not afraid that you are greedy, but I am afraid that you are not greedy! Accepting Qian Family's gift means accepting Qian Family's love, and you will have room for change in many things in the future!
"Young Hero Chen is really refreshing!" Qian Lu smiled brightly, and motioned to the servant behind him to offer the two Brocade Box as well, "These are some common medicinal materials and cloth, for the daily use of the young hero and your royal family. They are not respectful."
Chen Jianghe nodded and accepted it without saying much.
Qian Lu Seeing this, he wisely decided not to stay any longer. He said a few more polite words and bowed to leave.
Only half an hour after sending Qian Lu away, the courtyard door was knocked again.
This time, it's the person from the Sun Family.
The visitor was a tall, thin old man in his fifties, who called himself Sun Mansion, the deacon of the outer courtyard. He was equally polite and courteous.
The rhetoric of the apology was similar to that of the Qian Family. They both attributed yesterday's action to "being coerced by the Zhao Family" and "maintaining Inner City's dignity", emphasizing that Sun Family originally did not want to be the enemy of Li Chengyue's master and apprentice.
The gift given was also valuable: one hundred taels of gold, plus a title deed to the Inner City house.
"This house is located on the third east lane of Inner City, with three courtyards. It is quiet and elegant, adjacent to our Sun Family, and has good public security."
Sun Family The deacon unfolded the land deed and pointed to the neat handwriting and bright red official seal on it, "The head of the family said, Young Hero Chen, the young hero, will never be a thing in the pond in the future. Outer City is noisy and may disturb the repairs. Although this house is ugly, it can be used as a resting place. The young hero and his wife move into Inner City, so they can live without worries."
This gift is more thoughtful.
Giving away property is not only a gift, but also a symbol of "identity" and "security".
Moving to Inner City means getting away from the chaos and danger of Outer City and enjoying the order and shelter of Inner City.
This is both a win-win and a test - to test whether Chen Jianghe is willing to leave Xingyi Martial Arts Hall, the "place of right and wrong", and whether he yearns for Inner City's more superior environment and potential upward path.
Chen Jianghe looked at the land deed, his expression still calm.
He thought of the swaying broken ship Loach Bay, of his mother's hunched back while sewing in the woodshed of the martial arts school, and of the three monitoring breaths outside the courtyard wall last night.
Inner City's house is safe and decent, and it is the dream home of countless Outer City people.
But he still remembers the figure of his master coughing up blood and holding a gun, remembering his senior brother's strong back in front of the escort agency, and remembering every step he took along the way.
"Sun Family is kindhearted, and the younger generation understands it."
Chen Jianghe spoke slowly, his voice was steady and smooth, "However, I am a disciple of Xingyi, and the martial arts school is my home. My master is seriously injured and my brother is busy working around. I should stay behind and fulfill my duty as a disciple. I am ashamed to accept this generous gift."
Sun Family Deacon's face changed slightly and he said hurriedly, "Young Hero Chen's filial piety is commendable, but Master Li cultivated to Mysterious Insight, With God's blessing, the martial arts school also has Young Gang Leader Su taking care of it. The young hero has a bright future, how can he be trapped in a corner? Inner City has abundant resources, which is more conducive to the young hero's spiritual practice----"
Chen Jianghe raised his hand and stopped him from talking.
His eyes fell on the land deed, he was silent for a moment, and suddenly said, "Junior, I will accept the land deed. The house will be vacant for the time being.
If there is really a need in the future, I will bother you again. As for the matter of moving, it is indeed not the right time now. I hope the deacon will report back to the Lord Sun Family. I would like to thank you for your kindness. I will definitely come to express my gratitude someday."
After that, he took away the land deed and the gold Brocade Box.
Sun Family Deacon was stunned.
They took back the land deed but clearly stated that they would not move? What does this mean?
But he is a shrewd person after all, and he quickly realized that this young man had received benefits, but he refused to be bound easily!
With the land deed in hand, it is related to the Sun Family, which may be useful in the future;
But by not moving, they retain their independence and are not dependent on any family.
What a cautious mind! What a calm determination!
Sun Family Deacon took a deep look at Chen Jianghe, and without any more persuasion, he bowed and said, "Young Hero's wishes, I will respond truthfully. The master of the house cherishes talents, which can be learned from heaven and earth, and is always waiting for Young Hero's visit."
After saying a few more polite words, he said goodbye and left.
In the afternoon, the third batch of guests arrived.
Li Family The person who came was a well-dressed man in his early thirties, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, and a capable temperament. He claimed to be the guard commander of the Li Mansion, and his surname was Shen Mingheng.
Different from the genteel stewards of the previous two families, this person's words and deeds are clearly quack-like and crisp.
The apology was equally concise, saying that yesterday was "forced by the situation" and made it clear. "Li Family is different from the Zhao Family and Zhou Family, and has no intention of becoming enemies with Master Li and Young Hero Chen. It is always better to have many friends than enemies."
11
The gift was also a hundred taels of gold, plus a palm-sized, black Black Iron Token.
There is a simple character "" embossed on the front of the token, and the character "Ke Qing" is engraved on the back, surrounded by cloud patterns.
"This is me Li Family Guest Elder Token."
Shen Heng placed the token on the stone table and said in a calm voice, "With this token, you can enter and exit Inner City freely. You can enjoy a 20% discount at all restaurants, inns, and carriage shops under Li's name. You can use the token to withdraw a certain amount of medicinal materials for cultivation at Li's Pharmacy every month."
If you encounter trouble, show this card. Yilin County's territory and Li Family's power can provide some convenience."
He paused and looked directly at Chen Jianghe: "The head of the family loves talents and is outspoken. Young Hero Chen You are young, Dark Strength is successful, and you can expect to improve in the future. Li Family is willing to treat you as a guest, and will never interfere with the young hero's freedom on weekdays. He only needs to help Li Family when needed. The salary and remuneration can be negotiated separately according to the specifications of the first-class masters in the world."
Recruit directly!
Different from the tentative resource gifts from the first two companies, Li Family is more direct, giving the identity of "Ke Qing" and clear cooperation expectations.
This not only values the potential of Chen Jianghe, but also represents an upper limit for investing in his future.
Chen Jianghe Pick up the piece Guest Elder Token.
It is cold and solid, and the workmanship is fine. It is obviously not an ordinary product.
This token represents not only some conveniences and resources, but also a kind of identity recognition and a bridge to establish a stable connection with Inner City and Lineage.
For warriors with no foundation, this is undoubtedly very tempting.
Chen Jianghe rubbed the lines on the token and was silent for a long time.
Shen Heng didn't rush, just waited quietly.
The only sound in the courtyard was the rustling of the locust leaves in the wind.
After a long time, Chen Jianghe slowly put down the token and raised his eyes to look at Shen Heng with clear and calm eyes. "Commander Shen, Li Family has shown great love to me, and I am deeply grateful to you. The position of a guest guest is as important as a stone. I am young and have little knowledge and cultivation, so I may not be qualified for the job."
Shen Heng frowned slightly and was about to speak, but Chen Jianghe continued, "However, this junior understands the friendship and convenience that the token represents. I will temporarily accept this token to show my respect and gratitude to the Li Family. However, the position of guest minister carries a heavy responsibility. I need to inform my master and consider it carefully. I dare not agree rashly now. As for cooperation----"
He paused and said in a sincere tone, "If Li Family really needs it in the future, and the juniors can do it within their ability and do not violate the moral principles of the sect, they will do their best. As for remuneration, let's not mention it for now. When we meet in the world, righteousness comes first."
In a word, there is no leakage.
He accepted the token, accepted his love, and retained the possibility of future cooperation, but he was not immediately tied to the Li Family's chariot.
Shen Heng took a deep look at Chen Jianghe, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then turned into appreciation.
This young man is only eighteen or nineteen years old, but he is so experienced and thoughtful in dealing with things, knowing how to advance and retreat, and knowing gains and losses.
"Young Hero Chen speaks quickly, and Shen admires it." Shen Heng clasped his fists, "Young hero, Shen will definitely report back to the master of the family truthfully."
Li Family The door is always open to friends. If the young hero needs anything in the future, with this token, he can come to find Shen at any time."
Having said that, he didn't mess around, left the gold and token, and left.
Chen Jianghe sat down slowly and glanced at these resources that would make countless warriors jealous.
The three companies all show good intentions and want to win over each other. They are all looking for a new balance point between the power of the Zhao Family and the remaining power of Li Chengyue, and bet on the future.
In troubled times, there are no eternal friends or enemies, only eternal interests and strength.