Li Qing, fast asleep, suddenly sat bolt upright and instinctively reached for the saber at his right.
The events of the past two days had kept him constantly on edge.
The knock at the door immediately brought to mind the scene at Huayue Study.
He looked outside. It seemed to be daylight already, and a figure stood at the door.
"Mr. Qin, are you up? The Chief Escort wants me to invite you over."
"Breakfast is ready!"
Hearing the voice outside, Li Qing finally relaxed.
"Is everything all right? Good."
He called out, "Got it. I'll be right over!"
Li Qing swung his legs out of bed, crossed the room in a few strides, and opened the door.
A servant in blue stood outside. He had delicate features and a lively air about him.
Seeing Li Qing, he hurriedly said with respect, "Mr. Qin! Please come with me!"
The young servant in blue was quite envious of Li Qing, who looked about the same age as himself.
At such a young age, Li Qing was already a guest of honor to the Chief Escort, while he would always be no more than a servant.
Li Qing nodded slightly. He had no idea what the servant was thinking. Following him down a corridor, he soon arrived at a dining room.
The Chief Escort, Wang Kuohai, was already seated there. When he saw Li Qing arrive, he promptly rose with a smile to greet him.
"Good morning, Mr. Qin. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Please, have a seat!"
Li Qing nodded. "Well enough. I slept like a log."
The two sat down at the table. Breakfast consisted of congee, steamed buns, and meat pies.
"Hahaha, it's only a simple meal. I hope you won't mind, sir."
"Tonight, I'll treat you to dinner at Phoenix Pavilion and give you a proper welcome, Mr. Qin."
"It's the least I can do to repay you for saving my life!"
Li Qing smiled faintly. "You're going to too much trouble."
"Hahaha, what trouble? I must thank you properly, Mr. Qin. A life-saving favor is greater than Heaven!"
Breakfast passed as the two chatted.
In the living room, Li Qing was savoring a cup of tea.
"Excellent tea! So fragrant and mellow!"
Wang Kuohai smiled faintly. "This is the finest Ten Thousand Peach Spring. One jin costs five taels of silver."
"Mr. Qin, what brings you to Jade City?"
Li Qing shook his head slightly. "Nothing in particular. Certain reasons brought me here, and I'll be staying for a while."
At this, Wang Kuohai's eyes lit up a little. "I have an unreasonable request."
"What is it?" A hint of confusion appeared in Li Qing's eyes.
"Would you be willing to do us the honor of serving as an Attendant for a while at my All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency?"
"You can leave whenever you wish. The All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency is willing to pay you ten taels of silver each month and take care of all your food, clothing, accommodation, and travel."
Hearing this, Li Qing considered it for a moment.
I don't know my way around Jade City, and the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency is a local power.
It'll make doing anything much more convenient.
And I can leave whenever I want, while still getting paid. It wouldn't be much trouble.
After thinking it over, he didn't agree right away. Instead, he looked at Wang Kuohai and said,
"I haven't made up my mind yet. I plan to walk around the city first and have a look."
There wasn't a trace of displeasure on Wang Kuohai's face. He wore an easy smile.
"Of course. Once you've decided, Mr. Qin, just let me know."
"All right!"
After speaking with Wang Kuohai for a while, Li Qing quietly left the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency.
He had changed into a gray robe, making him look rather inconspicuous.
The streets were bustling.
"Sugar figurines for sale!..."
"Come take a look..."
"Spend a little if you've got money, lend your voice if you haven't..."
The clamor of the marketplace surged over him, carrying the rolling tumult of the mortal world.
The streets were lined with all kinds of trades and stalls, the air thick with prosperity.
A trace of weariness flickered across the faces of most commoners. Their lives were clearly far from easy.
As he walked, Li Qing grew increasingly puzzled.
He saw something strange: countless people had gathered in the streets, and faint, multicolored lights were drifting off them.
The lights converged in the sky above the city, forming a thin mist. It looked extremely eerie.
When he had entered the city last night, he hadn't noticed any of this.
Even stranger, none of the commoners in the city seemed to see the brilliant, multicolored mist in the sky.
A feeling of dread crept over Li Qing. He had no idea what the mist was.
This world is strange. How can people give off multicolored Radiance?
The Radiance from any one person was faint, almost impossible to make out.
Even when he had traveled back with the people from the Escort Agency, he hadn't noticed it at all.
Only when he wandered the streets and the crowds grew thicker had he spotted this subtle change.
After wandering around for quite some time, he finally turned back toward the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency.
"Ha... hup..."
"Hah... heh!"
A chorus of shouts rang out. Beyond the Escort Agency's gates, a crowd of Escort Guards were practicing their martial arts.
Some of them were wielding sabers, others were brandishing staffs, while still others practiced with iron palms or their fists.
Watching them, Li Qing's thoughts stirred. The Escort Agency seems to have quite a few martial arts.
With that in mind, he headed toward the main hall.
Inside, Wang Kuohai was speaking with several escort leaders about something.
He noticed Li Qing arrive and quickly said with a smile,
"Mr. Qin, you're back!"
Li Qing nodded slightly. "There's something I'd like to ask you, Brother Wang."
"Please, Mr. Qin. I'll tell you everything I know!" Wang Kuohai replied at once.
"I'd like to see the Escort Agency's various martial arts: saber, spear, staff, boxing, kicking, palm techniques—whatever you have, I'd like a copy."
"I wonder if you could help me get them."
"Of course, I won't ask you to do it for free."
"I have a Night-Bright Pearl here. I imagine it's worth something."
As he spoke, he pulled a small black cloth pouch from his robes.
Inside was a snow-white Night-Bright Pearl.
Wang Kuohai drew in a faint breath when he saw it.
"Mr. Qin, this Night-Bright Pearl is extraordinary."
"I've never seen one of such fine quality. It's a true treasure."
Li Qing's thoughts stirred. That fellow had something so precious on him? Or was it only precious to ordinary people?
"May I ask how much it's worth?"
"At least two thousand taels of silver."
"If I use that amount as payment, how many martial arts could I get in exchange?"
Wang Kuohai considered it for a moment before replying,
"My All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency has five escort leaders, each with a signature skill."
"I can probably persuade three of them to share theirs. As for the other two, I can try talking them around."
"I can also give you my family's Gate-Breaking Saber."
"Conservatively, you'll get at least four techniques. At most, you might get six."
Li Qing nodded. "Good. Then please use this to make the arrangements for me."
"Rest assured, Mr. Qin. I'll do my utmost to get them for you."
"Thank you!"
Li Qing returned to his little courtyard alone and sat at a stone table, lost in thought.
He raised his eyes to the sky. A multicolored mist blanketed the entire city.
"What is this, exactly?"