His True Face

Although the Patrol Team's treatment was no different from that of the other guards, its hours were long and the work so grueling that it was even more hellish than being an apprentice.

Anyone assigned to the Patrol Team practically lost all personal time. Apart from sleeping, they spent every ounce of energy on those endless, pointless patrols, day after day.

Cultivation? That was nothing but wishful thinking.

As a result, the Patrol Team was packed with guards who had the worst talent and no hope of making a breakthrough—old hands who had long since given up.

Jiang Feng thought he had performed well in the assessment. He had even beaten the instructor's deputy until he was down and out. So why had he been assigned to a place like this?

But then he reconsidered. Perhaps, as a newcomer, there were unwritten rules in the Guard Hall, and all new recruits had to spend some time in the Patrol Team to gain experience.

He set aside his doubts and said nothing more about it, turning instead to the matter he cared about most.

"Steward Tie, I heard that once we officially become guards, we're given private quarters and can learn the Medicine Hall's exclusive martial arts and inner cultivation techniques. I was wondering about my arrangements..."

Tie Rong's smile didn't waver. His tone remained as warm as if they were chatting about everyday matters.

"These are all minor details. I'll naturally see to it that everything is arranged. But before that, there's something more important I need to ask you."

Jiang Feng straightened up, putting on an attentive expression.

"Please ask, Steward Tie. If I know anything, I'll tell you everything, without holding back."

Seeing how compliant Jiang Feng was, Tie Rong nodded in approval, then got straight to the point.

"You and Xue Zhao, the apprentice steward, have some personal grudge between you, don't you?"

Jiang Feng paused in surprise. He hadn't expected Tie Rong to bring the matter out into the open so directly.

He considered his answer briefly, then replied without changing expression.

"We did have a few minor disagreements over our views in the past, but that's all behind us now. I still hold Steward Xue in high regard."

The insincere words rolled smoothly off his tongue, and his expression was so calm that he might have been speaking from the bottom of his heart.

Tie Rong's mouth twitched. His smile stiffened, and a hint of mockery crept into his tone.

"Jiang Feng, are you serious? Because what I've heard doesn't sound quite the same."

Jiang Feng remained solemn and cupped his hands.

"Steward Tie, those are probably just rumors. The Medicine Hall is full of people, and gossip travels fast. It's only natural for some outrageous stories to get around. Please don't believe those baseless rumors."

Tie Rong had no patience left for Jiang Feng's watertight excuses. His smile vanished, and he stopped beating around the bush.

"Xue Zhao paid a hefty sum to get me to kick you out of the Guard Hall."

Jiang Feng had expected as much, but Tie Rong stating it so openly left him unsure what the man was after.

His expression turned guarded, and he asked in a low voice, "What do you mean by that, Steward Tie? I don't quite understand."

That knowing smile returned to Tie Rong's face. His tone softened, taking on a weightier, almost earnest note.

"Jiang Feng, Xue Zhao holds a grudge against you, but I don't. Quite the opposite: I admire you.

"I saw how you performed yesterday. To reach the eighth level of the Blood-Moving Realm through your own efforts at your age is impressive.

"And among all the Martial Apprentices I've seen, your blood and qi are among the most powerful.

"Breaking through to the Martial Artist Realm is only a matter of time for you. When I return to the Wu Family in the future, you might well become the next steward of the Guard Hall."

As he spoke, he walked up to Jiang Feng and gently patted his shoulder with a palm as broad as a fan. The force was neither light nor heavy, as if he were entrusting him with something of the utmost importance.

"Just prove your resolve to me, and I'll protect you no matter what."

After hearing that, everything clicked for Jiang Feng.

So this was just a shakedown!

Shopkeeper Xie had been right. Tie Rong really did value money above everything else.

But that was fine. If money could clear away the obstacles in the Medicine Hall, Jiang Feng was willing to pay to avoid trouble.

He pulled a heavy little cloth pouch from his robe and discreetly handed it to Tie Rong, smiling broadly.

"Steward Tie, take a look. Is this enough to prove how determined I am?"

Tie Rong didn't even need to look inside. He weighed the pouch lightly in his palm, then curled his lips into a smile full of meaning.

"Hmm, fifty taels. That's quite a lot. Plenty of apprentices work until they die without ever saving that much. If you can afford it, you must have some unusual connections."

He casually tossed the pouch onto a nearby weapon rack. It landed with a heavy thud. Then he changed tack, his tone as flat as if he were discussing something trivial.

"But that alone isn't enough."

Fifty taels wasn't enough?

Jiang Feng's heart sank.

He had expected Tie Rong to be greedy, but not this greedy.

The silver he'd gotten from the Sun Family amounted to only a little over a hundred taels in all. Fifty taels was already the most he was willing to hand over.

But looking at Tie Rong now, even if he emptied his pockets, it might not be enough to fill that bottomless mouth.

Besides, even if he satisfied the man, would he really end up any better off?

Putting all his hopes in the hands of an outsider was simply too risky.

Once he thought it through, Jiang Feng's expression turned serious again. He met Tie Rong's gaze and asked without showing any deference.

"Steward Tie, there's no conflict between Steward Xue and me, and I have no ambition to take the position of steward of the Guard Hall.

"I only want to cultivate in peace and be an ordinary guard.

"May I ask where my quarters are? When will I be taught the Medicine Hall guards' cultivation techniques?"

Jiang Feng was plainly refusing Tie Rong's demand for money.

The warmth slowly drained from Tie Rong's smile, and his voice turned cold, laced with an unmistakable threat.

"Jiang Feng, I've said all this because I think you have potential. Don't bring trouble on yourself."

Jiang Feng said nothing. He simply met Tie Rong's gaze, calm and unflinching.

Seeing that Jiang Feng had made up his mind not to hand over another coin, Tie Rong stopped pretending. He picked up two tattered booklets from beside him and flung them at Jiang Feng as if they were trash, his tone cold as he dismissed someone who meant nothing to him.

"These are the techniques you wanted. Take them and practice on your own.

"The instructors in the Guard Hall are all busy. No one has time to guide you.

"Also, housing in the Guard Hall is tight. I've already spoken with Xue Zhao, so for now, you can keep living where you were before."

Tie Rong wasn't even bothering to keep up the act anymore. When he couldn't get the money, he showed his true colors.

Jiang Feng couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on him. He picked up the two manuals and turned toward the door.

Just as he was about to step over the threshold, Tie Rong's low, gloomy voice drifted slowly from behind him, each word driven home like a nail.

"Jiang Feng, if you walk out of here, and something happens to you in the Guard Hall later, don't say I didn't warn you."

That was an outright threat.

Jiang Feng stopped and gave Tie Rong a cold look over his shoulder. Without another word, he pushed open the door and strode out without looking back.