Private Payment

"Alas, not only is Li City in chaos now, but the south is even more so. My escort business is better than before, but it's also much more dangerous.

If I didn't have a large family to support, I, your brother, would really want to retire from this line of work!" Zhuo Xingji said sympathetically upon hearing their conversation.

"My restaurant has its tables flipped several times a day. If this continues, the restaurant will be demolished sooner or later!" Jiao Yongbao said with a dejected look.

"With the constant territorial disputes and fights between the various gangs, Master is worried about the martial arts school getting involved in gang conflicts. We've stopped recruiting new apprentices, and our income has plummeted!" Yuchi Xiao sighed in agreement.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the private room became oppressive and somber, losing its previous festive and sensual mood.

"If it's really impossible, we'll just move!" Xia Daoming said with a broad smile.

"Moving isn't that easy! Besides, the war in the provincial capital is raging, and it might spread throughout the entire southern region.

If we want to go, we can only go north or to other provinces. But the northern lands are harsh and cold, and we're often raided by the Tianhe people, making it even worse than here.

As for other provinces, the journey is long and arduous, and who knows how many hardships we'll face along the way. Once we arrive, we'll be strangers in a strange land, and starting over will definitely be difficult," Liu Xiaoqiang sighed faintly.

"That's right. Since neither side is taking a stance, it's better to wait and see what happens and stay put," Yuchi Xiao said.

Xia Daoming smiled noncommittally.

If a change were to occur, and they were caught in the sweep of events, he doubted they would have a choice but to take a side!

However, Xia Daoming was confident that by then, he would have likely reached the Eighth-Rank realm.

With his strength, he would be fully qualified to lead the people of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School away.

Therefore, he didn't object to Yuchi Xiao's suggestion of waiting and seeing.

"By the way, Daoming, are you interested in escorting a few more shipments with me? If you agree, you won't have to do any of the preparation work. I'll arrange everything perfectly. You just need to come along, and I'll give you seventy percent of the profits!" Zhuo Xingji suddenly said.

"Seventy percent of the profits!" Yuchi Xiao and the others were all greatly surprised to hear this, and Xia Daoming was no exception.

"That's right, seventy percent!" Zhuo Xingji nodded. "Master said that your true strength is comparable to a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master. With your help escorting the goods, it will be much safer.

Moreover, with the current chaotic situation, you are the hope for the rise of our Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School. You must improve your cultivation as quickly as possible, which will definitely require a large amount of money."

Only then did everyone understand that Zhuo Xingji was willing to give up so much profit, not just for his own escort agency, but also for the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.

"Thank you for your kind offer, senior brother. I'm not short of money recently. However, if you really have any tricky escorts that need my help, as long as they don't go too far, I, your junior brother, will definitely help," Xia Daoming said, cupping his hands as he understood.

Since his trip to the provincial capital didn't work out last time, he still had sixty to seventy thousand taels of silver on hand. How could he be short of money?

Not only was he not short of money, but he also had some high-year-old Ice-Cold Purple Ganoderma, and just two or three plants could be worth the entire fortune of the senior brothers and sisters present.

"What are you thanking me for, fellow disciples? Since you're not short of money, then forget it!" Zhuo Xingji said, waving his hand with a smile.

Perhaps it was because they were discussing the current situation in Li City, but the entertainment at the pleasure house tonight was pure, and no one had any intention of seeking out romantic encounters.

Soon, the music ended, and they dispersed.

Before leaving, Liu Xiaoqiang specifically kept Xia Daoming behind, pulled him aside, and stuffed a brocade bag into his arms.

"What is this for, senior sister?" Xia Daoming asked, looking confused.

"Senior brother Yuchi and the others are all crude and stubborn. They don't even consider that you only hold a teaching position at Master's place, so you don't have much income!

You saying you have money is just to fool them, but you can't fool me! I've saved up some money over the years from running this pleasure house.

Take this and use it to buy more elixirs to improve your cultivation. You are the hope for the martial arts school's rise. In the future, this pleasure house of mine will need your protection," Liu Xiaoqiang said.

Xia Daoming was stunned.

What was this?

Did he have an extraordinary talent for being a kept man?

It was one thing to come to the pleasure house for free, bah, it was fine to just listen to music for free, but now they were throwing money at him!

Was this considered selling himself to support me?

"Senior sister, earning this money wasn't easy for you, and I can't possibly..." Xia Daoming reached into his embrace to pull out the brocade bag.

"What? Do you think my money is unclean and you look down on it?" Liu Xiaoqiang grabbed Xia Daoming's hand, preventing him from taking it out.

"What are you saying, senior sister! Your money isn't stolen or robbed; it's hard-earned blood and sweat. What's unclean about it!" Xia Daoming said righteously.

"Then why aren't you taking it? If you want to improve your cultivation quickly, you need to spend money!" Liu Xiaoqiang said.

"I really have money!" Xia Daoming said.

"Don't lie. You came from a small town in the northern region, and you spent a lot of money to study under a master. Even if you had some savings originally, after a year, you would have spent most of it. Where else would you get money from!" Liu Xiaoqiang said impatiently.

"I stole it!" Xia Daoming blurted out.

Liu Xiaoqiang was slightly stunned, then gritted her teeth and said, "Are you going to take it or not? If you don't, then don't come here to listen to music anymore!"

"This..." Xia Daoming was stunned again.

Others came and couldn't listen to music without paying.

He, on the other hand, wouldn't be allowed to listen if he didn't accept the money.

"Alright, I'll take the money for now. Senior sister, don't give up on your martial arts cultivation either. Buy more elixirs when you need them for replenishment. You're still young, and your future is long. Senior brother Jiao can refine Hidden Strength again, so you can definitely do it too," Xia Daoming finally accepted the money.

With things having reached this point, if he didn't accept it, it would truly seem like he looked down on running a pleasure house.

"You don't need to tell me that. If I can cultivate, who wouldn't want to cultivate and avoid being bullied! It's just that I can't compare to senior brother Jiao!" Liu Xiaoqiang sighed faintly.

"As the saying goes, you're never too old to learn. Anything is possible, Senior Sister, you can definitely do it!" Xia Daoming said.

"Alright, alright, Senior Sister knows! Hurry back, lest your Lian'er worry," Liu Xiaoqiang said, smiling as she poked Xia Daoming's forehead.

"Hehe! Then I'll be going," Xia Daoming said.

With that, Xia Daoming turned and left.

Watching Xia Daoming's retreating back, a hint of loneliness flickered in Liu Xiaoqiang's eyes.

"Master, you're back! Lian'er will go prepare a bath for you right away," Xia Daoming said as soon as he returned home. Liu Qiaolian stepped forward and curtsied.

"No need to rush, I have to go out again," Xia Daoming said, heading straight for the inner room in the backyard.

Beneath the bed in the inner room was a connected underground secret chamber.

This secret chamber was where he hid his treasures.

Only he and Liu Qiaolian knew about it.

He took out the brocade bag he was holding and poured out the silver notes, counting them. He was stunned to find there were over six thousand taels.

"Sigh, this life of living off my wife makes me feel uneasy!"

After a long while, Xia Daoming sighed and put the silver notes and the brocade bag into the money box.

Then, he took out two small jade bottles from another box.

One was empty, and the other contained Longevity Jade Liquid.

He had obtained this bottle of Longevity Jade Liquid from Lin Lu, the steward of the Shi Family. The amount was less than half of the bottle he had from Xu Zhiji.

However, it was still worth over thirty thousand taels, and it was something that money couldn't buy. He wondered where Lin Lu, a mere steward of the Shi Family, had gotten it from.

Xia Daoming poured half of it into the empty bottle, then put the other half back into the box to store it safely.

Half of it was worth nearly twenty thousand taels, which wasn't a huge sum for Xia Daoming nowadays.

The main reason was that Longevity Jade Liquid was currently unavailable for purchase in Li City. Xia Daoming felt it was best to keep a little on hand for emergencies.

Holding the small half-bottle of Longevity Jade Liquid, Xia Daoming soon returned to the Jade Flower Pavilion.

PS: The main elements of this book are Xianxia, but some slice-of-life, relaxed, and show-off elements will be added appropriately. We hope to bring you a different reading experience.

Thank you to "The World is Like a Chess Game, Half a Page of History" for the ten thousand reward, and thank you to book friends like "Little Lotus 005", "ricky007", and "A Thousand Searches in the Night Rain", "20211216094838620" for their rewards.