Leaving

Everyone from the Mountain Cloud School left.

Only a mess remained at the entrance to the council hall. The wooden doors that had been kicked down earlier lay scattered across the ground in splintered pieces, surrounded by drifting wood chips.

The crowd remained silent, their expressions all rather grim.

Although many martial artists had heard that those large martial academies and schools were exceedingly overbearing, and that their disciples looked down their noses at martial artists of ordinary birth with boundless arrogance and imperious airs—

They had never expected the Mountain Cloud School, the escort agency's backer, to be this outrageously tyrannical. Even toward its own subordinate forces, it showed not the slightest shred of respect.

Even the young master and chief escort, who clearly shared deep ties with them, had been treated with such contempt.

What baffled many of the veteran escorts even more—

Was that the group who had come to help the escort agency out of its predicament half a year ago had not worn such faces as they did now.

A seasoned escort stepped out from the crowd and looked at Li Mincheng in confusion. "Young Master, I remember that the school elders who came half a year ago did not have this sort of attitude. Why has it become like this now...?"

"...Because different factions exist within the Mountain Cloud School."

Li Mincheng spoke slowly, then fell silent again, as though unwilling to delve too deeply into the matter.

After all, things had come to this.

Now that the escort agency had accepted the sect's command token, the escorts and runners below had no choice but to remain and face what came next together.

Otherwise, once the Mountain Cloud School's experts came to hold them accountable—

Not only would the escort agency's upper ranks be punished by the sect, but even those who fled or avoided battle would be hunted for a thousand miles, with calamity extending even to their families.

That was the tyranny of a great martial sect.

The veteran escort saw Li Mincheng's distraught, lost-soul appearance. He wanted to speak but stopped himself, and did not press the question further.

At this moment, the chief escort looked around at the crowd and explained to the variously expressioned people, "Within the Mountain Cloud School, there are five great Dao Lineages, each led by a master of that lineage. Those people just now belonged to the Mystic Mountain Lineage, meaning they were subordinates of the vice sect master."

"We escorts, along with the three masters, all come from the Burning Cloud Lineage. The ones who drove away the Aofei Knights for us last time were people under the Blazing Cloud Dao Lord. For the past several decades, friction of every sort has persisted between the Blazing Cloud Dao Lord and the Mysterious Mountain Dao Lord."

"As for the Mountain Cloud School's current sect master, he comes from the Phosphorfire Lineage, which oversees discipline. He basically does not concern himself with the miscellaneous affairs below."

"Judging by their overbearing manner, I suspect that the handling of all matters involving subordinate forces has fallen into the Mystic Mountain Lineage's hands this time."

After hearing the chief escort's speculation, understanding dawned on the faces of many escorts present.

To put it bluntly—

Factional struggles existed within the Mountain Cloud School as well, and those who had come this time already bore grudges against the Dao Lineage behind the escort agency.

Li Mincheng shook his head, his voice low. "Uncle Yuchi, I don't understand. Even if the two Dao Lineages have bad blood between them, they are still disciples of the same school. With a great enemy at the gates, why must they act so crudely? Especially Ye Changting and the others—I have never actually had any direct conflict with him within the sect."

Always upright and impartial, he could not understand why the Dou'a Sect was about to come calling, yet the higher-ups of the sect still had to play such games.

Their subordinate forces had long received the sect's great favor, and naturally would not betray it or flee. Yet that arrogant, contemptuous attitude still chilled the heart of an Inner Disciple like him.

Because no matter how one looked at it, the sect command token issued to them was genuine. That meant some of the Mountain Cloud School's higher-ups had tacitly approved of the Mystic Mountain Lineage's actions.

"What that brat Ye Changting did was naturally ordered by someone behind him. Otherwise, would a disciple who had only just stepped into Marrow Tempering dare leap about before my face in front of the entire escort agency?"

The chief escort merely flashed a brilliant smile and patted Li Mincheng on the shoulder. "As for why internal disputes still exist with a great enemy at the gates—boy, you are still young. When you reach your thirties or forties and have seen more things like this, perhaps you will understand the reasons behind it."

He then clasped his hands to the crowd. "Everyone, disperse for now. Eat and drink as you should, and make your preparations well. These are troubled times, and the escort agency's various affairs will still require everyone's utmost efforts."

As for words such as, "The sect command token has been accepted, and none may flee at the last moment, or calamity will befall their families," he did not deliberately repeat them.

After all, what had just happened was laid bare before everyone.

Anyone who was not a fool could understand the stakes involved.

Though the escorts and runners present were filled with mixed feelings, they all returned the salute, voicing sentiments about going through fire and water for the escort agency without hesitation.

Several runners near the entrance made a simple cleanup of the shattered door, while everyone else filed out in a stream.

"Oh, right! Escorts at the Bone Tempering Stage and above, stay behind. We need to discuss some of the details of what comes next."

The chief escort stopped those senior, formidable escorts and had them remain behind.

"Let's go."

Seeing everyone heading out, Jiang Jingnian, standing in a corner, called to several colleagues beside him and prepared to leave with them.

All he could think about now was his desire to advance to the Inner Qi Realm.

That afternoon, he planned to visit several money houses and banks and use his status as an escort to borrow from them in turn—taking as much as he could get. Beyond legitimate lenders, he would find a few gangs and black markets to secure some private loans.

Private lending in this era—

Was also called "stamp money" or "fold money" by many common folk. The interest rates were extraordinarily high, roughly nine out and thirteen returned, with interest piling upon interest. There were also tricks like "beheading interest" and "monthly accounts," all terrifying beyond measure.

Once ordinary people got entangled in it, they basically had no hope of repaying it. Selling themselves into slavery was merely commonplace; those less fortunate would see their families shattered and their homes destroyed.

Yet Jiang Jingnian was naturally a hardened rogue in such matters, utterly unafraid.

Scouring the market for special items to purchase and strengthening himself was the top priority now.

"Brother Jiang, about Garden Celebration Hall..."

A runner followed at Jiang Jingnian's side and spoke softly.

"The chief escort and the others have more pressing matters to handle, so it would not be convenient to disturb them. We can inform those stewards later."

Jiang Jingnian waved a hand and answered casually.

His original plan had been to mention it to the chief escort after this regular meeting. But with this incident arising, the matter between them and Garden Celebration Hall was no longer so important.

"Wait, Jiang lad. You stay as well! Your master is away at the moment, so attend the meeting in his place."

Just as Jiang Jingnian and several colleagues stepped out of the council hall, he heard the chief escort call from behind him.

"Brother Jiang, this..."

Hearing the call, Chai Li and the others glanced at Jiang Jingnian beside them, their expressions complicated.

Jiang Jingnian merely smiled faintly and waved them off. "You go back first. I'm handling matters for my master."

With that, he moved against the stream of people leaving, turned around, and returned to the council hall.

By then, most of the people in the hall had already left.

More than a dozen veteran escorts sat around a broad long table.

The chief escort and Li Escort Chief sat in the central seats.

When Jiang Jingnian approached, the many escorts merely gave him a cursory glance and a slight nod, then turned their attention back to the two escort chiefs in the middle.

They did not think much of this newly promoted Blood Tempering Stage Martial Master.

They only afforded him basic respect for the sake of his master, Duan Escort Chief.

There had been rumors over the past two days that Jiang Jingnian's tough martial arts were powerful enough to rival a Bone Tempering Stage Martial Master, and that he had even defeated some expert from Garden Celebration Hall and driven back many people.

But such talk had all been whispered by a few runners and apprentices, and those spreading it were all direct subordinates of Duan Escort Chief—Jiang Jingnian's own colleagues.

The social maneuvering behind it was far too obvious, so most veteran escorts merely listened to such rumors and dismissed them with a smile.

And even if he truly rivaled the Bone Tempering Stage, so what?

At the end of the day, he was only a Blood Tempering Stage Martial Master who practiced tough martial arts.

He was not truly a Bone Tempering Stage Martial Master, much less comparable to a Marrow Tempering Stage expert.

"Come, Jiang lad. Take a seat first."

The chief escort raised his fat arm at Jiang Jingnian, signaling for him to find an empty seat and sit down.