Qin Hu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the five young faces before him as he spoke in a low voice.
"Starting today, you belong to the Crouching Tiger Manor's Guard Team. There are a few rules we need to make clear first."
He walked over to the stone table in the middle of the courtyard, picked up a booklet, and casually flipped through it.
"A guard's duties fall into six main categories."
"First, guarding the Spirit Herb Garden and the Pill Room. These are the manor's highest priorities. Spirit herbs and pills are its lifeblood, and we cannot afford even the slightest mishap."
"Second, protecting the Forge Room and the Armory. The manor's weapons may not bring in as much money as its pills, but they're still an important source of income."
"Third, escorting supplies. The manor's pills have to be transported to the inner city, and raw materials have to be brought back from various places. Mountain bandits and highway robbers may appear along the way, so we need people to escort the shipments."
"Fourth, daily patrols and training. Both the Inner Court and the outer court must be patrolled to keep sneaking scoundrels out. You can't neglect your training, either. If you aren't strong enough, how can you protect the manor?"
"Fifth, handling emergencies. Whether someone's causing trouble, a thief has slipped in, or a disciple has stirred up a mess, the guards have to step in."
"Sixth, internal security. Things aren't always peaceful within the manor, either. You should know that where people gather, disorder follows. Someone has to maintain order."
Qin Hu closed the booklet, his gaze sharp as lightning. "Your individual assignments will be determined by the duty roster. Since you're new, you haven't been added yet. That will have to wait until tomorrow."
Liu Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief at this and muttered, "Good, good. One more day to take it easy."
Qin Hu shot him a glare, and Liu Zhuang immediately shut his mouth.
"So your main task today is to familiarize yourselves with the Inner Court."
Qin Hu continued, "Where the Spirit Herb Garden is, where the Pill Room is, where the Forge Room is, where the Armory is, where the Dining Hall is, and where the dormitories are-you must commit all of that to memory!"
"Go to the wrong place, and you'll get a scolding at best or a beating at worst. Understood?"
"Understood!" they answered in unison.
Qin Hu nodded, then said, "Next, I'll explain the guards' ranks and monthly pay."
He held up three fingers. "From highest to lowest, the guard ranks are first-class, second-class, third-class, and fourth-class."
"Above first-class is the Guard Commander. At present, Commander Li is the only one."
"As for monthly pay, the higher your rank, the more you get. It more or less multiplies as you move up."
Their eyes lit up at this.
Mo Yun also pricked up his ears and listened closely.
"Fourth-class guards receive one tael a month, third-class guards receive three, second-class guards receive five, and first-class guards receive ten."
Qin Hu paused, then added, "I won't go into the Guard Commander's pay, because I don't know it myself."
Liu Zhuang swallowed and asked quietly, "Master Qin, then right now we're..."
"You've only just joined, so you're fourth-class, of course." Qin Hu glanced at him. "But don't be discouraged. There are opportunities for promotion every month, usually at the end of the month or the beginning of the next."
His tone shifted, growing serious. "Eligibility for the promotion assessment is closely tied to your martial cultivation."
"Only after reaching mid bright strength can you apply for the third-class guard promotion assessment. Commander Li arranges that assessment."
"Upon reaching late bright force, you're eligible to apply for the second-class guard promotion assessment. Commander Li arranges that one, too."
"Upon reaching peak bright force, you're eligible to apply for the first-class guard promotion assessment. Again, Commander Li arranges it."
"If you break through to dark force, you're eligible to apply for the Guard Commander promotion assessment. That assessment is arranged personally by the Village Master."
By the end, a note of wistfulness had crept into Qin Hu's voice. "There are only so many Guard Commander positions. At present, Commander Li is the only one, so several dark force guards, myself included, are still first-class."
Mo Yun nodded thoughtfully.
Looking at the five people before him, Qin Hu couldn't help frowning in thought.
"The caliber of the manor's menial workers keeps improving," he murmured.
"A few years ago, menial workers could generally pass the assessment and become fourth-class guards as soon as they broke through to early bright strength."
"Now, early bright strength is no longer quite enough. Most only pass after reaching mid bright strength."
He looked at them and said in a resonant voice, "It's the start of the month now, so you have almost a full month until the next assessment."
"Those of you at mid bright strength can put in some effort and see whether you can pass next month."
A keen gleam flashed in Zhao Gang's eyes, and he clenched his fists.
Anticipation also appeared on Zhou Ping's and Li Wei's faces.
Liu Zhuang, however, wore a miserable expression. He was only at early bright strength, so next month's assessment had nothing to do with him.
Seeming to recall something, Qin Hu's tone became especially grave. "But I must warn you: the promotion assessments are exceptionally fierce. Fists and feet have no eyes. Injuries and deaths are very possible during the bouts, so prepare yourselves mentally."
Their expressions all shifted at his words.
Mo Yun's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he made up his mind.
I'll work hard this month and improve my strength as much as possible, then aim to secure my promotion next month.
"All right, let's get back to the monthly pay," Qin Hu continued.
"As fourth-class guards, you'll receive one tael a month. In addition, you'll enjoy the privilege of buying pills and weapons at in-house prices."
"You'll also have the manor's protection when you're outside. If you run into trouble, you can invoke its name."
Mo Yun's eyes lit up at the mention of buying pills.
That was exactly what he had wanted to ask about.
The others also stared intently at Qin Hu, clearly just as concerned.
The difference in cultivation efficiency with and without pills was enormous.
Qin Hu smiled. "I'll show you around the manor in a moment. When we get there, I'll tell you where to buy pills and weapons."
Everyone felt reassured.
Qin Hu glanced at the sky and announced, "All right, that's enough talk for today. I'll show you around now, then we'll collect your waist tokens and uniforms."
Mo Yun began to feel a little anticipation.
But just then-
A burly figure suddenly strode into the courtyard.
His heavy footsteps pounded against the stone slabs with resounding thuds.
Mo Yun turned to look. It was Commander Li.
Commander Li's brows were furrowed, and his expression seemed somewhat grave.
He walked straight up to Mo Yun and said in a low voice, "Mo, something has happened at home. You need to go back right away."
Mo Yun's heart lurched, missing half a beat.
"Commander Li, is my sister..."
"Don't panic." Commander Li patted his shoulder, his tone steady. "According to the messenger, the situation isn't too serious yet. Go home right away. If you run into trouble you can't resolve, invoke the manor's name."
He paused, looked Mo Yun in the eye, and said each word distinctly. "You're part of the manor now, and under its protection."
"Thank you, Commander Li!"
Mo Yun said nothing more. His expression was frighteningly cold. After cupping his fist in thanks, he turned and left.
There was no need to think about it. Something had happened to his sister.
Qin Hu frowned as he watched Mo Yun leave, then turned to Commander Li. "What's going on?"
Commander Li shook his head. "It's still unclear. The messenger only said something had happened at Mo Yun's home and that he needed to return immediately."
He called after Mo Yun, "There's no rush to come back. Take care of things at home first!"
Without looking back, Mo Yun waved a hand and strode toward the manor's main gate.
Watching Mo Yun leave, Liu Zhuang muttered, "Brother Mo, please don't let anything happen to you..."
Zhao Gang remained expressionless. Zhou Ping and Li Wei exchanged a glance, but neither spoke.
Commander Li withdrew his gaze and looked at Qin Hu. "Keep showing them around. When Mo Yun returns, I'll personally show him the place."
Qin Hu nodded without saying anything more.
Before you continue