Qin Hu told Mo Yun and Zhao Gang to wait at the manor's south gate. A few third-class guards would join them later to head down the mountain.
"You two are mainly going to broaden your horizons this time. If anything comes up, let the veterans handle it. Don't try to show off."
Qin Hu seemed to have other business. After that brief reminder, he hurried away.
After saying goodbye to a rather dejected Liu Zhuang, Mo Yun headed to the south gate with Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang was extraordinarily burly, as powerfully built as a black bear. Walking beside Mo Yun, he made Mo Yun's fairly impressive build look like that of a scrawny dog.
They walked side by side, their shadows-one broad, one slender-forming a stark contrast on the ground.
After walking for a while, Mo Yun asked, "Zhao Gang, have you been on patrol lately too?"
"Mm." Zhao Gang nodded, his voice betraying little emotion. "Newly promoted manor guards only handle patrols at first."
He was a man of few words and fell silent afterward, his steady, powerful steps thudding against the blue stone slabs.
Mo Yun asked again, "How much do you know about collecting rent?"
Rather than answer directly, Zhao Gang raised his thick arm and gestured around them.
Puzzled, Mo Yun followed the direction of his finger. All he saw were stretches of wooded mountains, scattered villages, and winding paths. Nothing seemed particularly unusual.
Seeing that he still did not understand, Zhao Gang offered a few more words, which was rare for him.
"Everything you can see belongs to the manor."
He had been at the manor for two years and knew a little about most things.
He pointed toward a distant mountain range. "See those mountains? That's Azure Cloud Ridge. They're covered in