Taking the Mistress into Service

"Qiao Xiao, you can't go. I know what you're planning to do.

The Gu Family has always stood upright. We neither steal nor rob, and our hands are clean.

I will never let you do evil just so I can cling to life. I would rather die," Gu Hanyan said.

"You're planning to rob a bank, or plunder some wealthy household?" Tang Wen finally understood.

"What else can I do? Where am I supposed to get tens of thousands of taels?" the Bamboo-Hat Guest said helplessly.

"You may be a strong martial artist, but every member of the Six Fan Gate is formidable. You wouldn't fear them one-on-one, but if several attacked you together, you would certainly die," Tang Wen said.

The Six Fan Gate was a specialized agency established by the Great Chu Dynasty, commanding all the constables in the country. The court had created it specifically to deal with powerful martial artists.

Every province had a Six Fan Hall under the Six Fan Gate, overseeing all martial-world affairs within that province.

Its role was much like that of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard. Its members only stepped in when the constables could not handle a situation.

The minimum requirement for joining the Six Fan Gate was the Eighth-Rank Inner Astral Realm. A provincial hall master would certainly be an expert in the Sixth-Rank Realm—a powerhouse in the outer astral realm whose strength exceeded several thousand.

Experts in the outer astral realm could already project their inner astral energy outward and strike people from a distance.

Of course, their effective range was limited to about thirty feet. Any farther, and they could only stare helplessly.

"My mistress saved my life. It's only right that I give it back to her," the Bamboo-Hat Guest said resolutely.

"Qiao Xiao, if you dare go, I won't take any medicine! You know my temperament. I will never let you ruin the Gu Family's name," Gu Hanyan said.

"But you'll die if I don't go! How can I let that happen, Mistress? I'm useless, useless!" Qiao Xiao dropped to his knees, hot tears streaming down both cheeks.

"It's not as though there's no way to save her," Tang Wen said.

"What way, Master Tang? Tell me! If you can save my mistress, my life is yours." Qiao Xiao looked pleadingly at Tang Wen.

"I'll pay the tens of thousands of taels of silver. But all of you must join the Tang household and sell yourselves into servitude to repay the debt," Tang Wen said.

"Then I would rather die! You've probably had this all calculated from the start, haven't you?" Gu Hanyan sneered, looking at Tang Wen with contempt.

"You think I'm that eager to have you? Taking you in would mean shouldering a tremendous risk," Tang Wen retorted with a sneer.

"What risk? You have the silver. It's only a few tens of thousands of taels. Besides, our Qiao Xiao is stronger than all your guards. He's an expert who can injure people from a distance," Qiao Xiao sneered.

"No one knows where your group came from. You came to Su Mei Island to hide from your enemies, didn't you?

If you're hiding from enemies, that means they're extremely powerful, since even you, Qiao Xiao, can't deal with them.

You can only hide in this remote place and cling to life. Am I right?

Tell me, wouldn't taking you in bring danger down on my own head?

Once you become servants of the Tang household,

the Tang household will have to shoulder your troubles. That's a tremendous risk," Tang Wen said.

"This isn't something martial arts can solve," Qiao Xiao said.

"You truly are perceptive, Master Tang," Ge Ziyun said. "Mistress, since Master Tang is willing to shoulder the burden, let us join the Tang household."

"I'm afraid he'll wet his pants once he learns the truth! Taking us in? What a joke!" Gu Hanyan scoffed.

"Forget it. Looks like I guessed right. You're right-I really would wet my pants in fright. Leave. The Tang household won't shoulder this risk." Tang Wen waved a hand and told Zhao Du, "Show them out!"

"A coward after all. Qiao Xiao, carry me away. Since Su Mei Island belongs to them, we won't stay here," Gu Hanyan said.

"Master Tang, we're willing to sell ourselves into servitude to the Tang household. We only ask that you save our mistress!" Qiao Xiao and Ge Ziyun knelt together.

"Your mistress says I'll wet my pants in fright, that I'm a coward. Wouldn't selling yourselves to a coward be a joke?" Tang Wen sneered.

"We've decided. Our mistress won't sell herself, but the two of us will," Ge Ziyun said.

"You can sell yourselves, but you must all come together.

Your mistress has quite a sharp tongue, doesn't she? Then I, Tang Wen, will throw caution to the wind and play along.

But I want your mistress as my personal maid.

If you agree to that condition, I'll take you in. Otherwise, you must leave Paradise Island by five tomorrow evening," Tang Wen said.

"Master Tang, you're going too far!" Ge Ziyun and Qiao Xiao both shouted.

"Your personal maid? I would rather die," Gu Hanyan sneered.

"Your death would be no great loss. It's a pity your family will have to join you in the grave," Tang Wen said.

"What are you planning to do?" Qiao Xiao stood up and stared at Tang Ling, murderous intent rolling off him.

"Hasn't Gu Hanyan already passed this illness to her family? Their symptoms are merely milder for now. Before long, they'll end up just like her," Tang Wen said.

"Th-they won't." Struck in her most vulnerable spot, Gu Hanyan spoke with anguish written across her face.

"You're only deceiving yourself. Aren't their current symptoms much like yours were in the beginning?

It won't take long. In ten days, the illness will erupt in full.

In a month, your whole family can gather for a meal in hell," Tang Wen said.

"Save them. My death would be no loss." Gu Hanyan broke down completely and pleaded with him.

"Mistress, please agree to Master Tang's terms. Otherwise..." Ge Ziyun said.

"I can sell myself. I can wash clothes and cook, but I won't be your personal maid." Gu Hanyan yielded.

"Your personal service is exactly what I want! That's my only condition! No bargaining!" Tang Wen said domineeringly.

"You... you..." Tears fell from Gu Hanyan's eyes. "Fine. I agree."

With that, she closed her eyes in anguish and cried, "Father, Mother! Your daughter has failed you! I've sold the Gu Family. From now on, we're slaves. I, Hanyan, have been an unfilial daughter! Unfilial!"

"Ge Ziyun, you write the contracts of servitude." Tang Wen called for Zhan Junru to bring paper and a brush.

Zhan Junru's expression looked rather unhappy, however. She seemed a little jealous.

"Heh, you and she will both be my personal maids. She's an older woman. What are you worried about?" Tang Wen smiled at her.

"Nothing, Master." Zhan Junru blushed and shook her head.

Two hours later, everyone in the Gu Family's group had joined the Tang household, including the several dozen people who followed them.

"Ding! You have accumulated one hundred Popularity and can initiate your fourth Spacetime Travel." Gu Hanyan had brought seventy or eighty people, and with those the Tang household had recruited over the past few days, the total had already passed the hundred mark.

Tang Wen hurriedly circulated his cultivation technique, ravenously absorbing Popularity.

He only stopped after a full two hours, feeling that his cultivation had increased again.

Tang Wen looked into the space and found that the data on the large screen had been updated again:

Popularity index: 388.

Land area: 2,338 qing.

Wealth index: 11,000 taels of gold.

Martial arts realm: half-step Eighth-Rank Realm.

Luggage capacity: 500 tons.

Travel duration: twenty-five days.

This time, his cultivation had only risen by half a grade. It seemed that advancement was faster in the beginning, and Popularity would become less effective at raising his cultivation later on.

His eyesight, however, had improved severalfold. He could clearly see a beetle as thick as a little finger fifty meters away.

Tang Wen reorganized the household guards, increasing their number to forty-just enough for a reinforced platoon.

He also appointed Qiao Xiao chief instructor, putting him in charge of drilling them.

At midnight, Tang Wen traveled back to Yunhai City.

This time, he was not only there to exchange money for silver. Building up his household guards was important too.

After all, the bloody lesson was right before his eyes. Tang Wen did not want anyone else to die.

So, besides everyday supplies, he also needed to purchase some basic military equipment.

For example, walkie-talkies, night-vision devices, small drones, camouflage uniforms...

Tang Wen also planned to bring a full set of special forces training equipment to Su Mei Island and have Qiao Xiao organize training for the household guards.

He wanted to build a modern fighting force that used cold weapons. Of course, its numbers would have to grow gradually.

Under the laws of Great Chu, a Third-Rank Baron could establish his own Personal Guard Army, but its strength was limited to around sixty men.

A First-Rank Baron could have a hundred men, while a First-Rank Viscount's limit rose to two hundred.

A First-Rank Earl could have a Personal Guard Army of four or five hundred men. As for marquises, their allowance soared straight past a thousand.

Thus, Tang Wen also had to consider how to raise his noble rank.

Promotions in rank, however, were usually tied to military merit. Tang Wen had no desire to join the army and die on the battlefield.

Of course, one might ask: if nobles all had their own Personal Guard Armies, wasn't the court afraid they would rebel?

Naturally, it was not. First, the Chu Kingdom did not have many nobles.

Moreover, the vast majority were members of the imperial Chu clan. Nobles with other surnames made up less than twenty percent of the country's total nobility.

Second, although the court allowed them that many men, most nobles simply could not afford to maintain so many.

Finally, even if they could afford them, the Chu Kingdom's army numbered several million. Their little force would not even be enough to fill a gap between its teeth.

If they plotted rebellion, the court's lackeys in the Six Fan Gate would catch the scent long before it happened. Before they could even rise up, they would probably be wiped out in one sweep.

This time, Tang Wen returned fully laden, bringing a full five hundred tons of supplies.