Promise!

Chapter 114, Family Status

After Xing Yan's recommendation, Zhuang Jin was assigned to the north of the city next month as the garrison commander of Dongqiaowu Town. After registering and obtaining the certificate, he moved to the medicinal fields outside the city. After moving his things over, he estimated that it was about time, so he asked Chen Yun to take Yu Xiaoxiao, Min Shang, and the servants to pack up, while he went to the 'capital' for a meeting.

— Like 'street' and 'ward', 'du' is a geographical unit. Ten wards make up a du, and a garrison is set up in the du. The garrison of a du is usually within the boundaries of ten jing.

Zhuang Jin arrived neither too early nor too late; at this time, six or seven other town and village guards had also arrived.

Of the ten wards and towns in Yidu, Zhuang Jin only knew one: Liu Licheng, the ward and town governor of Pingshuibo. He was the same ward and town governor who had joined forces with Dongqiaowu in August and September, but Liu had not yet arrived.

He thought for a moment and went up to greet the other town wards, but they were all indifferent and did not even introduce themselves, clearly unwilling to make friends.

'We're complete strangers, and I haven't offended them, so why are they acting this way? If it were just one or two, maybe they don't like me, but five or six of them are like this...'

Zhuang Jin pondered for a moment and came up with the answer: background!
The other town and ward guards were all original members of the Shen family who learned martial arts through connections, while he was recruited from outside martial arts schools. Due to his different background, the other town and ward guards viewed him as an outsider, instinctively feeling that his interests were being infringed upon, and subconsciously rejecting him.

The reason why we didn't feel this before from the first to the sixth level is that, to some extent, the first to the third level are low-grade consumables, and the fourth to the sixth level are just high-grade consumables. Would you care where the consumables come from?
When it came to the seventh level, things were different. Their social status underwent a qualitative change. These town and village officials discovered that the former consumables were now on equal footing with them. How could they accept this psychologically?

"The higher you go, the fewer and more crowded the positions become, and the more closed and feudal it becomes, placing more emphasis on birth and social status," Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly.

This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way. In Miao Lun's case, Zhao Bin had played a part in this. If it weren't for the intervention of the Eighth and Ninth Young Masters, another head of the Enforcement Division, You Donglai, would probably have been biased as well... After his promotion last month, back at the medicinal fields outside the city, it was the same. The difference in levels between the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Masters was too great, so it was normal that he received few visits. But the other district garrisons were also indifferent and observing, with none of them coming over...

Zhuang Jin had sensed this before, but now he understood it more deeply: 'This is just like the old aristocracy in his previous life. Faced with emerging capitalist forces, even though the latter's strength was already comparable to theirs, they were unwilling to admit it because of their arrogance and pride...'

This is a clash between old and new forces, which is unavoidable. Zhuang Jin is caught in the middle, whether willingly or not, but in fact, he is also involved.

It's because of his extremely high potential and his reputation for being grateful; otherwise, it would probably be more than just a cold attitude.

"So, whether by choice or by force, I've become a pioneer and spokesperson for recruiting martial arts performers? This kind of pioneering often means tragedy and sacrifice, and I don't want to play that role!"

Zhuang Jin pondered a strategy: 'Keep a low profile, show goodwill, and project an innocent image. If necessary, even agree with or endorse their views on social class, demonstrating a sense of humility and self-awareness, thus conforming to their class consciousness and avoiding being ostracized or targeted by everyone.'

As the first martial arts student recruited from outside the sect to break through the Seven Classics and enter the rentier class, doing so was actually a betrayal of his class. However, the interests of his class were not the same as his interests. He betrayed his class, but he had a flexible moral bottom line.

"I'll ensure I'm not ganged up on or targeted by everyone, buying myself time and space to focus on improving my strength! Right now, our strengths are roughly equal, which is why they feel uncomfortable; but once I surpass them, and strength reigns supreme in martial arts, it will bring them to their senses; and when the gap becomes too large, these people won't even be able to feel jealous!"

For example, would Xiang Qichen still be jealous of him now?

As Zhuang Jin pondered these things, Liu Licheng arrived. This man was quite amiable, unlike the other town and ward officials.

This is not surprising. First, the two knew each other before. In August and September, Zhuang Jin turned the tide twice, which also benefited Liu Licheng. Second, the two gangs were working together. Zhuang Jin's Dongqiaowu and Liu Licheng's Pingshuibo were partners who had to attack together and entrust each other with each other's backs. Naturally, they could not be as indifferent as others.

This time, with Liu Licheng's introduction, and Zhuang Jin's extremely 'sensible' and 'understanding' behavior, the other town ward guards' attitudes softened slightly, at least they nodded. Afterwards, they gave Zhuang Jin some more information, such as the town ward guard's name being Guo Liangping, a Tenth-Level cultivator, with a rigid and meticulous personality, who hated subordinates faltering in carrying out orders, and whose style was swift and decisive…

Not long after, Guo Liangping, the garrison commander, arrived. He was a middle-aged man with a bronze complexion, sharp eyes, and a capable air about him, as if he had come from a military background.

"Given the current situation in the north of the city, in August and September, the Medicine King Gang engaged in several borderline activities. Last month, our Shen family retaliated by mobilizing some of the Six Classics in the south of the city. The Medicine King Gang couldn't hold out and voluntarily backed down. Both sides agreed on clear rules. Now, for each ward, there are six street guards, with a configuration of two Six Classics, two Five Classics, and two Four Classics..."

Guo Liangping pointed out on the sand table: "In early August, in the northern part of the city, our Shen family occupied two-thirds and the Medicine King Gang occupied one-third. Now, our Shen family occupies five-sixths and the Medicine King Gang is left with only one-sixth. The next goal is to further compress the area until the Medicine King Gang is completely driven out of the northern part of the city!"

Because of this compression, the Medicine King Gang's territory has shrunk. In August, Dongqiaowu was still considered a frontline town, bordering the Medicine King Gang's territory, but now it's long gone. The current model is to attack in units of two towns, in conjunction with other "capitals," rotating to the front lines while other towns provide support.

By drawing lots, Zhuang Jindongqiaowu and Liu Lichengpingshuibo were to launch an attack on the front lines on the evening of the sixth day of the lunar new year.

Because the Medicine King Gang had repeatedly skirted the rules, the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang had set a new set of rules. As a result, most of the town and village guards distrusted the Medicine King Gang, especially since they had just gained an advantage last month. Based on their experience, they instinctively thought that the Medicine King Gang should retaliate, so they were not very proactive. When they saw that Zhuang Jin and Liu Licheng were chosen to go to the front line for the first time this month, they were secretly gloating.

However, Zhuang Jin believes that since the two parties have just signed the contract, the Medicine King Gang will not violate it or try to circumvent it again, at least in the short term. It is relatively safe to strike first this month.

……

After the meeting, Zhuang Jin returned to the Dongqiaowufang residence, a spacious two-courtyard house with five rafters.

However, due to safety considerations, the courtyard is narrow and the walls are high, so the scenery is far inferior to that of Linjiang Xiaoxuan on Fujing Street. There is only one thing worth seeing: a flower bed made of granite, in which there are phoenix tail bamboo, roses, hibiscus, cockscomb and other flowers all year round.

Beside the flower bed was a dried-up pond, about ten feet square. Chen Yun asked a servant to place a bamboo pole split in half, and the long bamboo pole passed through the wall to draw water from the waterwheel outside. She also added three or five fish to the pond, which added some scenery to the otherwise unremarkable courtyard.

The advantage is that it is spacious enough, with enough rooms to accommodate Yu Xiaoxiao and Min Shang.

When Zhuang Jin returned, everything was already tidied up. They ate, cultivated, and went to bed early tonight, as there was a meeting inside the workshop tomorrow.

……

The next day was the first day of the twelfth lunar month.

Zhuang Jin went to the neighboring camp for a meeting, and among the ordinary martial artists waiting outside, he unexpectedly saw a familiar face.

……

(End of this chapter)