Ultimate True Lord

Upon hearing this, Liu Mao smiled knowingly and casually offered his guidance.

"This is not difficult. I will accompany you to your master later to report and register."

"The major security escort agencies in the city, the police station of the prefectural government, the Qian and Li families in the inner city, and the Shengji Grain Store in the east of the city often come to our martial arts school to ask for people."

"With the title of official disciple, as long as you're willing to put in the effort, you won't have to worry about finding a job. However, since you've just joined, the salary won't be very high."

Hearing this, Wang Zheng chimed in casually, adding, "Escort agencies face danger, but the pay is the highest. Police work is stable and respectable. Working as a bodyguard for a wealthy family is easy and hassle-free. You should weigh the pros and cons yourself."

Su Ling didn't reply, but stood aside with her arms crossed, her expression indifferent, clearly not caring about such mundane matters of livelihood.

Liu Mao added a few more reminders: "These few jobs will definitely be enough to cover your daily expenses. It's just that we martial artists need to nourish ourselves with medicine and food to cultivate our internal energy, and that's where the real expenses come from."

"Escorting goods is dangerous, but the pay is the highest. Other jobs may not offer such lucrative income."

Jiang Ming nodded, finally understanding how important it was to have someone to mentor and support him. He wouldn't have to do chores, and could save time to focus entirely on his training. Like Fang Heng, he didn't need to worry about these issues at all.

But without funding, it's a different story. You either risk your life to make a fortune, or find a stable job and endure a lack of medicine and food, unable to cultivate freely. It seems almost impossible to have both.

"Think about it yourself. I'll take you to see your master later."

Liu Mao gave a brief explanation, and then chatted with his two senior brothers and sisters about Hengjiangquan.

Jiang Ming turned around thoughtfully and walked to the side. He really needed to think about whether it would be better to go to the escort agency or to the police force.

One side of the inner courtyard.

As Jiang Ming was weighing his options, Fang Heng walked over slowly. Perhaps because they were both formal disciples, he toned down his arrogance when facing outer disciples, speaking in a calm tone, but his sense of superiority was impossible to hide.

"I advise you not to put too much effort into choosing a job."

Fang Heng glanced at him lightly and slowly said, "Even if you work yourself to death to obtain the medicine and food, with your aptitude, there is basically no hope of breaking through the brown sand level."

"Of course, if someone is willing to mentor and support them, there might be a sliver of a chance. Unfortunately, no one will waste resources on someone with mediocre potential."

He paused slightly, his tone carrying an unspoken sense of pride, after all, he had already received generous financial assistance from two senior brothers a month ago.

However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps were heard from not far away.

Wen Jin, accompanied by another formal disciple, walked slowly in, a slight smile on his lips. He looked directly at Jiang Ming and spoke with a firm and resolute tone.

"Junior Brother Jiang, my Wen family is about to expand our herb-gathering team and we are in need of a strong martial artist to escort us. The reward is generous."

"Normally, all you need to do is follow the herb-gathering team, guard against bandits and mountain bandits along the way, and ensure the safety of the team. You don't need to worry about any other miscellaneous matters."

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng's smug expression froze instantly, and his look darkened. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes, and he felt a slight tightness in his chest.

He had just said that no one was willing to sponsor Jiang Ming when Wen Jin publicly contradicted him, clearly a deliberate attempt to antagonize him.

Wen Jin caught a glimpse of Fang Heng's discomfiture out of the corner of his eye, and a strange sense of satisfaction welled up inside him. He and Fang Heng had always been at odds; Fang Heng thought Jiang Ming was unworthy of investment, so he was determined to do the opposite!

Helping Jiang Ming was just a small favor for him; the Wen family wasn't short of money.

Jiang Ming is also a cultivator with a strong and vigorous cultivation level, so using him wouldn't be a bad deal. This way, he can also infuriate Fang Heng, making it an extremely worthwhile investment.

Standing between the two, Jiang Ming's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this, clearly not expecting such a sudden turn of events. He had offended Fang Heng, yet he had unexpectedly gained a benefit from it.

But he quickly suppressed that emotion and his expression returned to calm.

Jiang Ming cupped his hands to Wen Jin and solemnly said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother Wen. I accept this task."

He knew perfectly well that he was currently short of money and desperately needed funds to buy medicine and food for practicing his martial arts, so he had no room to refuse.

Even knowing that this was a battle of egos between Wen Jin and Fang Heng, he still had to seize this opportunity.

"Good, that's great!" Wen Jin smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, then raised her hand in acknowledgment, her tone light and cheerful.

"Since it's settled, I happen to be going home for a bit. You can come with me later to familiarize yourself with the herb-gathering team and understand the procedures as soon as possible."

The formal disciples of the martial arts school can come and go as they please without having to report to anyone. After all, they need to earn money to practice their skills and cannot be confined to the inner courtyard indefinitely.

All you need to do is set aside some time each month to go back to the school, exchange ideas with your fellow students, and ask your master for guidance.

Jiang Ming immediately cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Wen, please wait a moment. I had already made an appointment with Third Senior Brother to go with him to Master to report on my duties. I need to tell him first, so please wait a moment, Senior Brother."

Upon hearing this, Wen Jin chuckled softly, her tone resolute as she offered her advice.

"Why bother with all that? There's no need to look for those ordinary jobs. I'm already paying you quite well. Aren't you working yourself to the bone just to exchange them for the medicinal food for your cultivation?"

"My Wen family is one of the most renowned medicinal herb families in the city. I can even directly convert your portion of the escort fee into the equivalent of top-grade medicinal herbs at the Wen family's internal low price."

"It's much more cost-effective than buying it yourself outside, and it's enough for your daily cultivation needs."

"Why bother finding another job and wasting your training time?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately nodded: "What Senior Brother says is absolutely right. I had not considered this carefully. In that case, I will leave it to Senior Brother's arrangements."

At the Red Sand Martial Arts School, seniority is determined solely by the order in which one becomes a formal disciple, regardless of when one joins the school. Wen Jin became a disciple before him, so it was only natural for Jiang Ming to address him as "senior brother."

A moment later, after informing Senior Brother Liu, Wen Jin left with Jiang Ming and another person.

Inside the courtyard, Fang Heng stood there, his face grim. He watched the figures of the group leaving together, his heart filled with resentment, but he was unwilling to lose his composure here.

So he could only suppress his displeasure and remain silent.

Fang Heng composed himself, his eyes still brimming with arrogance. With his talent, as long as he focused on martial arts training and reached the brown sand and red sand levels as soon as possible, he would definitely be able to leave these people far behind.

By then, their current confrontations will be nothing more than trivial squabbles.

……

……

In the afternoon, the sky was clear and blue, with a few wisps of thin clouds drifting lazily across the horizon, and warm sunlight shining through the clouds.

The sunlight shone directly onto the black plaque with gold lettering on the vermilion gate, making the four characters "Wen's Pharmacy" shine brightly and reveal their brilliance.

Jiang Ming stood at the entrance, gazing into the distance. High walls enclosed a neat courtyard, the gray brick walls straight and thick, the eaves undulating in a continuous line.

You can even faintly see the branches of the ancient trees in the courtyard reaching out over the wall.

A gentle breeze carried the rich aroma of herbs wafting from the gate, deep and lingering, suggesting a profound cultural heritage.

"Click."

At the entrance of Wen's Pharmacy, two servants stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door. Wen Jin stepped to the side, raised his hand, and spoke calmly.

"Junior Brother Jiang, please come in with me."