Chapter 8. Guarding a Bond (1)

Just because I had completed my employment didn't mean the training was over. The intensity had decreased somewhat, but the training continued.

'Does this place not have any work?'

For some reason, there were more training sessions than actual work. Despite the overwhelming worry about the job, I decided to focus on the training for now.

This training session was about formation training.

Since situations involving group battles often occur for security escorts, formations are almost essential.

Of course, it wasn't something as complex as the 108 Arhats Formation or the Northern Dipper Azure Dragon Formation, but more like small-unit tactics commonly used in the military.

"Alright, this time it's the Diagonal Line Formation!"

The Diagonal Line Formation is a formation used in narrow passageways with cargo carts. After arranging the carts in a zigzag pattern, the axles are broken to topple the carts and block the passage.

A cart with a broken axle becomes both an obstacle for the enemy and a defensive barrier for allies.

This way, the enemy's path is obstructed, forcing them to either push through the narrow gaps between the carts or jump over the carts, making them easy targets in the narrow passageway.

"Diagonal Line Deployment!"

The security escorts responsible for driving the carts quickly separated the horses and arranged the carts in a zigzag pattern.

"Break the axles!"

I, responsible for breaking the axles, pulled them out of the wheels as I had been taught, causing the carts to topple over with a heavy thud, forming a defensive barrier.

Seeing the formation complete, the head of the training, Gang Pyo-doo, nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Everyone did well. Using carts in this way can potentially damage them completely, so we try to avoid it if possible. However, once set up, it provides considerable defensive strength."

After giving a brief summary and pointing out a few areas for improvement during the training, Gang Pyo-doo announced the end of the training and workday. I scratched my head and prepared to leave.

However, something felt off.

There were a little over thirty security escorts in the branch, but since I joined, I hadn't seen any of them go on a mission.

From what I remember, Baiyun Security Agency usually had a steady stream of work.

Why had it suddenly become so quiet?

Being idle was definitely not a good thing. We only received a basic salary during training.

This basic salary was barely enough to live on, just at the minimum wage level. It was barely enough for living expenses, and I was struggling to make ends meet with the cost of rice and firewood.

As a result, I had been eating nothing but rice porridge with salt for several days.

Moreover, there were other expenses.

I had to pay monthly dues to the hometown association and contribute to the development fund for the shantytown managed by Da Fang. The expenses seemed endless, but my monthly income had drastically decreased, making life extremely difficult.

The training was good. My sword skills had definitely improved. But martial arts are only useful if you can eat and live, right?

I had expected no missions during the first month of training, but the prolonged lack of missions was puzzling.

Deciding to find out, I searched the agency and fortunately met Sima Yu soon.

* * *

"Brother, how have you been?"

"Good, and how about our timid little brother? Hahaha."

Suppressing the urge to strangle him, we exchanged brief pleasantries before I asked why there had been no work lately.

Sima Yu shrugged and answered.

"Probably no missions until a decision is made from above."

"Really?"

No missions for the security agency? What does that mean?

Is there a sabbatical in the martial world now?

"Remember the bandits from last time? We need to renegotiate with them."

Sima Yu began to explain why the missions had stopped.

Basically, Mayang County is at the edge of Hubei Province, near Anhui Province. It's a rural area with no special products, but it has the advantage of being able to reach Anhui Province by crossing a single mountain.

Therefore, Baiyun Security Agency used it as an intermediate logistics point for transporting goods.

The logistics flow is roughly as follows:

Goods are received in Wuchang, a city in Hubei Province that later became Wuhan, and transported by river to Nancheng, a nearby county. From there, the goods are moved by land to Mayang, and the Mayang branch transports them over the mountain to Taihu. The Taihu branch then takes over and transports the goods to Hefei, where the main office of Baiyun Security Agency is located.

For reference, Hefei is the same Hefei from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, known as the city where the Wu Kingdom's army suffered a crushing defeat.

In summary:

Wuchang → Nancheng → Mayang → Taihu → Hefei

"But the bandits attacked us on Wujian Mountain, right?"

"Yes."

"That's why we had to suspend operations. If we can't resolve this issue, we can't cross Wujian Mountain, and if we can't use Wujian Mountain, the Mayang branch has nothing to do."

That's the problem.

Only then did I understand the full situation.

Baiyun Security Agency had been paying a fee to the bandits on Wujian Mountain to use the road freely. However, after the attack during the last mission, the bandits imposed a full blockade on the land route through Wujian Mountain, leaving the Mayang branch with no work.

"From above, they suspect that the leader of the Wujian bandits has changed. They are currently gathering information."

"So we're on hold for now."

I sighed. It didn't seem like a short-term issue.

'But I need to buy rice...'

A security escort who doesn't go on missions is no different from an unemployed person. We do receive a basic salary, but it's barely enough to get by, and the real money comes from missions.

I couldn't take on a side job either. I had to come to the agency every day for self-training and formation training.

Of course, a senior like Sima Yu could get away with slacking off, but as a new recruit, I couldn't afford to be noticed.

"Right. Now I understand. They'll handle it from above, so don't worry too much. What can you do about bandits? It's not your fault. How about a drink today?"

I shook my head, feeling sorry for myself. I didn't have any money for drinks.

"I don't have any money."

"Oh..."

"Brother, is there any way to earn some money? The training salary is barely enough to live on."

"How come? What happened to the money you got after the last mission? Did you gamble?"

"Brother, I don't gamble. I just had some expenses. I don't have any savings, and the training salary is too low."

"True. The training salary is quite low."

If I had known, I would have tried to negotiate a better price for the decade-old ginseng with Mr. Huang. I regret it deeply.

"Is there any way to earn some money?"

"There is a way."

"What is it?"

Sima Yu smiled and said, "You can be a bodyguard."

A bodyguard, or "bodao" (保镖), is essentially a security guard. Security agencies don't just transport goods; they also provide security services. They handle any job that requires physical strength, making them a sort of octopus company.

After some thought, I asked, "How much do they pay?"

"Enough for pocket money. For a new recruit like you, about 100 wen per day? It's quite decent if you work through the night. Some people specialize in this."

100 wen a day for a month is 3 silver taels.

"That sounds tempting."

"True, but it can be dangerous."

"Really? That might not be a good idea."

"Jietou" refers to village wars.

While it might sound cute, these are actually extremely brutal wars. They are real wars, not just village competitions. Villages often engage in serious battles with each other, and the scale is so large that they are incredibly violent.

I didn't want to get involved in such terrifying situations, so I decided to stick to being a bodyguard.

"Where do I apply for a bodyguard job?"

"Just tell the head of the branch. He'll probably be happy. I heard the Zheng family is looking for a bodyguard because of the second wife."

"Because of the second wife?"

What does that mean?

Sima Yu chuckled and explained, "Hehe... It's a long story..."

* * *

If you ask who the richest person in Mayang County is, everyone would say Zheng Chuishan of the Zheng family.

He was incredibly wealthy, owning dozens of large tile-roofed houses, as if he had been a master thief.

What do rich men usually do first?

Of course, they take concubines.

How many men can resist the allure of multiple women?

Zheng Chuishan was no different.

As soon as he became the head of the Zheng family, his first priority was to find a beautiful woman to be his second wife.

Unfortunately, Mayang County is a rural area where agriculture is the main industry. The women he found in the area did not meet his high standards.

It's understandable.

This isn't Uzbekistan, where women are tanned and beautiful from working in the fields. The women here were just ordinary farm girls, not beauties.

But the indomitable Zheng Chuishan did not give up. After much searching, he finally found a woman of extraordinary beauty.

He celebrated her arrival with a grand feast, expressing his joy with all his heart.

The problem started from there.

The beauty, known as Lady Nanhua, was so stunning that the second son of the head of the Jiejian Sect, a business partner of the Zheng family, saw her and caused a scandal.

It wasn't really an accident, more like a mutual mistake.

In an instant, Zheng Chuishan, who had been a happy man, became a cuckold, and he raged against the Jiejian Sect, making a huge fuss.

He literally foamed at the mouth.

The Jiejian Sect was in a difficult position.

The Jiejian Sect had grown by providing security for the Zheng family and its subordinate businesses for twenty years. All their financial ties were with the Zheng family, so a strained relationship would result in enormous losses, possibly even leading to large-scale restructuring or closure.

Therefore, the Jiejian Sect had to punish the second son, who couldn't even control his lower body, to maintain their relationship with the Zheng family.

In the end, the head of the Jiejian Sect removed the second son from the family register, thinking that would resolve the issue. However, the second son, still not in his right mind, was reportedly lurking around the Zheng family, looking for Lady Nanhua.

That's why Zheng Chuishan had requested a bodyguard from Baiyun Security Agency.

I asked, "But why hasn't the second wife been driven away?"

"Hmm, she hasn't been."

Unless Zheng Chuishan has a thing for being cuckolded, how does that make sense?

"Is Zheng Chuishan a saint? How can he let his wife cheat with a young man?"

Sima Yu patted my back and said, "That's how beautiful she is. Her beauty is worth putting up with a cuckold."

This is getting interesting.