Chapter 36

Wei He nodded, actually, even if Cheng Shaojiu hadn’t mentioned it, he had also felt it.

The moment this meat entered his stomach, combined with the spices, he immediately felt a faint warmth in his belly.

He quickly ate about ten more slices, each only as thick as a fingernail, and surprisingly, he felt a sense of fullness in his stomach.

"How much does this meat cost per pound?" Wei He couldn't help but ask.

Although he knew he definitely couldn't afford it, occasionally buying a little to taste should be fine.

After all, he had to eat at least three times the amount of silver-kissed black snake meat to feel full.

Now, he had only eaten a few dozen slices, which amounted to a piece of meat about the size of a child's fist.

And he already felt full?

"This meat... the market price is about four taels of gold per pound of raw meat." Cheng Shaojiu said softly, "The main issue is that there's a price but no market; no one sells it. As soon as wild game is caught, it's immediately bought up."

"Four taels of gold?" Wei He was taken aback. Previously, they used silver taels for pricing, then it switched to grain and dried meat, and now it's gold again?

"This inner city uses gold leaves and gold tickets for pricing. This is the hard currency, unlike silver, which can be privately minted by anyone. Who knows how much real silver is in the silver?" Cheng Shaojiu explained.

He paused: "A few days ago, I saw at a rice shop that one tael of gold can be exchanged for fifty pounds of rice. You can calculate how much this meat is worth."

"Fifty pounds...!" Wei He was slightly shocked. Only then did he realize the true cost of this meal.

Fifty pounds of rice could feed a family for a long time... For the middle class, it might be a month's food expenses, but for the poor, it could be exchanged for mixed grain flour...

And four taels of gold...

Looking at the delicious food on the table, Wei He felt a bit complicated.

Unconsciously, he had already reached the level where he could afford such expensive meals.

For a moment, his movements in picking up the meat sped up.

"Eh?? Leave me some!" Cheng Shaojiu immediately reacted.

The two of them quickly finished the entire plate of meat with their chopsticks.

Of course, while they competed, Cheng Shaojiu mostly let Wei He eat, after all, he was the one who had invited him to this meal.

After eating their fill, they used a stack of toothpicks to clean their teeth.

Each of them took a toothpick and sat in their seats, poking at their teeth.

"Xiao He, now that you've broken through to the second level of Qi and Blood, today we'll also upgrade your treatment here." Cheng Shaojiu had already planned out what to do with Wei He.

The current Yonghe Escort Agency couldn't offer anything that would satisfy Wei He. At this level, money and grain were not lacking; what was lacking were things like the silver-kissed black snake meat that could quickly accumulate Qi and Blood.

But such things were usually the treasured secrets of each family, not easily leaked. So he had decided to hire Wei He for part of his time.

It would be like being affiliated with the escort agency, receiving a salary, without affecting his choice to join other places.

After explaining his idea, Wei He agreed.

"The monthly affiliation fee will still be paid. Only when we need you to take action will we notify you, otherwise, there are no restrictions. It won't exceed twice a year." Cheng Shaojiu smiled.

"No problem." Wei He nodded.

"Actually, at this level, you can already affiliate with several places. After all, it's just borrowing your name. Small gangs and sects love this. As long as they pay you some fees, they can affiliate with you, and when they urgently need your help, they can use your name to sit in and attract new members, which is perfect." Cheng Shaojiu smiled.

"Is that so?" Wei He immediately thought of the experts from his previous life who had obtained high-level certificates and were used for affiliation everywhere.

A certificate could earn them tens of thousands of yuan annually, truly a "one-time investment, lifelong profit"...

He never thought he could now enjoy such benefits.

The two of them rested for a while and had a few more drinks.

Cheng Shaojiu soon felt the need to relieve himself and got up to go.

He had just left his seat.

Wei He was carefully listening to a woman in a green robe playing the pipa in the restaurant.

"Junior Brother Wei, what a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you here."

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front of him, blocking his view.

Wei He looked up and saw it was Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan held a folding fan, dressed in white, with a book boy following behind him, exuding an extraordinary aura and a smile on his face.

It had to be said, his appearance was quite good, with a somewhat handsome face, tall and slender build, and a strong family background. It was easy for him to attract women.

"Senior Brother Jiang." Wei He stood up and clasped his hands, the basic courtesy when facing a senior.

"How come? Are you drinking and eating alone here?" Jiang Yan glanced at the table and immediately understood there was someone else.

"Anyway, I just came to say hello and have a few words. I saw Junior Brother Wei here, and since you've broken through, why stay with the Cheng family? My Jiang family is also in urgent need of talent.

If Junior Brother Wei agrees, I can offer ten pounds of Qi and Blood replenishing medicine similar to the flower branch deer meat per month.

Additionally, a hundred Blood Replenishing Pills of the next level, ten doses of Qi and Blood Powder, and fifty taels of gold."

The book boy behind Jiang Yan's face changed slightly. This offer was already beyond what a typical second-level Qi and Blood expert could get. Just the ten pounds of medicine equivalent to the flower branch deer meat were rare.

This could save a lot of time in accumulating Qi and Blood. If it were released, many martial artists would be willing to join.

After all, even the flower branch deer meat at this Drunken Flower Pavilion wasn't available every day, only once a month with limited supply.

Just this alone had made the Drunken Flower Pavilion famous.

"Also, Junior Brother Wei is my fellow disciple, so I should take extra care of you." Jiang Yan unfolded his fan, covering his chin, and smiled.

"I'll add a bit more. Senior Brother Cheng can't offer such a price. If you're willing to join, I'll exempt you from the residence fee in the inner city. You and your sister won't have to worry about safety issues anymore. With the Seven Families Alliance and the government patrolling the inner city, there won't be any danger.

Of course, this means you can't affiliate with other families outside, but you don't need to worry about that. With your status, after joining the Jiang family, you can easily manage some small gangs in the outer city and get a share of the profits.

At that time, with a dozen or so people under you, bearing the mark of the Seven Families Alliance, no one in the outer city will dare to provoke you. Isn't that great?"

Actually, the most crucial part of these benefits was the residence right!

Only the Seven Families Alliance had the authority to allow outsiders to live in the inner city long-term.

Living in the inner city all the time was a special privilege even Cheng Shaojiu didn't have.

For Jiang Yan, this was a quota he could easily obtain, though it had a limit and might not be as valuable as a hundred taels of gold to him.

But for Cheng Shaojiu and others, this quota was the most precious.

Because it couldn't be bought with money.

This was also one of the core attractions of the Seven Families Alliance's long-term prosperity.

Wei He wasn't particularly moved by the previous conditions, but the last one truly touched him.

If he could live in the inner city, he wouldn't have to worry about his sister's safety anymore.

Last time, he killed several people from the Kōdō Sect and had been worried about retaliation ever since.

Although there had been no further action, who knew if they were just biding their time for a plot.

Now, if he could live in the inner city...

Wei He lowered his head, falling into silence.

He didn't see that Cheng Shaojiu had already returned and had heard Jiang Yan's offer.

Cheng Shaojiu understood that Jiang Yan was here to poach.

From Jiang Yan's words, it was clear he had been nearby, listening to his conversation with Wei He.

He then deliberately took the opportunity to make his offer.

Cheng Shaojiu fell silent, standing at a corner not far away, not appearing immediately.

His hands, which he had just washed, involuntarily clenched, feeling hot.

Wei He remained silent, looking up at Jiang Yan.

He took a deep breath and slowly spoke.

"Junior Brother, don't rush." Jiang Yan smiled, folding his fan, "Think it over. If you agree, come find me later. I'll go back to my table; there are a few friends there."

He turned and walked away, seemingly unconcerned.

Jiang Yan knew that people were easily impulsive, especially martial artists who were more prone to impulsiveness due to their heightened Qi and Blood.

So, decisions made impulsively in a short time were often influenced by emotions.

Now, Wei He and Cheng Shaojiu had a good relationship, making him more susceptible to the Cheng family's influence.

But once he calmed down and weighed the pros and cons, he would naturally make the most rational choice.

Emotions were just a temporary impulse. In the long run, interests were the most important.

At the corner, Jiang Yan saw Cheng Shaojiu standing still.

He smiled, nodded at him, and walked past without a word.

Cheng Shaojiu forced a smile and nodded back.

Jiang Yan didn't care about Cheng Shaojiu's attitude. The Cheng family had a good relationship with Wei He, but so what? Ordinary people might give up interests for emotions, but that was only because they hadn't offered enough.

The Cheng family gave him face and called him senior brother. If they didn't, he, from the Seven Families Alliance, wouldn't care about a mere Yonghe Escort Agency.

Jiang Yan smiled, leading his book boy to the private room.

Cheng Shaojiu paused, stood in place for a while, composed himself, and then returned to the table.

Back at the table, he saw Wei He standing beside it, looking complicated.

"Junior Brother..." Cheng Shaojiu's lips moved, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.

What could he offer to compete with the Jiang family? This was a comparison on two different levels.

"Senior Brother..." Wei He was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Sorry..."

"It's okay... Water flows downhill, and people seek higher ground..." Cheng Shaojiu smiled, trying to appear more natural.

"No, that's not it." Wei He looked apologetic. "I saw you hadn't come back for a long time, so I ordered four more plates of flower branch deer meat and finished them all..."

Cheng Shaojiu's expression froze.

Four plates?? Four plates of deer meat!? Are you a pig!?

He looked at Wei He, standing there as if rooted to the spot, unable to say anything. His monthly quota was all gone...

"Oh, right, Senior Brother Jiang came over and tried to recruit me." Wei He said calmly, "But I thought about it and decided to stay in the outer city. Mainly because Senior Brother Jiang has bad breath, and talking to him makes me feel uncomfortable and uneasy."