Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 183 Spear and Shield

Where can he go after leaving the temple? How will he survive?
After descending the mountain, Tang Hu's burly physique and bewildered eyes quickly attracted attention. He then unwittingly joined a group of bandits and became one of them. By the time he realized something was wrong, his hands were already stained with blood. Feeling guilty towards his master in the temple, he found a dark and windy night, took the money the bandits had saved for many years, and quietly left.

With money and the worldly knowledge he gained from his time as a bandit, Tang Hu traveled a long way to the Grand Canal and bought a boatman's registration. His experiences taught him that nothing was more important than money. Without money, he couldn't buy a registration, and without money, he couldn't buy a boat. But money would run out, and by fishing every day and participating in the canal transport, what he had left was barely enough to make ends meet.

So when he entered the city and saw wealthy households, he was as excited as if he had come out of meditation and seen wild game in the forest again, as if he had felt the joy of touching silver.

Tang Hu was highly skilled in martial arts. Not to mention his skills, his strength alone was terrifying. He never failed to strike, and whether it was luck or talent, Tang Hu always managed to escape.

After several attempts, Tang Hu's standards rose. He no longer looked down on ordinary wealthy households; he set his sights on salt merchants, specifically Liu Ji, the largest salt merchant in Yangzhou.

It wasn't that Tang Huyi was exceptionally skilled or daring; he knew that being captured wouldn't be as simple as just going into a cave. But he did the math and realized that visiting Liu Ji's house once might be more useful than visiting other wealthy households dozens of times. After this, he might be able to stop. He planned to sell the boat, buy a few acres of land, and then settle down to farm and make a living.

Originally, Tang Hu was a carefree person with no family to worry about, but the bandits who had once lived on the mountain, after experiencing a sudden and devastating loss, devoted themselves to finding him, and after several years, they actually found him.

These people couldn't beat Tang Hu, and they were unwilling to let Tang Hu use all the money they had painstakingly saved. So they followed Tang Hu around all day. Tang Hu was worried that these people would attract the attention of the government, but he couldn't bear to kill them all. So he used money to arrange for these people to be registered as boatmen. The money they had risked their lives for was gone like water.

When Jia Chuan heard this, he was very surprised: "So many people's household registrations, you just paid money to get them all done? No one questioned their backgrounds? No one reported it?"

Tang Hu snorted and said, "You are so ignorant of worldly affairs. What can't be solved with money?"

Jia Chuan snorted and said, "No matter how much money you give me now, I will not let you go."

This was not the first time Tang Hu had encountered a problem that couldn't be solved with money since he went down the mountain.

After he resolved those people's problems, he ran out of money, and these people were now following him. But how could they endure such hardship? He had indeed been interested in Liu Ji before, but he hadn't made a move yet. Now, he had no choice but to put it on the agenda. He knew what these people were capable of. They might be able to fight recklessly, but when it came to using their brains, they were all unreliable and would only cause trouble.

So, as usual, Tang Hu took action by himself.

As a result, he was arrested.

That was the first time Tang Hu felt that money was useless. He proposed to use money to redeem himself, which made Liu Ji laugh in anger.

Liu Ji was impressed by Tang Hu's skills. This man had been kept alive by all the guards of the Liu family, and he was unharmed. Moreover, he was not very bright. How could Liu Ji let him leave?

So Liu Ji proposed an unequal treaty, forcing Tang Hu to sign a death contract. With this contract in hand, Liu Ji felt at ease. But he didn't know that while this piece of paper was useful to ordinary people, it was just a piece of waste paper to Tang Hu, who didn't even bother with it.

However, Tang Hu also had his own concerns. Leaving the Liu family was not difficult, but he knew how much money it would cost to move to another place, and he didn't have any. It was at this time that Liu Ji gave him a job, promising to burn the death contract and give Tang Hu his freedom after he returned. Tang Hu refused and directly asked for money: five hundred taels of silver!

Liu Ji agreed.

Jia Chuan asked Tang Hu, "Are the people who came with you the same bandits from the old mountain bandits?"

Tang Hu said, "No, I didn't bring them. The people who came with me were all people prepared by the Liu family steward. I only found out later. They were all poor people from the canal transport industry who couldn't make a living. They would do anything for money. I don't know who hired them."

"Since it has nothing to do with you, why did you say that if I kept all these people, you would thank me and not have to share the money with me?"

At that time, Tang Hu said, "We have known each other for several days and came from Yangzhou together. There must be some friendship between us. I can't bear to kill them. If I get any silver, I will share some with them. If you kill them, it's not my doing. I will feel at ease."

……

These past few days of communication with Tang Hu made Jia Chuan feel that this person might still be useful, especially considering what kind of situation he would encounter at the pharmacy they were going to visit later.
So, he came again.

Liu Ji thought Tang Hu was brainless, but Jia Chuan didn't think so. How could a simpleton survive after going down the mountain?
"I truly don't know if I misjudged you. I thought that with your strong physique, you must be simple-minded. But after you came down the mountain, you knew how to plan for your own future. Regardless of whether it was legal or not, you didn't starve to death, and while you were alone, you didn't harm the poor. You even knew that if things got tough, you could go to sea... You must have heard someone say that you had a way out. It's just that Liu Ji spared your life because you have some skills, yet you believe that after he completed this mission, he will deliver the five hundred taels?"

“If he does not keep his promise, I will kill him.”

"He never expected you to go back. He has men more capable than you. Even if my men couldn't stop you, you can't go back alive. The mission you carried out... let's put it this way, everyone who knows he was involved can't survive."

"But I'm still alive!"

"Somebody come!"

Commander Lu entered with two Imperial Guards.

"Untie him, make him some food, and let him eat his fill."

Commander Lu was startled and asked in a low voice, "He hasn't eaten enough, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep him here..."

"He now has a chance to redeem himself; it all depends on whether he wants to or not. Untie him."

Tang Hu was also puzzled. As the ropes binding him were loosened one by one, he slowly moved his limbs and asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

“I’ve already told you, you still have your head when it comes to important matters. Killing me won’t help; on the contrary, I’m the one who can truly save you. You should understand this yourself if you think about it. Liu Ji’s lifespan is coming to an end. I’ve told you these past few days what he’s been doing with the herb-gathering bureau. Do you think he can still live? Live until you return to Yangzhou? Even if you kill me, you won’t get any money. The court will definitely seize his vast fortune. But if you kill a court official…”

Tang Hu sat up and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"You want to kill me? The charges could be serious or minor. I could even clear your name. It all depends on my word. I'll use this to get you to come with me and see the man Liu Ji left behind to kill you. See for yourself if you actually encounter him and whether you can survive." Tang Hu lowered his head, rubbing his legs, and remained silent.

Jia Chuan then said:

"According to your agreement, after you kill me, someone will take you away. Of course, you don't care about that. What you want is to go straight back to Yangzhou after killing me. This shows that Liu Ji doesn't understand you. He thinks you will act according to his plan. If so, you will encounter this person who is more powerful than you. According to Liu Ji's plan, you will die! I think you will be interested in meeting him. Don't worry, I have already made arrangements. You just need to try. There is no need to fight to the death. My people will send him on his way."

"You want to... use me to kill him?" Tang Hu continued rubbing his legs.

"Once you get there, see how my men are prepared before you draw any conclusions. Of course, you can also take the opportunity to leave; I won't stop you. But you might really be adrift at sea. Those who manage to reach the shore alive probably won't tell you about the hardships at sea. The sea is different from a river; there's no shore to lean on. No matter how unpleasant things are, you can only endure it. Can you swim? You can try killing me."

Tang Hu looked up, and Jia Chuan saw murderous intent in his eyes.

Lu Baihu subconsciously drew his knife and stepped in front of Jia Chuan.

Jia Chuan remained gentle. He patted Lu Baihu's shoulder lightly and said, "He's not really brainless. He just has an idea. He'll figure it out on his own soon. You don't need to worry."

If Lu Baihu had eyes in the back of his head at this moment, he would have seen that Jia Chuan's hand was trembling.

Jia Chuan was also taking a risk. First, he didn't know if the person really existed, or if he did, whether he was still in Kaifeng. If he was in Kaifeng, could the archers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard capture him? Based on his understanding of people with unparalleled martial arts skills, they could disappear in a flash. Before the bows and arrows were even set up, the person might have already run away.

In Jia Chuan's mind, such a psychologically abnormal person could not be allowed to live, otherwise there would be endless trouble. In this era, no one cared about the lives of ordinary people. If this person existed and was among the people, how many people would die at his hands?

Therefore, so far, Jia Chuan's biggest concern about this person's whereabouts is. Even if he has left Kaifeng, he will try to persuade Zhu Zhanji to continue tracking him. However, the people around him... even if they are all together, they may not be a match for this person.

The other one that even if they were all together, they might not be able to defeat is Tang Hu in front of them.

Jia Chuan felt it was necessary to test which was more powerful, the spear or the shield.

Moreover, Jia Chuan felt that Tang Hu could still be saved in terms of his character, but it would have to be done step by step.

……

Tang Hu slowly stood up, and Jia Chuan slowly raised his head as well, saying, "The secret door you came out of was originally in a room, and that room was full of dismembered body parts not long before you came up. And these dismembered body parts were not cut with knives or axes, but torn apart by man."

Tang Hu's eyes widened.

"Do you have that kind of strength? It wasn't just one person you tore apart, it was four. Although I've arranged archers, because it was a surprise attack, there might be a chance for a direct confrontation. I'm worried that no matter how fast the archers are, they won't be as fast as him. If you feel you can't defeat him..."

"Didn't you say you'd let me eat my fill first?" Tang Hu asked with a stern face.

……

Jia Chuan initially planned to make his move after dark, but then he thought of the imposing presence of the Imperial Guards entering the city and worried that they would be scared away, so he decided to make his move earlier. However, by the time everything was ready, it was already dark.

That's efficiency; there's no way to improve it in places like this.

Hesheng Pharmacy was not far from Caomuyuan. The Imperial Guards, who had not yet had time to rest after entering the city, quickly sealed off Caomuyuan. At the same time, a group of men went straight to a nearby street and split into three groups at the entrance of Hesheng Pharmacy. They rushed into the two shops on the left and right without saying a word.

The pharmacy was divided into a front hall and a back courtyard. The shop assistants in the front hall were immediately tackled to the ground by the Imperial Guards, and the people working in the back courtyard also suffered the same fate.

As they had learned of the layout beforehand, the Imperial Guards took their positions. Jia Chuan stepped over the threshold into the backyard with his hands behind his back. In front of him were Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian, and behind him were Lu Baihu and Tang Hu. Hai Feng and Meng Jun followed behind. At the same time, several archers emerged from the walls on both sides of the backyard, drawing their bows and waiting for the order.

The backyard was quite large, with several rooms along the back wall. The Imperial Guards didn't rush in. Jia Chuan didn't want innocent people to die needlessly, so before coming, he had Mu Lian prepare several bags of foul-smelling medicinal soup. The Imperial Guards put on masks, kicked open the door, quickly threw the bags inside, and then retreated swiftly, drawing their swords.

Jia Chuan stared nervously at the doors of the rooms. If he made a mistake, his reputation would be ruined. However, there was also an advantage: Zhu Zhanji could put him in any department he wanted, and he would never consider putting him in the Embroidered Uniform Guard again. The loss of face would be too great, and Jia Chuan would feel embarrassed. He thought Zhu Zhanji would understand his embarrassment.

The sound of vomiting came from inside the house, followed by a rush of people out—one, two. When a man of similar stature to Gao Yuntian emerged and glared menacingly at the Imperial Guards in the courtyard, Jia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Tang Hu behind him, "Be careful. If things get too dangerous, retreat. There are archers..."

Just as Jia Chuan was speaking, the other party also spoke up: "Don't move! Who comes here?"

Clearly, the first half of the sentence refers to the person who looks abnormal, while the second half is a question directed at Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian.

Jia Chuan didn't detect any panic in the man's tone.

An ordinary shop would be flustered if so many people rushed in, let alone when it was the Imperial Guards. There were archers with bows and arrows on both sides of the courtyard wall, yet this person remained calm. Everyone else, except for the one who looked abnormal, was trembling with fear.

Jia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, finally he hadn't gone to the wrong place or the wrong person, but at the same time he was keenly aware that these archers might not be much of a deterrent to that freak.

"Are you blind? Can't you tell who we are?!" Gao Yuntian shouted.

"Then I must ask even more: we are just ordinary merchants, honestly and lawfully doing business. Why did you, sir, rush in? It's a small matter if it disrupts our business, but if you frighten someone to death, who can we turn to for justice?"

"Can you control him?" Jia Chuan asked, peeking out from between Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian.

(End of this chapter)