Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Jiang Lan followed the bearded man into the main hall of the canal gang. The bluestone slabs under her feet were polished smooth by the footsteps of the porters.

The main hall was brightly lit, with the smoke from dry tobacco lingering in the air. Five or six leaders of the canal gangs sat on either side, each with a knife at their waist.

In the very center of the armchair, Huo Yuanlong held a white porcelain teacup, his fingertips slowly stroking the rim.

"sit."

Jiang Lan sat down in the chair opposite him, her back ramrod straight, like an old training post that had been nailed to a martial arts school for years, showing no fear whatsoever.

Huo Yuanlong took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and glanced at him: "You've mastered the Mountain-Crushing Fist?"

The news spread much faster than Jiang Lan had anticipated.

He nodded in agreement: "I just broke through not long ago."

"Not bad." Huo Yuanlong nodded, his tone neither praising nor criticizing. "Back then, it took me two whole months to master this style of boxing. You only took half a year. Your talent isn't top-notch, but you're incredibly persistent."

Jiang Lan didn't respond. He knew that Huo Yuanlong wasn't saying this to him, but to the leaders on both sides.

Sure enough, no sooner had he finished speaking than a burly man with a face full of scars slammed his hand on the table on the left and said in a rough voice, "Brother Huo, a greenhorn who's just entered the cave and hasn't even done a single escort mission, we're entrusting our goods to him? What if something goes wrong? We haven't even made up for last month's losses yet. If this happens again, what will we brothers starve to death?"

A tall, thin man next to him immediately chimed in, "Exactly! This kid's background is unknown. What if he's in cahoots with the robbers? Aren't we just inviting trouble? Mr. Huo, please think it over!"

Huo Yuanlong completely ignored their shouting, his gaze fixed on Jiang Lan as if weighing a stone: "I have a batch of in-demand medicinal herbs to deliver to the prefectural city. The road is not safe, with many bandits and highwaymen. I need manpower to escort the goods. You will go with the caravan. It will take three days round trip. After it is done, I will give you two taels of silver."

Two taels of silver!

This money will be just enough to solve his immediate problem.

With the blood-replenishing pills, his progress in opening the second acupoint will be accelerated significantly, and he will take a big step forward in repaying his grandfather's bet!

"Why are you looking for me?"

Jiang Lan suppressed the turmoil in her heart, looked up and stared directly at Huo Yuanlong, asking the question bluntly.

"Three reasons," Huo Yuanlong said, holding up three fingers. "First, you're short of money. Second, you're from a martial arts school, not a gang, so escorting goods won't give anyone cause for criticism or attract the attention of the Salt and Iron Bureau. Third—"

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, his tone sharp yet gentle: "A few days ago, I passed by the alley next to the martial arts school and saw your mother weaving a net under the lamp at night. It wasn't easy for a woman to raise you. You're filial and responsible enough not to gamble with your mother's well-being."

Jiang Lan's pupils suddenly contracted, and her back tensed instantly.

These words sound like a sentimental expression, but they are actually a blatant threat.

Huo Yuanlong was telling him: I know everything about you, your weaknesses. You can't run away, and you wouldn't dare to try anything funny.

The leaders on both sides instantly realized what was happening, and when they looked at Jiang Lan again, their contempt deepened—it turned out he was just a poor kid whose weakness had been exploited.

Huo Yuanlong picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and looked at him with interest, waiting for him to back down and admit defeat.

Jiang Lan remained silent for a few moments.

He knew that if he bowed his head and agreed to all the conditions at this moment, he would forever be a pawn to Huo Yuanlong, summoned and dismissed at will, with no right to negotiate terms.

"The goods have been delivered. Two taels of silver, I'll accept." Jiang Lan spoke, her voice not loud, but each word clear and firm. "But I have one condition. If we are ambushed on the way, I will do my utmost to protect the goods. However, if the goods are ultimately damaged and it is not my fault, I must pay the two taels of silver."

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room erupted in uproar.

"Are you crazy?! You dare to negotiate with Master Huo?" The tall, thin man slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his hand already on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

The burly man with a face full of scars sneered, "A mere martial artist with only one acupoint has quite the nerve! Don't you even know where you are? Who gave you the right to haggle?"

Huo Yuanlong, however, did not get angry, nor did he stop his men from shouting. He simply looked at Jiang Lan with great interest, as if he were looking at a young beast that dared to bare its teeth at a tiger.

Jiang Lan completely ignored the enraged leaders, her gaze fixed on Huo Yuanlong, refusing to back down an inch: "Master Huo, you can afford to lose a shipment, you can afford to lose two taels of silver, but I can't. I'm risking my life to escort goods for you, you have to give me peace of mind for risking my life."

"If the goods are lost, why should I pay you?"

Huo Yuanlong raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of pressure.

"If the goods are lost, you'll lose hundreds or thousands of taels of medicinal herbs, but I'll lose either my life or a half-crippled body." Jiang Lan's voice carried a resolute tone. "No matter the outcome, I risked my life for these two taels of silver."

The lobby fell silent instantly, with only the soft crackling of charcoal in the brazier.

Huo Yuanlong stared at Jiang Lan for a long time, but Jiang Lan met his gaze without flinching.

After a long pause, he leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a genuine sense of approval, "You're quite quick-witted."

He waved his hand, and the two furious leaders on either side immediately shut their mouths. Even though they were full of resentment, they dared not say another word.

"Alright, I promise you. Once the goods are delivered, no matter what goes wrong along the way, as long as you've done your best, you'll still be paid." Huo Yuanlong put down his teacup, his tone turning serious. "But I also have two rules that you must abide by."

"Please speak, Mr. Huo."

"First, the goods can be lost, but your life cannot. You are Instructor Liu's disciple; if you die on this journey, I won't be able to face him." Huo Yuanlong paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "Second, you've completed this escort mission for me, so you owe me, Huo Yuanlong, a favor. In the future, if I need your help, as long as it doesn't cross your bottom line, you can't refuse."

The first condition was to save his life; the second, however, placed an invisible shackle on him. Unconditional favors are the most unpredictable and easily manipulated things.

"I cannot agree to the second condition." Jiang Lan raised her eyes, her tone still calm, without the slightest hesitation.

Huo Yuanlong's eyes narrowed instantly, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze.

"I can't make empty promises," Jiang Lan explained calmly. "It's my good fortune that Master Huo thinks highly of me."

"But I haven't even opened my second acupoint yet, and my Mountain-Crushing Fist has only just reached the minor completion stage. With this meager strength, even if I agree to your favor, I won't be able to help you at all if something really happens. Instead, I'll just ruin your plans."

He paused, his tone becoming more resolute: "Once I've honed my skills and am capable of settling matters for Master Huo, you can bring up the word 'favor' again, and I, Jiang Lan, will not utter a single word of refusal."

The lobby fell silent again.

The two leaders looked at each other in disbelief. No one had expected that this seemingly insignificant poor boy, who was clearly refusing Master Huo, could speak so flawlessly that no one could find fault with him.

Huo Yuanlong stared at him for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter, the sound of which seemed to shake the roof beams.

"Good! Well said, practice until you've really mastered your skills!" He stood up, walked up to Jiang Lan, looked down at him with admiration in his eyes, "Alright, I won't force you. But remember, stay out of the mess at the docks. Focus on your martial arts training, and when you feel ready, you can come find me anytime."

He stretched out his hand.

Jiang Lan was stunned for a moment, then stood up and reached out to shake his hand.

Huo Yuanlong's palms were thick and rough, with immense strength, gripping them tightly as if measuring his bones.

"At dawn the day after tomorrow, at the ferry terminal on the east side of the dock, travel with the convoy." Huo Yuanlong released his grip, turned and sat back in his armchair, his tone returning to its previous calm. "Don't be late."

Jiang Lan bowed and clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Master Huo."

……

He stood on the dock, gazing at the dark river, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air that he had been holding for a long time.

Huo Yuanlong used his mother's safety to manipulate him, and he endured it; the leaders of the Grand Canal Gang scorned and mocked him, and he endured it too. But in the end, he did not bow his head, and he did not live as a pawn to be manipulated by others.

He let Huo Yuanlong know that he was worth two taels of silver not because he had a weakness that could be exploited, but because he had the courage to take on this escort mission and the confidence to negotiate with the leader of the canal gang.

He touched the five qian of silver he had just received in his pocket, and the touch of his fingertips on the cold metal calmed him down a bit.

The matter is settled; we will depart from the dock at 5:00 AM the day after tomorrow.

This shipment travels along the mountain roads of the prefectural city, where bandits roam freely. Just last month, there was a robbery and murder. As a martial artist who has only recently reached the minor stage of mastery, he is no match for them, traveling alone.

Jiang Lan took a deep breath, turned around and quickened her pace, heading towards the martial arts school.

……