My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 037 – The Choice

Leaving Tian Bao’s grave, Li Yuan headed straight for Silver Creek. Today was the day Cai Ze had told him to come by for the residency papers, and Li Yuan didn’t want to miss the appointment.

On his way, he spent 15 small copper coins on a two and a half kilo jar of rice wine.

The price of grain had gone up lately, driving up the cost of alcohol as well. Rice itself was already four times as expensive as millet, and brewing half a kilogram of wine required at least two kilograms of rice plus yeast.

All things considered, 15 small coins was actually quite reasonable. A while back, that amount might have seemed steep to Li Yuan. But ever since he’d sold his wild boars, he had more money to spare. It felt good to bring a decent gift.

Having grown familiar with the path, he soon reached White Cloud Alley and knocked at the second house on the lane. He waited patiently until the door opened, revealing the same attractive young maid he had met before.

This time, her attitude seemed warmer. “Ah, it’s you,” she said in a friendly tone. “Please, come in.”

Li Yuan smiled politely. “No need to trouble yourself. I can wait outside. Where’s Cai Ze?"

The maid replied, “Master isn’t home yet. He had some business to attend to. But he left instructions for me to take good care of you.”

Li Yuan held out the jar of rice wine. “Here. This is for him.”

She accepted it and started walking back inside, then noticed he wasn’t following. Swaying her hips, she glanced over her shoulder. “Come on in,” she urged.

Li Yuan hesitated, then gave in with a small laugh. “Well...if you insist. It’d be rude to keep standing out here.”

He followed her into the house and sat down in the front room, where she served him tea. Giggling, she introduced herself. “My name is Huang Ya. If you need anything, just let me know. There’s no mistress of the house right now, so you’ll have to make do with me.”

“No mistress?” Li Yuan echoed, surprised. “So Cai Ze isn’t married?”

Huang Ya shook her head with a grin. “He only bought two maids, no wife. I handle the front of the house, while the other girl cooks and does the laundry.”

Li Yuan quickly understood. Rather than marry, Cai Ze had purchased two lovely maids. They worked for him, pleased him, and hoped to secure their position. Should he have any...needs, he simply turned to his maids.

Huang Ya went on, “It’s not uncommon in our sect. Sometimes, these maids are even sent to entertain other men... Heh.”

Li Yuan blinked, slightly taken aback. What a mess, he thought. Then again, it made a certain sense. Many martial artists preferred not to have a legitimate wife, to avoid emotional ties that could hinder training or travel.

Seeing Li Yuan’s startled look, Huang Ya giggled again and teased, “Give it a little time. Once you move here to Silver Creek, I bet you’ll end up buying yourself a maid or two.”

“Does everyone really buy them? Are there so many people to go around?” Li Yuan asked.

“There are a lot of refugees out there,” she replied. “Some folks round them up and sell them on the black market. If a maid is lucky, she gets purchased by a decent household. If not...” Her voice trailed off, and her gaze clouded with an unpleasant memory.

Li Yuan couldn’t help asking, “What does it usually cost to buy someone?”

“It depends,” Huang Ya said. “A cheap maid might go for six taels of silver. A better one could cost anywhere from 10 to 20. Anything above that is usually for someone with special talents or background.

“Sometimes entire noble families fall on hard times, or the children of officials get captured. If they’ve committed a crime, their wives and concubines might be sold off too.

“Some people from the jianghu get swept up in old grudges and wind up as merchandise. Any martial cultivation is crippled or sealed, and their pride is crushed before being brought here to be sold.”

Before Li Yuan could probe further, footsteps sounded at the door. He quickly stood to see a young man in the uniform of a bailiff, Cai Ze, heading inside.

Li Yuan smiled broadly and bowed. “Good to see you, Cai Ze.”

From his sleeve, Cai Ze produced a small wooden token engraved with the number 654 and handed it over. “This is your residency pass. The number links to your identity in our records. If anyone else takes this pass and tries to live under your name, the Blood Blade Sect will track them down and deal with them.”

“Thank you,” Li Yuan said, carefully tucking the pass away.

“How about staying the night? Share a meal with me. I'll have my maid keep you company tonight and then guide you around Silver Creek the next morning,” Cai Ze said.

Huang Ya's eyes quivered. Then, she shot a look over at the imposing young man next to her. It was clear this wasn't the first time she'd been asked to do this sort of thing.

Li Yuan immediately understood what Cai Ze was getting at. He'd just been lamenting the practice. Who would have thought he'd immediately become a recipient next?

He shook his head with a wry smile. “Thanks for the kind offer, but I have to politely decline. I have a wife at home. I suppose I forgot to mention it the last time we went out, haha...”

Cai Ze scratched his head, then let out a sigh. “Actually, I'm feeling a bit guilty. That's why I'm trying to treat you.”

“Guilty? What do you mean?”

“I really thought I could get you an official silver pass, making you a genuine outer disciple of the Blood Blade Sect. But...it didn’t work out.”

“Why not?” Li Yuan asked, surprised.

“There are three types of passes in Silver Creek—gold, silver, and wood. A gold token grants you access to the heart of the town and all its perks. Silver is next best; if you become an outer disciple, that’s the pass you get. Wood is for those living in the shanty areas.

“I was hoping to get you the silver token, but for reasons beyond my control, that fell through. Still, I managed to secure some benefits for you.”

Cai Ze pulled out a second token—blood-red with a black border that gave it a menacing aura. In the center was the same number engraved, 654.

“This token means you're an associate member of the Blood Blade Sect. Even if you're not an official disciple, your status is at least better than most people in the shanty district. You should know there are many outsiders who aren’t even allowed a place in those shanties; they’re forced into the filthy backwater alley.”

Li Yuan took both tokens and bowed. “This is more than enough. Thank you.”

Cai Ze sighed again. “Sorry, I really thought I could get you the silver pass.”

Truthfully, he knew why the plan had failed. The actual sect master was in seclusion, and the deputy sect master had a strong bias against people from remote places like Little Ink Village. It couldn’t be helped.

Li Yuan then asked, “These numbers, what do they mean exactly?”

“The 654 on the wooden pass is your assigned residence in the shanty district. You’re the 654th household.

“The 197 on the Blood Blade Sect pass is your rank among the associate members. The sect encourages competition to foster true strength, but such fights must be witnessed and formally agreed upon, not random brawls.

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“If you keep winning, your rank goes up. Sects like ours view higher ranks more favorably and allocate better resources to them.

“Associate members can try for the outer disciple exam after three years, but only if they’re ranked in the top 20. Then they fight among themselves, and the best get promoted to full membership.”

Cai Ze paused for breath. “Anyway, as an associate member, you’ll have tasks, but you’ll also gain advantages. I can help arrange for you to pick the job you prefer. Consider it my way of making up for not getting you that silver pass.”

He continued, “The Blood Blade Sect’s operations in Silver Creek break down into four categories—bailiff duty, public market, black market, and watch patrol.

“Bailiff duty is what I do. You’ll wear a government uniform to collect taxes and handle disputes. And if the actual government ever steps back in, they might accept you as a bailiff...just don’t expect promotions.

“Next is the public market. That’s pubs, pleasure quarters, gambling houses, etc. You’d mainly keep the peace, handle troublemakers, and maintain order. On the plus side, you’d get plenty of perks, like discounts on entertainment.

“After that is the black market. Similar to the above but with more...questionable goods. The upside is you’ll see all kinds of items. If you’re lucky, you might come across something valuable. Sect rules say if you legally purchase an item there, it’s yours—no one can just take it from you.

“Finally is the watch patrol. Essentially, you'll be maintaining law and order around the township. You can bring a few men along, and it looks impressive, but it’s tough work with fewer benefits.

“So, Li Yuan, which would you rather do?”