Chapter 100

Zhao Jin shouted loudly, and everyone followed with a shout, then burst into laughter.

As the weather warmed, more and more children played at the cargo yard, but few were of Zhao Jin's age. Since Zhao Jin and his friends rarely went to the cargo yard, the martial arts competitions there had become mere child's play, with no prizes and no organization, and soon everyone dispersed.

Seeing Zhao Jin and his group come over, the children playing at the cargo yard became excited and automatically formed a circle, thinking there would be another competition today.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jin walked up to the platform and shouted loudly, "Today I want to hire some people. Listen carefully, spread the word. If the people you bring are hired by me, I'll give you 100 coins to buy food."

One hundred coins was a huge sum for the children playing at the cargo yard. They first fell silent, then gathered around the platform.

"I want to hire strong young men over fifteen years old, who can endure hardship, are brave enough to fight, and have no bad habits. Those who come to me will have to sign a contract. I will provide two meals a day and pay 100 coins per month. If you get injured or sick, I will cover the expenses."

The children, though innocent, knew a lot. Hearing about three meals a day and 100 coins per month, they were all stunned, their faces showing disbelief.

"There's one more thing. Those who come must have their parents' or elders' consent and sign the contract. If not, I won't accept them. Tomorrow at noon, there will be someone recruiting at the shop on the east side of the cargo yard. You can trust me. For each person you introduce, I'll give you 100 coins. Go quickly, or the people you know will be taken by others." Zhao Jin shouted loudly.

The children looked at each other, then suddenly scattered, running out happily. Despite the shocking content of Zhao Jin's words, the children knew that Brother Zhao never lied and always kept his word.

Watching the children run off in all directions, Zhao Jin turned to Liu Yong and said, "Go back to the Temple of the God of Wealth and keep a close eye on Chen Ergou. Remember to find two clever and trustworthy people to help. If there's any news, come tell me here."

Liu Yong nodded in agreement, but was called back after a few steps. Zhao Jin earnestly instructed, "Your life is the most important. If anything happens, come find me. Don't try to handle it alone."

Liu Yong, moved, clasped his hands in gratitude and quickly left.

At the cargo yard, Zhao Jin told everyone to go home, agreeing to meet the next day at noon without going home for lunch. Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang went to inform their families, while Wang Zhaojing and Chen Yi, who had hardly slept the night before, went back to rest.

Only Dong Bingfeng and Sun Dalei stayed with Zhao Jin to practice martial arts in the courtyard. Zhao Jin was now feeling sleepy, his eyelids drooping, but he couldn't sleep. Many things had gone wrong last night and today, but he had ultimately achieved his goal. However, he was also aware that more trouble was still to come. Whether he could firmly control this small but insignificant scene was still uncertain.

Zhao Jin mechanically thrust his spear, the wood chips flying from the hole in the "neck" of the wooden target, getting deeper and deeper. His persistent practice made his martial skills increasingly precise.

The sun was setting, and it was about an hour before dark. However, an unexpected visitor arrived at the courtyard—Zhao Jin's father, Zhao Zhentang.

"Let your friends go home first. There's something at home," Zhao Zhentang said calmly.

Dong Bingfeng and Sun Dalei politely greeted him and left. Zhao Jin tidied up and waited for them to leave. Zhao Zhentang then closed the courtyard gate and turned to stare at Zhao Jin, saying nothing for a long time.

Zhao Jin subconsciously prepared to step back, remembering the painful slap from last time. He asked, puzzled, "Father, didn't you say there was something at home?"

"There's nothing. Come inside and talk!" Zhao Zhentang said coldly, walking into the house. Zhao Jin hurriedly followed.

Once inside, Zhao Zhentang stood in the bedroom without moving. Zhao Jin had just piled the gold and silver on the bed, and he suddenly felt uneasy, thinking he would be questioned thoroughly.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Zhentang looked around the room. After Zhao Xing's death, He Cuihua had cleaned it, and Zhao Jin had kept it well, so it still looked the same.

"Your second uncle was always stubborn. He never listened to me until his death. You mustn't be like him," Zhao Zhentang said solemnly, clearly moved by the sight of the room.

Zhao Jin nodded, knowing it was too late to hide the gold and silver on the bed. Zhao Zhentang sat on the edge of the bed, ran his hand over it, and turned to look at Zhao Jin, asking, "Did you kill Cheng Tongtou?"

As expected, it couldn't be hidden. Zhao Jin was initially stunned but then nodded in admission. Zhao Zhentang slowly shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "When that monkey called out this morning, I felt something was wrong, but I was too sleepy. Half an hour later, I woke up and found you gone, thinking you had gone to practice martial arts. When I saw the blood on your spear, I knew it wasn't for practice."

It turned out his father hadn't followed him, Zhao Jin thought. Zhao Zhentang ran his hand over the bed again, making the gold and silver coins even more disordered, and stared at Zhao Jin, saying, "What are you trying to achieve? You're so bold. Is it just for this money? I can tell you, our family isn't poor, and we have this much. Your mother and I only have you. If anything happens to you, what will we do? I promised your second uncle to let you make more decisions, but how can I be at ease with this?"

Zhao Zhentang's words were somewhat incoherent, but his concern for his son was evident. Zhao Jin could only stand there and listen to the scolding. Zhao Zhentang looked around again and sighed, "Your second uncle had a broader vision and a sharper insight than me. Tell me, what are you really trying to do?"

"Father, I want to do something. To do something, I need people, money, and information. With just us few, it will take years to achieve these. But after a few years, everyone will go their separate ways and won't be able to unite. So I want to start a business and gather everyone together. The day I went to find out about Xiaolan being kidnapped..."

At this point, Zhao Zhentang's expression changed from helpless anger to seriousness. Zhao Jin knew his honest words were having an effect and continued, "Cheng Tongtou not only refused to tell me but also planned to collude with the monks from Yunshan Temple to use us as favors. Father, you've helped this Tongtou a lot, but he has such a wolf's heart. Such a person must be eliminated. His territory is exactly what I need, so I decided to kill him and take over as a starting point."

Zhao Zhentang frowned and stared at Zhao Jin, saying, "Five years ago, you almost fainted at the sight of a beheading. Now you talk about killing so casually. In just a few days, you've taken nearly ten lives. Aren't you afraid of the law? This is a capital offense."

"I am afraid, so I've been very careful. No one has evidence to prove I did it. Even if someone hears something, they'll think it was someone else. As for the fight at the Temple of the God of Wealth today, it won't be reported to the authorities," Zhao Jin answered confidently.

Zhao Zhentang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, asking, "Do you think Cheng Tongtou could have a territory in Xuzhou without any backing? I've helped him a few times, but I'm not his patron. Do you think no one will investigate after you kill him, and you can just take over his territory?"

"Father, his patron is just after money. Please go and talk to him. Whatever Cheng Tongtou gives him, I'll give him an additional ten percent," Zhao Zhentang was stunned again, shook his head, and laughed, saying, "You're generous. The patron is Li Shuban from the criminal office, who commands a dozen constables. It's not much."

After saying this, Zhao Zhentang slapped the edge of the bed, stood up, and said, "I don't know what your second uncle taught you, but you know the ins and outs so well. Fine, if you want to do it, go ahead. If you can't, come back and take over my job. If you need me to help, speak up quickly. My influence isn't great, and if you wait too long, it might be too late."

Hearing his father's support, Zhao Jin smiled and bowed, saying, "There are a few things I need your help with..."

That night, when they went home for dinner, Mu Shulan was angry and deliberately sat opposite Zhao Jin, not next to him. The reason for her anger was clear—she hadn't been taken to that courtyard in the past two days.

Zhao Zhentang returned later than usual and sat down, saying to Zhao Jin, "I've arranged everything you asked for. I'll go help you tomorrow."

"You two are talking in riddles," He Cuihua, not understanding their conversation, complained.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Zhao Jin went out for a run. As he passed Wang's house, Wang Zhaojing was already waiting there. The two walked side by side.

"Brother Zhao, everything you do has a reason. Since we started running, my steps and sword movements have become much steadier," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

After running a few steps, Zhao Jin asked, "Given your family's connections and information, you must know what I'm doing. I consider you a friend and know you want to help, but your future is important. If you get involved, it could ruin your life."

Regardless of his own views on the imperial examinations, for people of this era, studying and becoming an official was the best path. Wang Zhaojing, being diligent, intelligent, and well-connected, had a good chance of passing even the most difficult exams. If he followed Zhao Jin into the rough world of the streets, he might be seen as uncultured, and if he got hurt, it would ruin his life.

Zhao Jin needed Wang Zhaojing's help but didn't want to ruin his bright future out of selfishness, so he wanted to make this clear beforehand.

Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing laughed, his running steps becoming a bit disordered, and said lightly, "When I returned home yesterday afternoon, my father called me and asked some questions, asking if I was willing. I said I was, and my father had nothing more to say. He only said he would regularly test my essays, and if my studies declined, I would be confined. I'm not being arrogant, but my talent for studies and essays far exceeds my martial skills. How could I possibly decline?"

---

The next day, Zhao Jin went out for a run early in the morning. As he passed Wang's house, Wang Zhaojing was already waiting there. The two walked side by side.

"Brother Zhao, everything you do has a reason. Since we started running, my steps and sword movements have become much steadier," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

After running a few steps, Zhao Jin asked, "Given your family's connections and information, you must know what I'm doing. I consider you a friend and know you want to help, but your future is important. If you get involved, it could ruin your life."

Regardless of his own views on the imperial examinations, for people of this era, studying and becoming an official was the best path. Wang Zhaojing, being diligent, intelligent, and well-connected, had a good chance of passing even the most difficult exams. If he followed Zhao Jin into the rough world of the streets, he might be seen as uncultured, and if he got hurt, it would ruin his life.

Zhao Jin needed Wang Zhaojing's help but didn't want to ruin his bright future out of selfishness, so he wanted to make this clear beforehand.

Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing laughed, his running steps becoming a bit disordered, and said lightly, "When I returned home yesterday afternoon, my father called me and asked some questions, asking if I was willing. I said I was, and my father had nothing more to say. He only said he would regularly test my essays, and if my studies declined, I would be confined. I'm not being arrogant, but my talent for studies and essays far exceeds my martial skills. How could I possibly decline?"