Chapter 1 The Rewards of Office

Inside a private room at the wine house, only Xu Jingming, Zhang Ke, and Qian Yan were seated at the table.

"Knock, knock, knock." A gentle knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," said Vice Captain Qian Yan.

Immediately, an old man pushed open the door and bowed to the three with great enthusiasm. "Having heard of Lord Jing's appointment, my master was overjoyed and ordered me to deliver a congratulatory gift." As he spoke, he placed a brocade pouch on the table.

"Captain, this is the steward from Lord Yu's residence on Nansheng Street," Qian Yan introduced.

Xu Jingming understood. "So it's Lord Yu! Lord Yu is too kind."

There were only three officials with some standing in his jurisdiction; of course, by 'officials,' he meant those of at least the fifth rank! In the imperial capital, officials below the fifth rank were truly insignificant, not worth mentioning. The Blood Rain Guards didn't even bother monitoring them.

"This one takes his leave," the old man said, delivering the gift and immediately retreating.

Xu Jingming picked up the brocade pouch and glanced at it. Inside was a stack of gold leaves, estimated to weigh one or two taels in total.

"Ten gold," Xu Jingming said with some surprise. He took out a roll of paper from his sleeve, on which was recorded in detail the annual tribute from officials, large families, wealthy merchants, and gangs within his jurisdiction.

"Lord Yu has given too much," Xu Jingming remarked.

"To the previous captain, Lord Yu gave fifty taels of silver, which has doubled this time," Zhang Ke nodded. "It seems he intends to befriend the captain."

Qian Yan also flattered him, "This time, the congratulatory gift is ten gold. According to convention, Lord Yu will send this amount every year from now on! Lord Yu is truly generous to you, Captain."

The three ate and drank while waiting for others to deliver their gifts, comparing them to the list to see who hadn't sent anything or who had sent too little!

After eating and drinking for a long time, everyone in the jurisdiction had sent their share.

Debts to the Blood Rain Guards were the most unforgivable!

No one dared to send less!

"The total is two thousand three hundred and fifty taels of silver," Xu Jingming said, looking at the final amount. He was in a good mood, smiling as he looked at the two vice captains. "The next delivery will be next year, right?"

"Yes, it's sent once a year! That's the old rule," Zhang Ke nodded.

Qian Yan, however, said in a low voice, "Actually, we can squeeze them a little more. Some wealthy merchants can be squeezed a bit harder."

"But that would break the rules," Zhang Ke retorted. "If word gets out, it won't be good for our reputation within the Blood Rain Guards. Besides, which of the wealthy merchants in the capital doesn't have connections? If we really push them too far, we might be in trouble. There might even be assassins breaking into our houses at night. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered."

"A bunch of lowly creatures, could they turn the world upside down?" Qian Yan scoffed. "Captain, we can completely target one merchant! Milk him dry!"

"Remember this," Xu Jingming's voice turned cold, and he gave Qian Yan an icy look. "We in the Blood Rain Guards have our own rules! If anyone violates those rules... hmph, Vice Captain Qian, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

Qian Yan's heart skipped a beat.

He had thought that this captain might have a strong backing and wanted to pull him into a few lucrative deals!

But clearly, this captain seemed to value his reputation.

"I understand, I understand," Qian Yan said with a smile. "The captain's future is more important."

"Mm."

After spending half a day with them, Xu Jingming realized that of his two vice captains, Zhang Ke appeared burly and strong but was actually smooth and compliant, doing things by the book. Qian Yan, on the other hand, appeared portly and smiled all the time but was actually ruthless and disregarded the rules.

Within the Blood Rain Guards, there were many people who disregarded the rules.

"Knock, knock, knock." Someone knocked on the door again.

"Captain, the broker is here," a Blood Rain Guard announced, bringing in a broker.

The broker immediately knelt respectfully. "This humble one greets you, lords."

"Captain, this broker knows everything about buying and renting houses in our jurisdiction," the Blood Rain Guard said.

Xu Jingming nodded.

Now that he had taken office, he couldn't keep living in the Fei residence forever; he had to move out.

...

He didn't know how long he would live in this identity, so he naturally wouldn't buy a house; he would rent.

The rented residence was within his jurisdiction, in a relatively quiet area, a little more than a li away from the bustling wine houses and tea houses.

"Just this kind of residence costs fifty taels of silver a year to rent. If I wanted to buy it, it would cost two thousand taels. It's not easy to live in the capital! The rent is so much higher than in Lanyue City." Xu Jingming looked at the ordinary residence. It had only a few rooms, and behind the house was a half-mu practice field, which was why Xu Jingming rented it.

Blood Rain Guards and auxiliary guards quickly moved in furniture, bedding, and other living supplies, arranging everything.

"Captain, everything is arranged," Zhang Ke said, taking care of everything. "Captain, do you really not need two maids to serve you?"

"No need. Remember to buy some good wine for the brothers," Xu Jingming said, tossing out a piece of silver.

"Thank you, Captain."

All the Blood Rain Guards responded in unison, revealing their delight. They weren't happy about the wine itself, but rather that their 'boss' valued them and wasn't stingy! Some cold-hearted captains wouldn't even spend a single copper on their subordinates! Working under such a captain was truly miserable.

The auxiliary guards had already obediently left; they weren't entitled to the wine. Blood Rain Guards and auxiliary guards were two different levels. There was no reason for a Blood Rain Guard captain to buy wine for auxiliary guards. Even if Xu Jingming bought it, the auxiliary guards wouldn't dare to drink it.

Soon, only Xu Jingming was left in the residence.

Outside the gate, however, five Blood Rain Guards were stationed long-term! They were responsible for guarding the street and were always ready to respond to Xu Jingming's orders.

"The annual tribute within my jurisdiction is around two thousand three hundred taels, and my salary is six hundred taels. With some extra income here and there... if I'm lucky, I can save about five thousand taels a year. But I also have to spend money on many things, making friends, entertaining guests, and maybe sharing some with my superiors. These expenses are not small," Xu Jingming thought. "In the position of a Blood Rain Guard captain, it's already pretty good if I can pocket three thousand five hundred taels a year."

"If I play by the rules, it will take thirty years to earn ten thousand gold!"

"But in the Blood Rain World, can I, in this identity, live for thirty years?"

Xu Jingming shook his head.

As a cosmic citizen player, from the day he became a Blood Rain Guard captain, the level of targeting against him had already increased.

If he became a Baihu (centurion), the targeting would increase again.

According to the information he had gathered... the higher the official rank, the harder it was to live long!

"Captain, shouldn't we go to the Wenxiang Wine House?" a subordinate's voice came from the door.

"Let's go to the Wenxiang Wine House." Xu Jingming was hosting a gathering for the captains within the Qianhu suo (battalion) today, so he naturally had to arrive early.

******

Xu Jingming quickly became familiar with the life of a Blood Rain Guard captain. As a captain, he could eat, drink, and have fun every day!

Because the hard and tiring work was done by the auxiliary guards, and the work of monitoring various places was done by the Blood Rain Guards under his command! Only when something major happened would they report to the captain and let him issue orders. In reality, such 'major events' rarely happened even once every ten days or so.

"This kind of life is truly easy," Xu Jingming thought as he practiced his spearmanship in the practice field at his residence. He didn't leave until the sun was setting, and immediately, the five Blood Rain Guards outside the gate followed him.

They arrived at the Jiuwei Restaurant.

"Captain," Zhang Ke and Qian Yan, the two vice captains, greeted him enthusiastically. Xu Jingming waved his hand, and the five Blood Rain Guards behind him retreated to find a place to eat and drink.

Xu Jingming, Zhang Ke, and Qian Yan then entered the Jiuwei Restaurant.

They sat down in a corner on the second floor.

"Captain, the 'Nine Flavors' of Jiuwei Restaurant are famous in the capital; you must try them," Zhang Ke said.

"Tell me, what has happened in the past three days?" Xu Jingming asked.

According to the rules, they had to meet once every three days! The two vice captains would report on all the work they had done in the past three days. If there were any special major events... they would naturally report to Xu Jingming immediately.

"The past three days have been relatively stable in our jurisdiction, just some brawls and petty thefts. The deaths were just some gang members, not worth mentioning. However, many major events have occurred in other parts of the capital," Zhang Ke said.

"Tell me about them," Xu Jingming said as he ate and listened.

As time passed...

More and more guests arrived at the Jiuwei Restaurant, and there were also performances on the stage. The music sounded, like a stream flowing through the entire restaurant, and the guests enjoyed the atmosphere.

Xu Jingming was also in a very good mood because the music was pleasant to listen to, the performing woman was beautiful, and the nine flavors of Jiuwei Restaurant lived up to its reputation.

"Dong, dong, dong."

Suddenly, a cacophony of footsteps echoed, causing Xu Jingming to frown slightly. Anyone with a bit of elegance... should walk lightly when listening to music. But these people didn't restrain their footsteps at all, and they came up to the second floor.

The group arrived on the second floor, and a guard surveyed the surroundings before stopping at Xu Jingming and his companions. He said, "Esteemed guests on the second floor, please vacate your seats and go downstairs immediately! The Shen Gong family will cover your meal expenses."

"Please."

The gray-clad guards urged each table.

"The Shen Gong family?" The guests on the second floor also had some money, otherwise they wouldn't have come to Jiuwei Restaurant. But seeing the group's imposing manner and hearing the name 'Shen Gong family,' the guests immediately stood up one by one.

"Captain, it's the Shen Gong family," Qian Yan whispered. "Let's go."

"Shen Gong?"

Xu Jingming glanced at the group.

The group was extremely arrogant, even the guards had an air of superiority!

"The Shen Gong family is one of the most prestigious and powerful clans in the imperial capital. Even the Zhenfu Shi (garrison commander) of the Blood Rain Guards' four prefectures wouldn't dare to offend them lightly." Xu Jingming knew very well that the Shen Gong family was among the top ten in the capital, and across the entire Blood Rain World, they were a terrifying force that could rank among the top twenty.

Even Fei Qing, the person behind him, had great power because the Emperor supported him.

But the Shen Gong family's strength was rooted in their family's deep foundations. Even the Emperor had to appease these great clans.

"Captain," Zhang Ke urged softly. "Let's go."

"Let's go."

Xu Jingming stood up.

Conflict with the Shen Gong family was suicide.

"Senior Brother, those three are Blood Rain Guards, right?" A man and woman, surrounded by others, looked at the departing Xu Jingming and his companions. Xu Jingming's and his companions’ official robes were visible under their clothes.

"Just a pack of mad dogs," the young man said, glancing at Xu Jingming and his companions with disgust. "A large group of Blood Rain Guards is always watching my house. No matter how much we scold them, they don't say a word, just keep watching us."

"Even throughout the capital, on any slightly famous street, you can see this group of mad dogs," the young man sneered. "I didn't expect to see three more mad dogs at Jiuwei Restaurant today. What a buzzkill."

Xu Jingming, Zhang Ke, and Qian Yan walked down the stairs, clearly hearing the man say 'three mad dogs.'

Qian Yan remained calm.

Zhang Ke's ears turned red.

Xu Jingming frowned.

But the three still walked out of Jiuwei Restaurant.

"Now that everyone is gone, Junior Sister, I'll have the head chef of Jiuwei Restaurant personally cook their signature nine flavors for you," the young man said with a smile. "Not just anyone can have the head chef of Jiuwei Restaurant cook for them."

"Oh." The woman was also very curious, enjoying her senior brother's fawning. The pursuit of a member of the Shen Gong family made her feel important.

The entire second floor was occupied by just the man and woman, listening to music and enjoying the food, while everyone else stood and waited on them.

...

On the street outside.

"What bad luck, running into Shen Gong Fu while eating," Zhang Ke said, venting his frustration after leaving the restaurant.

"We can't afford to offend the Shen Gong family, can we? In their eyes, we're just dogs," Qian Yan said with a sneer.

"Mad dogs," Xu Jingming added.

"Captain, don't be angry. Those big shots in the capital usually don't bother with us," Zhang Ke said. "This Shen Gong Fu is just an ordinary member of the Shen Gong family, not even in the top five of the younger generation. His cousin, Shen Gong Shou, is not even thirty years old and is already a second-rank official, highly regarded by the Emperor and has an excellent reputation. Shen Gong Fu is nothing, has a terrible reputation, but is arrogant in front of us."

"Even if he's arrogant, we have to endure it," Qian Yan shook his head. "They're born with titles! And they have the powerful Shen Gong family behind them!"

"Many members of the Shen Gong family are in the Blood Rain Guards," Zhang Ke said. "There are three Qianhu (thousand-household commanders) from the Shen Gong family, and the Shen Gong family head is a Duke! A vital minister of the empire! He can crush us with a flick of his little finger."

Xu Jingming knew the strength of the Shen Gong family from the information he had gathered from the virtual world network.

The information recorded:

More than three hundred years ago, during an imperial succession struggle, the Shen Gong family had three thousand death warriors participate! They helped the emperor they supported ascend to the throne. Each of the three thousand death warriors was at least a second-rate expert!

...

Night.

Shen Gong Fu stumbled down from the pleasure boat, feeling very pleased with himself.

"Young Master," the guards had been waiting for a long time.

"Mm."

Shen Gong Fu got into the carriage and asked casually, "Did you get the Zhang family's daughter to the manor?"

"We killed her husband, and the Zhang family's daughter has been taken to the manor," the personal guard said in a low voice.

"Well done."

Shen Gong Fu raised his eyebrows, feeling great, and lowered the curtain.

Thinking of the plump Zhang family's daughter, Shen Gong Fu felt itchy.

"My uncle is so biased toward his sons!" Shen Gong Fu's expression suddenly turned ugly as he looked at the carriage. "All three of his sons are officials, and my eldest brother is already a second-rank official. My third brother is also a Blood Rain Guard Qianhu! What about me? I asked him for an official position, and he told me to copy books in the academy? Said it would temper my temperament?"

"If my father hadn't died early, you wouldn't be the head of the family," Shen Gong Fu thought to himself.

He was very dissatisfied.

Although he was arrogant and unrestrained outside, he faced heavy suppression within the family! He felt all sorts of unfairness!

"I have to support my own guards! I have to pay for my own residence. Hiring a first-rate expert as a guard costs two or three thousand taels of silver a year! My eldest brother has a group of top guards, but I have to recruit them myself! They won't even give me a first-rate expert." Various fierce thoughts arose in Shen Gong Fu's eyes.

His identity naturally required him to maintain a certain appearance, and his monthly expenses were enormous. The family's various restrictions on his spending made Shen Gong Fu even more dissatisfied.

Suddenly—

Puff, puff, puff!!!

A series of sounds.

"Hmm?" Shen Gong Fu's expression changed, and he immediately lifted the carriage curtain. He saw five guards fall. The only remaining guard lasted for two moves before being pierced through the chest with a spear.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh—" The guard was impaled by the spear, making a painful sound. The spear was pulled out, and the guard collapsed to the ground.

Shen Gong Fu looked at the black-clad figure in disbelief.

The black-clad figure wore a bronze mask and held a spear. He walked over.

"Spare me, good sir, spare me," Shen Gong Fu said repeatedly. "I have money, I have money! Whoever hired you, I'll pay double!"

"Double?" The bronze-masked figure's voice was raspy. "Your bounty isn't low."

"I have some gold here," Shen Gong Fu immediately took out a brocade pouch from his arms. "There are at least one hundred gold here! And this jade pendant... is worth at least one hundred gold. I, I... my silver notes use the same secret code, 'Autumn, Wind, Leaves, Snow.'"

"That's it?" the bronze-masked figure said. "Too little."

"No, no, you take me back, I have more at home," Shen Gong Fu said urgently. "I'm a member of the Shen Gong family, I have a title. You can't kill me. If you kill me, you're finished! You can't escape."

"Puff."

A flying knife directly pierced Shen Gong Fu's forehead.

Shen Gong Fu's eyes widened, unable to believe which force would kill a member of the Shen Gong family without hesitation.

The bronze-masked figure examined Shen Gong Fu's body, then took the brocade pouch, jade pendant, silver notes, and other items, putting them in his arms. He also picked up the bodies of two second-rate expert guards. The other guards had been killed by flying knives, but these two guards... had been killed by a spear!

"Whoosh."

Carrying the two bodies, the bronze-masked figure quickly disappeared.

"Splash! Splash!"

The faces of the two bodies were ruined, and they were tied with stones and thrown into the lake.

The bronze-masked figure watched the two bodies sink, the dark surface of the lake rippling in circles.

"To think a member of the Shen Gong family, who's so arrogant and flamboyant, carries so little with him?" The bronze-masked figure looked at the brocade pouch. "A horse doesn't get fat without grazing at night. Honestly being a Blood Rain Guard only earns me three to five thousand taels of silver a year, of course I have to find other ways to make money. Killing this Shen Gong family member, but the income isn't high."

The bronze-masked figure took off his mask, revealing Xu Jingming's face.

"This little bit of gold and silver is really not worthy of the Shen Gong family's reputation," Xu Jingming muttered to himself.

The Shen Gong family, is it very scary?

Would a cosmic citizen player be afraid?

"When can I save up ten thousand gold? Hmm, can't be impatient! Must be humble and steady, work hard and slowly save money," Xu Jingming thought to himself, then vanished.