Chapter 112: Rather Be a Slave (Begging for Monthly Tickets!)

He had barely begun when Zhao Zhentang laughed again and teased, "What mastermind? With the rivers of blood you've spilled, any mastermind would be scared witless."

After that remark, Zhao Zhentang's expression turned serious. He fixed his gaze on Zhao Jin and said, "You handle matters more prudently and thoroughly than any adult. Your second uncle also urged me to let you make more of your own decisions. I'll let you have your way, but you must not do anything that harms heaven and reason or goes against your conscience. Do you understand?"

Zhao Jin nodded instinctively. Zhao Zhentang patted him on the shoulder and went back to his own busywork.

For a moment, Zhao Jin felt somewhat lost. His eyes met those of a few constable's runners on the street, who bent at the waist with ingratiating smiles. Only then did it dawn on him. He nodded and walked toward Chen Sheng and the others. Zhao Jin suddenly felt as though his parents had abandoned him, and then he finally understood: his father Zhao Zhentang's words meant that he considered him capable of standing on his own, of handling everything himself, no longer a child who needed his parents' shelter.

Zhao Jin smiled ruefully. They were still one family; it was just that now he stood on his own.

"What are you still standing there dumbly for? There's nothing here for you now. Get home and wait for news." Just as Zhao Jin was pondering, he suddenly heard Zhao Zhentang's shout. He instinctively hurried to agree, then gave a wry smile — this really was an attitude of not caring about anything.

Zhao Jin and his group exchanged glances, called for the people who had followed them, and left that street together.

The corpses on the street had already been mostly cleared away. The residents there were fetching earth from outside to cover the bloodstains that covered the ground.

They had just turned off that street and not gone far when they heard several "thuds." Zhao Jin looked back and saw that half of the dozen or so people behind had collapsed, sitting on the ground. The rest, except for Lu Da, were either supporting themselves with hands on their knees or squatting down, all of them gasping for breath. Someone kept saying, "That really scared me to death."

Everything earlier had happened too fast. They had arrived and started fighting immediately, watching Zhao Jin and his group engage in bloody slaughter, and then the constables had arrived. None of these people had had time to react or feel fear. Only now were they reacting.

Seeing their wretched state, Zhao Jin did not scold them but simply waited with a smile. Ji Xiang muttered, "What cowards."

"They're no cowards. After experiencing a bloody scene like this, next time they won't run or collapse — they'll charge in and fight," Zhao Jin said with a smile.

They did not pause for long. These young men all recovered quickly, stood up, and continued on their way. If one looked closely, one would find that each of them seemed considerably more composed.

"Tonight we'll slaughter a sheep for you, and white-flour flatbread — you'll eat your fill!" Zhao Jin announced loudly, and a cheer immediately followed.

They had not gone far when Liu Yong took his leave of Zhao Jin, saying he wanted to return to the Black Tiger God of Wealth Temple. Zhao Jin, however, would not agree and simply said, "You, Shitou, and Daxiang will all stay at the Xu'an Trading House tonight. We can't say everything is safe yet. Better to be cautious."

At the mention of the Xu'an Trading House, everyone paused a moment before reacting. Liu Yong quickly agreed. Zhao Jin paused, then said with a smile, "When you go over, tell Chen Ergou to find a cook, bring proper cooking gear, buy a sheep, and prepare enough white flour. Tonight's meal at the Xu'an Trading House will be on him."

It was not far. Liu Yong returned before long and said with a laugh, "Chen Ergou agreed. His face was completely drained of color — probably scared out of his wits."

"Of course he's scared. He thought it was just a gang brawl; he didn't expect a great slaughter," Zhao Jin remarked with a smile.

They walked back at a leisurely pace. People along the way, seeing the bloodstained clothes on Zhao Jin and his group, all dodged away in alarm. Zhao Jin and the others could not be bothered to explain.

On the way, the six who had fled midway came slinking back. Chen Sheng's face was grim, but seeing that Zhao Jin let them follow, he held back any harsh words. Still, these midway deserters, seeing their companions covered in blood and brimming with high morale, all felt they could hardly hold their heads up. They did not even dare walk among the group, trailing behind dejectedly.

When they returned to the goods yard in the west of the city, the children playing there had been about to crowd around for excitement, but someone spotted the bloodstains on Zhao Jin and his group, and they scattered far away.

There were also over twenty sturdy youths of fifteen or sixteen, looking as if they had come to enlist. Half of them had come with their elders. They too had been about to approach, but upon seeing the state Zhao Jin and his group were in, they dared not come closer.

When they reached the door of that warehouse, they saw Ye Wenshu walk out. Ye Wenshu's expression was rather grim. He opened by saying, "The yamen still has official business. If Brother Jin has other arrangements, it would be best to give notice in advance..."

After a few words, he noticed the bloodstains on Zhao Jin and his companions. Though the bloodstains had nearly turned a purplish black, someone from the yamen naturally recognized what they were.

Ye Wenshu frowned and looked them up and down a few times, then turned and called the two runners out. After that, he added, "The yamen still has matters to attend to. I'll take my leave first."

The three of them left directly. The two runners kept looking back over their shoulders. Zhao Jin shook his head with a smile and walked into the courtyard with the others.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Zhao Jin let out a rueful laugh. There were actually ten more people in the yard — those who had run all the way back.

Seeing Zhao Jin and the others return covered in blood, these ten young men all shrank back a little. Zhao Jin swept his gaze over them and said, "You've only been here one day. I don't blame you for being timid and running. But after running, you didn't care about the rest of us, didn't go find help, didn't even wonder how your companions were doing — you just knew to run back here and hide your heads. What use do I have for such useless wretches? I don't want you anymore. Get out now, and return that hundred wen tomorrow."

Those ten had been about to offer some explanation, but when they heard Zhao Jin speak like this, they paused in surprise and could only walk out. One of them even muttered, "What's there to be arrogant about? Who knows, maybe tomorrow you'll be in the big jail."

The voice was not exactly quiet, and Chen Sheng happened to hear it. His face immediately darkened, and he stepped forward ready to strike. He had barely taken a step when Zhao Jin grabbed him and said with a smile, "Not worth it."

Curious children were already poking their heads in at the gate. Zhao Jin closed the courtyard gate and looked at the people he had recruited in the yard — those who had followed without running, and those who had returned midway. There were twenty-three in all.

Zhao Jin looked them over and raised his voice: "Today you followed and went, and you've seen what kind of situations you'll face here at my Xu'an Trading House. I know you're afraid, maybe even regretful. I'll give you one more chance now. Those who want to leave may leave. The contract is void, and you don't need to return the hundred wen advanced to you."

At these words, Lu Da stood unmoving, but the eyes of the others flickered somewhat. They looked at one another, and seven more people stepped forward.

"Boss, I'm not afraid of a fight, but this business of seeing blood and killing, I really..." one of them stammered in explanation.

Zhao Jin nodded with a smile, turned and opened the courtyard gate, and said, "I understand how you feel. Go home and let your families know you're safe. I hope we'll have the chance to deal with one another again."

Everyone in the courtyard had witnessed Zhao Jin's ferocity in battle, so they had been trembling with fear when they tried to explain. They had not expected Zhao Jin to be so amiable. They paused a moment, then filed out of the courtyard without another word. Zhao Jin closed the gate again. Those who had left stood staring at the closed gate for a while, feeling as though they had missed something.

"Big Brother..." Seeing the recruits dwindling, Liu Yong could not help but start to speak. Zhao Jin raised a hand to stop him. Chen Sheng simply gave up talking altogether, found a corner to sit down, and began wiping his long saber on his own.

Zhao Jin walked up to the sixteen who remained and looked them over one by one. Their expressions were all somewhat uneasy and wavering, but every one of them stood without moving. A few even had a trace of excitement and anticipation on their faces. Zhao Jin looked carefully and realized they were the very ones who had charged out with Lu Da.

"With me, you'll eat your fill, receive your full monthly wages, and have your injuries and medical care covered by me. But scenes like today's are ones you'll face again. And starting tomorrow, you'll undergo grueling training without a moment of free time. I'll say it one last time: it's not too late to regret." Zhao Jin spoke clearly.

This group looked at one another. This time, not a single person left. Zhao Jin nodded with a smile.

Just as he was about to dismiss them to rest, one man boldly spoke up: "Boss, eating our fill and getting wages — that's the boss's kindness. But if we're going to face scenes like today's in the future, being just a hired hand isn't worth it."

Zhao Jin's brow furrowed. These recruits really were pushing their luck. The reason he had been so amiable in letting people leave was precisely to weed out the timid and useless cowards first. He suspected this amiability and concession had been mistaken for weakness and muddle-headedness.

"What do you think is worth it?" Zhao Jin asked in return, his voice turning somewhat cold.

The speaker swallowed and said somewhat timidly, "At the very least, we should be bondservants. Though the indenture silver is high..."

"Impudence! How dare you speak like that!" Chen Sheng, who had been sitting to one side, suddenly shot to his feet and roared in anger.

The speaker ducked his head and immediately fell silent. Zhao Jin waved a hand at Chen Sheng and asked with a frown, "Are you saying you want to sell yourselves into slavery?"

The man answered tremulously, "Once you're a bondservant, laying down your life for your own household is only right..."

Before he could finish, Zhao Jin suddenly burst into loud laughter. Everyone in the courtyard was stunned, not knowing why Zhao Jin had suddenly laughed. There had been nothing funny in what was just said.

Liu Yong's expression, however, grew tense. He whispered to the companion beside him, "He's killed too many. Maybe it's only hitting him now. Could be he's lost his mind."

Just as everyone grew nervous, Zhao Jin asked the man with a laugh, "Li Wu, you want to be my household slave? Do all of you want that as well?"

Li Wu had been bracing for some other question. Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. The people around him also nodded incessantly. Zhao Jin laughed again. Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment, completely clueless as to what he was laughing about.

"Fine. Today we'll change your contracts. You'll all be my household slaves. 'Household slave' is too ugly a name — from now on, you're all my household retainers." Zhao Jin made his decision.

The moment he said this, smiles appeared on the faces of the sixteen men opposite him. One even said, "Master, you handle matters generously and clearly, and today you showed such valor, and you even think of us lowly folk. To work like oxen and horses for you is our good fortune."

Once the flattery was spoken, the others all nodded in agreement again.