Chapter 632: A Chance Encounter

"... Do you realize that around Xuzhou, the price of game and furs has shot up? Why? Because we've already recruited every hunter out there. Expanding further is tough. And do you know what it takes to train the skill to draw a bow and shoot an arrow..." In this state, both sides were quite relaxed. The merits of firearms versus bows had always been debated within the Zhao Battalion. Zhao Jin's emphasis on firearms was plain for all to see, and his companions and the relevant elders were all subtly or openly trying to persuade him. Zhao Jin had been pondering how to convince them.

Just as he was about to elaborate, he saw Wang Zhaojing cough and shoot him a look. Having fought side-by-side for so long, Zhao Jin instantly understood Wang Zhaojing's hint: someone was there, behind him.

The two were practicing in the courtyard, and Zhao Jin had his back to the gate. In this guild hall, the four guards acting as attendants couldn't very well stand sentry. Placing two guards at the entrance would have been even more conspicuous, so the gate was simply left open. And, of course, there truly was no danger.

For Wang Zhaojing to hint like this, it definitely wasn't the guild hall steward or a servant—it had to be an unfamiliar outsider. The guards in the four corners of the courtyard were already on alert; one stood and walked over, hand resting on his saber hilt.

If something were truly amiss, Wang Zhaojing and the guards' reactions wouldn't be this unhurried. Zhao Jin's back tensed for a moment, and then he turned around.

A tall, strapping young scholar stood before the courtyard gate. Judging by his attire, he was also a provincial graduate in the capital for the examinations.

A provincial graduate of the Great Ming was already a man above others. Back in the provinces, they were either gentry or local overlords, living lives of wealth and abundance in food, clothing, and spending. Such a life led either to a healthy leanness or a soft, untoned plumpness—since food and drink were plentiful and exercise was lacking. But the man before him was different: tall and burly. Zhao Jin's first impression was that this man practiced martial arts; otherwise, he wouldn't possess a bearing similar to Wang Zhaojing's.

By his face, he looked to be in his twenties, yet his calm composure resembled that of a man nearing forty. Beyond his stature, he had an imposing presence. His complexion lacked the pale fairness scholars deliberately cultivated, instead showing a darkish tinge of date-red. His beard was very thick, over three inches below the chin, and neatly trimmed. He wore a scholar's robe of Songjiang fine cotton. In an inconspicuous spot on his belt was an embedded jade ornament; the jade looked very old, likely an antique.

Noticing Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing's attention on him, the scholar took a step forward. Zhao Jin glanced at the man's boots—fine goods stitched from calfskin. He knew this because Wang Ziyang often transported them in from the grasslands and had specifically mentioned they were expensive goods from the grasslands and border forts, unaffordable for ordinary households.

As Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing sized the other man up, he was observing them as well. However, at that moment, both Zhao and Wang were dressed in coarse, short robes for sparring, which looked rather odd in a guild hall currently filled mostly with provincial graduates. Their attire revealed nothing.

Wang Zhaojing spoke first. Having confirmed the other man's identity as a scholar and provincial graduate, his wariness subsided. Smiling, he said, "May I ask what brings you here?"

"I heard two guests from Xuzhou in the Southern Metropolitan Region were staying here. I presume that would be you two?" The young scholar countered with a smile. His voice was deep and resonant, speaking the official tongue with a Shanxi accent.

Hearing that voice, Zhao Jin was suddenly reminded of Li Ziyou from Qingjiangpu, who also hailed from Shanxi.

"Your martial skills are quite extraordinary. Those moves just now were all battlefield combat techniques—truly breathtaking to watch closely," the young scholar added.

He had assumed this was just a curious provincial graduate; they had seen many such men in recent days. Provincial graduates held lofty status back home and, being scholars who investigated things, were especially curious about the unfamiliar and unknown. Some even asked questions. Zhao Jin paid little mind to such people and couldn't be bothered to explain. But this was the first one to hit the nail on the head. Zhao Jin, Wang Zhaojing, and their attendants would certainly never explain to others that what they were practicing were killing techniques.

A provincial graduate in the capital for the exams who had practiced martial arts, and who could even tell these were killing techniques—now that was an interesting man. Or rather, one worth being wary of.

Among the provincial graduates he'd seen nowhere else but here in the Shanxi Guild Hall, they were either pedantic, arrogant, or self-important. Their knowledge extended no further than the content of the Four Books and Five Classics and the anecdotes of their hometowns. Bring up anything else, and they were utterly ignorant. Yet their eyes would light up when discussing romance and poetry. Mentioning the border forts or Liaodong was dismissed as cliché. Such characters were hardly worth extensive association. But the one who had appeared now was different from all those before.

The sun was about to sink below the city walls, and the lingering glow of dusk shone over, casting its light upon the provincial graduate and bathing him in gold, a rather magnificent sight.

Zhao Jin narrowed his eyes. In all his days here, he had never once seen this man. The guild hall didn't have many people; coming and going daily, every face had grown somewhat familiar. Yet the man before him was a complete stranger.

"You look unfamiliar. May I ask...?" Zhao Jin inquired directly.

These words were already quite blunt. Given the temperament of most provincial graduates in this guild hall, hearing such impolite words would make their faces change color, and many would simply turn and leave.

This man, however, merely paused, then chuckled ruefully and cupped his hands, saying, "I've been shut in my room reviewing my studies these past days and haven't been out and about."

The young scholar had also perceived Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing's wariness. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I am Sun Chuanting, from Dai Prefecture in Shanxi, also in the capital for the examinations."

"I am Wang Zhaojing, from Xuzhou in the Southern Metropolitan Region. This..." Zhao Jin was not a scholar and held no official status, so it was inconvenient for him to respond. Wang Zhaojing, however, smiled and answered for him. "This is my good friend Zhao Jin, here in the capital on other important business."

Sun Chuanting smiled and nodded. He seemed quite curious about both Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing. After this exchange, he narrowed his eyes and asked further, "May I ask which of you is sitting for the examinations? Or are you both? From what the guild hall staff told me, it should be only one."

"He is," Zhao Jin answered curtly. Wang Zhaojing, however, laughed. Having learned the other's identity and exchanged names, their wariness had greatly diminished. Hearing Sun Chuanting's question struck him as rather amusing.

Although Zhao Jin seemed disinclined to engage, Wang Zhaojing asked with a smile, "Why would you say that, brother?"

"Brother Wang's refinement reveals a heroic spirit, while Brother Zhao's heroic spirit holds a deep calm. Such bearing and demeanor cannot exist without scholarly pursuit—hence my words," Sun Chuanting answered very earnestly.

"Brother Sun has practiced martial arts?" Zhao Jin interjected before Wang Zhaojing could speak.

Sun Chuanting paused, then nodded and replied, "I hail from Zhenwu Guard in Dai Prefecture. Since childhood, my family hired instructors from the border forts to teach me."

This answer actually put Zhao Jin's wariness to rest. So he was also a scion of a guard family. Guards everywhere faced hardship; hereditary military households had all reached a dead end and could only seek their own paths. Some went into trade, some sold their labor, and some abandoned the martial for the civil, seeking wealth, rank, and fame through the imperial examinations. Scholars from such guard backgrounds were quite numerous—not to mention vice ministers and ministers, even those who entered the Grand Secretariat as Grand Secretaries or even Chief Grand Secretaries were not few. Sun Chuanting was surely one of this sort.

"To be frank with Brother Sun, I hail from Xuzhou Guard and have practiced martial arts to this day," Zhao Jin said candidly. His impression of this Sun Chuanting was quite favorable.

Civil pursuits were honored, martial ones debased. Everyone avoided mentioning anything related to military affairs. When stating their origins, they gave their locality but not their guard unit. Matters like practicing martial arts were even less likely to be spoken of to outsiders. Yet this Sun Chuanting made no concealment, and one could sense from his manner of speaking that he did not consider it a shame or disgrace—he could speak of it openly and honestly.

This kind of openness and simplicity was something Zhao Jin had not encountered in all his days at the guild hall or wandering outside. Meeting it now, his impression was excellent.

"It is I, your younger brother, who am in the capital for the exams. Big Brother, the weather is cold—why should we stand out here chatting? Let's go inside and talk," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile, inviting him in. Having been at Zhao Jin's side for so long, he could naturally sense Zhao Jin's moods.

Hearing Zhao Jin's self-introduction, Sun Chuanting paused. Seeing Wang Zhaojing's attitude toward Zhao Jin made him pause again. Zhao had said he practiced martial arts, but in such a setting, if he held any official rank or honorific title, he should have stated it directly so everyone could determine the proper order of etiquette.

Could he be merely a commoner martial artist? Such a man, in the presence of two provincial graduates, was equivalent to a servant or slave—utterly incomparable.

Yet observing the provincial graduate Wang Zhaojing's attitude, he was clearly quite respectful toward this man. Moreover, this Zhao Jin's bearing was steady and composed. Though young, his speech and conduct held a self-assurance, as if long accustomed to being above others. Could he be the scion of some ennobled family? Sun Chuanting swiftly dismissed this guess. Civil was honored, martial debased—how could the scion of an ennobled family admit to practicing martial arts and not even announce his family name...

Perhaps even the claim of practicing martial arts was a falsehood? This possibility was also quickly dismissed by Sun Chanting. The stern discipline of the sparring he'd just witnessed, the tall and robust build, and that complexion weathered by wind and sun—he truly looked the very image of a martial artist. In the Great Ming realm, apart from military officers, someone with that appearance had no possibility whatsoever of being associated with wealth or status.

Wang Zhaojing's excellence was evident at a glance. Such a scholar, brimming with heroic spirit, was surely destined for boundless success. From outward appearance to inner quality, he must come from a pure and noble family. How could such a person be respectful toward a young martial artist, and unabashedly call him "Big Brother" in front of others? Strange. It was truly strange.

Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing naturally knew the other man would find it odd—this was only human. However, they hadn't expected that this Sun Chuanting, from Zhenwu Guard in Dai Prefecture, Shanxi, would merely pause for a moment before smiling and walking toward the house. This, in turn, made Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing exchange a surprised glance. This Provincial Graduate Sun's composure was truly remarkable. Anyone else would have either shown disdain or shock on their face, and the vast majority would have stopped in their tracks. This man, however, was perfectly at ease.

"... I've been constantly reviewing my lessons. With the grand examination approaching, it's not good to stay cooped up all the time, so I came out for a stroll and a look around. I didn't expect..."

Perhaps because he needed to relax before the grand examination, Sun Chuanting was quite talkative. It also helped that neither Zhao Jin nor Wang Zhaojing was from Shanxi. Among people from the same province, who knew what connections might exist? But Shanxi and the Southern Metropolitan Region were not neighboring provinces, so conversation carried fewer inhibitions.

Thanks to book friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, 123*" for the tips, and thanks to everyone for your monthly tickets and subscriptions. Thank you all.