Chapter 639: Trust, but Verify

When Niu Jinbao came out of his house, his eyes were red and he kept wiping the corners of them with his hand. His mother was full of instructions: "That boy from the old Zhao family has built something big — even a woman like me who stays at home has heard of it. This time your mother begged someone to get you released, and our family has received an enormous kindness from the Zhaos. You go work hard over there, and in the future you can earn yourself a proper standing."

Seeing his old mother living so well and in such good spirits — this enormous kindness was something Niu Jinbao firmly engraved in his heart. But as for "a proper standing," he didn't quite see it that way. Men from the guard posts were different from pure jianghu drifters; they had some knowledge and a broader view. The way he figured it, no matter how huge the Zhao Character Camp got, it was still nothing more than a local militia — without official recognition from the court, it counted for nothing at all.

In fact, this Zhao Character Camp was even a notch below Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple also had vast lands and properties, and its own warrior monks and monk soldiers, but at the very least it held a title conferred by the imperial court and carried some measure of official status in its dealings. What did the Zhao Character Camp have? That the fathers of a few leaders were officials? That might be useful in ordinary times, but when things really got serious, it wasn't even worth mentioning.

Think what he might, repaying kindness and seeking shelter both depended on this Zhao Jin, and when it came to risking his life, Niu Jinbao was utterly committed.

This matter was only a brief delay. Since he was already in the city, he could hardly avoid going home for a meal before leaving — Zhao Jin understood that small courtesy well enough.

Back at home, Zhao Zhentang scolded him a few times, saying why come home instead of attending to proper business, but He Cuihua was still beaming with joy. The wine and dishes had long been prepared and were keeping warm; they were brought out before long, making it clear his parents had been waiting for him to come home all along.

After eating, Zhao Jin took his leave. As he was leaving the courtyard, he saw Meng Ziqi. The girl had never suffered any hardship in the Zhao household. Although she did take part in the labor, even the daughters of middling families in Xuzhou did not enjoy such comfort. She had a good foundation and had been well cared for; now she had blossomed into a truly lovely girl, a pleasure to look at.

Upon seeing Zhao Jin, Meng Ziqi blushed and curtsied in greeting, then ran off. Zhao Jin nodded. He had brought Meng Zhiqi along with him, and the Meng siblings had just seen each other as well.

As Zhao Jin went out the gate and mounted his horse, Meng Zhiqi seemed somewhat uneasy. With an apologetic air, he said quietly, "Master, my little sister has always had a scheming mind since she was small. If she has given any offense, I beg Master's forgiveness."

Hearing this, Zhao Jin did not react right away. He simply waved his hand to signal departure. It was only when they were nearly at the city gate that Zhao Jin realized: that encounter and greeting with Meng Ziqi just now had likely been deliberate — she had made a point of appearing before him. And Meng Zhiqi, knowing his sister's little schemes could not be hidden from him, had explained in advance.

Young boys and girls are just like that, I suppose. Zhao Jin chuckled to himself in spite of it all. He glanced back over his shoulder; Niu Jinbao was riding behind on horseback, hemmed in by several household guards.

Although Zhao Zhentang had already conducted a thorough investigation, a man like Niu Jinbao still could not be fully trusted. Household guards from the Internal Guard Unit had already been dispatched again to Xinxiang County in Henan, and the clerks from the criminal division of the Xuzhou magistrate's office had also gone to chat with the constables who had come from there — all to thoroughly get to the bottom of Niu Jinbao's background.

Riding hard without pause, they spent the first night in Shuanggou Town. This was also the first stop among the inns and post stations that Cloud Mountain Trading had arranged. When they passed through Fangcun Market, Jiang Mutou brought his men and fell in with them, escorting them all the way to Shuanggou Town, then set about preparing meals and fodder for several hundred men and horses.

This was a huge expense. The inn had a dedicated storehouse stocked for this. After every such reception, they would immediately submit the accounts, then purchase supplies nearby to replenish what had been used.

From Xuzhou city to here was several dozen li, and Niu Jinbao had been observing the whole way. It was just this stretch of road that made him stop thinking of the Zhao Character Camp as a simple local militia. The strict discipline of the cavalry on the march, the way the formation adjusted when Jiang Mutou led his retinue to join them, the ingrained habit of every man obeying orders — not to mention how, when they dismounted at the inn, without a word from Zhao Jin, Lian Zheng gave the commands and arranged the guard rotations as a matter of routine.

Such discipline and conduct — Niu Jinbao had never seen the like in any guard post. He had not even seen much of it with the Xuzhou Assistant Regional Commander. Coming from a guard-post military household and having trained in martial arts, the thought of a soldier's life had always been in him. It was precisely because he knew he could never become one of the Assistant Regional Commander's personal guards that he had gone out to make his way in the world.

"Master, this is Niu Jinbao's weapon." A personal guard brought over Niu Jinbao's weapon. The item had been handed directly to Zhao Jin's side the moment it was retrieved from the authorities, and it still had not been given to Niu Jinbao.

A short axe and a short blade. The axe was three chi long, with a pointed spike on its head — held one way it was an axe blade, reversed it became a spiked hammer-pick. The other short blade was just over two chi, looking much like a butcher's knife, only even thicker and sturdier, and its handle was not short either.

Zhao Jin looked them over with a smile, then turned and asked Meng Zhiqi, "Can you tell anything from these?"

Meng Zhiqi had been standing very straight. At the question, he leaned forward and studied them carefully, then said, "They're not light. Short weapons are meant to prioritize agility, but both this axe and this blade are heavier than usual. Whoever uses them must have considerable strength."

Zhao Jin nodded with a smile, then beckoned with his hand and said, "Dahu, come take a look."

After the situation in Qingjiangpu had stabilized, Cheng Dahu had been assigned to Zhao Jin's side as a guard. His background was reliable, and his martial skills and experience were both rich — this kind of man was the most trustworthy. Of course, being trusted to this degree also had to do with the Cheng family; Cheng Daqi was utterly devoted in his following of the Zhao Character Camp.

"This gear isn't something an ordinary man can use. Tsk, tsk — look at the color on this blade and axe, they've likely seen plenty of blood. A man who can wield such unwieldy gear and still kill this many people must have some real skill. He's bound to be formidable in close combat — in houses and alleyways he'd be a god of slaughter. But anywhere else, he probably can't bring it to bear." Cheng Dahu had always been casual by nature and could not manage to be stiff and formal even in front of Zhao Jin, though he also knew Zhao Jin did not much mind.

A short axe and a short blade, both looking to be weighted heavier than normal — their killing power was certainly greater. Kill enough men, soak in enough blood, and even after thorough washing the stain of blood will linger. To have killed so many and to bear such stains meant this man's skill was high; otherwise he would not have survived to this day. Fighting in cramped places like houses and alleyways was naturally where such short-weapon experts could bring their skills to bear. But against long spears and great halberds, a strong fighter with short weapons was nothing much to speak of.

Men of the jianghu could not say things like this. They themselves could not do it, and they assumed others could leap high and walk on air. But Cheng Dahu had witnessed the Zhao Character Camp fighting in formation — it was truly like a wall of bronze and iron; to crash against it was death. Even against local militia with formation and coordination, jianghu men would suffer grievously, let alone against the Zhao Character Camp, which far surpassed ordinary government troops. That was why Cheng Dahu had reached such a conclusion.

"Little Meng, you need to learn more from these seniors. Experience will let you see things clearly in time, but if you learn more and listen more, you can also see these things clearly now," Zhao Jin said to Meng Zhiqi with a smile.

At these words, Meng Zhiqi answered loudly, his back ramrod straight.

Meng Zhiqi was technically a student attendant, but because he had served Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua, Zhao Jin regarded him as one of his own household's younger generation, keeping him at his side and teaching him constantly.

After he finished speaking, Zhao Jin turned back to Cheng Dahu and asked, "What do you make of this man?"

His father Zhao Zhentang's reasoning was indeed sound. In his current position, he did need a trusted and capable guard at his side. But such a man required not only a thoroughly investigated background, but also testing of his ability and temperament. Men had been sent to Henan to dig into his past, and his conduct along this journey would also be observed. Cheng Dahu and a few others were responsible for that observation.

"He's an old wolf, the kind that spends years going into the mountains and burrowing through the brush…" — this was jianghu cant, no need for Master Jin to mind it — "This Niu Jinbao looks fierce and murderous, but he's a quiet man, able to keep his composure. He also knows the lads are watching him. Beyond that, it's hard to say much — after all, it's only been half a day, can't see too much yet." Cheng Dahu spoke in careful detail.

Among martial men, there were no shortage of blood-drenched butchers and ferocious killers, and among them were formidable figures who could fight ten men or a hundred. Yet such men were often blinded by the bloodshed, their minds and natures already twisted — they could no longer be considered normal men, or even men at all. This Niu Jinbao might have the same problem; if his temper was truly that violent, he would not be suited to serve as a personal guard.

But the observation over this period had been fine so far. Niu Jinbao's mind was quite normal, even carrying a hint of simple, artless honesty. One day was not enough to be certain, however — they would have to keep watching.

Zhao Jin nodded at this, then noticed that Cheng Dahu had not left and was just standing there chuckling to himself. Zhao Jin was thoroughly familiar with the dispositions of these jianghu men and simply asked with a smile, "If you've got something to say, say it. What's with all the hemming and hawing?"

"Master Jin, all the brothers from Xuzhou and Pizhou have been wanting to serve as your guards. They've had their hearts set on it for a long time. Never thought an outsider would get ahead of them. Everyone's feeling a bit resentful in their hearts — they want to have a match. If this Niu Jinbao really is that good, then everyone will be convinced and accept it. But if his skills are no good, wouldn't that just hold up Master Jin's affairs?" Cheng Dahu said with a solemn face.

Meng Zhiqi, standing to the side, nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself: The men around the young master are all so loyal — this is all thanks to the young master's benevolence and honor…

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jin let out a snort of laughter, pointed at Cheng Dahu, and said, "Spare me this nonsense. Your hands are just itching for a fight, aren't they?"

The solemn expression Cheng Dahu had just put on instantly turned into a sly grin. Chuckling, he said, "Master Jin's eyes are still the sharpest. This Niu Jinbao the old master found — the man never had any reputation to speak of before, so everyone wants to go up and test him."

Zhao Jin was not angry either. He simply nodded and said, "I'd like to see what he's capable of too. But no matches tonight — we'll talk about it tomorrow night when we reach Suqian."

Having secured Zhao Jin's promise, Cheng Dahu's face lit up with even greater delight. Rubbing his hands together nonstop, he said, "That's good, that's good. Not just against Old Niu — we brothers will have a contest among ourselves too, to see who gets to come out and fight him."

Zhao Jin waved him off with mock exasperation, and Cheng Dahu left with a grin. Zhao Jin merely glanced over at Niu Jinbao and saw him sitting there, simply watching the arrangements of the Zhao Character Camp with curiosity.

That evening, Zhao Jin gathered with the leading figures of Shuanggou Town. There was now a large distillery here. Most of the Hanjing Famous Liquor that went to Luoma Lake to be traded for tribute grain, as well as the baijiu traded to Qingjiangpu and further south, was produced right here.

Thanks to the three old friends "Mu Ming, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, and Tian Mi De Gan Zhe" for their tips. Thank you everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets.