Chapter 940 - 423: The Commandery Princess’s Secret Writing, United Contracted Body, Extraordinary Talent, and the Authority of a Jinzhang

Chapter 940: Chapter 423: The Commandery Princess’s Secret Writing, United Contracted Body, Extraordinary Talent, and the Authority of a Jinzhang

Li Xian asked: "Brother Deng, why do you voluntarily help explain things to me?" Deng Fan replied: "These rules, if no one explains them, you might be sent back to your original position without understanding. They don’t need explanations because they come from prestigious families. Before coming here, they’ve already learned the rules clearly from their elder brothers and elders. You’re different, and it was you who avenged Hai at sea. Hai is my friend, and you have just been promoted to Gold Captain, so I should help introduce things to you."

Li Xian said: "I see." Deng Fan continued: "Alright, let’s talk as we walk. This Red Tower is the main gathering place for Gold Captains, you should look around and familiarize yourself."

The Red Tower is entirely crimson, like blood poured over it. As soon as you enter, there is the "Red List", which includes tasks such as capturing criminals, catching thieves, investigations, exorcisms, guarding, escorting criminals, solving cases... and many more tasks. All tasks are divided into nine tiers.

Deng Fan said: "Tier Nine tasks are the toughest, whereas Tier One tasks are the easiest. Completing tasks will grant military merit, silver, and various rewards. To exchange for Gold Appraisal Guard’s True Martial Arts, you must diligently complete tasks and accumulate military merit. Brother Li, since you advanced from the Embroidered Guard, you should be aware that regular Embroidered Guards on daily patrol shifts can only accumulate one or two points of military merit."

"One Basic Martial Art generally requires three hundred military merit points. You can barely exchange for Basic Martial Arts in a year. Of course... throughout the year, there will always be special tasks that offer extra military merit. But trying to acquire Entry Martial Arts without three to five years of accumulation is impossible."

"And Entry Martial Arts... are merely the beginning of Martial Arts, what do they really count for? To piece together various Martial Arts into a school is truly powerful. But a school requires several exceptional Martial Arts, complementing each other, and the military merit needed is enormous!"

Li Xian said: "That’s indeed true."

Deng Fan said: "Therefore, becoming a Gold Captain truly allows one to access various Martial Arts. Because Gold Captains can actively earn military merit, and if their capability is strong, the amount of military merit can be substantial!"

"There is one crucial matter to note: every task a Gold Captain completes requires collecting red coins. If it’s a Tier Nine task, you’ll collect nine red coins, and for a Tier Four task, you’ll collect four red coins. Each month, you need to remit twelve red coins to pass the audit. Failing to pass could have dire consequences, possibly leading to the loss of your position as Gold Captain."

He finished speaking, pulled out a red coin, and tossed it to Li Xian. Li Xian caught it and observed the red coin: it was smooth and lustrous like jade, with "Tiger Roars at Night" inscribed on the front and "Python Devours Evil" on the back.

Li Xian thought: "So every month, I need to complete enough tasks to continue serving as Gold Captain. Just like this, there will always be people with more or less." He asked: "Is it possible to privately trade these red coins?"

Deng Fan was momentarily stunned, then laughed: "Impressive! Of course, you can, and this is one of the rules of being a Gold Captain! Towards the end of each month, there is a trading of red coins. The price is very high, and the children of noble families can be quite generous. Sometimes when red coins are scarce, anyone with surplus can sell at a high price. Hundreds, even thousands of taels are not impossible. If red coins are not scarce, the price will be lower, but never too low. In any case, a red coin is very precious."

Deng Fan took back the red coin, carefully storing it in his chest pouch. Red Tower is where Gold Captains gather; inside, there are library pavilions, arenas, and many civil officials and Yamen Runners coming and going to handle daily affairs.

Deng Fan continued:

"We’ve talked about the rules; it’s time to discuss the power we hold. Although we don’t have the ’mud face’, our power is considerable. After accepting a task, you can summon fifteen Embroidered Guards to assist, thirty Yamen Runners, and forty-five Workshop Officers."

"In other words, as Gold Captains, if we wish, we can gather ninety people in the city to assist us immediately. This is a considerable force! Furthermore, we can block alleyways between workshops, cultivate informants, cooperate with Thirty-Two True Guards, and exercise the power of forceful searches."

"How to wield this power is up to you. Using it to establish your career is never out of the question."