Why do I have so many masters?

The Qingyang caravan had ten horse-drawn carts stretching out in a long line on the official road. Unlike the fine horses from the Western Regions that Hong Feibai had bought from the Hu horse traders, these horses pulling the carts were just ordinary nags that moved slowly.

The journey was languid and shaky, enough to make someone dizzy. Several of the fellows riding in carts felt sleepy but, fearing the cold winter air might give them a chill if they slept outside, they inserted their hands into their sleeves and, with great effort, kept their spirits up. They chatted about random topics to pass the time.

Wang Anfeng was still sitting in the very last cart.

This cart was carrying New Year's goods; the carriage extended out a bit at the back, where Wang Anfeng sat on this protruding part, a spot that seemed perilous to ordinary people, yet he sat there with great stability.

Since he had joined the caravan midway, he wasn't familiar with the other members, and the only interaction he had on the road was when Wang Xingqing gave him a share of water and dry rations, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left on horseback.

Wang Anfeng raised his hand to break off a small piece of the dry ration and threw it into his mouth.

This year's winter was particularly cold, making the dry rations as hard as rocks. Chewing them created a somewhat irritating noise and they were also rough on the throat, but for a caravan away from home, having food at all was fortunate, and no one was overly fussy.

After finishing the rations, Wang Anfeng clasped the dead branch in his right hand as if in deep thought, like a scholar pondering the most difficult question in the world. He aimlessly thrust the branch out from time to time, without making a sound.

In the eyes of the caravan guards like Wang Xingqing, who had some martial arts background, it looked as though he was just a child playing house, which made them laugh quietly to themselves.

Wang Anfeng held the dead branch, enhancing the carelessness of his thrusts.

After swaying for a full day, the carriage finally arrived just before the city gate was locked. The shopkeeper seemed quite familiar with the guards, exchanging a few jokes and paying a little extra to enter the city. The sergeant made a token refusal, slipped the bulging bag of copper coins into his bosom, waved his hand, and the soldiers opened the city gates. The caravan members whipped the horses, urging the carts to rush inside quickly.

Wang Xingqing trailed on horseback, riding alongside the cart where Wang Anfeng was, and looking at the scene before him, he shook his head and remarked,

"Tsk, the bag our Shopkeeper gave away must have had two to three hundred wen in it..."

"Human sentiment is complicated, no matter the trade," he said.

Wang Anfeng didn't respond but thought to himself what Yan Ling, his elder brother, would have done in this situation—whether he would turn a blind eye within an acceptable range or frown and sternly put a stop to it.

Wang Anfeng felt that, given Yan Ling's personality, it would probably be the latter.

However, even if he put a stop to it, he would surely find a place for the caravan to stay...

He had left in such a hurry this time that he hadn't said goodbye.

Noticing Wang Anfeng seemed slightly lost in thought, Wang Xingqing didn't mind and chuckled, saying,

"Looking at you, Brother Wang, is this your first time in Ningzheng City?"

Wang Anfeng nodded and said,

"Indeed, it's my first visit."

The man with the large gun laughed and advised, "Then you should take a good look around while the caravan is resting. Although the city isn't large, it really has one or two sights worth seeing, great sesame cakes to eat, and beautiful women to appreciate."

"Just be careful. There are rules here in the city: first, you must not cause trouble in brothels or embroidery houses; second, it's best to stay away from gambling dens if you can."

Wang Anfeng said,

"Gambling dens?"

Great Qin's laws strictly prohibited gambling and excessive drinking. However, with the vast expanse of the world, such activities were banned but not extinguished, and could only be severely punished. According to what Wang Xingqing had said, could it be that within this not-so-large city, there was a serious issue of illegal gambling?

Didn't the Great Qin officials care?

A look of surprise flickered in Wang Anfeng's eyes, but he masked it well. To Wang Xingqing's observation, this scholar who had been rather quiet after getting into the cart seemed quite interested, initiating conversation and asking about the gambling houses.

Having wandered Jianghu for many years and not one to hold his tongue, Wang Anfeng's inquiry had opened the floodgates of conversation for Wang Xingqing. He spared no detail, telling Wang Anfeng everything about the gambling houses in the county city.

Due to the severity of Great Qin's laws, the gambling houses dared not operate openly. In the city, there were many secret entrances, with corresponding access points changing every month. One could not enter without being introduced by an acquaintance. The Ministry of Punishment's patrol officers had raided them several times.

However, the store manager of the gambling house was extremely shrewd. He only sought money, not lives. At most, he would be fined a significant amount of silver, but for his vast business, this was merely a scratch on the surface. Not long after being shut down, the gambling house would open up again elsewhere.

Business would be brisk as ever, and the profits would continue to pour in. Over time, the local patrol officers grew tired of dealing with this thankless job.

The bookie behind it all was also the leader of the Red Gang, one of the city's gangs. The Gang Leader, who was also the store manager, had a mixed set of martial arts skills that were messy but effective in actual combat. In a one-on-one fight, he had defeated a well-known Ninth Rank Martial Artist, making him a tough figure to deal with.

Wang Xingqing reflected on this matter with emotion.

For someone like him, a Jianghu martial artist without any legacy or extraordinary encounters, reaching the Ninth Rank Realm would be his greatest wish.

A Ninth Rank Martial Artist could fight lions and tigers with bare hands and run as fast as horses. Enlisting in any local militia, one could already assume the position of a junior officer. Even if drifting in Jianghu, with one's martial arts abilities, it would be possible to open a martial arts school in a state or county.

By then, teaching students and taking in around a hundred taels of silver each year, why bother running around everywhere, living a life of hardship?

Wang Xingqing's face was full of wistfulness.

Wang Anfeng was lost in thought. At this time, the last carriage also rattled forward, passing through the city gates and entering the city, where the streets were brightly lit by numerous lanterns on both sides of the road.

The sergeant watching the caravan move away breathed a sigh of relief, frowned, waved his hand, and said:

"Close the city gates!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers on the city wall responded earnestly, hurried down, and began pushing the heavy, copper-coated wooden gates. Amidst the creaking sound, the gates slowly closed, and just as there was only a sliver of space left, a loud shout came from the darkness.

"Big brother soldier, wait up, wait up..."

The sergeant frowned slightly but did not say much. The soldiers slowed their work on the gates as a figure burst through the darkness, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old.

Dressed in simple blue vigorous attire, his black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, neither scholarly nor martial, and he carried a wooden sword in its sheath on his back.

The sword did not resemble an ordinary longsword in its thinness but had eight sides and was quite broad. Although he was young, his speed was not slow at all. With just a few swift movements, he rushed through just as the city gate was about to close.

The city gate was locked.

PS: Today's first update...

These past two days, I've been struggling with writer's block, so posts have been late. Please forgive me (clasped hands).