Chapter 7: The Embroidered Uniform Guards

"...Do you even have a choice?"

The young man's words were pointed and aggressive.

How could Yang Ge tolerate such an insult? "Look at what you're saying. If I were a commoner adrift like duckweed, would I dare to sit opposite you without some confidence?"

He truly was helpless against this government official before him.

But it didn't matter, at worst, death!

Just like the night before, when he squared off against the man in black, he had no assurance of victory either.

The young man, with a smiling gaze, looked at the fearless Yang Ge and said slowly with a shake of his head, "Really? Think about it more carefully."

Yang Ge thought for a moment and gradually furrowed his brows. "You are a government official... surely you wouldn't stoop to such despicable acts, right?"

The young man spoke calmly and evenly, "Government officials come in many kinds. Some care about appearances, others substance; some only do formalities, while some get their hands dirty... What kind of person do you think I am?"

Yang Ge looked straight into his eyes, and after a moment of contemplation, he shook his head, "Regardless of what kind you are, you must be an extremely clever person. Why would a clever person do something stupid? Those two old men, how much longer can they live? Aren't you afraid that the day the rope breaks, I'll turn around and bite you?"

The young man clicked his tongue and laughed, "If you know that I am a clever person, why would you ask such a foolish question? Do you think the only way I can control you is by holding something over you? Even your shopkeeper knows that if he treats you well, you'll repay his kindness. Wouldn't I understand such a simple principle?"

Yang Ge was taken aback, opening and closing his mouth, unsure of what to say. It took him a while before he gave up with a wry smile, "Weren't you just worried that I might be a spy for the enemy? Aren't you afraid of harboring a wolf in your house by doing this?"

The young man first nodded, then shook his head, "I was indeed worried about that before, after all, your background is a mystery."

"But on further thought, I've concluded that you definitely are not one!"

"A talent like you, even I know to keep close at hand. Who would be willing to send someone like you out to be a spy? Such fools could never sit in a position that allows them to plant spies!"

Yang Ge shook his head, "That's not necessarily true, chess pieces have their value, and so do fine gems... Look, here you are, coming on to me."

The young man finally lost his composure and said angrily, "I just don't get it. You are willing to be a servile waiter being ordered around at the Yuelai Inn, so why won't you serve the court and fight for a glorious future?"

Yang Ge was also unhappy, "I don't understand either. With so many heroes and knights dying to break into the capital, why must you fixate on me, a waiter who just wants to scrape by?"

The young man shouted angrily, "That's because you don't understand the weight of the title 'Grandmaster.' Do you know that a supreme expert's deterrent power is comparable to a hundred thousand elite troops? You are a man of height, with the nation in turmoil ahead, how can you justify a mere existence by clinging to life in a tavern?"

Yang Ge also shouted back angrily, "And how would you understand a homeless, jobless wanderer without family or kin? I just want to lie low, waste away, and wait for death. I don't want to get involved in any unrelated right and wrong, gratitude and grudges, nor do I want to owe favors to anyone irrelevant!"

The young man slammed the table, "Coward!"

Yang Ge didn't flinch, "Scoundrel!"

Both snorted coldly at the same time, each itching to take a bite out of the other.

The young man couldn't do anything to Yang Ge because he could clearly see that the fellow wasn't just posturing; he truly wasn't afraid to die.

Yang Ge was equally powerless against the young man, as his only trump card was his lack of fear of death.

The atmosphere fell into a deadlock.

After a while, the young man finally managed to suppress his anger and said, "Let's both take a step back."

Yang Ge looked him in the eye and replied seriously, "How so?"

The young man, "I won't force you to serve the court, but you also stop planning on slacking off. Just earn a salary under my employ."

Yang Ge's face was a question mark, "How is that different from joining the court?"

The young man strove to maintain a calm and even tone, "There is a distinction, indeed. If you take the imperial salary, you become an official on the register, bound to obey the orders of your superiors."

"Whereas taking my brother's wages simply makes you my brother's hired help, not an official person and without any orders to obey."

Yang Ge understood, "Oh… so, a temp job, huh?"

The young man glared at him, anger slowly creeping onto his forehead.

Seeing this, Yang Ge's initial haggling attitude immediately shifted to, "Do I have any other choice?"

The young man assertively said, "No, and if you dare utter half a word of refusal, I'll crush you to death on the spot, ending all future troubles!"

His self-control wasn't usually this poor.

A budding Martial Arts Grandmaster certainly warranted more of his time and effort to be gradually subdued.

But there was no dealing with Yang Ge, who was impervious to persuasion and threats alike, obstinately taking on the air of 'go ahead and kill me if you're so great,' which was incredibly frustrating.

No matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve or how wild his methods, it was impossible to control someone without any weaknesses, who wasn't afraid to die, and who even seemed somewhat eager for it.

Moreover, the question of Yang Ge's origins was indeed a significant problem!

Watching the young man on the verge of exploding, Yang Ge opened his mouth but ultimately refrained from voicing any further refusals.

"Fine then!"

He offered a listless bow, "In that case, I will have to trouble the master of the house to offer guidance and forgive my shortcomings in the future."

He didn't propose any other conditions to provoke the man.

After all, it was just a matter of wages, which couldn't buy his life or his freedom.

He believed that the smart man before him would understand such a simple concept.

Seeing his acceptance, the young man's expression gradually eased, and he managed to force a smile, "That's more like it. At your age, you should be aiming high and seeking a grand future, not living a mediocre life and idling away like those worthless old men, surviving without aspiration."

Yang Ge replied with a forced laugh, "Yes, yes, the master is absolutely right."

The young man, catching his insincere grin, nearly lost his composure again and decided to leave instead, "Alright, it's getting late. Rest now. Someone will come to see you tomorrow to explain the details of what comes next."

Yang Ge quickly stood up, "May I ask for the master's respected name before you leave?"

The young man strode out the door, not looking back as he dropped a sentence, "This officer is Shen Fa, a thousand-household commander of the Imperial Bodyguard!"

"The Imperial Bodyguard?"

Yang Ge came to a realization, 'Oh… so it's the Imperial Bodyguard, and a commander at that, no wonder he's such a tough nut to crack!'

In the brief moment of his reverie, he refocused to find the courtyard already empty.

Yang Ge grumbled as he went to close the door, "What's with all these quirks, shunning the gate and opting to climb over the wall instead?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tightness in his chest and looked down to see a small stone the size of a fingertip fall from his chest.

The voice of Shen Fa, taking pleasure in his misfortune, timely rang in his ear, "Whispering about the master behind his back deserves punishment!"

Yang Ge, 'Do you want a fried dough cake or not?'