FWF #189 - Please stay
#189 - Please stay
Like Lü Chaoge, Yuan Xin and the others initially thought that this new young man was just a lover that Gu Caiwei had found from somewhere, so they didn't pay much attention to him.
It wasn't until Lü Chaoge's long sword was easily grabbed by Lu Jing, and then Lü Chaoge, a master of the third-rate realm, couldn't pull out his sword no matter how hard he tried, and was eventually angered to the point of vomiting blood and falling to the ground.
Yuan Xin and the others' gazes towards Lu Jing also changed.
The bald monk's face changed several times, his eyes flickering, full of surprise and uncertainty.
In comparison, Luo Niao's composure was slightly better. There was also fear in his eyes, but his expression didn't change much.
He just lowered his head.
As for the middle-aged woman who used Emei Piercers, a hint of hesitation flashed across her face.
Now, she was the only one of the three who hadn't shown her martial arts.
She thought for a while and said truthfully, "This… Brother Lu's martial arts are far beyond my reach. With such a master by Manager Gu's side, why would you need us to guard the house?"
"It's not the same thing. Lu Lang has his own residence in the capital, and he also has other things to be busy with on weekdays, so I need some manpower here, especially at my mother's place," Gu Caiwei explained.
"In that case, Cui of Qinghe County will also show her skills, but it's better to say some things beforehand."
The middle-aged woman named Cui didn't rush to make a move. After a pause, she continued, "Manager Gu said earlier that the salary for bodyguards in the capital is roughly between eight and fourteen taels of silver per month. I also know that's the market price, but my skills are better than ordinary bodyguards, so my price is also higher."
"If you hire me, it will be fifty taels of silver a month. Anything less is out of the question. Also, I have a daughter. Her father died early. If I come out to work, there will be no one to take care of her, so I have to bring her with me. But Manager Gu, don't worry, she is already seven years old this year."
"She is very well-behaved and won't cry and make noise like other children… These are my conditions. If Manager Gu thinks it's worth considering, then I will demonstrate my skills next. Whether it works out in the end is up to you to decide."
Gu Caiwei frowned upon hearing this, thinking that this might be another Wei Changsheng, wanting to raise his salary before doing anything. Moreover, this woman named Cui had a much bigger appetite than Wei Changsheng.
Fifty taels of silver a month was enough to hire five ordinary bodyguards. Besides, she also wanted to bring her daughter.
But in business, the most taboo thing is to refuse outright without even looking at the goods. Therefore, Gu Caiwei only hesitated slightly before nodding, "Okay, if you have real skills, everything is negotiable."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman named Cui grasped the pair of strange weapons in her hands.
Then, stepping on the well-shaped steps, she moved around the small courtyard, using various moves such as picking, pointing, penetrating, bringing, chopping,甩 (sh甩), 挎 (kuà), and摆 (bǎi) one by one.
The Emei Piercers were originally naval weapons, which could be used to fight people in the water, and could also be used to chisel through the bottom of a boat. Therefore, Cui's movements were also like a swimming fish, light and changeable.
However, compared to Yuan Xin's two-finger reception of the horse-chopping broadsword, and Luo Niao's use of superb lightness skills to take away Gu Caiwei's jade pendant from her waist without anyone noticing.
Her methodical move demonstration looked a bit bland and tasteless.
After completing the twenty-seventh move, her figure also returned to where she was standing, and she cupped her hands to signal the end.
Gu Caiwei was a little disappointed, but then she heard Lu Jing, who had been watching the excitement from the side, let out a soft exclamation and praised, "Your kung fu is not bad."
Lu Jing didn't say this out of politeness.
With his current first-rate realm and superior eye skills, he could see many flaws in many martial arts with just a glance.
However, he could hardly see any flaws in Cui's Emei Piercer technique just now. Of course, if he really fought her, as long as he applied enough pressure, Cui would definitely not be able to be so seamless when parrying.
But even so, her Emei Piercer skills were quite excellent. She had obviously put in decades of hard work, and she was almost at the Great Perfection realm. In addition, she was also a master of the third-rate realm. Anyway, it should be no problem for her to beat Lü Chaoge.
A salary of fifty taels of silver a month was not only not expensive now, but a bargain.
So Lu Jing added, "Are you very short of money? With your skills, you can get a job in the Prince's Mansion, and you should earn more."
"There are too many rules in the Prince's Mansion. Cui is just a country woman and is really not used to staying there," Cui shook her head.
This was the truth. Many martial arts practitioners didn't like being constrained, which was why it was so difficult for the Imperial City Division to recruit people.
But Lu Jing always felt that Cui hadn't told the whole truth. Of course, that was her freedom, and Lu Jing didn't delve into it, returning the choice to Gu Caiwei.
Afterwards, Gu Caiwei asked Cui a few more questions, including the cause of her husband's death and whether she had any enemies or criminal records. After getting satisfactory answers, she directly decided to hire her, waiting only for someone to verify that everything was correct before both parties could sign a contract.
Yuan Xin opened his mouth as if to say something upon seeing this, but after glancing at Lu Jing, he swallowed the words back.
Gu Caiwei wanted to recruit two bodyguards this time. Cui had already taken one position, and there was still one position left. Gu Caiwei's gaze swept across Yuan Xin and Luo Niao's faces.
In the end, she said, "You two have worked hard today. Your amazing skills have opened Gu's eyes. Here are ten taels of silver, five taels each, as a little hard work fee. I hope you two won't refuse."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xin and Luo Niao exchanged glances. The latter reached out and grabbed the silver, walking out of the courtyard without saying a word.
But before his body landed, he heard a loud noise behind him, and then he was grabbed by the collar, and carried back like a chick.
Lu Jing felt something was wrong when his body touched Luo Niao's back. Then, he tore open Luo Niao's clothes and found that his back was stuffed with cotton. Then, he reached out and touched his face, and sure enough, he also found a human skin mask.
After taking it off, it turned out that this was not an old man at all, but a young man of twenty-eight or nine years old. He looked quite handsome, but his triangular eyes looked a bit lewd.