March 7, Year 3 of Zhenming My first day down the mountain. The Elder ordered me to earn fifty taels of silver…
March 7, Year 3 of Zhenming
My first day down the mountain. The Elder ordered me to earn fifty taels of silver.
...Fifty taels! A family of three could labor for years and not save such a sum. I am deeply troubled.
March 8, Year 3 of Zhenming
Encountered bandits on the road. Levied one tael and three qian.
March 9, Year 3 of Zhenming
Encountered bandits on the road. Levied two taels and two qian.
March 10, Year 3 of Zhenming
Encountered bandits on the road. Levied seven taels and eight qian.
March 11, Year 3 of Zhenming
Three encounters with bandits in a single day! Alas! The chaos of this world leaves one sighing in despair.
March 12, Year 3 of Zhenming
Met bandits again. Counting the silver in my pouch, I have amassed over twenty taels, nearly half my goal.
Perhaps I should seek out more bandits. No, no. As disciples of Mohist Hill, how can we stoop to highway robbery?
March 13, Year 3 of Zhenming
Chanced upon bandits. Gained three taels. The rogues are like ants; I cannot avoid them even if I try. I am certainly not seeking them out.
March 14, Year 3 of Zhenming
Intercepted Khitan horse thieves plundering inside the pass, their packs heavy with fine silks. Levied forty-nine taels of silver!
Oh, the tragedy. Is the martial craft I honed truly reduced to this?
March 15, Year 3 of Zhenming
Tracked down a few more Khitan horse thieves. Got twenty taels. I spit on them. Paupers.
March 16, Year 3 of Zhenming
Searched everywhere for Khitan thieves but found none. I sighed. I have fallen from grace.
March 17, Year 3 of Zhenming
Arrived at the Hutuo River. Hundreds of horses stamping their hooves, thousands of bows drawn tight. It was a horde of Khitan bandits laying siege to three wandering martial artists.
Excellent! This haul will surely net me over a hundred taels!
March 18, Year 3 of Zhenming
My sect's skills finally proved their worth. Those three martial artists paid me fifty taels of silver to build a bridge across the Hutuo River for them.
March 19, Year 3 of Zhenming
Only today did I learn the names of those three: Xu Zhigao, Wang Qing, and Li Wuxin.
This is terrible. Mohist Hill strictly forbids involvement in worldly conflicts. The Elder must never learn of this encounter.