Chapter 4232 — A Nominal Escort
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Speak freely. So long as it lies within the power of our Qingtian Escort Agency, we shall never refuse," Qi Wenmo said at once, striking his chest with a show of gallantry.
"My junior sister and I have come out to the Wei Arc sea region this time for training and experience. As for how long we may stay—that is not something we can be certain of. I must beg Brother Qi's understanding on this point," Wei Zhao said, choosing his words with care.
"That's easily settled. The two of you may not know it, but our Qingtian Escort Agency has two kinds of escort masters. One is the resident escort master—as the name implies, one who works steadily at the agency over the long term. Besides that there is another kind: the nominal escort master, who need not remain stationed at the agency at all, but comes and goes in complete freedom. If there is time and a task to be taken, take it; if not, then don't. We will never press anyone," Qi Wenmo said with a smile.
A cultivator of truly great strength could never be content to nestle quietly in an escort agency and serve as an escort master. That the Qingtian Escort Agency had put forward such a system was simply a matter of going with the times.
For an escort agency that made its way through the jianghu, so long as the daily needs of business were met, how many resident escort masters it could actually recruit was in truth not what mattered. Powerful connections and influence were what mattered most.
Many a nominal escort master might never once walk an escort route, yet so long as his name hung there, the very fact added by another measure to the Qingtian Escort Agency's foundations, gave them a little more confidence in their bones, and at the same time made the other powers more wary of them.
"Oh? In that case, we two—senior and junior disciples—would seem well suited to serve as nominal escort masters," Wei Zhao said, and he and Huang Xiaotao exchanged a glance and nodded.
"But Young Master Ling, there is one thing I must say to you beforehand. A nominal escort master comes and goes freely, it is true, but as for pay: one takes the pay for each route one walks, and that is all. If one does not walk a route, then there is no fixed stipend to speak of. I hope the two of you can understand and make allowance for this," Qi Wenmo cautioned.
"Fair and reasonable—it could hardly be otherwise. Many thanks, Brother Qi, for clearing our doubts. The two of us have decided to join the Qingtian Escort Agency, as nominal escort masters," Wei Zhao decided on the spot.
"Splendid! Come, Young Master Ling—and Miss Huang—let us drink to the two of you joining the agency!" Qi Wenmo was overjoyed, and raising his cup, he drained it together with Wei Zhao and the other.
When wine and food had been fully enjoyed, Wei Zhao and Huang Xiaotao followed Qi Wenmo to the escort agency. Looking up, they saw before them a grand gate and a great courtyard, and on the plaque at its center four golden characters that seemed to dance and soar: Qingtian Escort Agency.
Following Qi Wenmo inward, they passed through two great courtyards and came to a main hall. Wei Zhao cast a glance around and saw several cultivators seated within, most of them adepts of the Golden Core stage, and among them some at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment.
The strength of every one of them was plain at a glance—there was none whose level could not be told. That is to say, here at least there were no adepts of the Nascent Soul stage.
Today, in but a brief moment since coming to the Wei Arc sea region, he had already seen two Nascent Soul adepts serving as attendants, and it had truly given Wei Zhao a jolt. He had thought that this Wei Arc sea region must indeed be a place where the mighty came forth in generation after generation, where Nascent Soul adepts walked the streets thick as weeds.