After leaving the reception hall, Jiang Ping and the three other strong men were led by a servant to the Inner Court.

Crossing a long corridor, they came to a fork in the road.

"The left side is where the important figures of the escort agency live. You will stay on the right. Remember not to trespass," the servant pointed to the imposing courtyards on the left and said.

The group shrank their necks; they were all lowly and powerless poor people, most fearful of those in high positions.

After all, for those people, dealing with them was as simple as crushing an ant.

"If you have the chance to become martial artists in the future, you might be able to live on the left side."

"Martial artists..."

The four of them were lost in thought. Jiang Ping naturally yearned for it, while the other three didn't think much of it; they were here for the money, hoping to supplement their household income.

Compared to the grand houses on the left, the right side was slightly messy and dirty.

"Although this is your residential area, many experienced Escort Masters also live here. Some have bad tempers, so don't provoke them. Endure if you can," the servant reminded again.

The group nodded. They were here to escort and earn silver, not to seek trouble.

Before long, the four were led to a room.

One of the strong men immediately pushed the door open, only to find someone already living inside.

It was then that Jiang Ping realized they were staying in a large shared dormitory.

The room was about ten meters long and two feet wide, with the largest area occupied by a large pit against two walls, housing bunk beds for ten people.

Candles were lit inside, and the young men who had arrived earlier seemed to be chatting. Seeing the door open, they all turned to look.

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The four newcomers entered the room, nodded to those inside, and then began choosing their beds.

Some preferred the top bunk, but Jiang Ping liked the bottom, choosing a bed in the middle.

Just as he was about to sit down, a foot stretched over from the neighboring bed. Jiang Ping turned his head to see a face as dark as his own. The person smiled and said, "Sorry, this spot is taken."

Feeling a bit disappointed, Jiang Ping had to climb up to the top bunk, as all the bottom bunks were occupied.

The bed frame creaked, and the shaky wooden planks with a cool mat became his current residence.

Compared to the large courtyard he left, with its soft beds and silk quilts, it was a world of difference.

However, Jiang Ping did not regret it. This was the path he chose, and no matter how hard it was, he would walk it.

......

"I saw that those experienced Escort Masters have their own rooms. Do we have to stay in this shared dormitory forever?"

Not long after lying down, Jiang Ping heard a complaint. The voice seemed to belong to one of the strong men who came with him, named Luo Tiegen.

"Once you start practicing and begin escorting, you'll naturally be assigned a private room. For now, you'll have to endure," someone replied.

"We signed a ten-year contract. We'll definitely escort in the future. Can't the room be arranged in advance?" Luo Tiegen was even more puzzled.

"No," the person who spoke shook his head and said:

"This time, the agency recruited a hundred people, but only a few will actually escort. Some may leave the agency in half a year."

"What? Didn't we sign a ten-year contract?" Luo Tiegen's eyes widened, but the person smiled and said:

"The contract is for true Escort Masters. If you can't meet the agency's assessment requirements, you won't escort. You might stay to do odd jobs or be directly eliminated, and the contract would naturally be void."

"What are the assessment requirements?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's about our achievements in the Nourishing Life Art. As far as I know, the Nourishing Life Art has nine layers. If we reach the 4th Layer, we pass the assessment and can escort to earn silver."

"Is this skill hard to master?" another strong man who came with Luo Tiegen couldn't help but ask.

"It's said to be difficult. According to the servants here, many Escort Masters can reach the 4th Layer in half a year, but they get stuck at the 6th Layer for decades without progressing."

"Then again, if it were easy, the agency wouldn't offer it for free for us to practice."

"That's true. After all, the entry fee for martial halls in Yangcheng City is twelve taels of silver."

"Hopefully, we can pass the assessment and become Escort Masters."

On the top bunk, Jiang Ping listened to his roommates' discussion, feeling anxious.

He had long known the difficulty of the Nourishing Life Art, but he hadn't understood the specific process of becoming an Escort Master. This was the first time he heard about the assessment.

It seemed that even officially joining the agency wasn't as easy as he thought.

"Take it one step at a time."

Jiang Ping decided not to think too much.

He turned over, and the bed frame creaked.

He thought it would be a sleepless night, but unexpectedly, he soon felt his eyelids grow heavy.

......

When Jiang Ping opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning. Bright sunlight streamed in through the window.

He stretched, yawned, and realized it had been a long time since he had slept so naturally.

Though it was said to be natural waking, it was still quite early, around the hour of Chen.

Getting out of bed, Jiang Ping left the room and found a water jar not far outside.

He used a wooden ladle to scoop some water and splashed it on his face, then took some salt from his pocket and quickly rubbed it on his teeth.

This was ancient times, and naturally, there were no toothbrushes or toothpaste, but rinsing with salt was a very good and efficient way to clean teeth.

Jiang Ping had brought some along when he left home.

"Brother, lend me some salt. I'll return it next time."

A hand suddenly reached into the rough cloth containing the salt.

Jiang Ping, who was rinsing his mouth, initially wanted to stop him, but after thinking it over, he nodded.

He didn't want to argue over such a small matter, especially since they were in the same dormitory. It was better to make a good connection.

The person was Luo Tiegen, the strong man who came with him.

"Thanks," Luo Tiegen expressed his gratitude and began to wash up.

"I'll be off."

After finishing his wash, Jiang Ping quickly wrapped the salt and put it back in his pocket, as he saw another young man from the dormitory approaching.

It wasn't that he was stingy, but salt wasn't cheap even in these peaceful times.

Moreover, he didn't have much silver on him.

Rinsing with salt was the biggest luxury he could afford after leaving home, and he couldn't be generous with it.

Returning to the dormitory, Jiang Ping found that the agency's servant had brought two new faces.

"Brother Qian!"

One of the new faces scanned the room, then enthusiastically greeted a dark-skinned man on the bottom bunk, clearly an acquaintance.

"You finally made it, brother. Come over, I've saved a bed for you," Qian Dele patted the empty bed beside him and smiled.

"Brother Qian, you're so thoughtful." The newcomer placed his luggage on the bed and then engaged in a warm conversation with Qian Dele, a scene of old friends reuniting.

Jiang Ping watched, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Why?

Because the bed the newcomer sat on was the one he had wanted yesterday, only to be told by Qian Dele that it was taken.

Now he realized he had been deceived; the bed was intentionally left empty for an old friend.

Jiang Ping shrugged and stopped paying attention. It was just a bed, not worth questioning.

It's better to be steady, not letting unnecessary disputes escalate.

This was his first life principle in this world: be cautious and low-key to live longer.

Jiang Ping was never one to be overbearing.

At that moment, the servant returned with the last occupant of the dormitory and delivered an important notice.

"Gentlemen, now that everyone is here, Chief Escort Liang wants you to gather at the dining hall next to the Outer Court Martial Training Ground in a stick of incense. Don't be late," the servant relayed the head escort's words and then left.

"It's starting," Jiang Ping couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.