"Amitabha, you can come out now. Bushes don't usually move on their own without wind."
The monk stared at the bushes on the side of the walkways with a bored gaze.
'What a shoddy attempt at stealth... I guess I got too used to beasts in the wild, they blended into their surroundings thanks to the Origin Energy within them.
Meanwhile, humans all have a different strain of energy compared to their surroundings, they stand out like a sore thumb.'
The person hiding within those bushes was very much the same. The monk assumed that some could hide their Internal Energy through Mystic Arts, but the unannounced guest didn't seem to have such means.
"..." The bush shook a bit more as the Monk heard branches cracking and leaves shifting heavily.
Eventually, a rather small figure stumbled out into the paved pathway, right in front of the monk.
"... Amitabha, not you again..." The Monk immediately rubbed the bridge of his nose whist the wooden beads around his arm moved in a snappy fashion, wrapping around his neck neatly.
The figure that had stumbled out was that of a short woman, with long black hair tied into a bun. She wore a red uniform designed for mobility with minimal padding.
The word 'Law' was still boldly written across her chest, and the monk didn't even need to look at her nametag to know who it was.
"Enforcer Qiu, to what do I owe the displeasure?" The monk immediately brought his hands together in prayer, his cordial tone somewhat betrayed by his actual words.
The Enforcer gulped a bit when hearing his voice.
She had been following him as best as she could for a while. She had been observing him and blending into the crowds as he was off helping Liang and Liao.
When seeing him stand up for those children in such a bold way, she couldn't help but think of him as kind.
'Kind even to those that are beneath him... An exemplary example of righteousness!'
As an Enforcer, she had always looked up to her superior, to the one that led them all. Captain Mao.
In her eyes, he had always been a righteous man, but recent events gave her a nagging feeling that her close-mindedness would prevent her from noticing all sides of him.
When seeing her Captain attack Mo Yangling, that nagging feeling solidified into belief, and her eyes burned with anger.
She wanted to act and defend the Sage, but he proved his strength in an instant, dispatching him before she could even take one step towards the scene.
The newly ordained Sage made short work of everyone involved, he had nothing to fear either, as his title held a lot more weight than that of an enforcer, Captain or not.
'Kind, powerful and bold. Everything that Captain Mao isn't...'
Maybe... Maybe he wouldn't be such a bad person to follow.'
After all, she always sought a powerful and righteous figure to lead her.
She had seen Captain Mao as that for a while, but now that her mind was clearer and her gaze more focused, she set her sights on Mo Yangling.
That was the train of thought that compelled her to follow the monk to his Mansion, and even enter his compound by jumping over the undefended walls.
But of course, such a great man would notice her quickly enough without a crowd to mask her presence.
"S-sorry. I was trailing you for a while now... I wanted to apologize but didn't know how..." The short woman seemed to panic slightly as her fingers started fidgeting around.
"So you were hiding between onlookers, huh? Didn't even step up when I was beating up your Captain, not that loyal, are you?" The monk shook his head as he looked at Enforcer Qiu with a confused glare.
He could see her anxious mannerisms, but he couldn't really make out why she was acting in such a way.
'Amitabha, the mind of this monk has not been trained to understand a woman's mind!'
"Well, Captain Mao acted in a way not befitting the Enforcer Corps, he deserved his punishment... Though your strength did take me by surprise..."
The Enforcer scratched the back of her head, silently cursing at herself and her boss for annoying the Monk to such a degree.
It made things all the more difficult for her now that she was fumbling with her words like a shy teenager.
"So you came all the way to say sorry? Didn't I choke you out before? I'd say we're even, no need for apologies of any kind."
Enforcer Qiu trembled slightly when hearing his words, causing the monk to feel as if something was crawling underneath his skin.
'Amitabha, this woman isn't right in the head...'
"Y-you sure made your point. But I still felt bad for causing you so much trouble!
I don't want to just say sorry though, I want the opportunity to work and earn your forgiveness!"
The monk blinked a few times. He seemed taken aback for a moment. In the end, he just sighed and hummed a bit.
"That's... Awfully kind of you. But what exactly can you even help me with?"
He didn't want any slackers in his compound, nor could he think of any role to assign to the masochistic woman who had snuck into his compound.
For a moment, he did consider just grabbing her by the hair and throwing her over the wall, but he was a tad scared that she would enjoy it.
He was also not really against accepting a Martial Master who was seemingly begging to work for him.
"I can guard the gates! I-I mean, not that you would need any guards, but it's a good status symbol I've heard... Having a Martial Master at the gates that is."
Thankfully, Qiu seemed to have something in mind. He didn't even need to go through the trouble of assigning her to some spot.
'I'll start as a gate guard, then slowly worm up my way and become his companion! We'll be a righteous master and student travelling the world in no time!'
She seemed to have already planned out her future to some extent. The right-hand woman of the 'Righteous Sage Mo', his very own 'Enforcing Blade'.
Of course, it all depended on whether or not the Sage would agree to her proposal...
"Fine, you can go and bring your stuff, use one of the servant rooms closer to the compound's gate. You can start work tomorrow morning at the latest."
The enforcer's face immediately lit up. A smile spread on her lips as she quickly bowed to her new boss.
"Thank you! I will not disappoint you, sir! I will start right away!"
She immediately dashed towards the gates, her eyes sparkling with purpose as the Monk just stared at her back which became smaller and smaller.
'What a peculiar gal... Well, she seems determined enough at least.
If she does a good job, I'll probably let her join training too, the more the merrier.'
The monk sighed as he turned around and touched the door to his mansion.
Inside he could hear the frantic screams of Mo Qiao as she received the budget of a decently sized business to buy clothes for beggars.
Thankfully she was unlikely to refuse, as the monk had specified that she could also buy herself something nice.
'Amitabha, I may not understand the mind of a woman, but at least I know how to deal with one if push comes to shove!'
Before he could enter his house, however, his brand new Gate Guard Qiu dashed right back at him, her breathing heavy as she clutched at her chest.
"What?" Mo Yangling blinked a few times, sweating a bit as he had quite literally just watched her leave.
"S-sir! There are carriages at the gate! An Elder of the Golden Providence Pavilion is requesting an audience with you!"
The former Enforcer gave the monk a quick martial salute as she spoke, her tone hurried and slightly stressed.
"Golden Providence Pavilion? What would they want from little old me I wonder..." The monk smiled as he started walking towards the main gate.
His new gate guard trailed behind him, finally gaining control of her breath as she followed in his steps, seemingly trying to mimic even his way of breathing.
At the red wooden gates, a long line of carriages awaited the Monk, with a face he very much recognised at the very front of the line.
"Elder Gong, to what do I owe the honour?" The Monk smiled as he bowed slightly, bringing his hands together in a praying motion.
"Hoho~ Sage Mo, I see you are as respectful as always! But it is my honour to be in your presence."
The Elder's tone had switched completely compared to their previous interactions.
He was always polite, sure, but now he seemed to be a lot more respectful than before, to the point where it felt jarring to the Monk.
But it wasn't like such a switch was unexpected.
It was obvious that the Elder had finally gotten news of Mo Yangling's newfound fame and realized that his initial character judgement was skewed.
'Judging from the carriages, I guess I won't have to worry about finding wine for brother Ren...'
" I have come today representing the Golden Providence Pavilion, yet I do not wish to take much of your time. We have come bearing these housewarming gifts~"
The old appraiser waved his hand towards the 10 carriages behind him. They were filled with items, ranging from rare plants in pots of gold to golden chairs and many other such amenities.
Of course, 4 of the Carriages contained the most expensive Wine that money could buy within their Guozhi Kingdom.
The monk couldn't help but smile as he looked over the list of gifts that the Elder had gracefully handed to him.
"Amitabha, I shan't refuse such a generous offer~" The monk smiled, before gesturing for the carriages to enter his compound.
In an instant the workers of the merchant group moved forward, leaving the carriages and horses inside the compound whilst some quickly got to unloading everything.
The monk made sure to instruct them not to unload the wine from the carriages, as he would need them fully.
The Golden Providence Pavillion complied, and the Elder even arranged for some of his men to stay behind and make sure everything was in its place within the Monk's mansion.
Everything went very smoothly, with Mo Qiao eventually also coming out of her room and helping arrange stuff, giving everything a womanly touch.
Liang and Liao couldn't help much with decoration, but they still tried to help with carrying the smaller stuff around to Mo Qiao's whims.
Meanwhile, the former Enforcer Qiu remained behind and kept a close eye on all people who entered the Monk's mansion, clearly taking her job seriously.
Before leaving Elder Gong Gen took one last bow towards Mo Yangling.
"Sage Mo, I hope my previous disrespect will not get in the way of any future business between us~" The Elder spoke with a fox-like smile, his tone filled with grace and glee.
"Elder Gong, I took no offence in your past behaviour, as you've always been civil.
However, with such a generous donation, I shall consider the Golden Providence Pavilion for all of my future business endeavours."
The Monk and the Elder parted ways amicably, though Mo Yangling's thoughts were not quite as eloquent.
'Hah! Thanks for the gifts sucker! No self-respecting man or monk says no to free stuff.
With everything set, I should probably go see how Brother Ren is faring... And to hunt down some beasts.'
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Heyy, hope you liked today's chapter!
Back to the forest in the next one ey? Its hunting time! We're also going to learn more about the mc's power and his limits, so stay tuned for that ;)
If you want to support me and read up to 24 chapters ahead you can find me on Patr_eon by looking up 'VeganMaster'