“A new day means a better day!” Liu Kang chirps happily as he stretches on the bed.
“It is time for my morning exercise!” Liu Kang happily says. My name is Liu Kang and I am from the XiDong Province. I was a labourer who helped the merchants transport goods from their warehouse to their shops. I would wait by the warehouse district gates with the rest of the labourers every day until the boss of the shops would come in a carriage and pick out those whom he wanted to carry the goods for him. We get about 10 copper coins for each trip we make. I have to make around 20 trips a month to feed myself and my parents or we will starve.
When I first started, I was young and looked scrawny so only a few of the merchants would pick me but as time passed, they realised that I was fit and strong and chose me more often. I was supposed to do this for the rest of my life but something happened during one of the trips that changed my life.
One day, a merchant received a job that paid exceptionally well. They had to accompany a big shot from the capital and guard his carriage and caravans. The merchant hired two armed escorts to guard them and the big shot and hired about 50 labourers for this job. They said it would not be dangerous as the best armed escorts are hired and even the toenail of the bigshot is worth more than the net worth of the entire merchant firm put together.
Well, that’s all rubbish since one of the armed escorts they hired turned out to be rebels or assassins, I’m not sure since I don’t really know or care but they killed everyone from the merchant firm one night. The other group of armed escorts soon realised and they started fighting among themselves. The labourers all tried their best to run away some died; some ran into the forest and got eaten, while others escaped. I ran into the big shot by accident and he pushed his daughter to me, telling me to protect her while he went to fight.
That night, all I remember was that I held the young girl’s hand and ran as far as I possibly could. The girl eventually fell down and could not run anymore, but I could not leave her alone so I carried her and ran. I ran and ran and never looked back.
Eventually, we got lost and had to live by eating plants for a week or so. The young miss and I eventually got close, it was inevitable. We were lost and alone in the wilderness. I never had any inappropriate intentions regarding her as she is a young miss, and I will never match up to her but I think her father got the wrong impression somehow or maybe she really likes me but I will never know.
After a week or so in the wilderness, we finally found a village and we followed one of the merchants passing through back to my town. She reunited with her father there and the next day, I became a constable with the local magistrate. I learnt about cultivation working in the Yamen and the basic martial techniques since all constables must fight, and I was told that I had talent in the martial way and was allowed to learn the Yamen’s special skill, the <Dragon Fist>. Everyone who learns this must swear an oath to serve the government for the rest of their life.
Of course I agreed in a heartbeat. Labourers are low bred, the lowest caste if you don’t count slaves. Becoming a government worker means I am a high borne! well, not me, since I can’t get rid of my poor upbringing but my children will be high borne! my parents will live a better life! What is there to be unhappy about?
A few years later, the magistrate told me that I was being transferred to the capital. The pay would be much better and the chance for promotion would be much higher. I felt that this was strange as usually request for people do not arrive from other provinces but I am just a small fry and I know what I should and should not ask.
When I told the young miss that I was being transferred, she started crying and stormed off in anger. I’m not sure if she is angry or sad. What did I do wrong? I never treated her badly but treated her very well since she is a young miss and I guess I was her only friend in this town but why is she angry at me?
The day I left, I could not see her at her house as the steward would not let me in and I did not see her when I left. Is she still angry at me?
Anyway, I eventually reached the capital and met my colleagues. They were surprisingly okay with me not wearing a shirt. People in the Yamen often told me to wear a shirt but it was too stuffy so I never wore one.
Somehow, I became the one who would take care of everyone else. As the time for breakfast is coming, I walk around the house and knock on their door and shout “It is almost breakfast time!”
“Did you wake Shi er up? He has never missed breakfast.” Judge Tang asks me.
Shi er is Shang Shi. He is a super duper big shot. He is the governor’s son and even the big shot in my town cannot even compare to his toenail. But he is a very nice child, very sensible. He trains all the time and never stops and makes the food really good with some magic powder.
I am afraid to ask what the powder is but it is probably some voodoo magic that is not harmful. I mean, it can even make dried meat tasty, how crazy is that?
“I knocked on his door but there was no reply. He probably had difficulty sleeping or had a late night. I’ll keep some food for him and check on him later.” I answer Judge Tang.
…
After breakfast, I head to Shang Shi room and knock but there is no answer, so I open the door after shouting “I am coming in to check if you are okay!”
Oh no. we are all going to die. It has not even been 2 weeks since we left and we are not even far from the capital yet the governor’s son is missing.
I run around the house and look for Judge Tang and Judge Cui, they are the biggest shot in this team and will know what to do.
“Judge Tang, Judge Cui, Judge Shang is missing!” I yell.
They both look at me with a look that says “are you crazy?”
“Judge Tang, Judge Cui, Judge Shang is missing!” I repeat myself.
This time Judge Tang and Judge Cui face clearly resembles one in shock.
“We lost the governor’s son when we are barely even two weeks into the riding circuit? We aren’t even far from the capital and I can fly back in half a day….You…You want us all to die?” Judge Cui starts shouting.
He is scary. It looks he will probably slap us all to death before we even have a chance to tell Governor Shang that his son is missing. Should I have argued with the magistrate when he told me I was going to be transferred here?
“GO! GO GET EVERYONE TO LOOK FOR HIM AND SIGNS OF STRUGGLE! WHY ARE YOU STILL KNEELING HERE?! GO!”
