While many wuxia protagonists enter the wulin life for such ideals as honor and justice, probably many more wulin warriors did it because they had to make a living and didn't have any better options available. Did the wulin life actually pay, however, for at least the average shmoe who chose to make a career out of it? We know that leaders of great wulin sects or the elite masters of wulin could often accumulate vast fortunes as a result of their wulin adventures, but that was the exception rather than the rule. For the average wulin adventurer, did taking part in wulin actually get food on the table and keep the candles burning at night?