Highway Robbery
Only when he saw the escort flag approaching in the distance and the group getting closer did he mount his horse, go to meet them, and walk forward with the group.
Lin Yue's eyes were glued to Big Black, and as he leaned closer, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Young Master Shen, your horse is truly magnificent! The momentum it displayed when it ran just now was far more agile than any ordinary Whirlwind Horse; it was simply the Heavenly Horse among Heavenly Horses."
Big Black raised its head high, looking even more smug.
Lin Shan, his smile fading, spoke seriously:
"By the way, Young Master Shen, we were so busy admiring it that we forgot to mention something. We have to pay for the armor and vest. We all know these things are quite valuable, so just name your price, and we won't haggle."
Shen Jingchuan waved his hand. "Forget it, consider it payment for the bodyguards you gave me this time."
"That won't do, Young Master Shen, what you're doing is wrong."
Lin Yue immediately shook his head:
"You came out with us for fun, and besides, where would you find such an expensive escort fee? You don't know the market price. A proper set of ordinary horse armor costs thirty taels of silver, and a full set of armor for a person, including helmet and armor, costs twenty taels. A complete set for both horse and rider would cost over fifty taels. An ordinary martial artist might not be able to afford it even after saving for several years."
He touched the surface of his nails and said again:
"What's more, your armor is top-notch in both workmanship and materials, offering more than twice the protection of ordinary iron armor. Crucially, it's lightweight and breathable, so you can wear it anytime. I wonder how much that alone is worth."
"Plus, the level of craftsmanship is so exquisite that it's practically priceless. This isn't something ordinary people can afford. A single vest like this would cost several hundred taels of silver and people would be scrambling to buy it. You really can't buy it even if you have the money."
"Please don't stand on ceremony with us. Although our family isn't extremely wealthy, we've been in the escort business for generations, and it's been fairly stable. We can afford this little bit of money."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, his tone becoming somewhat somber:
"Second Brother Lin, that's not right of you. Is my life not worth a few sets of armor? Alright, let's leave it at that. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's talk about something else."
Seeing his resolute attitude, the Lin Shan brothers swallowed back the words they were about to say and could only keep this favor in their hearts. Lin Qingyao was filled with gratitude, but couldn't bring herself to say it.
They then turned their conversation to the road conditions along the way and the scenery of Chang'an, the provincial capital.
The group kept moving, the clatter of horses' hooves accompanying the soft thud of the four-wheeled carriages rolling over the dirt road, heading south along the official road.
Shen Jingchuan discovered that the horse breeds in this other world were generally stronger than those on Earth. The best steeds that could be used as warhorses were mostly around 1.6 meters tall at the shoulder, with strong bones, broad chests, and endurance and explosive power that surpassed the best riding horses on Earth.
At this moment, the Lin Household brothers and their horses were all clad in armor, and with weapons and saddles, the load reached 240 to 250 jin (approximately 120-175 kg). Yet the horses walked steadily and breathed evenly, showing no signs of strain or fatigue. If it were an ordinary warhorse on Earth carrying such a load for twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers), it would have been drenched in sweat and its steps would have been heavy.
Needless to say, the Whirlwind Horses were incredibly strong. Following the caravan was like taking a leisurely stroll. In less than half an hour, they had covered twenty li (about 10 kilometers) and were already quite far from Yuxi City.
As they were traveling, a cloud of gray dust rose up from the official road ahead, obscuring half of the road surface.
The two escorts leading the way, carrying the escort flag, changed their expressions and hurriedly stepped forward to negotiate. A moment later, one of the escorts reined in his horse, turned around, and rushed back. He dismounted before Lin Shan and said urgently:
"Young Master! That fellow surnamed Hu is blocking the main road! We followed the rules and gave them a message, and even slipped them ten taels of silver, but they won't return it. They seem to have quite the appetite."
Lin Shan frowned slightly, but he was not too panicked. It is common for escorts to encounter dangers. Most of the time, they can get away with it by just giving their name and giving them some money to buy the way.
Escorts and highway robbers may seem like mortal enemies, but in reality, they're just mutually dependent on each other for a living.
Think about it, if there were no highway robbers in this world, where would the escort agencies have any business? Conversely, if highway robbers really fought the escort agencies to the death, they might win once or twice, but could they possibly suppress all the escort agencies in the world? If they really pushed people to the limit, all the escort agencies would join forces, and with their connections to the government, they could wipe out the entire mountain stronghold in no time.
So both sides were aware of the situation. The bandits only collected a reasonable toll within the bounds of the rules each time, and the escort agency didn't bother to fight to the death. They maintained a steady, low-key relationship, and both sides saved face for each other.
The martial arts world isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions.
He turned around and shouted orders to the bodyguards and porters behind him:
"Hold your formation, don't panic, I'm going up to check." With that, he spurred his horse forward.
Lin Yue immediately spurred his horse to follow, and before leaving, he turned back to give Lin Qingyao a few words of advice:
"Little sister, you're not fully recovered yet, don't go forward. Stay behind with Young Master Shen and watch over the caravan."
Lin Qingyao nodded and said "Okay," but her hand secretly rested on the short sword at her waist, and she spurred her horse to get closer to Shen Jingchuan.
A hint of interest flashed in Shen Jingchuan's eyes, but he showed no fear whatsoever.
With his ability to travel between the two worlds, coupled with his top-tier protective gear and his Whirlwind Horse, he felt completely confident.
He immediately tightened the reins, urging the Big Black steed and trotted after them, and loudly addressed Lin Qingyao:
"I'll go check on you too. Take care of yourself."
A little over a mile was covered in the blink of an eye.
Three or four hundred people were blocking the middle of the official road. They all looked like refugees forced to live, their faces sallow and thin, their cheekbones protruding and their eyes sunken. Their clothes were tattered, some with layers of patches, and some simply wrapped in coarse hemp cloth. Their straw sandals were worn through, revealing the muddy soles of their feet.
Their weapons were a motley crew: rusty machetes, sharpened wooden sticks, bent hoes, and a few chipped iron spears. They had very few proper military weapons and looked exactly like a band of starving peasants.
A dozen or so riders were scattered at the front of the group, most of them skinny, inferior horses with coats as dull as withered grass. Only one man in the middle rode a fairly robust chestnut horse. He was big and burly with a dark complexion. He held a large axe in his hand, the blade of which was sharpened to a gleaming shine. As he sat on the horse, a ferocious aura of a desperado emanated from him.
Seeing the Lin Shan brothers riding over, the burly man held his large axe horizontally in front of him and spoke in a gruff voice:
"Lin the Eldest, we've known each other for quite some time now. In the past, when you traveled this route, we brothers never laid a hand on you. We'd just give you a little money and let it go. That's more than enough face we'd given you."
He raised his chin and gestured towards the dense crowd behind him, saying in a gruff voice:
"But times have changed! This drought has lasted for almost half a year, the fields have yielded nothing, and the brothers are almost starving! You throw ten taels of silver over, who will get enough to eat? You know how high the price of rice has risen in the city right now, that little bit of money isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap!"
"If you want to pass through here,"
He slammed his axe on the ground, sending dust flying half a foot high. "Give me two hundred taels of silver! If you're short even a penny, you won't be stepping foot over here!"
Lin Shan frowned even more deeply and said in a deep voice:
"Chief Hu, two hundred taels is far too much. We won't even earn two hundred taels on this entire escort mission. I'll add five taels, making it fifteen taels in total. You can use this to exchange for some grain; it'll be a compromise for everyone."
Fifteen taels?
The burly man chuckled, his eyes suddenly hardening.
"Lin the Eldest, a bushel of coarse grain costs five taels of silver these days. That's not even enough to feed my three hundred-plus brothers for a day. Are you trying to fob us off? I don't care how much you earn on a trip, but today you're short two hundred taels, and no amount of pleading will change that!"
Lin Yue, unable to contain his anger any longer, immediately spurred his horse forward, drew his spear from its holster, and coldly shouted:
"Hey Hu, I think you're asking for trouble! We're giving you extra money because we know you've suffered a disaster and are having a hard time. Do you really think our Zhenyuan Escort Agency is afraid of your rabble?"