Escorting the Mission - Part 1

Li Jue was very tall, a head taller than Wei He, and among the tallest people in the yard.

However, his muscles weren't very prominent. From a distance, he looked quite thin and unthreatening.

He was a very down-to-earth person, waking up early and working late every day, one of the few who trained desperately. But for some reason, his progress wouldn't increase.

Everyone watched Xiao Ran stand in the center, slowly building up his Blood Essence, his fists slightly darkened. They were a whole size larger than everyone else's. The fists reflected a dim, grayish light.

This was Stone Hide. At this level, Blood Essence was much stronger than Ox Hide. It was at least several times stronger.

Wei He had carefully compared the gap between himself and Cheng Shaojiu, who was at the Stone Hide level.

Whether it was endurance, strength, explosiveness, or speed, the gap was vast.

"Xiao Ran, you're not even nineteen yet, right?" someone nearby suddenly said.

The atmosphere instantly became even more silent.

"Good, good, good. Truly the most outstanding one in this yard!" Old Man Zheng chuckled, stroking his beard, clearly very pleased.

He stood up and called Xiao Ran into the inner room, obviously to have a private word with him.

The Senior Disciple Zhao Hong shooed everyone away, telling them to return to their positions and continue training.

Wei He returned to his spot and pulled open his collar to look at his chest.

The Boundary-Breaking Pearl pattern there was only halfway complete. This was the result of him drawing from the Cheng family's Silver-Kiss Black Snake Meat every day.

He always felt that the accumulation speed was much slower than he had expected.

'The nutrition from the Silver-Kiss Black Snake Meat definitely hasn't changed; it must be the container that has. My body is stronger now, my Blood Essence is more vigorous, and the total energy required for the next breakthrough has increased. It's understandable. But if I keep accumulating like this, who knows how long it will take.'

Wei He sighed inwardly, but with the Boundary-Breaking Pearl, he was already far stronger than everyone else.

So, even though the Boundary-Breaking Pearl accumulated very slowly, he was quite content.

Xiao Ran's breakthrough brought an impact not just to the yard, but also to the outside world.

For many days afterward, wealthy merchants, rich households, stewards, and gangs constantly came to the courtyard, all seeking out Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran refused them all.

Seeing that they couldn't recruit him, these people didn't give up. They changed their approach, constantly inviting Xiao Ran out for drinks, meals, and music.

On several occasions, carriages stopped at the entrance of the Huishan Fist courtyard, waiting for Xiao Ran after he finished training.

Many fellow disciples looked on with immense envy.

Xiao Ran was in high spirits, a smile on his face during his usual training sessions.

The Shiqiao Town where Huishan Fist was located was a small circle to begin with. News of Xiao Ran quickly spread throughout the surrounding streets.

Suddenly, the already busy Xiao Ran had even more social engagements, and he was rarely seen during normal hours.

Seeing this, Wei He wasn't anxious. He continued to practice and condition his skin bit by bit every day, following his own pace.

After becoming a true disciple, his tuition fees were significantly reduced. He also occasionally sparred with Cheng Shaojiu at the Cheng family's place, and his physical fitness and combat experience were slowly improving.

Although it was slow, it was progress he could see.

Most importantly, the Boundary-Breaking Pearl was constantly accumulating, inching forward.

Having such a hopeful outlook made Wei He's state of mind even more peaceful.

However, peaceful days were few.

Soon after Wei He retrieved the custom-made spiked handle from the Li family's blacksmith shop, he received news from the Cheng family.

There was a job, and he needed to go along.

Wei He also felt that after receiving the Cheng family's free benefits for so long, taking money every month without doing any work, it was time to do something.

Otherwise, he would feel guilty himself.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The Cheng family courtyard.

A large banner embroidered with "Yonghe Escort Agency" was constantly being pulled and rolled on the flagpole.

Under the banner, about twenty escorts gathered, all wearing identical gray-white long coats, gray belts, and short swords.

Cheng Shaojiu and a middle-aged man with a small mustache stood in front of the escorts.

The middle-aged man with the small mustache was slightly shorter than Cheng Shaojiu, but his hands had thick fingers. It didn't look like a symptom of illness, but rather like he practiced some special martial art.

He wore the same escort uniform as everyone else, but his belt was black.

He had a stern expression and cleared his throat.

"I am Cheng Kai, one of the three grand escorts of the Yonghe Escort Agency. I am honored by my friends in the underworld who give me face and call me Cheng the Iron Hand."

He flexed his palms and gently clapped them together. A sound like wood hitting stone came from between his hands.

"Many of the people present are veterans, and many are newcomers. So, we'll stick to the old rule: one veteran leads one newcomer.

Let me first explain the rules of our Yonghe Escort Agency."

He coughed once, then spat out a large mouthful of phlegm to the left with a "poof" sound, stomping on it with his foot.

"First, on the road, all newcomers will follow the lead of the elders.

Second, newcomers must not be hasty, must not rush, and must not speak – the three 'no's."

"Third, this journey is quite far, at least half a month round trip. The route in between has already been set, and everyone must make all necessary arrangements before leaving.

No correspondence is allowed mid-journey, no information is to be leaked, and no casual conversations with others without permission!"

This caravan leader, Cheng Kai, clearly had years of experience in escorting. He rattled off a string of rules as soon as he spoke.

Wei He stood among a group of escorts, quietly listening to the rules from above.

His expression was calm, and he remained silent, but inwardly, he deeply understood and agreed with these rules for escorting.

No wonder the benefits were usually so good. An escort trip like this took half a month. The farther the journey, the more dangerous it was. Without good benefits, no one would be willing to do it.

Wei He understood.

Soon, after Cheng Kai finished speaking, he began assigning elders to take the newcomers.

As for himself, he was personally walking over with Cheng Shaojiu leading the way.

He quickly arrived beside Wei He.

"Little brother Wei He, I'll personally take you," Cheng Kai said with a smile, his attitude towards Wei He quite gentle.

"I've heard Shaojiu mention you often. You're usually out escorting, so we haven't had the chance to meet, but now I finally see you in person. I'm your Third Senior Brother's uncle, so you can call me Uncle Cheng, right?"

Wei He quickly cupped his hands.

"Uncle Cheng. Please take good care of me this time."

"It's nothing. Escorting sounds like a lot of trouble, but once you do it often, you'll get used to it. Just watch, listen, and learn from me. With your intelligence, you should get the hang of it after two or three trips," Cheng Kai said kindly.

"Thank you, Uncle Cheng," Wei He replied quickly.

Cheng Shaojiu gave him a look from the side.

Wei He understood perfectly.

After Cheng Kai said a few words and temporarily left, the two of them quietly moved to a corner.

Under the cover of the shadows, Cheng Shaojiu took out a small bottle from his embrace.

There was nothing written on the yellow porcelain bottle. When gently shaken, the sound of liquid could be heard inside.

"Here's the Snake Venom Fang Water you wanted. I got quite a bit for you. If my family wasn't in the snake meat business, I wouldn't know where to get this much."

"Thanks, Senior Brother!" Wei He quickly thanked him. Taking the small porcelain bottle, he knew the custom-made spiked handle would finally be useful.

"We're brothers, no need for formalities. But this stuff isn't cheap. If you sell it, it's at least this much. Use it sparingly," Cheng Shaojiu whispered. He also made a gesture indicating the number five.

Wei He understood.

It was only because Cheng Shaojiu was the young master of their household that he could get such things at cost price, which was extremely cheap.

That's why Wei He got the snake venom from the Cheng family. He had originally intended to pay, but Cheng Shaojiu waved his hand and said it was a gift!

He always spent money like water and didn't care about such a small amount.

Wei He could only accept the favor and keep it in mind.

For this poison to take effect immediately and influence the battle, it had to be highly potent.

The Silver-Kiss Black Snake Meat itself was from a very venomous snake. The refined venomous water was generally only used occasionally by members of the Cheng family.

It was rarely sold outside.

Cheng Shaojiu giving Wei He a small bottle for free was already a significant gesture of goodwill.

If this small bottle were to be sold, you wouldn't get it for less than five hundred taels, and even then, it would be a case of having the money but no product.

With the poison in hand, Wei He, along with Cheng Kai's team, rested briefly before slowly leaving the Yonghe Escort Agency with the escort carts, heading towards the city gates.

After leaving the city gates, the convoy raised its banners.

Two horses at the front, two horses at the back. The escort carts pulled by two horses were in the middle. A group of escorts surrounded them.

Wei He followed Cheng Kai, walking at the very front. Cheng Kai rode a horse, while Wei He walked alongside.

Riding a horse wasn't for comfort, but for better vision.

Thus, those riding horses were the escorts with the best eyesight.

The convoy moved without stopping, at a rather fast pace. In half a day, they were already ten miles out.

Along the way, Wei He saw Mingde Temple, which he had visited before.

The temple in the mountains was faintly visible, indistinct in the deep mountain mist.

Below the mountain, pilgrims came and went in an endless stream, seemingly unaffected by the fact that he had killed someone earlier.

"They say within ten miles is one place, and beyond ten miles, it's another. That saying isn't wrong," Cheng Kai said, riding his horse and turning to speak to Wei He.

"Have you been beyond ten miles, little brother Wei?" he asked with a smile.

"No," Wei He shook his head. "Uncle Cheng, why is it so dangerous beyond ten miles?"

"Because of mountain bandits and robbers," Cheng Kai sighed. "Beyond ten miles is the tacit boundary line between Hong Family Fort and One-Ear. Within ten miles, with Hong Family Fort's influence, it's very safe. But beyond ten miles, it's One-Ear's territory. If you want to pass, you can, but you have to pay."

"Hong Family Fort, One-Ear?" Wei He heard this phrasing for the first time.

"Isn't it strange, why is it Hong Family Fort guarding the border when it should be the city guard's responsibility?" Cheng Kai continued.

"This Hong Family Fort was originally just a local influential clan. Their family had served as officials for generations, with an excellent reputation. But later, when the City Guard of Feiye City changed, for some unknown reason, they came into conflict with the Hong family.

So, a major dispute arose between the two sides. After some mediation, they reached a compromise. The Hong family withdrew from the Inner City and built their own earth fort outside, naming it Hong Family Fort.

However, because the Hong family had helped too many people in the past and had extensive connections, the City Guard couldn't easily act against them and could only tacitly approve."

"And who is this One-Ear?" Wei He pressed.

"One-Ear is a famous mountain bandit from the area. He's very strong and has a large following. Within a hundred-mile radius, he's the top dog," Cheng Kai said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Because he had several conflicts with Hong Family Fort during the fort's construction, One-Ear suffered a major defeat. So, the two sides agreed on a boundary. That is, within ten miles of each other."

He paused, then seemed to recall something else.

"Oh, right, I also need to remind you. Beyond these ten miles, it's not just One-Ear, but also two of the legendary Three Gangs and Two Sects. If you encounter them in the future, you must not offend them easily. Show them respect."

"Understood," Wei He nodded.

Cheng Kai didn't elaborate on the names of the Three Gangs and Two Sects, and Wei He wasn't in a hurry. Since he had a general idea, he would eventually find out.