Escorting the Goods - Part 2

After traveling ten miles, the scenery outside remained the same.

Wei He looked around.

It was noon. Sunlight streamed down, brightly illuminating the distant woods on both sides.

There were no fields along the official road, only patches of weeds.

Weeds as tall as a person were scattered everywhere, but they didn't form continuous stretches.

To his surprise, despite Cheng Kai mentioning danger, the journey had been uneventful.

On the first day, the group traveled to a village called Fan Family Village. An inn stood at its edge.

Cheng Kai seemed familiar with the innkeeper, and after a brief greeting, the group stayed there for the night.

The next morning, they departed swiftly before dawn.

Thus, they traveled for a day, reached a village, stayed overnight, and then continued the cycle.

Wei He and Cheng Kai usually shared a room. The room had two beds, and they slept in their clothes, by the window, ready to check the situation at any moment, but nothing unexpected occurred.

Everything was calm.

The route, locations, and even resting points were pre-arranged. This completely stripped Wei He of the mystery he associated with escorting goods.

He began to doubt the supposed dangers outside the city.

On the evening of the seventh day.

The convoy was nearing its destination, situated amidst desolate mountains, beside a large stone bridge.

The group lit bonfires, bringing the merchant caravan carts and horses closer to the bridgehead houses, forming a semi-circle. Everyone rested inside the houses.

The mountain wind howled, and the flickering bonfire cast dancing shadows.

The large stone bridge stretched for hundreds of meters, with a guardhouse on each side at the bridgehead.

These guardhouses seemed to be remnants from when the bridge was maintained, but they were ancient and now abandoned.

The once hundreds-of-meters-long bridge was also dilapidated and in disrepair.

The bridgehead houses were cylindrical, seven to eight meters high and quite wide, with a diameter of seventeen to eighteen meters.

Inside, the space was empty. Over twenty people squeezed in, gathered around two bonfires, chatting and laughing.

The cold wind blowing through the two window openings couldn't dampen the warmth generated by the crowd.

Wei He sat in a corner, silently poking the bonfire with a thick branch, making it burn brighter.

To his left, a few people were chatting in an unintelligible dialect.

To his right, one person was carving wood with a small knife, while another leaned against the wall, dozing.

Cheng Kai, as the head escort, had arranged for night watchmen outside and then walked in.

He spoke a few words with the escorts by the other bonfire, and soon, several people got up and went outside.

Before long, the faint sounds of fist and foot combat could be heard.

"It's starting again, let's go watch the fun!"

Several escorts immediately perked up and headed for the door.

Beside Wei He, the three who had been carving wood and dozing also leaped up and moved towards the door.

The escorts who had been chatting in dialect also got up. One, seeing Wei He standing still and looking confused, chuckled.

"Come on, Brother Wei, you've trained in proper Huishan Fist. Let's go spar a bit, let the brothers see your skills!"

He walked over and tugged at Wei He's sleeve.

"What?" Wei He, looking bewildered, was pulled to his feet and followed the others out of the bridgehead house.

Behind the bridgehead house, there was an open space that seemed to be used for cooking and chopping wood.

Two escorts stood facing each other, slowly circling.

Someone held a torch to illuminate them, while others shouted encouragement to one of them.

This spot, leaning against the mountain wall and shielded by the bridgehead house, was mostly sheltered from the mountain wind, forming a perfect dead corner.

Cheng Kai, seeing Wei He emerge, walked closer and said with a smile.

"This is our little entertainment activity for every escort mission."

"Entertainment activity?"

"Indeed," Cheng Kai stroked his mustache and smiled. "We're not allowed to drink or gamble when we escort goods. Besides idle chatter, there's not much else we can do. Often, we're not even allowed to talk loudly or for too long. Over time, it can become quite stifling."

He paused and continued, "So, towards the end of our journey, when we're close to our destination, we hold an internal martial arts competition. Firstly, since we can't drink, sparring can help us stay alert and improve blood circulation.

Secondly, it's a way to establish internal rankings. Who is stronger, who is weaker – everyone gets a clearer understanding, so that if trouble arises, we're not caught off guard."

Wei He suddenly understood.

After all this talk, it was clear that wherever people gathered, there would always be a hierarchy.

A loud shout erupted from the center of the arena.

The two escorts suddenly collided.

One, a tall escort, wielded an iron staff. As he swung it, his movements were quite skillful, his offense and defense balanced, his advances and retreats measured, and he showed no sign of disarray.

The other was short and stocky, fighting bare-handed. His punches were fast and fierce, creating a powerful wind as he fought, seemingly with considerable force.

After a brief close-quarters struggle, the staff-wielder found himself too close to effectively use his weapon. Lacking speed, he couldn't create distance and ultimately lost a round, taking a hit to the shoulder and being defeated.

"Bai Shengfeng's Hengpie Staff is considered quite good among the crowd. He even has a record of single-handedly taking down five thugs in Nanshan Town with just his staff. I didn't expect him to lose to Li Er," Cheng Kai commented.

Wei He watched. The exchange between the two was mediocre. Although he couldn't gauge their strength, their speed and reaction times were clearly only average.

In his estimation, they were only slightly stronger than ordinary people, their fighting merely possessing some structure.

After Li Er won his first match, he seemed unsatisfied and fought another bout, winning again.

It was then that Li Er's advantage became apparent: his stamina was exceptional. He fought two matches in a row without showing any fatigue.

"How about it? Want to give it a try? Li Er's Jiushan Fist isn't weak. Even I have to focus to win against him," Cheng Kai said with a smile, looking at Wei He.

"Alright." Wei He didn't waste words. He took off his cloak and stepped forward a few paces into the arena.

"Wei He." He cupped his fist in a salute.

"Li Er." The short, sturdy Li Er had a fierce appearance. In the firelight, a scar could be seen on his left eyebrow. His muscles bulged one after another, giving him a formidable look.

After saluting, the two stood still in their positions.

Wei He was observing carefully. Although he had watched the previous two matches and had a general idea of Li Er's style, he wasn't in a hurry now that he was on the stage.

Illuminated by the torches.

Li Er, however, was becoming impatient. After two consecutive victories, his confidence was soaring, his momentum at its peak. He threw a punch at Wei He.

This punch was a straight jab, merely a probing attack. He used fast punches.

He punched with one hand while keeping the other defensively positioned, ready to change his move at any moment.

If Wei He couldn't keep up with his speed, Li Er could immediately follow up and seize the advantage to win.

If Wei He could keep up, Li Er could also test his style and strength.

Wei He raised both fists, guarding the front of his head, and gently deflected the punch.

Puff.

As their fists met, Wei He felt a slight jolt. The opponent's punch carried considerable force. Even for him, who had broken through his Blood Essence once, his fist felt numb just from deflecting it.

No wonder this Li Er could easily win two matches before.

But unfortunately...

Wei He's free left fist shot forward, throwing a similar straight punch towards Li Er's chest.

With a whoosh, his fist became a white blur. It was also a straight punch, and this one was significantly faster than Li Er's.

Just as Li Er was about to dodge, the fist unexpectedly changed trajectory and struck his shoulder squarely.

Bang.

Li Er staggered back, having lost a round.

Unconvinced, he pressed forward again.

The two continued to exchange blows, but after only a few exchanges, he was hit in the abdomen with another punch.

This time, he finally saw clearly. While their strength was similar, the difference in their striking speed was immense.

Wei He basically stood in place, not moving. With just a few punches, he ended the fight.

"Impressive! I concede defeat!" Li Er said, his face red, cupping his hands in a salute before slinking away.

The cheers and shouts from the surrounding crowd gradually died down. Wei He wasn't well-known to everyone, so naturally, no one was cheering for him.

"Anyone who wants to go next, step up. But before you do, think carefully. Li Er's Jiushan Fist is powerful, and he still lost. Don't go looking for a beating if you're outmatched," Cheng Kai shouted from the side.

"I'll go." Someone stepped forward, holding a short saber. "My apologies, I only excel with weapons."

"No problem." Wei He replied. In this line of work, one would eventually encounter people with weapons.

This person swung the saber twice, slashing swiftly towards Wei He. Although he used the flat of the blade to avoid accidental injury, the saber light still flashed impressively.

However, Wei He, whose Blood Essence surpassed that of these individuals, had reaction speeds far beyond ordinary people. He dodged a few times, then used a trip to make the opponent lose balance before delivering a swinging punch.

Instantly, the short saber was knocked out of the opponent's hand and fell to the ground.

This round was also won.

Wei He didn't leave the stage after the match. He continued to scan the surroundings, intending to gain more practical combat experience.

Although he didn't say anything, everyone understood his intention: he wanted to continue.

Soon, two more individuals stepped up, both easily defeated by Wei He.

With the difference in Blood Essence, dealing with these ordinary escorts was quite effortless for him.

At this moment, he deeply understood just how much the Blood Essence realm amplified one's strength. Everyone appeared to be moving in slow motion.

"I'll do it," finally, a tall woman with long legs stepped forward.

Her name was Cheng Jing, also from the Cheng family, but a distant relative. She wasn't a bodyguard, but one of the only two head bodyguards among everyone present.

"If it's Cheng Jing, then we're in for a show," Cheng Kai said with a smile, stroking his beard.

He had just been considering whether he should step in himself. Otherwise, if Wei He continued to disrespect all the elders, it would be quite awkward.

As one of the few female bodyguards, and a head bodyguard at that, responsible for managing the bodyguards, Cheng Jing possessed considerable strength. Within Shiqiao Town, where her family resided, she was a well-known expert.

"I've sparred with many formidable individuals in town. Across Shiqiao Town and Nanshan Town, I've challenged the strong fighters from all five small gangs, one by one. I've only lost once. Within the bodyguard agency, I'm second only to the Head Bodyguard and the Young Master. If you defeat me, you'll rank in the top ten in all of Shiqiao Town, excluding the martial masters."

Cheng Jing spoke each word clearly and distinctly, her voice resonant. Her eyes shone brightly, unblinking, as she stared directly at Wei He.

"You've provoked the elders one after another, intending to make a name for yourself by stepping on everyone's reputation. If I weren't here today, it would be one thing, but since I am, I must intervene!" Her voice was crisp and powerful.

Wei He was silent for a moment: "I didn't mean to—"

"You don't need to argue. I've seen plenty of people like you. Quiet on the surface, but with more ambition hidden inside than anyone else!" Cheng Jing stated decisively.

"You misunderstand—"

"I don't misunderstand. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get ahead; the mistake is in the method you chose."

"Can you just listen carefully?" Wei He's voice involuntarily rose.

"What's the point of listening? Even if you talk your way out of it, it won't change the fact that you're that kind of person. Less talk, more action!"

Cheng Jing initiated with a high kick, driving downwards.

Swish!

Her leg blurred, chopping down like an axe. The speed of this attack was in no way slower than Wei He's.

She had also broken through to the Blood Essence realm!

Seeing the two alliance leaders emerge overnight, all familiar names, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

As the friends mentioned in this chapter suggested, this book was indeed planned to be written slowly. All along, Old Rolling felt he wrote books too hastily, relying merely on passion for many things. Once the passion waned, so did his motivation. Later, no matter how hard he tried to reignite it, the quality suffered greatly. The fundamental reason was a lack of passion.

Writing purely for the sake of updating, there were many times I truly didn't want to write.

But I don't intend to do that with this book. I plan to try a new writing style, gradually unfolding what Old Rolling wants to express step by step.

Instead of seeking quick success and burning out in one burst.

There's a saying that aged wine is more mellow; I want to try that this time.