Return Journey, Reputation

What is it?

One of our brothers almost died!

Qian Laosan's eyes were filled with indignation, but before he could open his mouth, an old escort beside him spoke first:

"After Escort Leader Shen left, some cunning beasts circled back. Li Cheng he..."

"He's dead?!"

Shen He was startled by the news. He rushed forward, and only after seeing the unconscious Li Cheng did he slightly relax.

The Flying Tiger Escort Agency was well-known, and this escort mission wasn't supposed to be dangerous. If an escort died, he would undoubtedly be ridiculed by his peers like Jiang Qi.

"...he almost died. Fortunately, Li Sanlang intervened in time. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to explain myself to Li Cheng's wife and children when we get back."

Hearing the escort's veiled criticism, Shen He couldn't help but frown.

If his abilities were lacking, who could he blame for his death?

If I wasn't holding off the Mountain Spectres, could you all still be standing here?

Shen He suppressed his urge and was about to say something polite, but before he could speak, the gazes of everyone present felt like a physical weight, silencing him.

It was a strange sensation. In the Shen family, no one had ever dared to look at him like this. No, the servants wouldn't even dare to look at him; they were always submissive, obeying his every command.

But these rough men were different. They stared directly at Shen He, and the look in their eyes made the young master feel unfamiliar.

Was it indignation? Discontent?

When the old escort's words received no response, the crowd's gazes shifted away from him and onto Li Cunxiao, who was gasping for breath.

The look in their eyes changed, becoming the respect and trust he was familiar with.

This change startled Shen He, and he finally understood the situation.

'This is bad.'

'Li Sanlang became a hero, and I've become the sinner?'

Shen He felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering him up. In his clarity, many things immediately came to mind:

It was he who ignored the escorts' advice and demanded a forced march; it was he who killed all the bandits to show off his strength, allowing the escorts to stay in the post station; it was he who gambled for amusement; it was he who insisted on pursuing the Mountain Spectres, leading to Li Cheng...

'No, this is not my fault.'

'The weak obey the strong, isn't that the most correct principle?'

Although Shen He still didn't believe he was wrong, he knew he had to do something to win back the hearts of the people. Otherwise, upon returning to the escort agency, Zhang Lishi's evaluation of him would surely drop significantly.

As for Li Cheng's life or death, others' opinions, and the escort agency's reputation, as the esteemed young master of the Shen family, he could disregard all of it.

Only with Zhang Lishi, and in front of his peers like Jiang Qi, could he not lose face!

"Sanlang, if it weren't for you, I would have made a grave mistake!"

Shen He gritted his teeth as he uttered these words. Before Li Cunxiao could react, he decisively unfastened the jade pendant from his waist and thrust it into the other's arms, leaving no room for refusal.

Then, he walked to the beheaded Mountain Spectre and swung his sword repeatedly, hacking its corpse into pieces.

At this point, even a celestial being couldn't distinguish this one from other Mountain Spectres.

"Beast! Because of you, you almost killed a brother from the escort agency!"

After finishing his swordplay, he cupped his hands towards the crowd, speaking passionately:

"Everyone, rest assured, I will find a doctor for Li Cheng's injuries and use the best medicine for him..."

"If anything unfortunate happens, in addition to the escort agency's compensation, my Shen family will also provide extra silver, ensuring his wife and children live without worry."

After this display, regardless of how well it was acted or how genuine it was, the expressions of the crowd softened somewhat. Sparsely, some cupped their hands and said a few words about the escort leader's righteousness and Li Cheng's deservingness.

Shen He then inquired about the injuries of the escorts one by one. He even endured the pain of parting with his own medicinal supplies, intending to personally bandage a few people, but for some reason, he ultimately gave up. He only proposed to personally inspect the escorted goods and the horses.

Seeing that he had moved far away, Li Cunxiao, who had seemed stunned, suddenly 'woke up'.

His fingers caressed the jade pendant, feeling its warm texture. The carving of the Sea Eagle hunting geese was lifelike.

Such a beautiful piece of jade was likely worth nearly a hundred taels of silver.

But compared to a human life...

Li Cunxiao said nothing and quietly put the jade pendant away. At this time, the escorts also recovered from the tense atmosphere. A few of the younger ones, while still feeling lingering fear, began to brag, and the frowns on everyone's faces gradually relaxed.

But that night, no one was destined to sleep soundly.

When daylight broke, considering Li Cheng's injuries, an old escort from the team borrowed the white horse from Shen He and led the way to seek medical treatment, with the escort cart following behind.

This time, Shen He no longer urged them. The caravan proceeded at a normal pace and reached its destination by dusk.

The client who entrusted the escort mission still warmly welcomed the escort agency's caravan. Boxes of medicinal herbs were transported into the manor, which was guarded by rows of earthen forts.

During the welcoming banquet, Shen He was separately hosted by the local gentry, while the escorts gathered in another room. As they reminisced about the perilous experiences of the previous night, one by one, they came to toast Li Cunxiao.

Initially, Li Cunxiao accepted every drink. Later, he started to feel a bit dizzy. Just as Qian Laosan and a few old escorts were about to visit Li Cheng, he quickly followed them, making his escape.

Stepping out of the lively room, the cool night breeze of the countryside invigorated him.

From the main house, separated by a wall, came the faint sounds of stringed instruments and singing. Shen He's conversation with the local official was mixed with the delicate laughter of women.

Qian Laosan suddenly let out a snort.

"Qian Yu, he's the Escort Leader. You've been drinking, don't cause trouble."

The old escort, who had warned Shen He multiple times, cut in before Qian Laosan could speak. Qian Laosan responded with a sarcastic tone, "I just wanted to say that this Escort Leader Shen is very knowledgeable about horses. He takes good care of them."

The old escort, named Gao Huan, was actually only thirty-five or thirty-six years old, but he had been on escort missions for nearly ten years, and everyone respected him.

He didn't immediately catch the underlying meaning of the statement and chimed in, "That's true. When I came today, I relied heavily on that strong, fine steed. If I hadn't been worried about injuring Li Cheng, I could have galloped for a couple of hours straight without issue."

The two escorts beside them also praised, "That horse is fast enough!"

"Indeed, it's fast."

Hearing this, Qian Yu finally let out a cold laugh, "But the horses we used today were much slower than usual."

"Guess why? Because that young master said he would take care of the horses, but he only fed the fine steeds, leaving our ordinary horses to starve for half the night!"

"If I hadn't been worried and gotten up early to check, at this time tonight, we'd still be out in the cold, eating the northwest wind."

"Shut up!"

Gao Huan reprimanded with a cold face. He glanced at the guards patrolling with torches all around and said in a low voice, "When we're out on the road, we represent the Escort Agency. Don't disgrace us out here!"

"I will tell the Chief Escort everything that happened these past few days, without omission."

Qian Laosan turned his head away, his teeth grinding audibly.

A fine man like him had his arm broken because of the caprice of Shen He, this rich kid. He just felt it wasn't worth it!

No one spoke for a moment. They all clenched their fists, and the atmosphere became instantly silent.

It was Li Cunxiao who broke the silence, "How is Brother Li's injury?"

"His life was saved," Gao Huan said the first half of the sentence and then stopped. However, all of them understood what he meant.

Blood Qi was stored throughout the limbs and body. Losing an arm not only made daily life inconvenient but also made further progress in Martial Arts nearly impossible; it might even lead to a decline.

Big Foot Li was originally at the Blood Qi Great Accomplishment stage and was skilled in movement techniques, making him a standout among the escorts.

With his monthly wage plus escort mission bonuses, he earned twenty to thirty taels of silver a month, which was enough for his family of six to live comfortably.

But now, with his arm severed, escort missions were out of the question.

Even though Zhang Lishi was always benevolent and could support his family, the drastic change in circumstances was still difficult to bear.

Wasn't something earned without one's own hands considered charity?

Silence fell upon them once more. As they arrived at Li Cheng's room, Qian Yu managed a strained smile and was about to push the door open when Gao Huan suddenly stopped him.

Low sobs could be heard from inside the room.

Even through the door, Li Cunxiao felt as if he could see the man on the bed using his remaining right hand to cover his face, his shoulders heaving intermittently.

After the sounds subsided, Gao Huan deliberately stamped his foot, waited for about ten seconds, and then pushed the door open, "Big Foot, your brothers are here to see you..."

The next day, the convoy, carrying Big Foot Li who looked as if nothing had happened, began their journey back.

Without the burden of the escort mission, and with the danger they had faced during the night, everyone was eager to return home.

The journey there had taken three days; the return trip took only two.

As the city gates of Chuqiu City came into view, expressions of relief appeared on everyone's faces.

Returning home was always the happiest moment for the escorts.

Upon entering the Escort Agency, the escorts became as lively as oil poured into water, bustling with activity.

Everyone was chattering about the thrilling experiences of the past few days, their eyes occasionally sweeping over Li Cheng, who was forcing a smile, and Sister-in-law Li, who was silently wiping away tears, but ultimately their gazes focused on Li Cunxiao:

"Let me tell you, it was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. That Mountain Spectre was as big as a bear..."

"Li Sanlang reacted the fastest, he even broke his staff. I wasn't slow either, but..."

"...Regardless, Li Cunxiao is truly a remarkable fellow!"

"Indeed, no wonder the Chief Escort chose the two brothers to join the Escort Agency. He has a discerning eye for talent!"

"What's that saying, a thousand miles or a hundred miles, it's not much..."

"It's a Thousand-mile horse! Li Cunxiao is a Thousand-mile horse!"

All eyes were focused on the young man with leopard head and ring eyes. Li Cunxiao even saw Qin Yu in the crowd, looking like an eager fan, excitedly saying something to him with his mouth open, his voice drowned out by the din.

Li Cunxiao could only smile and cup his hands in greeting to everyone, his gaze fixed on Gao Huan, who was walking away, and Shen He, who was quickly catching up behind him.

Seeing Shen He's hurried demeanor, it was clear he hadn't missed the commotion, but simply didn't care.

No matter how much attention he drew, he was still just an escort. More importantly, he needed to clarify the matter with Zhang Lishi, lest some villain preemptively accuse him!

"Sanlang, besides the profit share from this escort mission, you can also exchange this demon meat at the escort agency for silver or medicinal supplements for cultivation."

"After processing, demon meat is a great tonic that's even more effective than elixirs, though you can't eat too much of it."

Qian Laosan explained this to Li Cunxiao while directing the workers to move the simply cured demon meat.

Although the Mountain Spectres were dead, their corpses were treasures and couldn't be casually discarded.

Even though the veteran escorts' highest cultivation was only Blood Qi Perfection, after so many years on the road, matters involving demons were no longer secrets to them.

In the pharmacies of Chuqiu City, processed parts of demons were highly sought-after items that were hard to come by.

Aside from the demon meat, which contained the most Malevolent Qi, other parts, after proper preparation, were also precious ingredients for medicine.

The dozen or so Mountain Spectre corpses harvested on this escort mission were likely to fetch a high price of several thousand taels.

"...Gao Huan and I are both married men. Martial arts are beyond our reach, so we chose silver."

"You're still young, so it's best to exchange your share for demon meat."

"Perhaps..."

Perhaps with this, Li Cunxiao could also reach Blood Qi Perfection within a year or two and become a direct disciple of the Chief Escort?

But before the thought could be voiced, Qian Yu chuckled to himself.

How could that be possible?

In the end, Li Cunxiao was just someone Zhang Lishi had taken into the escort agency through sheer luck. There was no shortage of such people among the escorts here.

However, after five or ten years, they would still be escorts, and those with wealth and power would still be above them.

Was hard work alone enough to become Zhang Lishi's direct disciple?

No.

Qian Yu felt a moment of melancholy. He patted Li Cunxiao's shoulder forcefully, and when he turned around, he had already put on a smile again, heading towards his wife and children waiting in the corridor.

"Good son, look what Daddy brought you this time..."

Li Cunxiao remained silent, quietly watching the workers move the remnants of the Mountain Spectres. He placed his right hand lightly on his stomach and quickly left the escort agency.

Returning to his small courtyard, he closed the doors and windows, confirmed it was secure, and took out a package wrapped in brown paper from his clothes, unwrapping it.

Inside were two slices of meat, as thick as a palm, coated with salt and other unknown medicinal herbs. Even after three days, the meat's color was still bright red, as if it had just been cut from the Mountain Spectre.

This was meat Li Cunxiao had secretly cut off the night he was attacked.

One piece was ordinary Mountain Spectre meat;

The other was from the Mountain Spectre that had a red line on its forehead, which Li Cunxiao had killed with a headshot, and which Shen He had then dismembered.

From the outside, there was no discernible difference between the two pieces of meat. Only the latter appeared fresher than the former, with a stronger bloody smell, seeming to indicate greater strength and vitality.

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but recall what Qian Yu had said that night.

"A Mountain Spectre about to break through to the Second Order has a thick red stripe from its forehead to its lips... Second Order demons correspond to Second Realm martial artists, meaning they have Blood Qi but not yet complete Muscle."

"The one I killed, although it also had a red stripe, it was thin and faint, likely only at the level of Blood Qi Perfection."

"Originally, that corpse might have exposed my strength, but it was dark then, and I only entered my burst state for an instant. The escorts couldn't see clearly."

"Then Shen He, cornered like a wild dog, destroyed the corpse. Hmm..."

After carefully reviewing everything and confirming there were no oversights, Li Cunxiao cut both pieces of meat into strips as thick as a little finger, boiled them in water, and divided them into portions.

Finally, he sat down at the table, feeling both nervous and expectant.

Demon meat could charge the Vajra Scepter because it contained Malevolent Qi, or "demonic thoughts"—intense negative emotions. Similarly, killing demons or people who harbored malice towards oneself could also charge the Vajra Scepter; this was "Falling Devil."

So, would the demon meat he killed still contain Malevolent Qi?

If it did, then without a doubt, Li Cunxiao could eliminate demons first and then eat the meat, gaining twice from one demon; a win-win situation.

If not, it would mean that "Falling Devil" absorbed all the Malevolent Qi contained within the demon to charge the Vajra Scepter, and this...

Li Cunxiao, with a blank expression, picked up a strip of meat from the second bowl and swallowed it.