A Second Visit to the Escort Agency

The black-and-gold signboard of Weiyuan Escort Agency gleamed under the midday sun, almost blinding.

The two stone lions at the entrance still stood imposing, but the bustling crowd today was far livelier than last time.

Chen Ping carried two jars of "Drunken Immortal Brew" in one hand and an oil-paper bundle in the other, inside which was a freshly cooked sauce-braised pork knuckle, its heat seeping through the paper and wafting an irresistible meaty aroma.

He stood at the street corner, not rushing in, squinting as he took in the scene.

With the borderlands unstable and trade routes perilous, the escort agency's business had instead boomed—especially for temporary porters willing to risk their lives for coin, who were being recruited urgently.

Chen Ping glanced down at his own attire. Though still coarse cloth, it was washed clean and neat, and his posture no longer deliberately hunched as it had been in the Lin residence.

He lifted the wine and meat in his hands and stepped over the high threshold.

Dust flew across the training ground, where dozens of sturdy men grunted as they built their strength, the stench of sweat mingling with horse manure, assaulting the senses.

At the center of the crowd, an old man in a half-worn escort uniform was spouting off with spittle flying.

"Back in the day, I followed the chief escort on the western route. That bandit leader at Black Wind Stronghold—his cleaver weighed over a hundred catties! I didn't even blink. One move, the 'Lazy Donkey Roll'... ahem, the 'Earth Dragon Turns Over'—I waded through a sea of flowers without a single leaf touching me!"

It was his uncle, Liu Sanjin.

The old man was in full swing, face flushed, while a few greenhorns around him listened, dumbfounded.

Chen Ping said nothing, standing quietly at the edge of the circle, waiting.

Only when Liu Sanjin's throat went dry and he reached for his tea jar to wet his whistle did he look up and spot Chen Ping.

"Oh, if it isn't Young Master Ping?"

Liu Sanjin slammed the tea jar down, his once-exuberant face dropping into the stern demeanor of an elder lecturing a junior.

He clasped his hands behind his back, strolled over with measured steps, and cast a sidelong glance at the wine and meat in Chen Ping's hands, letting out a cold snort.

"What's this? Tired of being a servant in the Lin family's cozy nest? Come here to smell the sweat?"

The surrounding men burst into laughter, their eyes mostly contemptuous.

In their view, a pale, soft bookboy like him was only fit to empty chamber pots for the wealthy.

"Uncle, you jest."

Chen Ping wore a gentle smile, neither annoyed nor embarrassed. "Your nephew missed you, so I brought some fine wine and meat to honor you."

"Honor?"

Liu Sanjin scoffed, reaching out to take the wine jars.

"I think it's a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken. That broken book I gave you last time—did you get anything out of it? Don't tell me you've ruined your brains instead of building your body, and now you want to scrounge a meal at this escort agency?"

His hand stopped mid-reach, grasping at nothing.

Chen Ping, as if casually, sidestepped and set the wine and meat lightly on a nearby stone lock rack.

The rack held a row of stone locks, ranging from thirty to a hundred catties.

Where Chen Ping placed his load, it pressed down on the green stone lock marked "eighty catties."

"Uncle, I did come this time to find a job."

Chen Ping spoke as he extended his right hand, his fingers gripping the handle of the eighty-catty stone lock.

Liu Sanjin was about to flare up, scolding the boy for his lack of manners, when he saw Chen Ping's arm give a slight tremor.

The eighty-catty stone lock, as light as a cotton bundle, was lifted effortlessly with one hand by Chen Ping.

He even flicked his wrist, spinning the lock in a graceful arc through the air before setting it steadily back on the rack.

"Thud!"

A dull impact struck the rack—and Liu Sanjin's heart.

The laughter around them cut off abruptly, leaving dead silence.

Liu Sanjin's murky old eyes bulged wide, and the tobacco pipe in his mouth clattered to the ground, sparks scattering across his shoe tops without him noticing.

Lifting an eighty-catty stone lock with one hand wasn't rare in the escort agency—any regular escort could do it.

But doing it without changing expression or breath, and even adding a flourish—that took a trained martial artist!

And this kid, just a few months ago, was a sickly wretch who'd collapse in a breeze!

"You... you..."

Liu Sanjin stammered, his arrogance gone, replaced by a shocked, ghost-seen expression, then a shrewd, fawning gleam quickly lit up his old eyes.

"Ah! Young Master Ping! You... you're a hidden master!"

Liu Sanjin's face changed faster than turning a page, grabbing Chen Ping's hand with a warmth that was a world apart from his earlier mockery.

"Come, come, it's too crowded and noisy here. Let's go to the back courtyard for tea and talk slowly!"

In the secluded back courtyard, Liu Sanjin dismissed the others and asked eagerly, "Young Master Ping, level with your uncle—where did you learn this skill?"

Chen Ping had already prepared his story.

He put on a mysterious air and lowered his voice. "Your nephew was lucky. A few days ago, I was handling business for my master at the mass grave outside the city and ran into a crazy wandering Taoist. I took pity on him and shared half a steamed bun, so he gave me a pitch-black pill and taught me a few incantations."

"I don't know how, but after eating and training like that, my strength just grew."

This kind of "encounter" story has been worn out in martial arts novels, but the more bizarre it is, the more people tend to believe it.

Liu Sanjin listened dumbfounded, eyeing Chen Ping up and down with suspicion.

Though half-convinced, Chen Ping's undeniable strength couldn't be faked.

Since he had the skill, what did it matter if that Taoist taught him or not?

"Tsk, looks like you've met a real master."

Liu Sanjin didn't press further, but his eyes darted slyly. "So, what brings you here today..."

"Nephew wants to take on some private work."

Chen Ping got straight to the point. "I can't show my face around the Lin Family. I was hoping to use the escort agency's connections to pick up some short-haul jobs where I don't have to be out in the open. Earn some honest money to buy herbs and build myself up."

Liu Sanjin's heart did a happy flip at that.

The agency was short on hands lately, especially the kind of "off-the-books" types who had some skill and didn't want trouble—they were the most useful.

"That's easy!"

Liu Sanjin thumped his chest, his wrinkled face splitting into a grin.

"I've got a few orders for delivering herbs to the neighboring county. Not far, but the roads aren't safe. Since you've got the strength, you're in."

He paused, held up three fingers, and wagged them with the sly look of a born swindler.

"But business is business, even between kin. The agency has its rules. This finder's fee—thirty percent."

Thirty percent. That was outright robbery.

But Chen Ping didn't hesitate, nodding readily. "Deal, I'll take it, Uncle."

Right now, he needed the connections, not a few silver coins.

As long as he got his foot in the door, he'd have plenty of chances to earn it all back with interest.

With the deal settled, Liu Sanjin was in high spirits and tried to drag Chen Ping off for a drink.

Chen Ping, however, made an excuse about wanting to watch the escort guards train and slipped back to the training ground alone.

He found an inconspicuous corner to squat in, pretending to zone out, but his eyes were sharp as knives, fixed on the few guards sparring with sabers.

Those guards were practicing the agency's standard "Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber"—fierce, sweeping moves with wide, powerful strokes.

To the average eye, it was just flashy showmanship.

But in Chen Ping's view, as the blade light flashed, the bamboo scroll deep in his mind slowly unfurled again.

[Observing saber techniques...]

[Heaven Rewards Diligence triggered.]

[Basic saber moves captured: chop, slash, lift, hook.]

[New skill added: Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber (Uninitiated 1/100)]

[New skill added: Plum Blossom Step (Uninitiated 1/100)]

A flood of unfamiliar memories poured into Chen Ping's mind, as if he'd been training alongside those men for ages.

Even if it was only at the uninitiated level, once he had that "seed," even the most common, trash-tier technique could be honed into a peerless divine skill in his hands.

That was the terror of [Heaven Rewards Diligence].

One look, and he could learn it; one learn, and he could grind it; one grind, and he could grow stronger.

Chen Ping's lips curled up, a quiet thrill bubbling inside him.

As he watched, lost in thought, the idle chatter of two resting guards drifted into his ears.

"Hey, did you hear? The Imperial Court put out a notice—border battles are heating up, so this year's Imperial Military Examination is expanding recruitment."

"Expanding? What's the point? Guys like us, dirt-poor, think we can pass for Military Champion?"

"Don't be so sure! Word is, this time they don't care about background. If you've got the skill, even a criminal's son can turn it around! Land an official post, and you'll bring glory to your ancestors!"

Military Examination!

Chen Ping whipped his head toward the two guards, his eyes blazing with a light he'd never felt before.

In this rigid, hierarchical world, to break free from servitude and seize control of his own fate, there were only two paths: rebellion, or this.

And now, the chance had come.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of excitement.

The sun was dipping westward when Liu Sanjin wobbled over with a jug of wine, trying to keep Chen Ping for dinner.

"Brother Ping, don't go! We're celebrating today—let's drink till we drop!"

"Uncle, no wine for me."

Chen Ping stood up, dusted off his pants, and spoke firmly. "The Lin Family's rules are strict. If I'm back late, I'll get the cane. Besides, I still need to go home and practice that Taoist's chant."

Hearing that, Liu Sanjin couldn't push further. He just clicked his tongue regretfully. "Fine, fine. You're a born workhorse, kid. Remember to come pick up your assignment tomorrow morning!"

Chen Ping clasped his hands in a salute, turned, and strode out of the escort agency.