That day.
Li Qiming was just about to head to the Martial Arts Arena and continue practicing his martial arts.
But he ran into Senior Brother Qin Yu at the entrance.
"Junior Brother, get ready. Tomorrow, come out with me to take on a mission," Qin Yu said.
"All right. May I ask what kind of mission it is, Senior Brother Qin?"
Li Qiming still felt a little uneasy.
"Don't worry. It's just an escort mission commissioned to the Qi Family's Weiyuan Escort Agency by the Martial Hall. It's a small job to go through the motions... There's almost no risk."
Qin Yu reassured him.
He continued to explain.
Gradually, Li Qiming understood that the Martial Hall also accepted commissions from the various major powers. For this mission, the Weiyuan Escort Agency had landed a big job and, to add an extra layer of security, had spent a fortune to hire the Dragon Roar Martial Hall to provide martial artists to escort the convoy.
It wasn't that they wanted the Dragon Roar Martial Hall disciples for their strength. It was their Martial Hall affiliation that mattered!
When a Dragon Roar Martial Hall disciple was seen among an escort convoy, many troubles disappeared on their own!
A man's reputation cast a shadow like a tree.
At least within a hundred li, there were few foolish enough to offend the Dragon Roar Martial Hall.
"All right. I'll definitely be there tomorrow!" Only then did Li Qiming agree, reassured.
Senior Brother Qin had said that completing this mission would earn him a hundred contribution points. That would cover the minimum contribution he needed this month, and at least he wouldn't have to take on another mission for the rest of the month.
What a sweet deal.
The next day.
At the gates of Dragon Spring City.
A large group had gathered there, over twenty people in all. Every one of them was a Blood Refining Realm martial artist, and several had even reached the Bone Refining Realm.
They were the martial artists of the Weiyuan Escort Agency.
At their head sat a dignified-looking old man with a solemn gaze. He was at the Organ Refining Realm.
It was none other than Murong Canghai!
Murong Canghai sat astride his horse, his eyes fixed on the city gates.
Before long, Qin Yu, Li Qiming, Wang Liang, Mo Su, and the others rode out through the gates.
"This junior is Qin Yu. Greetings, Senior Murong!" Qin Yu cupped his fists, his manner extremely respectful.
Li Qiming and the others followed suit.
"Heh, I'll be counting on you all for this trip," Murong Canghai said calmly, forcing a faint smile.
The instant the old man spoke, Li Qiming's heart skipped a beat. He would never forget that voice. Murong Canghai!
He had snatched the Blood Dragon Pill from this old man.
He couldn't help but feel a little wistful. He and the old man really were fated to cross paths!
Qin Yu brought the few newcomers into the group. He'd wanted to help them earn some contribution points, so he'd brought along everyone he could.
But Qin Yu noticed that the escort party still hadn't set out.
Murong Canghai sat ramrod straight on his horse, his imposing frame like a warlord's. His gaze remained fixed on the city gates.
Was someone else coming?
Qin Yu furrowed his brow. Who was Senior Murong waiting for?
A familiar figure soon rode toward them.
"Senior Brother?" Qin Yu's eyes widened in surprise.
It was Senior Brother Shen Changsheng!
At the peak of the Bone Refining Realm, he was hailed as the strongest beneath the Organ Refining Realm. The true disciple of the Dragon Roar Martial Hall was said to be able to fight even Organ Refining Realm martial artists!
Qin Yu couldn't help exchanging a glance with Li Qiming beside him.
Both of them keenly sensed that this escort job wasn't as simple as it seemed!
What kind of "big job" had the Weiyuan Escort Agency landed that they'd even managed to bring Shen Changsheng on board?!
Li Qiming's heart sank. For an instant, he wanted to back out.
But if he did, he'd never be able to get by at the Martial Hall again.
And he'd put Qin Yu in an awkward position, too.
Well, it might not be dangerous after all. With Shen Changsheng and Murong Canghai working together, they'd have two Organ Refining Realm martial artists watching over them.
There were another seven or eight Bone Refining Realm martial artists in the group!
And over twenty more at the Blood Refining Realm!
What an imposing lineup!
And with the Dragon Roar Martial Hall's influence backing them...
They should be fine!
"Senior Murong, what precious treasure are we escorting this time? Can you give us a hint now?" Shen Changsheng asked after greeting him.
That was what Li Qiming and the others wanted to know, too.
"Changsheng, it's not that I don't want to tell you. I've signed a confidentiality agreement with the client. It's a rule of the trade—I'm not allowed to say!"
"The only thing I can reveal is this: the two people we're escorting are our cargo."
As he spoke, Murong Canghai looked toward the middle of the group, where a single carriage stood.
It was a rather elegant carriage, screened by white gauze. Through it, they could vaguely make out two figures inside—apparently two women.
"People... are the hardest to escort," Shen Changsheng said, furrowing his brow slightly.
If it were cargo, that would be one thing. But people might not be as obedient as cargo!
"Rest assured, brother. Once we complete this mission, I'll give the Dragon Roar Martial Hall my secret art, the Canghai Blade Art. On top of that, I'll pay ten thousand taels of silver!"
Murong Canghai spoke in a deep voice.
"Really?" Shen Changsheng's eyes lit up, and he looked somewhat incredulous.
He didn't care much about the ten thousand taels of silver.
But.
Everyone in Dragon Spring City knew that Murong Canghai had only an average Root Bone, yet his Blade Dao Talent was a once-in-a-century rarity!
His self-created Canghai Blade Art was a top-tier second-rate martial art. In another place, it would be more than enough to establish a sect!
What made countless people covet it most was that Murong Canghai's Canghai Blade Art was merely unfinished; its core, however, was absolutely at the level of a first-rate martial art. That was because Murong Canghai had mastered Blade Momentum through this art!
People had presence, Blood Qi had force, and blades, too, had momentum!
It could be said that against anyone of the same level, Murong Canghai could win with ease, all because he had mastered Blade Momentum!
"Of course it's true! I always keep my word!" Murong Canghai said firmly.
Last time, a mysterious expert had snatched the Blood Dragon Pill from him, and he'd been furious but powerless to do anything. His Organ Refining Realm cultivation had even wavered and receded; in recent days, the Blood Qi in his body had suffered a massive decline.
Once this job was done, the woman in the carriage had promised to give him a precious pill on par with the Blood Dragon Pill. Not only would it stabilize his Organ Refining Realm cultivation, it might even help him break through!
For that, Murong Canghai had thrown everything into the deal. He'd accepted this "big job" and put up his entire fortune: tens of thousands of taels of silver, along with his secret art. That was what it had taken to bring in the Dragon Roar Martial Hall and get Shen Changsheng to lend a hand!
The group slowly set out.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
Seeing that the newcomers seemed a little nervous, Qin Yu spoke up to reassure them.
"With all these Senior Brothers here, I'm not nervous at all," Mo Su said.
"Senior Brother Qin, where are we headed?" Wang Liang couldn't help asking.
Li Qiming also looked over intently. He wanted to know the answer, too.
"Not too near, not too far—about two hundred li. We'll take an official road, then cross a mountain to reach the Zhennan Commandery city."
Qin Yu said.
Li Qiming knew that this martial world was ruled by the Great Yan Dynasty. Its landmass was vast, and its administrative divisions, from smallest to largest, were: villages and towns, cities, commandery cities, major provinces, regions, and circuits.
Dragon Spring City was merely an extremely remote city in Cang Province, in the Southern Region.
The Zhennan Commandery city Qin Yu had mentioned was a true metropolis, practically the capital of Cang Province.
Naturally, it was teeming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. All kinds of treasures, top-tier cultivation arts, and experts from every corner had gathered there!
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