Return

The arrow struck the fierce bandit squarely in the chest, and with a shrill cry, his wood-chopping blade clattered to the ground.

Wang Min was currently entangled with another bandit; hearing the commotion behind him, he caught a glimpse of the fallen, wailing man out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing the hunting bow in Li Yuan's hands, he understood the situation instantly.

"Good lad!"

Soon, taking advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction, Wang Min swept his thick-backed saber in a fierce arc, forcing the man back.

The battle did not last long; although the bandits looked ferocious, they seemed to value their lives above all else, moving with hesitation and caution as if terrified of being wounded.

After a dozen of their men lay dead, the bandits began to harbor thoughts of retreat.

The escorts of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency worked with seamless coordination, making the bandits look like a disorganized rabble thrown together at the last minute.

Li Yuan's bow and arrows played a significant role during this time; every time the bowstring hummed, a bandit was either killed or maimed.

Those who attempted to close the distance on him were subdued by him in a few moves.

He did not fear close-quarters combat; having mastered the Five Animals Fist, he was equally lethal at both long and short range.

The bandit leader was a sturdy man in the Ox Skin Realm, and after trading blows with Sun Tong for a while, he realized he could not break through.

Seeing that the enemy had an archer suppressing them and that his own side had already suffered several casualties, he knew this was a hard nut he could not crack.

He signaled for a retreat.

"Do not pursue a desperate foe! Check for casualties and increase vigilance!" Sun Tong shouted, stopping the escorts who were eager to give chase.

Who knew if this was a ruse to lure them away, or if there were ambushes waiting ahead?

Protecting the cargo was the top priority.

Beside the campfire, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Two escorts had died, three others were seriously wounded, and one of the porters was also in critical condition.

The bodies of the two fallen escorts were wrapped in cloth by the group, ready to be taken to the next town for burial.

Li Yuan stood with the others around their companions' remains, all silent.

The people they had been chatting with just that evening were now gone.

Wang Min sighed and patted Li Yuan on the shoulder: "This is the life of an escort; we lick blood off the edge of a blade. We will bring them back, and the Escort Agency will not be stingy with the compensation."

It was clearly not safe to stay here any longer.

The team set off through the night, traveling several more miles along the main road before finding a sheltered hillside to set up camp again.

Li Yuan only closed his eyes for a brief moment of rest; in these chaotic times, martial strength was the only foundation for survival.

If he had been just a little stronger, perhaps those men would not have died.

The next day, after the events of the previous night, the team's mood was noticeably subdued, and there was little conversation.

After two more days of travel, the silhouette of Black Water County finally appeared ahead.

Once the cargo was safely delivered and the handover completed, Li Yuan approached Wang Min.

"Uncle Wang, Uncle Sun, I'd like to look around the county and will return later."

Wang Min looked him over, thinking that the lad had good skills and a steady temperament, not the type to stir up trouble.

He nodded: "Fine, be careful and come back early. We'll rest up today and head back tomorrow."

"Understood, Uncle Wang," Li Yuan replied.

After bidding them farewell, Li Yuan asked for directions to Quiet Heart Temple and set out from Black Water County alone.

It was deep winter, and the air was dry and cold.

Li Yuan wore a worn gray cotton robe over a hemp tunic, with a felt hat on his head to block the wind.

Long periods of trekking through the mountains and practicing martial arts had made Li Yuan's frame sturdy; his stride was steady, and his eyes held a newfound sense of confidence.

Quiet Heart Temple was located on a small hill about three miles outside of Black Water County.

Under the gray, overcast sky, Li Yuan walked along a stone path; the leaves on both sides of the road had all fallen, leaving only bare branches.

After walking for about half an hour, Li Yuan arrived at the entrance of Quiet Heart Temple.

The temple was not large, built of blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding an air of ancient tranquility.

The vermilion temple gate had faded somewhat, but it was kept very clean.

Even though it was winter, one could still see pilgrims coming and going through the gate.

Some walked up the mountain with expressions of piety, while others walked down looking relaxed; clearly, the temple's incense business was quite good.

Li Yuan mingled with the pilgrims and stepped through the temple gate.

A bronze incense burner stood in the courtyard of the temple, with wisps of smoke rising and carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

Li Yuan did not go inside to worship the Buddha like the others; instead, he reached out and stopped a young novice monk passing by.

"Little Master, may I ask if the Abbot is in? I have been entrusted by someone to deliver a letter," Li Yuan said politely.

The novice monk glanced at him and pressed his palms together: "Please follow me, benefactor."

The novice monk led Li Yuan through the front courtyard to a relatively quiet meditation room at the back.

"The Master is inside."

Li Yuan offered his thanks and gently knocked on the door.

"Please, come in."

A calm voice drifted out from the room.

Li Yuan pushed the door open and entered.

The interior was simply furnished with a couch, a table, a chair, and several bookshelves filled with scriptures.

An old monk dressed in a cyan robe, with white eyebrows and a white beard, was sitting at the table.

"Entrusted by Madam Chen of Wuxi County, I have come to deliver a letter." Li Yuan took the beige envelope from his chest and handed it to him.

The old monk took the envelope, carefully examined the intact orchid pattern on the seal, and nodded slightly.

He did not open it immediately but took a small cloth bag from a drawer and handed it to Li Yuan: "Thank you for your trouble, benefactor. This is the payment for this trip; please keep it safe."

Li Yuan took the bag: "You are too kind, Abbot. It is only my duty."

"You are no ordinary person, benefactor. It has been a long and arduous journey," the old monk looked at him and said warmly.

"Would you like to rest in the temple for a while and have some vegetarian food before you leave?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Abbot, but this junior must return to Wuxi and cannot stay long." Li Yuan declined.

The old monk did not insist and pressed his palms together: "Amitabha. May you have a safe journey, benefactor."

Li Yuan returned the gesture and exited the room.

Confirming that there were indeed five taels of silver in the money bag, Li Yuan felt a weight lift from his heart.

As long as I am careful on the road, this task is quite easy.

Without any cargo, there were no further dangers encountered on the way back to Wuxi County.

Soon, the team returned to Wuxi County.

After registering at Wei Yuan Escort Agency and receiving his wages, Li Yuan went straight to buy meat with the majority of the money.

With the chaotic times looming, Li Yuan, who had studied history, understood that silver would only become less valuable.

Hoarding a large amount of food as quickly as possible was the most important thing.

Li Yuan stored some of the meat and rice he bought in his rented room in the Shanty Town and some in Blue Stone Village.

Having experienced a break-in last time, he split the food supplies between the two locations this time.

The Shanty Town was not safe either; once Li Yuan had more money, he would look for a better place to buy a house.

A few days later, Li Yuan returned to the Five Animals Academy to continue tempering his blood and energy.

However, during these days, a disciple at the Ox Skin Realm had arrived at the academy.

This person was named Lin Mingsheng, a descendant of the Lin Family, one of the four great clans in the Inner City.

He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, roughly the same age as Li Yuan.

He was fair-skinned with abundant blood and energy—a quintessential pretty boy.

According to Zhao Qin, the world was in chaos, and the major clans were very clever.

Whether in large families or martial arts halls, the skewing of resources was inevitable.

They would select disciples with decent talent to send to various martial arts halls, building relationships in advance with those who possessed both strength and good family backgrounds.

When necessary, they could even provide assistance through the family's resources.

It is easy to add flowers to a brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.

Where else could these disciples go after leaving the martial arts halls in the future? Wouldn't they prioritize joining these large clans that could provide resources?

By then, they would be tied to their families, which was why every trade and business in Wuxi County relied on them.

The poor would only become poorer, and the rich would only become richer.

It was not just Lin Mingsheng; the same situation was happening in other martial arts halls.

For Lin Mingsheng, it would not be a loss if he could learn all five styles of the Five Animals Fist to the point of great perfection.

Learning all five styles to great perfection indeed had a high ceiling, but it would also require a significant amount of effort.