On the Road, Convoy in Peril (Seeking Follow-ups, Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

At the entrance of the martial hall.

Zhou Yun arrived in a set of sturdy training gear, immediately spotting the five or six cargo-laden carriages belonging to Shen Qingxue, along with a dozen martial artists acting as escorts.

These escorts possessed steady breathing and thick, calloused hands; one look was enough to tell they were not merely making up the numbers.

"Junior Brother Zhou, we depart at once."

Shen Qingxue stepped into one of the carriages and beckoned to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun climbed in after her. There were two other young men inside; one sat expressionless, clutching a sword to his chest while leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed in meditation.

The other was dressed in luxurious finery, clearly of extraordinary background. Upon seeing Zhou Yun, he couldn't help but frown, though he still maintained a smile as he spoke:

"Senior Sister Shen, who is this..."

"This is Zhou Yun, an inner-court disciple of our Black Stone Martial Hall, and one of the Mingjin experts accompanying us on this trip."

Shen Qingxue introduced him, "These two are disciples of the Sky Sea Martial Arts Hall. They are still some distance from reaching the Mingjin realm, but both possess the strength of the Seven Orifices."

Zhou Yun nodded, but the luxuriously dressed young man looked incredulous.

"Mingjin? This brother looks about my age, yet he has already breached the gate of Mingjin?"

The young man in fine clothes restrained himself slightly, cupping his hands in a salute: "This Humble One is Liu Guyuan. My father is the current magistrate of Black Stone County. May I ask who you are..."

"Merely the son of a fisherman, nothing worth mentioning."

Zhou Yun returned the salute, feeling a stir of interest upon hearing Liu Guyuan's identity.

The magistrate's son was actually helping Shen Qingxue escort a shipment? If word got out, wouldn't it make the County Office look inferior to the Sky Sea Escort Agency?

Although there had been rumors for years that the three major martial halls and the Sky Sea Escort Agency were subtly overshadowing the County Office, they were just rumors. He hadn't expected to see them implicitly confirmed today.

Seemingly having heard the word "Mingjin," the young man clutching his sword opened his eyes, but upon hearing "son of a fisherman," he closed them again to sleep.

"Son of a fisherman?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guyuan raised his eyebrows provocatively and chuckled, "For a fisherman's son to reach this point, Brother Zhou has certainly had it difficult."

Zhou Yun said nothing more, simply leaning back against the carriage and closing his eyes to rest.

"Young Master Liu, say no more."

Shen Qingxue frowned slightly. Zhou Yun was a Mingjin expert of equal standing to her on this carriage; while she might be a step higher in cultivation, there was still a gap in their martial attainments.

In other words, she would need Zhou Yun to handle any Mingjin-level ambushes they might encounter, so she naturally did not want this magistrate's son causing trouble here.

"Senior Sister Shen, do not worry. I merely saw that Brother Zhou's strength was quite formidable and wished to make his acquaintance."

After Liu Guyuan finished speaking, he stopped mentioning Zhou Yun altogether, instead steering the conversation back to Shen Qingxue.

"I heard Uncle Shen has been out escorting shipments recently. There are many veteran escorts within the agency who want to vie for the position of the next Chief Escort. Perhaps this junior brother can help you sort things out, Senior Sister."

Shen Qingxue's expression turned cold, and she said flatly, "Family matters; no need for Junior Brother to trouble yourself."

"How can it be as simple as a family matter? The position of Chief Escort of the Sky Sea Escort Agency concerns the future direction of half of Black Stone County. Senior Sister Shen, you must take this to heart."

Liu Guyuan seemed to have come with a purpose, for he hurriedly added:

"My father personally conveyed to me that if Senior Sister Shen has the intention to become the next Chief Escort, he is willing to use my name to support you and help you reach that position within three years."

"Liu Guyuan, you are being far too noisy."

The sword-clutching youth frowned slightly and opened his eyes, saying, "A mere magistrate's son—do you think you can stir up the heavens and earth in Black Stone County?"

"Shen Yichen, do not think that just because you are Senior Sister Shen's cousin that you can be so insolent!"

Liu Guyuan wore a fake smile, his expression darkening.

"If it weren't for my sister, I would have beaten you away eight hundred times over."

Shen Yichen sneered, his long sword half-drawn from its scabbard.

Seeing this, Zhou Yun couldn't help but find it amusing.

He hadn't expected that coming on an escort mission would allow him to watch two children bicker; it certainly added some entertainment to the journey.

"Enough."

Shen Qingxue's expression grew cold, a single word silencing them both.

"Junior Brother Liu, if there is anything else, I welcome you to come to the Shen residence to discuss it after we finish this escort."

Once these words were spoken, Liu Guyuan turned his head away. He had originally wanted to extend an olive branch to Shen Qingxue in a private setting.

It would be best if he could make her see the influence of the Liu family in Black Stone County, and ideally, facilitate a marriage alliance between the two houses.

If it backfired, there was no need to say more.

"As for Yichen, if you say another word, I will have Second Uncle ground you for half a month."

Shen Qingxue's eyes flickered, her gaze sharp and piercing.

"Understood."

Shen Yichen said impatiently, then immediately closed his eyes and leaned back.

Throughout the rest of the journey, the caravan remained relatively calm and safe.

Black Stone County is over a hundred miles away from Clear Water County, and most of the mountain roads are rugged rather than smooth.

At the current speed of the horses, even with an overnight rest, it would take at least two days to arrive.

Zhou Yun kept his eyes closed to rest throughout the journey, but his nerves remained tense; he never forgot what Shen Qingxue had said about the certainty of being intercepted by a Ming Jin expert.

Although he was confident that his mastery of the Black Ape Fist could briefly rival the strength of an An Jin expert, he dared not be careless.

"Junior Brother Zhou, generally speaking, our escort agency only arranges one or two escort missions per month for those on the roster, and if things go smoothly, there is additional compensation."

Shen Qingxue, aware of Zhou Yun's family circumstances, added, "If this escort mission goes well, I will personally see to it that you receive three taels of silver, Junior Brother."

"Then many thanks, Senior Sister."

Zhou Yun cupped his hands in gratitude; what he lacked most right now was silver, not to mention the food supplements on the second floor of the inner courtyard cafeteria.

If he could buy a few more Blood Coagulation Pills and break through to mastery in the Black Ape Movement Technique, he would truly possess the strength to rival an An Jin expert.

Even if he couldn't win a fight, he would at least be able to retreat and escape.

"Since you have accepted a position at our escort agency, Junior Brother, there is no need to treat yourself as an outsider..."

Shen Qingxue had just begun to speak when the carriage suddenly jolted and came to a halt.

"Miss, someone is blocking the road."

The carriage driver's low voice came from outside the cabin.

"Let's get out and see."

Shen Qingxue's expression shifted, but remembering the preparations she had made, she stepped out of the carriage with a calm demeanor.

Following her lead, Zhou Yun also climbed down from the carriage and saw the old woman blocking their path.

The old woman wore tattered hemp clothing and leaned on a cane, kowtowing before the carriage. "Kind officials passing by, please have mercy and take me back to Clear Water County. I was kidnapped by mountain bandits and only managed to escape under the cover of night..."

It was a very clumsy lie that Zhou Yun saw through at a glance, yet he remained silent, staring intently at the old woman.

While it was true that mountain bandits existed on this road between Black Stone County and Clear Water County, why would they bother kidnapping a useless old woman instead of taking more gold and silver treasures?

Shen Qingxue clearly saw through it as well, but knowing this was a trial set by her father, she understood that even if it were a trap, she had to step into it herself.

"In that case, you may board the carriage with us."

Shen Qingxue ordered; if this was indeed the intelligence they had been warned about, it was better to keep the suspicious old woman under close watch by their side than to leave her outside.

"Thank you, thank you!"

The old woman knelt on the ground to kowtow before standing up, a flicker of viciousness appearing in her eyes.

A tiny flying needle shot out from her tattered sleeve, flying rapidly toward Shen Qingxue's neck.

"An Jin!"

Zhou Yun's heart gave a violent jolt, and he instantly grabbed Shen Qingxue by the arm.