The Long Wind Escort Agency

Thanks to his fisherman's short clothes, the broad daylight, and the fact that he'd stuck to the main roads,

a little over an hour later, Lu Cheng had arrived safely outside the South Gate of Yangcheng County.

Although it was already high noon, the area inside and outside the city gate was still bustling with people.

The vendors selling water, pears, and steamed buns hollered at the tops of their lungs, rushing up to anyone who passed by.

Those carrying loads or driving carts called out for people to make way. They didn't dare bump into passersby, so they shoved into the hawkers instead, drawing a chorus of curses.

The place was only twenty-odd li from that stretch of tidal flats, yet it seemed like another world.

Once he passed through the gate and pushed through the crowd, the road opened up considerably.

Lu Cheng stopped by the roadside to catch his breath, but his gaze was drawn to six or seven burly men standing beside the road ahead.

The men wore all sorts of martial arts uniforms, with banners planted beside them bearing the names and descriptions of their martial arts halls.

Names like "Golden Blade Sect," "Divine Leg Hall," and "Iron Palm Sect" were fairly conventional.

The others, such as "Mountain Shaking Martial Hall," "River Severing Pavilion," and "Sky Splitting Sword Sect," were rather too intimidating.

Despite their fearsome names, the men were all very pleasant.

Whenever someone stopped to watch, they would smile and introduce their martial arts halls.

Before long, a crowd had gathered, and the men began taking turns showing off their moves.

Lu Cheng's heart stirred. He focused his mind on the [Heavenly Mandate] and walked over to them.

But even after watching several times, the golden light in his Consciousness Sea didn't react in the slightest.

After smiling and turning down the men who tried to recruit him, Lu Cheng walked to a quieter spot by the road, troubled.

Was it because the moves they were demonstrating were incomplete?

Or did I have to join a school and become an apprentice before the [Heavenly Mandate] would work?

Recalling how the [Heavenly Mandate] had acted when he learned skills from Old Man Ge, he suspected it was the latter.

That's a bit of a problem.

In this world, martial arts reigned supreme, and teaching them was a hugely profitable business.

That made the martial arts world a deep pool, muddied with truth and lies, a tangled mix where it was hard to tell the real from the fake.

Those men, for example, looked rather imposing.

But there was no way to tell just by looking what the martial arts halls behind them were really like.

Time was short and money was tight for Lu Cheng. He couldn't afford to lose either.

Choose the wrong school, and he might lose his life.

As he stood lost in thought, a slightly muffled voice came from behind him:

"Don't bother looking. Those are all flashy fakes with big names and no real skill."

Along with the voice came the mouthwatering aroma of braised meat, wafting straight into Lu Cheng's nostrils.

He turned his head. A soy-braised pork knuckle as big as a human head swung before his eyes.

Looking closer, he saw a short, chubby boy behind it, wolfing down the meat, grease running all over his mouth.

The words he'd just heard had come in the brief pause between bites.

The boy could chew down huge mouthfuls of pork knuckle and still speak clearly. He really had a remarkable mouth.

But the pork knuckle and the boy's mouth weren't important. What mattered was what he'd said.

Lu Cheng hurriedly asked:

"Flashy fakes? Are they all con artists?"

The chubby boy behind the pork knuckle shook his head, speaking as he chewed.

"Not exactly con artists. If they train those moves well, they can deal with street thugs and scoundrels. But if they want to step onto the martial path and become true martial artists, they're nowhere near good enough."

True martial arts masters wouldn't lower themselves like this, taking on students in the street as if they were selling goods.

Besides, names like "Sky Splitting" and "Mountain Opening" were obviously exaggerated, all reputation and no substance.

As for the chubby boy in front of him, his words made it clear he knew quite a bit about martial arts in Yangcheng County.

Lu Cheng had been fretting over how to learn about the place. How could he let this opportunity pass?

He promptly asked:

"To be honest, I came here intending to find a master and learn martial arts."

"But I've just arrived in Yangcheng and know next to nothing about the local martial arts halls. You seem to know your way around. Could you give me some pointers?"

The chubby boy shifted the pork knuckle aside, revealing his round face.

"Heh, then you've come to the right person."

He pointed the pork knuckle at a few men not far away and held up two fingers with his other hand.

"There are quite a few martial arts halls in Yangcheng County, but not many can really be called sects or claim a place in the martial world."

"The two top ones are a Buddhist temple and a Daoist abbey: Heavenly Spring Temple in North City, and Emerald Cloud Abbey on Emerald Cloud Peak east of the city."

"There are three realms of martial arts: Refining Strength, Body Tempering, and Qi Refinement."

"Neither of those two sects has a Qi Refinement expert, but they say each has more than one powerhouse at the peak of Body Tempering."

"With that kind of strength, they're not just respectable in Yangcheng County. They'd make a name for themselves throughout Dongyang Prefecture."

"Of course, it'd be best to join one of them. But their standards are high. You either need to be a child of a prominent family with connections, or someone with extraordinary talent and exceptional aptitude."

"There are another seven or eight after those. They're genuine martial arts schools, but their techniques and experts are both a step below the two top sects."

"If those two count as second-rate, the rest can only be called third- or fourth-rate. Their reputations don't extend beyond Yangcheng County."

With that, he took another big bite of the pork knuckle.

The things the chubby boy had said, especially the so-called "three realms of martial arts," were all new to Lu Cheng. His interest was piqued.

"The three realms of martial arts? What's the story there?"

The chubby boy took two more huge bites of the pork knuckle before waving his hand.

"I don't know the details all that well. That's just what everyone says. But once you find a master, you'll understand."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"To be honest, I don't have much of a family fortune. My only strength is that I learn fairly well. Do you know what standards Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey use for 'extraordinary talent and exceptional aptitude'?"

"Fairly well" was Lu Cheng being modest.

With the [Heavenly Mandate] on his side, he thought he should be able to meet the supposed standard for "exceptional aptitude."

But the chubby boy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Learning ability? Who can tell that just by looking? Martial arts depend on your physique and vital energy."

"The stronger your bones and sinews, the more vigorous your vital energy. That's what gives you a solid foundation and makes the path of martial arts go more smoothly."

As he spoke, he patted the fat on his chest and waved the pork knuckle.

"Look at me. I've got vital energy to spare. I have to eat three pork knuckles a day, and that's only because I haven't started training yet. I can't handle the medicinal effects, so I have to build myself up with food first."

"Once I start training, I'll have to switch to pills. That's when the real power kicks in."

"If you don't have much money, you're in trouble."

"Martial arts are built on money."

The boy's words made Lu Cheng's heart sink.

But he had a point.

It had always been poor scholars and rich martial artists. Just look at the people who trained in martial arts in his previous life. Which of them didn't come from a wealthy family?

Martial arts in this world were so much more extravagant than in his previous life; they could only cost even more.

He'd thought the seventeen taels of silver he had were a decent sum, but after paying the tuition, he might not even be able to afford a pork knuckle.

Would he really have to go catch Silver Sturgeon all the time?

And as for his talent...

Given the conditions this body had grown up in, how good could his physique and vital energy possibly be?

Heavenly Spring Temple and Emerald Cloud Abbey probably wouldn't take him.

"What are the other seven or eight like? Since they're so far behind those two, I assume they don't have such high standards."

The chubby boy nodded like a teacher pleased with a promising pupil.

"The rest are much easier to get into. I'd recommend you go to..."

"Hush, Liu Guicai. You're making things up again." A girl's voice cut him off.

Right after that, a boy and a girl hurried through the crowd toward them.

They were about the same age as the chubby boy, fourteen or fifteen.

The boy was remarkably tall, more than half a head taller than Lu Cheng. He was nearly two meters tall, if not quite.

But he was also extremely thin, standing there like a bamboo pole.

He was a head and a half taller than the chubby boy, but the chubby boy was twice as wide. Even the bundle on the tall boy's back was wider than his own body.

The girl was much more ordinary. She was about the same height as the chubby boy, with a well-proportioned figure. Her features weren't striking, but she was fair and clean-looking, and her clothes were just as nice.

Both her arms were laden with bundles and bags, and she held a plum blossom cake in one hand.

When the two reached them, the girl scolded the chubby boy without the slightest courtesy.

"What's wrong with you? I went to buy a cake and you disappeared. Liu Chang'an and I had to search all over for you. If you make us late for the apprenticeship, I won't let you off."

The chubby boy snorted and shot back:

"You won't let me off?"

"We entered the city at the Si hour. You wanted to look at this, then buy that, and now it's already past noon. How come you're blaming me?"

The girl furrowed her brows and glared at the chubby boy, about to blow up. The Thin Bamboo Pole hurriedly spoke up.

"All right, all right. Let's go. If you keep arguing, we really will be late."

With that, he grabbed one of them in each hand and dragged them away.

As the chubby boy was pulled along, he looked back at Lu Cheng and called out:

"Weren't you looking for somewhere with an easier way in? Hurry up and follow us. The Long Wind Escort Agency is hard to find. If you lose us, you'll have to wait three months."

The Long Wind Escort Agency?

Escort agencies took on disciples, too?

And what did "three months" mean?

Lu Cheng was immediately full of questions.

But then he thought it over. The chubby boy knew so much, so the Long Wind Escort Agency couldn't be all that bad.

Whatever happened, he could follow them and have a look.

Even if it didn't work out, he could ask for more information along the way. That was better than wandering around alone and wasting time.

With that in mind, he hurried after them, and the four of them vanished into the crowd in the blink of an eye.