Escorting the Escort

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the dilapidated woodshed at the back of the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall, a single oil lamp flickered, casting a bean-sized flame that projected Chen Jianghe's silhouette against the mottled earthen wall. He finished his stance and exhaled, slowly opening his eyes.

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Guaranteed]

[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Minor Achievement)]

[Progress: 78%]

[Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Minor Achievement)]

[Progress: 10%]

[Utility: None]

Lin sat by the bedside, mending an old garment under the dim light. Her stitches were fine and dense, yet her movements were somewhat sluggish—her gaze drifted toward her son time and again.

She looked up at him and spoke softly, "Jianghe, you've been training even harder than usual these past few days."

Chen Jianghe wiped his face with a sweat towel and sat down beside his mother. "Mother, I'm fine. Martial arts is like rowing a boat against the current; if you don't advance, you fall back. I've just broken through to Bright Strength, so now is the time to solidify my foundation."

"I know," Lin said, setting down her needle and thread.

Over these ten days, Chen Jianghe had pushed himself to the limit. He rose at the hour of the Tiger and rested only at the hour of the Rat, alternating between the Three-Body Stance and the Five Elements Fist with almost no pause.

His mother, Lin, saw this and worried in her heart. Several times she wanted to speak but held back, eventually just silently placing a bowl of thick meat broth before him.

Chen Jianghe knew what his mother was worried about.

He had never uttered a single word about what happened in the alley that night.

But ever since that day, his mother had not left the martial arts hall alone. Even when she went to the nearby market for needles, thread, or grain, she always chose the busiest hours, hurrying there and back.

Some things didn't need to be said to be understood, and they couldn't be hidden forever.

In this world, with a blade hanging over one's neck, becoming stronger was the only path to survival.

As he pondered, familiar footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.

"Jianghe!"

The door curtain lifted, and Su Derong poked his head in, waving his fan.

Seeing Lin was there, he closed his fan and bowed respectfully. "Aunt Lin."

Lin hurriedly stood up. "Oh, it's the Third Young Master. Please, sit. I'll go pour some water."

"No need, no need," Su Derong waved his hand, smiling. "I'm just here to have a quick word with Jianghe and then I'll be off. Don't let me interrupt your rest."

Lin understood and picked up her sewing basket. "Then you two talk; I'll go check the kitchen to see if the water is still boiling." With that, she lifted the curtain and left.

Only then did Su Derong sit down opposite Chen Jianghe. He rested his fan on his knee, the usual smile on his face fading slightly. "Jianghe, I have something to discuss with you."

"Please speak, Senior Brother."

"Three days from now, the escort agency has a shipment to deliver."

Chen Jianghe's heart stirred. "Are you leading the team, Senior Brother?"

"I have to," Su Derong tugged at the corner of his mouth, his smile bitter. "There aren't many guards with Transforming Strength in the agency, and everyone else has their own assignments; we really can't spare anyone. My title as 'Young Master' is fine for putting on airs, but when it comes to shouldering real responsibility, I can't just hide."

He paused and looked at Chen Jianghe with sincere eyes. "I wanted to ask if you would be willing to come along."

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a moment, not answering immediately.

Su Derong didn't press him, just quietly fanned himself while he waited.

After a long while, Chen Jianghe spoke slowly. "Senior Brother, what is the risk level of this shipment?"

"To be honest, it's not small." Su Derong smiled, though his tone was grave. "We're transporting twenty crates of medicinal herbs. We'll be passing through Black Wind Ridge and Wolf Tooth Gorge, both of which are infested with mountain bandits. Not to mention the Green Dragon Gang, which is lurking just outside the city. Since it's medicinal herbs—light and valuable—it's the most eye-catching cargo. As long as we don't run into a master of Transforming Strength, we can handle it. And a master of that level wouldn't bother robbing a shipment for just this much medicine."

He paused, lowering his voice. "Jianghe, you know my character, so I'll be straight with you. This shipment was specifically requested to be escorted by the Su family's own guards. But the agency is stretched too thin, and I can't admit that the Su family has no one left to use... so I had to bite the bullet and take it. If you come with me, I'll feel much more at ease."

Chen Jianghe understood the implication.

Su Derong had laid out both his pride and his predicament—the agency was in trouble, and as the grandson, he had to step up; but he lacked the confidence to do it alone and needed someone he could trust to back him up.

Furthermore, going on an escort mission meant leaving Yilin County and the martial arts hall, allowing him to temporarily avoid the entanglement of the Sun Moon Cult.

He had kept Zhang Mingyuan's final words in his heart.

If he stayed in Yilin County, there was no guarantee the Sun Moon Cult wouldn't follow the trail to him. It would be better to leave for a while; he could earn some money and lie low until the heat died down.

"Since you've put it that way, Senior Brother, I will go," Chen Jianghe nodded. "It's just... I'm still ignorant of the rules of the road and the taboos of escorting."

"That's easy to fix," Su Derong's smile returned. "I'll teach you the rules on the road. As for the taboos... the three most important are: don't show your wealth, don't make enemies, and don't go looking for trouble. For us, delivering the cargo safely is the priority; everything else comes second."

Su Derong slapped his thigh and stood up. "Then it's settled. Gather at the agency gate at the hour of the Dragon in three days. Prepare your own dry rations, water skins, and spare clothes. If you don't have a suitable weapon, go to the agency's armory tomorrow and pick one out—put it on my tab."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother," Chen Jianghe stood and cupped his hands.

"Right, I'm heading back to the agency to make arrangements."

Early the next morning, Chen Jianghe left the martial arts hall.

He turned into an inconspicuous blacksmith shop at the west end of the city.

The furnace inside was roaring, and the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal echoed incessantly.

A bare-chested, muscular man was swinging a hammer against a piece of red-hot iron. He didn't even look up as Chen Jianghe entered. "What are you looking to have made?"

"Can you forge this according to this drawing within three days?" Chen Jianghe pulled a piece of coarse paper from his tunic. On it was the design he had sketched from memory the night before—a simple ring-loop structure with a thickened, protruding knuckle guard and gaps on the inner side for his fingers.

The blacksmith stopped his hammer, took the drawing, and glanced at it before sizing Chen Jianghe up. "A martial artist?"

"Yes."

"Three taels of silver." The blacksmith held up three thick, soot-stained fingers. "I'll use refined iron, edge it, and sharpen it. Come back in three days."

Chen Jianghe didn't haggle. He pulled three taels of silver from his tunic and placed them on the anvil. "I'll leave it to you, Master."

The blacksmith pocketed the silver, tucked the drawing into his leather apron, and resumed his hammering. "Come back in three days."

Chen Jianghe nodded and turned to leave.

After stepping out of the shop, he bought some coarse cloth at a street corner, sewed a dozen sturdy little pouches, filled each one with quicklime powder, sealed them carefully, and hid them close to his body.

These methods were hardly honorable, but when it came to saving one's life, who cared about honor?

Three days later, at the hour of the Dragon.

Chen Jianghe appeared at the entrance of the Su Family Escort Agency right on time.

He had changed into a clean, indigo-colored martial arts outfit—the escort guard uniform Su Derong had sent over the day before.

A water skin and a ration bag hung from his waist. The butchery knife that had been with him for three years was wrapped in cloth at the small of his back, and the newly forged brass knuckles and the dozen pouches of lime powder were tucked inside his tunic.

Seven or eight men had already gathered in the courtyard, the atmosphere solemn.

Su Derong was standing in front of an escort wagon, speaking with a swarthy, middle-aged escort guard.

Seeing Chen Jianghe enter, he beckoned. "Jianghe, come over."

Chen Jianghe walked over quickly.

"This is Old Zhao, Zhao Tieshan," Su Derong said, gesturing toward the middle-aged man. "He is the lead pathfinder for this shipment and a veteran of the road. If you don't understand anything on the journey, ask Old Zhao."

Zhao Tieshan was about forty, with rugged features and a one-inch scar on his left cheek.

He cupped his hands toward Chen Jianghe, his voice raspy. "Brother Chen."

"Master Zhao," Chen Jianghe replied, returning the gesture.

Su Derong pointed to two younger escort guards standing nearby. "These are Zhou Yong and Wang Gui. Both have attained Bright Strength, and they will be traveling with us."

Zhou Yong was lean with sharp, observant eyes, while Wang Gui was sturdier and looked honest and simple.

Both men nodded in greeting to Chen Jianghe.

"The rest are pathfinders," Su Derong said, scanning the men who were busy checking ropes and cargo. "There are three wagons for this shipment. With us five escort guards and six pathfinders, we have enough manpower."

Seeing that everyone was ready, Su Derong spoke sternly. "Everyone, I will reiterate the rules for this shipment one more time."

His gaze swept over every person present, his tone grave. "First, do not form deep friendships with outsiders on the road, and do not reveal details about the cargo, the route, or the itinerary. Second, do not stay at shady inns or drink water from unknown sources. Third, do not panic when trouble arises, and do not go looking for it."

Zhao Tieshan grinned. "Don't worry, Young Master. We know the score."

Zhou Yong, Wang Gui, and the others nodded in succession. "We understand the rules."

"Good." Su Derong clapped his hands. "The hour is late. Load the wagons and move out!"

Zhao Tieshan shouted an order, and the pathfinders steadily loaded the final crates onto the wagons, double-checking that the ropes were tied securely.

Su Derong walked to the lead wagon and pulled a small triangular flag from his tunic.

The flag had an indigo background with a golden "Su" character embroidered on it.

He planted the flag beside the wagon shaft and turned to explain to Chen Jianghe, "This is the escort flag. Those who travel the roads know that if they see this flag, they know it is a Su family shipment. Common thieves won't dare to provoke us easily."

Chen Jianghe noted this silently.

Once everything was prepared, Su Derong vaulted onto the lead mule-drawn wagon and sat on the left side of the shaft.

Zhou Yong drove the second wagon, and Wang Gui the last. Chen Jianghe was assigned to sit on the right side of the shaft on Su Derong's wagon—the team leader was intentionally keeping him close to offer guidance at any moment.

"Let's go!"