First Escort Run, Lessons from the Jianghu

The next day.

As soon as Zhao Ya arrived at the Escort Agency, he received notice that he, Wei Yu, Luo Feng, and Zhou Hua would be accompanying Escort Master Luo Qiang on an escort run today.

This was the first time Zhao Ya and the other three had gone on an escort run since joining the Escort Agency, and it could also be considered a test for them.

Zhao Ya did not feel much about it, but Wei Yu and the others were tremendously excited. Luo Feng, the youngest among them, was especially eager, looking as though he wished they could set off at once.

"When are we leaving already? Hurry up, or it'll be noon before long," Luo Feng said impatiently.

Escort Master Luo Qiang's face darkened. "Nonsense! An escort run is no child's game. The preparations aren't even finished—how can we leave just because you say so?"

Luo Feng grimaced from the scolding and hurriedly lowered his head to admit his mistake. "Sorry, Second Uncle. I was too anxious."

It turned out that Luo Feng and Escort Master Luo Qiang were uncle and nephew.

This sort of arrangement was common in Prosperity Escort Agency and the major Escort Agencies alike. After all, brothers fought tigers side by side, and fathers and sons went into battle together.

In this age, ties of blood were far more tightly bound than they had been in the later world Zhao Ya had come from.

For instance, when Luo Feng was reprimanded by his second uncle, he did not dare utter a single word in response.

After giving his nephew Luo Feng a scolding, Luo Qiang turned to Wei Yu, Zhao Ya, and Zhou Hua. His expression eased somewhat as he spoke warmly.

"You three, this is your first escort run, so I'll go over some precautions beforehand. I hope you won't find me too long-winded."

Although Wei Yu, Zhao Ya, and the others were still merely menial hands at the Escort Agency, everyone knew that was only temporary.

After all, the Escort Agency had invested so much effort into training them. Its purpose was naturally not as simple as having them become Escort Guards in the future.

It could be said that, barring accidents, all four of them would certainly become escort masters of Prosperity Escort Agency someday. Thus, even Luo Qiang spoke to them quite politely.

"Of course not. It is our honor that Escort Master Luo is willing to instruct us. Please enlighten us."

Before Zhao Ya or Zhou Hua could respond, Wei Yu spoke first, his words making it seem as though he already represented Zhao Ya and the others.

Zhao Ya remained unmoved by this. In truth, he also wanted to hear Luo Qiang's instruction. After all, Luo Qiang was an old escort master who had been running escorts for years. Every word he said was precious experience that could save lives at a critical moment.

Zhao Ya was like this, and Zhou Hua beside him looked even calmer.

"Good, then I'll begin." Luo Qiang was also pleased with Wei Yu and the others' attitude.

"This escort run is for Virtue Aid Pharmacy in the city. We'll be delivering a batch of goods to Wu Family Camp, eighty li outside the city."

"The distance is neither near nor far. At our pace, the round trip will take at least two days, which means we'll have to spend one night outside the city."

"Though there are no bandits or hardened criminals within seventy or eighty li of the city, we still cannot be careless. Especially since all of you are newcomers on your first escort run, I must lay the ugly words out front."

"On the road, I am in command. Everything follows my orders. You are not to leave the group without permission, nor are you to casually strike up conversations with unfamiliar strangers. Any violation will be punished without mercy. Do you understand?" Luo Qiang said sternly.

Zhao Ya and the other three stiffened and clasped their fists together.

"We understand."

"Very good." Luo Qiang nodded, and his tone eased again.

"Though this is only a short escort run seventy or eighty li outside the city, a cautious sailor sails for ten thousand years. The world is growing ever more chaotic, so we must be doubly careful."

"And it is not only outside the city. In the future, whenever you encounter the following sorts of people in the jianghu, you must remain on your guard."

Zhao Ya immediately pricked up his ears and listened with rapt attention, afraid of missing even a single word.

He knew that what Luo Qiang was about to say would surely be valuable experience accumulated over many years.

"First are monks and Daoists. Those who have left the secular world often possess strange abilities. If you can avoid provoking them, do not provoke them."

"Second are women, especially beautiful women. You must be even more cautious when you encounter them. In these troubled times, if a beautiful woman dares show her face in public, it proves she possesses abilities beyond ordinary people."

"Beyond that are all people who defy common sense. For example, if you suddenly encounter a child in some desolate mountain wilderness, then no matter what the child says, do not hesitate. Run at once. Even adults would not dare enter such a place lightly, so how could a child suddenly appear there?"

Zhao Ya deeply agreed with Luo Qiang's words.

After all, where something is abnormal, there must be a monster at work. When encountering people or events that defied common sense, the best method was to get away as quickly as possible.

Didn't the people who died fastest in horror films always have curiosity bursting from their skulls?

"All right, that is roughly it. Now organize the things you are carrying, and then we'll set off."

"Yes!"

The escort carts had long been prepared. Before long, Zhao Ya and the other three followed Luo Qiang out of the Escort Agency and headed beyond the city, beneath the envious gazes of the other menial hands.

Once they passed through the gates of Dancing Elephant City, Luo Qiang opened the pack he carried and pulled out the escort banner within, hanging it from the foremost escort cart.

The escort banner embroidered with the four words "Prosperity Escort Agency" fluttered in the wind, carrying an impressive air.

Luo Feng was extremely excited.

Ever since leaving the city, his gaze had not stopped moving, constantly looking this way and that.

When he saw the raised escort banner, he could not help muttering.

"So this is what it means to roam the jianghu?"

Then he moved up beside Zhao Ya. "Hey, Brother Zhao, have you ever left the city before?"

Zhao Ya shook his head.

His former self probably had, but this was his first time.

"Hehe, it's my first time too. My family usually kept a tight rein on me and never let me leave the city. If Second Uncle weren't leading us this time, they probably still wouldn't have let me come out," Luo Feng chattered on.

Zhao Ya could not be bothered with him. As he walked, he observed the surroundings, and what he saw alarmed him.

Most of the fields by the roadside were completely barren.

Bodies could even be seen from time to time in the ditches lining both sides of the road.

He had heard people say that the situation outside the city was terrible, but he had not expected it to be this terrible.

And they had not even been outside the city for long.

Just as he was feeling doubtful and unsettled, Zhou Hua, who had been silently hurrying along ever since they left the city, suddenly spoke.

"This was all done by refugees."

"Hm?" Zhao Ya turned to look at him.

Zhou Hua continued, "Last year, several neighboring commandery cities suffered floods. Only Cloudsky Commandery was spared because an expert was stationed there, so this year the disaster victims from those commanderies all fled here."

"The reason these fields you see are barren is because the crops were all eaten by refugees who wandered here."

At this, Zhou Hua gave a cold snort. "And the scene you see now is already much better. At least most of the bodies have been buried. A few months ago, corpses lay everywhere. That was truly a hellish sight."

Zhao Ya felt his heart tighten as he listened.

When he had first crossed into this world two months ago, he had heard a few rumors, but he had been occupied with cultivation at the time and had paid them no mind.