Departure

Looking at the contamination clinging to the glass, Yang Shu cried out in anguish, "Brother Zhou, what a waste of a treasure!"

Chen Li immediately chimed in, "Brother Zhou, if Daniu doesn't want it, you could give it to me. Why ruin such flawless glass?"

Zhou Ming picked up the mirror, held it before himself, and quietly admired it for a moment. Then he pressed it to his chest and said, "Daniu, you tell me. Do you also think I'm wasting a treasure?"

Fan Daniu glanced at the back of the mirror and rumbled, "I think Brother Yang and Brother Chen are right."

At that, Zhou Ming flipped the mirror around and burst out laughing. "Take a look at this!"

"Damn!"

"Fuck!"

"Brother Zhou Ming, how did this glass turn into a bronze mirror? It's so clear!"

Yang Shu immediately stepped forward and snatched the mirror from his hand, his voice trembling. "Incredible, incredible! Brother Chen, what would this fetch on the market right now?"

Chen Li stared at the mirror, so excited that he could barely speak. "This is a treasure, a priceless treasure! Even the Empress would be moved by it."

"The Empress? What Empress?"

Yang Shu and the other two froze, looking at Zhou Ming with strange expressions before replying in unison, "The Empress of our Yan Kingdom."

Yang Shu asked in surprise, "What, Brother Zhou, you didn't know?"

Fuck!

How was I supposed to know?

I've been here for so many years and never heard anyone mention it.

Chen Li stroked his chin. "That shouldn't be. Thirteen years ago, the Empress granted a general amnesty. Even in a remote place like ours, we should have heard something about it."

After thinking for a moment, Fan Daniu spoke up. "I know about it. Not long after my dad was thrown in prison, he was released because of the amnesty. Too bad he'd suffered severe punishment. Two days after he came out, my mom and I buried him."

Zhou Ming recalled the information he had received when he first transmigrated here.

There did seem to have been a general amnesty.

But he truly had no impression that the ruler of the Yan Kingdom was a woman.

Zhou Ming did not think much of it and merely said, "Now I know."

Chen Li laughed. "We understand, we understand. Brother Zhou already has the chief escort."

Zhou Ming took the mirror from Yang Shu's hand. "That's right! My heart already belongs to someone."

Then, judging by the size of the mirror, he snapped off one of the table legs and began making a frame.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Seeing the look on his face, the three men sneered.

Once he had finished, Zhou Ming tucked the mirror into his clothes and waved grandly. "Golden Fragrance House, my treat!"

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Yang Shu and the other two departed.

Zhou Ming sat in the private room, recalling the warnings Yang Shu and Chen Li had given him during the meal.

Originally, Zhou Ming had planned to share the method of making mirrors with them.

Most of the money he had earned from killing bandits and searching corpses during his first escort run had been spent over the past few days.

He had wanted to make mirrors and partner with the three of them to earn a fortune.

Yet all three had refused.

Their reason was simple: they did not have the strength to protect such enormous wealth.

The two men had even warned him not to do it even in cooperation with the escort agency. They also told him that people had already begun eyeing the brewing method he had previously given the agency.

If the glassmaking method were added to that, then with the Dragon Soaring Escort Agency's current strength, disaster caused by human greed would soon arrive.

Finally, Yang Shu said that if Zhou Ming became strong enough in the future and still remembered the three of them, then they could discuss it again.

Strength?

[Dragon Glory Earth Human Transmigration Panel]

[Host: Zhou Ming]

[Rank: Eighth-Rank Martial Artist—Jade Skin, Pseudo-Jade Bone (78/206)]

[Fate: Double Results with Half the Effort]

[Analysis: Do half the work and reap massive rewards.]

[Cultivation Techniques: Dragon Soaring Stance (ninth level, complete mastery), Eighth-Rank Sitting-in-Oblivion Technique, Azure Autumn Force, Body-Shaping Art—complete mastery]

[Martial Arts: Eight Saber-Cutting Forms—mastery beyond perfection, Flower-Print Fist—proficient (0/100), Soaring Dragon Body Technique—mastery beyond perfection, Soaring Dragon Spear—mastery beyond perfection]

Looking at the panel, Zhou Ming felt somewhat helpless.

Still a little too slow!

As for the Pseudo-Jade Bone, he had guessed it before even beginning Bone Tempering.

The moment he had secluded himself to temper his bones and stepped into the Eighth Rank, the panel had confirmed it as expected.

The three Eighth-Rank Cultivation Techniques contained a total of 118 bones to temper, forty of which overlapped. That was why he had been able to fully comprehend all three techniques within three months.

The overlapping bones could simply be skipped.

Thinking of Bone Tempering, Zhou Ming's mouth twitched slightly.

He did not know what it was like for others, but it had hurt like hell for him.

Yet he was not the only one in the escort agency at the Bone Tempering stage. Did no one else feel pain?

To be honest, that puzzled him somewhat.

Anyway, he refused to believe that he was simply too afraid of pain.

It had to be because their difficulty was not as great as his.

Yes, that had to be it.

He had already cultivated all three of the escort agency's techniques to complete mastery.

Now, he had nothing left to cultivate.

As he drank, Zhou Ming considered what he needed to do next.

First, give the mirror to Ruoxi.

Second, figure out how to say goodbye to Ruoxi before leaving.

Third, find a way to obtain more cultivation techniques.

Fourth, reach Fifth Grade within two years and wipe out the Li Household.

An hour later, Zhou Ming dispersed the smell of alcohol from his body, settled the bill, and returned to the escort agency.

Touching the mirror in his clothes, Zhou Ming happily headed toward Wen Ruoxi's courtyard.

Before he even entered the courtyard, he shouted, "Ruoxi! Ruoxi! Come out quickly, I have a great treasure for you!"

"The girl isn't here. She went out on an escort run."

Just as Zhou Ming stepped into the courtyard, Chief Escort Yang's voice reached his ears.

Zhou Ming froze slightly, then snapped, "You deliberately sent her away so we couldn't meet!"

Seeing Zhou Ming's bloodshot eyes and raging expression, Chief Escort Yang calmly asked, "Do you have anything you want me to pass on?"

Zhou Ming clenched his fists tightly and forcibly suppressed his anger.

After calming the rage in his heart, he went straight into Wen Ruoxi's room.

Late that night, Zhou Ming took the mirror from his clothes and gently placed it on the dressing table, with a letter tucked beneath it.

On the envelope were the words: For Ruoxi's Eyes Only.

Turning around, Zhou Ming breathed in the faint fragrance lingering in the room and gently closed the door.

After leaving the escort agency, his steps paused slightly as he remembered the person he had been when he first joined it.

Then he looked at who he was now.

He had come alone, and he would leave alone.

Suddenly, an icy wind swept out from the street corner, carrying a biting chill. A gourd tore through the air and shot toward Zhou Ming.

His brows lifted. He casually raised a hand and caught the gourd steadily.

Zhou Ming looked up. On the other side of the street, Wang Quan was slowly walking toward him while leading a horse.

"Kid Zhou, is your heart filled with nothing but romance? Have you forgotten this uncle of yours? You're leaving without even saying goodbye?"

Zhou Ming frowned, lowered his head slightly, and said nothing.

Wang Quan handed him the reins and gently patted his shoulder.

"The Yan Kingdom has not only the Imperial Examination, but also the Martial Examination. If you want to see Ruoxi, take part in next year's Martial Examination."

After saying that, Wang Quan headed back into the escort agency.

Kid Zhou, don't let me down.

I've already shown you the road.

Making you leave Ruoxi is for your own good as well.

The Li Household is merely a pawn in the vanguard.

If you cannot even cut down a pawn in the vanguard, how will you fight that person?

Zhou Ming did not look back.

He held the reins in his right hand, letting the horse walk beside him, while his left carried the gourd filled with strong liquor. Slowly, he walked toward the outskirts of the county town.

In the darkness, a barely audible murmur drifted through the air.

"I'll take the Martial Examination."

The bone-piercing cold wind raged between heaven and earth as tiny snowflakes silently drifted down from the horizon.

Snow settled upon rooftops, horsebacks, shoulders, and streets.

Before long, the entire county town was covered by a white cotton blanket.

Between heaven and earth, only one man and one horse remained. Accompanied by the falling snow, they gradually traveled farther and farther away until they vanished from the county town.