"I may have to leave for a few days."
When Liu Yun heard that Li Ping'an was leaving, her slender brows rose.
"The round trip will probably take six or seven days."
"Then should I... go with you, or stay here?" Liu Yun asked tentatively.
"For safety's sake, you should stay here."
Liu Yun nodded obediently. "All right."
Before leaving, Li Ping'an left Liu Yun enough food for seven days.
Leading Old Ox and carrying only a simple bundle, Li Ping'an set off.
Liu Yun watched his retreating figure, unable to keep a sense of loneliness from creeping into her heart.
Besides hiring Li Ping'an to protect the caravan, Qian Sheng, the owner of the Yuntong Grand Restaurant, had made other arrangements.
He had also hired several escorts from the Peace Escort Agency, showing just how much importance he attached to this caravan.
Leading the Peace Escort Agency's team was its young master, Chen Shun.
The caravan was loading and unloading goods, preparing to depart.
"You'll have our thanks for your efforts this time, Young Master Chen," Qian Sheng said.
"Rest assured, Boss Qian. As long as we live, your cargo will be safe."
Though Chen Shun was young, he had traveled far and wide with his father since childhood. His experience, martial skills, and knowledge were beyond those of ordinary people.
"Don't worry, Boss Qian. My senior brother has never had anything go wrong on an escort job."
The speaker was a female escort named Yin Yin, dressed in a neat, practical outfit cinched at the waist.
With her hair tied in a ponytail, she looked fresh and charming.
"Of course, of course. Young Master Chen is young and accomplished..."
Boss Qian wanted to say more, but a worker suddenly called to him from across the way.
Yin Yin yawned.
"Didn't sleep well last night?" Chen Shun asked.
"I stayed up reading a novel," Yin Yin said.
"We're escorting a caravan today. How can you neglect to conserve your strength?"
Yin Yin looked utterly unconcerned. "It's only a six-day journey. There are just a handful of factions around here. Who would dare rob a caravan guarded by the Peace Escort Agency?"
As the two were talking, they saw a man walk in, leaning on a walking stick and leading an ox.
"Excuse me, is Boss Qian here?"
"Who are you?" Chen Shun looked him over.
"Boss Qian asked me to come," Li Ping'an said.
"A blind man?" Yin Yin murmured.
Before long, Qian Sheng returned.
Seeing Li Ping'an, he hurried over.
"Brother Li, let me introduce you.
"This is Young Master Chen, the young proprietor of the Peace Escort Agency, and this is his junior sister, Yin Yin.
"Young Master Chen, Brother Li will be traveling with you this time."
Chen Shun was puzzled. "Boss Qian, what is the meaning of this?"
"I specially invited Brother Li here to help protect the caravan," Qian Sheng explained.
At those words, Chen Shun immediately frowned.
"Boss Qian, do you not trust our Peace Escort Agency?"
Qian Sheng gave an apologetic smile. "How could that be? Even if I trusted no one else, I would still trust you.
"It's just that this trip is different from the others. We have to guard against the unexpected.
"Don't worry. You won't receive a penny less of your escort fee."
Though Chen Shun was displeased, how many people the client wanted to hire was none of his business.
He only had to keep the cargo safe, so he said nothing more.
"Senior brother, what is Boss Qian playing at? Hiring a blind man?"
Yin Yin glanced at Li Ping'an, who was drinking tea nearby.
"Even if he hired an immortal, it would be none of our business."
"I've seen him before, singing for money on the streets of the Eastern Market," Yin Yin said, suddenly remembering.
"Singing for money?" Chen Shun couldn't help laughing. "Looks like Boss Qian has been swindled."
Chen Shun had seen plenty of this sort of thing, like those blind Daoists who posed as masters in streets and alleyways, telling fortunes.
They played at gods and ghosts to give themselves an air of unfathomable mystery.
"Then should we warn Boss Qian?" Yin Yin asked.
"If we say something, it'll only look as though we have ulterior motives. It's none of our business anyway."
At noon, they ate one last lunch in Luoshui City.
Then everyone set off and left Luoshui City.
They followed the main road.
Very curious about Li Ping'an's addition to the party, Yin Yin rode her chestnut horse over to his side.
"Hey, blind man, weren't you singing for money over in the Eastern Market?"
"Yes."
Li Ping'an made no attempt to hide it.
"Why are you here instead of singing on the streets?"
"Boss Qian asked me to come."
"I know that," Yin Yin said curiously. "I mean, how did you fool Boss Qian?"
"Boss Qian asked me to come."
Li Ping'an repeated exactly the same answer.
Yin Yin pursed her lips. "Fine, don't tell me. Stingy."
The caravan traveled for an entire day and night.
Though they were following the main road, these were far from peaceful times.
A caravan that drew so much attention was especially vulnerable. In a single day, they encountered three separate groups looking for trouble.
Two were gangs of bandits entrenched in the hills, each with several dozen men.
The remaining group belonged to a horse caravan gang and numbered at least a hundred.
Fortunately, the Peace Escort Agency's reputation meant they only had to pay a token toll.
After all, everyone was just trying to put food on the table. They wanted money, not lives.
That was how escort agencies worked: they had a foot in both the lawful world and the underworld.
To operate in both worlds, they needed someone in the authorities to shelter them, as well as close ties with the martial world.
In matters of the martial world, reputation accounted for twenty percent, and fighting skill another twenty percent.
The remaining sixty percent depended entirely on friends on both sides of the law giving them face.
The caravan was led by Qian Sheng's steward, Hu Er.
Hu Er saw that despite Chen Shun's youth, his reputation already preceded him.
All the bandits along the way gave him face, so Hu Er inevitably showered him with flattery.
Chen Shun thoroughly enjoyed the feeling. Though he spoke modestly, inwardly he was immensely pleased with himself.
The first part of the journey went smoothly, until the third day.
They unexpectedly learned that the main road they had planned to take had been closed to traffic.
There were two possible detours: through the Redwood Forest, or around through Peach Blossom Town.
Chen Shun of the Peace Escort Agency proposed taking the Redwood Forest, since going through Peach Blossom Town would add two or three days to the journey.
Steward Hu Er remembered the instructions his master, Qian Sheng, had given him before departure: consult Li Ping'an often about anything that came up along the way.
Anyone his master thought so highly of surely had some ability.
Hu Er went to ask Li Ping'an's opinion as well.
Li Ping'an had no particular preference and casually asked Old Ox.
"Moo~" Old Ox called.
Li Ping'an then told Hu Er that there might be danger in the Redwood Forest.
For safety's sake, it would be better to detour through Peach Blossom Town.
Hearing this, Yin Yin immediately grew displeased and asked a question.
"Why would there be danger in the Redwood Forest?"
Li Ping'an offered no further explanation, only saying, "Just a guess."
"A guess?"
Yin Yin snorted.
Chen Shun was also displeased. People who pretended to know what they didn't were the greatest nuisance on escort jobs.
With the Peace Escort Agency's name behind them, what danger could there possibly be in the surrounding area?
If they detoured through Peach Blossom Town and encountered no danger,
this blind man would claim all the credit, making it easier for him to keep swindling Boss Qian.
Chen Shun had not wanted to meddle in any of this.
But going through Peach Blossom Town would cost them two extra days.
Who would willingly work extra days for no reason? His tone therefore became rather sharp.
"If you don't understand escort work, don't spout nonsense. What danger is there in the Redwood Forest?"
Li Ping'an wasn't annoyed. He said calmly, "It was only a passing remark. Whether you believe it is up to you."
Before you continue