Ordinary people wouldn't pay attention to such things, but families with a bit of influence would hear about them to some extent.
Forged Edge Workshop is a renowned sword-making place in Shu Province, with a wide reputation.
The martial arts figures of Shu Province, as well as powerful families and influential Forged Edge Workshop.
Moreover, Forged Edge Workshop also has customers in Yi Province, which is adjacent to Shu Province.
Therefore, when Wu Shuangren's reputation spread to Shu Province, Forged Edge Workshop was one of the first forces to pay attention to him.
Pu Zheng and Pu Yuan had also heard of Wu Shuangren. Pu Yuan was particularly curious about this young man who was younger than him but whose martial arts skills were far superior.
The head of the Pu Lineage had prepared gifts in advance, intending to send them over on the day Wu Shuangren sent people to Shu Province to welcome the bride, so as to take the opportunity to establish a relationship. Perhaps in the future, the Yi Province Militia would seek to do business with Forged Edge Workshop.
Therefore, when the two saw this well-equipped wedding procession and the groom carrying a long-handled broadsword, they immediately guessed Wu Shuangren's identity.
"Commander, there are experts chasing these two. After we announced our names, they haven't dared to approach yet."
A scout rode up to Wu Shuangren's side and whispered.
Wu Shuangren nodded, spurred his horse forward, and kept his eyes fixed on the young man with a blood-red Traits above his head.
Who are you? And who is chasing you?
Wu Shuangren asked.
Upon hearing this, Pu Zheng was overjoyed and quickly looked up at Wu Shuangren.
He was afraid that Wu Shuangren would ignore the matter and simply abandon the two of them to the pursuers behind them, without intervening in the matter at all.
"We are from the Pu Lineage of the Forged Edge Workshop in Shu Province, and the men chasing us are Zhang Da's men, the military commander of Shu Province."
Pu Zheng spoke very quickly.
"The Assistant Commander of Shu Province?"
Wu Shuangren's heart stirred, and that sinister and chilling face appeared in his mind.
Why did the military commander of Shu Province send men to hunt you down?
Wu Shuangren asked.
Pu Zheng: "Militia Commander Wu probably doesn't know that a month ago, my Forged Edge Workshop was massacred by bandits, and my entire family was wiped out!"
"Um?"
Wu Shuangren felt a chill run down his spine.
He had heard of the Forged Edge Workshop, but he was completely unaware that Forged Edge Workshop had been wiped out.
His current sphere of influence is in Yi Province and Rong Province, and only a part of Xi Province. As for the other provinces of Jiannan Circuit, he has not yet made much of a move there.
"My Pu Lineage inadvertently stumbled upon a crucial secret of the Shu Province military commander, and as a result, our entire family was wiped out!"
Pu Zheng gritted his teeth and said.
He knew that Wu Shuangren was now Xu Clan's son-in-law, and Xu Cheng was Zhang Da's subordinate; they seemed to be on the same side.
However, the local garrison in Shu Province was not a monolithic entity; at least Pu Zheng knew that the Xu Family and the Zhang Clan were not close.
The Xu Family might very well want to have leverage over Zhang Da!
Rumor has it that Xu Clan has caught the eye of a powerful figure in the capital. Perhaps this opportunity will allow him to bring down Zhang Da and advance Xu Cheng to become the military commander of Shu Province?
This was the source of his confidence to beg Wu Shuangren to save his life.
As a seasoned veteran, Pu Zheng knew all too well that there was no love or hate without a reason. Why would Wu Shuangren help them without any benefit in return?
"What secret could make the Shu Province military commander so willing to annihilate the entire Forged Edge Workshop?"
Sure enough, Wu Shuangren asked curiously.
Pu Zheng gritted his teeth. "This matter is of great importance; I can only tell Militia Commander Wu alone."
Just as Wu Shuangren was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from ahead:
"But was it Militia Commander Wu of the Yi Province Militia in person?"
Upon hearing that nightmarish voice, Pu Yuan, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled again.
Ahead, Long Lie pressed his hands against the curved sword at his waist, and shouted loudly as he walked forward, channeling his Internal Skill.
He was a notorious evil master in the entire Jiannan Circuit martial arts world, possessing First Rank cultivation level and ruthless methods, earning him the nickname "Feilong".
He secretly gathered a group of people who specialized in murder, robbery, and even annihilation of entire families, making him infamous in Jiannan Circuit!
Long Lie's name appeared on the wanted lists of the various prefectures in Jiannan Circuit.
Nearly a thousand people on board the Forged Edge Workshop were massacred, and the government claims that it was Feilong's gang who did it.
Over the years, Feilong and his gang have committed more than one massacre of entire families. Although it is unknown how Forged Edge Workshop offended them, few people have bothered to investigate the truth due to the government's deliberate cover-up.
If they were to encounter an ordinary family, or even the men of some local powerful clans, Long Lie, with his personality, would not hesitate at all. He would simply lead his men to attack and kill the two escaped members of the Pu Lineage!
But when he heard that the people on the other side were from the Yi Province Militia, he had to be cautious.
It wasn't that he was intimidated by the strength of the Yi Province Militia, but rather that Zhang Da had told him that he would need to cooperate with the Yi Province Militia in the future.
When the head of the Yi Province Militia came to fetch the bride, Zhang Da even personally visited to offer his congratulations.
Long Lie couldn't ruin Zhang Da's plan because of a momentary impulse.
This unorthodox master has seemed to enjoy endless glory all these years and has never been captured, because he has Zhang Da, the military commander of Shu Province, standing behind him!
"I am Wu Shuangren."
Wu Shuangren, carrying a long-handled sword, rode forward alone and replied.
Long Lie carefully examined Wu Shuangren, who was riding up on horseback.
They're so young!
Before the Mount Liang uprising, they had sent someone to contact him and invite him to join the mountain. Long Lie was indeed tempted, but he felt that Mount Liang probably wouldn't go very far. He thought that if they could really conquer Shu Province and destroy the Shu Province government, it wouldn't be too late for him to join.
That's why Long Lie refused Mount Liang's invitation.
Looking back now, I realize I was truly prescient. It's laughable that those Mount Liang bandits couldn't even handle such a young child!
"Militia Commander Wu, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Long Lie took the initiative to clasp his hands in a gesture of respect.
Wu Shuangren looked at the man, who had a shaved head and blue tattoos that spread from his head to his face and chest, giving him a somewhat eerie appearance.
Who are you?
Wu Shuangren asked.
Long Lie did not directly reveal his identity, but instead pointed to Pu Zheng and his son behind him:
"I am acting on behalf of the military commander of Shu Province to capture two fugitives. I hope Militia Commander Wu will do me a favor!"
Wu Shuangren calmly looked at the other party. "If you are apprehending a fugitive, please show your official documents and identification badge, and I will cooperate."
Long Lie frowned, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes. "Militia Commander Wu, General Zhang sincerely wants to cooperate with the Yi Province Militia. Are you really going to do this for two unrelated people?"
"That would be more fitting if Zhang Da were to say it."
Wu Shuangren said calmly.
"..."
Long Lie was speechless for a moment.
He hadn't expected Wu Shuangren to be so tough!
Under Wu Shuangren's deliberate misleading, the forces in various regions also believed that Wu Shuangren was in charge of the Yi Province Militia on the surface, but in reality, the Xu Family was behind it.
The Xu Family chose to form a marriage alliance with Wu Shuangren simply to better control the Yi Province Militia.
Therefore, Long Lie felt that even if Wu Shuangren didn't give Zhang Da face, he still had to consider the Xu Family, since Zhang Da was Xu Cheng's superior.
Just then, a series of hoofbeats came from behind Long Lie.
He glanced back and breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn't reveal his identity, but the person who truly represented Zhang Da has arrived!
Soon, Zhang Yu arrived with a group of men.
Long Lie walked to his side and whispered a few words.
Zhang Yu looked up at Wu Shuangren, who was wearing a big red flower in front of him, and his expression was somewhat complicated.
He had met Xu Yuebai before.
The two had a chance encounter due to business matters.
Zhang Yu was deeply impressed by the woman who seemed naive and cute but was actually exceptionally intelligent.
He had considered a marriage alliance with the Xu Family, not only because he was somewhat attracted to Xu Yuebai, but also because a marriage alliance between the Zhang Clan and Xu Family would be beneficial.
Zhang Da had tried to subtly mention it on his behalf, but Xu Cheng brushed it off with the excuse that "my daughter is still young."
Zhang Yu had originally planned to formally propose marriage to the Xu Clan family in the next year or two, but unexpectedly, Xu Cheng suddenly wanted to marry his daughter to someone from another place.
Zhang Yu and Xu Yuebai had only met a few times, so it wouldn't be fair to say that he couldn't let go of her.
The fact that the person who once stirred his heart had suddenly married someone else left Zhang Yu with a bitter taste in his mouth...
Seeing Wu Shuangren with his own eyes now, his feelings became even more complicated.
"Greetings, Militia Commander Wu. My name is Zhang Yu."
Zhang Yu spurred his horse forward and bowed to Wu Shuangren from horseback.
May I ask who you are?
"..."
Zhang Yu's face darkened.
He dislikes introducing himself as so-and-so's son!
But Wu Shuangren's confusion wasn't feigned; he genuinely didn't know who Zhang Yu was.
"This is General Zhang's only son."
Long Lie helped with the introduction from the side.
"So it's Young Master Zhang, a pleasure to meet you."
Wu Shuangren in greeting.
"My men are after the fugitives. Please do us a favor and hand those two over to us."
Zhang Yu said curtly.
He was usually quite shrewd and diplomatic, but in front of Wu Shuangren, he was somewhat unwilling to back down and admit defeat.
"Young Master Zhang said those two are fugitives. Do you have any official arrest warrants from the government?"
Wu Shuangren's answer was equally curt!
Zhang Yu's face darkened completely. "Wu Shuangren, you have no relation to these two people. Are you really going to ruin your relationship with us because of them?"
Wu Shuangren calmly met Zhang Yu's gaze. "This is my first time in Shu Province. Apart from the Xu Family, I don't have any connections with anyone else."
"Haha, great!"
Zhang Yu was already seething with anger about the mine incident, and now he couldn't hold back any longer. "Then go ask Xu Cheng if he wants to ruin his relationship with the Zhang Clan!"
Wu Shuangren smiled and shook his head at Zhang Yu:
"Go back and ask Zhang Da if he wants to be my enemy."
"You!"
Zhang Yu was both shocked and furious.
Based on the various battle achievements and intelligence reports from Yi Province, it can be determined that Wu Shuangren should be First Rate expert.
An eighteen-year-old First Rate expert should have considerable influence within the Yi Province Militia, which is why Xu Cheng is willing to marry his daughter to him.
However, the Yi Province Militia was clearly led by the Xu Family.
In this situation, Zhang Yu couldn't understand why Wu Shuangren dared to be so arrogant.
Don't we really need to consider Xu Cheng's feelings?