Chapter 17: Foes (Please recommend~)

Under the bright moon and stars, the Milky Way spread across the sky, with not a soul to be heard, save for the whispers amongst the trees.

That evening, Zhao Rong returned to his quarters in high spirits.

Not only did the chirping of insects sound delightful to the ear, but even the strange "kek kek kek" calls of the barn owls seemed comforting.

With a heavy weight lifted from his mind, he was also eagerly anticipating his meeting with the young girl the next day.

Though he had not been able to meet with the great master Elder Qu Yang, it seemed no longer a matter for regret.

The following morning, Zhao Rong came to the escort agency ahead of time.

The Changrui Escort Agency had been completely transformed: the large hall, capable of accommodating more than a hundred guests, was tidy, windowsills, door eaves, and corners were dust-free, tables gleamed like mirrors, and several Taishi chairs were arranged neatly in the center.

In a corner, Zhao Rong stood in front of the warehouse on duty.

He practiced the Wild Goose Blade technique with a chicken feather duster borrowed from Zhou.

"Zhou, the move 'Hidden Blossom Beneath the Leaf' seems to connect with 'Wild Birds Flock to the Woods,'" he said. "One involves concealing the blade under the armpit with a twist of the body, while the other requires a sudden twist to thrust."

"If you omit 'Wild Goose Descending on the Mountain' in between, these two moves can be executed with a sword as well."

Zhou, sitting with his legs crossed, praised him for his cleverness and added:

"That's true, but the timing of your strength release will need to change."

"The same move with different force can vary greatly in power."

Implicit in his words was a caution not to aim too high, too quickly.

Zhao Rong accepted the advice with gratitude, expressing his eagerness to learn:

"With sword and blade being so different, using a sword may feel stiff. Is there a solution?"

Zhou grinned at him with a look reserved for a novice and said confidently:

"You're asking the right person. I've immersed myself in this blade technique for decades; it's no trouble for me to adapt the principles of strength release for use with a sword."

"Train for another decade or so, and you might reach my level of skill."

Zhao Rong, full of expectation, respectfully handed him a longsword.

Unexpectedly...

After practicing and researching for nearly half an hour, Zhou became dizzy and his eyes unfocused.

"Uh... Brother Rong, creating new techniques is usually the work of grandmasters," Zhou said. "My job is to guard the warehouse, and after giving it some thought, I think I had better not step into this realm for now."

Heh, it seems not only Bao Datong has a talent for empty talk among martial folks.

Zhao Rong chuckled darkly to himself, choosing not to expose the pretense outright.

Just then, Lu Shilai approached with a porter in tow, walking down the corridor. Zhou, seeing a savior, quickly extricated himself from the mire of adapting techniques.

"Are you here to pick up goods, Escort Head?"

"No."

"Did Lu Gui and his group move the rack of eighteen weapons over here yesterday?"

Zhou pointed to the warehouse upon hearing this: "You're moving it out again?"

"That's right." Lu, the Escort Head, looked troubled.

"Didn't we agree that having too many guests in the hall would be less spacious with it there?"

Lu Shilai shook his head: "The plan has changed. Now the weapons will be set out in the courtyard outside the hall, arranged in rows on both sides, every kind of weapon—swords, guns, spears, and halberds—not one missing."

"You hear the commotion outside, right? Old Jin is arranging for the grindstone to be brought out, so every piece of weaponry will be sharpened to a gleam and then displayed."

There was a hint of irritation in his tone, almost catching Zhao Rong off-guard.

Darn it, what kind of trouble is this?

Wasn't it just an invitation to dinner?

And now it has turned into a potentially dangerous feast?

Seeing Lu Shilai's glance in his direction, Zhao Rong had no doubt that Lu was about to ask him to play the role of an executioner.

"Escort Head, who do you want me to chop?"

Lu Shilai couldn't help but laugh at that, "No hurry for chopping."

"Come over here and give us a hand first."

"Alright."

Together they moved the weapons racks out into the hall's courtyard amid growing "huffing and puffing" sounds—a great throng of men were sharpening their weapons, striking sparks from the grindstones.

It wasn't until Zhao Rong placed a Spring and Autumn period greatsword, taller than a man, in a prominent position that he found a moment to ask Lu about the situation.

"With friends, we share good wine, but when foes come, we meet them with blades."

"Some fools, not knowing any better, sent us their visiting cards, also wanting to discuss the lost cargo."

For the first time, Zhao Rong heard Lu's tone and speculated: "Is it a rival of the Changrui Escort Agency?"

"Correct."

"It's the Sanhe Sect from Qingzhou Prefecture, and they're in cahoots with the Zhenyuan Escort Agency."

"Qingzhou Prefecture is a thousand miles away from us; how could there be a conflict with the Sanhe Sect?"

"Your confusion is understandable; it's all old business."

Lu Shilai typically wouldn't have had the patience to elaborate, but continued since Zhao Rong asked: "The sect leader of Sanhe Sect, Chi Zhengsong, is the clan uncle of Chi Baicheng, a disciple of the Taishan Sect. They run escort and martial arts trade businesses around Qingzhou Prefecture and Yanzhou Prefecture."

"To the north, they face the Demon Cult; to the west, the power of Mount Hua and Songshan; to the east, the turmoil of the Salt Gang and the Japanese pirates. So, they turned to expanding southward."

"Chi Zhengsong's sister is married to the gang leader of the Jiaolong Gang in Yingtian Prefecture, Shen Tiantao. Zhenyuan Escort Agency was originally a Jiaolong Gang property. They teamed up with Sanhe Sect to take control of the Ningguo Prefecture and Huizhou Prefecture waterways, pushing further southwest to Poyang Lake, influencing the areas of Jiujiang, Yuezhou, and Linjiang."

At this, Zhao Rong had an epiphany.

Aren't those the places where the Changrui Escort Agency does the most business?

As the saying goes, those in the same trade are often rivals.

Now that the Changrui Escort Agency's business has extended to Yingtian Prefecture, even encroaching on the doorstep of the Jiaolong Gang, friction between the two sides was all too normal.

Coming to send congratulatory cards and laughing at them while eating melon seeds is nothing, but if the loss of the goods shipped to Poyang Lake is related to these people, then that would truly be tearing off all pretenses of civility. If things go wrong, they might just end up brawling on the day of the banquet.

"What excuse did they use to come knocking?"

Lu Shilai sneered, "They just said that Zhenyuan Escort Agency's goods were lost too, also around Poyang Lake."

"That's pure nonsense and babble."

"Brother Rong doesn't need to worry. Not only do we have fellow martial artists recruited by the Head Escort to help us, but Hengzhou Prefecture is also the base of the Hengshan Sect! No matter if he runs the number one escort agency in Yingtian Prefecture, he won't be able to stir up any trouble."

"However, with heroes gathered, competitions of fists, kicks, and weapons are inevitable."

"Just support from the side, and watch how we crush the enemy's spirit."

Zhao Rong kept nodding, repeatedly agreeing.

He understood the principle that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, but with this development, things had gotten much more complicated.

He needed to secretly find out who the mole within the Hengshan Sect was.

Hey, do I know too much?

How tiring it is.

On the day of the escort agency's banquet, I'll just stand by and broaden my horizons.

Zhao Rong made up his mind quietly.

He was busy until evening that day, and whenever Zhao Rong had some free time, he would discuss techniques with Pukui, Zhou, and others and also look at some of the martial arts collected by the escort agency.

Biting off more than one can chew.

The technique I find most comfortable to use now is still Bao Datong's Tongbei Fist.

As dusk approached, Zhao Rong, who did not need to stay at the escort agency, bid farewell to Lu Gui Pukui and headed towards Wild Goose Pagoda Street in the western part of the city.

Half a mile from the city gate, there were several teahouses where many riverside and merchant guests from Luosu Wharf often stopped to rest.

An old man surnamed Sang had his teahouse on the very edge, and due to old and worn furniture and a simple awning, his place had the fewest patrons.

"It's Zhao Rong."

"Please, take a seat, take a seat."

Zhao Rong had to pass by here on his way home, and Old Sang greeted this familiar face with a welcoming smile.

"The usual, hibiscus tea," Zhao Rong replied, glancing inside and immediately spotting that petite figure.

Qu Feiyan waved enthusiastically at him and called out, "Brother Rong."

"Oh, that girl said she was waiting for someone. I was worried she'd get swindled, so I've been keeping an eye on her."

"So, she was waiting for Zhao Rong."

The old man shook his head, "Seems like my worries were unnecessary."

Indeed, unnecessary, given this young lady's wits, it would be surprising if she didn't swindle others instead.

"Old Sang is kind-hearted," Zhao Rong complimented, and as he turned to walk inside, he suddenly stopped as if remembering something, "I heard Old Sang is planning to return to his hometown?"

"That's right."

"The old man is near the age of seventy, and like a falling leaf returning to its roots," Old Sang's wrinkled face squeezed into a squint as he looked east, "In Anren, I have two old houses. Over the years I've saved a little coffin money, and I plan to bury my old bones there, to leave this world in peace."

"I'm looking to sell this teahouse."

Zhao Rong inquired, "How much?"

"Together with the shop, thirty taels. If I can't sell it for thirty, then twenty taels."

Old Sang's tone was firm.

"When?"

"After the New Year."

As Old Sang was responding, he eyed Zhao Rong curiously, suddenly hearing Zhao Rong straightforwardly say:

"Then thirty taels it is. I'll take the shop, and Old Sang can go back to his home to enjoy his later years without worry."

Noticing his serious demeanor, it was apparent this was no joke.

Once Old Sang caught the earnest look in his eyes, he was overjoyed, "That would be wonderful! I have no more concerns if the teahouse goes into the hands of Zhao Rong."

"Today's tea is on the house, on the house!" Old Sang declared generously.

"Ha ha, thank you," Zhao Rong didn't insist on paying, and sat down next to Qu Feiyan in a quiet spot inside.

"Brother Rong, why buy the teahouse?" The young lady had heard everything clearly.

Zhao Rong responded with an air of having seen through the world's harsh realities, "I've decided to retire from the martial world and make a living selling tea here."

"Ha ha ha, Brother Rong, you're really joking," Qu Feiyan's laughter rang like silver bells, "Where is there a retired young man looking for martial arts secrets? You should go listen to the Four Songs like my grandfather, then I might believe you a bit more."

Zhao Rong just smiled, treating her not as a child in their conversation.

"Let's not talk about the teahouse for now. First, tell me."

"Did your grandfather agree to it?"

"How could he not?"

Qu Feiyan spoke with a touch of mystery, "Big brother, I've brought everything you asked for."

"Oh, so soon!"

...