I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Li Yuliang

The leader of the Second Escort Team, called Sun Huang, is already over forty years old this year. He has a square face with a waxy complexion, is taciturn, and his martial arts cultivation has reached the fourth level of Inner Breath Realm at the Great Success stage!

Beneath the leader, there are seven escort masters!

Among these seven, Xiao Yu and Liu Ao possess the highest martial arts realm, both are at the Minor Success stage of the third level of Inner Breath Realm, considered Sun Huang’s right-hand men!

The other five escort masters, Wang Ziming, Shao Yongping, Yao Liangrong, Zeng Xiangui, and Luo Fanglong, are all at the second level of Inner Breath Realm.

Additionally, there are two intern escort masters, Duan Rong and Lu Feng.

Besides these, the escort team also includes two porters, Tang Dejin and Ren Tiewa, responsible for calling out the escort and handling various odd jobs for the team!

At this moment, it’s the transition between spring and summer, the wilderness is picturesque, and the mountain breeze carries a faint fragrance...

Duan Rong couldn’t help but feel that this escort job isn’t bad after all!

Although horseback riding is exhausting, they are all martial artists, so the intensity of traveling isn’t much different from a leisurely stroll for them.

Duan Rong was reveling in the natural beauty of the mountains when suddenly, a peculiar and obscure murmuring voice echoed through the escort team...

It was a young man dressed like a scholar, about twenty years old, riding a chestnut horse, swaying his head while reciting literary phrases...

”...Walking together in the courtyard. The courtyard is as clear as accumulated water, the waterweeds intersect below, surely the shadows of bamboos and pines. Which night is without moon? Which place is without bamboos and pines? Just fewer leisure people like us...”

Everyone in the escort team showed a look of annoyance.

Duan Rong blinked his eyes, thinking: How can there be such narcissistic and poor scholars in this martial world? Quite nonsensical!

Looking at his self-satisfied arrogance, it’s indeed unlikeable. All he can do is recite some romantic lines, but what use is that in this bloody and fierce Jianghu?

As soon as they set out, Xiao Yu had already explained to Duan Rong that this person named Li Yuliang is the person being escorted by this team!

The items escorted by the team usually include: goods, silver, message, and people!

The Nine Provinces territory is unsafe, especially outside the city, where law and order is more chaotic, with swordsmen and rangers frequently robbing travelers, so escort agencies often deliver people to specific places as a common business.

Duan Rong thought about how in the modern era, there was a profession called bodyguard, and the ’guard’ in bodyguard might originate from here!

In ancient times on Blue Star, in this respect, it was likely similar to the world of Nine Provinces, where escorting people was a common business of escort agencies!

The escort team walked on the main road for half a day, passed a big slope, and suddenly saw a lush, winding mountain top looming ahead in the distance.

Suddenly, Sun Huang said: ”Tang Dejin, Ren Tiewa, we’ve reached Funiu Mountain! Raise the banners, call out the escort!”

Tang Dejin and Ren Tiewa rode ahead of the escort vehicle, each unshouldered a banner and hoisted it on their shoulders, calling out the escort!

The banners, with a black background and gold lines, fluttered in the mountain breeze, with ”Yuan Shun” written on them, exuding a brave aura!

”Yuan Shun Escort Agency! Please, Jianghu friends, make way!”

”All Ye! All Ye!”

”Yuan Shun Escort Agency! I honor martial arts! Passing through, make way! All Ye! All Ye!”

”All Ye” is a coded greeting used in Jianghu, a common phrase when calling out the escort.

Both Tang Dejin and Ren Tiewa have powerful voices, not only are their tones deep and resonant, but their words are pronounced clearly and fluently, their voices carrying with the mountain breeze, forming a grand atmosphere!

Duan Rong, riding on horseback, couldn’t help but feel that not everyone can be a porter. In this world, if one wants to hold a steady job, one must have some skills to earn a living!

Just as the escort team reached the mountain pass, suddenly two shadows darted out from beside the road!

Everyone was startled, halting their horses and drawing their swords!

Two figures stood beside the road, their clothes fitted tightly against their bodies, but they appeared not to be armed.

Seeing the escort team halt their horses, they immediately called out: ”All Ye! All Ye!”

Sun Huang, sitting on horseback, clasped his fist and asked: ”May I ask, are you from the Black Tiger Stronghold?”

”Indeed, are you Sun Huang from the escort team?”

”Indeed it’s me! What business do you two have?”

”Li Meng is our third-in-command at the Black Tiger Stronghold. Boss Li is an old friend of Escort Master Sun, hearing you were passing through, he sent us with some good wine and wild game!”

As they spoke, they quickly walked forward, presenting a jar of wine and several roasted rabbits and pheasants!

Sun Huang immediately dismounted, enthusiastically receiving them, and after asking a few more courteous words, said: ”Please trouble the brothers to inform Boss Li that when I have a chance, Sun Huang will personally visit the mountain and offer thanks!”

The two acknowledged, their figures flickered, and disappeared into the wilderness beside the road...

Li Yuliang glanced at the roasted rabbits and pheasants, smiled and said: ”The escort agency surely knows their business! Mid-way through the journey, people come to deliver food!”

People in the escort team have a poor impression of Li Yuliang, and no one responded to his remarks.

Only Xiao Yu watched Duan Rong and explained to him: ”Black Tiger Stronghold is a mountain bandit hideout in Funiu Mountain! Due to its remote location, with countless mountain valleys in Funiu Mountain convenient for hiding! The official army has tried to eradicate it several times to no avail!”

”This Black Tiger Stronghold did rob our escorts a few times in the past, later our shopkeeper offered generous gifts, and they arranged an annual event! Only then did we secure this escort route!”

”Don’t think escorting is all about fighting! Knowing people well, receiving good treatment, and being able to maintain decorum are essential to successfully travel an escort route!”

”As escort masters, most of what we defend against are those swordsmen, rangers, and some insignificant thieves... If indeed facing a bigger bandit group, we simply can’t handle it with just our team!”

Duan Rong nodded repeatedly in agreement, he naturally understood that Xiao Yu was teaching him the rules and strategies of the Jianghu, valuable lessons from old hands. Without someone to tell him, a newbie wouldn’t know how many setbacks or losses he would endure before figuring it out.

As Xiao Yu spoke, all the escort masters watched Duan Rong with envy. When they were interns, they didn’t have anyone to teach them these things.

Moreover, Xiao Yu usually doesn’t take on intern escort masters, but this time she brought Duan Rong along, his initiation into the escort team came with such a beautiful mentor, how could it not make others envious?

Especially Lu Feng, the other intern escort master, who had already been interning for half a year, his mentor no longer accompanying him, leaving him to handle situations on his own.

His original mentor was Escort Master Yao Liangrong, but he never heard such words before; Yao Liangrong usually assigned him tasks, speaking no more than ten sentences in a day.

Though Lu Feng felt jealousy internally, he couldn’t express it openly, after all, ability speaks volumes!

He had been an intern escort master for half a year and just reached the first level of Inner Breath, yet Duan Rong had already achieved the second level of Inner Breath Realm in over two months as an apprentice escort master, practically a beast! How could he compare?

Any force will have the same convention!

The more talented a person is, the more resources are tilted in their favor!

He’s just an ordinary person, ordinary folk must honestly and diligently do their job, avoid pointless thoughts to live longer!

Xiao Yu was indeed wholeheartedly imparting knowledge to Duan Rong, although she kept a stern face and sometimes spoke strictly, she explained matters related to escort agency business very clearly, fearing Duan Rong might not understand!