After much thought, Jiang Che decided to seek out his master, Luo Kun.
He had hardly any friends in Lin Yuan City; Zhang Xiong and Zhao Xisheng were the only two he knew reasonably well.
But it would have been too forward to suddenly ask them for such a favor.
By comparison, his master was the most suitable choice.
Besides, the Martial Arts Hall was safe enough.
Luo Kun was currently meditating under the eaves.
"Master."
Jiang Che walked forward and bowed respectfully.
"What is it?" Luo Kun opened his eyes.
"Master, I have an escort mission to Hengsha City in three days. My sister will be home all by herself, and I'm a little worried. Might I ask... if she could stay at the Martial Arts Hall for a few days?"
Luo Kun glanced at Jiang Che and pondered for a moment.
"She's very diligent. She can help sweep the courtyard and mend clothes."
Jiang Che added.
"Hmm, alright." Luo Kun nodded. "There happens to be an empty room in the East Wing. It just needs a little tidying up, and she can live there."
"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Che was overjoyed and quickly bowed his thanks.
That evening, Jiang Che returned home and told Jiang Ling about it.
"I don't mind, but Brother, you have to be careful!" Worry flickered in Jiang Ling's eyes.
Jiang Che laughed. "Don't worry. Your big brother is clever. If there's any trouble, I'll be the first one to run!"
"Okay!"
Jiang Ling suddenly remembered something. She hurried over to her bed and pulled an object out from under her pillow.
"Brother, take this with you."
She walked over and pressed the item into Jiang Che's hand.
Jiang Che looked down. It was a small, indigo sachet made of coarse cloth, with neat, dense stitching.
The two characters for "Peace" were neatly embroidered on it. It was stuffed with dried mugwort, giving off a clean, bitter, herbal scent.
'So this is what she's been sewing for the past few days...'
Jiang Che was deeply moved.
"Okay, I'll keep it with me."
With that, he carefully tucked it into his breast pocket.
After dinner, the two of them began to pack.
The next morning, Jiang Che brought Jiang Ling to the Martial Arts Hall.
Luo Kun had a servant named Ah Shan take them to the East Wing.
It was a small cottage of gray brick and tile. He pushed the door open; the room inside wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy.
"Ling'er, you'll stay here. Be sure to listen to Master Luo at the Martial Arts Hall and don't wander off," Jiang Che instructed.
"I know, Brother. Please come back as soon as you're done." Jiang Ling was sad to see him go.
"Okay, I will." Jiang Che smiled and ruffled Jiang Ling's hair.
With his sister settled in, Jiang Che felt much more at ease.
Next, he went to the blacksmith's shop.
"Sir, is the gear I ordered ready?"
"Yes, yes, it's ready!" The blacksmith brought out a bundle from the back.
He opened the bundle. Inside was a dark piece of Soft Armor, made from tanned Bull Skin and studded with sharp little iron spikes.
There was also a Hand Stab forged from refined steel.
Jiang Che inspected everything carefully.
The Bull Skin of the Soft Armor was tough, and the iron spikes were sharp. The Hand Stab gleamed with a cold light and felt perfect in his hand.
"Not bad." Jiang Che paid the remaining balance and headed home with his new gear.
「In the blink of an eye, the day of departure arrived.」
In the pre-dawn gloom, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Jiang Che took out the Soft Armor and Hand Stab he had hidden under his bed.
He then took out two small packets containing the poison Zhang Xiong had given him.
He carefully used a cotton cloth to evenly coat the Hand Stab and the spikes of his Soft Armor with the poison.
Then he put on the Soft Armor, covering it with his outer robes.
Next, he tucked the Hand Stab and a pouch of Lime Powder into a special small bag at his waist for easy access.
After finishing, he washed his hands thoroughly several times.
Everything was ready.
Jiang Che took a deep breath.
'Time to go.'
He shouldered his pack and headed for the Zhenyuan Escort Agency.
He arrived at the Escort Agency.
In the spacious courtyard, a dozen or so men in gray short-coats with short sabers at their waists were gathered, waiting to depart.
The Escort Team was ready.
A flag embroidered with the name "Zhenyuan Escort Agency" was attached to the escort cart.
Steward Wang, dressed in a long cyan robe, was taking inventory of the goods and counting the men.
Seeing Jiang Che approach, he nodded and then beckoned a man over.
The man was about forty years old, with a square face and a full, bushy beard.
His temples bulged, his arms were incredibly thick, and the skin on his hands was as thick and coarse as Bull Skin.
'A Bull Skin Realm Martial Artist!'
Jiang Che's heart skipped a beat.
"This is Escort Sun Yong. He's leading the team for this trip."
Steward Wang introduced.
"Young Brother Jiang Che, you'll be with him. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
Jiang Che quickly cupped his fist. "Escort Sun, I'll be in your care for this trip."
Seeing that Jiang Che was just a boy and his Qi Blood wasn't particularly strong, Sun Yong frowned.
'Another kid who's still wet behind the ears...'
The last freelance Martial Artist he'd been partnered with was also a teenager.
He talked a big game, but when they ran into a Black Beast, he was so scared he froze on the spot.
In the end, Sun Yong had to physically drag the boy away to keep him from being devoured by the Black Beast.
But they couldn't find any other Martial Artists at the moment, so he just nodded. "Alright. Just stick close to me and don't wander off."
He then went over a few other precautions before turning to check on the escort carts again.
Jiang Che received a short saber and hung it at his waist.
This blade wasn't meant for fighting; it was a Mountain-Cutting Saber, used for clearing away undergrowth and branches.
For a Martial Artist above the Qi Blood Realm, a blade wasn't necessarily more powerful than their own two fists.
Once all preparations were complete, the Escort Team departed.
The Escort Team had six horses in total.
Two were at the front and two at the rear, each ridden by a Darts Master.
The two in the middle pulled the escort cart.
Everyone else followed on foot.
Sun Yong rode a tall horse at the very front of the formation.
Jiang Che walked on foot beside him.
The reason some men were on horseback wasn't for speed or comfort.
It was to provide a better vantage point for spotting danger.
Thus, the riders all had excellent eyesight; otherwise, they wouldn't be qualified for the role.
The group moved at a steady pace, and after an hour, they finally passed through the city gates.
It was Jiang Che's first time leaving the city, and he curiously surveyed his surroundings.
Right outside the city walls were stretches of rice paddies, and he could even see farmers tilling the fields.
Farther out lay a forest, which gave way to a chain of rolling green mountains.
A few bird calls occasionally echoed from deep within the woods.
A gust of wind blew, making the leaves sway and RUSTLE.
Sun Yong glanced at Jiang Che and spoke slowly.
"Find it strange? The area outside the city isn't as dangerous as the rumors claim, is it?"
"I do. Why is that?" Jiang Che asked.
"There are two kinds of dangers outside the city. The first is bandits and Horse Bandits."
"Our Escort Agency pays them off in advance. Besides, this close to the city walls, there are always soldiers on patrol. The bandits don't dare come too near."
"Of course, it's a different story farther out, or if you run into a group that doesn't play by the rules. But our Escort Agency is no pushover, either."
Sun Yong's chin lifted slightly, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Then what's the other kind?"
Sun Yong's expression grew serious.
"The other kind is the Black Beasts. The weakest of them are as strong as a Bull Skin Realm Martial Artist, while the strongest can rival a Force Integration Martial Artist!"
"That powerful!" Jiang Che was taken aback.
"However, Black Beasts generally live in the mountains and are nocturnal. You almost never see them during the day."
"Even if you do run into one, there's no need to panic. Black Beasts only have Barbaric Power. They don't know techniques like us Martial Artists, so they aren't that difficult to handle."
Jiang Che nodded, gaining a basic understanding of the situation outside the city.
He didn't let his guard down, however, and continued to carefully observe his surroundings.
As the team pressed on, Sun Yong's expression was no longer as relaxed as it had been at the start.
Before nightfall, the group arrived at a village.
"Alright, men, we'll rest here for a bit!" Sun Yong called out.