strokinit Chapter 29 Escorting Goods
Chapter 29 Escorting Goods
After the competition team left, the already quiet White Crane Martial Arts School became even more deserted.
Lu Li enjoyed this rare moment of peace, immersing himself in the three martial arts techniques: Liuhe Zhuang Gong, Xingyi Quan, and Benlei Tui.
The proficiency in the three techniques is also visibly increasing.
[Destiny: Heaven rewards diligence]
[Six Harmonies Stance Training - Minor Success (694/1000)]
[Xingyiquan Minor Success (618/1000)]
[Thunder Kick Beginner (479/500)]
As time went by, another batch of new disciples arrived at the martial arts school. Some disciples who were unable to pass the test or who had to pass it a second time also left the White Crane Martial Arts School and went on to pursue their own futures.
Lu Li found that her mindset had become very calm.
It was so calm it was almost frightening.
Perhaps it is this constant accumulation of skill that fills Lu Li with hope and prevents him from easily becoming discouraged.
Most people are not afraid of hardship and fatigue, but of the endless darkness.
But Lu Li could see that, on the edge of darkness, a glimmer of dawn was steadily rising...
However, peaceful days will eventually come to an end.
That day, Wang Hong found him while on patrol.
Yongxing Escort Agency is short-handed for one shipment and needs Lu Li to go.
It is said that it is not far away, the danger level is not high, and there is a hidden force dart master leading the team.
Lu Li felt that Commander Wang had treated him well.
The ten taels of snowflake silver per month was secondary; what truly impressed Lu Li was the two catties of silver snake meat, which was even more potent than beef and must have been quite valuable.
Therefore, he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
……
As dawn broke in the distance, a strong wind suddenly blew in, whipping the flag on the flagpole.
Box after box of goods was being loaded onto the carriages, while on the side, more than twenty bodyguards gathered together, dressed in uniform gray robes embroidered with the words "Yongxing Escort Agency".
Half of them are experts in Ming Jin (a type of martial arts)!
In front of the group of bodyguards, two middle-aged men stood side by side.
One of them was Wang Hong, and the other was a hidden-force镖头 (bodyguard/escort) from the Wang family.
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) with hidden strength had a somewhat fierce look. He kept scanning the crowd before speaking:
"My name is Wang Kui, and I am the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for this escort mission."
"Among you all here, some are veterans of my Yongxing Escort Agency, while others are on their first escort mission. Therefore, I would like to reiterate the rules."
Wang Kui's voice became even louder:
"First, newlyweds and seniors are paired up to look after each other."
"Second, follow orders in all actions, and do not act alone in case of emergencies."
"Third, during the escort mission, you must not talk to passersby, leave the team without permission, or disclose escort mission information."
Lu Li silently noted down these rules amidst the crowd.
While numerous rules may restrict personal freedom, for risky activities like escorting goods, rules can largely maintain relative stability.
The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Soon, Lu Li was called aside by Wang Hong.
"I've heard my second brother mention you before. Meeting you today, Brother Lu Li is indeed a handsome and talented young man."
Wang Kui smiled, a stark contrast to his stern demeanor when reciting the rules; now he resembled a kind elder.
"Uncle Wang, you flatter me." Lu Li clasped his hands in thanks. "I am grateful for your guidance on this trip."
"It's my duty," Wang Kui said with a smile, waving his hand.
After a brief conversation, Wang Hong pulled out a soft armor from behind his back.
"This is the leather armor prepared for you. It will be very useful in protecting against flying stones and hidden arrows. Put it on quickly."
"Thanks, boss!"
Lu Li took the soft armor, fiddled with it for a while, and then quickly took off the gray-white long robe provided by the escort agency.
He had originally brought two hard wooden boards to attach to his chest and back, but now that he had soft armor, he didn't need them anymore.
They discarded it on the spot, like worn-out shoes.
Wang Hong, who witnessed this scene, was speechless yet amused.
He hadn't expected the kid to be this cautious.
Soon, Lu Li was dressed, and the goods for this escort mission were loaded. Wang Kui then called everyone to set off.
From this, Lu Li also learned the destination he was going to: Tonglu City.
As soon as he left the city, Lu Li noticed groups of refugees outside Lin'an City. The closer he got to Tonglu City, the more refugees he saw.
Fortunately, Lin'an City and Tonglu City are not far apart, so there was no danger. Several days passed, and the journey was peaceful.
Occasionally, when encountering groups of refugees, Wang Kui would stop them and have someone cook rice porridge to distribute as alms.
However, the rice used was all old rice, mixed with rice bran and husks. Unless one was a genuine refugee, most people couldn't drink it. This, to some extent, prevented people from mixing in and wasting relief food.
"The Wang family is quite benevolent."
Seeing this scene, Lu Li felt a little emotional.
During his time escorting goods, he had figured out the layout of the caravan. This trip involved only ten carriages, but one of them was used to carry grain, specifically to provide relief to the wandering refugees outside the city.
The bodyguard standing nearby couldn't help but admire the scene:
"The Wang family is truly benevolent and righteous. No wonder Yongxing Escort Agency, though established later, has subtly gained the upper hand in the competition among several escort agencies in Lin'an City."
Upon hearing this, Wang Kui simply shook his head and said:
"It's nothing to call it benevolence or righteousness; it's just old rice from home. If we don't eat it soon, it'll just get moldy and rotten."
Upon hearing this, Lu Li suddenly recalled the scene of looking out over the inner city with Commander Wang that day.
In contrast, the lords of Lin'an had long since completed the consolidation of land, and their wealth was more than enough to last ten lifetimes. Their granaries were piled high with rice that had gone moldy, yet they were unwilling to give even a single bite of food to the hardworking tenant farmers.
"This world... who knows how long the war will last?" The bodyguard who had just praised the Wang family's benevolence sighed heavily.
Upon hearing this, Lu Li also thought of his parents.
The war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties was raging, and my parents were conscripted to work as craftsmen a few years ago, and there has been no news of them since.
"I wonder how they are doing."
Lu Li sighed.
The almsgiving ended quickly, and the group set off again on the muddy road.
The muddy road was bumpy and difficult to travel, which is what is known as the weariness of a long journey. Usually, the caravan would stop to rest and recuperate for a period of time every one or two hours. This was also to ensure that the guards were in the best condition to deal with any unexpected events.
However, Lu Li did not let the time when others were resting go to waste.
Each time he stopped, after a short period of rest, Lu Li would seize the opportunity to practice Xingyi Quan.
Many of the escorts traveling together were puzzled by this, believing it to be a huge waste of energy, and that if they encountered any danger, the outcome would likely be dire.
Some people think that Lu Li was just putting on a show, trying to impress Wang Biaotou and demonstrate his hard work.
Wang Kui looked at Lu Li, his admiration undisguised.
He had already heard from Wang Hong that Lu Li was hardworking and diligent, and that he didn't even want to waste his rest time during patrols. But seeing it with his own eyes now, the feeling was different.
He also understood why his second brother had given assistance to someone with inferior aptitude despite the family's opposition, and even allocated his own share of the Silver Serpent to Lu Li.
"Heaven rewards diligence." Wang Kui nodded silently. "Although I have inferior aptitude, it's not without hope."
"Even if she really can't break through, with Xiao Li's personality, she won't be bad at anything."