Chapter 188: Staying at an Inn

Chapter 188: Staying at an Inn

The jianghu is vast, unfathomable, and boundless.

Yet, the jianghu is also small, as people who were thought to have no connection might unexpectedly become entangled with each other.

Su Mo never expected that Wei Ziyi’s master would be the Cold Rain Flying Star Sword.

And the Cold Rain Flying Star Sword had been infatuated with his so-called father for a lifetime.

For a moment, he didn’t know what expression to use to describe this awkward situation.

Shaking his head, Su Mo decided to focus on the task at hand.

Wei Ziyi continued as they walked:

"My master was a genius within Cold Moon Palace, but unfortunately, she was tormented by love her entire life.

"Without that, her accomplishments would have far exceeded her current ones.

"Ultimately... she was hampered by a man."

"...I believe the chivalrous figure in that story didn’t do anything wrong," Su Mo thought for a moment and decided to defend his so-called father:

"After all, he already had a family; how could he take on another?"

"It’s not uncommon for a great man to have multiple wives," Wei Ziyi gave Su Mo a strange look:

"However, this matter ultimately depends on the individual. If he had stayed true to his heart from the beginning, my master should never have developed expectations.

"To welcome everyone while claiming to have a family—what does that mean?"

Su Mo realized he couldn’t argue with this.

Seeing Su Mo’s silence, Wei Ziyi smiled:

"Chief Escort Su, you must stay true to your heart and not waver, ignoring Sister Yang’s deep feelings for you."

"This is sound advice, and I will bear it in mind," Su Mo said with a fist salute, but in his heart, he thought, "You should be saying this to your grandfather, not me."

As they chatted, they arrived at their destination and began inspecting the goods without further ado.

Once everything was settled, Wei Ziyi handed over 5,000 taels to Su Mo:

"When dealing with your Ziyang Escort Agency, we don’t need to worry about deposits. Grandfather said to pay the full escort fee upfront to avoid being seen as petty by Chief Escort Su."

"Truly the demeanor of a Grand Master; such spirit is not something ordinary people possess," Su Mo said with a smile, casually accepting the banknote:

"Should I have someone guard these goods here, or take them back to the agency?

"Also, when are you leaving for East City?"

"Hmm, what about you?"

"As soon as possible."

"Since that's the case, I'll leave tomorrow then."

"Can you manage the affairs of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance?"

"Yes, I'm just here to go through the motions. The main focus is on Grandfather."

"You can take these items back to the escort agency directly. I'll find you there early tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

After making the arrangement, Su Mo led his men to haul the goods away.

But shortly after, another issue arose for Su Mo.

He tapped open his task panel gently.

"Task: Escort the goods of Wanxin Trading Company to Wufang Market."

"Accept Task?"

"Task: Escort the gifts of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance to Cold Moon Palace."

"Accept Task?"

Two tasks…

Su Mo hesitated as he looked at the two tasks.

Until now, the system had only given him one task at a time, but as the escort agency expanded, it was clear that multiple tasks would appear for him to choose from.

Su Mo's hesitation stemmed from whether he could accept both tasks simultaneously.

If he could accept both tasks, did that mean he had to deliver both simultaneously?

If he couldn't escort both shipments simultaneously and had to send someone else to deliver one, would it still count as completing the task?

Furthermore, if he could only accept one task, what would happen to the other?

Would it remain available, or would it disappear?

Thus, making this choice was clearly crucial.

The system was his most important resource in this world.

He couldn't afford to be reckless.

After a moment of thought, Su Mo decided to test the waters.

He reached out and selected 'Accept' for the Fallen Phoenix Alliance task.

In the next moment, the task panel updated.

"Task: Escort the gifts of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance to Cold Moon Palace (Accepted)"

"Status: In Progress…"

And that was it!

Su Mo exhaled deeply. "It turns out I can't accept both tasks at once. This system is not only limited to 2G, but it's also a single-player game."

From the current situation, it seems I will need to think more carefully about choosing tasks in the future.

Although, based on the experience from the first two escorts, the difficulty of the escort doesn’t seem to correlate with the reward.

The first escort led to the attainment of the Great Perfection of Dragon-Elephant Prajna, but the second escort, which was significantly more dangerous, only yielded the Seven Injuries Fist.

It's not that the Seven Injuries Fist is useless, but it is certainly a significant step down in comparison.

However, further experiences have shown Su Mo that this might not be the case.

The first escort to Wufang Market was indeed a safe journey, and the reward was a set of lightness skill.

On the other hand, escorting the Marriage Register to Haoran Academy yielded the Twelve Levels of the Golden Bell Shield.

The difficulty of these two escorts was incomparable, and so were the rewards.

Thus, Su Mo pondered...

Could it be that the first escort, being so simple yet yielding such an astonishing reward, had some sort of newbie blessing?

It's just that the system is so basic that it didn’t mention it.

"But in general, it's only natural that I handle the more difficult escorts myself.

"However, the possibility of using the escorts from the agency to help me obtain rewards seems to be out of the question.

"It really doesn’t allow any loopholes, does it?"

Su Mo pursed his lips. Actually, when he first obtained this system, he had tried a few experiments.

For example, he tried having them escort something from the front gate to the back gate of the Ziyang Escort Agency.

The system didn’t even acknowledge it.

Su Mo had no idea how it judged, but it just knew whether your task was real or fake.

After shaking his head in reflection, he didn’t dwell on it.

When he returned to the escort agency that day, it involved assigning personnel and preparing various items—typical mundane tasks.

Before he knew it, the day had passed. That night passed without much event, and the next morning, Wei Ziyi had already arrived at the door.

She had changed back into men’s clothing and held a folding fan lightly in her hand, ignoring the cold weather.

But overall, she exuded a refined, gentlemanly elegance like polished jade.

At the main gate of the escort agency, Su Mo bid farewell to Li the lead escort, Fu Hanyuan, Yang Xiaoyun, and Uncle Fu.

"You must be careful on this journey. If you encounter danger, don’t act rashly. If there are bandits blocking the way, just fight them off, but try to avoid taking lives and earn a reputation for benevolence. Also... avoid entering forests."

Yang Xiaoyun’s face was calm as she earnestly advised.

Beside her, Wei Ziyi listened and clicked her tongue repeatedly. "Sister Yang, your fiancé isn’t a newcomer to the jianghu. He understands these matters."

"You're right..." Yang Xiaoyun realized and smiled, a bit embarrassed, then she gave Su Mo a meaningful look and smiled.

"I’ll wait for you at home."

"Good."

Su Mo nodded slightly. "All household affairs will be left in your care."

After all the words were said, it was finally time to depart. With a wave of Su Mo's hand, the agency’s escorts got on the wagons.

Those on horseback dismounted and walked alongside the wagons. The people on the wagons raised the flags, and the characters 'Ziyang' fluttered in the wind.

At a command, the wagons began to move slowly.

As Su Mo occasionally glanced back, he saw four girls carrying a sedan chair, in which sat a young gentleman in white.

The young gentleman held a basin containing large, steaming buns.

Little Situ from Suspension Pot Pavilion had also decided to travel with the convoy this time.

He had discussed this with Su Mo yesterday...

He wanted to accompany Su Mo on this escort journey.

Since Su Tianyang and Yang Yizhi had once visited Suspension Pot Pavilion, they naturally did not conceal their profession.

Suspension Pot Pavilion was unique, and its residents knew little of the outside world.

Escorting goods was a new and intriguing experience for them.

Little Situ, new to the world, was curious about everything. Initially, he didn't know that Su Mo had an escort mission and had planned to stay at Ziyang Escort Agency for a few days before heading north or west.

Yesterday, he learned that Su Mo was heading to East City, where there would be a grand event.

Thus, he wanted to join and experience what it was like to be part of an escort mission in the jianghu.

Additionally, he wanted to go to Tianqu City to witness the Tianqu Sword Debate.

Su Mo had no ill feelings towards Little Situ.

When they first met, he had treated an unknown jianghu blade warrior without hesitation.

Clearly, despite being new to the world, he had a heart for chivalry.

Moreover, since Yang Yizhi trusted him, Su Mo had no reason to doubt his intentions.

Since he wanted to join and see the excitement, it was fine to have him along.

The only condition was that if he left the convoy, Su Mo would not interfere.

However, if he stayed with the convoy, he had to follow Su Mo's orders without any disobedience. This applied not only to him but also to the four female sedan carriers.

Little Situ readily agreed, and the four girls had no objections.

With the matter settled, Su Mo had no reason to refuse.

With Fu Hanyuan's shout of "Ziyang at sunset," everyone had already left the entrance of the escort agency in the blink of an eye.

Yang Xiaoyun stood at the door, watching silently. Even when Su Mo and his group were out of sight, she remained still.

Staring at the empty alley, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

Recalling what Su Mo said that night, the feeling was particularly poignant.

"The hardest thing in life is parting..."

"Miss Yun, Young Master has gone far. Let's return," Uncle Fu said softly.

"Alright."

Yang Xiaoyun composed herself and returned to the escort agency. She still had matters to attend to.

……

……

Once Su Mo left Sunset City, everyone finally mounted their horses.

It was then that Fu Hanyuan realized a rather unfortunate fact...

The assistants had no horses to ride.

Fortunately, his internal strength was profound, so running behind was no issue.

Su Mo quite enjoyed giving him orders, casually instructing him to scout ahead or run errands for the caravan. Fu Hanyuan never complained.

The journey ahead was familiar ground.

The last time Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun took this route, they did not display their flag, and none of the mountain strongholds encountered them.

This time, however, with Li the lead escort in the carriage, there were no issues.

Occasionally, they exchanged a few words with 'old acquaintances' and were allowed to pass.

Of course, some knew of Yang Yizhi's whereabouts and refused to show Li the lead escort any respect. Naturally, they had to settle things through combat.

There was nothing to fear in such situations.

Not to mention, Wei Ziyi had already stepped up multiple times, clearing a path for them.

Wei Ziyi was quite pleased with herself:

"Chief Escort Su, how about it? If I ever leave the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, do you think I could handle a position as an escort in your agency?"

"Still lacking somewhat."

Wei Ziyi’s eyes widened. "Lacking in what?"

"Ha ha."

Li the lead escort laughed. "Young Miss Wei, you may not know this, but being an escort isn't just about martial skills. You also need to know a lot of black slang and jargon from the underworld.

"You come from the Cold Moon Palace, which likely doesn't understand the ways of the underworld as well as we do.

"The Fallen Phoenix Alliance looks down on these people and probably doesn't pay much attention to them.

"There are many rules and nuances to this."

"I actually understand some of this."

Wei Ziyi said with a smile, "Things like 'wheel head, bright green block wind', I know them too."

"Really?"

Li the lead escort was somewhat surprised, glanced at Wei Ziyi, and then subconsciously looked at Su Mo.

Seeing that Su Mo was completely ignoring them, he asked Wei Ziyi, "What does 'collapsed cage' refer to?"

"A house."

Wei Ziyi answered without hesitation.

Li the lead escort immediately smiled:

"Do you understand 'fall, cut, yang, mi'?"

"I know these too... but I've forgotten a bit. They indicate directions, right?"

Wei Ziyi said, "These secret terms are rarely used by ordinary martial artists, but the Cold Moon Palace has collected some. I was curious and read about them earlier, but some details aren't very clear in my memory."

"Young Miss Wei, you are well-informed! These four words stand for the four directions: east, south, west, and north."

As he was speaking, Fu Hanyuan had already dashed out from the roadside.

"Chief Escort, the road ahead is smooth. There is smoke rising from the He Family Inn, and someone is peeling garlic at the door. Based on his appearance, it is indeed the innkeeper, Mr. He."

Fu Hanyuan had scouted this thoroughly because they were going to stay at the He Family Inn tonight.

There are three 'don'ts' in land escorting, and one of them is: if an old inn changes hands, don’t stay.

The He Family Inn is situated in a remote area, but it is a clean inn.

When the Iron Blood Escort Agency passes by, they often stay there and have built some rapport.

However, if the owner suddenly changes hands, it could indicate potential problems.

In that case, they would not be able to stay.

With Fu Hanyuan having scouted and confirmed everything was normal, it was settled.

Su Mo nodded, "Good work. Take a break."

Fu Hanyuan agreed and went back to the caravan, finding a spot on a cart to sit and rest for a bit.

Su Mo glanced at the sky:

"It’s getting late. We’ll stay at the He Family Inn tonight. Let’s hurry and get a good rest."

The escorts behind him immediately responded in unison.

After walking a short distance, they saw a small white building standing quietly in the courtyard.

A sign in front read: He Family Inn.

Su Mo and the others drove their horses closer, and sure enough, there was someone peeling garlic at the door.

Hearing the sound of hooves, he looked up and saw the Ziyang banner fluttering in the wind.

He was momentarily taken aback, then took another look at the foremost riders. His gaze swept over the faces of Su Mo and Wei Ziyi before finally landing on Li the Lead Escort. His eyes brightened instantly:

"Li the Lead Escort!"

"Steward He, it’s been a while."

Li the Lead Escort laughed heartily, "Is the rear courtyard still available?"

"Yes, it is."

Steward He said loudly, "Come, come, come, I'll take you there."

"Not in a hurry, not in a hurry."

Li the Lead Escort quickly said, "First, let me introduce you to our Chief Escort, Su."

"Chief Escort Su?"

Steward He looked at Su Mo with some surprise, then immediately cupped his fists, "Greetings, Chief Escort Su."

Internally, he wondered if Li the Lead Escort had changed loyalties. Previously, it was always the Iron Blood Escort Agency, but this time it’s the Ziyang Escort Agency, and there’s a young escort with them?

Su Mo cupped his fists in return to Steward He, "We’ll be imposing on you for a night’s stay."

"It’s an honor. Please, follow me."

As Steward He spoke, he set aside the garlic he was peeling and led everyone to the rear courtyard.

Only as they walked further did they realize the place was quite spacious.

They went through a side gate and entered a courtyard.

Su Mo glanced around, then pulled Steward He aside for a brief chat, requesting his help in preparing the meals.

He just said, "It’s quite inconvenient to prepare meals for such a large group. I’ll have a few of our men assist in the kitchen."

Steward He appeared troubled upon hearing this, and after a moment’s hesitation, he said in a low voice,

"Chief Escort Su, please understand, we recently hired a new head chef who is highly skilled and takes great pride in his work.

"When he’s in the kitchen, not to mention others, even I am not allowed to stand nearby."

Li the Lead Escort glanced at Su Mo, about to speak, but Su Mo waved his hand.

With a calm smile, Su Mo looked at Steward He and said,

"Alright, then we won’t trouble you. We’ll just wait here."

"Yes... yes..."

As Steward He disappeared through the inner gate, Li the Lead Escort finally spoke,

"Chief Escort, something seems off."

Su Mo nodded slightly and said, "It seems tonight’s meal won’t be an easy one to enjoy."

"What a daring Steward He! He really has some nerve!"

Li, the head escort, who was somewhat impulsive, quickly reached for the hilt of his sword.

Su Mo gently pulled him back:

"Wait a moment..."

He glanced over at the escort team, who were taking off the saddles and hanging lanterns on the carriages, and added:

"Fetch Young Miss Wei and Little Situ Taoist. I need to speak with them."