Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Incoming Escort
Editor: Atlas Studios
Uncle Fu really put thought into this midday meal.
In the past, when the two families were close friends, Yang Xiaoyun had often eaten at Ziyang Escort Agency. Uncle Fu knew exactly what she liked and disliked.
This table was almost entirely catered to Yang Xiaoyun's tastes.
Yang Xiaoyun couldn't stop praising, continuously complimenting Uncle Fu's impressive cooking skills.
Uncle Fu, with a broad grin showing his teeth but not his eyes, spoke from behind Su Mo:
"Miss Yun, if you like it, you should come more often. I'll cook delicious food for you."
"Uh-huh."
Yang Xiaoyun nodded repeatedly, "Uncle Fu, there's no need for 'next time.' For the coming period, I plan to stay at Ziyang Escort Agency and not leave."
"Ah?"
Uncle Fu was startled and instinctively glanced at Su Mo.
Su Mo coughed once, "Sister Yun, we should discuss this matter further."
"Discuss what? Why does everything need to be discussed at length? Can you not just be straightforward?"
Yang Xiaoyun glared at Su Mo.
Su Mo's mouth twitched, and he looked to Uncle Fu for help, only to see Uncle Fu turning around and walking away.
Su Mo was taken aback, "Uncle Fu, where are you going?"
"To tidy up a room for Miss Yun."
"..."
How could a traitor appear amidst this major crisis?
Su Mo looked helplessly at Yang Xiaoyun, who grinned and said, "Let's eat."
Before the meal was finished, Uncle Fu had returned from outside.
"Young Master, there's someone outside asking to see you."
"Do you know them?"
"He claims his surname is Ji, has an unfamiliar face, and seems to have a matter to discuss."
Su Mo was startled and nodded slightly: "Let him wait in the living room, I'll be right there."
"Alright."
Uncle Fu agreed and turned to leave.
Yang Xiaoyun and Su Mo exchanged glances, both discerning the meaning in each other's eyes.
"In these uncertain times, we need to be cautious with unfamiliar visitors."
Yang Xiaoyun cautioned.
Su Mo nodded, "I'll go take a look first."
"I'll go with you."
After thinking for a moment, Su Mo didn't refuse.
Both set down their utensils, tidied up a bit, and then headed to the living room.
Naturally, Ziyang Escort Agency's living room couldn't compare to that of Iron Blood Escort Agency—it was simply and modestly furnished, and even the tea wasn't of high quality.
The visitor, dressed in gray and of ordinary appearance, was sitting sedately, sipping tea.
Next to him on the table, there was a case placed.
After Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun arrived in the living room, the man heard their footsteps and had just stood up, but upon seeing them, he was taken aback: "Um… May I ask who you both are?"
Yang Xiaoyun almost laughed out loud.
Visiting someone's house yet asking for the hosts' names?
How can there be such logic under the heavens?
Su Mo smiled: "I am Su Mo, the Chief of the Ziyang Escort Agency."
The man was stunned, then instinctively clasped his fist: "I have long admired you..."
Although he said he admired him, his expression suggested that even he himself didn't believe it.
However, he quickly recovered his composure: "Please don't mind, I just didn't expect the Chief of the Ziyang Escort Agency to be so young... Oh, right, I am Ji Shuhua, I have had the honor of meeting Chief Su."
Su Mo rolled these three words in his mind, and already knew who this person was, smiling slightly:
"So it is Yi Qi Qian Qiu Ji Shu Hua in person, my apologies for any disrespect."
"Friends of Jianghu flatter me, you make me laugh."
Ji Shuhua's face was full of smiles, although he said it in jest, Su Mo's words clearly hit the right spot.
This Yi Qi Qian Qiu Ji Shu Hua had a somewhat renowned name in Jianghu. Although his martial arts were average, he was known for one trait - his love of making friends.
This man was not picky about his friends; he befriended people from all walks of life.
And when friends faced difficulties, he would never skimp on lending a hand.
This earned him the nickname Yi Qi Qian Qiu.
After a bit of polite conversation, they took their seats as host and guest, and Su Mo then asked:
"Where does Hero Ji come from?"
He did not ask why the visitor had come or say anything like 'no one visits without a reason,' as that could seem overbearing.
Since it was their first meeting, it was proper to leave some decorum, asking 'where do you come from' also implicitly included the question of what he was here for.
"To tell the truth, this trip was entrusted to me by someone."
Ji Shuhua smiled, straightforwardly: "And this abrupt visit is because there is an escort to deliver."
"Oh?"
Su Mo glanced at the case beside Ji Shuhua, pondered for a moment and said: "May I know who entrusted this?"
"A friend of mine."
Ji Shuhua said, "This man is not well-known, and likes to keep a low profile, hence he does not wish his name to be frequently mentioned, please excuse this, Chief Su."
Su Mo raised his eyebrows and did not speak.
Then he heard Ji Shuhua continue:
"Though my friend does not have an outer reputation, he is profoundly skilled in metal forging and has several close acquaintances. Someone recently entrusted him to forge a weapon. After the weapon was completed, no one came to collect it; I was just passing by and he shared this matter with me... Since Chief Su knows of my humble reputation, you must understand that I often meddle in others' affairs, especially when it involves my friend, I cannot just ignore it.
"I initially thought of delivering the weapon myself, but after arriving in Luoxia City, I encountered another matter which made carrying this item inconvenient. Losing it by carelessness would be even more regretful.
"Thus, I thought of asking an escort agency to deliver it on my behalf.
"I had thought of asking Iron Blood, Yangwei, or Heavenly Gate as they are large and prestigious, but their fees are quite steep.
"Being a wanderer of Jianghu, I don't carry much money. After much consideration, I then learned of the Ziyang Escort Agency.
"Though it was really abrupt for me to come like this, I hope Chief Su could help take on this delivery job."
His words streamed smoothly, though the friend's identity was never disclosed, yet the whole story was made clear.
Su Mo pondered for a moment, while Yang Xiaoyun gently shook her head at him.
Su Mo glanced at her, smiled, and then said to Ji Shuhua: "Since it is so, may I take a look at the entrusted item?"
"Chief Su, please see."
As his words fell, he gently tapped the case, which zoomed towards Su Mo.
Su Mo smiled silently, watching as the case reached him and with a flick of his hand, made the entire case spin in mid-air a few times before steadily landing in his palm.
Ji Shuhua sighed a breath of relief, stood up, and clasped his fist:
"Please don't be offended, Chief Su. As the Chief is so young and the matter being so crucial, I felt compelled to test you. But I did not expect that despite your young age, your martial arts are exceptional, which is truly admirable. Ji Shuhua here offers sincere apologies."
As he finished speaking, he bowed deeply, which was indeed crisp.
Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Dragon Roar in the Box
Editor: Atlas Studios
In the Jianghu, one must acknowledge their mistakes.
Ji Shuhua does this exceptionally well.
Su Mo surely understands now why this man can make so many friends.
Tactful in testing waters, and does not feign ignorance afterwards, directly offering apologies.
It is said that you don't hit a smiling face.
Even if somewhat annoyed, such gestures tend to dissipate the irritation.
Su Mo waved his hand: "How can Hero Ji say such things? I am young and inexperienced, and the Ziyang Escort Agency is not well-known. It is only natural to have reservations. Please, have a seat quickly."
"Thank you, Lord Su, for not taking it to heart."
Ji Shuhua smiled, indeed taking a seat again.
Su Mo then turned his gaze to the case in his hand, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that the opening was at the top end.
He set the case on the ground and with a tap, a sound akin to a dragon's roar echoed, the aura of sharpness fully revealed.
Su Mo took a closer look, and there was indeed a sword inside the case.
The sword had not yet been unsheathed, but already it was incredibly sharp and astonishing.
"What is this?"
He looked at Ji Shuhua.
"This sword is named Dragon Roar."
Ji Shuhua spoke: "At the time of its forging, the sharpness was too fierce, so my friend had to craft this case to contain it. He jokingly calls it... Dragon Roar in the Box!"
"..."
A twitch formed at the corner of Su Mo's mouth, not sure why, but what first came to his mind was an image from a video game.
He immediately shook his head, admiring: "Indeed, a fine sword. Hero Ji's friend is certainly a master, worthy of respect."
Ji Shuhua laughed heartily: "That's true, and I've always believed it. However, he always says that his skill is not yet perfect, that if his mastery reached perfection, why would the sword be too sharp to contain? Why the need for Dragon Roar in the Box?"
Su Mo raised his eyebrows, indeed becoming truly interested in this friend Ji Shuhua mentioned.
But this was obviously not the time to inquire, as Ji had made it clear before that his friend preferred to keep a low profile and disliked having his name mentioned by others.
As Ji was known for his integrity and loyalty, he would naturally keep his friend's secret.
Changing the topic, "May I know where this sword is to be delivered?"
"Yuliu Manor!"
Ji Shuhua uttered these four words.
Yang Xiaoyun was startled; since she had entered this living room, she had always followed Su Mo's lead, never overstepping her bounds, quietly observing Su Mo's actions. Now, she couldn't help but speak:
"Could it be the Yuliu Manor by Yujing Lake on Yuqing Mountain?"
"Precisely! The lady is very astute."
Ji Shuhua said: "This sword was forged at the request of the manor master of Yuliu Manor, Yu Liu Sword Heart Liu Suifeng."
On Yuqing Mountain, there's Yujing Lake, and by its shores, Yuliu Manor.
The manor master, Liu Suifeng, is indeed a remarkable individual.
In the past, Liu's ancestors chose the site by Yujing Lake and built a sizable manor.
Hoped to gain fame in the Jianghu with the unique Divine Rainbow Heart Seeking Sword, with 81 forms.
Unexpectedly, upon entering the Jianghu, defeat followed defeat, and ultimately, he died in depression.
The younger generation reflected deeply on their pain, practiced their swordsmanship diligently for twenty years before venturing out again, yet still faced more defeats than successes, gaining no notable reputation.
Even so, Yuliu Manor had been passed down.
Although their reputation was mediocre, becoming an inconsequential embellishment in the Jianghu, they remained part of it.
Such a history continued until Liu Suifeng emerged.
Liu Suifeng was both talented and stubborn, even more persevering and diligent.
```
At the age of five, he began to practice martial arts day and night, and by the mere age of ten, he had already reached the apex of his family's sword technique with nothing more to learn.
It is said that necessity breeds invention, and invention leads to understanding; understanding, then, begets mastery.
Having mastered his family's sword technique, he should have sought to innovate, finding inspiration from the unfamiliar.
But this Liu Suifeng was different. Once he reached the peak, he changed the technique!
The Divine Rainbow Heart Seeking Sword, originally consisting of eighty-one moves, was altered by him into forty-nine moves.
After that, he ventured into Jianghu, encountering both victories and defeats, but a momentum of change had begun.
Three years later, he returned to Yuliu Manor and, with dedicated seclusion, modified the forty-nine moves to thirty-two.
When he reentered Jianghu, his victories far outweighed his defeats.
Another seven years of seclusion followed, after which he claimed to have transformed the original eighty-one moves of the Divine Rainbow Heart Seeking Sword into just sixteen.
Unfortunately, the full spectrum of the sixteen-move Divine Rainbow Heart Seeking Sword has been witnessed by none,
for since then, the vast majority in Jianghu could not withstand ten of his strikes without defeat.
This man spent nearly twenty years refining the sword art, and in the end, he achieved a supreme sword skill.
From that point on, the name Yu Liu Sword Heart resonated through Jianghu.
Yuliu Manor's reputation soared because of it.
And it was then that he took on the role of manor master of Yuliu Manor.
However, this man had no interest in dominating Jianghu.
Aside from his dedication to perfecting his swordsmanship, all he wanted was to win honor for Yuliu Manor.
Once that honor was won, he seemed content to sit in Yuliu Manor, rather indifferent to the disputes of Jianghu.
Even so, his fame and influence continued to grow.
Even the Luofeng Alliance would not easily provoke him.
Yet, it came as a surprise that Ji Shuhua's mission was to deliver an item to him...
Su Mo lightly tapped his fingers on the chair, as Yang Xiaoyun's expression became somewhat complex.
Ji Shuhua then spoke:
"This... I'm truly strapped for cash, hence I'd like to offer a hundred taels of silver ticket to implore Su, the Chief of the Escort, to undertake this mission. If Su, the Chief of the Escort is willing, I will present it immediately."
As he spoke, he produced a brand-new silver note from Da You Bank from within his clothing.
It looked as though he had just exchanged it.
Su Mo couldn't help but find this somewhat amusing, as he glanced at a prompt before him.
[Mission: Deliver Dragon Roar in the Box to Yu Liu Sword Heart Liu Sui Feng at Yujing Lake by Yuqing Mountain Yuliu Manor!]
[Accept the mission?]
After a brief contemplation, he made his choice with a thought, selecting [Accept].
He then laughed heartily: "If Hero Ji places his trust in me, it would be rude to refuse. I, Su Mo, will take on this escort mission!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Shuhua breathed a great sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Su, the Chief of the Escort."
"In business, one doesn't push away trade. Hero Ji thanks me, but I must also thank Hero Ji for his patronage."
After a few laughs and finalizing the details of the escort mission, enshrining them in a written contract, Ji Shuhua took his leave.
The Dragon Roar in the Box remained at Ziyang Escort Agency, along with the one hundred taels silver note.
"Ji Shuhua may be magnanimous and open-hearted, yet he also possesses an indescribable cunning. He gives up the entire escort fee without worrying about being swindled, could it be he's confident because the sword is intended for Yu Liu Sword Heart?"
Yang Xiaoyun, watching Ji Shuhua depart, quietly chuckled to Su Mo.
Su Mo gently shook his head: "He is well-connected, traveling across the vastness from Nanhai to the farthest reaches, dealing with all sorts of people, yet he continues to thrive. How could such a man be as simple as he appears?"
"That too is true."
Yang Xiaoyun nodded slightly, then looked at Su Mo, "Don't you think you accepted this escort mission too hastily?"
```
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