Chapter 70: Darts Master Xie Yuan (Part 1)
Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Darts Master Xie Yuan (Part 1)
Early the next morning, Xie Yuan changed into a brand-new Darts Master uniform. With his saber at his side and axe slung over his back, he was fully prepared and waiting in the main courtyard.
Before long, the members of the Escort Team arrived one after another, quickly assembling into a group of about ten. Zhao Xingyang and Qin Sea were among them.
An Escort Team of over ten people was already considered large, and with Zhao Xingyang leading personally, it spoke volumes about the value of the three Escort Vehicles in the center.
Once the men and vehicles were neatly lined up, Zhao Xingyang swept his gaze over them. Seeing that everyone was ready, he looked at Xie Yuan and said with a smile:
"Master Xie, I see you didn’t forget your axe."
Xie Yuan patted his Tiger Bone Axe and replied:
"This old thing still feels the most comfortable in my hands. I can use it to chop firewood for everyone on the road."
The members of the Escort Team all started laughing. Someone said:
"Last time I saw Xiaoxie helping chop firewood behind the mess hall, the cook got so scared he thought he’d done something wrong."
"Huh? That happened? Xiaoxie, you really haven’t forgotten your roots, have you?"
"A sixteen-year-old woodcutter with thirty years of experience, right?"
Everyone teased him good-naturedly, but Xie Yuan didn’t mind, chuckling as he said:
"Can’t be helped. If I don’t chop some firewood every day, I just don’t feel right."
In reality, it wasn’t that he had a particular fondness for chopping firewood. It was just that after leaving Little Stone Village and pausing his logging business, he lacked the right environment, and the progress of his Chopping Wood skill was increasing too slowly.
But if the conditions didn’t exist, he would create them.
In an Escort Agency this large, with several hundred people eating, drinking, brewing medicine, and bathing, firewood was needed for everything. The woodpile in the woodshed was as high as a small mountain.
Among the four necessities of life—firewood, rice, oil, and salt—firewood came first for a reason.
So, whenever Xie Yuan had free time, he would go and volunteer. Once in the woodshed, he was like a mouse in a rice barrel. CHOP, CHOP, CHOP! He’d tear through a huge pile of wood. He didn’t even have to fell the trees himself, and there was still more firewood than he could ever finish, which suited him perfectly.
The Chopping Wood skill was his foundation. The abilities he comprehended from it were endlessly powerful, so he truly couldn’t forget his roots.
But outsiders didn’t know this. To them, it just looked like he had a harmless little quirk.
The Darts Masters all summed it up:
"He’s just seriously addicted to chopping."
Zhao Xingyang waved his hand.
"Being well-prepared is a good thing. It’s getting late. Since everyone’s ready, let’s move out now!"
Everyone’s spirits lifted. They fell into formation, and a vanguard holding a flag led the way out of the Escort Agency’s main gate, shouting loudly:
"Longteng of Yunzhou, Yunzhou’s Longteng!"
The Escort Team filed out in an orderly line. With strong men and sturdy horses, they gradually made their way toward the city gates.
The Longteng Escort Agency couldn’t yet afford a horse for every man, but the Darts Masters were allowed to ride. As the core of the fighting force, their condition and mobility were crucial. It was both a perk and a symbol of their status.
Thus, Xie Yuan was also assigned a horse this time, but he swayed unsteadily in the saddle, clearly struggling.
He had never ridden before and didn’t know how.
Although his physique made it easy enough to sit upright, the horse always seemed to have a mind of its own.
Fortunately, Zhao Xingyang noticed his predicament at a glance and spurred his horse to ride beside him.
"Back straight, eyes forward, don’t loosen your legs..."
Xie Yuan followed his instructions, and sure enough, his posture improved significantly.
Suddenly, a line of text appeared before his eyes.
[Equestrianism: (1/10)]
’This works too?’
’Tsk, my comprehension is just too high.’
Xie Yuan practiced for a while. He saw his Equestrianism points rise, and his riding became increasingly steady until he no longer looked like a fool.
Seeing how quickly he was getting the hang of it, Zhao Xingyang nodded in approval.
"You’re a quick learner."
He saw that Xie Yuan was thoroughly enjoying himself and asked:
"Your first time as a Darts Master, and only your second mission. Are you nervous?"
"Not really. We have so many people, and with you leading us, Boss Zhao, shouldn’t common crooks flee at the mere sight of us?"
Xie Yuan thought that with an Escort Team this large, most journeys should be quite safe.
Zhao Xingyang smiled faintly.
"The common crooks will flee at the sight of us. The ones who don’t are anything but common."
Xie Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. ’That makes sense.’
"But there can’t be that many powerful mountain bandits, right?"
"Not many. But in reality, we still run into trouble often, even large Escort Teams like this one. In fact, the bigger the team, the more likely it is.
"When they see you have a lot of men, they know your cargo is valuable. Wealth moves the hearts of men. Once greed takes hold, those desperados will throw all caution to the wind, regardless of our strength or theirs. If they had the brains to control their greed, they wouldn’t be robbers in the first place, would they? Heh, there’s an old saying among the outlaws: ’Fortune is found in peril.’ They treat it as gospel."
Zhao Xingyang said with a laugh.
"Since a large group is so conspicuous, what about using fewer people for light but valuable cargo, sending only the elites? I’ve also heard about things like ’shadow escorts’ and ’open escorts’."
Xie Yuan was very curious about these rules. Although he was a Darts Master, he was still a newcomer to the profession.
Zhao Xingyang shook his head.
"Fewer men means higher risk. What if you run into a large group of bandits? That’s why an Escort Agency must prioritize stability. We bring enough men and rely on brute force. If we can handle a job, we take it; if not, we fold. This is why there are usually only a few Escort Agencies in any given place, but any agency with a known name is bound to be powerful.
"As for the other methods, those are for special situations. You’ll see more as we go. This trip will take several days; you’ll have plenty of time to learn."
Xie Yuan nodded and rode securely in the center of the Escort Team.
The next day, Xie Yuan came to understand why Escort Agencies were necessary.
A group of twenty to thirty refugees blocked the Escort Team’s path.
"Look," Zhao Xingyang said to Xie Yuan. "These people are only armed with hoes and wooden clubs, yet they still dare to block our way."
"Perhaps if they don’t stop us, they’ll starve to death today."
Xie Yuan frowned slightly.
"Aren’t these supposed to be peaceful times?"
"That’s why there are only twenty or thirty of them."
Zhao Xingyang gave a faint smile.
Only then did Xie Yuan recall that back in his village, there were always people who couldn’t make it through the winter.
He had subconsciously assumed that in good times, everyone had enough to eat and wear, but that was an old concept from his past life.
In this world, as long as there wasn’t a famine, it could be called a time of peace.
’No famine’ and ’everyone has food’ were two entirely different things.
Seeing Xie Yuan fall silent, Zhao Xingyang continued:
"Refugees are the precursors to bandits, and they can be even more vicious. Bandits who are well-off might still have reservations, but starving refugees will do anything for food. Don’t be fooled just because we’re not afraid of them. If someone else had encountered them, or if we were to slip up, the outcome would be tragic.
"Xiaoxie, go. Get rid of them."
Xie Yuan nodded, spurred his horse forward, and drew his saber.
Seeing this, the leader of the group opposite him got a ferocious look in his eyes. He let out a meaningless "AHHH!" and charged with his hoe.
With a SQUELCH, Xie Yuan’s saber pierced the leader’s chest. He then cut down two more refugees who had lost their senses and charged forward. That was enough to break them, and the rest scattered like birds and beasts.
Xie Yuan flicked the blood from his saber, sheathed it, and tossed the three corpses to the side of the road, signaling for the Escort Team to pass.
Zhao Xingyang nodded slightly.
"He’s not soft-hearted. You need that ruthlessness to master martial arts. Otherwise, no amount of skill is worth a damn."
Qin Sea muttered:
"So handsome, yet he loves using a big axe. You can tell he’s a tough one at a glance. You were worried for nothing, Boss."