Chapter 139: Escort Agency

In the inn's backyard, Gouwa immediately felt defiant when he heard Chun Xiaoman speak.

"What's wrong with knowing only one move? Haven't you heard the saying, 'One trick is enough to conquer the world'? One move can also be lethal."

Xiaoman snorted coldly, took a lunge with her right foot, and her long sword instantly left its sheath. She lunged forward with a flat thrust towards Gouwa.

Before Gouwa could react, the long sword had already stopped right in front of his nose.

With a 'clang,' the long sword slid back into its sheath. Xiaoman turned and left without a word.

Gouwa, feeling embarrassed, glanced at Yang Xiaohai, who was watching nearby, and his face immediately flushed. "That was a sneak attack," he muttered. "If it were a real fight, she might not be able to beat me."

Seeing Xiaoman had already left the inn's courtyard, Yang Xiaohai immediately nodded vigorously at Gouwa. "Mm-hmm, Senior Brother Cao Cao is right."

After showering Gouwa with flattery, which made him beam with delight, Yang Xiaohai quickly disengaged and followed after Xiaoman.

When he found Xiaoman on the street, he saw she had already reached the entrance of a large compound displaying a dart flag.

He quickened his pace and followed her inside.

Glancing at the young Daoist priest beside her, Chun Xiaoman said, "Don't run around unnecessarily. Times are chaotic now, and there are many kidnappers who snatch children."

"Understood, I'll be careful next time, Senior Sister. But can I follow you this time? I'll just watch and definitely won't cause any trouble."

Seeing the plea in Yang Xiaohai's eyes, Chun Xiaoman said nothing more.

The security agency was large and crowded, its courtyard filled with carriages and ox carts.

"There are so many people here," Yang Xiaohai said, stepping around a pile of horse manure in front of him.

"That's normal," Xiaoman replied. "The more chaotic the world becomes, the more money security agencies make. If the whole world were at peace, there'd be no need for them."

Just as Xiaoman finished speaking, a burly man in simple, close-fitting attire approached them. He was very tall, towering two heads above Xiaoman, and walked with powerful, imposing strides.

Reaching them, he quickly assessed the woman in the black veil. With his calloused hands, he gave a heavy fist-and-palm salute, then asked with a slight smile, "Young lady, are you looking to commission an escort service?"

"I am also a martial artist," Xiaoman replied, "and I've heard that for any escort agency to thrive, its guards must be exceptionally skilled. So, I came hoping to meet martial artists and exchange pointers."

Hearing Xiaoman's blunt statement, the escort guard was momentarily stunned. While they had encountered requests for martial exchanges before, it was the first time a woman had come to their door asking for one.

After a moment's thought, he cupped his hands again. "Young lady," he said, "as the saying goes, 'Those who argue have no good words, and those who fight have no good moves.' I think it's best to forget this matter. As you can see, the agency is very busy, and our guards are all out on escort duties."

Xiaoman wasn't surprised by his words. As a business owner, why would he fight her for no reason?

She reached into her bosom, fumbled for a moment, then pulled out one tael of silver and handed it over. "This humble one is self-taught," she said. "Please offer me some guidance."

"Well..." Seeing her insistence on a match, Wang Chengxing hesitated. He wasn't contemplating the small sum of silver, but rather trying to discern her true intentions.

He feared that her request for a martial exchange was a pretext, a feigned weakness designed to gain fame.

The Yu Yong Escort Agency had so many branches precisely because its guards were skilled fighters. If they were easily defeated by a young woman, their reputation in the martial arts world would be ruined.

"What is this young lady's background?" he wondered. "Could she be a master invited by the Guangsheng Escort Agency, sent specifically to sabotage our business? Business is so good these days, do those broadsword-wielding thugs still need to snatch territory?"

Escort guards, being both capable fighters and quick-witted, Wang Chengxing soon devised a plan to resolve this crisis.

He first reached out and accepted the silver from Chun Xiaoman, then said, "Since you insist, young lady, please follow me."

Leading them through the parked carriages and across the bustling main hall, Wang Chengxing guided them towards the backyard.

The unfamiliar surroundings made Yang Xiaohai instinctively draw closer to Xiaoman. "Senior Sister," he whispered, "they aren't plotting anything bad, are they...?"

Surveying the surroundings, Chun Xiaoman shook her head. "This is an escort agency, not a bandit's lair. Those who run agencies value their reputation above all else. If their name becomes tarnished, no one will hire them for escorts."

Behind the busy escort agency was a spacious backyard, with weapon racks full of various armaments. Young men in black, close-fitting attire were sparring and training their strength, making it clearly a martial arts training ground.

"All of you, come here!" Hearing Wang Chengxing's shout, the people in the courtyard put down their tasks and came forward.

"Greetings, Uncle Wang!" "Greetings, Master!" "Master, have you eaten?"

After surveying the crowd before him for a moment, he pointed to a quiet young man. "You, Tianci. Come out and spar with this young lady. Remember, it's a friendly exchange; stop when you've made your point."

After saying this, Wang Chengxing pulled another person aside and instructed him to guard the entrance, preventing outsiders from entering.

This method offered two benefits: First, even if they lost, no one outside would know, thus not affecting the agency's reputation.

Second, even if someone behind the young woman stepped forward to confront them, they could simply say that the one who fought was just an apprentice who hadn't formally completed his training, and a loss would be considered normal.

Furthermore, he wasn't lying; although Tianci was gifted and trained diligently, with strength comparable to some seasoned escort masters, his current status was indeed that of a junior.

Looking at the curious young man who was observing her, Xiaoman wasn't particular. All she needed now was an opponent to test the results of her training over the past few days.

Just as she was about to draw her long sword, Xiaoman saw the young man was empty-handed and immediately felt it would be inappropriate to use a metal weapon for the match. It wouldn't be fun if someone got hurt.

Fortunately, the training ground had an abundance of weapons, so a polished bamboo sword was handed to Xiaoman.

The young man, however, did not take a sword. Instead, he picked up a long, dried rattan shield. The shield had an odd shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with two wooden spikes protruding from its front, resembling the fangs of a wild beast.

Xiaoman watched as her opponent raised the shield, assuming a peculiar stance.

Xiaoman's brow furrowed slightly. She raised her sword and lunged forward with a tentative straight thrust, stepping with both feet together.

"Thud!" The wooden sword struck the rattan shield, emitting a dull thud.

The young man quickly diverted the force downwards, then thrust forward, instantly deflecting Xiaoman's long sword.

Capitalizing on Xiaoman's exposed stance, he stepped forward with his right foot, pushed forcefully with both hands, and the wooden spikes at the front of the rattan shield thrust directly towards Xiaoman's neck.

Chun Xiaoman, having never experienced such a maneuver, panicked slightly and hastily tried to parry with her sword.

But just as her sword was halfway back, the wooden spike from the shield had already stopped at Chun Xiaoman's neck.

The rattan shield retracted. The young man stood firm, cupped his hands in salute, and said, "I've had the honor of winning."