Chapter 67: The Northern Dragon Crosses the Yellow River
“Miss Mu, please rest for a moment.”
“Mm, I understand.”
By the side of the martial field, Zhou Yan, Wang Kui, Huyan Lei, and Yang Tiexin sat together.
Escort Wang Kui recounted what he had seen: the Boss of Four Seas, Lei Luo, arrived at the escort agency carrying birch rods.
Upon hearing this, Huyan Lei smiled and asked Zhou Yan, “Do you think the Boss will whip the Boss of Four Seas a few times with those birch rods?”
“If I were the Boss, I’d whip him hard, right on his backside.”
Wang Kui and Huyan Lei burst into laughter.
Yang Tiexin also smiled, finding the personalities of these escorts similar to his sworn brother. They were loyal, righteous, and upright.
As this thought crossed his mind, the wind and snow blurred his vision, and twenty years seemed to flash by like a painting. Yang Tiexin’s thoughts drifted to Niu Family Village in Lin’an Prefecture.
Silver flakes flew through the air, and the ground was covered in white. His sister-in-law and his wife, Bao’s, sat by the kang head sewing shoe soles, while he and his sworn brother drank wine and admired the snow. It was a time of great happiness, and then later…
Yang Tiexin sighed inwardly, a faint lament: “Ten years, life and death, a vast expanse; a thousand li, a lonely grave, nowhere to speak of sorrow.”
A small stove burned by the side of the field, heating brick tea with salt and Bupleurum.
Mu Nianci walked over, first wiping her face with a clean towel, then brushing the snow flowers from her hair. She glanced at her father, then picked up the teapot and a stack of porcelain bowls.
Seeing Mu Nianci approach, Zhou Yan quickly stood up and moved a stone lock to the ground.
Mu Nianci bent down to pour tea, “Father, Escort Huyan, Escort Wang, Escort Zhou, please have some tea.”
“Thank you, Miss Mu,” Zhou Yan replied gratefully. He took a tea bowl and first offered it to Yang Tiexin, then to Huyan Lei and Wang Kui in turn.
After pouring tea, Mu Nianci placed the teapot back and began practicing alone with her spear on the field.
“Miss Mu, please take a break,” Zhou Yan said.
“I’m not tired. My spear techniques are not yet proficient, and there will be an examination soon.”
Wang Kui chuckled, “You have Escort Zhou’s dedication to martial arts. On our escort mission to Jingzhou, our escort team camped out. While others rested, he practiced martial arts. He was diligent, practicing from the third watch until dawn. Later, Escort Huyan, Escort Shi, and I were ashamed and all began practicing.”
“So that’s how his martial arts improved,” Mu Nianci thought to herself. Returning to her senses, she replied charmingly to Escort Wang Kui, “How could I possibly have Escort Zhou’s talent for martial arts? I can only hope diligence can compensate for lack of skill.”
Her words drew praise from Huyan Lei and Wang Kui, who remarked that Yang Tiexin had a good daughter.
Zhou Yan watched Mu Nianci diligently practicing the Yue Family Spear Technique, thinking that the Mu Nianci from the Jianghu of Legend of the Condor Heroes, who lived a life of hardship after a martial arts competition to recruit a husband, would likely not return.
As they chatted and laughed, Lei Luo, the Boss of Four Seas, appeared from the long corridor in the distance. Huyan Lei glanced over and said with a smile, “Here comes the good show.”
Lei Luo’s gaze lingered on the martial field for a few moments, and he sighed inwardly.
In the icy snow and whistling wind, the escorts of Fu’an were still practicing martial arts on the field, while the escorts of Four Seas only knew how to huddle around the stove, gossiping about whose widow was having an affair or who had caught the eye of a courtesan. The escorts of Fu’an cultivated their bodies and bones, while the escorts of Four Seas cultivated their minds and tongues. Alas…
…
Upon entering Fu’an’s meeting hall, Lei Luo saw Duan Huai’an and Zhang Wangyue drinking tea and chatting.
He adjusted his demeanor, bowed deeply, and said with regret, “Manager Duan, Escort Zhang, I hope you can overlook the offenses of Four Seas. I was blinded by greed and acted foolishly. Please, strike me a few times.”
Duan Huai’an’s expression was stern. He stood up, took a birch rod, and said word by word, “It is understandable for competitors to look down on each other, but Manager Lei, you should not have hired assassins with a heavy sum. This strike is for the runner who died at Fengling Ferry for Fu’an.”
“Crack!” The birch rod in Duan Huai’an’s hand fell, striking the man’s back.
Lei Luo’s face contorted in pain, and he said, “It is deserved, it is deserved. Manager Duan, do you think this settles the matter between our two agencies? For the deceased runner of Fu’an, how about Four Seas compensating their family?”
Duan Huai’an sat down, picked up his teacup, and said while drinking tea, “What about Four Seas instigating discord among Fu’an’s escorts, and then using the Yellow River Gang to rob the escort, leading to internal and external strife, and deliberately annexing Fu’an?”
Lei Luo’s mouth twitched slightly, and he said in a low voice to Duan Huai’an, “Manager Duan, be merciful when you can be.”
Duan Huai’an drank his tea without speaking.
Lei Luo said, “Manager Duan, I understand. Please allow Four Seas some time to prepare.”
Duan Huai’an put down his teacup. “Manager Lei, please take your time leaving.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Manager Duan.” Lei Luo turned and walked out of the meeting hall. As he passed through the corridor courtyard, a ferocious expression appeared on his face.
…
Lei Luo exited the main gate of Fu’an, and the wind and snow swept towards him. The head escort waiting outside hurried forward, “Boss, how did it go?”
He gave a cold, low chuckle. “It’s exactly as I suspected beforehand. Fortunately, I had a backup plan. Whether it’s a python swallowing a snake or a sparrow overturning the sky, we’ll see.”
Lei Luo got into the horse carriage, and the driver drove directly towards the Four Seas Escort Agency. Shortly after the carriage entered the agency, an escort led two yellow spotted horses out of a side gate. The escort urged his horse onward, disappearing into the wind and snow of Daxing Prefecture.
…
Daxing Prefecture is over seven hundred li from Datong Prefecture.
The escorts from Four Seas took turns changing horses and arrived at Datong Prefecture by dusk the next day.
Zhou Yan, having transmigrated, was on a letter escort to Datong Prefecture and successfully returned to Zhongdu. He and Huyan Lei were drinking at Songhe Tower when the latter mentioned the escort agencies of the world, stating that the four major ones were at the forefront.
Changfeng Escort Agency in Datong Prefecture, Fu’an Escort Agency in Daxing Prefecture, Zhenwei Escort Agency in Kaifeng Prefecture, and Dragon Gate Escort Agency in Lin’an Prefecture.
Changfeng Escort Agency was founded by the Helian family, whose ancestors were generals of Western Xia. It now has two bosses. The Big Boss is named Helian Zhantai, and the second boss was originally a Persian merchant who specialized in jewelry and sold it in places like Bianliang, Chang’an, and Taiyuan. He took a Chinese surname, “Yin.”
Due to his frequent travels between the Western Regions, the Central Plains, and Jiangnan over the years, the Yin family invested heavily in Changfeng Escort Agency, becoming the second boss.
The escort from Four Seas Escort Agency dismounted at Changfeng Escort Agency, presented his calling card, and after it was reported by a runner, he was led to the meeting hall.
The charcoal fire burned brightly, making the hall as warm as spring.
The escort looked at Helian Zhantai, the Boss of Changfeng Escort Agency, whose eyes were piercing, his brows shaped like an eight, and his body as imposing as silver. He knelt on one knee and presented Lei Luo’s personal letter with both hands.
Helian Zhantai opened the letter and read it, his expression unchanged. He then handed the letter to the second boss, who had a yellow beard.
The Hu person read the letter word by word and said to the escort from Four Seas, “You may rest for now.”
“Certainly!” The escort cupped his hands in a salute and was led away by a runner from outside the hall.
“What do you think of this matter?” Helian Zhantai asked.
The second boss smiled, “When Fu’an arrived at Fengling Ferry, I happened to be staying at an inn.”
“What a coincidence.”
“More than that, I also witnessed their fight with the Yellow River Gang. Fu’an’s escorts are skilled in martial arts, and their runners are well-trained, truly formidable. Especially the Head Escort Zhang Wangyue and a young escort named Zhou Yan.”
Helian Zhantai chuckled, “How do they compare to the current Changfeng? The second boss didn’t just bring capital to the agency; he also brought many experts.”
The Hu second boss said, “Even without me, Fu’an cannot compare to Changfeng.”
“Haha, you flatter us. The Boss of Four Seas said that after offending Fu’an, Duan Huai’an intends to eliminate them completely. Four Seas is willing to pledge allegiance to Changfeng and fly Changfeng’s banner. What do you think of this decision?”
The second boss said, “Datong Prefecture cannot compare to Zhongdu in prosperity by any means. With this opportunity, we cannot miss it.”
“I wonder how Four Seas offended Fu’an?”
The second boss said, “Four Seas and Fu’an have been in conflict for a long time. I suspect the matter with the Yellow River Gang is inseparable from Four Seas, otherwise Duan Huai’an wouldn’t be so uncompromising.”
“That makes sense. Changfeng Escort Agency cannot solely rely on the trade routes in the Western Regions and within the passes. To do business across the Yellow River, Fu’an is an obstacle. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, let us drink and cross the Yellow River.”
“Big Boss, you are decisive.”
“Who do you think is suitable to send?”
“The Young Master and my son, Yin Kexi.”
“Good!”
It didn’t take long for the two bosses of Changfeng to finalize the matter. As dusk fell, dozens of riders from the escort agency, led by the Young Master Helian Chuncheng, headed straight for Daxing Prefecture.
