Chapter 2 - Changfeng Escort Agency
Fang Dingwu froze with his outstretched hand forming a fist around the remaining half of the bun. His back broke out with cold sweat—if that blade had gone for him, he could have been cleaved in two as easily as that proffered bun.
Before his subordinates behind him could even notice what had happened, Fang Dingwu composed himself. Swallowing the lump in his throat he noted, "Brother, your blade… is indeed incredibly fast… From what I can see, you must have encountered some troubling matters. If you don't mind, why don't you come to the agency with me? With your martial skills and my recommendation, I'm sure our boss would welcome you. By then you won't have to worry about any problems with earning a living haha."
The man in the conical bamboo hat silently chewed his half of the bun, creating an air of silent awkwardness. Fang Dingwu scratched the back of his head, feeling like he was starting to understand this young man's idiosyncrasies. Sure enough, after a moment, the young man uttered a single word, "Sure."
Jiading Prefecture, outside the Changfeng Escort Agency.
"Brother Ye, over there is our Changfeng Escort Agency. In Jiading Prefecture, the name Changfeng Escort Agency carries great prestige! Our boss, Master Wu, is a great armed escort team leader who has traveled the area widely back in the day. He's known as the legendary armed escort Wu Changfeng!" Fang Dingwu explained to the young man wearing a conical bamboo hat on horseback.
During the journey back to the city, Fang Dingwu had only managed to coax out the young man's name: Ye Beizhi. Beyond that, everything else about the young man was still unknown. Fang Dingwu judged that he wouldn't get any answers even if he asked. Considering that, he felt it was already impressive that he could actually learn the young man's name.
When the group rode up to the agency’s main entrance, servants came to tend to the horses. Ye Beizhi looked up at the plaque on the vermilion gate where the name, "Changfeng Escort Agency," was emblazoned in gold-painted characters. On either side of the gates stood two stone lions, each taller than a person, that stubbornly glared at anyone standing in front of the gate.
Shortly after, an agency manager opened the gate and invited everyone to enter. As they stepped through the gate and into a courtyard, they were greeted by the sight of some bare-chested muscular men sparring while others exercised by hoisting heavy millstones.
Fang Dingwu turned around and signaled the agency manager. He discreetly gave the manager instructions before turning to Ye Beizhi and saying, "Brother Ye, please rest and wash up first. I must go to the accounts department to register the completion of the escort assignment. Afterward, I will pay my respects to Master Wu and recommend you. Brother Ye, just wait for my good news!"
Ye Beizhi nodded and silently followed a servant to a room in the wing where he would be staying.
Fang Dingwu first went to the accounts department to register the completion of the escort assignment. Then, he visited a small courtyard with several peach trees. Since it was the middle of winter, the trees were bare. Under the trees, an old man in a short-sleeved tunic vigorously brandished a great spear.
The old man saw Fang Dingwu coming from the distance. He twirled his spear, pointed it at Fang Dingwu, and hollered, "Brat, take this!"
Fang Dingwu saw the old man's spear fly out of his hand like a python unconstrained by gravity, shooting straight toward his face. He instinctively reached down to his waist, drawing his personal weapons—a pair of sabers, and barely managed to deflect the spear to his side.
The spear brushed past his body and it plunged deep into the ground with a muffled thud.
The old man in the distance wiped the sweat from his head with a towel as he slowly walked over, and grabbed the end of the spear with his right hand. The muscles on his right arm rippled like pythons in their own right as he effortlessly pulled the spear out of the ground. Only then did he finally remark, "Kid, your skills are rusty. Did you waste all your energy during this escort assignment on those young and beautiful courtesans in the brothel?"
Fang Dingwu's face turned red as he protested, "Boss! You, you know me. I, Fang Dingwu, have always been responsible and disciplined when I am out on assignments. How could I visit such a place of debauchery?"
"Hahaha, relax, I was only joking. Okay, okay, what brings you to see an old man like me?" Master Wu asked with a smile while waving his hand to placate Fang Dingwu.
Fang Dingwu then explained he met Ye Beizhi during his assignment in great detail.
"You mean you couldn’t even see him draw his sword?" inquired Senior Wu while stroking his beard with his left hand.
"Yes, I only saw a flicker of light and he was already sheathing his sword." Fang Dingwu reflected for a moment before continuing, "Now that I think about it, it's simply unbelievable. I've never seen a blade move so fast. Although he said his blade was fast, it was… it was really too exaggerated. He looks to be only in his early twenties, yet he already exhibits such incredible martial skills. I'm certain even those closed-door disciples of major sects or clans couldn't match his skills."
"Well… that truly is incredible, but he was ragged and dirty when you saw him, without any money to feed himself. I'm afraid he might be a criminal wanted by the authorities."
Fang Dingwu noticed that Master Wu seemed hesitant, so he quickly added, "I can see that this person has clear eyes and a righteous spirit, so I don't think that he is some kind of vicious criminal."
"It's not up to you or me to decide whether he has broken the law. It is up to the authorities." Master Wu shook his head and said, "Do you think that only vicious criminals can have wanted posters posted by the authorities? Anyways, I'll listen to you and allow him to stay for observation. Let us see if he's really as good as you say he is. Either way, our Changfeng Escort Agency isn't so poor that we can't afford to feed him a meal or two. You can bring him to your welcome-back dinner tonight. I want to take a look at this young man, personally."
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