enjoyebooks Chapter 6 Shunyuan's Female Tiger, Wanted at the City Gate
Chapter 6 Shunyuan's Female Tiger, Wanted at the City Gate
"Kaigo!"
Dust rose in the distance, and the sounds of people and horses could be heard.
This time, not only Li Cheng, but also Li Xin and Li Xiaoyue peeked out to look at the main road down the slope.
"It looks like a security escort agency. Can you make out what's embroidered on the flag?"
Li Cheng, unable to contain himself any longer, rubbed his eyes while scrutinizing the area. Suddenly, he jumped up excitedly and exclaimed, "It's a Wang (王) flag! See the water-shaped pattern on the carriage? That should be the Shun Yuan Escort Agency. Didn't you say you'd sneak in after the main group passed by? This escort team should be a good fit!"
"Wang Family Shunyuan Escort Agency?" Li Xin finally understood which family this long escort team belonged to.
"You mean Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman?"
"It's Wang Zhengyi. He's a generous and righteous man who helps those in distress. Moreover, he has a great reputation in the martial arts world. When he encounters fellow practitioners who are down on their luck, he would rather not make any money than not lend a hand."
Li Cheng patted his chest, as if he were that down-on-his-luck fellow traveler.
"Alright, let's go out. Xiaoyue, you stay in the basket and don't show your face for now."
"Um."
Li Xiaoyue obediently climbed into the basket on her back, not minding the pungent smell of wolf skin and wolf legs inside. She only peeked out with half her head sticking out as her older brother carried her.
Li Xin, on the other hand, went downhill first, getting closer to the official road.
He looks and has the build of an eight or nine-year-old child, posing no threat whatsoever.
Besides, Li Cheng is fine in front of his own people, but he's tongue-tied in front of outsiders. If you ask him to deal with people, he might cause trouble.
"Who goes there? It's a security escort. Don't come any closer."
With a clang, several burly men drew their swords. In the distance, on the carriage shafts, several large bows were drawn halfway, aimed at Li Xin and his siblings.
"Don't misunderstand, we're on our way to the capital to visit relatives. We encountered wolves on the way and are worried about our safety, so we'd like to travel together for a while."
Li Xin smiled and took a hind leg and wolf skin from his elder brother, then half-raised them.
"They're just kids, Uncle Ming, look how nervous you all are..."
A clear and melodious voice rang out, the curtain of the car in front was pulled back, and a girl stepped out of the door.
Let's just call her a girl for now.
Even Li Xin, with his extensive experience and knowledge, was slightly disturbed.
In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a hero.
When the girl got off the carriage, the carriage creaked and groaned, and her feet left two shallow dents on the ground.
He was about 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and bulging muscles; at first glance, he exuded a powerful and intimidating aura.
But the head on this person's neck was exquisitely beautiful, with a touch of gentleness amidst its heroic spirit. Its laughter was hearty and generous, yet also carried a girlish charm.
Judging by her face alone, she is definitely a great beauty.
Li Xin maintained a polite smile, trying to keep his eyes focused on the other person's nose and never giving her a second glance at her bulging chest and arm muscles.
Seeing the other person approach, he casually handed over the wolf's hind leg and wolf skin.
"This is for you, young lady."
"Oh my, what a good little brother. He's so handsome and polite."
The girl chuckled, her gaze sweeping over Li Xin's tattered clothes before softening her expression. "Keep the leg for yourselves; the wolfskin will spoil if it's not aired out. Uncle Ming, here's the money."
"The skin was peeled off very cleanly, young man. Did you use the knife? Not bad, not bad."
A middle-aged man carrying a knife slowly stepped forward and patted Li Xin on the shoulder.
Li Xin's eyes flickered slightly.
He noticed that the middle-aged man walked without shaking his head or moving his shoulders, and his steps were so light that they didn't disturb the dust.
Although he wasn't particularly burly, he was still smaller than the girl beside him.
It felt like a small mountain had been moved across the landscape.
Moreover, as this person spoke, he patted his own shoulder with his palm at varying speeds, giving the impression that he didn't know where he was pressing.
Li Xin took a half step back, tilted his shoulder slightly, dodged the other person's hand, and laughed, "How can I take money? We're already extremely grateful for being able to join the caravan and travel a short distance. Here you go."
As he spoke, the wolf skin was already stuffed into the middle-aged man's outstretched palm.
The middle-aged man paused slightly, then became more cautious, taking out a small piece of silver, about two or three taels, from his waist pouch and handing it over. He said sincerely, "To be honest, young brother, we in Shunyuan have our own rules. We can't take your things for free. Traveling together isn't a big deal. Meeting is fate, so let's look after each other."
Thank you.
Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, Li Xin readily accepted the silver.
They probably gave too much, but we're all dressed in rags, so it's kind of them to give us a little extra. We'll just accept it.
"Come on, follow the lead car. You're not familiar with the capital, so let me tell you about it."
The girl seemed very enthusiastic and unguarded, leading Li Xin and the others closer to the lead carriage. It was unclear what was being carried on the carriage, but the wheels were creaking and groaning, indicating that the carriage was struggling to move.
"Miss," a skinny young man next to him called out, winking and making faces.
A burst of laughter erupted from the side.
"Go away, you monkey, what are you doing?"
The girl's face hardened, and with a whoosh, she reached out and grabbed the thin young man by the back of the neck. Without any visible movement, she shifted three meters to the side, lifting him up like a kitten.
With a casual flick of the wrist, it flew four or five meters away.
The skinny young man rolled twice on the grass, hunched his shoulders, and sheepishly disappeared into the crowd.
Another burst of laughter erupted from all around.
Clearly, they all knew that the girl was not to be trifled with, and they were happy to see the skinny young man make a fool of himself.
"What incredible strength!" Li Cheng was dumbfounded.
Li Xin noticed that when the girl made her move, it was so casual and fluid, as natural as breathing.
It looked like she was grabbing someone with her arms and throwing them, but Li Xin felt like she was using her feet to push...
The upper body remained mostly still, but the trousers on the right leg rippled, and the ground sank slightly.
The force originates from the ground and reaches the extremities of the limbs.
This person is also a master.
Even in my previous life in the professional boxing ring, I rarely saw such a powerful boxer who could easily mobilize the subtle forces of his entire body with every move.
Judging from her age, she's probably seventeen or eighteen, definitely no older than twenty.
How did you train?
Then look at Li Cheng next to him, this silly guy's eyes are practically popping out of their sockets.
They clearly know their stuff.
The convoy proceeded without committing any offenses along the way.
Occasionally, they would encounter some foreign cavalrymen and government constables, but they did not search the long caravan at all.
Some of the constables would even greet the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Zhao Fangming warmly.
Li Xin followed silently, occasionally whispering a few words to the little girl in the basket, and his mood finally calmed down.
However, a closer look at his face revealed a slightly somber expression.
the reason is simple.
Li Xin's senses are now extremely sharp, and he doesn't even need to listen too carefully to hear the whispers behind the three cars clearly.
"Wang Erya, I told you not to go, so don't go. Be careful, or you'll tell your father when you get home."
It was the middle-aged man's voice, filled with doting affection, but also tinged with a sense of helplessness.
"Uncle Ming, call me Jingya. This 'Er Ya' thing is awful." The girl's voice came from behind. "They're just a few kids. Look, the oldest is a few years younger than me. There's another one who's eight or nine, and another who's three or four. You're treating them like thieves; you're too timid."
"Trust me, the little girl aside, those two older ones have a murderous aura about them."
"Killing intent? How is that possible?"
"How should I put it? It's that feeling where if you have even the slightest bad thought about them, you feel a chill run down your spine, a very dangerous feeling. You haven't reached that level of skill, so you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."
Er Ya, remember this. When you're out in the world, there are some types of people you shouldn't mess with, and it's best not to talk to them. You can't tell if they're human or ghost...
"Is it really that exaggerated? The little brother is so thin and cute." The girl said unhappily.
"That's just the surface, you know?" Uncle Ming, the middle-aged man, began to sigh. "Even renowned masters in the martial arts world might not be able to dodge my Hundred-Bend Capture Hand so cleanly and neatly."
But he saw through my seven subsequent changes at a glance, simply shrugged his shoulders, and dodged them. Was it a coincidence? I didn't believe it.
Also, don't you think that child's eyes are very bright? Have you ever seen such bright eyes?
"So you say he looks great, just a little thin. His parents really went through a lot, starving themselves to death."
The girl's voice carried a hint of resentment.
"Fine, fine, whatever you want. Just be more careful." Uncle Ming had nothing more to say.
Li Xin found it amusing, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
"So, the pat on my shoulder earlier was just a test, and it was some kind of 'Hundred-Fold Grappling Technique.' No wonder it was so unpredictable and seemed so dangerous."
If my mental state hadn't reached level 20 and my senses hadn't been so sharp, I'm not sure if I could have dodged it. Being exposed is fine; it's good that they're wary, to avoid any unforeseen complications.
Overall, this security escort agency is quite upright.
I didn't play any tricks, and I didn't ask any random questions.
Furthermore, Li Xin had previously given the false name "Tang He," and his elder brother's name was "Tang Shan," without revealing his uncle's name. Even if the other party did something inappropriate afterward, it wouldn't matter.
When the sun was high in the sky, the caravan made its way through the bustling crowds to the city gate.
Taking advantage of the moment when Uncle Ming and the others rode forward and spoke with the gatekeepers about their travel permits and cargo documents, Li Xin gently tugged at his elder brother Li Cheng's sleeve. He then slipped into the crowd and entered the capital.
"Why did you leave so secretly? Didn't you say goodbye?" Li Cheng asked, somewhat reluctantly.
Li Xin shook his head: "Didn't you see the wanted posters on the city gate? The paper is still new, and the three of us stuck it on."
"Brother, from now on, you follow behind me, about seven steps away."
Li Cheng couldn't read, so even if he saw it, it was useless for him.
However, Li Xin not only knew how to read, but also had excellent eyesight.
He could see the wanted poster on the city wall from a great distance.
What was written on it was naturally about what happened near the mountain god temple on Jiamu Ridge, and it also said that he and his companions were Taiping rebels who killed foreigners and so on.
The text not only emphasizes that an adult was with two children, a boy and a girl, but also that one of the children was armed with a pistol and was a ruthless killer, posing a significant danger.
"How did the news spread so fast?"
Li Cheng was horrified.
"It must have been by telegram or some other means. After all, they're foreigners, much more advanced than us. Those two might have been captured alive, and we've been exposed."
"Where are the constables?"
"We must not be complacent."
Li Xin knew that at this time, the government dared not offend the foreigners at all.
Saying they were practically inseparable is a bit of an exaggeration; they truly spared no effort in assisting foreigners in solving cases and catching thieves.
Fortunately, the drawing skills are a bit lacking.
However, since the other party was casting a wide net, and the three of them were clearly grouped together, walking on the street would indeed be dangerous.
"Find your uncle first and settle him down. If he stays off the streets, there's nothing to worry about."
Having evaded the gazes of several constables, Li Xin led the way to ask for directions.
Li Cheng followed at a distance, all the way to Zhengyang Street.
……