novelraw Chapter 42: Escort Agency?
Chapter 42: Escort Agency?
Chapter 42: Escort Agency?
A carriage, four riders, and six guards, a group of about ten people, left the city gates with a clear destination: the cemetery. Compared to graves that were hastily buried or marked with a simple stone tablet, the area they were heading to had clearly been maintained. The stone tablets erected, though not large, were carved by craftsmen, and a small stone path was laid beside the graves. The best maintained grave had the largest stone tablet, inscribed with scriptures.
Bai Lu County Town and several surrounding counties have the custom of "doing seven," commemorating every seventh day until the seventh seventh day. Two young women alighted from the carriage. One held a child of three or four years old, while the other carried a bamboo basket. The basket contained incense and paper money. The stacks of paper money were particularly conspicuous. In today's difficult conditions, when firewood is scarce, ordinary people cannot afford to burn paper money. Even if they burn it, it's only a meager few pieces. Only a wealthy household would burn so much paper money. Wealthy households in times of chaos are not ordinary wealthy households; their status may not have been noble, but now they surely possess personnel and resources.
They observed the wind direction and lit a bonfire in an open space, creating some smoke. This would help mask the scent of living people and prevent evil creatures from finding them. Just as they were about to begin the ritual, a vigilant guard suddenly exclaimed, "Someone's here!" They quickly drew their weapons, shielding the two women and the child behind them. A tall and sturdy young man, holding a saber, stood at the forefront, warily watching the approaching figures. As the others drew nearer, they could see them clearly.
There were six people on the other side, and it appeared not all of them were martial artists; one of them was a Taoist priest. Although they had a numerical advantage, they did not let their guard down. Wen Gu, walking towards them, saw that the other side had brought a child. He motioned for Tietou, who was holding a wooden shield, to step aside. When the distance between them was almost right, he also signaled for the others to stop.
Wen Gu observed the group, noting that despite their impressive entourage, their origins did not seem to be high. Therefore, he decided against using overly polite language that they might not understand. After a moment of thought, Wen Gu stepped forward. Framed by County Lieutenant Zhou and Tietou, his appearance was that of a standard, frail scholar. He performed a perfectly executed scholar's greeting. His voice was clear, gentle, and smooth, yet audible to the other party.
"Apologies for the disturbance. We are heading north to seek refuge with relatives and are passing through this area. We wish to inquire about the local customs. We saw you from afar and noticed your martial bearing, so we came to ask for information."
The group by the graves looked at the scholar. Although he was dressed ordinarily, his demeanor and bearing indicated he was no commoner. Moreover, the people beside him did not seem like ordinary individuals either. The young woman holding the child whispered something to the guard beside her. The guard's weapon was slightly lowered, and the tense atmosphere immediately eased. Only the sturdy young man standing at the front continued to stare vigilantly, particularly at County Lieutenant Zhou beside Wen Gu.
Wen Gu's eyes flickered, and he returned to his polite, scholarly demeanor, continuing, "May I ask for your appellations?" Silence fell over the scene. The only sound was the crackling of burning twigs from the nearby bonfire. Although no one spoke, their bewildered faces conveyed that they had no idea how to answer.
"That's right, they don't know!" Wen Gu thought to himself, maintaining a polite posture. He inwardly mused, "A mature system of folk organizations has not yet developed. There are merchant houses, and wealthy households will hire private armed forces when they travel. However, escort agencies, gangs, and other forces spontaneously organized by the populace have not yet matured, so they do not have appellations for traveling the martial world. Perhaps there are institutions and organizations with similar functions, but they have not formed systematic commercial groups. This requires a sufficiently developed trade network and ample time for civilian practice to cultivate such an industry system. These people before me are neither official nor merchants, and their group composition is not uniform. They are likely a folk force that has been gathered opportunistically for profit. They probably have no internal rules. What 'martial world appellation' could they possibly have!"After a period of silence, someone by the graves whispered, "Sister-in-law, Second Brother, what is an appellation? What is our appellation?" Another brief silence followed before the young woman holding the child said, "Second Brother, directly ask them their intentions." The sturdy young man at the front snapped out of his daze, his gaze regaining its sharpness. "What is your purpose?"
The scholar opposite looked up in surprise, his brow furrowed as if puzzled as to why they wouldn't give their appellations. Then, as if he understood, he quickly resumed his elegant and polite manner, performing a bow with clasped hands, which had a distinct martial arts flair. "I previously thought you were brothers from an escort agency, my apologies." He paused and then asked, "May I inquire if there is an escort agency in Bai Lu County Town?"
Silence fell again. Someone by the graves whispered, "Sister-in-law, Second Brother, what is an escort agency?"
A sense of unspoken suffocation and awkwardness permeated the air. "Cough, there is no escort agency here that you are looking for," the sturdy young man said. The scholar opposite again wore an expression of surprise, as if finding it unbelievable that such a large Bai Lu County Town would have no escort agency. He asked, "Then, may I inquire if there are any organizations in the county town similar to escort agencies? We can pay a reward for assistance."
The sturdy young man's expression shifted slightly. "Tell us what you need to do. If it's feasible, we can handle it." The scholar's face lit up. "May I ask if your head is present? The one in charge?" The people by the graves looked towards the largest tombstone. The scholar opposite quickly said, "My apologies, my apologies! My condolences!" After a moment of silence, the scholar added, "Uh... is the second in charge present?"
The sturdy young man stepped forward half a pace. "That's me! Speak your mind!" Wen Gu said, "So you are the second in charge!" Without further detours, he stated their purpose directly. He wished to hire an organization similar to an escort agency in Bai Lu County Town to escort them across the bridge. Of course, the bridge toll was separate from the escort fee. In other words, by escorting them a distance, they could secure the reward for these supplies. "So, Second in Charge, are you interested in accepting this commission? Or, are there such organizations in the city that would accept it?"
The Second in Charge on the other side remained silent, clearly weighing the pros and cons. Wen Gu continued, "To show our sincerity, we can pay a deposit first. However, times have changed, and money is not always useful. We can pay in other ways." He glanced at the group at the cemetery and then pointed at Daoist Master Qingyi. "You are here to commemorate your relatives and friends. Do you require a ritual? Immortal Master Qingyi possesses profound Taoist magic and can guide departed souls and pacify spirits. In the past, he would be impossible to invite."
The group by the graves actually showed some interest. After a brief discussion, the sturdy young man, also known as the Second in Charge, said, "You pay the deposit first and show your sincerity." Daoist Master Qingyi casually glanced over. "The time is not yet right." He stated that the ritual would be held in the evening. Originally, it would have been later, but considering they had to return to the city, it was slightly moved up. The Second in Charge's expression remained wary. "Why?" Daoist Master Qingyi's gaze carried a hint of disdain. "Of course, because the yin energy is stronger then!" The Second in Charge did not relax. "But I've seen other Taoist priests perform rituals during the day!" Daoist Master Qingyi's disdain intensified. "They are performing a 'qing jiao' (clear ritual), a yang event! This is a 'you jiao' (dark ritual), a yin event! Of course, you can also have a yang ritual..." But that would be a different price. Daoist Master Qingyi gave them a meaningful look.
The group by the graves was quite composed regarding the Daoist's attitude; they even felt it was justifiable. A figure like the Daoist was indeed someone they couldn't associate with before. Although they now had some influence, in these times of epidemic and chaos, Taoist priests and immortal masters commanded even more awe and reverence. The group by the graves discussed in low voices. "This place is open; if there's any movement, we'll know immediately." "They didn't bring any goods, so there must be accomplices nearby." "They weren't discovered by the city guards, which means the number of people is not too large. Too many people would be inconvenient to conceal." "They managed to arrive here safely and don't look disheveled, which shows they do have some strength." "It's rare to find a Taoist priest who can perform a ritual. Why don't we agree? We just need to get back before the suspension bridge is raised."
People of this era valued matters of life and the afterlife. The more important the person, the more thought was given to them. After their discussion, they agreed. Wen Gu felt satisfied. Having the Daoist perform the ritual was primarily to stall for time, allowing for more communication between the two parties. Wen Gu had also taught the Daoist some new "traveling experiences" to encourage him to put more effort into it. As expected of a professional, a little guidance was all it took for him to come up with a series of dazzling performances. There was no need to worry about the ritual; the next step was for the two sides to increase their interaction, and by evening, everything should be settled.