【The Reflection of the Sword Ridge】 (6 The world is treacherous, and people's hearts are unpredictable)

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6. The world of martial arts is treacherous, and human hearts are unpredictable
. Xia Wenyi was in high spirits early in the morning. After suffering for half a year, Zhenchuan
Escort Agency had finally landed a big job. Chang Baiwan, a famous wealthy man in Suzhou, entrusted Zhenchuan bodyguards with transporting a batch of jewels to Chang'an. This
batch of jewels was priceless; a pair of Tang Dynasty jade earrings alone had been appraised
at 100,000 taels of silver by master craftsmen in the capital. The entire batch was worth approximately 500,000 taels of silver,
a truly large deal for Zhenchuan bodyguards.
In Xia Wenyi's heart, this red courier mission held another significance. Since she took over the escort agency,
many major clients lacked confidence in her because she was a woman. Therefore, the agency's business had been mediocre for the past few years,
only receiving low-value shipments, barely enough to make ends meet. If they could successfully deliver this batch of valuable goods to Chang'an,
they could revive Zhenchuan Escort Agency's reputation. Therefore, this time, only success was acceptable; failure was not an option. Besides, if
anything went wrong, even if the escort agency went bankrupt, it wouldn't be able to pay 500,000 taels of silver.
500,000 taels of silver is no small sum, and many bandits along the way would surely be drooling over it.
Although Xia Wenyi was confident in her martial arts skills, it was impossible for her to fight her way from Suzhou to Chang'an. She made a quick decision and decided
to run a clandestine escort this time, disguising herself as inconspicuous people.
After making up her mind, she selected her men. Old Ma and Old Zou were older, so Old Ma would pretend to be an old wealthy man traveling to Chang'an
, and Old Zou would be a farmhand in the mansion, responsible for carrying loads. She herself would pretend to be Old Ma's
daughter-in-law, accompanying her master to broaden his horizons.
In addition to these three, there were twenty escorts, divided into two groups. The first group used
the guise of hunters to send the spoils of their hunting over the past few months to Chang'an. The other group of escorts dressed as scholars
, planning to travel and enjoy the scenery to Chang'an. The two groups would escort Xia Wenyi and her group of five along the way, one in front and one behind.
At the slightest sign of trouble, all three groups would relay the message to each other.
With everything arranged, Xia Wenyi planned to set off early the next morning. "Strike while the iron is hot! Suzhou
is half a month's journey from Chang'an. Before our friends in the Green Forest receive news of this shipment, let's travel for a day or two
. The sooner we reach Chang'an, the better."
That night, Xia Wenyi was so excited that she couldn't sleep. She got up and meditated for a while,
but still couldn't fall asleep, so she picked up her Qinggang sword and went to the garden to practice. Although the Xia family wasn't a major martial arts
sect, their swordsmanship was renowned for its speed. In Xia Wenyi's hands, she added
some tricky moves based on her own personality, often catching her opponents off guard and achieving victory.
Now, she moved through the garden, her sword flashing like a dragon, each strike faster and more ruthless than the last. She practiced
her swordplay for a while, finding it increasingly smooth. She thought to herself that she
had no fear of any demons or monsters on the road, thanks to the sword in her hand. She knew her martial arts were far inferior to the top figures in the martial world, but those masters wouldn't
stoop to such a lowly act of highway robbery. And dealing with ordinary thieves, her Xia family swordsmanship was more than enough
.
After completing her final move, Xia Wenyi sheathed her sword. Although she returned it quickly, the blade still accurately disappeared into
the sheath, demonstrating her exceptional skill.
Only then did Xia Wenyi notice Yun Yu standing to the side, his eyes fixed on her in the darkness. Her
face flushed, and she quickly clasped her hands in a fist salute to Yun Yu, saying, "I was so focused on practicing my sword that I didn't notice Brother Yun. I'm truly sorry."
At the same time, she realized her shortcomings, thinking that if Yun Yu were an enemy, he could have
attacked while she was sheathing her sword. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Yun Yu said calmly, "Master, you don't need to be so polite. I knew you were going on a mission tomorrow morning, so
I prepared provisions for you and the other brothers overnight. After finishing in the kitchen, I took a walk in the garden and didn't expect to unintentionally
disturb your sword practice."
Xia Wenyi quickly said, "Didn't we agree not to call you 'Master' anymore? Brother Yun, you're being too polite." Yun Yu
smiled slightly, "It's a habit, I can't change it overnight."
Xia Wenyi thought that Yun Yu must be a master. Although she had made arrangements for tomorrow's journey, it would still
be dangerous. She might as well take this opportunity to ask him for swordsmanship advice and hope to improve her martial arts skills. The martial world is dangerous,
and more preparation means more safety.
Yun Yu lowered his head and pondered for a while, then finally looked up and said, "I have disturbed you for a long time, and it is time to repay you
. Actually, Miss Wenyi, your swordsmanship is already very good, but there are some patterns between your moves, which some masters
might take advantage of." He finally stopped calling Xia Wenyi "Master," and Xia Wenyi was secretly delighted.
Yun Yu picked up a branch from the ground and casually used the sword technique Xia Wenyi had just practiced. Xia Wenyi watched
Yun Yu's swordplay closely and found that although every move he made was exactly the same as hers, the way his moves flowed together was
so smooth and natural that even though she was very familiar with the sword technique, she couldn't achieve that level of skill.
After Yun Yu finished his set of sword techniques, he casually tossed the branch aside. "Did you see it clearly, Miss Wenyi?"
Xia Wenyi nodded repeatedly. "Brother Yun's swordsmanship is divine. I saw it, but it will take me some
time to fully comprehend it."
Yun Yu nodded and said, "Miss Wenyi has good comprehension. Remember not to be confined by the moves; let the sword move freely, let
the sword follow your heart. You must master the sword moves, not be mastered by the sword moves." Xia Wenyi clasped her hands in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yun
." "
Yun Yu said, "Forgive my bluntness, but it's easy to defend against a visible sword but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. If the enemy attacks openly,
I believe you can handle it. The martial world is dangerous; the real danger lies in their underhanded tactics, which are
impossible to guard against!" Xia Wenyi nodded in agreement, "Brother Yun is absolutely right."
Yun Yu continued, "Therefore, I have prepared half a month's worth of rations and water for everyone. As long as everyone
is moderate in their diet, the enemy will not be able to exploit that."
Xia Wenyi was overjoyed, "Brother Yun is so thoughtful! I have long heard that the Poison Dragon Gentleman of Poison Dragon Valley is proficient in all kinds of poisons and
is a formidable figure. Fortunately, Brother Yun has already made preparations!"
Yun Yu said seriously, "I have long heard that the Poison Dragon Gentleman is not only a master of poisons but also a skilled martial artist."
"Even without using any poison, he's a first-rate expert, truly a formidable opponent." Xia Wenyi
vaguely sensed Yun Yu's concern for her, and her heart warmed. She curtsied to Yun Yu, "Thank you for
your guidance, Brother Yun. I will be as careful as possible on this journey."
After their farewell, Xia Wenyi returned to her room. Strangely enough, after Yun Yu's guidance and reminders,
she soon fell into a sweet sleep.
Early the next morning, the镖师 (bodyguards) and 趟子手 (couriers) of Zhenchuan镖局 (escort agency) departed for Chang'an in three groups. Xia Wenyi
hid all her jewels in her personal bag and carried them with her. Before leaving, she looked back at the镖局 gate, but did not
see Yun Yu, whom she longed to see.
"Master, it's getting late, we should be on our way!" Old Ma urged incessantly.
Helpless, Xia Wenyi could only set off with a sense of loss. Little
did she know that Yun Yu was actually watching her leave from behind the镖局 gate. For the past three years, except for
the days Xia Wenyi was out on escort missions, the two were practically inseparable. Although Yun Yu always kept a distance from her
, whenever she saw her from afar, her sorrowful mood would ease slightly.
Perhaps it was her kind and approachable personality, or perhaps it was her ever-present smile; in any case, her presence was like the spring
sunshine, slowly easing Yun Yu's wounded soul.
The Zhenchuan Escort Agency, a total of twenty-three people, traveled safely for ten days.
Every day, the advance team would thoroughly observe the risks and leave marks along the way.
Xia Wenyi, Lao Ma, Lao Zou, and the other four in the middle carefully searched for the marks left by the first group each day.
Only after confirming that it was safe ahead would they continue their journey. The rear guard was responsible for monitoring for any
attacks from bandits. At the slightest sign of trouble, the escort leader would fire a signal cannon to alert the two teams ahead.
For the first few days, everyone was on tenterhooks, only daring to eat and drink the dry rations and water prepared by Yun Yu. By
the third day, several young镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) in the vanguard were already feeling the effects; their throats were itchy, and they wanted to drink,
but the veteran镖师 (bodyguard/escort) leading the group, Zhang Shan
, suppressed their urges. Old Ma and Old Zou, because they were with Xia Wenyi, were too embarrassed to admit their cravings and had to force themselves to drink
. Meanwhile, one镖师 in the rearguard had the foresight to bring a gourd of wine, which was
discovered by the others and had to be shared. The leading镖师, Liu Jianding, was a strict man; under his orders,
everyone was only allowed a small sip of wine each day.
Finally, on the eleventh day, with only a day or two left to reach Chang'an, everyone was eagerly anticipating
delivering the goods and then enjoying their hard-earned money. After ten days of peace and quiet, most of the
镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) began to relax a bit. Xia Wenyi, burdened with heavy responsibilities, dared not slacken her efforts. She constantly
communicated with both teams via carrier pigeon, repeatedly reminding everyone to stay alert and persevere for the last few days.
Today's weather was relatively hotter than the previous days, and Zhang Shan's team was quite thirsty after walking for several hours on the official road
. He looked up at the sky; the midday sun was truly scorching. He looked back and saw that
the other镖师 (bodyguards) and 趟子手 (porters) in the team were all drenched in sweat. Because the weather had become increasingly hot these past few days,
the water Yun Yu had prepared for them was almost gone.
Zhang Shan sighed, thinking that the nearest town was still some distance away, so they decided to find a shady spot to rest before
continuing their journey. After walking a little further, one of the porters suddenly pointed to a hill ahead,
"There's a teahouse up ahead! We can rest there and quench our thirst!"
Everyone happily continued on their way, arriving at the teahouse in less than the time it takes to eat a meal.
The teahouse had only a handful of people. Besides three travelers resting, there was only an old innkeeper and
a waiter serving customers. After the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) sat down, they discovered that the teahouse sold both tea and wine.
One of the镖师 immediately shouted to the waiter, "Quickly, bring us some wine!" Zhang Shan, being mature and cautious, was
a little uneasy. "Brothers, getting on the road is the priority. Let's rest here for a while. As for the wine, we
can have a good drink after we reach Chang'an and deliver the goods!"
Another镖师 pulled out a silver needle from his pocket. "Brother Zhang, I have this thing; it can test
if there's poison in the wine!" The other镖师 were overjoyed and immediately urged the waiter to bring the wine.
The waiter placed a jar of wine on the镖师's table, and a strong aroma immediately attracted everyone
.
The镖师 holding the silver needle dipped it into the wine. After a while, when he took the needle out, he found that it hadn't changed color,
proving that the wine wasn't poisoned. The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were relieved and quickly poured the wine into their own gourds.
The镖师 who had led the way smiled and said to Zhang Shan, "Brother Zhang, this wine has been confirmed to be non-poisoned, and we're using
our own gourds, so let the brothers have a sip!" Zhang Shan couldn't find or think of anything
suspicious, so he could only nod in agreement, "Alright! Brothers, just one sip! After you've had your fill, we'll continue on our way."
The镖师 kept their promise and really only drank one sip of wine. After resting for a while, they got up, paid their bills, and continued on their way
. Before leaving, Zhang Shan used his knife to draw a circle on the bark of a large tree outside the teahouse. This was his
way of communicating with the two groups behind him, signifying that the place was safe and they could rest assured.
After walking for about the time it takes to eat a meal, the镖师 came to a winding, narrow
path flanked by trees on both sides. Zhang Shan frowned and shouted a warning, "Brothers, watch out for any movement on your left and right!" Each of them gripped
their sword hilts and walked cautiously.
Halfway there, the group suddenly saw the lead镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) fall one by one. Zhang Shan knew
something was wrong and immediately drew his weapon, simultaneously giving the order, "Brothers, retreat!"
Three men emerged from the woods ahead. The one in the middle was a tall, burly
man in his early thirties with a fierce appearance. He was actually quite handsome, but a scar on his face distorted his features,
making it look as if it had been split in two and stitched back together, a chilling sight. He carried an incense stick,
a sinister smile on his face, and slowly walked towards Zhang Shan and his group. The two men flanking him were also burly men,
wielding steel knives, looking menacing.
At this point, eight of Zhang Shan's men had fallen, leaving only Zhang Shan and one other镖师. Zhang Shan looked...
Seeing the man's scar, Zhang Shan suddenly remembered someone and exclaimed, "Could you be Scarface
Yu Peng, the second-in-command of Poison Dragon Valley?"
The man laughed loudly, "I am indeed Yu Peng! Hahaha! It seems only you two haven't been drinking!"
Zhang Shan looked closely and indeed, all the brothers who had drunk at the teahouse were already passed out, only he and
another镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who didn't drink were unharmed. "Was the wine poisoned?"
Yu Peng laughed incessantly, "The wine wasn't poisoned! It was just mixed with Poison Dragon Valley's Hundred Saints Herb. The Hundred Saints Herb itself isn't
poisonous! But when someone who drank the Hundred Saints Herb smells the Thousand Spirit Fragrance on my hand, the mixture becomes a potent sedative
! Hahaha! Our Poison Dragon Valley isn't just about poison!"
Zhang Shan immediately tried to take out a signal cannon from his pocket to warn Xia Wenyi and the others. However, the two burly men beside Yu Peng
simultaneously drew their weapons and attacked him, leaving him no opening to fire. The remaining bodyguard joined
the fray, and the four of them clashed.
Yu Peng watched coldly from the sidelines, waiting for his opportunity. Suddenly, he pulled out a spiked club from behind his back and
struck Zhang Shan head-on. Zhang Shan was terrified and could only raise his sword to block. Yu Peng's blow was powerful; although Zhang Shan blocked it,
his sword was already twisted.
Now that Yu Peng had made his move, his two burly men focused their attacks on the other bodyguard.
Outnumbered, the bodyguard was killed in less than three rounds.
Yu Peng continued to attack, laughing wildly, "You old codger, just surrender! I only want money, I don't
want to kill anyone!" Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Zhang Shan had no choice but to drop his sword and surrender.
Not long after, Xia Wenyi and her two companions arrived at the teahouse. As soon as Old Ma arrived, he pointed to
the mark Zhang Shan had left on the large tree outside the teahouse. "Master, it seems there's nothing wrong with this teahouse." Xia Wenyi nodded. "Then let
's rest here for a while. Let's eat some of our own dry rations and drink some of our own water."
After the five sat down, they smelled a strong aroma of wine. Old Ma and Old Zou couldn't help but swallow. Xia Wenyi
rolled her eyes at them. "We'll be in Chang'an in a day or two. Just bear with it!" The two could only nod helplessly.
At this moment, the waiter came over to greet them. "Sir, the steamed buns in our little shop are quite good! Would you like to
try some?" Xia Wenyi shook her head. "Thanks. Let's rest here for a while. I'll pay you for the tea later
."
The waiter came over again after a while. "Sir, our Tieguanyin tea is also famous far and wide. Would you
like a pot?" Xia Wenyi still shook her head. "Thanks. We have our own water."
The waiter came twice, and Xia Wenyi couldn't help but become suspicious. She carefully observed the waiter and noticed that although he
walked quickly, his stance was steady. Focusing further on his hands, she was startled to see
the prominent veins on the back of his hands, indicating he was a trained martial artist.
Xia Wenyi was alarmed and glanced at the shopkeeper. Although the shopkeeper feigned a dazed and listless appearance, he
occasionally flashed a sharp look, suggesting he was no ordinary person. Xia Wenyi frowned and gave Old Ma and Old Zou
a look, signaling them to leave. Old Ma nodded, left a few copper coins, and stood up. "Waiter, here's
your tip. We're on our way!"
The waiter came over, took the coins, and left without saying anything more.
As the three of them left the teahouse, they had to pass another table. At that table sat four middle-aged men dressed as merchants, their bellies bulging
. As soon as they passed, something strange happened. The four merchants, who had initially moved slowly
, suddenly became incredibly fast. Two of them reached out with grappling techniques to grab Xia Wenyi's neck and arms, while the other two attacked
Old Ma and Old Zou. At the same time, the waiter and the shopkeeper drew their steel knives and slashed at Xia Wenyi.
In an instant, Xia Wenyi was attacked by four skilled fighters simultaneously. She remained calm and nimbly spun around
, deflecting the grappling techniques aimed at her neck and arms. Simultaneously, her steel sword was drawn, and she
forced the waiter and shopkeeper back with several strikes. Meanwhile,
Old Ma and Old Zou were also engaged in a fierce battle with the other two merchants, the fight becoming increasingly evenly matched. Xia Wenyi
realized that she and her companions were in danger and needed to quickly alert the two groups of people behind her. So, she kicked over a nearby table
, blocking the waiter and shopkeeper's steel knives, and with a move of "Phoenix Soaring" on her steel sword, she forced the two merchants back. With a powerful leap, she
shot out of the teahouse like an arrow, simultaneously firing the signal flare hidden in her bosom. A loud
bang followed, and a thick plume of red smoke shot into the sky, clearly visible for miles.
Immediately after firing the flare, Xia Wenyi countered with a move called "Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens," piercing several
holes in the body of a merchant who had caught up with her. The merchant was wounded by several swords, but fortunately, Xia Wenyi didn't know her opponent's background and didn't want to kill him, so the swords
didn't hit any vital organs, only rendering him unable to fight.
Another merchant rushed over at this moment, using his eagle claw hand to try and disarm Xia Wenyi of her steel sword
. Xia Wenyi snorted coldly, thinking, "You're too arrogant." She calmly countered; just
as the merchant's eagle claw hand was about to touch her wrist, she twisted her wrist, and the blade slashed towards the merchant's palm, forcing him to quickly withdraw his hand.
Xia Wenyi knew the situation was critical and she needed to act quickly. After forcing the merchant back, she unleashed her trump card, the Phoenix Spreads
Its Wings. Spills of blood gushed from the merchant; he had been stabbed in the armpit and knee, and
collapsed to the ground, unable to fight for the time being.
The waiter and the manager, seeing Xia Wenyi's superior martial arts, felt a chill, but still gritted their teeth and charged with their steel sabers
. With two of her four opponents gone, Xia Wenyi pressed her advantage, unleashing a series of sword strikes that left the waiter and manager
flustered.
Just as Xia Wenyi was confident of victory, she suddenly heard Old Zou's scream; he had apparently been killed. A
pang of pain shot through her, and her sword strikes became even more ruthless, striking the waiter and manager repeatedly.
With a sharp cry, she rushed into the teahouse and found Old Zou lying in a pool of blood, while Old Ma was being
attacked by two bandits and was being forced back.
Xia Wenyi immediately swung her sword to his aid, forcing the enemy back. Old Ma retreated behind her. "Master, thank goodness you
arrived in time..." Xia Wenyi looked down at the ground and saw Old Zou with his eyes wide open, looking as if he had died with his eyes wide open in disbelief. A wave of
sorrow washed over her. She drew her sword to protect herself and Old Ma, and quickly walked out of the teahouse. She had barely stepped out when she suddenly felt a numbness in her back;
someone had struck her pressure points. She turned around in surprise and saw Old Ma grinning maliciously. It turned out he was the one who had ambushed her.
Xia Wenyi, despite her martial arts skills, collapsed to the ground, powerless, her vital points struck. Her eyes blazed with
fury as she glared at Old Ma through gritted teeth. "So you're the traitor!" Old Ma chuckled. "If I hadn't tipped you off, how could 　　anyone have ambushed you here,
given your secretive movements, boss ?" Xia Wenyi said fiercely. "Old Zou died at your hands, didn't he?" Old Ma 　　nodded. "Boss, that's called going all in!" He pinched Xia Wenyi's cheek. "I say, 　　boss, even when you're angry, you're still so beautiful! I really love you more and more the more I look at you!" 　　 The other two uninjured bandits also approached, leering. "Old Ma! This girl is fierce enough 　　, but she's definitely a great beauty! No wonder you joined our Poison Dragon Valley for her!" 　　The slightly injured waiter and the shopkeeper also leered over. "Old Ma, this bitch stabbed us a few times, so the two of us should 　　stab her a few times too! Anyway, you and she have plenty of time, let's have our fun today!" The men 　　burst into laughter. 　　 Old Ma, though originally intending to have Xia Wenyi all to himself, understood the situation and knew he had to 　　let the Poison Dragon Valley gang have their turn first. Reluctantly, he nodded . 　　 Xia Wenyi felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing they were from Poison Dragon Valley, but she tried her best to hold on. "Old Ma, I just 　　fired the signal flare, reinforcements will be here soon!" 　　 Hearing this, Old Ma and the other Poison Dragon Valley bandits laughed even more arrogantly. "Boss, boss! I think 　　they're in deep trouble now! Scarface Long Yu Peng from Poison Dragon Valley is already dealing with Zhang Shan's group. As for 　　Liu Jianding's group, I think they're doomed too! Hahaha!" 　　 Suddenly, Old Ma struck, striking several acupoints on Xia Wenyi's upper body. "Boss, now you ca 　　n't even bite your tongue and commit suicide! We'll let you enjoy yourself later! Hahaha!" The shopkeeper, 　　impatient, squatted down and began tearing off Xia Wenyi's clothes. "Enough talk! Let me start!" 　　 In no time, Xia Wenyi was only wearing her undergarment, and everyone swallowed hard at the sight of her fair skin 　　. The red dart she carried fell to the ground. A quick-witted waiter 　　snatched the small bundle containing the dart. 　　 The shopkeeper was a leader from Poison Dragon Valley, nicknamed "Flying Dragon" because of his exceptional lightness skills. 　　He was the one who led the ambush on Xia Wenyi. He pulled down Xia Wenyi's skirt, revealing her underpants. He saw 　　Xia Wenyi's fair legs, and his crotch visibly bulged, causing a noticeable reaction. 　　 Amidst the lewd laughter of the crowd, Xia Wenyi's remaining two pieces of clothing were stripped off, leaving her completely naked 　　and exposed to the obscene gazes of these thieves. Fei Tianlong hurriedly pulled down his pants, revealing his 　　already erect penis. The others cheered, "Go for it! Go for it!" 　　 Fei Tianlong leered and grabbed Xia Wenyi's breasts. He squeezed and rubbed them forcefully, 　　causing them to swell and deform. At the same time, his lower body was already positioned, ready to 　　violate Xia Wenyi's genitals. 　　 At this point, Xia Wenyi could only close her eyes, unwilling to look at the ugly face before her. A tear 　　of grievance rolled down her cheek 　　 .

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【The Reflection of the Sword Ridge】 (6 The world is treacherous, and people's hearts are unpredictable)

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