The Unruly Immortals

In the inn's back courtyard, after hearing what Chun Xiaoman said, Dog Child felt an urge to disagree.

"So what if you only know one move? Have you heard of 'a unique move conquers the world'? A single move can kill," he retorted.

Chun Xiaoman snorted coldly, right foot sliding into a bow stance as the longsword flashed out of its sheath. She thrust straight at Dog Child.

Before Dog Child could react, the longsword was already hovering in front of his nose.

With a "clang," the longsword returned to its scabbard. Chun Xiaoman turned and left without another word.

Glancing at Young Yang, who had been watching nearby, the embarrassed Dog Child's face flushed red. "She sneak-attacked me. If it were a real fight, she might not necessarily beat me."

Young Yang saw Chun Xiaoman leaving the inn's courtyard and nodded repeatedly at Dog Child. "Mm-hmm, Brother Cao Cao is right."

After showering Dog Child with flattery that brought a smile to his face, Young Yang quickly followed after her.

When he caught up with Chun Xiaoman on the street, he saw she had arrived at a large entryway bearing an Escort Agency banner.

He quickened his pace and entered alongside her.

While glancing at the Taoist Boy beside her, Chun Xiaoman said, "Don't run around aimlessly; the world is in chaos right now, and there's no shortage of thieves and child snatchers."

"Got it, I'll be more careful next time, Sister. Can I follow you this time, though? I'll just watch and not cause any trouble."

Seeing the earnest look in Young Yang's eyes, Chun Xiaoman didn't say anything more.

The inside of the Escort Agency was vast and crowded, its courtyard filled with horse-drawn carts and ox-carts.

"There are so many people here," Young Yang said, sidestepping a pile of horse manure.

"That's normal. The more chaotic the world, the more money Escort Agencies make. If there were peace everywhere, there would be no need for Escort Agencies," Chun Xiaoman explained.

As soon as she finished speaking, a burly man in a short outfit approached them. He was very tall, a full two heads above Chun Xiaoman, exuding an imposing aura with each step.

When he reached them, he quickly assessed the woman in the black veil, then gave a firm fist salute with his calloused hands, a trace of a smile on his face. "Miss, are you looking to request our escort services?" he asked.

"I'm somewhat practiced in the martial arts myself and have heard that every reputable Escort Agency has highly skilled bodyguards. Thus, I've come to make friends through martial arts and exchange some pointers," she replied.

Struck by Chun Xiaoman's candidness, the bodyguard in front of her paused; this wasn't the first time he'd encountered such a situation, but it was certainly the first time a woman had come looking to make friends through martial arts.

After a moment's contemplation, he gestured with the hands he'd just used to salute. "Miss, there's a saying, 'No kindness in curses, no mercy in fights.' Perhaps we should forget about this, you see, the Escort Agency is very busy, and all the bodyguards are out on escorts."

Chun Xiaoman wasn't surprised by the response; after all, why would the man agree to spar for no reason when he was busy with business?

She reached into her bosom, rifled around, and then handed over a piece of silver. "I am self-taught and would appreciate any guidance you could provide."

"This..." Wang Chengxing hesitated upon seeing her determination to spar, not because of the silver, but because he was trying to guess her true motive.

He feared that her request to make friends through martial arts might be a ruse, a pretense of weakness with the real intent of making a name for herself.

The bodyguards of the Yu Yong Escort Agency had many branches because they were capable fighters. If a young lady easily defeated them, their reputation in the Jianghu would be tarnished.

"What's the background of this young lady? Could she be a top-notch fighter hired by Guang Sheng Escort Agency to ruin our business? With the business booming this much, are those big-sword wielders still after our territory?" he wondered.

Those who could be bodyguards are not only skilled in combat but also quick-witted. Before long, Wang Chengxing had thought of an idea to defuse the crisis.

He first reached out to take the silver Chun Xiaoman had in front of her, and then said, "Since the young lady insists, please follow me."

Passing through the parked carriages and the bustling hall, Wang Chengxing led them toward the backyard.

The unfamiliar environment made Yang Xiaohai unconsciously move closer to Xiaoman. "Big Sister, they wouldn't be plotting something nefarious, would they...?"

Looking around the surroundings, Chun Xiaoman shook her head, "This is an Escort Agency, not a den of bandits. Those who run escort agencies value their reputation the most. If their reputation were ruined, no one would hire them to escort goods."

Behind the bustling agency, there was a spacious backyard, where a weapons rack was filled with all kinds of weapons. Some youngsters dressed in black were sparring and training their strength, presenting a scene much like a martial arts training ground.

"All of you come over here!" Hearing Wang Chengxing's loud call, everyone in the yard stopped their activities and came over.

"Hello, Uncle Wang!"

"Hello, Grand Master!"

"Have you eaten, Master?"

After scanning the crowd in front of him, he pointed at a silent young man. "You there, Tian Ci, come out and have a go with this young lady. Remember, make friends through martial arts, and stop at a touch."

Having said this, Wang Chengxing pulled another person over to guard the gate, making sure outsiders couldn't enter.

There were two advantages to this approach, one being that even if they were defeated, no one would know, so the Escort Agency's reputation wouldn't be affected.

Secondly, even if the people behind this young lady stepped forward to confront them, they could say that the one who fought was just a junior who hadn't yet completed his training, so it would be normal to lose.

Besides, he hadn't lied. Although Tian Ci was exceptionally talented and hardworking in training, to the point of matching some of the bodyguards, his current identity was indeed that of a junior.

Looking at the curious young man sizing her up in front of her, Xiaoman didn't fuss; she only needed an opponent to test the results of her training over the past few days.

Just as she was about to draw her longsword, Xiaoman, seeing the unarmed young man in front of her, felt it would be inappropriate to compete with a real weapon; it wouldn't be fun if she accidentally injured him.

Luckily, the martial arts training ground was not lacking in weapons, and a finely-honed bamboo sword was handed to Xiaoman.

The young man opposite her didn't take a sword, but rather a rattan shield, which had a strange shape: wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with two protrusions at the front resembling the fangs of a wild beast.

Watching him holding the shield with an odd stance readied for combat,

Xiaoman's brows furrowed slightly as she raised her sword and made a tentative straight thrust with a simultaneous stepping motion.

"Du~!" The wooden sword struck the rattan shield, making a muffled sound.

The young man quickly unloaded the force downward then immediately pushed forward, knocking Xiaoman's longsword aside in an instant.

Taking advantage of Xiaoman's open guard, he stepped forward with his right foot and pushed hard with both hands, driving the wooden spikes at the front of the rattan shield straight toward Chun Xiaoman's neck.

Chun Xiaoman, who had never experienced such a scenario, was somewhat flustered and hurriedly tried to block with her sword.

But by the time her sword was halfway there, the wooden spike had already stopped at Chun Xiaoman's neck.

The rattan shield was withdrawn, and the young man stood steady with his hands clasped in a salute, "Thank you for the match."