novel-bin 31. A woman who possesses both beauty and wisdom
31. A woman who possesses both beauty and wisdom
into the night.
Ren Qingshan carried a package in each hand and left the inn quietly.
Two thousand taels of silver is only two hundred catties, which is as light as a feather to a silver-blooded martial artist.
The Lu family's robbery was caused by two factors: first, an inside informant leaked the information; and second, they used the salt transport as a cover... which actually caused a delay.
Who the inside man was was none of his concern, so Ren Qingshan didn't bother to find out.
Once the goods arrive and the freight is paid, the mission is accomplished.
Tsk.
A true "Universiade" driver.
After circling the town to make sure no one was following him, Ren Qingshan used his leg techniques to head straight towards the prefectural city.
Speeding like lightning.
Instead of taking the official road, we took a side road that ran parallel to it.
With eyes and ears constantly alert, listen to the sounds around you.
They ran until sunrise, and everything was fine; they had already covered more than a hundred miles.
Out of caution, Ren Qingshan did not continue on his way. Instead, he found a dense pine forest, went inside to rest, and recovered his energy.
It was noon.
They set off again, running for two hours and covering nearly a hundred miles without encountering any trouble along the way.
Before the hour of You (5-7 PM), one should decisively rest.
Traveling during off-peak hours is all about safety.
However, there is a place ahead that cannot be avoided, called Killing Tiger Pass.
There are sheer cliffs on both sides, with only one path in the middle.
Near Shahu Pass, a gang of ruthless bandits has been entrenched for many years, and most passing caravans have no chance of escaping.
At noon on the second day.
When Ren Qingshan was about thirty miles away from Kill Tiger Pass, he walked cautiously through the mountains and forests and saw that there seemed to be bandits' spies halfway up the mountain ahead.
The bandits chose an excellent spot, as they could see both the official road below and the surrounding environment.
They can advance towards the official road at any time, or retreat into the mountains and forests in an instant.
It seems... there's someone with a knife?
Ren Qingshan wasn't sure if this was the Silver Blood Swordsman, since many bandits also used knives.
After a moment's thought, I made the decisive choice... to take a detour!
Fighting is out of the question.
Two hundred taels of silver, why risk your life?
Taking the eastern side of this mountain and going around it, even though it adds 300 miles to the journey, is safer.
So Ren Qingshan decisively took a detour, which took an extra day, before finally returning to the side of the official road.
Noon on the fourth day.
When Ren Qingshan saw the majestic city ahead, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
I!
Ren Paopao!
Mission accomplished!
In fact, Ren Qingshan had a fleeting thought along the way: to take the two thousand taels of silver and run away, but he ultimately gave up on the idea.
With this successful collaboration, the Lu family will always have access to their funds whenever needed.
This world is a society based on personal connections; even a notorious thief without a powerful backer faces numerous restrictions.
One's martial arts foundation lies in the land.
……
into town.
After finding the place, paying the money, and verifying that everything was accounted for, Ren Qingshan received a handwritten receipt from the shopkeeper, Lu Jingxiao. While chatting over tea, he learned that Lu Jiu had already returned two days prior.
They also knew that the Lu family had three escort teams transporting silver and salt.
The first one was personally escorted by the head of the Lu family.
The second one was bet by Lu Jiu.
The third one was the one that Lu Qingyi and Fang Yonggang had just bet on.
There were three groups in total, each setting off secretly, to prevent any mishaps along the way that could lead to the complete annihilation of the entire force.
Lu Jiu's team didn't have any problems.
The group that the Lu family head was escorting was robbed and killed on the waterway. They had to hand over all their silver in order to survive.
However, he still suffered serious injuries and is currently unconscious.
Why is he telling me all this?
Ren Qingshan's mind raced with thoughts. Could it be related to a power struggle within the Lu family?
However, the situation was still unclear, so Ren Qingshan didn't say much. After receiving the receipt and two hundred taels of silver for shipping, he ate and drank his fill, took a good bath, changed into clean clothes, and left the prefectural city.
Come back home!
……
On his way back, when he passed by Shahu Pass, Ren Qingshan still chose to take a detour.
Two thousand taels of silver is money.
Two hundred taels is still money.
Besides, the former belongs to the Lu family, while the latter belongs to himself.
Damn bandits!
Silver blood isn't necessarily safe. Once I buy land, transform its energy, and cultivate jade marrow, I'll come back periodically to rob you of your silver!
……
Yushugou Town.
Lu Qingyi had been waiting here for seven days, and her anxiety grew with each passing day.
The three guards succumbed to their injuries and died.
The convoy was definitely not going anywhere, and the 10,000 jin of salt they were transporting could only be stored in Juyitang for the time being.
Fang Yonggang remained loyal; while recovering from his injuries, he sent people everywhere to inquire about the origins and whereabouts of the bandits.
Ren Qingshan, however, remained silent and never returned.
It was noon that day.
A horse galloped up at the entrance of the clinic.
Lu Jiu quickly dismounted from his horse, spoke with the guards at the gate, checked the injuries of each guard in turn, and then went to find Lu Qingyi.
He traveled home by water, inquiring along the way about the bandits who had robbed the head of the family, but found nothing. After returning home, he learned that the bandits had also been robbed along the way, so he rushed from Lu Family Village to provide assistance.
Upon meeting Lu Qingyi and Fang Yonggang, after exchanging pleasantries, Lu Jiu found an excuse to send Fang Yonggang away before reporting, "Miss, something has happened to Master."
He recounted in detail how the head of the family's branch had been robbed.
Upon hearing this news, Lu Qingyi's heart sank to the bottom.
Misfortunes never come singly!
"This is truly strange; my family must be being watched!"
"While there have been setbacks in previous years, nothing has ever come to this!"
"Miss...did you offend someone in the Divine Firmament Sacred Realm?"
Lu Jiu stared at Lu Qingyi's stunningly beautiful face, hesitated for a long time, and then slowly revealed his guess.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingyi's expression changed slightly, turning deathly pale.
I?
The mess I made!
A name suddenly popped into her mind. Lu Qingyi broke out in a cold sweat and murmured, "In my sect, I have a senior sister who is a noblewoman from the Liu family in Fucheng. She is jealous of my beauty and suppresses me in every way."
"Fortunately, I was protected by several senior brothers, but even so, my life was still not easy. When I went home this year, I... I even had the idea of quitting and didn't want to go back to the sect."
"She...she can't be that ruthless, can she?"
Lu Jiu's expression turned extremely serious upon hearing this.
"The Liu family of Fucheng?"
"Could it be the Liu family, the one with two members who passed the military examination?"
The Liu family in the prefectural city was not considered a top-tier aristocratic family, but rather a middle-class one. However, having two members who had passed the imperial examinations was truly a heaven-like achievement for a small salt merchant family in Lujiazhuang, Huaiyin County.
Lu Qingyi nodded silently: "Mm."
Upon hearing this, a hint of despair also appeared on Lu Jiu's face.
A martial arts graduate is at least a martial artist at the Jade Marrow Realm, and is a powerful figure in all directions. If they come to Huaiyin, even the local county magistrate will treat them as honored guests.
Besides, the Liu family has two!
With such family power, dealing with the Lu family would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Lu Jiu glanced at Lu Qingyi again, and only four words came to mind—"a beautiful woman is a source of trouble!"
She's truly a jinx!
But in the end, she didn't say it.
With such stunning beauty, how could it be her fault?
It's just that she was born into a merchant family, and the Lu family wasn't powerful enough to protect her!
……
One day later.
Ren Qingshan returned safely and arrived at Yushugou.
Actually, the route passed through a mass grave, but after thinking about it, I decided to let the yellow demon go for the time being.
The purpose of catching demons is to earn money.
Now that I have a huge sum of over 240 taels of silver, it would be best to go home first and buy some land.
Steady and reliable.
"Lu Qingyi, I'm back. The money was delivered safely. I'm just letting you know before I head home."
Find Lu Qingyi at the clinic, call her out alone, and give her Lu Jingxiao's handwritten reply, along with a brief explanation.
She looked rather haggard, her eyes lifeless, as if she had suffered some kind of severe injury.
"What's wrong with you?"
Lu Qingyi accepted the receipt, a slight sigh of relief washing over her. At least the matter was resolved. Forcing herself to remain calm, she cupped her hands and said, "Thank you very much, Senior. I... I'm fine. Have you received your payment, Senior?"
"Got it, two hundred taels. It was a pleasure doing business with you. If you need anything next time, just let me know."
Ren Qingshan spoke in a lighthearted tone.
Lu Qingyi nodded, hesitated for a long time, but still didn't mention the predicament she was facing.
Two jade-like stones and martial arts graduates—such formidable enemies would likely be difficult for even Ren Qingshan to deal with.
He chose to retire to the countryside simply for peace and quiet; it would be unwise to drag him into the murky waters of the Lu family.
Moreover...
Whether the enemy is actually the Liu family is still unknown.
We need to assess the situation further and wait for my father to wake up.
Perhaps there is a possibility of seeking peace?
"Senior, please go home first. I sent people to help with your spring plowing, but they haven't returned yet and I don't know the progress."
"I still have some things to take care of here. The injured nurse can't be left alone for the time being."
"Here is one hundred taels of silver as my personal gratitude for your generous assistance. Please accept it... In the future, if the Lu family ever encounters difficulties, we may still need to seek your help."
Lu Qingyi spoke softly, then took out two more ingots, totaling one hundred taels of silver, and handed them to Ren Qingshan with both hands, thinking of a long-term future.
A top-notch bodyguard earns over two hundred taels a year, and with various benefits, it's at least three hundred taels.
Wealth dispersed, people gathered.
A master like Ren Qingshan, who possesses at least the Silver Blood level, must regularly burn incense.
To avoid having to cram at the last minute and failing.
This time it was a coincidence that someone helped you; next time it might not be the same.
Ren Qingshan felt a slight surprise, and admiration appeared in his eyes.
This woman was truly beautiful and intelligent, with high emotional intelligence. She casually accepted the gift, saying, "Thank you very much. Goodbye! Feel free to contact me if you need anything!"
……
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