Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1283 Experience

Rumors that spread in the underworld often attract a lot of people's attention, and the older people are, the more they are affected. In this regard, Lu Qingxu, who has more experience in handling cases, is the one who sees the truth at a glance.

"He was stabbed three times in the back, but he didn't die in the bed. The branch leader is quite skilled in martial arts, so it's likely that the perpetrator was an acquaintance."

As Lu Qingxu pointed out these doubts, Captain Lu also came out of his misconceptions.

"Immediately arrest the person from the Salt Gang who was not here yesterday based on the characteristics of the murderer!"

Lu Qingxu nodded, but Lu Ning also added: "And the knife in the throat was probably caused by the assassin who killed the leaders of various gangs last night."

"Did two criminals break in last night?" Captain Lu has been searching here. It seems that he has not yet received information about the new discovery made by Young Master Han not long ago.

"One person arrived first, an acquaintance of the branch leader, and attacked from behind. After injuring a vital part, he left in a hurry. Then another person came in and stabbed the throat, confirming the death." Lu Qingxu said, "This is all we can see at the crime scene. If there are more clues, we may be able to reconstruct the whole incident. However, we have to leave tomorrow, so let Master Tong handle it."

"Thank you for your help." Captain Lu clasped his fists and immediately called on his men to go out and start the arrest.

"Let's go, An Ning. The follow-up matters are not something you and I need to worry about." Lu Qingxu waved at Lu Ning.

"But the second intruder..."

"An Ning, from the beginning to the end of the case, there is someone in charge here. Unless you want to catch the murderer and collect the reward." Lu Qingxu said, "Since it comes to this, I haven't asked. An Ning, when I return to the Huai Ling tribe, will you study with me in the tribe, or are you going to go out and venture into the world?"

"Out." Lu Ning replied immediately, "I'm not the type to sit down and read."

"Then you have to read and write classics. It's not just about how to behave in society, it's also about cultivating your character, so as to avoid violence and violence, and avoid being overly aggressive..."

  =

Just as Lu Qingxu commented, although Tong Zhixian was not very capable, he was still a person who would work hard to get things done. Hearing that the real murderer who killed the branch leader was arrested in the evening, Tong Zhixian went directly to the court to question the case. By midnight, the case had been solved.

However, Lu Ning didn't know what the specific grudge was, and she was more concerned about the news of the latecomer. The next morning, the yamen runner who had run errands many times came again, and this time he brought a hundred and fifty taels of silver, one hundred taels was the reward promised by County Magistrate Tong, and the other fifty taels were the thanks from the salt gang.

Lu Qingxu took out an ingot and gave it to the yamen runner as a reward for his hard work, and handed the rest to Lu Ning.

"You're not short of money anymore, right?" he asked with a smile.

Lu Ning nodded helplessly. Lu Qingxu's ability would allow him to easily make enough money in this era. Even if he didn't become an official, he would probably be able to achieve something else.

However, Lu Qingxu probably asked this question because he was afraid that she would really go and cause trouble for the bandits - from his memory, this Lu Ning was really capable of doing such a thing.

After packing up, they set out to the horse and carriage market to pull the donkey cart and rushed to the city gate. There were already some people who were ready to follow the escort team out of the city. After all, the escort company was powerful, and there were many people who wanted to take advantage of it. The "protection fee" handed in by these people was also an additional income on the escort journey. Lu Qingxu was able to join this team because of his face.

Lu Ning, who was driving the carriage, immediately saw Chen Yusheng who was also sitting in a carriage.

Chen Yusheng also saw her at the same time, smiled and waved at her, but said nothing.

Soon, the team from Hongwei Escort Agency also arrived at the city gate. Tang Qian was at the front of the team, and behind him were ten escort vehicles and more than thirty escort masters.

Tang Qian looked around, nodded slightly to Lu Ning, and then said, "Everyone, you should know the rules of the escort agency. I will say it again, the escort agency team will not wait for you along the way. If you can keep up, we will help you if you have any difficulties, but if you can't keep up, we will not wait for you. And if you follow the team, don't do anything without authorization. There were people who disguised themselves as members of the team in the past and intended to rob the escort. Don't let us suspect."

After saying that, Tang Qian gave a shout, and the escorts behind him began to escort the escort cart towards the city gate.

The people behind formed a team and followed the convoy. It takes about ten days to travel from Fengzhen to Daonan Prefecture, but along the way, there are few big towns like Fengzhen as a place to replenish supplies. Instead, there are many mountains and forests.

There were only a few people like Lu Ning and Lu Qingxu who could drive. Most people could only keep up with the team on foot. Fortunately, the escort team was not very fast, and they would stop every few steps to let the horses rest, so people could keep up.

Some of those who were following for the first time felt relieved when they saw that the situation was not as bad as they had expected when they first left the city, and some of those who were following them also began to chat with each other.

After walking for three days, they entered a mountainous area and people became alert again.

Mountainous areas are always full of bandits and robbers, which makes people nervous. Some famous mountain roads are basically one-way trips.

As expected, about two hours after entering the mountain, a whistle suddenly sounded in the woods on both sides, followed by shouts, and the escorts immediately guarded the escort car. A moment later, dozens of strong men holding machetes jumped out of the woods. The leader slammed his machete and group card into the ground and shouted loudly:

"There are four winds under the green pine ridge, where are the temples with a few lights?"

Tang Qian reined in his horse and replied with a smile: "In front of the temple of the God of Wealth, there is an old man weaving shoes, and two lamps are lit in the window of West Lake."

Upon hearing the voice, the big man immediately shook his head and saluted: "Are you from the Hongwei Escort Agency? Who is the escort leader?"

"The white moon over the lake is full at midnight, and gold coins are scattered on the roof of the building." Tang Qian replied.

Lu Ning saw that the big man and the bandits around him relaxed a little at this time. It seemed that just answering the first sentence might not be enough.

"Captain Tang, long time no see."

"Brother Teng, I recognized it was you!" Tang Qian dismounted from his horse, waved slightly behind him, and went to meet him.

The leaders of both sides punched each other in the middle, then Tang Qian took out two bags from his arms and took out a pinch of tobacco from one of them. The big man then took out a pipe from his back, stuffed the tobacco in it and lit it.

"good."

"It's made in Wumen, and I'm giving it to you brothers. The other bag is also for you brothers' hard-earned money." Tang Qian said cheerfully, "How's your business these days?"

"It's a mess, and business is hard to do." The big man exhaled a puff of smoke. "It is said that the remnants of the Demon Cult have revived again. They dare not go to the towns to plunder, so those villages and our mountain strongholds have become their targets. Now even doing business has to be done with people. What if we run into some guys we can't afford to offend, and our brothers will be killed for nothing."

"The world is in chaos and it's hard to do business." Tang Qian sighed.

"Where is Captain Tang escorting this time?" "Daonan Prefecture, Brother Teng, how many friends and enemies are there on the road?"

"My friend, just prepare for the two from Black Dragon Ridge and Juekong Mountain, and just fight the others. You are a bunch of ignorant youngsters who think that becoming a bandit is something anyone can do." The big man sneered, "They are old friends of Hongwei Escort Agency. The people from Luo's Bank attacked here the other day, and the leader was a rookie who I don't know where he found them from, and he didn't even know how to cut."

"We don't ask about other people's business." Tang Qian shook his head. "Then, Brother Teng, what about this road?"

The big man grinned, turned his head and shouted loudly: "Brothers, it's Tang, the escort leader of Hongwei Escort Agency. Old friend, please send an old friend off!"

The bandits roared and moved aside. Tang Qian nodded, clasped his fists to the big man, and walked back, waving his hand: "Let's go!"

The people behind followed the escort team with some trepidation. The gangsters pretended to be vicious to scare them, but no one really took action.

Only after they passed through this forest did they feel that they were alive.

Lu Qingxu, on the other hand, was not nervous at all.

"It is a tacit fact known to most people that the escort agency knows the bandits around here." He passed on his experience to Lu Ning, "This is not considered collusion. There is no end to the fight against bandits, and the escort agency has to make a living. Escorting does not rely on martial arts, but on face. The face that Escort Captain Tang has is more valuable than the secret manual of magic skills around here."

"But Captain Tang still gave the money." Lu Ning knew what was in the other bag.

"You need to maintain your face," Lu Qingxu said. "Ah Ning, if money can buy time, favors, or even life, then it is well worth it. So I don't care where or how much I spend my money on. I just want to know that the money is spent where it should be spent."

"So, those traveling together on this journey need to pay for passage?"

"Only if you have face can you afford to pay the bribe. If you don't even have face, they can just leave everything you have." Lu Qingxu stroked his beard, "Aning, do you understand the incision?"

"I understand a little bit, don't you understand?"

"If you want to travel the world in the future, you will need these. This term is different from the jargon used by bandits. It is commonly used by people in the world to recognize each other." Lu Qingxu began to explain to Lu Ning with a smile, "The first question is to report your mountain first, and then ask about your origins. The sentence that Escort Leader Tang followed was the response. The Temple of the God of Wealth is open for business, the Shoe Weaver is a business that relies on walking, the West Lake Window is opened by the Water Margin Lake, and the two lights, with the previous two lights, it is the escort agency."

Lu Ning took note of it carefully.

"But if we only deal with these, there will still be people who have learned the incision techniques and can make up a set of them. That's why there is a second question. The person asking the question no longer uses the incision techniques, but the person answering the question must use the incision techniques. If the person answering the question just now was Tang Qian from Hongwei Escort Agency, then both parties really know each other and I'm afraid they will fight."

"So strict?"

"The rules of the martial arts world today are all based on the losses that people have suffered in the past." Lu Qingxu sighed.

Next, Lu Qingxu began to teach Lu Ning how to use various incisions. No one knew where he learned these from. Lu Ning wrote them down one by one. These things would definitely be useful for her to travel the world in the future.

Two days later, the team encountered a group of "unruly" bandits. These people did not look as threatening as before. They were all skinny and hungry, and the weapons in their hands were hoes and sticks. Only the leaders had knives. Tang Qian asked a question but got no response. Instead, the other party, relying on the fact that they had 50 or 60 people surrounding them, immediately threw out the gold darts and killed the two leaders. The group of people immediately dispersed.

"Everyone is here to make a living. If you want to discuss something, you should give each other face. But if you want to win, you have to consider whether you have the ability to do it."

Lu Qingxu commented. Even a man like him still abides by these conventional rules - after all, the rules were established by them. Lu Ning could see that these bandits were probably villagers who had no other choice but to go up the mountain, and they didn't even know martial arts. She didn't pity these people who wanted to rob others out of desperation, but she felt that more and more people in this world might have no choice but to take this path.

The two bodies were burned to prevent the plague. Tang Qian did not chase the remaining bandits, but slightly sped up and led the team through the forest.

The situation of masters robbing the escort that would happen in many martial arts stories did not happen, and in fact escorting was just such a job. Tang Qian escorted the escort to Daonan Prefecture on time, and when he saw the gate of the prefectural city, the people who followed him also breathed a sigh of relief.

"From now on, our fate along the way has come to an end." Tang Qian bowed to everyone, "It's a blessing that we had a safe journey and no one was injured. If we are destined to meet again in the future, we will meet again in the rivers and lakes."

After saying this, he led his team to the city gate.

"Hongwei Escort Agency has arranged for them to pass through the city gate first." Lu Qingxu opened the curtain of the carriage and looked at the city in the distance. "Daonan Prefecture is only two days away from Zhenjian Villa. Let's replenish some water and food and set off today."

"Since you two are also going to Zhenjian Villa, why don't you find a companion?"

Chen Yusheng approached quietly from the side, and Lu Ning noticed him coming, but since he was on her side, there was no need to worry about him playing tricks.

"Oh, little brother, you are also a man of the world? What school or sect do you follow?" Lu Qingxu sounded very experienced when he spoke.

"Kunwu Chen family, Chen Yusheng."

Lu Qingxu narrowed his eyes slightly: "The Kunwu Chen family, is it the home of the eldest son Chen Xingcan, or the second son Chen Xingran?"

Chen Yusheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "My father is Chen Xingran."

"Excuse me, my apology. I wonder if Master Chen is going here to represent the Chen family or the Second Master Chen?"

"Of course, on behalf of my father."

"Let's be frank, my friend Chen. If you are traveling on behalf of the second young master Chen, where are your servants and guards? Since I know the Kunwu Chen family, I also know some things about the Chen family. My father and I are not people from the underworld. We just know one or two friends and don't want to get involved in trouble." Lu Qingxu said with a smile.

After hearing what he said, Chen Yusheng could only bow awkwardly and turned away.

"A Ning, have you met this person before?"

"I met him once."

"The Kunwu Chen family is divided into two branches. The eldest son of the Chen family is good at hidden weapons, and the second son of the Chen family is good at firearms. By their generation, there is a lot of rift between the two branches. Don't make friends with them privately, or there may be trouble."

"Yeah, I know." Lu Ning nodded, and at the same time, she roughly guessed what Chen Yusheng's mission was.