The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

The Xiangjiang River is shrouded in mist and waves.

A large riverboat with a very deep draft is drifting downstream.

On the bow deck, two burly men, one sitting and one standing, vigilantly scanned the river surface.

"Hey Chief Escort, look, isn't there someone floating on the water ahead?" A young escort pointed to a small black dot on the water in the distance and asked hesitantly.

The man called Chief Escort Shi was a burly man with a dark complexion. He didn't even raise an eyelid upon hearing this. Instead, he slapped the young man on the back of the head with a light touch and said in a deep voice, "Chen Qi, you brat, have you fed all the rules for waterways that I just told you to the turtles in the river? Recite the three rules for waterways again!"

The young man named Chen Qi shrank back, not daring to hesitate for a moment, and quickly recited aloud: "Sleep during the day and be awake at night, keep your eyes peeled for all directions; never leave the boat, and never let anyone onto the boat; if you encounter any trouble, consult the chief镖师 (chief镖师) first!"

"Good that you remember!" Chief镖师 Shi turned his head, his gaze sweeping like lightning towards the spot Chen Qi was pointing to in the distance. "'No one on the boat!' The dangers of the martial world are even greater on water than on land. Who knows if that's a trap set by some river bandits, deliberately pretending to be drowning people, just waiting for us to have a change of heart so they can 'steal' them? This escort mission is of utmost importance; the lives and fortunes of everyone on board are intertwined, and we can't afford the slightest mistake!"

Chen Qi was scolded until his face turned red, but he still couldn't help but whisper in defense: "But...but Chief Escort Shi, what if he really did suffer a disaster...we just stand by and watch,...we can't live with ourselves."

Chief镖师 snorted, his expression softening slightly.

Chen Qi's somewhat kind and weak nature was naturally related to the atmosphere throughout the escort agency.

Chief镖头 Shi had spent half his life in the martial world, but he wasn't heartless. However, he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders and dared not be careless. He pondered for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense. Human life is of paramount importance. If someone is truly an innocent drowning victim, it would be a stain on our Fuwei Escort Agency's reputation if we stood by and did nothing. Here's what we'll do: go to the cabin and wake up the head镖头 (chief镖头, the chief镖头), and invite him over. This kind of matter needs his personal decision."

"Yes!" Chen Qi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and turned around to run quickly towards the cabin.

Before long, a middle-aged man with bright, piercing eyes walked steadily onto the deck under Chen Qi's guidance. He was none other than Lin Zhennan, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fuwei镖局 (escort agency).

He was now extremely energetic, clearly startled by Chen Qi waking him up.

By this time, the boat had approached, and the outline of the person on the water had become much clearer.

Lin Zhennan stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, squinting as he looked over, and asked, "Is this the person?"

Chief镖师 Shi bowed and said, "Reporting to the Chief镖师, it is indeed so. From a distance, I only thought he was a drowning ghost, but upon closer inspection, this person is quite robust, especially his right arm... He is probably a skilled weapon user. Chief镖师, in my opinion, it's best to avoid trouble."

Lin Zhennan smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said, "Old Shi, you only know one side of the story."

He paused, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "This man is robust and has a long, steady breath, clearly someone who has practiced martial arts for many years. But his skin is fair, unlike that of an ordinary person who frequents the martial world. More importantly, look at his bare upper body; there isn't even a single old scar. What does that mean? It means he must be a novice, and probably comes from a respectable background. In his daily fights, he usually stops short of defeat and has never suffered a loss."

He stroked his beard and continued his analysis: "I suspect this person was most likely a disciple carefully cultivated by some prestigious sect, but I wonder how he ended up in such a state, drifting on the river wearing only a pair of underpants?"

Just then, Shen An, who was floating on the water, seemed to sense something, slowly raised his eyelids, and glanced at the people on the boat.

His eyes remained completely still, without a trace of pleading, before slowly closing again, as if everything around him was irrelevant, and he continued to let his body drift with the current.

Shen An had recovered from the exhaustion of fighting in the water and was planning to find a secluded spot to get ashore on his own.

As the saying goes, even innocent people like drivers, boatmen, shopkeepers, and peddlers should be killed.

Seeing that everyone on the ship was armed, he became even less inclined to cause trouble and board any other ship.

Moreover, the boat was going downstream, which was exactly the opposite of his destination, Hengyang, upstream.

Seeing this, Chen Qi scratched his head and asked in surprise, "Chief镖头, this person... he looks like he's gone mad?"

Chief镖师 (镖头, a kind of镖师 ...

"Then... should we still try to save her?" Chen Qi pressed.

"Save him!" Lin Zhennan said decisively, his eyes shining even brighter.

"We absolutely must save him! In our line of work as镖行 (escort agents), it's all about 'three parts skill, seven parts connections.' Knowing people and having connections is the key to going far. If this person is truly a disciple of some famous sect, our assistance today will forge a good relationship. If his family or sect remembers this favor in the future, our Fuwei Escort Agency's flag will be able to fly in another place. This kind of favor is far more valuable than anything we can earn through actual combat! Besides…"

He looked around, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and said, "We have a whole ship full of brothers, so many steel knives, are we afraid of some young punk?"

His words convinced everyone.

Several bodyguards immediately fetched long ropes and threw them to Shen An.

Now that they were closer, Shen An in the water could hear their conversation clearly.

He was already impatient, but when he heard the words "Fuwei Escort Agency", his heart stirred.

We might as well go aboard and take a look at this ship.

Since the other party had already regarded him as a traumatized "foolish boy," and he didn't want to reveal his identity and cause unnecessary trouble, he was too lazy to make excuses anymore. So he went with the flow, pretending to be at their mercy, and let the bodyguards "rescue" him.

Once on the boat, Lin Zhennan noticed that he looked dull and didn't speak, which confirmed his suspicions. He then ordered someone to bring him a set of clean clothes to change into.

After he was dressed, Lin Zhennan asked gently, "Young man, where are you headed?"

Shen An raised his head, remained silent for a long while, and then slowly uttered two words: "Hengyang".

"Hengyang?" Lin Zhennan was taken aback upon hearing this and was at a loss for words.

This is completely contrary to his course of action; there is absolutely no turning back on the matter of escorting goods.

As he pondered how to deal with this person, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he clapped his hands, having come up with an idea.

He smiled at Shen An and said, "Young man, our boat is going downstream, so it's really inconvenient to take you to Hengyang. But don't worry, I, Lin, will never abandon you."

"I have an old friend named Li Donglai, a chivalrous and loyal man in the bandit world. He's incredibly influential and has connections throughout eastern Hunan. There's a dock downstream that's under his control. If I entrust you to him, with his abilities, finding out about your family or sending you back to Hengyang would be a piece of cake. What do you think?"