Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Shen Chu stood beside the convoy, carrying her luggage.

He glanced back at the gate of the Li residence, his gaze lingering for a moment on the plaque above the gate that read "Li Residence," before turning away and boarding the last carriage.

"Set off!"

Xu Zhibao cracked his whip and shouted loudly.

The convoy started slowly, its wheels making a rumbling sound as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.

As the sun rose, the group slowly made their way along the official road toward Qingyang County.

......

The convoy traveled smoothly for two days.

The weather has been fine for the past two days. The official road is flanked by rolling fields and sparse villages. Occasionally, farmers carrying loads on their shoulders pass by the roadside on their way to the market. When they see government officials in the distance, they voluntarily give way and everything seems peaceful.

In the last carriage, Shen Chu was sitting atop a pile of goods.

His gaze seemed casual, but he was actually carefully scanning his surroundings.

His position provided excellent visibility, allowing him to see the road ahead clearly as well as be aware of any activity on either side.

During their lunch break, Xu Zhibao came over with a water bag, handed it to Shen Chu, and sat down beside her.

He unscrewed the water pouch, took a sip, and casually asked, "Master Shen, are you from Wangchuan County? Who else is in your family?"

Shen Chu took the water pouch, thanked him, took a sip, and replied, "There aren't many people left, just a few old houses. Let's go back, take a look, and tidy up."

He spoke vaguely, and Xu Zhibao didn't press him for details. Instead, Xu Zhibao started talking about his background.

It turns out that he came from the Xu family's escort agency in Qingyang County. The Xu family had been operating an escort agency in Qingyang County for three generations, with more than a hundred escorts under their name. They were a prominent family in the entire Qingyang County.

Xu Zhibao was born into a collateral branch of the Xu family. He was not ranked high in the family and did not inherit much of the family property. Therefore, his family sent him to work as a constable in Changping County as a way to gain experience and accumulate some seniority and connections.

After listening, Shen Chu had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Although Xu Zhibao is just a constable, with his grassroots work experience and the powerful Xu Family Escort Agency behind him, his future development will likely be much faster than it appears on the surface.

Although Xu Zhibao was ostensibly chatting casually, he was subtly asking strange questions, which made Xu Zhibao more wary.

In his past life, Shen Chu was a master of feigning ignorance. He spouted a bunch of nonsense at Xu Zhibao, leaving Xu Zhibao extremely frustrated.

Damn it, this Master Shen looks like he has thick eyebrows and big eyes, but why does he talk so slyly?

"Shen Chu! Shen Chu!"

On the other carriage, Li Chengwen was leaning against the cargo, munching on a scallion pancake, his mouth dripping with oil.

Seeing Shen Chu and Xu Zhibao chatting animatedly, he became curious and beckoned Shen Chu over.

Shen Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief, ending her awkward conversation with Xu Zhibao, and sat down next to Li Chengwen.

What did you talk about with him?

"It's nothing, we just chatted about Officer Xu's family. He comes from a prominent family and was complaining to me, saying that every family has its own troubles." Shen Chu smiled.

"Yes, every family has its own problems..."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengwen suddenly stopped chewing his biscuit and looked towards the distant horizon.

"Shen Chu, do you know why I'm going all out this time?"

His tone carried an unusual seriousness.

Shen Chu shook her head.

Li Chengwen was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "When I was a child, my family was actually quite poor. My father hadn't made his fortune yet, and he would take me from house to house collecting scrap metal. It was common for the two of us to share a bowl of plain noodles. Later, things gradually got better, and we opened a blacksmith shop. The business grew bigger and bigger, and then my second brother was born..."

He paused slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "The year my second brother was born, our family business was just getting on track. We hired more than a dozen employees, and life suddenly improved. From then on, my father's gaze towards me changed. He thought I was fat, stupid, and incompetent. He couldn't see anything that suited me as well as my second brother."

He gave a wry smile, looked down at his round belly, and patted it self-deprecatingly:

"To be honest, I know I can't win Dad's favor as well as my second brother. But I'm not convinced. I'm also Dad's son, and I want to do something for this family."

As he said this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and his tone became much firmer:

"I owe this order to my eldest sister. She's always been very kind to me, and she knows I want to prove myself, so she's secretly helped me a lot. I can't let her down, and I can't let my second brother look down on me. I must deliver this shipment to Qingyang County smoothly and show Father that I, Li Chengwen, am not someone to be trifled with!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chu couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, you keep mentioning 'eldest sister'... May I ask who this 'eldest sister' is?"

Just as Li Chengwen was about to answer, Xu Zhibao suddenly shouted in a low voice:

"stop!"

The entire convoy stopped immediately.

Xu Zhibao stood on the carriage, shading his eyes with his hand, squinting as he looked at the hillsides on both sides of the official road in the distance.

The hillside was covered with bushes about waist-high. When the wind blew, the grass and trees swayed, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But Xu Zhibao's expression turned serious. He slowly drew the sword from his waist and whispered, "Something's not right. There might be an ambush ahead."

Upon hearing this, the drivers turned pale with fright.

Even the four constables gripped their long sticks tightly, exchanging bewildered glances.

Li Chengwen suddenly laughed heartily, stood up from the carriage, patted his chest, and said loudly, "Don't panic! I anticipated that the road might be turbulent, so I made preparations in advance!"

Everyone was taken aback and turned to look at him.

Li Chengwen proudly raised his chin and pointed at Xu Zhibao:

"I already asked Constable Xu to transfer a team from the Xu Family Escort Agency to secretly follow us. As long as there's any situation on our side, just give them a signal, and they'll be there immediately! Everyone, relax, go about your business, eat as usual. With me, Li Chengwen, here, nothing will happen!"

The crowd looked at Xu Zhibao with a mixture of belief and skepticism.

Xu Zhibao's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly, confirming Li Chengwen's statement.

The group breathed a sigh of relief, gripped their weapons tightly again, and continued on their way.

But Shen Chu noticed that although Xu Zhibao nodded, there seemed to be a subtle flicker in his eyes.

Shen Chu didn't make a sound, but quietly untied a corner of the silk cloth covering the long knife on the carriage and gently pulled out a knife.

The convoy continued for about two miles and entered a narrow pass.

The mountains on both sides of the pass gradually narrow, and the forests become extremely dense.

On both sides are steep earthen slopes covered with dense shrubs and weeds, making visibility extremely poor.