Chapter 5 Escort Agency (Part 2)

  The next day at dawn, as soon as the city gate opened, Chi Sun and Xiao Si followed the surging crowd into Jiangzhou City.

  At this time, it was during the Daye years of the Sui dynasty. Emperor Yang exhausted his military strength and recklessly launched wars, leading to widespread chaos and banditry throughout the land. However, the region of Bashu was far from the Central Plains and had high mountains as a natural barrier, so it had not yet been affected by war and banditry, and still presented a thriving and prosperous scene.

  Two people walked slowly along the street, and in the distance they saw a magnificent mansion standing majestically at the northeast corner of the intersection ahead.

  In front of this magnificent mansion, on either side of the stone platform stood a flagpole over 20 feet high. On the right-hand flag, on a yellow silk background, was embroidered a majestic tiger with wings sprouting from its ribs, vivid and lifelike. On the left-hand flag were embroidered eight large crimson characters: "Sword meets four seas, halberd connects eight directions", in bold and powerful strokes of silver hook and iron brush.

  On the vermilion gate hung a black wooden sign, with four gilded regular script characters reading "Huitong Pawnshop", and below it was another line of smaller golden words that read "Jiangzhou Branch".

  The bluestone steps are as high as nine levels, with eight tiger-backed and bear-waisted men standing on either side, wearing black clothes and armor, each one puffed out his chest and abdomen, majestic and powerful, like iron and steel forged in the smoke of years.

  Chi Xun Xia pulled Xiao Si to the entrance of the escort agency and said loudly, "Would you please announce that Chi Xun Xia from Kunlun has come to see General Escort Geng?"

  A tall, dark-clad guard saw that the Red Vulture's physique was like a mountain and his demeanor was extraordinary, so he didn't dare to be slow. He replied: "Please wait for a moment, I'll go inform Chief Geng immediately."

  He turned around and entered the room for a moment, and soon heard a loud laugh from inside the inn: "Chi Laoxiong, I thought you had long forgotten about us two old guys!"

  As soon as Xiaosan looked up, he saw two old men walking out of the gate shoulder to shoulder. The one on the left was white-haired but spirited and majestic, with a hint of elegance; the one on the right was tall and sturdy, with a face like a ripe date, wearing a bright red robe that stood out particularly.

  The one who spoke was the old man in red, surnamed Chu and named Lie, who was the deputy general of the Huitong Bureau's Jiangzhou branch. Over fifty years old, his temperament was like a raging fire. Relying on his ancestral "Fenghuo Liaoyuan Dao" (Eighty-eight sixty-four routes of wildfire sweeping through the prairie), he swept across Bashu, rarely meeting an opponent.

  He strode up to Chi Zhong Xiao and shouted loudly, "Brothers, take a good look! This is the one my brother Geng and I often talk about - Chi Zhong Xiao, the first successor of Kunlun Mountain's Yao Tai Palace. Four years ago, Brother Geng and I were escorting a convoy through White Sand Beach when we encountered the Golden Sand Seven Evils' ambush. Thanks to Chi Zhong Xiao's timely assistance with his knife, we managed to turn the tide and save everyone's lives! If not for him, our Jiangzhou branch would have been finished long ago! But Chi Zhong Xiao didn't even want a sip of water in return, let alone ask us to repay him. Tell me, brothers, doesn't this kind of hero count as a great benefactor of our Jiangzhou branch?!"

  "Agreed!" The eight black-clad men chimed in unison, their faces involuntarily revealing a look of admiration.

  Hong Jun waved his hand and smiled: "Chu big brother, what are you doing? If you continue like this, I'll have to find a crack in the ground to drill into."

  At this time, the white-haired leader of the Geng family, Geng Zhong, also walked up and said with a smile: "Chi Xiao Di, I have ordered people to set up a banquet in the hall. Today we must drink until we are drunk."

  Xiao Si watched as several people chatted enthusiastically, and in his heart he envied: "If I could be like Chi Da Ge, wherever I go I would be majestic and powerful, eating and drinking would all be taken care of, how great that would be."

  Everyone walked into the archery hall with laughter and chatter, passing through the martial arts arena in the front yard to arrive at the flower hall.

  Xiao Si suddenly smelled a savory aroma of wine and dishes, he had not known the taste of meat for many days, his eyes shone brightly as he stared at the table full of delicacies, the greedy worms in his stomach were going wild.

  Everyone took their seats as host and guest. Chi Xun Xiao said: "Geng Big Brother, Chu Big Brother, this is my newly sworn little fourth brother."

  He briefly told how he met Xiao Si, and how they joined forces to defeat Sha Wujing, forcing Zhong Kui and Yu Guilai to retreat. In the process, he couldn't help but praise his new sworn brother's cleverness and bravery.

  Geng and Chu, the two leaders of the escort team, admired Hong Jun's words and couldn't help but look at the young man in front of them with new eyes. Chu Lie slammed his hand on the table, picked up his wine cup and said: "Come on, little brother, have a drink with your elder brother!"

  Xiao Si has three things he's not afraid of in his life: one, mistaking a grave for a pillow; two, the dark night and strong winds; three, drinking contests with others.

  "He thought to himself: 'So Red Big Brother is also quite good at bragging, but I know my own business. When it comes to eating, drinking, playing and deceiving people, I, Xiao Si, am an expert. But when it comes to talking about loyalty and bravery, what does that have to do with me? However, in front of the two old men, I couldn't possibly lose face for Red Big Brother, or he might get angry and change three months into three years, and then three years into a life sentence.'"

  He put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth and stood up with a bowl of wine in his hands, saying: "Director Chu, I'm the junior one who will finish first!" He tilted his head back and drank the whole bowl of strong liquor without spilling a single drop.

  Chu Lie had always been fond of wine, and now he had met his match. He became even more delighted, saying: "Well done! Today I'll let loose and definitely keep you company for a good drink!"

  Then the old and young began to drink bowl after bowl, getting drunk until they were dizzy with joy.

  Hong Xun and Geng Zongbiao sat down on one side, changed to fragrant tea, and continued chatting. Looking at their enthusiastic and lively appearance, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Brother Chu, how many times have you not had such a pleasant drink?"

  Geng said, "He drinks every day, but it's not necessarily a pleasure."

  Hong Zun Xia heard a hint and asked: "Has the escort agency encountered any difficulties recently?"

  Geng Zongbiao shook his head and said, "The escort agency's business is still good, but half a year ago, the third daughter of the Chu family secretly ran away from home with a young escort in our agency. Until now, there has been no news from her. The old master of the Chu family was too ashamed to make it public, so he just got drunk to forget his troubles."

  Chi Xun Xiao exclaimed in surprise: "Is there such a thing?"

  Geng Zongbiao sighed, "It's also because Lao Chu's temper is too violent. That young man's timid and reserved nature doesn't match up to his, so...". He shook his head and smiled, saying, "If that young man had half of your second brother's boldness and cleverness, things wouldn't have ended up like this."

  Hong Xiaodao said: "To be honest with you, I plan to let my second brother stay in the escort agency for a while."

  Geng Zongbai nodded and agreed: "No problem, Brother Xian can stay as long as he wants."

  Chi Xun Xiao shook his head and said, "In a few months, I'll have to take him to Jiangnan to find the evil moon master." He then told about how he had used his pure yang divine skill and zhengyang guardian heart pill to suppress the strange cold energy in Xiao Si's body, which had temporarily alleviated his life-threatening condition.

  Geng Zongbiao listened quietly and said, "Hong Laoxiong, you can rest assured and leave. In the next few months, I and Old Chu will take care of him. Old Chu's cultivation of Fenghuo True Technique is also a yang energy, which should have some effect on alleviating Xiao Xiong's symptoms."

  Chi Xun Xia said without being overly emotional, "The four demons of Lanzhang are no longer a threat, but we need to be careful about their master, the old demon Banban, coming to seek revenge."

  Geng Zongbai waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter, if the old demon comes, I will think of a way to deal with it."

  Suddenly, there was a "thud" sound, Chu Lie had already fallen into a deep sleep from the chair and fell to the ground, snoring loudly.

  Xiao Si's face was completely red, and his eyes were bleary. He let out a belch and said: "Get up quickly, you haven't finished that bowl yet, don't think about sleeping..." His voice grew fainter and fainter, and soon he started snoring loudly and fell asleep on the table.

  He slept soundly until the next morning, and before he even opened his eyes, he felt a splitting headache, dry mouth, and parched tongue. He couldn't help but let out a low groan.

  He lazily opened his eyes, and vaguely saw himself lying on a comfortable and soft big bed. He didn't know when he had changed into clean new clothes, and the jade plate was neatly placed beside the pillow. Outside the house, the morning glow was faintly visible, and a strand of rose-colored light passed through the window screen and entered the room.

  "Not good!" Xiang Si thought of Chi Zun Xia and suddenly sat up in bed.

  Just then, the door creaked open and a refined-looking middle-aged man walked in with a bowl of hot soup, saying: "Fourth Uncle is awake? This is ginseng soup made by your father himself. It's good for sobering up and rejuvenating. Best to drink it while it's still hot."

  "Little Fourth Uncle?" Xiao Si's head was dizzy, he looked around and asked in a daze: "Who are you calling?"

  A middle-aged man smiled and said, "It seems like there are only Xiaosi and I in the house."

  He sat down on the chair in front of the bed and handed the medicine to Xiao Si.

  Xiao Si took the bowl with a confused face and suddenly asked: "Is there a mirror in the house?"

  The middle-aged man asked in surprise: "What do you want a mirror for?"

  "I want to see how many years I've slept and what I've become now. How did I wake up with an uncle calling me Little Fourth Uncle?"

  A middle-aged man lost his smile and said, "I am Geng Shaohua. My father is the head of the Jiangzhou branch of the Tongtai Bureau, Geng Nan Yi. He and Kunlun Chi Da Xia are sworn brothers, you are Chi Da Xia's sworn brother, so naturally you are my fourth uncle."

  Xiao Si had finally sorted out the complicated relationships, and was thinking that a forty-year-old escort agency uncle actually respectfully addressed himself as "Young Master Si", couldn't help but feel flattered and surprised.

  He took two sips of ginseng soup and asked: "Geng... that one..." but didn't know how to address the person in front of him.

  Geng Shaohua smiled and said: "Fourth Uncle can call me by my name directly."

  Xiao Si coughed twice and said: "Alright, Shaohua - virtuous nephew, has my elder brother left?"

  Geng Shaohua replied: "Yesterday before noon he hastily left without telling us where he was going."

  Xiao Si thought to himself: "Elder Brother Chi wouldn't even tell me, his sworn brother, about this. How could he possibly reveal his whereabouts to you?"

  He drank the ginseng soup in two or three gulps, and his spirits lifted greatly. The chill on his body also dissipated a lot. He then said: "I've slept for so long, can I go out for a walk?"

  Geng Shaohua said: "Wherever Fourth Uncle wants to go is fine, I'll go prepare the horses."

  Xiao Siyi was overjoyed when he heard the news, and hastily got out of bed to wash up. He said, "I've heard that the spring water chicken in Jiangzhou is very delicious. In your opinion, which family's is the most authentic?"

  Geng Shaohua had been entrusted by his father to take good care of this young fourth uncle, and upon hearing this, he nodded and said: "The spring water chicken at Nan Shan Wang Jiang Lou is the most famous, I'll take Fourth Uncle there to try some."

  Before the words had fallen, a silvery and crisp girl's laughter echoed from outside the window: "Daddy, you never eat spicy food, why do you suddenly want to go to Wangjiang Tower? Hmm, who is this little guy and why is he living in my house?"

  A gentle breeze carried the sound, and a bright-eyed, white-toothed, bean-sized young girl with a lovely smile walked into the house. She wore a red dress with a slender waist and full hips, her three-inch leather boots making soft rustling sounds, exuding an indescribable youthful beauty and elegant demeanor.

  Geng Shaohua hastily rebuked: "Wan'er, you mustn't be rude. This is your fourth uncle, why don't you greet him?"

  "Fourth Uncle, how old is he?" Geng Wan'er opened her big black eyes and looked up and down at Xiao Si, only to feel that this young man had a handsome appearance with brows and eyes like a painting, but looking at his own sparkling eyes in a silly and stupid way, was completely annoying, how did he become her fourth uncle?

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