Raozhou Prefecture, east of Quzhou Prefecture.
Poyang County is located on the northern side of Raozhou Prefecture.
Two horses left Poyang County’s city gates, stirring up a cloud of yellow dust, and quickly vanished into the depths of the official road.
Traveling from Poyang County to Quzhou Prefecture takes two days, even with day-and-night fast riding.
Lin Chen was riding behind Hall Master Tai, galloping along the road.
This was his first ti traveling far, and along the official road, he saw many rchant caravans, each escorted by martial artists, looking wary as they saw the two of them.
"Hall Master Tai, do rchant caravans all have to hire martial artists for protection?"
Seeing several rchant caravans escorted by martial artists, Lin Chen was sowhat curious, because according to Lord Su and Lord He, martial arts were flourishing in Liang, and logically, there shouldn’t be any bandits or robbers.
Tai Rubai chuckled, "With martial artists as escorts, naturally no one would dare to hijack the goods. But without them, rchant caravans are conspicuous targets, and martial artists might get tempted to do sothing crooked."
Lin Chen understood, there probably weren’t any formidable bandit threats in Raozhou Prefecture, but with so many martial artists, it was like a grown man walking around with a gold brick in his hand, no one would dare rob him. But if a child were holding it, even passersby who had no prior ill intentions might be tempted.
For rchants, it’s not worth the risk.
"If a caravan doesn’t hire martial artists and encounters robbers, as long as no one is killed, the governnt office usually won’t pursue it in depth."
Tai Rubai remarked, and Lin Chen’s eyes widened, understanding Hall Master Tai’s underlying ssage.
It’s collusion between officials and bandits...
No, not really collusion between officials and bandits, just a tacit way to provide martial artists with a ans to earn a living. Everyone tacitly understands this.
Not every martial artist can rely on the governnt for work; if one spends a lifeti’s savings to study martial arts and ends up jobless, even if they aren’t very powerful, they’re still formidable compared to ordinary folks.
At that point, these martial artists would likely beco a destabilizing factor.
rchant caravans must hire martial artists for protection, giving them a livelihood.
Lin Chen even speculated that so martial artists might work as escorts by day and turn to robbing at night, targeting caravans without martial escorts.
It may not be just for the goods but to ensure the escort service continues to exist.
It’s pretty similar to ’raising bandits to secure your position.’
Within Poyang County’s territory, several martial artists from the caravans would stop and salute Tai Rubai, and Lin Chen glanced at these martial artists’ physique, knowing they were disciples from the Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall.
The disciples from the Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall, fad for being the most sought-after escort hall, surely lived up to their reputation.
However, after leaving Poyang County territory, the caravans beca more cautious towards the two. Most of these escorting martial artists weren’t from Poyang County and didn’t know Tai Rubai.
The journey continued safely without incident.
After a while, with the repeating landscapes looking more and more alike, Lin Chen lost his initial excitent and focused on traveling.
Two days later, weary from travel, Lin Chen and Tai Rubai appeared before the gates of Quzhou Prefecture.
The gates of Quzhou Prefecture, towering and imposing, resembled an insurmountable fortress.
The massive gates, sixteen in number, bustled with traffic endlessly, stretching out in queues that extended for a mile.
Tai Rubai led Lin Chen through the central path, the line with the fewest people.
A passage reserved for martial artists.
Only martial artists with opened acupoints could pass through.
"It’s Liang’s privilege for martial artists like us; Quzhou Prefecture is like this, and so is our Raozhou Prefecture. But if you’re with a caravan, you can’t take this path."
Tai Rubai explained to Lin Chen, ignoring the envious looks from the waiting crowds in other queues. He was used to such gazes.
As the two entered the city, Tai Rubai smiled and said, "Let’s take a bath first, change into clean clothes, and then visit Lord Li at the Li Mansion."
"A bath?"
So, does a dusty traveler get a spa treatnt?
Is he about to experience this world’s customs?
However, Lin Chen soon realized he was overthinking it. Hall Master Tai took him to an inn and booked two rooms.
Lin Chen smiled to himself, figuring, of course, even if Hall Master Tai would want so entertainnt after a dusty journey to Quzhou Prefecture, he wouldn’t do it with him along.
After all, as the Hall Master, he needed to maintain his image in front of his student.
The inn’s waiter prepared hot water, and after soaking in a hot bath to wash away the weariness, Lin Chen erged from his room refreshed, finding Tai Rubai already waiting in the front courtyard.
"The Li Mansion is so distance away from here, let’s go."
...
...
Quzhou, Li Mansion.
As the mansion of a Sixth-Grade Powerhouse, the Li Mansion was extrely impressive.
Even the gatekeeper was a martial artist with opened acupoints.
Tai Rubai announced his identity, and the gatekeeper led them to a side hall to wait.
"Don’t be nervous, Lord Li is a kind person, especially caring towards the younger generation. Just honestly answer Lord Li’s questions when you see him."
The main hall of Li Mansion.
Li Shun’an listened to the gatekeeper’s report, his brows slightly furrowing.
He knew of the Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall. When his father was young, he studied horizontal training, having heard about the unique techniques of horizontal training at Poyang County’s Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall, and went there to seek learning.
After staying at the Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall for a year, his father returned to Quzhou. However, due to this bond, during Chinese New Year, Hall Master Tai from the Mountain Suppressing Martial Arts Hall would visit, and his father would personally receive him.
"Father is visiting friends today and will be staying overnight at another estate, so arrange for them to stay at the mansion. I won’t be seeing them now."
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