knife

Chapter 376 Bodyguard
He had a full beard, wore soft armor, and had a steel knife tucked into his wide leather belt.

The knife looked very ordinary. The handle was wrapped with hemp rope, and there wasn't even a decent scabbard. It was just two pieces of trimmed bamboo holding the knife, with the blade fully open.

Those who don't know much about this might look down on the man's crudeness, but those who do know will know he's not someone to mess with just by looking at the knife.

I craned my neck, looked at the inn with the "Little Joy" sign hanging above it, and nodded. This is it.

Step into the store.

There were three tables of customers in the shop. The customers at the two tables on the left and right were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes. Although they were wrapped in cotton-padded coats, you could tell from their silhouettes that they were also wearing soft armor underneath. There were only three people at the table in the middle. An older man was wrapped in a thick fox fur coat, but he still seemed to be unable to resist the cold. He was holding a small hand warmer in his arms. On his left and right were a young man and a young woman, who looked to be only in their early twenties. When they saw the bearded man come in, they looked at him curiously.

"May I ask if it is Manager Jiang in person?" The bearded man clasped his hands in a fist and asked the old man in the center.

"I am Jiang Shiyuan, and you are Li Bao?" the old man asked.

"Yes!" the bearded man replied.

“Since it was recommended by Manager Xiao Le, I naturally trust him. But as you can see, there are quite a few brothers here who do the same thing as you. If you want everyone to get along well along the way, you’ll have to show some skills, because this journey will definitely not be peaceful. So, no one wants to bring a burden on the road, right? Our team already has three burdens, that’s enough, we can’t have any more!”

Jiang Shiyuan said this with a grin, and the man and woman sitting on either side also laughed happily, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the old man Jiang was calling them a burden.

Li Bao turned to look at the other two tables, gripping the hilt of his knife, and shouted, "I am Li Bao. Which brother would like to offer his guidance?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man in his early forties stood up. "Wei Donglai is the leader of this team, so let me give you a taste of your abilities!"

"Alright!" Li Bao drew his sword.

No one expected that Li Bao would draw his knife without saying a word. Wei Donglai was even more surprised. Before he could finish speaking, a cold light flashed before his eyes. Startled, he quickly retreated and reached for the knife at his waist.

However, when he reached out, he found nothing.

The glint of the blade before his eyes faded, and upon closer inspection, he saw that Li Bao's iron sword across from him had a sheathed sword hanging from it. If it wasn't his own sword, whose was it?
With that last slash, they actually cut through the leather strap of the sword and easily snatched it away.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the store.

Jiang Shiyuan's eyes lit up, and the man and woman next to him widened their eyes and immediately started clapping.

Just moments ago, the blade flashed brilliantly, a truly spectacular sight. But as the white light faded, Wei Donglai, the martial arts master on their side, was defeated without even making a single move.

Even someone who doesn't understand martial arts could see that Li Bao could have killed Wei Donglai with ease just now.

"Eighth rank?" Wei Donglai asked, still in shock.

"I'm just one step away from the ninth rank!" Li Bao said with a smile. "My master said that what I lack now is experience, so he sent me out to get some exposure."

"Excellent!" Jiang Shiyuan laughed loudly. "With such a master, this business trip is sure to be smooth sailing. Come, come, Brother Li Bao, have a seat!"

Pointing to the opposite side, Jiang Shiyuan laughed.

Li Bao didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly, cupping his hands in greeting and saying, "Manager Jiang and Manager Xiao said that you're going to Danyang this time?"

“Indeed, what’s wrong? Is Brother Li Bao having some trouble? Although Danyang is the capital of Chu, for us businessmen, we go wherever there’s profit. Whether it’s Chu or Qin, it doesn’t really matter! If it’s inconvenient for Brother Li Bao to go to Danyang, he can disembark once he enters Chu territory!”

"No, no, no, I was just thinking of going to see the capital of Chu!" Li Bao laughed, slamming his iron sword on the table. "I've learned quite a few swordsmen here in Chang'an. I've heard there are many good swordsmen in Danyang, so I'd like to go and see for myself. Maybe it will help me advance further!"

"The largest sword-wielding sect in Danyang should be the Five Tigers Severing Gate Sword Sect. They have many skilled fighters. How old are you, Brother Li Bao?"

"Twenty-seven!" Li Bao said.

“Oh my, at twenty-seven years old, you are at the peak of the eighth rank. Among the Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber, I’m afraid there is no one who can compare to you.” Jiang Shiyuan said, “Brother Li is truly a young talent.”

“Those with higher cultivation levels can also exchange blows!” Li Bao chuckled.

“Brother, with such skill, why don’t you join the army? In the current state of Qin, someone with your skills would be able to make a difference in the military!” Jiang Shiyuan asked. Li Bao shook his head: “We’re all family, killing each other is meaningless. Once I’ve mastered the art of the sword, I’ll either go north to slay those barbarians from the Yuan Kingdom, or go to the far south to slay the Yi people.”

Jiang Shiyuan was taken aback, then gave Li Bao a thumbs up and praised, "I never expected Brother Li Bao to have such lofty aspirations!"

Li Bao chuckled and said, "A real man should be like this."

Looking at Li Baozhi's smug expression, the boy at the table laughed and said, "Brother Li Baozhi doesn't actually need to go to Danyang to hone his swordsmanship. Yang Lixin, a general under He Zudao, is a master swordsman. He used to be at the peak of the eighth rank, and I heard that he has made great strides in his swordsmanship this year. He is just one step away from stepping into the ninth rank. He and Brother Li Baozhi are evenly matched. Why don't you go and hone your skills with him?"

“I’d like to!” Li Bao spread his hands and said, “But this guy used to be involved in the underworld, and he has a bad reputation. I’m afraid he can’t beat me, so I’ll call my men to come at me together. I’m going there to hone my swordsmanship, not to go looking for death.”

"Brother Li Bao is interested, I can help you make it happen. I do know this person!"

"You have a relationship with Yang Lixin?" Li Bao was very surprised.

Jiang Shiyuan said with a smile, "We business people deal with all sorts of people. General Yang is currently stationed in Huai'an County, and we have some business dealings with him."

"If Yang Lixin is willing to fight fairly, I would be more than happy to oblige!" Li Baoxi said. "Then I'll have to trouble you, young man. May I ask your surname?"

"My surname is Han, Han Zheng!"

Li Bao turned to look at the woman, who smiled and said, "My surname is Jiang, and my given name is also Jiang!"

"Jiang Jiang?"

“This is my granddaughter. She’s disobedient and restless. She insists on coming out with her old man to travel the world. Her martial arts skills are poor, and she always likes to cause trouble. It’s a real headache!” Jiang Shiyuan chuckled.

Looking at him, Li Bao saw that he didn't seem to have a headache at all, but rather looked very happy. It seemed that he liked this girl quite a bit.

“My family also has shops in Danyang. If you want to cause trouble for the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Blade in Danyang, we can help you!” Jiang Jiang looked like she was eager to stir up trouble.

"Don't listen to her nonsense!" Jiang Shiyuan quickly said, "Most of the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade disciples serve in the military, and their influence is considerable. Brother Li can come over for a spar, but you absolutely mustn't cause trouble, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to Manager Xiao!"

"Don't worry, Manager Jiang, I'm here to learn from you, not to cause trouble!" Li Bao laughed as he stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Then, Manager Jiang, I'll take my leave now to go back and pack up. See you tomorrow!"

"The ship will officially depart a quarter after tomorrow's pay. Brother Li Bao, don't be late. The sailors care a lot about these things!" Jiang Shiyuan said with a smile.

"Definitely, definitely!" Li Bao nodded repeatedly.

Watching Li Bao stride away, Jiang Shiyuan was quite pleased. He had known Xiao Le for many years and knew that Xiao Le's background was extraordinary, but for a businessman, it didn't matter, as long as Xiao Le could get the goods he needed.

This eighth-rank swordsman is going to Danyang, so I'll just take him there. Along the way, I can use his abilities to ensure the goods are safe. As for what happens after we get to Danyang, that's none of my business. It's highly unlikely that an eighth-rank swordsman would cause trouble in a place like Danyang.

Jiang Shiyuan was certainly not a respectable businessman.

On the surface, the two ships were loaded with white glazed porcelain, but underneath they were filled with things like cow tendons, leather, and cow horns. The demand for these things in the south was endless, but the local supply could not meet the demand. A significant portion of these items had to be obtained through various channels, and Xiao Le had been their biggest supplier for many years.

Xiao Le came from outside the Great Wall, a fact that Jiang Shiyuan and his men knew perfectly well, making it obvious where these goods came from as well.

One had goods, and the other had money; naturally, they hit it off immediately.

On the surface, Jiang Jia was indeed a big merchant in the State of Chu, but in secret, he was a front man for Tianluo in the State of Chu, specializing in smuggling all kinds of urgently needed supplies for the State of Chu. Of course, he also sold a lot of good things from the State of Chu to make money.

“That young master named Han Zheng should be the youngest son of Han Tan, the governor of Ruyin County in the State of Chu. The fact that he is so familiar with Yang Lixin, who is stationed in Huai’an, means that He Zudao is indeed in cahoots with the State of Chu. The State of Chu should also be trying its best to get He Zudao to defect to Chu. The person who is in charge of this matter should be Han Tan, the governor of Ruyin County,” Xiao Le said.

“He Zudao won’t seek refuge with the Chu Kingdom unless he’s completely desperate. Now that he finally has a chance to sit at the table, he won’t easily get off and be bossed around again!” Li Bao, also known as Li Dachui, laughed. “He Zudao is hypocritical and always trying to get benefits from others. He’s really not easy to deal with!”

Xiao Le laughed and said, "That depends on how far he can go in integrating the south. Otherwise, by sitting on the fence like this, he'll probably end up making enemies on all sides and no one will like him. By the way, Protector-General, the intelligence we just received about that girl is that her surname is Jiang, but it's the Jiang of the river!"

"Jiang as in Jiang Qian?" Li Dachui was somewhat taken aback.

(End of this chapter)