I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 91 Business in the City
"Boss Song, tell me, what should we do?"

A group of big men started shouting, and one of them asked.

The bearded man laughed and said:
"We've been hungry all winter, so we need to do something big in the spring..."

"Okay! Should we go to Yulin or Yunzhao? Boss Song, speak up!"

A sturdy man with a bald head and a scar stood up and shouted in the crowd.

Boss Song's smile froze, and he pressed his hands:

"Biaozi, sit down first. It's not just the county government office that's considered a big deal. The last senior who did that had a grave covered with grass a foot high.

"To be honest, in our line of work, there are many brave men, but few who use their brains - Biaozi, sit down, I'm not talking about you.

"In our business, the ordinary passing meat doesn't have much oil and water, but the big meat has capable guards. Every time we try, we lose a lot, and we may not succeed.

“So I was thinking, why is it that it’s so easy for the wealthy people in the city to make money, but for us, who work so hard and risk our lives, it’s so hard to even have enough food to eat?
"I thought about it and thought about it, and with some advice from an expert, I finally figured it out. There is no future in being a robber, we have to change.

"Biaozi, what are you mumbling about? 'I just didn't want to use my brain at the foot of the mountain, but now that I'm up there I have to use my brain again. It was all in vain.' ... Second brother, take Biaozi out and have some practice.

"What was I talking about? Yes, transformation. That's why I called everyone to the meeting and told everyone this, that we need to transform and stop being bandits. The first step is to change the organizational form. I will no longer be the boss who has the final say, but a guide for everyone. In the future, we will make decisions together, and you can raise any questions you have.

“Xiao Mao, if you have any questions, tell me… Yeah, I get it.

“Old Three, take Xiao Mao out for some practice.

"Okay, that's it. Anyone else have any questions?
"It looks like everyone is okay, that's great."

Boss Song grinned:
"Now I will tell you about the business we are doing now.

"I know the way in the county, and he can introduce us to business. Instead of guarding the road and taking chances, we can work for others in the future and get a guaranteed income. The big shots in the county find it inconvenient to do some things by themselves, so they find us, who are professional counterparts.

"Recruitment? This is not called recruitment. I, Song, will never betray my brothers!

"Also, after coming into contact with them this time, I realized that those masters have really dirty hearts, much dirtier than us."

Boss Song spit, then took a breath and said loudly:
"The first business in the spring is with Longteng Escort Agency! Yes, the Longteng Escort Agency that Yunzhao visited before.

"In two days, a small escort team will pass by here. There will be six people, and the highest one is a second-level trainee. Dachun'er, you pick twenty people, ten second-level trainees, and go kill them.

"The escort items are secondary. What's more important are the escort flags and heads. Bring them all back so we can exchange them for money. Are you making a fuss? No, no, no, this is our first cooperation, so let's do it well. The leading escort said he's quite capable, so let's go get him! Let's see if he can beat ten of them."

……

"Jigong Mountain has a crown on its peak, which looks a bit like a rooster's head, hence the name."

Kong Chun pointed to the mountain in front and introduced it to Xie Yuan, who was walking this route for the first time:
"This mountain has a rugged terrain, with many ravines and caves, so there are several bandit camps hiding here, and they have never been completely wiped out. A few years ago, a bandit leader named Song emerged here. He was very powerful and smart. He united the surrounding areas and formed a large camp with nearly a hundred people."

Xie Yuan nodded slightly. The escort agency had a specific definition of high strength, which was at least three levels of training.

With so many bandits, but only a few of them were sent to escort the caravan. There must be something else going on.

Sure enough, Kong Chun continued:

"It is said that this Song guy is smart because he is very precise and never messes with people he shouldn't mess with. Our escort agency has also explained it to him... We are all at peace."

What Kong Chun said was tacitly understood, and Xie Yuan naturally understood what he meant.

The escort agency is in the security business, so they have to take care of all the black and white forces within the business scope. Paying tolls to some big villages can save a lot of trouble. But this cannot be said on the surface, even if everyone knows it; and some villages will turn their backs on you after taking the money, and some villages will change their leaders every few days, so the escort agency still has to rely on strength. A small escort agency that depends on others will not survive long in this world.

"We have two routes here. The first is to go through Jigong Mountain, which is the sphere of influence of the mountain stronghold. The second is not to cross the mountain, but to go around the outside of the mountain in advance and walk along the Jade River. It will take an extra day and a half. Their scouts have not gone that far and will not know that we have passed. Although we have paid, the escort agency has always been cautious and generally takes the second route. Of course, there are also teams that take the first route, and nothing has happened. Brother Yuan, what do you think?"

Kong Chun asked.

Xie Yuan was naturally not a maverick, and he was not in a hurry, so he nodded and said:

"Then let's go to Yushui."

"okay."

Seeing that Xie Yuan was young but not a reckless person, the members of the escort team felt a little relieved.

Although he doesn't have much experience, he does things like a veteran. His rapid improvement must be extraordinary.

The escort team changed direction slightly and headed towards the foot of Jigong Mountain.

Yushui is a not very wide river, winding around Jigong Mountain to Yulin County. The peak of Jigong Mountain is like a hook, stretching far into Yushui, with a momentum like a rooster pecking at a bug.

Xie Yuan and his party walked along the road between the gentle slope of the forest extending from Jigong Mountain and the Yu Shui River.

He looked around and raised his eyebrows slightly:

"There's a forest on the left and a river on the right. This dirt road isn't very wide. If someone sets an ambush here, it'll be hard to maneuver."

"This is 20 miles away from the main road to the Jigong Mountain. People in the mountain stronghold usually don't run this far. We took a detour in advance. No matter how powerful they are, their spies can't reach there. They can't know we're coming this way. Even if they know, we can show the escort flag and there will be no problem."

Kong Chun talked freely, saying that with multiple insurances in place, today's escort mission should be safe.

Xie Yuan nodded slightly, this was the truth, but he had never had a smooth life since he joined the escort agency, and he was promoted so quickly, and the accidents that happened to the escorts were also one of the reasons.

Some people in the escort agency have already suspected that he has the physique to encounter bandits, but he has been here for a short time, so they are not sure and need to wait and see.

Xie Yuan did not admit that he was a moldy pen, but he had encountered many things since he woke up, and he could not refute it. However, it was normal for an extraterritorial demon like himself to have abnormal luck.

This escort mission started from Yunzhao, and nothing has happened so far. Xie Yuan himself is a little uncomfortable with it.

He squinted his eyes and scanned the forest and the road ahead, then slowly frowned:

"Don't you think this forest is too quiet?"

Kong Chun and others listened carefully and found that it seemed to be too quiet.

Although insects and birds are all dormant in winter, there is often a possibility that the silence is due to the presence of groups of warriors.

Kong Chun displayed the dart flag and said:

"I'll go ahead and check it out."

"No, let me see."

Xie Yuan stopped him, rode his horse, and walked forward carefully, scanning the gently sloping forest bit by bit.

As he turned his head, a cold light flashed in the corner of his eyes, and then he heard a whoosh sound in his ears, and a cold arrow shot out from the woods!

(End of this chapter)