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Chapter 138 Impersonation
--master?
—Who are you talking about?

Zhou You looked around but didn't see anyone who looked like a master. Finally, seeing the fawning smile, he hesitated before pointing at himself.

"Hey buddy, are you calling me?"

"No, no, no, no, what 'brother,' I don't deserve it."

Lu Xiuyuan nodded and bowed in response.

"Master, I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Lu Xiuyuan, and I'm the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Weiyuan镖局 (escort agency). You can just call me Lu Wu. I've come to thank you for saving the lives of everyone in my agency."

When Lu Xiuyuan was called, he was about to kneel down, but Zhou You shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and then helped him up.

"Don't worry about it, Chief Lu. Even if I hadn't helped you just now, that female ghost would definitely have come after me. I was just trying to save myself, so there's no need for such a grand gesture."

Seeing that Zhou You really didn't want to be worshipped, Lu Xiuyuan stopped insisting and took out a cloth bag from his waist and put it in Zhou You's hand.

"Master, this is a small token of our agency's appreciation—please don't refuse it. In our line of work, if you don't repay a favor, you'll have a lot of bad luck on your next mission."

Since the matter had already been discussed, Zhou You simply accepted it.

They weighed it and found it wasn't particularly light, but it wasn't heavy either. The amount of money in it wasn't enough to cause the escort agency to suffer a major financial loss, so they put it away.

He wasn't the kind of person who was inherently pure and wouldn't take a penny; in situations like this, he would still try to make a little money if possible.

"Then I'll accept your offer without hesitation. By the way, Chief Escort Lu, I was just woken up after a short nap and I'm really tired, so I'll find a place to rest first. We're all on a long journey through the martial world, so let's meet again sometime."

Lu Xiuyuan was nodding in agreement at first, but when he saw Zhou You yawning and planning to go back to sleep, he quickly stopped him.

—Damn it, if I let you go, how am I supposed to carry out my plans afterward!
Seeing Zhou You's surprised expression, Lu Xiuyuan hurriedly said something.

"Master, please hear me out. After witnessing what happened, I was deeply impressed by your bearing. Therefore, I would like to request that you accompany us on this journey. Rest assured, although Weiyuan Escort Agency is just a small agency..."

—What nonsense is this?

Seeing that Lu Xiuyuan had finished speaking without even taking a breath, Zhou You quickly stopped him.

"Slow down, just say what you want to say, you don't need to beat around the bush."

Lu Xiuyuan coughed awkwardly a few times, then composed himself before speaking.

"Well, actually... before, one of our team's immortal masters left because of something, and as a result, our escort mission became an unprotected one. Most of the misfortunes along the way are related to that. Just now, I saw you, Master, being brave and powerful. So I was wondering if you would be willing to temporarily become our team's immortal master."

At this point, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly patted his chest.

"Don't worry, even though our escort agency is small, the reward for this trip is not low. All standards are set at the highest level. Is that acceptable to you?"

Seeing those expectant, even pleading eyes, Zhou You shook his head without much thought.

He could understand the other person's intentions; if it was on his way, he wouldn't mind helping out while making some money. But the problem was…
—My own troubles are far more numerous than yours.
Zhou You grasped the severed hand in his arms, sighed softly, and was about to refuse, but Lu Xiuyuan seemed to have misunderstood something, and hurriedly said with a smile.

"Well, Master, are you worried about the rules of the trade? Don't worry, it's perfectly fine. Really, that immortal master left in a hurry, and his ordination certificate, identification, and travel permit were all left with us. Master, you look very similar to him. I think that immortal master is so magnanimous that he certainly wouldn't mind if you took over his identity for him."

Ok?
Zhou You was about to refuse when he suddenly realized something.

Wait, what did he just say?

Zhou You stopped and walked back, pressing Lu Xiuyuan's shoulder and asking him seriously.

"You mean you have a complete set of identification documents for a Taoist priest?"

"Yes, he even left these few pieces of clothing on us."

The next moment, Zhou You patted Lu Xiuyuan's shoulder forcefully, then put on an extremely serious face.

Just when Lu Xiuyuan thought he was about to make some kind of rejection, he suddenly grinned.

In an instant, it was as if the sunlight had suddenly shone brightly.

“Great! From today onwards, I will be a hired immortal master of Weiyuan Escort Agency.”

"Head镖师 Lu, please give me your guidance."

This wasn't a sudden whim of Zhou You's.

After so many chases, he roughly understood how the assassins used to target him.

—It's just about casting a wide net and catching a lot of fish.

Those with money bribed the guards, while those with power went through government channels. In short, they did everything they could to investigate all unfamiliar faces, then identified the ones most likely to possess the token, confirmed their identities one by one, and finally launched an ambush.

It was a clumsy method, but it really worked. After all, Zhou You wasn't Bear Grylls, who could just disappear into the forest and be at home. He needed to eat, rest, and, more importantly, use towns to determine his direction.

The ambushes he encountered in the past were almost always caused by him entering the town.

He had considered using a false identity to resupply, but unfortunately, the flow of people in ancient times was far less efficient than in modern times. Unless it was a hub, if a stranger entered an ordinary town, the news would spread throughout the entire village within half an hour.

But that's different now.

With a complete set of ordination certificates and documents on hand, and with someone like Lu Xiuyuan helping to cover for him, he could have safely completed this leg of the journey with the escort agency.

What kind of swift swordsman is it that possessing a treasure is a crime?

We don't know each other.

From today onwards, only the镖道人 (bodyguards) from Baiyun Temple will be there.

After quickly changing his clothes and tying his hair into a bun, Zhou You looked at his reflection in the pond outside the courtyard.

You know what, it actually seems pretty much like that.

With a gentle face and a faint smile always playing at the corners of his lips, he wore a blue Taoist robe and had his hair tied in a bun. While not entirely without flaws, he at least looked seven or eight parts like a fake Taoist priest.
Bah! What fake Taoist? I am the closed-door disciple of the Yun Jing Sect. Although I have not been ordained, I am still a legitimate Taoist!
Zhou You looked left and right for a long time, and only after confirming that he had no obvious flaws did he nod in satisfaction.

At that moment, Lu Xiuyuan's voice rang out from behind him.

"master."

Zhou You laughed.

"Master Lu, please don't call me any more 'Master,' it gives me the creeps. If you don't mind, just call me Taoist Priest."

Lu Xiuyuan was taken aback for a moment, then readily changed his tune.

"Alright, then I won't call you Master. Master Zhou, let me introduce you to the members of the escort agency. This is Master Hu, and he's been working with me for many years. He's trustworthy enough. As for this, this is my nephew, Lu Ping. Ping'er, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and greet the Master."

Lupin remained silent, but just as his uncle's expression grew increasingly displeased and he was about to lose his temper, Lupin suddenly made a move that surprised everyone.

He knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Master Daoist, please accept me as your disciple!"

(End of this chapter)