From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

Looking at these two young faces, Gu Changyuan seemed to see the future hope of the Salt Patrol Guard.

A look of reminiscence appeared on his face, and he raised his hand to pat Lu Jianfeng on the shoulder.

"Go back and tell your godfather that once I'm done with this busy period, I'll definitely bring him a pot of his favorite strong liquor and go to catch up with him."

A dazzling light suddenly shone in Lu Jianfeng's eyes.

He originally thought that he was able to get into the Salt Patrol Guard thanks to his adoptive father's old connections.

Unexpectedly, Gu Changyuan is so sentimental and still remembers his godfather's kindness.

This reignited the competitive spirit within him.

It wasn't until Gu Changyuan encouraged him a few more times and instructed him to go and organize the team on the side that things got better.

Lu Jianfeng then turned and stepped back.

As he walked back, he caught a glimpse of Gu Changyuan turning his head and whispering something to Fang Qing.

The unspoken understanding between the two was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing much of his newly risen fighting spirit.

He then realized that some gaps cannot be bridged by personal connections.

Once Lu Jianfeng had walked a sufficient distance, Gu Changyuan lowered his voice and explained to Fang Qing.

"That was a child adopted by one of my former subordinates."

"Back when we were carrying out a clearing operation downstream of Tiger Beach, my old brother heard a baby crying in a reed bed."

"Following the sound, they found a baby boy wrapped in tattered swaddling clothes, which was placed in a wooden basin and floated downstream."

"Who would have thought that the little guy who was starving and skin and bones and was crying for food back then has now grown into such a tall and upright young man."

The speaker may not have meant anything by it, but the listener may have taken it to heart.

Fang Qing's eyebrows suddenly shot up.

"A baby found downstream from Tiger Beach?"

He instantly grasped the information that might be hidden behind those words.

But he remained expressionless, only nodding thoughtfully.

After a moment's hesitation, Fang Qing steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"Brother Gu, could you elaborate on the salt bandits of Tiger Beach, especially their second-in-command, the 'Jade-Faced Scholar'? What's so special about him?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Changyuan's expression also became more serious.

"The second-in-command of Tiger Beach, nicknamed Jade-Faced Scholar, whose real name is Pan Song."

"This man is cunning as a fox, full of tricks, and extremely difficult to deal with."

"Last time, Imperial Censor Lin personally led the team to annihilate the bandit den at Tiger Beach. We made meticulous plans and lay in ambush for three days and three nights."

"That handsome scholar just returned from outside and was about to step into our ambush zone."

"But just a hundred paces from the trap, he suddenly reined in his horse and stopped, sniffing and looking around."

"Immediately afterwards, without hesitation, he turned around and ran with a dozen or so trusted men, plunging headlong into the hidden waterway on the side of Tiger Leaping Gorge."

"The waterway was riddled with reefs and the currents were swift. Two of our pursuing ships ran aground and broke apart on the spot."

"Not only did he escape, but we also lost seven or eight of our best players. It was truly a double loss."

Fang Qing listened quietly, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the hilt of the knife.

"If this handsome scholar is a reckless brute who is brave but lacks strategy, and he is holding an important account book and defending a strategic location, he will be difficult to deal with."

"He could easily use this as leverage to negotiate with us and buy time."

"As long as we don't reveal our hand, we can keep at a stalemate."

"We'll drag this out until those powerful figures in the court who are connected to him exert their influence and pressure Imperial Censor Lin, forcing us to lift the siege..."

"At that time, he can take the account book and fly far away, truly free to roam the world."

He abruptly changed the subject, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"But if he is truly as you say, a suspicious, cunning, and overly cautious person..."

"Our opportunity may lie in his suspicious nature."

Thinking of this, Fang Qing turned his head and waved to Zhan Bo beside him.

"Zhanbo, I remember Kuang Shisan gave us some scraps of colorful fabric before, which were put in your bag."

Zhanbo immediately responded, taking off the heavy leather backpack from his back and placing it in front of Fang Qing.

He deftly opened the bag and pulled out a small roll of cloth.

When unfolded, it indeed contained several pieces of brightly colored, thick fabric.

"Fang Qing's fabric is here. Kuang Shisan said that if the leather bag wore out and the seams came undone, this fabric could be used to temporarily mend it or wrap up important items."

Gu Changyuan's attention was immediately drawn to Zhanbo's uniquely shaped backpack.

"Huh? What's this?"

He was used to seeing luggage made of cloth bundles.

The cloth bundle is just a square piece of cloth. You put the items in the middle, lift and tie the four corners, and then swing it over your shoulder or back.

That kind of baggage couldn't hold much, and it was easy for it to come loose when walking, scattering things all over the ground, which was extremely inconvenient.

Seeing this, Ding Mingcheng moved closer to Gu Changyuan and explained in a low voice.

"Sir, this is a new gadget that Fang Qing came up with, called a double-shoulder leather bag."

"Look, these two wide straps are worn over the shoulders, distributing the weight evenly and making it much easier to carry."

"This bag is made of solid materials and has an amazing capacity. Last time, Zhanbo's bag contained more than 500 kilograms of supplies and drinking water."

"There are also special sturdy straps at the bottom of the bag, which can be used to tie up wood or other long items when necessary."

"These pockets of different sizes on the sides are for storing things in different categories, making them easy to access and preventing them from getting messy."

As Ding Mingcheng spoke, he had Zhanbo demonstrate.

How to adjust the shoulder strap, how to open and close the flap, and how to use the side pockets and bottom straps.

As Gu Changyuan watched, his eyes widened more and more.

He couldn't help but step forward and personally lift the seemingly ordinary backpack.

He suddenly looked up at Fang Qing, his face full of surprise.

"Hey kid! What's wrong with your head?"

"This bag...this bag is practically made for us salt patrol guards!"

"We spent most of our time venturing into mountain gullies and raiding bandit strongholds, often carrying several days' worth of rations and equipment with us."

"Back then, carrying that tattered bundle, we'd go hungry after only three days' worth of rations. When the fighting got deadlocked, we could only eat tree bark and grass roots!"

"If everyone could carry such a bag, filled with supplies for ten days or more..."

"My goodness, then our salt patrol's sustained combat capability will increase several times over!"

Other salt patrol officers and soldiers had already gathered around, curiously examining this novel object.

Zhanbo looked very proud and patiently showed everyone every detail of the backpack.

The lining dividers, the waterproofing of the flaps...

Several impatient salt patrol guards even took matters into their own hands, taking turns wearing the backpacks to feel them.

Some people even brought stones of different sizes from the side and added them to their bags one by one.

A lean and wiry salt patrolman carried a backpack that was mostly filled with stones.

He steadied himself, took a deep breath, and surprisingly stood up steadily.

"Hey! That's amazing! It feels easier than carrying a 100-pound sack of rice!"

He refused to believe it and jogged a few steps in the open space, even trying to climb the steep rock wall next to him.

Despite carrying hundreds of kilograms of weight, he remained agile, clearly demonstrating that the backpack design greatly saved his energy.

At this, all the salt patrol guards watching were stunned.

They spend years traversing treacherous environments and know all too well what reliable and durable heavy-duty equipment means.

The way people look at that leather backpack is different now.

Just as everyone was marveling at the backpack and admiring it, they were captivated by it.

Fang Qing had already taken out a red piece and a green piece from the roll of colorful fabric that Zhan Bo had taken out.

He found two straight, slender branches and trimmed off the unwanted leaves.

Cut the red and green cloths into two neat triangles each.

Then tie it securely to the top of the branch with thin hemp rope.

Soon, two simple yet eye-catching triangular flags, one red and one green, were completed.

Gu Changyuan finally snapped out of his amazement at the backpack.

He squatted down next to Fang Qing, looking at the two small flags in his hand with a puzzled expression.

"Fang Qing, what are these two small flags for?...

Fang Qing stood up, gripped the flagpole, and looked out over Tiger Beach and the precipitous Tiger Leaping Gorge in the distance.

The weather is excellent today, with clear blue skies and very high visibility.

The textures of the distant rocks and even the birds startled into flight from the forest are clearly discernible.

"Today, the sky is clear enough to see within ten miles."

"We only sent thirty people this time. Brother Gu's main force needs to keep a close eye on the Jade-Faced Scholar and prevent him from moving."

"If we send out these thirty people to search, relying on manpower to run back and forth to pass messages will be inefficient and will also make us easy to be exposed."

"My idea is to use these two flags."

"As long as they are standing at a high vantage point where they can see each other, information can be transmitted in real time through specific gestures of waving flags."

"If we discover where the ledgers are hidden, or if we need support, we will notify you immediately."

"Conversely, if you have any instructions, you can also convey them to us promptly."

……