The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

Lin Zhennan's words were sincere and thoughtful, upholding the code of chivalry while resolving the immediate problem. He properly settled a stranger who had just met him in distress. With such skill, it's no wonder that he has made the Fuwei Escort Agency, which has been passed down from his ancestors, bigger and stronger.

Li Donglai?

It turns out that Lin Zhennan has a connection with Li Donglai.

Shen An was taken aback for a moment, but then felt a sense of entitlement.

That's it, Fuwei Escort Agency... He remembered. At the beginning of the original story, Fuwei Escort Agency's business had spread to several provinces, and they had been sending gifts to the Emei and Qingcheng sects for years, hoping to open up a route to Sichuan in the west.

This caravan traveled westward from Fujian, and once it crossed the border into Jiangxi, it entered Hunan.

According to Lin Zhennan's understanding, "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) is always on top and "Wei" (威, meaning power/prestige) is on the bottom. It means to make more friends and fewer enemies, to value harmony, and to make money through peace.

To ensure the flags of the convoy could fly safely and steadily along the Xiangjiang River, official permits alone were far from sufficient.

The dangers of the waterways far outweigh those of the land routes. Besides the elusive river bandits, there are also local tyrants who have established their own rules and regulations. If Lin Zhennan wants to successfully transport goods in this area, he naturally needs to make proper arrangements with both the legitimate and criminal elements, burning incense and praying to Buddha—he can't afford to miss a single one.

Li Donglai was the most powerful force on the waterways of Xiangdong; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so highly regarded by Songshan and granted such a high degree of freedom.

Lin Zhennan wanted to successfully complete his escort mission in this area, so he naturally wanted to get to know Li Donglai well.

"Since that's the case, I might as well take this opportunity to see who Li Donglai really is and what the situation is like in his territory." Shen An's mind raced. "Anyway, the follow-up matters of the Sword Trial Tournament aren't urgent, so it won't hurt to postpone them for a few days."

Having figured out the key to this, Shen An no longer hesitated. He slowly raised his head, looked at Lin Zhennan's concerned and sincere face, and nodded blankly, which was considered his agreement.

His deep thought went unnoticed by others.

Seeing that he was dazed and seemed to be struggling to understand his words, Lin Zhennan felt even more sorry for him. He assumed that he had suffered a great shock and was not yet fully recovered, which was why he was acting a little slower.

"Alas, poor child, I wonder what misfortune has befallen him." Lin Zhennan sighed inwardly, then turned to Chen Qi beside him and instructed, "Chen Qi, go to the cabin and fetch some clean food, water, and dried meat for this young man to have something to eat. Also, go and call Old Cui and Bai Er up; it's their turn to relieve us."

"Yes, Chief Escort!" Chen Qi responded and left.

Before long, Chen Qi brought up a tray with a bag of water and several large pieces of dark brown dried meat wrapped in oil paper.

Following behind him were two bodyguards who had just woken up and were still a little sleepy. They were yawning and stretching their limbs.

Chen Qi handed the tray to Shen An and said softly in a tone as if coaxing a child, "Little brother, are you starving? Eat something."

Shen An didn't stand on ceremony; his stomach was indeed empty. He silently took the water pouch, said nothing, and tilted his head back to gulp it down for a while. The clear water slid down his throat and into his stomach, extinguishing the burning sensation in his internal organs, bringing indescribable comfort. He then grabbed some dried meat and began to wolf it down, his eating manners quite unsightly, as if he hadn't tasted meat in ages.

The "Lapis Lazuli Body Sun King Mantra" is similar to the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" in that it has an extremely high demand for food.

This is how martial arts, which strengthen muscles and bones, have always been practiced; that's why people say the poor study literature and the rich study martial arts.

Seeing his appearance, everyone was even more convinced that he must have suffered some great calamity, and their eyes showed a trace of sympathy. Who among the heroes and heroines of the martial world hasn't had a time of hardship?

As the boat gradually stabilized, Lao Cui and Bai Er took over the positions from Shi Biao Tou and Chen Qi. The two men each occupied a corner of the bow, their eyes scanning the river surface warily.

The head镖师 (bodyguard) Shi and Chen Qi, who had just finished their shift, didn't rush back to their cabins to sleep. With a gentle breeze blowing across the river and the atmosphere becoming more relaxed, the group gathered in a corner of the deck to rest, chatting idly.

"Speaking of which, it's a real pity." Chen Qi, unable to contain his excitement, spoke first. He lowered his voice, but his tone couldn't hide a hint of excitement and longing. "We're passing through Hengyang today, and it just so happens to be the day that Shigu Academy is holding some kind of sword-testing tournament. I heard that heroes from all over Hunan and even several surrounding provinces are going. The scene must be incredibly lively."

Chief镖师 Shi took a sip of water and replied, "Yes, I heard about it more than ten days ago. It was quite a big deal. Unfortunately, we were still sleeping in our cabin when we passed Shigu Academy. When Old Zheng took over the shift, he told me that when the ship passed by in the distance, the sword-testing competition hadn't officially started yet, but the river around Shigu Academy was already packed with people and boats, like a bustling market, it was quite lively."

Not long after the shift change, a porter named Bai Er came over, clicked his tongue, and said to Chen Qi, "You were supposed to be resupplying on shore this afternoon. You have sharp ears and are well-informed, did you hear any interesting news?"

"I heard it! Brother Bai, you didn't hear it, everyone on the shore is going crazy over it!" Chen Qi said, his face lighting up with excitement. "I heard that young hero Shen from the Songshan Sect's Hundred Refinements Workshop really displayed incredible power, he was practically a god descended to earth!"

Shen An, who was engrossed in munching on dried meat, had his ears twitch almost imperceptibly, nearly choking on a large mouthful of meat.

"Keep bragging." Chief镖师 Shi sneered without even looking up. "There are plenty of disciples in the Songshan Sect. How powerful could they be? You must have heard some storyteller embellishing some wild tale and are just showing off here."