Receiving a look from Captain Fei Peng, Xiao Cui quickly stepped forward and helped her young mistress back.

In times of war and famine, if any industry could thrive against the tide, the镖局 (escort agency) would undoubtedly be one of them. The镖局 industry flourished, and wealthy merchants, for the sake of their estates and land, had no choice but to pay exorbitant sums to hire them. Many江湖儿女 (jianghu children, people of the martial arts world) also joined the镖局, hoping to earn a living in this chaotic world!

The Chief Liu mentioned by Fei Peng is one of the founders of Changfeng Escort Agency. He should be enjoying his retirement, and Liu Changlin has been retired from the martial arts world for more than two years. This time, he was invited to come out of retirement because the escort agency was short-handed and the escorted goods were very important.

In the northern escort world, Liu Changlin is a well-known figure. This old man started escorting goods at the age of sixteen and has gone through countless hardships over the decades without ever losing a single shipment. He is a legend in the escort world!

Besides his exceptional skills, he is also a righteous person, handles people and things in an orderly manner, and has a quick mind.

At this moment, Liu Changlin sat in a makeshift tent made of bamboo poles, puffing on his water pipe and occasionally tapping the bowl on the ground. He wore a dark blue coarse linen cotton coat, made to resemble a shirt and trousers, and his hair was simply tied up on top of his head with a strip of cloth of the same color. His hair was mostly black with a few gray strands, and to the average person, he would just be an ordinary old farmer. But upon closer inspection, one could see that his deep-set eyes were bright and piercing.

"Old Master, that Miss Xie is causing trouble again. She got into a fight with the family across the street and even injured their son. The boy's leg might be broken, and the woman is demanding five hundred taels for medicine." The镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who went to gather information reported back. The current head镖师 said that no matter how small the matter, it must be explained to Old Master Liu on the road, and no one should act on their own.

The镖师 (bodyguards) of Changfeng镖局 (Escort Agency) also felt uneasy about this matter. This Miss Xie was truly a handful! Most people felt that Qin San Niang's demand for medical expenses was justified, after all, their wives, children, and parents were ordinary people who hated the rich and powerful for abusing their influence. However, five hundred taels was indeed a bit too much, and offending the Xie family would be very troublesome!

"You're saying that woman used a whip? And that one lash was enough to subdue Miss Xie?" Liu Changfeng exhaled a smoke ring, which gradually expanded before dissipating into the air.

The bodyguard nodded, saying that the woman was indeed very skilled, her whip-wielding was quite beautiful. At this moment, other bodyguards who had accompanied her echoed this sentiment.

The bodyguards held those skilled in martial arts in the highest esteem.

Practicing martial arts in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer is no easy feat, and only they themselves know the hardships involved. Moreover, since Qin San Niang is a woman, it is even more difficult for her.

Liu Changfeng understood immediately; the Xie family had bitten off more than they could chew. "Brothers from the escort agency, don't step forward without my instructions. All we need to do is protect Miss Xie's life."

The bodyguard nodded, the meaning of which was crystal clear: they could only act in times of crisis, after all, their mission was to protect the life of Miss Xie, and other matters were not within their jurisdiction.

"Also, tonight, no one should have contact with Miss Xie and her guards, not even their drinking water."

The woman's tone clearly indicated she wasn't going to let the matter rest. He figured there was something fishy going on, but he hoped he was just overthinking it. It was a real headache. If it weren't for using the escorting of the Xie family's daughter as a cover for their real mission, Liu Changfeng wouldn't have bothered with the Xie family at all.

"Understood, sir!"

...

With Liu Changfeng's instructions, Fei Peng was unsurprisingly turned away. The bodyguards simply said that their old master had caught a cold and had already gone to bed to rest.

Rejected at the door, Fei Peng angrily returned to his tent, thinking to himself that the old man, relying on his years of experience in the martial world, didn't take them seriously at all.

Xie Yuyan drank tea in the carriage to calm her nerves. She had changed her clothes and freshened up, and was back to her radiant self.

"Miss, are we really going to give that wretched woman five hundred taels of silver?" Xiao Cui was carefully massaging her leg, which was now swollen and red from the fall.

"Dream on! I won't give that bitch a single penny!" Xie Yuyan cried out in surprise as her sudden movement aggravated her injury, and without thinking, she slapped Xiao Cui across the face.

"Don't you know to be gentle? Are you happy to see me being bullied?!"

Hearing Xie Yuyan's sinister voice, Xiao Cui shuddered and knelt down without thinking, sobbing uncontrollably, "I've followed you since I was a child, you are my everything! Even if it means going through fire and water, as long as you give the order, I would do it even if it meant my death! Seeing you being humiliated, I wish I could take your place!"

Seeing Xiao Cui's obsequious manner, Xie Yuyan's vanity was satisfied, so she stopped making things difficult for her and just cursed Qin San Niang and the others, wishing them a terrible death!

Hearing her say that, Xiao Cui breathed a sigh of relief. This hurdle was over! She just had to wait until she got to the wealthy Xie family. With her clever tongue and figure, she might be able to catch the eye of that gentleman and rise to prominence in no time!

The master and servant, each with their own thoughts, stayed in the same carriage, each lost in their own fantasies, and nothing else went wrong.

Seeing Fei Peng pass by the carriage, Xie Yuyan quickly leaned out and said, "Guard Fei Peng, I will not give that woman the five hundred taels she is demanding. I don't have that much money!"

Already agitated, Fei Peng was nearly driven to the edge by Xie Yuyan, the instigator of all this. He could only nod in response. If she didn't want to give it, then she wouldn't. He didn't believe that woman could cause any trouble. They had over a dozen guards, all skilled in martial arts. Even the people from the escort agency weren't easy to deal with. Even if Liu Changfeng didn't come to see him, they still bore responsibility for this escort mission. If things got really critical, they wouldn't abandon him.

Thinking of this, Fei Peng felt a sense of peace.

On Qin San Niang's side, Xiao Er was injured today and received the special treatment of being cared for by his mother alone. Even A Nan and A Zhi, who usually don't pay much attention to him, brought out the snacks and candies they had saved up to feed him. Grandma even gave him a big chicken leg, and they didn't complain!

The two older children, Da Wa and Pang Ya, felt it was their responsibility not to look after their younger brother properly today, and they were both staying by his side. Not to mention the women, all of whom had children of their own and shared the same sentiments.

Xiao Er, always second best and practically invisible, suddenly received everyone's care and concern because of his leg injury, making him feel incredibly sweet. Seeing Liu's swollen eyes, he felt a little embarrassed and began comforting everyone.

"Grandma, aunties, brothers and sisters, don't be sad. I've learned my lesson this time, and I'll learn kung fu from Mother from now on! I'll never let anyone bully me again!"