"One tael of silver to deliver to Luoyang? Is this for real?"
"I've been wanting to send something to my family, but escort agencies are too expensive. Can this 'Shunfeng Express' really do it?"
Jiang Rou repeated what Fang Zhiyi had taught her: "No deception, folks—none at all! Grand opening special—first batch of customers get a 70% discount!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, most still hesitant. Mei Ruoxue then spoke up: "Also, Shunfeng Express now offers an insurance policy! It’s a safety guarantee for your deliveries."
"Delivery insurance? What’s that?" The murmurs grew louder.
Jiang Rou raised her hands to quiet them. "It’s simple. Take you, auntie," she said, pointing to a woman in front. "Say you’re sending a set of clothes to your son in the capital. The delivery fee is fifty coins, and the clothes are worth a string of cash. If you’re worried about bandits stealing them or the goods getting damaged, you can buy insurance at Jushan Bank. If anything happens, the bank will compensate you! Got it? Applause!"
Silence.
Jiang Rou and Mei Ruoxue exchanged awkward glances, their eyes darting to the back where Fang Zhiyi was chatting with a portly man.
A few seconds later.
"I get it! This sounds great!" someone suddenly shouted. "I’ve got things to send! Right here!"
The two girls lit up and immediately started taking orders, the scene quickly heating up.
"Can you only deliver to Luoyang right now?" someone asked. Zhao Yang, handling registrations, smiled in response: "We’ve just opened, so many routes aren’t available yet. But we’ll expand soon!"
A few looked disappointed, but many still signed up for deliveries to Luoyang, including merchants testing the waters.
Laughing Maitreya watched the registrations and grinned at Fang Zhiyi. "Left Envoy."
Fang Zhiyi waved him off. "I’m not the Left Envoy anymore."
Laughing Maitreya chuckled. "Then how about 'Brother Fang'?"
"Brother Fang, I’ve already notified our contacts in Luoyang. What else do you need me to do?" He’d spent days pondering Fang Zhiyi’s venture and saw endless profit rolling in.
"Plenty. For the first run, pick some skilled men to follow discreetly."
Laughing Maitreya agreed without hesitation. Watching the two girls, he asked, "Planning to have them manage the escort business?"
Fang Zhiyi glanced at him. "Train them. I’m lazy. Unless you’d rather stand there yourself?"
Laughing Maitreya burst into laughter, waving his hands dismissively.
Thanks to the low prices, they soon filled a cart with goods—some merchants even sent small batches of tea, though Fang Zhiyi knew they were just testing the service.
The cart trundled along the road.
"Do you know the risks of this business?" Fang Zhiyi asked. He had to oversee the first delivery personally.
The studious Jiang Rou answered first: "Long distances, wild beasts, and bandits."
At the mention of bandits, the young warriors scoffed. Bandits were just stronger commoners—even their best fighters were amateurs.
Fang Zhiyi smiled. "And competitors."
Just then, torches flared ahead.
"During our opening, I told you to observe carefully. What did you see?" He had high hopes for these handpicked recruits—he was sorely short on manpower.
Jiang Rou thought for a moment. "Hesitant townsfolk, curious officials, merchants calculating profits, and a few martial artists lurking in the crowd with dark expressions."
Fang Zhiyi nodded approvingly.
"Only competitors harbor pure hatred." Escort agencies had rules—registering with officials was easy (just pay), but the real challenge was gaining approval from rivals. Fang Zhiyi had skipped that step.
Little Hei, scouting ahead, reported that disguised competitors were blocking the road.
Fang Zhiyi saw an opportunity.
They knew a new escort agency had opened in Yangcheng, but they didn’t grasp its core innovation.
"This road is ours, these trees we planted! To pass through here, leave your riches!" The classic bandit spiel.
Fang Zhiyi signaled the cart to stop and continued lecturing: "Traditional agencies charge high fees and offer poor security, so why are they still in business?"
Though nervous, the students stayed calm with Fang Zhiyi nearby.
"Because ordinary folks can’t fight bandits?" one ventured.
Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "Most of this route to Luoyang follows official roads. Bandits exist, but they stick to dense forests. The truth? If merchants or wealthy families try to save money by transporting goods themselves, agencies send men disguised as bandits to rob them—forcing them to hire escorts."
The group froze.
Mei Ruoxue clenched her fists. "That’s despicable!"
Fang Zhiyi studied his adopted daughter, relieved. "Good, she hasn’t been exposed to transmigrators. Still a normal kid." Under his and He Wugui’s guidance, she’d grown steadily. That’s why he’d brought her—he didn’t want her hiding in the mountains forever.
As masked men closed in, Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Learn well. The martial world isn’t just about challenging masters or shouting about justice. It’s not just fighting—it’s everywhere. Among commoners, merchants, escorts… wherever there are people, there’s the martial world."
"You—get down here!" The leader swung his weapon, a sickle on a chain, impatient with Fang Zhiyi’s rambling.
Fang Zhiyi sidestepped effortlessly, catching the chain mid-air.
"Of course, might makes right—but it’s exhausting." Still lecturing, he tugged lightly, sending a tremor through the man’s arm. The sickle clattered to the ground.
"Blocking my way? You got a death wish?" Fang Zhiyi’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
The man gaped, then snarled. "Attack! Leave none alive!"
"What are you waiting for? Perfect training opportunity." Fang Zhiyi’s tone was casual. The youths snapped to action.
"Your hands! Did Lu Zhaoran teach you nothing? Dodging isn’t blocking—you think you’ve mastered Iron Shirt?"
"Why withdraw your sword? Is that a fire poker? He’s trying to kill you!"
"Behind you! Is this all He Wugui taught?"