The sunset is setting, and the sunset is like blood. The bitter west wind whistles out loud at the mountain pass ahead, like an invisible monster entrenching there all year round.

Xiao Xia walked up to the front, squinted his eyes and looked at the thick old tree above the pass. Yes, it was the one he remembered. Almost three years ago, he and his colleagues from the 18 Liuzi Camp intercepted spies from Xidi Yingyang tribe there, and in the end he had only seven people, and the other eleven people died in the mouth of a demon worm. The wild Taoist priest from the Shenmu Forest in the team was completely united with the old tree. It is really hard to say whether he was dead or alive.

"Yes, this is the sharp wind." After pulling his eyes and thoughts from the old tree, Xiaoxia turned his head and said to the people in the escort agency behind. "As long as you cross here, you will be a small town more than ten miles north. Everyone hurry up and we can stay there for one night tonight, and then we will be about three or four days north to reach Baishi City, Jizhou Prefecture."

Hearing Xiao Xia's words, the faces of the escort agency finally showed some lively and relaxed expressions, especially the head of the escort, General Lin, felt relieved. After only ten days since entering Jizhou, they had encountered three horse thieves in total. Although they were not as difficult as the first batch of ambushed horse thieves, they could defeat them without any danger, but everyone was also injured and tired, and their power was almost at the limit of collapse. If they dragged on, they might be dispersed first.

President Lin's head of the escort immediately came forward and clasped his fists at Xiao Xia and said, "Thanks to Master Xia's guidance along the way, otherwise we would never have been able to come here. I'm afraid we would have died under the ambush of some horse thief."

This is not a polite word. If Xiao Xia had not been on the way, their detachment might have been gone long ago. The horse thieves in Jizhou came and went like the wind, and with their riding skills and familiarity with the terrain, even if they did not have to face the front, any horse thief could drag them to death on the road. Xiao Xia took them into some mountain paths. Instead, they ambushed and defeated two of the horse thieves. Although to the north, there was a large plain with a flat horse and no terrain to rely on, they also entered the scope of the garrison of the prefecture. Those horse thieves would have some concerns and would never dare to appear unscrupulously again.

"You don't have to be polite to the head of the President Lin. Since I promised to send you to Baishi City, I will naturally not go back on my word. However, I am afraid that the talismans used on the way will be paid. So far, there are a total of 484 taels of silver." Xiao Xia also bowed and honestly and unceremoniously reported the price to the head of the President Lin.

President Lin's face turned black and coughed, but he hurriedly said, "That's natural. If it weren't for the help of Master Xia's talisman, how could we deal with those many horse thieves? This silver would naturally have to be paid to Master Xia."

Looking at the not-so-looking face of President Lin's escort, Xiao Xia once again confirmed that this secret dart was indeed not that good. It was a taboo to ask the darters for details of the escorts. Although it is considered to be a common person now, Xiao Xia would not ask casually. However, if he spoke a little, he could know what he wanted to know.

But if this is true, this secret dart really doesn't have that much oil and water, so how could so many horse thieves be attracted? This is what Xiao Xia can't understand.

Although there are indeed many horse thieves in Jizhou, they can meet three within a dozen days. In addition, the first one is clearly an ambush after getting news. [*You] The reason why the secret dart is called a secret dart is naturally because of the secret, but now it seems that the news is leaking a little too much.

Could it be that something went wrong with the cargo owner? He leaked the news and wanted to blackmail the small escort agency after the goods were robbed? But the operation skills were complicated and easy to make a mistake. Generally, they were headed to the escort agency with rich family background. This small escort agency that even the head of the chief has to drag his son and daughter to escort the ground. How could there be any oil and water worth blackmailing?

So why... Forget it, it's useless to think too much is not my business. Xiao Xia shrugged secretly. As long as he escorted this escort to the state capital, what he promised was completed. As for whether there were any secrets behind it, Xin and sneaky, although he had always liked to find out the truth about curious things and was a little meddling in other people's business, he didn't have time to reach this point.

Moreover, even if something really happens, it should be fine with Tang Qingxiao./

Xiao Xia glanced at Tang Qingxia in the crowd intentionally or unintentionally. The twists and turns along the way also made the thin young swordsman look haggard, but his back was still straight, and his cold and indifferent expression still had no fluctuations. No matter how weak the others in the escort agency were, they seemed to have inexplicably developed a spirit when they looked at him. He seemed to have become the core of the escort agency and the hope for the future. Just like no matter how many horse thieves are there or how dangerous they are, as long as they are there and the sword in his hand, they will definitely be able to make a living and make a new world.

However, what Xiao Xia was relieved of was not his sword, but his identity. No matter how fast or sharp the sword was, he could only kill people, but killing people might not solve the problem. Once the identity of the Tang family's children was revealed, it would only solve the problem better than ten swords and one hundred swords. After all, the huge aristocratic family that had been passed down for hundreds of years had long been deeply rooted to the extreme. Needless to say, it was in the world, and even the temple was extremely important. You should know that even the Daqian Royal Family was able to replace the previous dynasty with the support of the major aristocratic families.

But Tang Qingxia didn't reveal it, so Xiao Xia naturally wouldn't say it out loud. Perhaps the ordinary life in such a small escort agency is also very important to him.

Xiao Xia was suddenly shocked, and the sound of horse hooves seemed to be faintly heard from the whistling wind.

"Are a horse thief coming again?" Tang Qingxiao also heard the sound of horse hooves, and slowly touched the hilt of the sword around her waist. Her slightly haggard face was still indifferent, but it was even colder.

His waist was no longer the ordinary iron sword he had picked up, but the rainbow shadow that Xiao Xia originally belonged to the old guardian of Zeng. He had drunk at least nearly a hundred horse thieves' blood in the past ten days. The aura emitted from the sword had been faintly connected with him. He emitted a cold iron and bloody smell together.

Xiao Xia had to admit that Tang Qingxia seemed to be really suitable for using swords. He had only seen this kind of mixed with the aura of weapons in his hand in a few people. It doesn’t matter how deep the skill is, it can only be felt by a purely talent, enlightenment, spirituality, or even a coexistence.

The faces of the others in the escort agency changed. By this time, they really had no extra strength or strength to deal with another group of horse thieves. However, at this time, Xiao Xia also heard the sound of horse hooves clearly and waved his hand and said, "Don't worry. But it's just a horse thief. And the sound of hooves is not slow or urgent, so it should not be a horse thief."

As soon as they finished speaking, several cavalrymen turned out after the passage in the distance. After seeing clearly, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The ones who came were indeed not horse thieves. The eight knights were all wearing unified border soldiers in leather armor, which was clearly the cavalry of the state garrison.

The eight cavalry also saw them and slowly rode towards them. When they arrived, the cavalry led by them looked at them, his eyes seemed to lit up slightly, he looked at a knight next to him, and then asked everyone at the escort agency: "Where did you come from?"

President Lin had already greeted him with a smile on his face. At this time, he quickly took out the street sign of the escort agency and handed it over. He didn't forget to put a 50-talle silver note in the middle. The most important thing about escorts is not how hard the fists are, but how broad you are and how good you are in your way. Although the business of the escort agency is not good at all, General Lin's escorts who have been in charge of decades are not in vain, and these necessary routines are naturally very familiar.

"You De Escort Agency? From Xuzhou?" He took the things from General Lin's escort and looked at it. The cavalry leader smiled, smiling happily. I don't know if it was the fifty taels of silver bill that made him very happy or something else.

"That's right. I came from Xuzhou to head towards Baishi City from afar. There were many horse thieves along the way. Now we can feel relieved when we see several military masters." The smile on Mr. Lin's face was not pretending. After dealing with the horse thieves for more than ten days, it really made people feel relieved.

The cavalry leader nodded. The smile on his face became happier and happier. Mr. Lin even doubted whether he had just taken a silver note of 500 taels and handed it over.

No matter what, being happy is better than being unhappy, and what this happy leader said made everyone excited: "It's been hard for you to come from afar. The horse thieves in Jizhou have become increasingly rampant in recent years. It's easier to provoke if you walk some paths like this. Anyway, we are about to go back to Baishi City to report, so why not take you with you and take care of you on the way."

"This..." President Lin was surprised and happy. The answer from the cavalry leader was so unexpected. With officers and soldiers, how could he be afraid of any horse thief? Even if it was really wrong to get a silver bill of five hundred taels.

Everyone's faces were full of surprises, but before they could speak, even the thanks from President Lin's head of obstetrics had been expressed, Xiao Xia walked forward first and bowed to the cavalry leader, "Thank you for your care, but we still carry goods and move slowly. If we drag down the time for returning to deliver military orders, we would not dare to take responsibility. This place is close to the prefecture, and I think the horse thieves dare not act rashly, so the soldiers should go first."

"Huh?" Not only were the people in the escort agency full of surprise, but the smile on the cavalry leader's face also froze. Before he could speak, a subordinate behind him was already shouting angrily at Xiao Xia: "You stinky brat, our captain is kind enough to escort you all the way, but you are pushing and hindering. Do you suspect that we will rob you of escort?"

Generally speaking, those who are eager to show are idiots who are not enough to make things happen. They originally sounded very ordinary words, but this abrupt sentence brought out some strange smell. It was not only the cavalry leader who turned his head and glared at the subordinate, but General Lin, who was about to go up to say a few good words, also stopped, looked at Xiao Xia next to him, and kept silent.

The cavalry leader turned his head and the smile on his face disappeared. He looked at the tired wardrobe passengers carefully and said coldly: "Since you don't appreciate it, we don't force it. However, in recent years, more and more illegal people have smuggled salt and iron tea to sell with Xidi. We have to take more precautions for past merchants to take wardrobe. Now you will untie the wardrobe and check it out."

The others in the escort agency were fine, but General Lin's escort's face turned pale immediately, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Xiao Xia glanced at Mr. Lin's head and sighed secretly. It seemed that Mr. Lin's head was really mixed with something that shouldn't have in the mate.

The Xidi tribes are located in the northwest inland. Although the land is vast and not inferior to Dakan, most of them are grassland deserts, and to the north there is an endless ice and snow world. There is almost no place to produce salt, and tea is even more difficult to grow. Therefore, salt and tea have always been obtained through exchanges with Dakan. The Dakan court naturally prohibited private private transactions with Xidi, and salt trading is even more arbitrary. But the profits are too great. Not only do all the people and horse forces have ways openly and secretly, but there are also many private dealers in secret. After all, only a few taels of silver are shipped to the northwest to get rid of. How many people can there be without being moved?

For the chief escort leader of a small escort agency that operates miserably, it is indeed difficult not to be moved. He could not make a private sale of these things, but he took advantage of this secret escort to carry some. It seemed that it would be easy. Of course, he had no way to sell it directly to the people of Xidi, but it was not difficult to find a channel in Baishi City to take action at a low price.

However, he didn't seem to have any officers and soldiers who wanted to check his escort goods. This anti-smuggling was originally a matter of the border, and it was still far away from the border.

The leader waved his hand, and the cavalry behind immediately took off the military crossbow beside the saddle, tightened the strings and pointed them at the escort agencies. The two in front drew their sabers and jumped off their horses and walked towards the escorts.

Everyone in the escort agency looked at each other but did not dare to act rashly. This was an officer and soldier, not a horse thief. The head of General Lin was already sweating profusely. Now he would rather touch a horse thief. At least the horse thief can still be killed.

At this time, Xiao Xia still faced her as usual and said to the cavalry leader: "The road is facing the sky, go one side. Since we are not hindering our brothers, why should we come and get in the way?"

"Who is your brother to you?" The cavalry leader smiled again. However, this time he was not happy at all, but a grim smile like a jackal who was about to eat.

Xiao Xia didn't say anything anymore, but just took out a piece of things from his arms and threw them over. The cavalry leader took it and saw that smile immediately condensed on his face.

It was a dirty little brown round card, which was only slightly larger than copper coins, with pig iron on the outside edge. The middle was solid iron wood, and the top was a seemingly rough but with indescribable sharpness, coldness and hardness, as if it was a relief carved out with an axe.

That's the word "flow".

"Wait!" The leader shouted loudly and stopped the two cavalrymen who were about to pry open the cargo box. Then he looked at Xiao Xia, carefully looking him up and down again, and the suspicion on his face became heavier and heavier. "Is this soldier card yours?"

"Yes." Xiao Xia nodded. He also knew that the cavalry leader was a little unbelievable. He looked at the patterns on the left shoulders of the leather armor of the cavalry and continued to say: "A few brothers are scouts of the White Tiger's left wing? Three years ago, the left general of the White Tiger, Lord Linghu Xiaojin, rescued us here. For this reason, he lost his left hand. Fortunately, he finally killed the Earthling Demon Warrior and the Spy of Xidi. I wonder if he is good now?"

"General Linghu is now the commander of my White Tiger Army." The suspicion on the leader's face did not dissipate, but it became much lighter. At least ordinary people in the world would not be able to see their origin at a glance. He also knew about intercepting the Xidi spy here three years ago. This involved military secrets, and people in the world should not know. He turned the round card over and looked at it, then raised his hand and threw it at Xiao Xia. The smile on his face was gone, and the title in his mouth also changed: "It turned out to be Brother Xia from Liuziying, so we are disrespectful."

The soldiers in Yongzhou all need to look up to the top, especially those in Liuziying. Although strictly speaking, those people are not formal military, they were built by the general like the Red Leaf Army, so no one dares to look up to the top.

After thinking about it, the leader asked again: "Then... I wonder if Brother Xia is now working or private matters?"

If it is a business, then no one dares to move if it is nothing. But if it is a private matter, then there is a lot of room and method.

"That's... but it's a bit inconvenient to say." Xiao Xia's answer seemed very vague, making people think about it no matter how they think about it, but it made it difficult to continue asking.

The leader pondered silently, and the gods on his face were changing, as if he was also weighing his thoughts. Finally, he shouted, greeted the two cavalrymen to come back, bowed to Xiao Xia and said, "Okay, then I will give you a face now, Brother Xia. I offended you so much before, I hope Brother Xia will forgive me."

Xiao Xia also bowed: "Where are there, please let me go slowly, brothers."

Several cavalrymen rode their horses and turned toward the road. Not long after they turned out of the pass, even the sound of horse hooves disappeared completely in the roaring wind.

"Thank you, Master Xia, for helping him. It turns out... Master Xia is from Liuziying in Yongzhou?"

Mr. Lin came up to hold his fists and saluted. In addition to gratitude, there was also a little uneasy in his face. For a small escort agency that only seeks safety and even makes money, the Yongzhou Red Leaf Army is a hideous monster that only exists in the story. Even if it does not show any malice, just getting close is enough to make people scared.

"That's all in the past. I retired two years ago, and I'm not considered a person in the Liuzi Camp." Xiao Xia smiled bitterly and waved his hand. People who left Liuzi Camp usually hold their soldiers cards around to commemorate them, but there are too few people who can leave Liuzi Camp alive, and those who die in battle will be taken back. He showed off his soldiers cards like this, which is actually a bit suspicious of cheating.

"Let's get off quickly. It seems that if we don't arrive at Baishi City as soon as possible, there may be more trouble."

Xiao Xia turned around and said to everyone in the escort agency. The eyes of these escorts now looked at him somewhat similar to those of General Lin’s escort, only two of them were not. One was Lin Xiaoyan, the daughter of General Lin’s escort. Her big eyes were full of surprise and curious eyes, as if she had finally seen a legendary magical animal, while the other was naturally Tang Qingxiao.

Tang Qingxiao was looking at him with a smile that others didn't notice. The most common look in his eyes was gratitude, and he seemed to be a little envious, as if he also included some other things that were inexplicable. (To be continued...)

{Piaotian Literature www.piaotian.net Thank you for your support, your support is our greatest motivation}
Chapter completed!