Chapter 2, Young Escort.

How do you know it's the Tianzheng Sect?" Lin Rulong composed himself and continued to ask Old Li.

Within the world of rivers and lakes, there are many strange and unusual events, as well as many extraordinary individuals. Among them are those who hide among the common people, with peculiar personalities and strict criteria for selecting disciples. They often have strict rules and forbid their disciples from revealing their identities. Although Fang Yan does not mention it, many speculate that he must have also encountered such a master. What is strange is that Fang Yan lost his mother at a young age and grew up with his father in a escort agency, always under the watchful eyes of others. When did he actually encounter such a master?

After the accidents, both Changfeng Escort Agency and Zhenwei Escort Agency received warnings that they could only transport goods designated by the Tianzheng Sect. The owners of the two agencies, Han Wei and Huang Yewu, secretly contacted me to discuss countermeasures. Because there had been no activity on my end, I kept evading the issue. It's not that I'm afraid of trouble, but with so many escorts, there are bound to be some with dependents. If we provoke them, it will affect everyone. Now it seems that it's our turn...

In that battle, the martial arts world finally witnessed the unparalleled skill "Lihen Tian" created by the Sword Master, which had never been used before. In that battle, the martial arts world also learned that besides the Moon God, there was also a talented young man named Beiji in the Round Moon Valley. In that battle, the Round Moon Valley achieved a great victory, and cheers filled the air. In that battle, after suffering severe injuries, Yuwen Tian returned in a disoriented and defeated state.

However, in the world of martial arts, strength is everything. Although Fang Yan has exceptional martial arts skills and intelligence, and is highly respected despite his young age, it is not surprising.

Among the more than ten surviving escorts, Fang Yan is the youngest, only eighteen or nineteen years old. However, in Lin Rulong's eyes, he is the one.

Fang Yan sighed and said, "Please don't ask. I swore not to mention him. However, I believe he is the true master. My swordsmanship is only one-tenth, no, one-hundredth of his inheritance. I didn't have the fortune to learn more from him."

Upon entering the hall, Lin Rulong, the owner of Zhenyuan Escort Agency, had already been informed and came out to greet them. On one side, he arranged for the seriously injured personnel, while on the other side, tears shimmered in his eyes as he looked at his deceased brother. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Who did this?"

Fang Yan is the only son of an ordinary escort at Zhenyuan Escort Agency. Three years ago, when his father took him out for his first escort mission, they encountered trouble and Fang Yan was seriously injured. After recovering from his injuries, Fang Yan practiced martial arts every day, working ten times harder than before. Within a year, he had become extremely skilled, especially in swordsmanship, surpassing not only his father but also every other escort at the agency. When the head of the agency, Lin Rulong, saw Fang Yan's swordsmanship in action, he believed that Fang Yan's skills were not inferior to any famous swordsman in the martial world, except that his internal strength needed improvement. However, Fang Yan never revealed where he learned his exceptional swordsmanship, and when asked, he only smiled and remained silent.

Fang Yan saw his solemn expression and did not feel sad. He said, "I am ashamed, I actually... did not know."

Lin Ruilong smiled unconsciously.

People thought that the Moon God would seek revenge on Xie Wentian, but after searching for three days and nights at the foot of the cliff and standing on the cliff for another three days and nights, the Moon God returned to the valley and never came out again, let alone seeking revenge.

The expressions of everyone changed.

Fang Yan looked around, except for him, almost everyone was injured, with tattered and dirty clothes, unable to distinguish whether it was mud or bloodstains; in the convoy, there were also several brothers of the convoy who were temporarily unable to move and permanently unable to move.

Fang Yandao: "Miss Xiaofeng, you flatter me. In fact, my cultivation is quite ordinary, I can only be considered a second or third-rate figure. The overall situation still relies on the support of the Chief Escort."

Lin Rulong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that only a few trusted aides remained, and said, "Our troubles are probably far from over yet!"

Yunying's uncle is Lin Rulong. Her parents passed away when she was young, and she was taken in and raised by her uncle and aunt as if they were her own parents.

The words were not finished, and then I heard a woman's clear voice saying, "What are you afraid of? Daddy, your martial arts are so good, and there's also Brother Yan. The senior brothers said he's even more powerful than Han Wei and Huang Ye Wu, those two old men. Look at the whole Qingzhou, who can be a match for our Zhenyuan Escort Agency?"

Lin Rulong's face turned very ugly, and after a while, he said, "Actually, I also suspect it's the Tianzheng Sect. Both the Zhenwei Escort Agency and the Changfeng Escort Agency have had accidents, and the survivors also identified the possibility of the Tianzheng Sect. But... I have always been unwilling to think in this direction. Anyway, the deceased brothers will be generously compensated as usual, and the other brothers have also had a hard time. Let's all go back and rest well."

The words were not finished yet, but Lin Xiaofeng had already grabbed her cousin with one hand and unexpectedly grabbed Fang Yan with the other, running out as if flying, and no one knew where they were taken.

Aside from these eight major sects, there are also several prominent forces, such as the Southern Round Moon Valley, the Northern Sword God Sect, the Eastern Heavenly Water Palace, and the Western Ice and Snow City. However, the Heavenly Water Palace is far in the East Sea, and the Ice and Snow City is already close to the desert, making it beyond the reach of the Orthodox Sect. The leader of the Sword God Sect has been in seclusion for a long time, and his actions have always been ambiguous between righteousness and evil. His disciples are even more absurd, acting strangely and cruelly, almost bordering on demonic practices, causing everyone in the martial arts world to look askance. However, due to the reputation of the Sword God, few dare to confront them. It is even rumored that the Sword God Sect has formed an alliance with the Orthodox Sect to discuss their grand plan for the martial arts world. Among these four major forces, the Southern Round Moon Valley, founded by the Sword Master, ranks first. Many years ago, the Sword Master disappeared overseas with his beloved wife and concubine, leaving the Round Moon Valley to his beloved son, the Moon God. The Moon God is certainly not his real name, but everyone who has seen him agrees that he indeed possesses the charm of the moon, making the name quite fitting. It is said that he is indifferent and proud, never deigning to associate with ordinary people, rarely leaving the Round Moon Valley. However, whenever he does, significant events are bound to occur. He has only made eight appearances to date, and has emerged victorious each time. But who would be worth the Moon God's action if not a grandmaster? Who among them would be an unknown?

Other people didn't find it strange at all.

The people in the Jianghu have great confidence in the Moon God, but unexpectedly, the one who came to the appointment was not the Moon God. He was ambushed at night and suffered serious injuries. He sent his younger brother, Beiji, to fight against Yuwen Tianshang on his behalf.

Fang Yan raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you still know anything as the chief bodyguard?"

Fang Yan forced a bitter smile and said, "I don't have a master, he's just...". He stopped talking, looked up at everyone, and listened attentively. The origin of Fang Yan's swordsmanship has always been a curiosity for everyone. He slipped up and revealed a hint, which made everyone even more curious.

Old Li said, "The temperament of those people is not at all like ordinary bandits, and they even call one of them the leader! The leader even said... ... that the weapons we protect are owned by corrupt officials and should be used to rebuild the righteous path; we, who are accomplices to the tiger, should all be killed in order to uphold the teachings of our sect."

His younger brother, Beiji, had a duel with the bloodthirsty Wentiandao Xie Wentian on the Broken Heart Cliff. Unexpectedly, he was defeated and fell off the cliff, with no remains left. It should be noted that although Beiji is young, he has already mastered the sword technique "Lihen Tian" that even the Moon God couldn't achieve at that time. Even if Xie Wentian's Wentiandao is powerful, it shouldn't have been enough to endanger him and cause him to die young. What's even stranger is that Xie Wentian's younger sister, Xie Feidie, also jumped off the cliff after Beiji fell! It should be noted that although Beiji is young, he has already mastered the sword technique "Lihen Tian" that even the Moon God couldn't achieve at that time. Even if Xie Wentian's Wentiandao is powerful, it shouldn't have been enough to endanger him and cause him to die young. What's even stranger is that Xie Wentian's younger sister, Xie Feidie, also jumped off the cliff after Beiji fell! Could it be that she was dissatisfied with her brother's actions? But Xie Feidie is not a virtuous woman at all. She is capricious and ruthless, no less than her brother. Countless men have suffered losses under her, and some even call her the "Rakshasa Demoness". How could she have such a chivalrous heart? Could it be a sacrifice for love? Beiji, like his brother, is indifferent and proud, with a noble temperament. He rarely leaves the valley, so it's hard to imagine any connection between him and the sister of the Demon Blade! But Xie Feidie is not a virtuous woman at all. She is capricious and ruthless, no less than her brother. Countless men have suffered losses under her, and some even call her the "Rakshasa Demoness". How could she have such a chivalrous heart? Could it be a sacrifice for love? Beiji, like his brother, is indifferent and proud, with a noble temperament. He rarely leaves the valley, so it's hard to imagine any connection between him and the sister of the Demon Blade! Perhaps Xie Wentian is right, he said that his sister... has gone mad. Some even speculate that Xie Feidie mostly practiced Xie Wentian's fierce sword technique as a woman, and it drove her insane.

At this moment, everyone had already dispersed, leaving only several disciples of Lin Rulong and Fang Yan. Fang Yan had long been homeless, living with his father in a small room in the escort agency, which had become his home.

Lin Rulong shook his head and said, "Fang Yan, you don't have to be too modest. Although you are young, there are very few opponents in Qingzhou City who can match you. Especially with your swordsmanship, there are only a few sets of techniques in the martial world that can rival its power. Even if your internal strength is currently insufficient, just relying on your swordsmanship, even a top-notch expert may not be able to do much to you."

Lin Xiaofeng still wanted to ask, but Fang Yan refused to say anything no matter what, only smiled and said, "Tonight, I guess many of our brothers will go to Ruyiju for dinner. Will you go or not?"

Lin Xiaofeng's heart moved, and she said, "Then why don't you go ask your master?"

For a bodyguard, since entering this profession, it is already destined to make a living by the blade for a lifetime. Life and death should have been accepted long ago. As for those who are still alive, although their wounds have not yet healed, they are still alive after all. Being alive is good, and being alive means there is hope. However, in front of the deceased brothers, it is still inevitable to feel heart-wrenching pain.

Lin Rulong pondered and said, "It seems that we really need to unite with Changfeng and Zhenwei. Otherwise, if they come for revenge, we may not be able to handle it."

Fang Yan smiled faintly and said, "I'm afraid it's because we have always been narrow-minded and have never encountered a real master."

He has two sons and three daughters, all of whom have grown up. The two sons have inherited the family business and are stationed in the Yuzhou and Luoyang branches respectively. The eldest daughter and the second daughter have already been married. The one who came is his only unmarried daughter, Lin Xiaofeng, accompanied by her cousin Yun Ying. Both of them come from the martial arts world, although they come from wealthy families and are quite beautiful, they do not have a haughty demeanor. One is lively and charming, the other is refreshing and pleasant, and they are loved by Lin Rulong and their senior brothers. The "brother Yan" mentioned by Lin Xiaofeng is none other than Fang Yan. He is highly skilled in swordsmanship. In the martial arts community of Qingzhou, there are few who do not know about the "Mysterious Sword Fang Yan". In the escort agency, which advocates martial arts, Lin Xiaofeng and Yun Ying are influenced by this trend and greatly admire this young man of the same age who possesses superb swordsmanship.

Currently, few people from the Moon Valley are active in the martial arts world. Even if some disciples occasionally take action to punish the Tianzheng Sect for their wanton killing of innocent people, it is futile in the face of the unstoppable expansion of the entire Tianzheng Sect.

Finally, I'm back. Looking at the golden signboard of Zhenyuan Escort Agency right in front of me, the escorts breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't force a smile. Some even choked back tears.

Lin Rulong looked at the backgrounds of several young people and couldn't help but temporarily put aside the troubles of the escort agency. He smiled.

Lin Xiaofeng continued to ask, "Who is he? Is he the one who taught you martial arts? You didn't have a master, did you?"

This escort mission involved extremely valuable goods and a long journey. Therefore, Lin Rulong dispatched two experienced escorts and thirty guards. Despite this, he still had doubts and sent his most trusted escort, Fang Yan, out as well. Unexpectedly, an incident occurred, resulting in one escort's death and another being seriously injured.

The Moon Deity's last appearance in the martial arts world was five years ago.

At this moment, the severely injured senior bodyguard, Old Li, managed to come over with the support of his fellow bodyguards. He forced a bitter smile and said, "Head Bodyguard, don't blame them. Old Li has been wandering the rivers and lakes for many years, and I have never seen such formidable opponents. They don't seem like ordinary bandits, but rather, they seem like... ..."

Fang Yan shouted, "It's still early now. I have to take a shower and change my clothes."

Fang Yandao: "That incense master was hit by my sword in the chest and suffered serious injuries. Without timely treatment, there may be a real danger to his life. Perhaps it was because they wanted to save that person that they hurriedly retreated and temporarily let us go."

This battle, which was already confusing, has added many questions and allowed the rampant spread of the power of the Tianzheng Sect. Originally, if someone in the martial arts world did evil deeds excessively, the Yuan Yue Valley would often take action to eliminate the traitors, just like the Tian Shang Sect in the Western Regions. They have repeatedly defeated the four major sects and three prominent families in the martial arts world, leaving rivers of blood wherever they went. Their leader, Yuwen Tianshang, has extraordinary martial arts skills and a deep scheming mind. It is all because he suffered a great loss under a master in the Central Plains many years ago, harboring deep hatred towards martial artists in the Central Plains and vowing to challenge all the top martial artists in the Central Plains for his revenge. Originally, if someone in the martial arts world did evil deeds excessively, the Yuan Yue Valley would often take action to eliminate the traitors, just like the Tian Shang Sect in the Western Regions. They have repeatedly defeated the four major sects and three prominent families in the martial arts world, leaving rivers of blood wherever they went. Their leader, Yuwen Tianshang, has extraordinary martial arts skills and a deep scheming mind. It is all because he suffered a great loss under a master in the Central Plains many years ago, harboring deep hatred towards martial artists in the Central Plains and vowing to challenge all the top martial artists in the Central Plains for his revenge. The Yuan Yue Valley sent three elders and many experts to join forces with the other four major sects and the Beggar's Sect, etc., and attempted several times to intercept them, but they did not succeed completely. In the end, Yuwen Tianshang challenged the Moon God to a duel, setting a wager. Each side represented the Yuan Yue Valley and the Tian Shang Sect respectively. The loser would be permanently expelled from the martial arts world. They also invited the Shaolin Sect's abbot Kongzhi and the Wudang Sect's leader Tianling as witnesses.

Lin Rulong was stunned and said, "Can't you tell which school or sect the opponent's skills belong to?"

Lin Rulong said, "What kind of person?"

Lin Rulong said coldly: "In that case, considering the number of brothers who have died, it seems that you still deserve some credit!"

Next to a dart master, Tian Feng, who is one of Lin Rulong's disciples, is much older than Fang Yan and has much more experience and knowledge. He replied to Fang Yan, "The opponent's appearance is very good, but his skills are excellent, and his martial arts skills are diverse, covering various schools and factions. It's really hard to tell which faction he belongs to. If it weren't for Brother Fang's exceptional skills, or if all of us sacrificed ourselves, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to protect the silver. Although there have been heavy casualties, we have ultimately completed the client's task. I heard that Zhenwei Escort Agency and Changfeng Escort Agency have both suffered heavy losses in terms of personnel and wealth."

The humanitarian way has perished, the heavenly way shall rise, with my blood and bones, rectify the heavens and support the right!

Fang Yandao: "I have fought against these people before. Most of them have mediocre martial arts skills, but there are two or three leaders among them - one of whom is the fragrance master mentioned by Uncle Li earlier. His martial arts skills are truly extraordinary. If it weren't for the help of the escort brothers, and if they had joined forces against me, I would not have been a match for them."

After the passing of his elderly father, Fang Yan gradually began to show his talent and gained the favor of Lin Rulong. Several times, Lin Rulong wanted to give him a bigger house, but Fang Yan always declined. Born and raised in this small house, it seemed to still retain the essence of his father's presence. How could he bear to leave? Moreover, Fang Yan has always been simple and frugal, and at a young age, he has not yet married. Having a larger house would make him feel too empty. Seeing this, Lin Rulong did not insist, but privately discussed with the manager and others to give Fang Yan a house after his engagement, showing his deep affection for Fang Yan, even more so than for his own ten-plus disciples.

He hesitated for a long time before saying, "Zheng, Zhengtian Church."

Lin Rulong frowned and said, "Did you kill them later?"

Fang Yan shook his head and said, "My swordsmanship, sigh, there are still many tricks that I haven't mastered. Otherwise, I would definitely be able to protect more brothers this time."

Could it be that the powerful Tianzheng Church has actually started to target various local escort agencies?

Everyone also looked at Lao Li. Since his serious injury, Lao Li has been staring blankly most of the time, without saying a word. Everyone originally thought it was due to his severe injury, but now his appearance seems as if he has been greatly frightened.

The teachings of the Zhengtian Sect are lofty and noble, asserting that only its own actions are the way of heaven, the right path. However, their conduct is cruel and ruthless. Surprisingly, there are many people who blindly follow and support both the righteous and evil paths. In just three or four years, the Zhengtian Sect has rapidly grown, and its momentum has already become the number one sect in the martial arts world, on par with the Beggar's Sect. Although the Beggar's Sect is known as the number one sect in the world, a considerable number of people have defected to the Zhengtian Sect. The majority of others do not hold any hostility towards the Zhengtian Sect, but rather believe that the times are unstable, with frequent natural disasters and treacherous hearts, which is the best proof that humanity is already dead. Although the Beggar's Sect is known as the number one sect in the world, a considerable number of people have defected to the Zhengtian Sect. The majority of others do not hold any hostility towards the Zhengtian Sect, but rather believe that the times are unstable, with frequent natural disasters and treacherous hearts, which is the best proof that humanity is already dead.

Yun Ying smiled and said, "You are wrong. Even though we are young and have less experience, do you think my uncle has never seen the world? He said your swordsmanship is extraordinary, and it must be true. There is no need for you to argue."

Aside from the Beggar's Sect, there are also Shaolin and Wudang, which are the pillars of the martial arts world. They rarely participate in the disputes of the rivers and lakes due to their status. The other eight major sects, such as Emei, Huashan, Zhongnan, Tianshan, Huangshan, Hengshan, and Jiuhua, as well as several scattered aristocratic families, do not approve of the vicious methods of the Orthodox Heaven Sect, but their individual strength is far inferior to that of the Orthodox Heaven Sect. They compete with each other in secret, which only serves to restrain each other and allow the Orthodox Heaven Sect to grow stronger.

Lin Xiaofeng said, "Are you treating? Of course, we will go!"