I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Message Dart

By around 3 p.m., the escort team began to speed up its pace and finally reached a small town at dusk...

The town, named Chang’an Town, is a small town with only two intersecting streets that you’d finish walking with just two sneezes.

The town has only one inn, named Penglai, where the Second Escort Team always stays on the first day of their journey.

Arriving at the crossroads, Xiao Yu and Duan Rong suddenly urged their horses forward!

Xiao Yu said to Sun Huang, ”Leader, I’ll take Duan Rong to the martial arts school in the town to deliver a Message Dart.”

”Go ahead! Don’t delay. Hand it over and then join us at the inn,” Sun Huang kindly advised.

”Understood!” Xiao Yu clasped his fists in respect and answered courteously before leading Duan Rong to the martial arts school at the south end of the town.

Arriving at the martial arts school entrance, they handed the letter to the gatekeeper. Xiao Yu received the payment and then returned with Duan Rong.

”Charges for Message Darts are collected from both ends,” Xiao Yu explained to Duan Rong. ”Don’t ever forget this!”

Duan Rong nodded.

”The general rule for the escort team is that intern escort masters, after joining the team, need to independently handle three Message Darts. This is to familiarize you with the terrain. For instance, Chang’an Town is small, with letters frequently coming and going between just one martial arts school and one weapon shop! The situation in prefectures is more complicated, so you should pay more attention along the way.”

”For your first dart run, someone will accompany you. From the second one onward, you’ll deliver it yourself,” Xiao Yu advised earnestly. Not being in the escort team at the moment, she was eager to share all she knew with Duan Rong.

Duan Rong naturally understood Xiao Yu’s attitude and the warmth in her gaze, which stirred a faint sense of gratitude in his heart.

When Xiao Yu and Duan Rong arrived at the inn, the escort masters and the porters were already seated in the main hall.

The escort vehicles had all been unloaded and parked in the backyard. The horses were put into the stables and fed hay, while the two of them also led their horses to the backyard and handed them over to an old man responsible for the horses.

Afterward, Xiao Yu and Duan Rong went to sit in the main hall. Xiao Yu pointed to a table and said to Duan Rong, ”You sit at that table.”

There are hierarchies and rules in the escort team, and as an intern escort master, Duan Rong had no privilege to sit at the same table as Leader Sun Huang.

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong walked over and sat down, while Xiao Yu took a seat at another table where Sun Huang and Liu Ao were seated.

Not long after, the food was served, including several hearty dishes...

Two porters stood up and used silver needles to test the dishes and soup. Sun Huang, seeing no issues with the food, picked up his chopsticks and took a slice of meat into his mouth...

With Sun Huang’s first bite, the tables instantly became lively, and everyone started gobbling down their food ravenously...

Duan Rong always considered himself somewhat gifted in the area of gobbling food. After all, he never missed out while dining with Yang Zhen, but now he had to admit, he was outshone...

Indeed, they’re professionals!

Though the meal was plentiful, there was no alcohol!

It is a strict rule of Yuan Shun Escort Agency that alcohol is prohibited while on escort duty!

The wine gifted by others at Black Tiger Stronghold had to remain on the escort vehicles, to be enjoyed only after the delivery and on the return trip.

After a satisfying meal, Leader Sun Huang spoke, ”Everyone, after having dinner, rest early. We’ll set off at 5 a.m. tomorrow! Rooms have already been opened, with four on the east end upstairs and two near the door downstairs. Two people per room, you may pair up yourselves!”

As soon as Sun Huang finished speaking, Li Yuliang, who was sitting next to Duan Rong, suddenly stood up and pointed at Xiao Yu beside Sun Huang, shouting, ”I want to share a room with him! I have a cleanliness obsession. Among you guys, he’s the only one who seems clean enough!”

Li Yuliang wasn’t deliberately teasing Xiao Yu, given her appearance and fierce demeanor that made it hard for anyone to think she’s a woman.

However, a girl is still a girl, and the love for cleanliness is inherent. Despite the dust on the journey, Xiao Yu immediately brushed off the dust upon entering the inn and washed her face at the well.

Yet, when Li Yuliang spoke, everyone was stunned. Xiao Yu’s face showed apparent anger. If Li Yuliang’s expression hadn’t lacked any hints of teasing or joking, she likely would have erupted!

At this moment, Duan Rong suddenly grabbed Li Yuliang’s collar and said, ”I’m new to the escort team and need a buddy. I think we should share a room.”

”What are you doing? Let go of me! Look at your dusty neck; who wants to share a room with you!” Li Yuliang struggled and shouted.

But he hadn’t trained in martial arts, so how could he break free from Duan Rong’s grip?

”If you scream again, I’ll stuff this oily rag into your mouth!” Duan Rong glared at Li Yuliang, raising a rag from the adjacent table.

The rag hadn’t been washed in ages, torn and covered in grease!

Seeing the rag in Duan Rong’s hand, Li Yuliang’s face turned pale.

Seeing Li Yuliang quiet, Duan Rong turned to Sun Huang and smiled, ”Leader, I’m taking the guest to the room to rest.”

”Go ahead. Take good care of the customer!” Sun Huang laughed.

Duan Rong grabbed Li Yuliang’s collar and led him upstairs in the inn, pushing him into a room.

In the main hall, Sun Huang turned to Xiao Yu and laughed, ”This disciple is good! Seems my teaching wasn’t in vain!”

Xiao Yu smiled and glanced at the room upstairs where Duan Rong had entered. Duan Rong’s cleverness and smoothness helped her avert awkwardness.

At this time, Liu Ao approached and said to Xiao Yu, ”Yu girl, as usual, I take the first half of the night, you take the second half!”

”Okay!” Xiao Yu replied and glanced at Liu Ao with a complex expression.

In the escort team, besides Leader Sun Huang, Xiao Yu and Liu Ao had the best martial arts skills, hence the cargo escort vehicles in the backyard were guarded by the two in turns!

Although Liu Ao took the first half, he often let Xiao Yu have an hour. Xiao Yu reminded Liu Ao several times not to do so, but Liu Ao insisted on it.

In the room upstairs at the inn, Duan Rong closed the door, shoved Li Yuliang to the ground, then went straight to the bed and sprawled out, occupying the entire large bed alone...

Li Yuliang got up from the ground, looked at Duan Rong, and angrily said, ”Get up! How am I supposed to sleep with you taking all the space?”

Duan Rong picked up a folded quilt from the bed and threw it at Li Yuliang, saying, ”You sleep on the floor!”

Li Yuliang grabbed a corner of the quilt and angrily said, ”Why don’t you sleep on the floor? I’m a customer, you know? What’s wrong with your Yuan Shun Escort Agency?”

Duan Rong lay there with his hands resting behind his head and said, ”We’re only responsible for your safety, not for making sure you’re comfortable throughout the trip. Got it?”

”You...” Li Yuliang was momentarily speechless and said, ”I’m going to your leader; I’m going to report you!”

With his words, Li Yuliang threw the quilt at Duan Rong and turned to leave.

At that instant, Li Yuliang saw a blur, and Duan Rong suddenly lifted him by the waist, shouldering him!

Before he could react, Li Yuliang felt a dizziness and found himself at the top of the room beam in the next moment!

Duan Rong moved too quickly, leaving Li Yuliang unsure of what had happened when he found himself carried to the beam!

”What are you doing?”

Duan Rong placed Li Yuliang down from his shoulder. Li Yuliang stood atop the rounded beam, looking down, feeling weak-legged from fright, nearly falling. He grabbed the pillar beside him, trembling, ”Quick! Get me down! You rascal... get me down!”

Duan Rong looking at Li Yuliang’s comic look, asked, ”Are you going to sleep on the floor?”

Li Yuliang was already on the verge of tears from fright and said, ”I’ll sleep! I’ll sleep!”

”Are you still going to report me?”

”I won’t report you!”

Seeing that Li Yuliang had surrendered, Duan Rong flashed his figure, grabbing Li Yuliang’s collar, and leaped down.

Li Yuliang felt a fleeting moment before realizing his feet were suddenly on the floor. His legs went weak and he slumped on the ground, glaring fiercely at Duan Rong.

Despite his anger, Li Yuliang had been terrified by Duan Rong’s antics, so he had no choice but to pick up the quilt and obediently sleep on the floor by the wall.