https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-454-The-Intimidation-of-the-Chief-Escort-of-the-Red-Flag-Escort-Agency-is-Lacking/12536694/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-456-A-Disciple-of-Mount-Hua-Delivers-an-Invitation-to-Pay-Respects/12536703/
Chapter 455: Secluded Research on the Fifteenth Sword
Chapter 455: Secluded Research on the Fifteenth Sword
Early the next morning, when Tie Kaicheng woke up, he saw that the members of the escort agency were already packing up their horses and carriages, ready to return home.
"Good morning, Chief Escort!" the escorts greeted respectfully.
Tie Kaicheng nodded and made his way to the inn's dining hall for breakfast. There, he noticed Li Cheng, one of the escorts, had taken the breakfast delivered by the innkeeper and now approached him with admiration, serving him with deference.
"Chief Escort, I heard you saved the Yuan brothers' lives last night!" exclaimed Li Cheng.
"How did you find out?" Tie Kaicheng asked, feigning surprise.
"Last night, while we were wandering around looking for entertainment, we saw Yuan's servants everywhere, inquiring about news. Even the maidservants on Qin Huai's Seven Wonders, Lady Caiyun's boat, were spreading the word," Li Cheng explained excitedly.
He continued, "Mei Changqing blinded Yuan Ciyun with a single sword, and you, Chief Escort, blinded both Mei Changqing and Liu Yue with your sword as well!"
Tie Kaicheng blinked, "What about the disciples from Meihua Fortress?"
Li Cheng nodded vigorously, "Mei Changqing, known as the Five-Spirit Plum Blossom, is famous in the northern Yellow River region for his ability to differentiate three plum blossoms with a single sword, creating fifteen distinct swords. And Liu Yue, the Cold Plum Sword, is also a renowned master."
Indeed, it was their reputation in the northern Yellow River region that allowed them to blind Yuan Ciyun so easily. Although Yuan Ciyun's carelessness and Mei Changqing's unexpected attack played a part, it was ultimately Mei Changqing's skill that landed the blow.
"How did the news spread?" Tie Kaicheng inquired.
As he listened to Li Cheng's animated retelling, Tie Kaicheng nodded, satisfied that the events had been mostly reconstructed accurately. Aside from a few details that seemed to favor the Yuan brothers and save face for them, the story didn't put him in a negative light.
"Yuan Ciyun was careless and lost to Mei Changqing. Yuan Feiyun couldn't compete against four hands with his two fists. Your intervention has earned the Yuan family's gratitude," Li Cheng finished.
As Li Cheng concluded, two figures appeared at the entrance of the inn—Yuan Feiyun and Cao Hanyu, followed by Yuan's servants carrying their luggage.
Tie Kaicheng smiled. Although the Hongqi Escort Agency was large, their profits were modest, considering they had over two thousand people to support. He never expected that this one trip would yield almost as much profit as the agency's annual earnings.
However...
Noting the gloomy expression on Yuan Feiyun's face, Tie Kaicheng surmised that their investigation hadn't borne fruit. But he couldn't say that aloud.
"I take it, Brother Yuan, that you've found the information you were seeking?" Tie Kaicheng asked with a smile, meeting them halfway. "With the Yuan family's connections in Jinling, investigating a mere pleasure boat should be child's play."
Yuan Feiyun's face reddened slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he shook his head. "You shame me, Brother Tie. The Yuan family has not discovered any useful information, nor were we even aware of Mei Changqing and his brother's presence in Jinling."
Cao Hanyu interjected, "But they are dead now, and whether we knew about them or not doesn't change that fact."
Yuan Feiyun nodded, then addressed Tie Kaicheng. "My father asked me to express his gratitude for your assistance."
Tie Kaicheng glanced at the gifts sent by Yuan's servants and accepted them without hesitation. "Then I shall humbly accept their kindness."
Yuan Feiyun forced a smile, his eyes reflecting a mixture of resentment and envy as he looked at Tie Kaicheng. His gaze shifted, and he added, "Although we didn't find any information about that pleasure boat, we did learn something else."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Tie Kaicheng inquired.
"Mei Changqing and Liu Yue were seen drinking and discussing swordsmanship with several others in Huainan. Those individuals have also gone missing, and it's likely they are here in Jinling," Yuan Feiyun revealed.
"Who are they?"
However, if Yuan Feiyun thought he could shake Iron Kaicheng's focus with these names, he was sorely mistaken.
...
Yuan Feiyun and Cao Hanyu took their leave.
The Hongqi Escort Agency also set out on their return journey.
The trip back was faster, and Iron Kaicheng arrived back at the Chenzhou headquarters in just half the time it took to get to Jinling. The journey passed without incident.
Upon his return, Iron Kaicheng received a welcome far beyond his expectations. All the escort agents and runners who had remained at the headquarters looked at him with respect and admiration, mirroring the attitude of those who had accompanied him on the mission.
The defeat of the Xiahou family of Hongyun Valley, the gift from the influential Jinling Yuan family, the blinding of Mei Changqing and Liu Yue with his swords, and the display of the Heavenly Sword technique had all contributed to his newfound reputation.
While it was uncertain how the outside martial arts world perceived him, everyone within the Hongqi Escort Agency was completely convinced of their new chief escort's capabilities. Even the heads of the nearby branch offices had returned ahead of time to meet the new leader.
Fortunately, Iron Kaicheng's past self had been competent enough, and with his own experience in managing the Sword-Hiding Mountain Villa and the Jiang family in Jingzhou, it only took him a couple of days to set everything in order. Each person knew their role, and there was hardly any need for him to get involved in the day-to-day affairs as the chief escort.
No one had any objections, as strength was revered in the martial arts world. As long as Iron Kaicheng could dominate with his sword, they would gladly let him handle all the sword-related matters while they took care of the rest.
The aftermath of the Heaven's Honor incident was thus swiftly swept aside.
...
In the following days, Iron Kaicheng sent Li Cheng to Jiangnan to gather information, while he himself remained mostly indoors, dedicating his time to unraveling the essence of the Life-Taking Thirteen Swords.
He had spontaneously devised the fourteenth sword during their escort mission, but the fifteenth sword proved to be more challenging.
In the original novel, Yan Thirteen had exhausted himself trying to master the fifteenth sword, and Xie Xiaofeng, facing that sword, had been utterly helpless.
These two were undoubtedly top geniuses in Gu Long's world, and if they found the sword technique insurmountable, others wouldn't even dare to contemplate it.
But Iron Kaicheng was different!
He had witnessed the staff techniques of the Heaven's Secret Old Man, the rings of Shangguan Jinhong, and secretly learned a bit of Guo Songyang's swordplay and Bai Tianyu's knife techniques. He had also experienced Inviting Moon's martial arts and Yan Nantian's swordplay.
Additionally, the sword styles of Du Gu Yixiao, Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue, and even Gong Ji and Mu Daoist had provided him with significant inspiration and assistance.
Standing on the shoulders of these geniuses, coupled with his three lifetimes of cultivation, Iron Kaicheng's insights far surpassed those of Yan Thirteen and Xie Xiaofeng. Moreover, he already knew the concept behind the fifteenth sword.
Having come this far, if he still couldn't figure it out in a short time, then all the sword techniques he had learned and the people he had met would have been for naught.
"In the movie, Yan Thirteen taught the Life-Taking Thirteen Swords to Xie Xiaofeng, which is quite similar to how it played out with the original me," Iron Kaicheng mused with a shake of his head and a smile.
However, before he could even finish his research on the fifteenth sword, a challenger appeared at his door.
"Who is it?" Iron Kaicheng asked.
"It's Du Fang, the Black Killing Sword!" came the reply.
Iron Kaicheng: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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