Chapter 114 (1): Yin Shengong's Astonishment

Yin Shengong felt as if his jaw were about to become unhinged.

This was the first time he had ever seen anything like this in all of his years in this world!

In fact, prior to this, he hadn't even considered the possibility that the branch helm of a demonic church could thrive so splendidly on the territory of the Guardians!

Right at this moment, a Great Grandmaster emerged from the escort agency.

He was dressed in a spotless robe, and his hair was impeccably groomed, while his face was so clean-shaven that it resembled a baby's bottom.

He had a very honest and earnest appearance that instantly gave him an air of trustworthiness, and he wore a perfect customer service smile as he asked in a warm and hospitable voice, "Can I help you with something?"

His manners were just as impeccable as his hair!

He was polite, graceful, and approachable, and he spoke with a gentleness that made one feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

Furthermore, there was a cool and refreshing aroma coming out of his mouth as he spoke.

"I have some goods that I would like the Unmatched Escort Agency to transport for me," Yin Shengong said.

"Ah, of course. Please, come in."

The man became even friendlier, but even as he invited Yin Shengong and the three elders inside, he maintained a dignified demeanor, and it didn't feel as if he were sucking up to them.

"What's that smell on your breath?" Yin Shengong asked in a curious manner.

"Our head escort mandates attendants like us to take a pine mint every hour to ensure that our breaths remain fresh and pleasant," the man explained. "As customer-facing attendants, it's important that we provide our clients with the most pleasant experience possible."

"Your head escort sounds like a brilliant man!" Yin Shengong exclaimed, and this piece of praise came straight from the heart.

He had gone to many places throughout his lifetime, but this was the first time that he had ever been treated with such meticulous attention and care. Up to this point, it still felt like he was in a dream!

After entering the escort agency, the man rang a bell four times.

"Why did you do that?" Yin Shengong asked in a curious manner.

"I'm just an attendant, so I don't possess the expertise or authority to discuss business with potential clients. All of our clients are attended to by Supervisor Zhou," the man explained with a polite smile. "Please wait a moment, Supervisor Zhou will be with you shortly."

***

Sure enough, it didn't take long before five people emerged from the main hall, and they were led by a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress. There was an air of elegance, grace, and composure about her, and she wore a warm yet professional smile as she greeted, "Welcome! Please come with me."

She was accompanied by four white-robed young men, all of whom were very dashing and handsome, but most notable of all were their cultivation bases, which Yin Shengong had determined to be at the eighth and ninth-rank Lord tiers.

The four young men stepped forward, with each one accompanying one of Yin Shengong and the three elders, and they made inviting hand gestures toward the main hall.

"Who're you?" Yin Shengong asked.

"Mu surname is Zhou, and I am a supervisor at the Unmatched Escort Agency," Zhou Mei'er replied with a warm smile. "Please come in. We can chat over some tea."

"What if we're not here to bring you any business?" Yin Shengong asked, curious to see her reaction.

Zhou Mei'er's smile didn't waver in the slightest as she replied, "Even if you're not here for business, our agency is always keen to make friends! You're always welcome to come in for a chat."

Yin Shengong and the three elders stepped forward in a flabbergasted silence.

The ground looked as if it had been paved with white jade, and it was incredibly even and smooth.

Furthermore, it was so clean that Yin Shengong felt like he could easily lay down and roll around in a pristine white robe without having it dirtied in the slightest.

On either side of them was a flag that was flapping audibly in the wind, and Yin Shengong could see that these flags were positioned at intervals of roughly ten feet, resembling two lines of guards escorting visitors into the majestic main hall.

Simply walking into the escort agency was an experience in itself!

On either side of the main hall's entrance was a row of beautiful young women in white, and they extended slight bows as they welcomed Yin Shengong and the three elders to the escort agency.

Yin Shengong could see that these young women were all non-warriors, and they had all clearly been hired for their looks.

***

After entering the main hall, Yin Shengong and the three elders were greeted by the sight of another plaque that read: "Allies of justice, role models for all."

The plaque was signed off by the White Cloud Prefecture Hall of Protectionists, and it had Yin Shengong and the three elders squinting in disbelief.

Noticing Yin Shengong's interest in the plaque, Zhou Mei'er explained, "This plaque was given to our escort agency by the Hall of Protectionists as a reward for our efforts in combating the demonic churches."

Combating the demonic churches?

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The four of them exchanged an expressionless glance with one another.

At the very back of the main hall was a large throne, behind which was a piece of calligraphy that read: "Uphold integrity and the law above all else."

Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang were already rolling their eyes at the thought of Night Demon sitting under the pretentious piece of calligraphy.

"Our head escort comes every day, and whenever he does, he stands here for a long time to remind himself to uphold integrity and the law at all times," Zhou Mei'er said with more than a hint of admiration in her eyes. "He wants to do right by his clients and the people, and he's determined to live up to the trust that the Hall of Protectionists has afforded us. He's always telling us to be good, lawful people who can make a positive impact on the world..."

Yin Shengong felt as if his head were about to explode if he heard any more of this, so he hurriedly diverted Zhou Mei'er's attention away by asking, "What do those two paintings symbolize?"

He was referring to a pair of giant paintings on either side of the hall, with one depicting a cluster of steep and majestic mountains, while the other displayed a vast and turbulent sea.

"These two paintings symbolize our determination to deliver the goods of our clients to all corners of the world, whether it be across land or sea," Zhou Mei'er explained with a sweet smile. "If any goods are lost or damaged on our watch, we offer full compensation."

"What's that over there?"

"It's a piece of calligraphy that has only a single word: virtue! Our head escort always encourages us to be moral and virtuous, to take responsibility for our clients and..."

"What about that one?"

"That's also a piece of calligraphy. That one reads 'integrity.' Our head escort is always telling us that integrity is to be upheld above all else. While out on escort assignments, we must do everything in our power to protect the goods that we're escorting, whether it be against bandits or people from the demonic churches."

Yin Shengong couldn't bear to listen to any more of this.

"Where do we go to discuss business?"

If he didn't know that this was Night Demon's branch helm, he would've thought that he had come to a branch of the Hall of Protectionists!

The entire place was teeming with an air of righteousness, and it made him very uncomfortable.

***

"Right this way."

Finally, they arrived in a reception room, which was very plain and simple in decor, but also very peaceful and elegant.

The four young men departed, following which another young woman entered the room to join Zhou Mei'er.

Shortly thereafter, one of the young women in white brought in some tea before departing.

The aroma of tea filled the entire room, and the haphazardly drifting tendrils of steam in the air served a fine metaphor for Yin Shengong's current emotions.

Is this really a branch helm of my One Heart Church?

Even now, he was still enshrouded in a cloud of bewilderment.

"Please have some tea," Zhou Mei'er said with a warm smile. "Ah, how rude of me! I've only just remembered that I haven't even asked your names yet."

"My surname is Yin."

"My surname is Qian."

"My surname is Mu."

"My surname is Hou."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Zhou Mei'er said with a bright smile. "Please have some tea. See if our tea is to your liking."

Yin Shengong took a sip of tea, and his eyes instantly lit up.

This was very fine tea. It wasn't premium spirit tea, but it was better than the tea that the One Heart Church used to welcome its esteemed guests.

"May I ask what type of goods you would like us to transport for you?" Zhou Mei'er asked.

"Our goods are quite valuable. Would it be possible to speak to the head escort?" Mu Linyuan asked.

"That's what all of our clients say," Zhou Mei'er said with a smile. "Rest assured, we regularly deliver batches of goods worth hundreds of millions or even over a billion taels of silver."

This was a bit of an exaggeration from Zhou Mei'er, but the Unmatched Escort Agency did indeed have the wherewithal to escort goods of tremendous value.

"It would be impossible to assign a monetary value to our goods," Yin Shengong said. "At the very least, they have to be worth tens of billions of taels of gold, so I don't think you'll be able to make the decisions here. We would much prefer it if we could discuss our business with your head escort."

Zhou Mei'er's expression instantly stiffened.

"Those do indeed sound like some extremely valuable goods. May I ask what they are?"

"That's something I'm only comfortable with revealing to your head escort," Yin Shengong replied, and as he did so, he released a hint of his aura, which he had been concealing this entire time.

Zhou Mei'er was instantly struck by a wave of immense pressure, and she knew that these clients had to be taken seriously.

"In that case, I would be happy to introduce you to our head escort, but right now, he's out visiting some other clients, and he didn't tell us when he would be back, so you'll have to wait for him if you wish to see him."

"That's fine. We're happy to wait here."

Zhou Mei'er refilled their teacups as she said, "Our escort agency is a very big place. You can feel free to wander around while you wait for our head escort."

"I'll be sure to do so," Yin Shengong replied with a smile. "I've heard a lot about the Unmatched Escort Agency, and I'm certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to see it for myself!"

"I would be happy to accompany you on a tour," Zhou Mei'er offered.

"It's fine if you're busy, Supervisor Zhou. We can do some exploring on our own."

"It's fine," Zhou Mei'er said. "No matter how busy I am, I must prioritize our clients above all else."