Chapter 747 – A Century-Long Dream, the Sage Longing to Forget Emotion - Part 1

Fifteen years later.

Harmony Province, Bravefell Town, the Four Seas Escort Agency.

Flags fluttered overhead. In the training yard, martial artists in snug uniforms grunted as they practiced their strikes, fists cutting through the air with sharp whooshes.

In the back courtyard's mess hall, racks of beast meat hung in rows. A cook was hacking at a fresh slab, tossing chunks into a boiling pot.

For martial artists, building the body required copious amounts of meat.

To keep the escort agency running and its men strong, there was always plenty to go around.

But the real prize, the flesh of genuine demonic beasts, whispered about in tales, wasn’t for the common fighters. That was reserved for the chief escort leader and the two senior heads above him.

In the inner yard, servants bustled about, feeding horses, scrubbing basins, polishing window frames. Between chores, some whispered excitedly about a major job coming up next month.

The north’s top merchant guild, the Red Dragon Trading Company, had put in a high-paying order. They needed a batch of valuable cargo transported south to the Cloud Capital. The pay was generous, and the job had everyone at the Four Seas Escort Agency buzzing. It wasn’t just a lucrative job. It was a gateway to a powerful client.

“If we pull this off, the Four Seas Escort Agency will finally make a name for itself in Harmony Province,” one of the servants said, hanging up a polished saddle and brushing a fallen leaf off his shoulder, grinning with satisfaction.

A newer recruit nearby doused the enthusiasm with a smirk. “Even if we get famous, your monthly pay isn’t going up.”

The first servant laughed. “Ah, you’re new here. You don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“Our young miss, she takes good care of the staff. Every time the agency turns a profit, she gives us bonuses.”

He tugged open his outer robe, proudly revealing a thick inner coat beneath. “Look at this.”

The newcomer leaned in. “Winterwear from Elegant’s? That brand’s known for being light and warm. Must’ve cost a pretty penny.”

The servant grinned. “Last year, one of the staff caught a cold from the cold snap. After that, the young miss had these ordered for everyone. One coat each. No one’s freezing this winter.”

He added with a hint of pride, “She paid for it all herself.”

Just as he spoke, he seemed to sense something. His gaze flicked to the side, and his posture straightened with sudden respect.

The new guy followed his line of sight and saw a young girl in red walking toward them.

She had short hair, but not the kind that screamed bold or boyish. Her oval face and well-proportioned features weren’t exactly stunning, but they radiated intelligence and quiet elegance, the kind of beauty you’d expect from a noble household.

But no noble lady would dress like this.

She wore the practical garb of a woman of the martial world, fitted, mobile, with boots that hugged her calves.

She was young, healthy, full of vitality, beautiful not in the fragile way of a porcelain doll, but like a spring breeze that carried the scent of sword steel. She was like a noble lady playing the role of a heroine, or perhaps more accurately, the most refined among warriors, and the fiercest among noble daughters.

"Young Miss!"

The servants all bowed in greeting as the girl in red passed.

She gave them a polite nod, pausing only to double-check the travel preparations, then turned and headed toward the outer courtyard.

A pair of arched gates linked the inner and outer sections of the estate, with a neat pebble path running between them. Just as the girl stepped through the archway, she suddenly jolted like a startled cat puffing up in alarm.

The servants instinctively looked up, curious.

A youth had just strolled in from the other side.

"Miss Tong!" he called out, grinning like a rogue.

The girl’s full name was Luo Lietong, eldest daughter of the Luo Clan and heir to the Four Seas Escort Agency.

The servants all gave each other looks. Some rolled their eyes, others wore thinly veiled contempt. Those who knew the situation were already sighing internally.

Luo Lietong exhaled sharply, patted her chest to calm her heartbeat, then stepped back to keep a bit of distance between them.

“Brother Bu,” she said with a forced smile, “you haven’t been here long, settling in alright?”

The boy was a newcomer named Lu Bu, freshly recruited into the escort agency.

The Four Seas Escort Agency regularly held open recruitments in nearby towns. As long as you passed the evaluation and had no criminal record, you could join.

Lu Bu grinned. “I can settle in anywhere. No place’s too tough for a master like me.”

The moment he referred to himself as a master, a wave of disapproval rippled through the crowd. Some even muttered silently,

Where’d this pretty-boy upstart come from? Does he even know who he’s talking to?

Luo Lietong didn’t care much for cocky types, but she kept her composure and responded with practiced grace. “Have you trained in martial arts before?”

Lu Bu shook his head slowly...then suddenly lit up, clenching his fists with a bright gleam in his eye. “Nah, but I’ve got freakish strength. That’s enough, right?”

Luo Lietong’s polite smile froze for half a second.

“And do you know what the Nine Rank System is?” she asked, her tone calm but firm.

Lu Bu blinked, clearly baffled. Then he straightened his shoulders and waved off the question. “Who cares about all that nine-whatever stuff? All I know is, with my strength, I’ll flatten anything in my path!”

Luo Lietong’s smile faded.

And she wasn’t the only one unimpressed.

A brawny escort from the outer courtyard, who’d been eavesdropping from a distance, suddenly barked out, “Hey kid! Come here!”

Lu Bu spread his arms and struck a pose. “You want to test me?”

Luo Lietong shot a glance at the escort. “Brother Wang, go easy on him.”

The escort waved her off. “Young Miss, leave this one to me. If this brat doesn’t get knocked around a little, he’ll never learn how high the sky is or how deep the ground goes.”

Lu Bu rolled up his sleeves, grinning like he’d just been invited to a feast. “Alright then, let’s go!”

He strode confidently toward the man.

In the outer courtyard, sparring matches between escorts were a common sight.

And now, with the brawny escort, one of the more experienced, squaring off against the brash new kid, heads were already turning. People paused their chores and training to watch.

Luo Lietong glanced at Lu Bu’s smug expression, and despite herself, a sliver of curiosity stirred in her heart.

But not hope.

Because the difference between an unranked novice and someone who had entered the nine ranks...was like mud and cloud. The two were worlds apart.

To put it simply, a martial artist who hasn’t stepped into the Nine Rank System still had to go all out just to handle a tiger or bear in the wild. But once someone broke through to the ninth rank, dealing with such beasts becomes a matter of a few casual punches.

Crossing that threshold marks the moment one leaves the realm of ordinary folk behind.

Now, this Bu kid certainly looked confident, but that escort was a genuine ninth rank fighter. The two weren’t even in the same league. This was supposed to be a one-sided thrashing.

Luo Lietong didn’t go far. She stayed nearby, worried that things might spiral out of control.

In the open courtyard, Escort Wang quickly assumed his stance, and the match began.

But the expected steamrolling never happened.

To everyone’s shock, Lu Bu was holding his own.

Blow for blow, he matched the seasoned escort.

Before long, the sparring turned serious. Neither man was pulling punches anymore.

The result? Both of them ended up with black eyes and bruised faces, looking like they’d just walked out of a bar fight.

Just as Luo Lietong was about to intervene, a senior escort captain stepped in first, striding over and raising his hand. “Alright, alright! Enough, both of you. We’re all on the same team here. Let’s keep it friendly.”

He spoke with ease, but his gaze lingered on Lu Bu, eyes narrowing with interest. Then he chuckled. “Good kid. Not even ranked yet, and you went toe-to-toe with a ninth-rank? You’ve got promise.”

Lu Bu’s face was a mess, but he laughed anyway. The laugh tugged at his bruises, and he winced, hissing through his teeth. Then he turned to look at Escort Wang.

The brawny man was still glaring at him, just about to say something when Lu Bu beat him to it.

He stuck out a hand and, through a mouth that whistled with every word, said, “Brother Wang, guess we had to trade a few punches to become friends.”

His comment, so absurd in tone yet perfectly timed, drew a pause from everyone nearby. Even Escort Wang blinked, taken aback, before letting out a grunt and slapping Lu Bu’s palm with his own. “You little punk...not just all talk after all. You really do pack a punch.”

Lu Bu grinned crookedly. “Only because you went easy on me.”

Escort Wang chuckled despite himself, his opinion clearly shifted.

Not far away, Luo Lietong finally let out a breath of relief. She glanced at Lu Bu again, this time with genuine curiosity. There was something different about this one, no doubt about it.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Six months passed.

The Four Seas Escort Agency successfully completed its escort for the Red Dragon Trading Company, and in doing so, secured a long-term partnership.

Then, five more years flew by.

Business boomed. The agency grew bigger, richer, more powerful by the day.

But a tree that grows tall attracts the wind, and the wealth they had accumulated didn’t go unnoticed for long.

To some, the Four Seas Escort Agency had become a golden mountain. While it was expanding and thriving, those with darker intentions had been watching, waiting. And now that the mountain was ripe, it was time to harvest.

And before you can bring down a fattened beast, you first have to break its claws and pull its fangs.

That day, the Four Seas Escort Agency received another large commission. But this time, it wasn’t from the Red Dragon Trading Company. The client was a different, unfamiliar merchant group from out of town.

The Chief Escort Leader took it very seriously. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go in person, and of the two deputy leaders, both seventh rank, only one was available.

So, he made a bold decision.

He sent Luo Lietong.

By now, she had already reached the eighth rank.

These days, demonic beast meat had become incredibly rare and expensive.

Even the Chief Escort Leader, despite having a fair stash of mundane silver and gold, could barely afford enough to help himself and the two senior escort leaders break through to the seventh rank. As for his own daughter, Luo Lietong, she had only just managed to scrape her way into the eighth rank. Everyone else in the agency? They had to make do with regular meat, and so, remained stuck at the ninth rank.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

A little over a month later.

The Four Seas Escort Agency was making its way through a remote mountain pass.

One of the senior escort leaders rode at the front, with Luo Lietong guarding the rear. Their formation flanked the cargo in the center, protecting it from both ends.

Among the middle ranks rode Lu Bu, traveling alongside the other escorts.

The group moved steadily through the narrow gorge, when suddenly a thunderous rumble echoed from the mountaintop above.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Luo Lietong looked up sharply, massive boulders were tumbling down the slope behind them, crashing into the gorge floor and sealing off the rear path in a matter of seconds.

The rockfall wasn't particularly tall, just half a man's height, but it was more than enough to block their wagons. People could squeeze through. Cargo could not.

And then, a shadow dropped from the cliff above, landing atop the rock pile.

A man stood there, looking down on the caravan like a hungry wolf spotting prey, eyes glittering with greed.

One of the escorts paled. “Young Miss, that’s the bandit chief known as the Fragrant General!”

Luo Lietong's expression shifted the moment she heard that name. Her horse edged back instinctively.

Because this Fragrant General wasn’t just a notorious seventh rank outlaw, he was also an infamous lecher, a predator who left a trail of violated women wherever he went. A monster in the guise of a man.

“Uncle Ma,” she called, her voice firm.

But she wasn’t panicking.

Yes, the Fragrant General was strong, but the Four Seas Escort Agency had brought their own seventh rank expert on this mission. He was one of their elite higher-ups, and the man personally in charge of the escort.

Luo Lietong kept her eyes locked on the bandit chief.

But his eyes...were locked on her, and they crawled. His smile was sleazy, and his gaze was obscene, shamelessly devouring her from head to toe.

Luo Lietong felt sick.

Then suddenly, a blood-curdling scream rang out behind her.

Her heart dropped.

She spun around and saw Uncle Ma.

But not as she remembered him.

He was holding a blade...and casually slaughtering the other escorts beside him.

He was a seventh rank warrior. Cutting down ninth rank guards was nothing to him. A wolf among sheep, it was brutal, effortless, and one-sided.

“Uncle Ma...you...” Luo Lietong stood frozen, the words catching in her throat.

Then she caught his eyes. And the look in them...something had changed. Something was wrong.

Her heart seized, and she shouted, voice like a whip crack, “Uncle Ma! The Four Seas Escort Agency is your home too! What are you doing?!”

Uncle Ma gave a sigh, almost sorrowful. “Young Miss...spending your whole life guarding the agency? Eventually, someone’s going to get caught in a ditch. I’m old. I can’t run anymore. Sixth rank is out of reach...so I figured I might as well enjoy a little comfort while I still can.”

He swept his gaze across the wagons piled with valuables, and then toward Luo Lietong herself.

The lust in his expression was no longer hidden.

Luo Lietong stood there, stunned.

Then, the sound of hoofbeats rang out.

A blur of motion stormed down the pass and skidded to a stop in front of her like a whirlwind.

“Lu Bu!” she cried out.

He didn’t waste a second. “What are you doing just standing there?! Charge forward, go!”

Luo Lietong’s face was pale with despair. “Lu Bu...you don’t understand how terrifying a seventh rank really is. Even if he

lets

us run, he can catch up in a heartbeat...”

Before she could finish, the horse beneath her suddenly let out a high-pitched scream.

Lu Bu had raised a boot and slammed it into the horse’s hindquarters.

Startled and in pain, the horse reared up and then bolted forward with Luo Lietong still in the saddle.

Lu Bu drew his blade and galloped after her, quickly catching up to ride at her side.