When Shopkeeper Hu saw Yao Liu coming, he quickly introduced Li Zhichen to him.
"Chief Escort Yao, this is Miss Li and Young Master Qi. They'll be escorting the goods with us in a few days. I hope you can take good care of them!"
Yao Liu didn't respond to Shopkeeper Hu. He sized up the two people in front of him carefully and suddenly let out two cold laughs.
Technically, as the employer, as long as Shopkeeper Hu paid enough, it was his business whom he hired as escorts. Yao Liu didn't really care.
However, he couldn't figure out whether Shopkeeper Hu looked down on him or was just senile. The people he hired to protect the goods were a woman and a cripple!
By then, not only would their escort agency's brothers have to protect the goods and money, but they'd also have to take care of these two useless people!
Doing double the work for the same pay? Why should they?
Although he didn't know what sweet words this woman had used to coax Shopkeeper Hu into letting her escort the goods, most of the brothers in the escort agency came from poor backgrounds. To reach their current status, which one of them hadn't survived through life - and - death situations?
If they wanted a share of the escort business, it wouldn't be that easy!
Yao Liu waved his hand, and immediately someone behind him handed him a bowl of hot tea. Yao Liu gulped it down and spat out some tea leaves. He said indifferently,
"I didn't know which escort agency was so unruly as to allow a woman and a cripple to escort goods."
The people around were stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter.
This girl looked fair - skinned and delicate. She clearly couldn't do any heavy work and had always lived a privileged life without any hardships.
How could such a person have real skills in escorting?
Qi Lixiao raised his eyes, smiling faintly,
"What's wrong with a woman? What's wrong with a cripple? Escorting goods depends on strength. Whoever can protect the employer, money, and goods well deserves the title of escort."
A sarcastic smile played on Yao Liu's lips. After a while, he spat out three words coldly,
"You?"
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the inn became tense.
Shang Hongbo and Shopkeeper Hu looked at each other, their cold sweat almost dripping.
On one side was the head of the escort agency, and on the other side were Young Master Qi and his wife. They really couldn't afford to offend either side!
After a while, Shopkeeper Hu said awkwardly with a smile, "Everyone, calm down. We can talk this over."
Yao Liu still showed some respect for the employer's face.
He slowly got up and paced in front of Li Zhichen, not hiding the killing aura around him at all.
Yao Liu grabbed his big knife and stared at Li Zhichen with a hostile look.
Li Zhichen looked up without showing any weakness and stared back expressionlessly.
Yao Liu:...
He suddenly felt a bit curious.
Normally, those delicate young masters and ladies would have been scared to tears when they saw him. But this girl in front of him was not only calm but also dared to stare at him?
Yao Liu was used to being feared and looked up to. At this moment, seeing Li Zhichen's calmness, he suddenly had the impulse to compete with her.
"You, come out," Yao Liu stretched out his hand and pointed directly at Li Zhichen.
"Whether you're a swindler or something else, since you want to escort goods, you have to follow the rules of the escort business. If you can last ten rounds with me, I'll agree to let you escort the goods with us."
Hearing this, Shang Hongbo looked at Li Zhichen worriedly. Yao Liu was almost twice as big as Li Zhichen. One swing might be enough to kill her!
He glanced at Qi Lixiao's face, which was so gloomy that it seemed to drip water. Immediately trembling, he tried to smooth things over,
"Chief Escort Yao, she's a woman after all. Isn't it a bit unfair to ask her to fight you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Yao Liu twitched the corner of his mouth as if he had heard something funny,
"The duty of an escort is to protect the employer and the goods. If you don't have the ability, don't take this job! In the escort business, women are treated like men, and men are treated like beasts! If you really encounter bandits, do you think they'll show mercy just because you're a woman?"
Shang Hongbo was stunned and couldn't refute for a moment.
Shopkeeper Hu nodded after hearing this. If Li Zhichen couldn't even beat Yao Liu, there was no need for him to hire her to escort the goods!
For a moment, everyone's eyes were on Li Zhichen. If she were a timid person, she would probably have run away by now.
But unexpectedly, Li Zhichen took a step forward. Her pair of pitch - black eyes stared at Yao Liu without blinking, showing no sign of fear or retreat.
"Sure. Where shall we fight?"
The girl's eyes were as clear as water and as bright as stars. At first glance, one could see the obsidian - like pupils in the clear lake of her eyes.
But after looking at them for a few more times, Yao Liu suddenly realized that they were actually bottomless deep pools, faintly emitting a kind of pressure and the aura of a strong person!
Yao Liu was stunned. Somehow, he suddenly had the illusion that Li Zhichen was of the same kind as them, and even more decisive in killing!
This thought startled even Yao Liu himself!
Strange. He was the chief escort. How could he be afraid of a woman?
Yao Liu frowned and said, "There are fewer people and more space in the backyard. Let's fight there. Are you brave enough?"
Li Zhichen glanced at him and then pushed Qi Lixiao towards the backyard.
Everyone was stunned at first and then couldn't help but sigh.
"This girl has great courage! It's a pity she's not an escort!"
"However, girl, you'd better think it through. Escorts never show mercy during a sparring match!"
"Chief Escort, go easy on her. Don't make the little girl cry! Hahaha!"
...
Li Zhichen settled Qi Lixiao down and then stood in front of Yao Liu.
She moved her wrists as if warming up and said,
"Let's start."
Yao Liu glanced at her and asked calmly, "Where's your weapon? Don't say I'm bullying you if you go into the fight empty - handed."
Li Zhichen glanced at him and a smile curled up on her lips. "I can beat you even without a weapon."
Yao Liu was stunned at first, and then his face suddenly darkened.
Since ancient times, escorts would always carry many self - defense weapons, but Li Zhichen didn't bring any.
Yao Liu was convinced that the two of them were here to cheat and be freeloaders. His look towards her became even more unfriendly.
It was precisely because of these swindlers that the escort business had become a chaotic mess and its reputation had declined!
The other escorts were also a bit confused. They thought this girl was really something, stepping on their boss's sore spots with every word!
Shang Hongbo's eyebrows twitched. Even if Li Zhichen was good at fighting, could she be stronger than Yao Liu, who had been in battles for years?
Why didn't she even know how to say a soft word to beg for mercy!
He had never seen such a stubborn girl! Wasn't she just asking for a beating?
Yao Liu looked at Li Zhichen for a moment. Then he waved his hand, and with a "thud", he threw his big knife away.
He walked forward and said coldly, "I'll let you attack three times first."
Yao Liu thought it was a very humiliating thing to offer to let his opponent have some moves during a sparring match.
He had expected to see Li Zhichen get angry and frustrated, but unexpectedly, she just nodded with a smile.
"Okay."
Yao Liu was stunned and suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching into cotton!
He wanted to say something else, but suddenly a blurry figure flashed in front of him. He saw Li Zhichen already throwing a punch towards his cheek!