Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Xie Yuan looked at the progress display before him and smiled faintly.

The Golden Bell Shield had broken through to the 2nd Layer, increasing his Defense Power once again. His skin looked unremarkable, but the energy contained within was enough to block the blades and swords of a Second Training Martial Artist.

At his current level, he could charge recklessly into a group of common bandits, and they wouldn’t even be able to break his defense. He could knock over a whole swath of them just by running into them.

Correspondingly, with the third stage of External Training passed and his Muscle Training complete, Xie Yuan was now a true Third Training Martial Artist.

Three days to reach the Third Training!

With the help of the Purple Dragon Vine, Xie Yuan had completed nearly half of the Muscle Training regimen in just three days.

Such speed, even with the aid of a Treasure Medicine, was still terrifying.

But for him, it wasn’t so outrageous.

With his physical constitution, supplemented by his Inner Power, he had maximized the potent medicinal effects of the Purple Dragon Vine. His progress was incomparable to that of an ordinary Martial Artist, even one who had also taken the vine.

Moreover, for Xie Yuan, there were no bottlenecks as long as he grasped the basic method. He just had to practice over and over; the panel would figure out the rest. When it was time for a breakthrough, it happened naturally. It all just fell into place.

Xie Yuan relaxed from his Arhat stance inside his room. He slowly clenched his fist, feeling an explosive power well up within him.

He opened and closed his hand, then suddenly threw a cannon-like punch.

The fist shot past, generating a gust of wind that made a distant folding screen tremble slightly.

Xie Yuan nodded slightly. He had thrown that punch casually, without using any specific moves, Cultivation Techniques, or Inner Strength, yet it produced such an effect. Besides the increase in strength from his realm advancement, the explosive power from completing his Muscle Training was also on full display.

Before his breakthrough, Xie Yuan could never have achieved such an effect with a casual punch unless he had gathered his strength first.

But now, he could generate a gust of wind with a casual punch. If he were to use the Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist, while it couldn’t literally shake a mountain, it could surely shake any opponent in the same realm. And he had only just broken through.

The improvement in his realm and the breakthrough in his Cultivation Technique had once again transformed Xie Yuan’s physical condition, causing a leap in his true combat power.

Even he himself wasn’t quite sure what his combat capabilities were now.

’I should probably gauge my maximum destructive power based on my full-strength, three-move combo... Hmm, no, going all-out might cause too much of a stir right now. Using about half my strength should give me a good idea.’

Xie Yuan nodded. ’True knowledge comes from practice.’ It was easy to lose control of one’s power right after a breakthrough, and assessing one’s own strength was a crucial part of cultivation. He picked up his axe and headed straight for the training grounds in the courtyard.

「Inside the Escort Agency, in the chief’s study.」

The head of the agency, Shen Longteng, sat behind his desk. Four other men were seated on wooden chairs at tea tables on either side. All of the Escort Agency’s heads of escort were here.

Although their number was now permanently one fewer than before... having everyone gathered like this clearly meant they were discussing important matters.

"Chief, the business with Landlord Chang is causing a huge stir. Even though we posted notices and the proof of delivery, it’s had little effect."

Lu Zhenyu said, cupping his hands.

Shen Longteng’s expression was calm as he shook his head slightly.

"It’s fine. I’ll find a way to handle it. He doesn’t call all the shots in Yunzhao County. The agency’s business in recent days hasn’t been greatly affected, has it?"

"It’s holding up. Most of the clients who actually hire our Escort Agency are regulars, so they aren’t easily swayed. But many people have come to ask about the incident, and it’s definitely shaping their opinions."

Shen Longteng nodded and said,

"It’s good news that business hasn’t been affected, but that also presents a challenge. Zhenyu, are we managing with our current manpower?"

Lu Zhenyu considered this for a moment, then shook his head.

"We already have a backlog of consignments. Master Zhao is recuperating and can’t lead a team. And with Xu the Head of the Escort gone... we’re suddenly short two escort heads. On top of that, his team has been unstable these past few days. We’re extremely short-staffed."

Hearing the name "Xu the Head of the Escort," Shen Longteng sighed softly. Though his face didn’t show much grief, he was clearly not his usual hearty, cheerful self.

"Since we’re all here, let’s talk about this. The most important thing for an Escort Team is to keep moving; we can’t afford to be idle. No matter how chaotic the situation outside gets, our teams must be even more active—if everything were peaceful, who would need us? So, despite all the internal and external troubles lately, our business cannot be neglected."

Shen Longteng said in a grave voice.

"Chief, I..."

Zhao Xingyang started to speak, but Shen Longteng cut him off.

"You need to focus on your recovery. Your entire foundation and future are at stake, so you must rest."

The stout, elderly Chu Sheng said helplessly,

"Old Shen, we really are short on people. This old man is already working around the clock. I get back one day, and I’m out the door the next. I don’t think the agency can keep operating like this for long..."

Shen Longteng nodded.

"That’s why my idea is to promote a new head of escort to take over Xu Mo’s Escort Team and get it running again."

"Promote another head of escort? Has someone broken through to the Third Training?"

Chu Sheng was surprised, and the other escort heads were taken aback as well, though they quickly became thoughtful.

Shen Longteng shook his head.

"No, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Then who do you have in mind, Chief?"

"Xie Yuan, from Xingyang’s team. His strength is good, his talent is even better, and his performance has been consistently excellent. I think he’s the right person to temporarily manage Xu Mo’s Escort Team."

"This..."

Even Master Chu Sheng was a bit stunned. He knew the young man was outstanding, but he had barely interacted with him.

’If I remember correctly, hasn’t he only been here for a few months?’

Lu Zhenyu shook his head in disagreement.

"Chief, while Xie Yuan is impressive, he arrived too recently. His seniority is far too low. In the team of Xu the Head of the Escort, even the outriders have more seniority than him. I’m afraid he won’t be able to command their respect."

"Do you think his abilities are sufficient to be a head of escort?"

Shen Longteng asked Lu Zhenyu with a slight smile.

Lu Zhenyu’s brow furrowed. He hesitated for a moment before saying,

"To be honest, his performance has always been excellent; he’s nothing like a newcomer. After several missions, he’s gained a great deal of experience, repeatedly performed great deeds, and even turned the tide on multiple occasions. In terms of experience and performance, he’s already a competent veteran. Although his cultivation level is a bit lacking, his overall strength is nearly on par with a Third Training Martial Artist. So, considering both his strength and experience, he could be promoted unconventionally in these special circumstances.

"However, while he could temporarily manage Master Zhao’s team, taking over the team of Xu the Head of the Escort is another matter. That team is already in a state of panic and disunity because of what happened before. Sending someone as young as Xie Yuan there is probably not appropriate."

"It’s precisely because he’s young that he needs to be tested. This is a perfect opportunity to see if he can manage them and to verify his potential."

Shen Longteng continued to smile.

Seeing this, Lu Zhenyu could only nod.

"Since you’ve made your decision, Chief, I have no objections."

"Xingyang, are you alright with me transferring this young man from under you?"

Zhao Xingyang shook his head.

"He may not have reached the Third Training yet, but it’s only a matter of time. It’s good for him to use this opportunity to adapt ahead of schedule."

Shen Longteng nodded.

"Then it’s settled. Since he hasn’t reached the Third Training, we’ll make him an acting head of escort for now. When he finally breaks through, we’ll drop the ’acting’ from his title.

"Heh, such a young head of escort, such an outstanding young man... When do you all think he’ll be able to drop that ’acting’ title?"

"Three years."

Lu Zhenyu offered his guess.

Zhao Xingyang shook his head and said firmly,

"One year. He’ll definitely break through before this winter."

Master Chu Sheng was somewhat astonished. He had only met Xie Yuan a few times, and his knowledge of him was limited to hearsay. He couldn’t help but ask in surprise,

"You all have that much faith in this young man?"

"Seeing is believing. In any case, promoting a head of escort is no small matter. I need to inform him personally, so why don’t we all go and see for ourselves?"

Shen Longteng slapped the table and led the other escort heads toward Xie Yuan’s residence.