Chapter 211 - 154: Cold Water
"I heard Li Xiao’s brother-in-law is the Qin City County Magistrate?"
Zhao Lei, Chief of the Thunder Shock Escort Agency, asked, his eyes filled with hopeful surprise.
Wei He nodded, confirming Zhao Lei’s question. "Yes."
Hearing this, the Mid-Tier Tendon Transformation Realm Martial Artist began to pace back and forth excitedly.
"I..."
"I’d like to ask you heroes for a favor."
"I, Zhao Lei, believe I’ve treated Li Xiao well."
"We want to move to Qin City. We’re hoping the Qin City County Magistrate, for Li Xiao’s sake, will grant us residency papers for Qin City."
Wei He frowned slightly. "Aren’t you all doing well in Wang City? The Escort Agency has reopened, and business seems to be doing fine."
"Sigh." Zhao Lei sighed. "Young man, you don’t understand. No matter how good our Escort Agency’s business is, we can’t make any real money."
"That’s because the Jiangnan Prefecture of today belongs to Daliang. And in Daliang, we are the lowest of the low—Fifth-class Citizens!"
"Do you know how much tax an Escort Agency run by a Fifth-class Citizen has to pay? Fifty percent? Sixty percent? No, it’s eighty percent!!"
"And those Daliang bastards are extremely strict about tax collection!"
"Lately, who knows how many common folk who couldn’t make ends meet and underpaid their taxes have been thrown in jail!"
"If this goes on, we Song People will be pushed to the very bottom. All the good jobs are snatched up by the Daliang Alien Race. They’re exempt from taxes while we’re heavily taxed. We can’t compete with them at all. Sigh."
The five disciples from Changle Martial Arts Hall all shook their heads at his words. On the surface, the Daliang People claimed to offer the local people of Jiangnan Prefecture a means of survival.
But in secret, they practiced all kinds of discrimination, clearly and ruthlessly exploiting the local people of Jiangnan Prefecture.
"So, we also want to escape Daliang’s rule."
"Before, we had no connections and were afraid we’d face discrimination in Yunyang Prefecture too. But now, it’s different. Qin City was originally a city in Jiangnan Prefecture."
"Besides, the Qin City County Magistrate is this kid Li Xiao’s brother-in-law. So if we go there, even if we don’t get preferential treatment, we should at least be treated normally, right?"
"Young man, please help us."
Zhao Lei truly couldn’t survive in Wang City any longer.
If they held on for much longer, the Thunder Shock Escort Agency would definitely go bankrupt. His tone now carried a hint of pleading.
Wei He nodded slightly and looked behind him.
Lu Changfeng, speaking through his clone Lu Jun, said, "We are only following orders to bring back Li Xiao. We have no other mission requirements. It’s up to Li Xiao whether he’s willing to take you with him."
The other Martial Arts Hall disciples agreed with Lu Changfeng’s words.
Just as he finished speaking, Li Xiao strode in. "Let’s go! By the way, I still don’t know how I should address you all."
"Wei He."
"Lu Jun."
The other members from Changle Martial Arts Hall introduced themselves as well.
"Huh? Chief!" Li Xiao shrank back instinctively when he saw Zhao Lei.
After all, the Chief had been the most outstanding figure in his life until now, not to mention his direct superior and a master who had taught him a move or two. It was natural to feel a little intimidated upon seeing him.
Zhao Lei, however, was quite magnanimous. He stepped forward and cupped his fists at Li Xiao, his demeanor already turning solemn. "Li Xiao, your Chief would like to ask you for a favor."
Li Xiao nodded repeatedly. "Chief, just say the word. If I can help, I will."
Zhao Lei then repeated everything he had just told Wei He.
Without much thought, Li Xiao nodded in agreement. "No problem. I’ll mention it to my sister when the time comes."
The disciples from Changle Martial Arts Hall glanced at each other and shrugged helplessly.
Zhao Lei then looked at Wei He. Whether this trip to Qin City would go smoothly still depended on the Yunyang Prefecture identity tokens hanging from the waists of the Changle Martial Arts Hall disciples.
Wei He nodded lightly. "Since this is Young Master Li Xiao’s wish, then so be it. When can we set out?"
Zhao Lei made a quick estimate and said, "We need to count everyone and sublet the premises. The earliest we can leave is tomorrow."
Only then did Li Xiao realize there would be a delay. He muttered, "Huh? We can’t leave today?"
Zhao Lei cupped his fists at Li Xiao. "My apologies! I’ve delayed your journey home, Li Xiao."
Seeing the Chief apologize to him personally, Li Xiao, who was just starting to grasp his new status, quickly waved his hands. "It’s alright, Chief. Please, just go and get ready."
"Then we’ll come back tomorrow," Wei He said.
"Hm? Can I go with you?" Li Xiao asked. He didn’t want to stay in the Thunder Shock Escort Agency for a moment longer. The place held too many memories of his time as a menial worker. Moreover, as soon as Wei He and the others left, he felt as if the whole business with his sister and brother-in-law was just an illusion.
The group from Changle Martial Arts Hall humored him and took him away from the Escort Agency.
Soon, the group of six arrived at the inn where they were staying and got Li Xiao his own superior room.
They figured the expenses would be reimbursed by the County Magistrate once they returned to Qin City.
And so, the next day arrived without incident.
The group from Changle Martial Arts Hall gave the Thunder Shock Escort Agency plenty of time, only arriving outside the agency at noon.
As soon as they got there, all five of them were dumbfounded.
A vast crowd of over five hundred people had completely filled the street outside the Escort Agency.
"My apologies, Younger Brother Wei," Zhao Lei said, slightly embarrassed. "As soon as they heard there was a chance to go to Qin City for a better life, everyone in the agency came, bringing their families with them."
They were all his people, and he couldn’t turn any of them away, which had led to the current situation.
Wei He touched his forehead. "Have you taken care of your Escort Agency?"
"It’s taken care of. I’ve sublet it to one of the Daliang People," Zhao Lei replied.
"Then let’s go!" Wei He said.
The group left the city without any trouble and reached the county road.
They then headed straight north.
Along the way, thanks to the identity papers of the Changle Martial Arts Hall disciples, their passage was a bit conspicuous.
However, the Daliang soldiers were accommodating enough, holding their noses and letting them pass. Who could blame them, when the current Saint Demon Sect Master was so powerful?
The fact that he had repelled Pei Yuanshi head-on had not only affected Pei Yuanshi himself but was also deeply ingrained in the minds of the Daliang soldiers, making them naturally show a hint of respect when facing people from Yunyang Prefecture.
Furthermore, the Saint Demon Sect Master had not only defeated Pei Yuanshi, but he had also fought a great battle right in the Capital Region of Song Country and left victorious.
All these events had left a deep impression on the Daliang soldiers.
Along the way, the Daliang soldiers’ attitude made the people from the Thunder Shock Escort Agency feel quite good. It was an attitude the Daliang Alien Race had never shown them before.
The one who felt the best about it, of course, was Li Xiao.
Li Xiao watched the cautious gazes of the Daliang soldiers, feeling extremely pleased. ’If these Daliang bastards knew my brother-in-law is the County Magistrate of a city in Yunyang Prefecture, wouldn’t they respect me even more?’
Li Xiao’s nose was unconsciously in the air; he was already fantasizing about being surrounded by supporters in Qin City.
Just like that, when they were only one last checkpoint away from Qin City, a mishap occurred.
"There are too many people. Besides you five, you can take ten more at most. The rest are not allowed to pass. Turn back the way you came." At the border crossing, a Daliang general spoke in a cold voice, his words like a bucket of cold water dousing the fiery hope in the hearts of the Thunder Shock Escort Agency members.