Chapter 18

After traveling ten miles, the scenery outside remained the same.

Wei He took a look around.

It was noon. The sunlight shone brightly, illuminating the distant forests on both sides.

There were no fields along the official road, only wild grass.

Wild grass taller than a person could be seen everywhere, but it was in clumps, not forming a continuous expanse.

To his surprise, although Cheng Kai had warned of danger,

the journey had been smooth so far.

On the first day, the group arrived at a village. The village was called Fan Family Village, and there was a roadside inn at its edge.

Cheng Kai seemed quite familiar with the innkeeper, and after greeting him, the group stayed for the night.

The next morning, they set off before dawn.

Every day, they would travel for a day, reach a village, stay at an inn, and then continue the cycle.

Wei He and Cheng Kai usually shared a room, with two beds. They slept in their clothes, near the window, to check the situation at any time, but there were no unexpected incidents.

Everything was calm.

The route, locations, and even the rest stops were all pre-arranged, making Wei He lose the sense of mystery that came with escorting a convoy.

He gradually began to doubt the so-called dangers outside the city.

On the seventh night,

the convoy was about to reach its destination, in a desolate mountain area, near a large stone bridge.

The group lit a bonfire, and the convoy and horses were parked near the bridgehead house, forming a semicircle. Some people rested in the house.

The mountain wind howled, and the flickering bonfire cast shadows that swayed back and forth.

The large stone bridge stretched for hundreds of meters, with a guardhouse on each side of the bridgehead.

These guardhouses seemed to have been left from the old days when the bridge was maintained, but they had long been abandoned.

The once hundreds of meters long bridge was now dilapidated and in disrepair.

The bridgehead house was cylindrical, about seven to eight meters high, and had a diameter of about seventeen to eighteen meters.

Inside, it was empty, and about twenty people gathered around two bonfires, chatting and laughing.

The cold wind blowing through the two window holes did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Wei He sat in a corner, silently poking the bonfire with a thick branch to make it burn brighter.

A few people on his left were boasting in a dialect he couldn't understand.

On his right, one person was carving wood with a small knife, and another was dozing against the wall.

Cheng Kai, as the head of the convoy, had arranged the night watch and then walked in.

He spoke a few words to the other guards by the bonfire, and soon a few people got up and went outside.

Not long after, the sound of punches and kicks could be faintly heard.

"Here we go again, let's go see the fun!"

Several guards immediately perked up and headed for the door.

The three people next to Wei He, who had just been carving wood and dozing, also jumped up and went outside.

The guards who had been boasting in the dialect also got up, and one of them, seeing Wei He still sitting there, looking puzzled, laughed and said,

"Come on, Brother Wei, you've practiced the genuine Huishan Fist. Go out and show your skills!"

He walked over and pulled on Wei He's sleeve.

"What?" Wei He, looking confused, was pulled up and followed the group out of the bridgehead house.

Behind the bridgehead house, there was an open area that seemed to be used for chopping firewood.

Two guards were facing off, slowly circling each other.

Some people held torches to light the way, and others were cheering for one of them.

The place was sheltered by the mountain wall and the bridgehead house, so the mountain wind was minimal, making it a good spot.

Seeing that Wei He had come out, Cheng Kai walked over and said with a smile,

"This is the entertainment activity we have on every convoy."

"Entertainment activity?"

"Exactly." Cheng Kai stroked his beard and smiled, "We're not allowed to drink or gamble on the convoy. Apart from chatting, there's nothing else to do. Even talking is often not allowed to be loud or for too long. Over time, it can get quite oppressive."

He paused and continued, "So, when we're close to the destination, we have an internal martial arts competition. First, it helps to stay alert and improve blood circulation since we can't drink. Second, it helps to establish a hierarchy. Knowing who is strong and who is weak helps us prepare for any trouble."

Wei He immediately understood.

No matter where there are people, there will always be a hierarchy.

At that moment, a loud shout came from the field.

The two guards had already clashed.

One tall guard was using an iron staff, swinging it with skill, attacking and defending with precision.

The other, shorter and stocky, was bare-handed, punching quickly and powerfully, creating a fierce momentum.

After a while of close combat, the one with the staff, being too close to use it effectively and not fast enough to create distance, was hit on the shoulder and defeated.

"White Shengfeng's staff skills are quite good, even having a record of defeating five hooligans in Nanshan Town with just one staff. I didn't expect him to lose to Li Er," Cheng Kai commented.

Wei He watched, and the two guards' skills were average. Although he couldn't gauge the strength, their speed and reaction time were clearly ordinary.

By his estimation, they were just a bit stronger than ordinary people, with some basic combat skills.

After Li Er won, he was still not satisfied and fought another match, which he also won.

At this point, his advantage became clear. His endurance was excellent, and he showed no signs of fatigue after two matches.

"How about it? Want to give it a try? Li Er's Nine Mountain Fist is strong. Even I would need to be fully focused to win," Cheng Kai smiled at Wei He.

"Sure." Wei He didn't say much, took off his cloak, and stepped into the field.

"Wei He." He bowed.

"Li Er." The short and stocky Li Er had a fierce look, with a scar on his left eyebrow. His muscles were well-defined, making him look formidable.

After bowing, they stood still.

Wei He was carefully observing. Although he had watched two matches, he wasn't in a hurry to act.

Under the torchlight,

Li Er, after two consecutive wins, was confident and full of momentum. He threw a straight punch at Wei He.

This punch was a feint. He used a fast punch.

One hand punched, the other guarded, ready to change tactics at any moment.

If Wei He couldn't keep up, he would follow up with a quick attack to gain the upper hand.

If Wei He could keep up, he would test his skills and strength.

Wei He raised both fists to protect his head and lightly deflected the punch.

Puh.

When their fists met, Wei He felt a jolt. The force of the punch was considerable, even making his fist numb, despite his enhanced physical condition.

No wonder Li Er had easily won two matches.

But unfortunately...

Wei He's left fist shot forward, a straight punch aimed at Li Er's chest.

Whoosh. His fist turned into a white blur, faster than Li Er's.

Just as Li Er tried to dodge, the punch changed direction and hit his shoulder.

Peng.

Li Er staggered back, losing a move.

He was不服气 (unwilling to accept defeat) and continued to attack.

They continued to fight, but after a few exchanges, Li Er was hit in the abdomen.

This time, he clearly saw that their strength was similar, but the speed difference was significant.

Wei He stood still, barely moving, and with just a few punches, the fight was over.

"Amazing! I admit defeat!" Li Er, blushing, bowed and left.

The cheers and encouragement gradually died down. Since no one was familiar with Wei He, no one cheered for him.

"Who wants to try? But think carefully before you step up. Li Er's Nine Mountain Fist is powerful, and he still lost. If you're not strong enough, don't come to be humiliated," Cheng Kai shouted.

"I'll try." A man stepped forward, holding a short knife. "Sorry, I'm better with weapons."

"No problem." Wei He responded. In the world of escorts, one would eventually face someone with a weapon.

The man swung his knife swiftly at Wei He, using the back of the blade to avoid injury, but it still looked impressive.

But with his enhanced physical condition, Wei He's reaction speed was far beyond that of ordinary people. He dodged a few times, tripped the man, and then punched him.

The short knife was immediately knocked out of his hand and fell to the ground.

Another win.

Wei He didn't leave the field, looking around, ready to gain more combat experience.

Although he didn't say anything, everyone understood that he wanted to continue.

Soon, two more people stepped up, but they were easily defeated by Wei He.

With his physical advantage, dealing with these ordinary guards was quite easy.

At this moment, he deeply realized how much a physical enhancement could boost one's strength. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

"Let me try." Finally, a tall woman with long legs stepped forward.

Her name was Cheng Qing, a distant relative of the Cheng family. She was not a guard but one of the two head guards on this trip.

"Cheng Qing will make it interesting," Cheng Kai smiled, stroking his beard.

He had been considering whether to step in himself. If Wei He swept through everyone, it would be embarrassing.

As a rare female guard and head guard, Cheng Qing was skilled and well-known in the Shiqiao Town area.

"I've fought many skilled people in the town. In Shiqiao Town and Nanshan Town, I've challenged the top figures in five small gangs, losing only one match.

In the guard agency, I rank just below the head guard and the young master. If you beat me, you'll be in the top ten in Shiqiao Town, excluding martial artists."

Cheng Qing spoke clearly, her eyes bright and unwavering, staring directly at Wei He.

"You've been challenging the elders, trying to make a name for yourself. If I weren't here, it might have worked, but since I am, I have to stop you!" Her voice was clear and firm.

Wei He paused, "I didn't mean to..."

"You don't need to argue. I've seen people like you before. You may seem quiet, but you're full of ambition!" Cheng Qing said decisively.

"You misunderstood..."

"I didn't misunderstand. Wanting to advance is not wrong, but you chose the wrong way."

"Can you listen carefully..." Wei He's voice involuntarily rose.

"What's the point of listening? No matter what you say, it won't change who you are. Stop talking nonsense!"

Cheng Qing started with a high kick.

Whoosh!

Her leg moved like an axe, and the speed was not at all slower than Wei He's.

She had also undergone a physical enhancement!