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墨書 Inktalez
Anyone who arrives in that country can feel the deep-rooted confidence of its people. Their cities can be left unguarded, their borders can remain without troops, and even if their officials are no longer in the court, they still think about their empire and pay attention to its situation.
This must be the kind of confidence that only a strong nation possesses—a confidence that belongs to a great power, an unabashed pride in their own country, and a spirit of daring to strive. Such qualities are certainly lacking in the Liu Xia Dynasty.
As Gu walked through the streets of Wei City, he couldn't help but compare the two nations once again. He knew that the people of the Liu Xia Dynasty had grown accustomed to comfort; for a thousand years, there had been no wars, no local sects beyond their borders, and no cultivators of their own. Thus, expansion was out of the question. The land was inconspicuous and insignificant—who would risk sending troops into Liu Xia?
The people of Liu Xia had been dulled by the comforts of Yuezi. Their citizens were like that, and so were their emperor. Gu vividly remembered the luxurious palace of Liu Qi and the thirty-six-story Qingfeng Courier Station in the capital. Comparing Liu Xia to Great Jin felt like comparing something rotten to something vibrant; it was as if it had decayed from its very foundation, perhaps beyond repair.
In stark contrast, Great Jin was thriving. Gu observed even the children playing games of warriors slaying foes, soldiers capturing thieves, and strategizing with stones as if they were generals.
Great Jin was indeed powerful; even nations separated by an entire continent knew of a country called Great Jin. They understood that it was strong and that its people lived happily.
However, until I set foot outside Great Jin, I could never have imagined how formidable they truly were. Once I arrived in Great Jin, I couldn't help but ask—why?
Why was that empire so powerful? What made that country so strong? Was it because of their soldiers? Perhaps I don't deny it. The Jade Void Sect? Perhaps I don't deny that either. Yet I couldn't figure it out and could only shake my head helplessly.
I didn't want to wear a frown all the time. Look at Liu Lao Jiu beside me; he had started his incessant chatter again. That person just wouldn't stop talking unless you told him to be quiet—what a laugh.
Gu sighed with his eyes closed, ignoring Liu Lao Jiu as he choked on his thoughts.
Their destination was the only escort agency in Wei City—the Azure Wind Escort Agency. The name sounded nice enough, but when they finally found the place, it looked like they might as well turn back.
The sign for Azure Wind Escort Agency had lost two characters from its inscription; one character was missing its radical, and the mouth component in another character had vanished. The pillars beside the entrance bore inscriptions that were now illegible, and there was a hole in what should have been a vermilion door—now faded beyond recognition.
Suddenly, a dog's barking came from inside the door, startling both of them, as they had thought no one was home.
"Go away, stop barking like that! If you keep it up, I'll have to roast you for dinner!" A voice scolded the dog from within. A large black dog squeezed through a hole in the door and began barking loudly at Gu and Liu Lao Jiu.
The person inside, clearly annoyed, pushed the door open. "That damn dog is making such a racket! If it keeps this up, I swear I'll roast it for dinner tomorrow!"
Finally, the big black dog stopped barking.
At that moment, the dog noticed Gu and Liu Lao Jiu standing at the door. The person inside asked, "What brings you two here? Are you looking for someone? If you've taken a wrong turn, just turn left; there's a pawn shop there. The clerk there knows this area well. If I go find him, I can surely find what I'm looking for."
As he spoke, he enthusiastically pointed in a direction for Gu and Liu Lao Jiu.
They were looking for the Azure Wind Escort Agency.
"Oh, the Azure Wind Escort Agency!" The man widened his eyes in surprise. He looked Gu up and down before shouting, "Head of Household! We have guests! Please come out!" He then went to find their leader.
Gu stepped into the courtyard, which was completely overrun with weeds. The Wu Jian rack was mostly toppled over; those that remained were rusty. Although there were swords and other weapons scattered about, they clearly hadn't been maintained in ages.
In the center stood a large room, but its broken tiles had fallen to the ground, and the red brick steps were covered in dust. Gu wondered if coming here had any real purpose; perhaps it was just another futile attempt. If they didn't achieve their goal this time, they would have to think of another way.
Looking around at the dilapidated surroundings made him worry about whether they could even complete their escort mission. Fortunately, there were no bandits outside Great Jin's borders. It wasn't surprising that this escort agency struggled to make money; outside Great Jin, no one dared to rob them. Operating within Great Jin was indeed unfortunate; perhaps they should consider relocating to survive.
Listening to Liu Lao Jiu's words, Gu felt that while Liu Lao Jiu might not speak eloquently, sometimes he hit the nail on the head. Wasn't it true what Liu Lao Jiu said? There really wasn't much demand for escort services outside Great Jin Empire. As Gu pondered this, he saw someone emerge from a small passage leading to an adjoining room; this person must be the Head of Household.
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