Chapter 120: The Bandit-Suppression Army

After leaving the Foreign Quarter, Ding Li was no longer dragged around the city by Liu Sheng. Since lunch, Liu Sheng had been contemplating when to redeem Xia Qing and bring her back to the residence, while Ding Li remained preoccupied with the shipment the Cao family was set to dock at Fuxu Port in four days—a matter for which he had yet to receive concrete information from Uncle Fu.

After some deliberation, Ding Li decided to make a trip to Fuxu Town himself. What troubled him, however, were the Zhang siblings in Fuxu Town, as well as how to bid farewell to Liu Sheng. To his surprise, Liu Sheng, who had clearly braced herself for this, did not attempt to stop him. Instead, she calmly urged him to be safe. When Ding Li departed early the next morning, she even prepared breakfast herself and packed a portion of homemade pastries for both Ding Li and his companion, Hei Zi, to enjoy on the road.

Before leaving the city, Ding Li made a stop at the nearby Zhang residence. He selected two heavy crossbows and two Tang sabers from the armory that Zhang Wu had shown him previously. When he asked Hei Zi if he needed anything, Hei Zi’s response nearly caused Ding Li’s jaw to drop.

Hei Zi did not answer with words; instead, he demonstrated his intent. With lightning speed, he swept through the armory, and soon his hands were not enough to carry his haul. He had three heavy bows slung across his back and carried two quivers filled with armor-piercing arrows forged from fine iron.

However, Hei Zi did not even glance at the extremely rare Qin crossbows. This did not surprise Ding Li; as a professional assassin, Hei Zi knew that while a stealth weapon might not be the highest quality, it must be perfectly suited to the user’s hand, which was crucial for ambush and assassination.

As they left the armory, Hei Zi said with an embarrassed smile, "Brother Li, when we get out, could you trouble someone to send these back to the residence first?"

"What? You took all this, and you want to send it back instead of taking it with you?" Ding Li was astonished. Although Hei Zi had taken quite a lot, they had four horses between them, so carrying this 'booty' would not have been difficult.

"Heh heh... these are good things. I didn't expect the Second Master to have so much in storage!" Hei Zi grinned and nodded earnestly. Ding Li jumped back a step, exclaiming, "No way! If you want to send them back, find someone else. I don’t want my Second Brother to think I used his absence as an excuse to let you plunder his collection!"

Ding Li turned, gestured toward a corner of the vast armory, and suggested with a straight face, "Hei Zi! Look at that. If we brought that to Fuxu Town, I guarantee no one would dare to mess with us!"

"Really?" Hei Zi looked at Ding Li, confused, and turned around with his pile of 'booty.' He froze instantly, then looked back at Ding Li, asking uncertainly, "Brother... Brother Li, are you talking about that... that siege crossbow?"

"Hahaha! I'm just joking. Let's go!" Ding Li laughed, patted Hei Zi’s shoulder, and gestured toward the door before striding out.

"He was right, though!" Hei Zi muttered, casting one last lingering look at the siege crossbow, shaking his head with regret. "It’s just that we don't have enough men. If we had two more, we could really dismantle this thing and take it with us!"

Before leaving the Zhang residence, Ding Li found two men to help carry the various weapons Hei Zi had selected back to the Ding residence. Before they parted, Hei Zi repeatedly urged the men to be careful and insisted that they deliver the items directly to Xu Hong for safekeeping.

***

"Thump! Thump! Thump..."

Early in the morning, the streets were still chilly. The rhythmic sound of the drums from the Drum Tower was stirring, as if trying to wake the city that had been sleeping all night. As the drumbeats echoed through the lanes, the guards at the four city gates completed their shift changes. The night watchmen dragged their weary bodies away, replaced by fresh troops. The four gates, as if awakened by the drums covering the city, creaked open, illuminating the dim gate tunnels.

Caravans heading to Fuxu Town lined up in orderly fashion, passing inspection before heading out. Ding Li and Hei Zi, wanting to keep a low profile, led their horses and joined the flow of traffic. However, they had barely left the city—Ding Li had not even enjoyed the pleasant morning sun for half a minute—when he heard someone calling his name from behind.

"Brother Li! Brother Li, is that you in front?"

Hei Zi immediately tensed, pulling on his horse’s reins, but Ding Li opened his eyes leisurely and turned around with a smile, recognizing the voice of Li Shan, the head escort of the Miao Escort Agency, whom he had met only a few days prior.

Li Shan trotted over, his face lighting up as he cupped his hands in greeting. "Brother Li, it really is you! I thought I saw you in the city, but the guards forbid shouting, so I had to wait until we were outside!"

"Brother Li! Why are you back to calling me 'Brother Li'? Has it been half a month, and have we grown distant?" Ding Li let go of his reins, stepped forward to return the greeting, and feigned a grumpy expression.

"Hahaha! Habit, just a habit! No matter!" Li Shan laughed heartily, waving his hand, and immediately adjusted his address, making the atmosphere much warmer. "Ah Li, where are you headed? Leaving from the south gate so early—could it be Fuxu Town?"

Without waiting for an answer, Li Shan gestured toward the caravan still exiting the gate. "Ah Li, why not travel together? This is a shipment for the Zhang Merchant Association. We have a large group, and the road to Fuxu Town hasn't been peaceful lately. It’s better to have each other's support!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Ding Li looked at the caravan. Indeed, besides the flags of the Miao Escort Agency, there were those of the Zhang Merchant Association. The caravan was massive, with over thirty cargo wagons and nearly a hundred teamsters and laborers.

"Ah Li, the young master of the Zhang family personally requested this shipment. We have forty-six men from our agency, and the Zhangs sent thirty of their own!" Li Shan explained proudly, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "We have you to thank for this, Ah Li. Since we hitched a ride on the Zhang family's boat, not only do the other escort agencies in Fuxu Town dare not mess with us, but business has been so busy for the last half-month that my brothers haven't even had a full night's sleep!"

Li Shan stepped back and pointed to his dark circles, smiling wryly. "See? I haven't slept more than three hours a day for over a week!"

"Hahaha! Brother Li, you’re joking! If business is good, you should be making money!" Ding Li laughed, but his gaze fell upon the crossbows carried by the escort guards. He frowned and asked, "Brother Li, how did you manage to equip crossbows? And out in the open, no less? How did you get past the inspections?"

"Heh heh! That’s also thanks to you, Ah Li!" Li Shan smiled mysteriously, pulled a folded paper from his robes, and unfolded it. "See? The official seal of the Governor's Mansion! Thanks to the young master of the Zhang family and General Yang, since the roads are unsafe, our agency is no longer just a group of escorts. Lord Li, the Governor, has personally approved us to be equipped with thirty light crossbows. We’re even planning to select some men to be incorporated into General Yang’s forces. If we encounter bandits on the road, we can even earn merit by killing them!"

Ding Li was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhang Mingzhi and Yang Hongwen to be so active, nor that his casual introduction would benefit the Miao Escort Agency so well. "Oh? Joining General Yang? Doesn't that make you part of the Governor's personal guard? That’s a good job—good pay, less danger, and plenty of opportunities for promotion!"

"No, that’s not quite it!" Li Shan shook his head, though his face was filled with excitement. "General Yang isn't at the Governor's Mansion right now. He’s been ordered by Governor Li to build a force of a thousand men for anti-bandit operations. He spoke up for us, and we got thirty spots! Fighting bandits is like being on the battlefield, but with much less danger than facing a regular army, and the opportunities for promotion are even greater!"

"Indeed, those are just roving remnants of the eastern front armies. If they were well-trained, they wouldn't be wandering around here," Ding Li nodded.

As the caravan began to move, Li Shan said, "Ah Li, let’s go. We can talk on the road. It’s a heavy shipment, and I’d rather not arrive at Fuxu Town after dark."

"Right," Ding Li agreed. He turned back and beckoned to Hei Zi. "Hei Zi, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Brother Li Shan from the Miao Escort Agency!"

"Brother Li, hope you've been well!" To Ding Li's surprise, Hei Zi gave a meaningful smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

Li Shan returned the gesture, but when he looked closely at Hei Zi, his smile stiffened, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. "You... you are 'Crossbow' Hei Zi?"