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In an instant, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in my heart.

A mature escort team requires a lot of time to train; it's not something that can be achieved simply by reaching a certain level of cultivation.

Such rapid expansion must be backed by some powerful figure.

But what puzzles everyone the most is, who would want to pay such a small amount of money to the security escort agency?

Although the investment is small, the risk is extremely high. Losing a single shipment can wipe out years of hard work.

What kind of fool would take such a big risk to do something that doesn't even make money?

But no matter how much they talk about these things, they can't get involved and can only leave it to fate.

When leaving the city gate, I still had to spend a lot of money on tea before I could leave Chizhu Immortal City smoothly.

"Disciple Chen Lu..."

[Auspicious/Inauspicious Fortune Telling: You will be able to return to Maple Forest without any misfortune or hardship, fulfilling your duties as a porter.]

[Average Draw - Neutral: Stay with the escort team to oversee the Yuansheng Gate's robbery of the repairmen. During the journey, cause trouble and attempt to escape, but ultimately fail.]

"The first option, taking on the role of a porter, carries no risk, and the 10 spirit stones are practically free."

It's a favorable omen with no risk, but the chances are too slim; it's more like a mixed omen.

The second option is to focus on being a bodyguard. The risk is negligible, and there's little benefit. Ultimately, it's a mediocre outcome.

Both options prioritize stability, but the former offers 10 lower-level spirit stones without the harassment of Yuansheng Sect cultivators, so why not?

Chen Lu glanced at Zhao Dalong, gesturing for him to follow him.

Zhao Dalong was somewhat puzzled. Not long ago, they had been ambushed by the Yuansheng Sect cultivators. Now that they had captured their people, it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't retaliate this time.

Last time we were lucky and found some clues, but this time it's uncertain, what if...

However, listening to Chen Lu is always the right thing to do; I listened to him twice in a row, and the results were good both times.

At this moment, the three镖头 (head镖师) were still struggling with the selection of the镖子 (镖子, a type of镖师 ...).

His concerns were the same as Zhao Dalong's; they both worried that Yuanshengmen would seek revenge. "You can't guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days."

To save money, the escort agency simply stopped using porters and had the bodyguards take over.

Anyway, the bodyguards are highly skilled, so if something happens, they have a greater chance of surviving.

Those with lower cultivation levels are highly likely to lose their lives if something happens, and they'll have to pay another sum of compensation, which is a huge loss.

This time, the escort agency had a rule, so he could no longer find reasons to give his brothers more spirit stones as compensation.

"Third Chief, let's have Da Long and I lead the team again this time, so we can finish what we started."

Let's have Song Ge and Mo Ge take turns next time, so no one loses out.

Chen Lu suggested.

This time it was too sudden. Next time, he could consult the fortune teller about the journey before setting off.

If there are any risks, you can ask for detailed information, just like last time.

If there is no risk, you can take advantage of this opportunity to inquire about chances every day along the way.

Even if there are only a few, he will take them as long as there is no risk.

The three镖头 (bodyguards) and Song Ge agreed.

Now that we've lost the team leader, this is the only way to ensure that no one is taken advantage of.

The journey was uneventful, and as expected, nothing unexpected happened.

He consulted the oracle every day, but his results were meager, though still much better than nothing.

Now that my income has plummeted by half, my expenses on spiritual practice will naturally also decrease by half as well.

Without the supplement of spirit stones from elsewhere, his cultivation speed would probably slow down or even stagnate.

This is a bad sign for Chen Lu.

Back in Fenglinfang, the goods were delivered as usual.

To protect its reputation, Wang Family Escort Agency did not conceal the fact that it had lowered its escort fees.

Instead, they immediately signed new contracts with all the cargo owners.

Those cargo owners who saw the new contract were all shocked.

They had known for a long time that a certain escort agency charged a three-tenths commission for escorting goods.

However, out of consideration for face, he did not say anything about it to the Wang Family Escort Agency.

I'm planning to try out the new escort agency after my current contract ends, and if it works out, I'll sign a long-term contract.

Now that they've proactively lowered their prices, they've saved themselves the trouble of considering a new security escort agency.

They preferred to work with people they knew rather than with unfamiliar security escort agencies.

In addition, there have been no problems over the years, and the cooperation can continue at a lower price, so the cargo owners are naturally very happy.

The Wang family's move undoubtedly garnered a lot of praise, and for a time, cargo owners were all discussing the matter.

They say old-fashioned style is all about being particular; whether doing business or making friends, you have to choose someone like the Wang family.

This action unexpectedly had an indirect impact on other industries, creating quite a stir.

When they returned to the family, the stewards and elders had smiles on their faces.

After careful calculation, they found that the increased revenue from other industries was just enough to offset the reduced profits of the escort agency, and they would even make a small profit.

It was a real hardship for Chen Lu and his gang of bodyguards; they not only lost money but also gained a terrible reputation for being mercenary.

The family's silence has fueled this phenomenon.

This move successfully shifted the guards' hatred for their families onto the unsuspecting cargo owners.

Resolving the conflict is the worst approach; the best approach is to redirect it.

This would bring the resentful bodyguards together into a united front against a common enemy.

In critical moments, it can be used not only as a knife but also as armor.

After squeezing out every last bit of value, perhaps we'll get a reply like this:

I'm sorry, this is a difficult decision. Thank you for all your hard work over the years.

"No, we need to get the stuff quickly while the higher-ups are too busy to deal with the lower-ups today."

Otherwise, once the higher-ups finish their business, who knows what underhanded tricks they'll come up with to prevent a non-family member like me from acquiring the core techniques.

After handing over the thieves from Yuansheng Sect to his family, Chen Lu quickly approached the third镖头 (bodyguard/escort) and whispered:

"Third Chief Escort, it's been a long time since I've faced such a great risk while escorting this shipment."

Not only was he nearly killed, but he also lived in constant fear the whole way.

"If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have dared to take on this role."

Chen Lu phrased it very tactfully. If he had directly mentioned the "Sharp Gold Sword Pointing" technique, it would have easily made the Third Escort Head think that he was a cold-blooded cultivator who didn't care about feelings and only cared about interests.

The cultivation world is a society based on personal relationships; one must grasp both emotions and interests, and be strong in both.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) pointed at him and smiled helplessly:

"You little brat, since I promised to help you get 'Sharp Gold Sword Pointing', I will never go back on my word."

I'll go home today to let them know I'm safe. Tomorrow, you and I will go to the clan headquarters together to apply to the elder who will pass on the skills.

"Thank you very much, Third Escort!" Chen Lu immediately felt relieved.

Inside the council hall of the security escort agency.

An elder sat at the head of the table, his face solemn.

"The Wang Family Escort Agency has been able to stand strong in Fenglinfang for many years thanks to everyone here."

But now, our escort agency and our entire family are facing unprecedented difficulties.

In order to preserve this family business and weather this crisis together, I and the elders solemnly put forward four core requirements...

The whole thing was very solemn. After a discussion that was essentially meaningless, everyone left.