"With Old Wei mediating this matter, we need not concern ourselves too much; what needed to be done has been done. Everyone, get ready — our next encounter will not be so peaceful."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun burst into laughter:
"Having you gone to Dongcheng these past few months, I’ve been itching for action. Now that you mention it, I’m looking forward even more."
Hu Sandao only asked himself, within this matter, perhaps the only thing he can do is not to cause trouble for Su Mo.
Without hesitation, he remained silent.
Zhen Xiaoxiao ran along, unable to help but look towards Su Mo:
"Master, what are we eating for lunch today?"
Su Mo did not even want to respond.
Thus, the journey continued, approaching noon, everything remained calm.
Naturally, it was only their group on the road, still there were other travelers hurrying along.
But with each to their own destination, there was really no intersection.
In the blink of an eye, the sun was almost directly overhead.
Thinking to find a shady spot nearby to rest for a bit and maybe nibble on some dry food, Zhen Xiaoxiao also had some leftover snacks from last night; though not enough to fill the stomach, it could somewhat stave off hunger.
Looking around, there was a tea house right by the roadside.
With the weather so hot, the "cool tea" sign on the awning was somewhat enticing.
Moreover, there were quite a few carriages parked by the teahouse, bustling with activity inside.
Yang Xiaoyun glanced at those carriages, and noticed flags on several of them.
The large flags billowing in the wind, with the word "Yangwei" inscribed, somewhat eye-catching.
"Yangwei Escort Agency!?"
Yang Xiaoyun looked towards Su Mo.
Su Mo slightly nodded, unexpectedly encountering the team of Yangwei Escort Agency here.
After pondering for a while, Su Mo then simply said:
"Since we’ve met by the roadside, we ultimately cannot just ignore them. Let’s go see which member of the Yangwei Escort Agency is leading, and greet them."
Yang Xiaoyun also nodded his head.
While they could choose to avoid interacting, however, spreading such word would not sound good.
Back then, in Luoxia City, of the three major escort agencies, only the Yangwei Escort Agency remained, already overshadowed by Ziyang Escort Agency.
Especially after Su Mo’s fame spread, the nameplate of Ziyang Escort Agency was linked with being the top in Donghuang.
By comparison, the Yangwei Escort Agency seemed insignificant.
Now encountering them by chance on the road, regardless if Su Mo was entangled in troubles or not, if he chose to avoid today, it would be unavoidable for rumors to circulate like, "Ziyang Escort Agency amounts to little, encountered Yangwei Escort Agency on the road but dared not show their face."
Thus stepping forward now was not about Su Mo being aggressive or seeking confrontation with Yangwei Escort Agency.
Rather, it was a fact of life in Jianghu; one cannot help oneself.
In the midst of speaking, the group had reached the outside of the tea house. While they secured their horses, the people inside the tea house had already set their eyes upon them.
However, since Su Mo’s group wasn’t bearing flags, there weren’t many who recognized them.
Whether it was genuinely not recognizing or feigning ignorance was hard to tell at the moment.
Su Mo scanned the crowd, and had already noticed a few people sitting in a corner of the tea house.
Even though they had little dealings with Yangwei Escort Agency, they were certainly not strangers.
After all, a Young Leader like Ji Feiyang, rarely seen in the deep courtyards, was unusual.
Su Mo immediately recognized that the leader present was the Young Leader of Yangwei Escort Agency, Jiao Wenhao.
When Su Mo saw him, Jiao Wenhao also just happened to look up at Su Mo.
As their eyes met, Jiao Wenhao instantly stood up.
He recognized Su Mo immediately.
It was unavoidable, being in the same city; Su Mo’s reputation far exceeded that of Jiao Wenhao.
Whether before the battle at Xuanji Valley or after.
Su Mo’s reputation had always been prominent.
Previously renowned as a profligate, whenever Su Mo was mentioned, the consensus was that he should not be emulated.
Now though renowned as a great expert, the discussions were mostly of envy.
Jiao Wenhao had met Su Mo a few times before, yet they had never conversed.
One was a dragon flying high in the skies, soaring above the ninth heaven.
The other was a bug willingly mired in the mud, wandering through the silt.
Naturally, there was nothing to discuss.
Later, as Su Mo became famous worldwide, Jiao Wenhao may have been surprised, but he didn’t judge much.
Unexpectedly, today they met in this tea house.
For a moment, his heart felt an inexplicable heaviness.
Ziyang Escort Agency was now flourishing while Yangwei Escort Agency barely held a narrow path, namely this road heading west.
Seeing Su Mo on this road, wasn’t it implying that Su Mo intended to interfere with their path?
In an instant, he sighed deeply, clasping his fists in greeting:
"Lord Su, Chief of the Escort."
Su Mo smiled: "Seeing the Yangwei flags out front, I thought we might encounter some notable members of Yangwei Escort Agency, but I did not expect to meet Young Master Jiao personally leading the team. It’s been years since we’ve seen each other; the Young Leader remains as impressive as ever, deserving respect."
Hearing this, Jiao Wenhao breathed a sigh of relief.
What he truly feared was Su Mo recklessly coming up to tarnish the face of Yangwei Escort Agency. Meeting by chance on the road was not a big deal; the purpose of Ziyang Escort Agency traveling this route could be momentarily set aside.
If Su Mo intended to leverage his current fame to disgrace Yangwei Escort Agency here,
That would truly be troublesome.
Now seeing Su Mo speak politely, a broad smile spread across Jiao Wenhao’s face:
"Lord Su, Chief of the Escort is too kind. To meet by chance on the road is indeed fateful, if you do not mind, please sit down and let’s talk."