Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable-Chapter 1077 - 987: Hidden Guard 10

Shuangshuang casually brushed off a few sentences; she really wasn’t interested in the battles between inner courtyard women. Fortunately, Mingzhu was quite talkative, so even if Shuangshuang didn’t say much, Mingzhu could keep the conversation lively all by herself, preventing any awkward silences.

Mingzhu chattered away and eventually revealed her main purpose for coming here: she had a group of close friends, all young women. In Nandu, the oppression of women wasn’t as severe as in Daxia, so girls could often go out and have fun.

But when going out, they could only venture as far as the suburbs outside the city, no farther due to potential dangers. In ancient times, bandits were rampant, and even during peaceful eras, there were always some who didn’t want to labor and preferred a life of banditry.

When these young women went out nearby, they had household guards ensuring their safety. But venturing farther, the handful of guards wouldn’t suffice. At that point, if there was a reputable escort agency, they could hire its members for protection.

Shuangshuang’s Martial Arts skills were widely recognized as exceptional—after all, none of the men in Yang City were her match. However, she was new here, and few people knew her, nor were they familiar with her background, so how could they dare ask Shuangshuang to protect their relatives during outings?

Mingzhu considered Shuangshuang her lifesaver and naturally trusted her greatly, which is why she first thought to ask Shuangshuang to handle their outing security.

This was quite a good job; it always paid well, and while going out was primarily for pleasure, even though as a guard one couldn’t participate, the leisurely pace meant it wouldn’t be tiring or overly dangerous.

Shuangshuang readily agreed to the task, and Mingzhu, seeing her acceptance, happily took her leave to gather her close girlfriends and discuss travel routes together.

Moreover, prestigious young women prepared extensive items for outings: attending servants, various belongings, practically endless in number. Just Mingzhu alone packed two large horse carriages full, not to mention the small house-like carriage she rode in—adding up to three carriages for her alone.

On the day of departure, the dozen young ladies lined up their carriages in a grand procession like a long dragon, and Shuangshuang brought along all her escort masters to ensure the safe protection of these young women. She specifically requested the ladies’ carriages to cluster together for easier safeguarding.

The route this time headed south, with the destination being Baihua Town, a place with a dense water network and stunning scenic beauty, featuring blooms year-round—a favorite haunt of poets and scholars, albeit a bit far from Yang City.

In the past, if Mingzhu and her companions wanted to visit such places, they had to travel with their parents. Simply hiring an escort agency wouldn’t suffice due to uncertainty about the Chief’s skills, plus the escorts were mostly men, making close protection inconvenient.

If close protection wasn’t feasible, in case of danger, responses would be delayed. Finding a female Chief with such excellent skills like Shuangshuang was indeed rare.

The journey proceeded smoothly; everyone was out for leisure and not rushing. Shuangshuang even thoughtfully sent a subordinate ahead to scout for accommodation options and determine travel speed accordingly.

These young women truly knew how to enjoy life: hiking mountains, sailing rivers, carrying cookware and condiments for outdoor cooking, complete with a portable chef, they could whip up delicious meals even in the wild, preferring to settle in early over hurried traveling.

The days of adventure flew by, and soon they reached Baihua Town. This place lived up to its name with fields of blazing red blossoms waving in the wind, breathtakingly beautiful.

During this period, thanks to Mingzhu’s introductions, Shuangshuang got along well with the young women. Moreover, Mingzhu’s friends were easy to get along with, as Mingzhu herself was rather carefree and amiable.

Now, during leisure and entertainment, they always invited Shuangshuang along. With years of memories, Shuangshuang possessed an understanding of classic arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, offering precise and insightful commentary, quickly earning the admiration of a group of young fans.

The captivating scenery of Baihua Town led the group to decide on extending their visit before heading home. For many of the young women, it was their first time traveling this far without parental accompaniment, and excitement was palpable.

Nandu was indeed a nice place; although it still imposed many restrictions on women, like the incident when Mingzhu nearly compromised her reputation if approached by a man—facing choices of death or becoming a nun.

Yet, while Nandu was strict on female chastity, it was more lenient than Daxia, where women were strictly forbidden from public visibility. In Nandu, women could engage in business and travel far.

Previously, Shuangshuang wouldn’t have been able to successfully open an escort agency in Daxia, being a woman. But in Nandu, if Shuangshuang could prove her capabilities, no one would think she shouldn’t do it, nor avoid doing business with her just because she was female. Naturally, Shuangshuang was quite fond of Nandu.

After enjoying Baihua Town for a whole month, the young women prepared to head home, despite their families allowing them to travel—they couldn’t go too wild.

On the return journey, the travel pace was consistent with their leisurely approach: settling early rather than rushing, as lodgings along the way were already known. Shuangshuang didn’t send scouts ahead anymore.

That day, everyone traveled at their usual leisurely speed, aware of an inn not far ahead for early rest. The journey was relaxed.

The official roads were desolate and tranquil, yet the surrounding scenery was stunning. The young women peeked from carriage windows, admiring the view, chatting and laughing, snacking on dried fruits and pastries, sipping teas brewed from pristine mountain spring water—it was a delightful experience.

Just as everyone was joyfully proceeding, the leading carriage abruptly halted, leaving everyone puzzled. The escort master came over to report to Shuangshuang.

"Chief, a giant tree is blocking the road ahead, preventing the carriages from passing. Something doesn’t seem right."

Shuangshuang understood why the escort master said this; such a blockade was a common bandit trick to obstruct the path.