[center][h3][color=6ecff6]Xincai, Henan[/color][hr][/h3][/center][b][i]An Escort Warrior?[/i][/b] [@Zeroth][@Cu Chulainn][hr]While Mingmei didn't seem impressed, she certainly was happy for Hyun-Woo. His excitement was infectious, judging by the fact that Mingmei was jumping and clapping at his side, cheering on for his first win.

It was a fight that was neither duel nor bimu. More than anything else, it was a spar. Still, a win was a win. Even though their lives weren't on the line and they weren't pushing themselves to the absolute limit, it was still an important first for any martial artist.

The caravan master was still not impressed. To him, it wasn't a matter of someone proving their worth. What mattered more to an unimportant supply caravan was muscle and work ethic. Allowing the third-rates to fight was closer to letting an excited child tucker themselves out.

The third-rates may have looked upon Hyun-Woo more favourably, but the caravan master began to look more favourably upon Jin. He stood there shaking as he carried three men's worth of rice. He could appreciate that kind of motivation.

Third rates certainly didn't have the luxury of relaxing like the second and first rates. Just as quickly as the fight started, the caravan master yelled at the group to continue to load rice and finish the remaining preparations.

Soon, the caravan would leave and Xincai would become a hazy memory. 

[hr][b][i]The Hunt for the Madwoman[/i][/b] [@Restalaan][hr] A warm but familiar wave washed over Xiao Shan. Certainly, it wasn't something delicious she drank. The taste wasn't anything pleasant, but it wasn't anything horrid either. Rather, the only thing she could taste was a hint of fruit and lots of burning. The burning felt like it came from drinking it at once rather than taking sips.

[color=db587f]"Accepting a challenge of poison from a Tang is a strange bravado. I do hope that you learn a lesson about trust at some point."[/color]

The madwoman opened both jars and drank them with little gusto. 

[color=db587f]"The joke is that they're all poison. A cruel poison that blanks the mind and turns men into monsters. Yet people drink it for pleasure, myself included."[/color]

She placed the two jars back in her outfit.

[color=db587f]"I do suppose you have entertained me to some degree. I'll follow you to whatever magistrate has jurisdiction. Servants, my palanquin."[/color]

The madwoman tossed a small vial on the ground, a small puff of smoke erupting as the collapsed "servants" abruptly woke up. Even though Xiao Shan was relatively distant, she could smell the smoke from her position. There wasn't really any way to properly describe it, other than the smell of being kicked in the head by a horse. 

[color=db587f]"I have my own business with the magistrate."[/color]