With the road so deserted, having company wasn’t a bad idea, so he agreed.
His men remained cautious—after all, they’d faced plenty of trouble along the way, especially near the border between Tongzhou and Lianping Prefecture. Everyone had learned to stay sharp.
"You don’t look familiar, Brother Huo. You must not be from Yuchang Prefecture’s merchant circles."
Zhang Rong, riding alongside Huo Shu, said, "Don’t take it the wrong way, I’ve been running this route between Yuchang Prefecture and Baiyunjian for years. I recognize most of the larger caravans that frequent this road."
"We came from the south."
Huo Shu didn’t specify further.
"The south!"
Zhang Rong’s expression turned impressed. "The south" meant the prefectures beyond Lianping.
To come all this way—a journey of a thousand li—was no small feat.
And hauling goods on top of that, to make it here safely required either considerable skill or sheer luck.
He said earnestly, "Running into a southern caravan heading north in this stretch is truly rare."
Huo Shu replied, "Just trying to make a living."
"Business hasn’t been easy these past two years. After this trip, I’ll be taking a break myself."
Zhang Rong sighed. "The road north hasn’t been peaceful lately. Bandits have been targeting merchants—before, a bribe would settle things, but last year, new gangs emerged who don’t play by the rules. They don’t take bribes, just kill and loot."
"Many caravans fell victim last year. This route never had many traders to begin with, and after those incidents, this year’s caravans are as rare as phoenix feathers."
[凤毛麟角 (fèngmáo línjiǎo): lit. phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; fig. extremely rare]
When the world was in chaos, the number of traveling merchants sharply declined. Merchants valued their lives, and those with enough savings and no worries about food and clothing wouldn’t risk their lives for profit.
"If it weren’t for the fact that I had already secured goods with merchants from Baiyunjian and had a decade-long business relationship with them, I wouldn’t have ventured out on this risky trip either."
"Those of us have families to feed. If something happens on the road, it’s hard to explain to our children and parents."
Hearing this, Huo Shu understood—unless the roads were unsafe, seasoned veterans like these wouldn’t actively seek companions.
After all, at first glance, guiding others for free seemed like a loss.
Huo Shu chatted idly with Zhang Rong when suddenly his brow twitched. He raised a hand to signal the group: "People are coming this way, quite a few of them."
His men had witnessed Huo Shu’s skills before, so upon hearing this, they immediately reined in their livestock and prepared to draw their weapons.
Zhang Rong stared blankly ahead, seeing no one approaching. But as he noticed Huo Shu’s group on high alert, he grew nervous as well.
"People? Where? Are they coming from the front?"
When Huo Shu didn’t answer, Zhang Rong thought it best to take precautions. He quickly ordered his own men to stay alert.
Ji Taoyu noticed the sudden halt in the caravan and, seeing everyone tense up, felt his own nerves tighten.
Though they had encountered bandits more than once on the road, that didn’t mean he could remain calm when it happened again.
Within moments, the sound of hooves was accompanied by unsettling, wild laughter:
"Look at these fat sheep I’ve caught! This haul will keep us brothers fed for months without leaving the mountains!"
"Why bother robbing those two penniless travelers earlier? What a waste of effort."
Five rough-looking men with bushy brows and wild hair suddenly emerged ahead, blocking the mountain path like wild beasts.
Another seven or eight ambushers appeared from the left cliffside.
In total, they were fewer in number than the merchant group.
But these bandits were far from harmless. Their leader bore a scar stretching across half his face, his expression utterly vicious. Worse still, one of them was holding a dripping human head.
Their ruthless, bloodthirsty demeanor was nothing like Duan Chi’s intimidating presence—instead, their lawless brutality sent shivers through the bones, for these men knew no honor, only killing and looting.
Apart from Huo Shu and Ge Liang, none of them had ever faced such brutality. They were both terrified and sickened.
Zhang Rong, legs trembling, addressed the bandits: "Heroes, we’re just small-time merchants from the prefecture, carrying worthless goods. How about we give you some money for tea and wine, and you let us pass?"
"Tea and wine?!"
The man roared with laughter, as if hearing the greatest joke.
Then, in an instant, his face twisted into a snarl: "I only drink blood, not tea or wine! Next year today, your family can come pour tea and wine on your grave!"
With that, he swung his blade at Zhang Rong.
Zhang Rong hadn’t expected such brutality—no room for negotiation. As the blade came down, his mind went blank.
A sharp clang of metal rang out as the bandit was forced back several steps, horse and all, by a powerful force.
Huo Shu stepped forward, looking down at the bandit: "If you leave now, I’ll spare your lives. If you’re eager to die, I can send you to the afterlife in moments."
"A northerner."
The bandit stared at Huo Shu’s towering frame, his cold, pale eyes showing no warmth.
In terms of ferocity, neither side was any less intimidating than the other.
The man hesitated, but greed quickly overpowered fear as he eyed Zhang Rong’s cowardice and the countless cargo boxes behind Huo Shu.
"Then let’s see who’s rushing to their death."
No sooner had he spoken than the man holding the head tossed it aside and charged with his still-bloody blade.
Huo Shu’s killing intent flared—every strike lethal.
Within minutes, a choked cry sounded, blood splattered the sand, and the man toppled from his horse.
The scarred leader, seemingly caught off guard by Huo Shu’s ruthlessness, burned with rage at underestimating him.
"Kill him at all costs!"
The remaining four charged together.
Ge Liang rushed to assist, while the rest drew their weapons and prepared to fight.
The ambushers on the cliff, seeing Huo Shu's well-equipped forces, turned to treacherous tactics—rolling boulders down the slope.
"Watch out for the cliffs!"
Amidst the tumbling rocks, livestock shrieked, and chaos erupted.
Huo Shu spurred his horse to take the scarred leader’s head, but a falling boulder forced him to dodge. The man’s blade missed his chest but sliced off the escort flag tucked in his clothes.
The red-and-white flag unfurled, and someone shouted in shock:
"They’re from Wayang Stronghold!"
"Boss, they’re Wayang Stronghold’s people!"
The scarred leader’s eyes widened in fear at the flag on the ground: "Wayang Stronghold?!"
He gave Huo Shu a long, conflicted look—part unwilling, part regretful. Just as it seemed he’d strike again, he suddenly yanked his horse around and barked: "Retreat!"
The other three whipped their horses, shouting at the men on the cliff: "Go!"
The group, still reeling from shock, watched dumbfounded as the bandits fled in disarray.
Huo Shu frowned, watching them vanish. He dismounted and picked up the fallen flag.
Brushing off the dust, his expression darkened.
If only he’d known earlier this thing worked like this...
Thanks for the update!!!
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