Chapter 59
Huo Shu was just about to put away the escort flag when he heard hurried footsteps approaching.
He glanced sideways at the severed heads on the ground and the fallen bandits, then coldly ordered, "Clean this up."
Ji Taoyu got down from the carriage and had barely started running forward when Huo Shu stepped in front of him first.
His broad frame blocked Ji Taoyu's view. "It's fine. They’re already gone."
"H-How did they leave so quickly? I peeked from the carriage and they looked extremely vicious."
Huo Shu placed the escort flag in Ji Taoyu’s hand.
Ji Taoyu was puzzled about what had happened.
Zhang Rong wiped sweat from his brow repeatedly, his legs still weak from fright. He hurried over to thank Huo Shu. "To think you’re a warrior from Wayang Stronghold, my apologies for not recognizing you earlier."
"Thank you for stepping in today. Otherwise, our entire group would have fallen victim to these bandits."
Zhang Rong had been thoroughly frightened by the sudden ambush. Though he had dealt with mountain bandits during his years as a merchant, there had always been room for negotiation—never had he encountered such ruthless savagery as today.
If not for Huo Shu, given the bandits' brutality, a chill would have run down his spine just thinking about it.
"We’re not from Wayang Stronghold," Huo Shu stated bluntly.
Zhang Rong stared at the escort flag in surprise. "Then this is…?"
He immediately lowered his voice. "Brother Huo, you’ve got some nerve forging Wayang Stronghold’s escort flag. If this gets back to them, you’d be digging your own grave. Even though they’re righteous bandits, their methods are no less ruthless!"
Huo Shu replied, "This flag isn’t fake. It was a gift from Duan Chi. I’ve met him once."
Hearing this, Zhang Rong let out a long exhale. "So that’s how it is, that’s how it is."
He had no reason to doubt Huo Shu’s words.
Having just witnessed Huo Shu’s combat skills firsthand, it wasn’t surprising that the leader of Wayang Stronghold would gift him an escort flag for protection.
Ji Taoyu also understood why the bandits had fled. He hadn’t expected such a small flag to carry such intimidating power. Seeing that Zhang Rong seemed quite familiar with Wayang Stronghold, he couldn’t help but ask, "Master Zhang knows about Wayang Stronghold?"
"Who doesn’t? Anyone in Yuchang Prefecture with some experience should know of them."
Wayang Stronghold was actually a group that conducted legitimate business. They followed rules in their dealings, never forcing transactions or bullying others.
They never robbed merchants—instead, they hunted down tyrannical bandits. In truth, they weren’t much different from ordinary, law-abiding folk.
The reason they were labeled as bandits was that they refused to pay taxes to the government, earning them the title of "outlaws" from officials.
The authorities had a headache dealing with them, but Wayang Stronghold had too many men, superior weapons, and formidable strength—the government couldn’t do anything about them.
Yuchang Prefecture was vast, with complex terrain, making it difficult for officials to manage such a large territory. Since Wayang Stronghold didn’t harm civilians and even eliminated other bandits, the government turned a blind eye, as it was more beneficial than harmful.
Wayang Stronghold had been entrenched in Yuchang Prefecture for many years.
"Most bandits in the prefecture fear them. Since Brother Huo has an escort flag personally gifted by Chief Duan, displaying it on the caravan will deter any small-time bandits. No need to waste effort fighting them off."
After hearing this, Ji Taoyu suddenly felt the escort flag in his hand was incredibly valuable—it was practically like having a guardian deity!
That bearded man is truly a righteous one!
He immediately called Ji Wenliang to cut a bamboo pole and hoist the flag.
Zhang Rong was both envious and a little embarrassed. "Traveling with Brother Huo, we’ve truly benefited from your protection."
Huo Shu replied, "Master Zhang, as a local, knows the routes well and has helped us greatly in familiarizing ourselves with the roads. How is that ‘benefiting’? We’ll still be counting on you to lead the way ahead."
Hearing that Huo Shu intended for them to continue traveling together, Zhang Rong was overjoyed at the added security and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
The two merchant groups regrouped, checking for injuries among people and livestock. Setting aside the earlier incident, they continued their journey.
After hanging the escort flag, the journey indeed became much smoother.
Along the way, they encountered no more stray troublemakers blocking their path.
The third month's weather hung crisp and clear as they journeyed through uninhabited lands. The last bite of spring's chill had faded, replaced by rolling waves of fresh greenery stretching to the horizon. The mild temperatures - neither too hot nor too cold, making it the perfect season for travel.
As they traveled together, Huo Shu learned much from Zhang Rong about Yuchang Prefecture and the road north to Baiyunjian.
After over ten uneventful days, they reached the border. That evening, the caravan settled down earlier than usual to rest and gather strength before entering Baiyun Pass the next day.
Night fell, and the sky was filled with countless stars.
The caravan camped on a grassy plain, and the moon above was exceptionally bright.
Though the fifteenth had passed, the moon remained as round as a silver platter.
Ji Taoyu warmed himself by the fire for a while. The two merchant groups had grown close over the days, and now some were drinking and wrestling on haystacks, their cheers and laughter easing the homesickness brought by the full moon.
Ji Taoyu poked at the fire with a small stick, waiting for the water to boil.
During these days on the road, they had been camping with no suitable towns or post stations to stop at, making bathing inconvenient.
Ji Taoyu, being someone who valued cleanliness, knew that daily baths weren’t possible while traveling.
Earlier, when the weather was cold, he could tolerate not bathing for two or three days. If longer, he would at least wipe himself down with a damp cloth inside the tent.
But now, with the weather warming and the climate shifting as they moved north, his back would sweat by midday. Going without a proper bath was becoming unbearable.
Since the current campsite was near a stream, he decided to take a proper bath to prepare for the journey north tomorrow.
The men, being strong and robust, could leap into the stream like wild monkeys and wash to their hearts' content. But Ji Taoyu knew his own frail constitution couldn't handle such recklessness, so he had to boil water for a proper bath.
He fetched two buckets of water, boiled a pot to mix with the cold, and finally had warm water for washing.
Just as the water was about to boil, Ji Taoyu went into the tent to fetch his clothes. When he came out, he saw Huo Shu, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, already pouring the boiling water into the buckets.
Holding a bucket in each hand, Huo Shu tilted his chin toward the woods. "Wash over there in the grove."
Thank you for the update!
ReplyDelete