The Huang Household's Ambush
Shen Jingchuan came out of the room, stretched his limbs, and felt refreshed. He went straight to the stable, where Liu Hu just gotten up and was washing his face with a basin. When he saw Shen Jingchuan come in, he quickly put down what he was holding and greeted him.
"Young Master."
"After you've washed up, go to the escort agency and tell them I need to borrow two good horses. Remember to pick the best ones." Shen Jingchuan gave the instructions without explaining anything else.
Liu Hu readily agreed.
Shen Jingchuan turned and went back to the garden. The morning air was crisp and clear. He took advantage of this momentum to circulate his Spiritual Qi and complete a full cycle. By the time he finished, it was already completely bright outside.
He went to the second courtyard and had breakfast with Xiao Mingshu.
After the meal, Shen Jingchuan stood up and said, "Sister, come with me."
He led Xiao Mingshu to the main gate, then turned and knocked on the stable door. Liu Hu responded and came out. Shen Jingchuan instructed, "Go open the west courtyard gate, lead the two borrowed horses over, and hitch them onto a four-wheeled carriage."
Liu Hu accepted the order and left.
In a short while, the gleaming, luxurious carriage was slowly driven out.
Xiao Mingshu's gaze fell on the car, and she recognized it at a glance— Shen Jingchuan had given Yan Shuyao an identical one back then, and she had ridden in that car when she returned to Beijing, so she naturally knew what it was. She looked up at Shen Jingchuan, but didn't speak first, waiting for him to explain his intentions.
"It's not a short journey to the market, and this carriage is comfortable and safe to ride in, so I'll give it to my sister," Shen Jingchuan said casually.
Xiao Mingshu smiled upon hearing this. These things were indeed not valuable to her, far less significant than the business deal they were cooperating on.
She raised her hand and pointed at Shen Jingchuan, smiling with satisfaction:
"You little rascal, you actually have some conscience, knowing to care for your older sister. Fine, I'll accept it."
She turned to her maid, Xiaohuan, and instructed her, "Go and drive the carriage."
Although Xiaohuan was Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator and often drove carriages for the princess, she had never driven this type of carriage before and was somewhat hesitant. Seeing this, Liu Hu quickly stepped forward and carefully explained some precautions to her.
Once everything was settled, Shen Jingchuan climbed into the Big Black carriage and followed it northwards, personally escorting the passengers out of the north gate.
Shen Jingchuan rode on the back of the Big Black, following the carriage all the way north. This was the first time he had stepped out of the north gate since he settled in Yuxi Prefecture.
Heading north out of the city, the scenery is completely different from that in the south. The sun has baked the dirt road until it is white and hard, and cracks about an inch wide have appeared on the ground. Patches of wild grass have long since withered into brittle yellow, and a gust of wind will stir up dust that smells of earth.
Scattered bones were visible in the ditches and at the foot of the slopes along the road. Some were half-buried in the hard, dry mud, while others were worn white by the wind and sand, making it impossible to tell whether they belonged to humans or animals.
They traveled for more than ten miles, but they didn't see a single living person, let alone a village or a house. Even the crows on the branches were few and far between. The silence was eerily quiet, with only the sound of horses' hooves on the dirt road.
He knew that there would be a severe drought this year, and that refugees fleeing the famine often gathered outside the south gate. But there wasn't a trace of refugees to be seen in the north—either they had already fled south for their lives, or they had collapsed in this desolate wilderness, and there wasn't even anyone to collect their bodies.
Shen Jingchuan rode his Big Black Xiao Mingshu inside the vehicle:
"Sister Mingshu, please bring me back a Storage Ring this time, a big one, so it'll be convenient for carrying goods in the future. Also, bring back a lot of other Qi Refinement Realm pills, preferably mid-grade, high-grade would be even better."
Xiao Mingshu glanced at him and chuckled, "Hey, you little rascal, you even know that pills are divided into low-grade and high-grade?"
She shook her head and said again:
"You're really greedy. Do you think this market is some kind of immortal sect's mountain gate? Even in a proper immortal sect, mid-grade pills aren't that common. In this market, you might occasionally find some mid-grade low-grade pills, but don't even think about high-grade ones. I'll try my best to bring you some, how about half Spirit Stone stones and half pills?"
Yes, you should also be careful and not push yourself.
He escorted the horse for a good twenty miles from the city before reining in and waving goodbye to Xiao Mingshu Shen Jingchuan the carriage. Watching the carriage roll away into the dust and disappear into the distance, he turned the horse around, and Big Black trotted leisurely back into the city.
After walking back for about ten miles, just past the halfway point, the earthen slopes on both sides of the road gradually increased, with patches of half-person-high withered grass lying on the ground.
As Shen Jingchuan was walking, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from behind the earthen mound on his left. He looked up and saw dozens of masked men carrying steel knives and clubs riding horses and suddenly rushing out from behind the slope, surrounding him in an instant.
A man on horseback pulled back his reins at a distance and called out, "Young Master Shen, it's been a long time!"
Shen Jingchuan reined in Big Black, frowning as he asked, "Who are you?"
Who I am is not important; what's important is that you have to come with us.
"Go with you? Where to?"
You'll find out when you get there.
Shen Jingchuan sneered, "Who do you think you are, to think you're worthy of making me go with you?"
"An outsider, still so stubborn even when facing death."
As soon as he said that, Shen Jingchuan immediately knew who it was—it was the Huang Household steward he had met at the general store a few days ago.
He went out without armor today, only hanging his spear beside his saddle. Hearing this, he didn't waste any words, picked up the spear, and said coldly:
"If you want to take me, you'll have to ask my gun for permission first."
As soon as he finished speaking, he spurred his horse, and Big Black suddenly accelerated, charging straight towards the other side.
Steward Huang remained calm. With a wave of his hand, the masked men lying in ambush on both sides surged forward, forming a human wall in the very front.
A masked man charged forward, brandishing a knife. Shen Jingchuan flicked his wrist, thrusting his spear straight at the man's face. The man hadn't expected the spear to be so fast and hurriedly raised his knife to block, but he was no match for Shen Jingchuan's strength at the Qi Refining Second Layer. The spear tip pierced straight into his face, and the man fell straight down without even uttering a sound.
Shen Jingchuan tossed aside the corpse, and the second masked man pounced on him. With a flick of his wrist, he swung the gun barrel horizontally toward the man's neck. The man raised his knife to parry, but with a crisp "clang," the steel knife was knocked away, and the gun barrel slammed solidly into his cheek, sending him flying sideways.
Just then, a third man in front of him raised an iron rod and brought it down on Shen Jingchuan's head. Shen Jingchuan held his spear horizontally in front of him, raised his hand and easily deflected the iron rod. He then gripped the butt of the spear with his right hand and swept it sharply. The spearhead swept across his front with a strong wind, and with a few crisp "crack" sounds, several of the men at the front were swept down.
Seeing Shen Jingchuan getting closer and closer, about to reach him in the blink of an eye, Steward Huang was so frightened that he hurriedly turned his horse around and fled for his life.
Shen Jingchuan used his spear to knock aside the last masked man blocking his way and charged straight out of the encirclement. He didn't chase after Steward Huang; instead, he pulled on the reins, Big Black came to a steady stop, turning its head back to face the pursuers.
The masked men, who had been shouting and chasing after him, saw that he not only didn't run away but instead reined in his horses and turned back to meet them. When they saw his comrades lying scattered on the ground, they were immediately frightened, and their horses unconsciously slowed down.
Without uttering a single wasted word, Shen Jingchuan spurred his horse forward and charged back at the enemy once more.