Not long after the Qing'an Merchant Team led by Wang Chen entered Yunze Prefecture, some furtive figures began appearing around them.
Although the merchant team had encountered quite a few petty bandits along the way, the present situation was clearly different.
These sneaky people followed the merchant team from afar, never coming within a li. They mostly moved in groups of three to five, spying on them in small teams.
As the merchant team ventured deeper into the great marsh, the number of watchers steadily increased.
Yunze Prefecture covered a vast territory, with rivers and lakes everywhere and swamps and wetlands scattered all about. Although it had likewise suffered from drought, the situation was far better than in Changyi Prefecture.
But such a tangled and complex environment could also bring unforeseeable dangers!
This made the Qing'an Merchant Team proceed with even greater caution.
At nightfall, the merchant team made camp beside a boundless lake to rest.
The escort master serving as their guide said to Wang Chen, "Mister Wang, in another five days or so, we should reach Sanhe County."
Sanhe County was a major county in Yunze Prefecture. It had once maintained long-term trade with Qing'an County, which purchased considerable quantities of grain and medicinal herbs from Sanhe County by water every year.
Now that the waterways had been cut off, the Qing'an Merchant Team could only travel overland to Sanhe County, which was undoubtedly far more troublesome.
"Mm."
Wang Chen nodded and instructed, "Have everyone stay alert tonight. Do not let your guard down."
"Yes!"
The escort master accepted the order and left.
Besides the three hundred garrison soldiers serving as guards, this merchant team had also hired escort masters and runners from the only escort agency in Qing'an County Town to help.
These escort masters and runners