Encountering Huwei Escort Agency on the Road, Imperial Astronomy Bureau Appears

Fan Wu, still clad in his Daoist robe, left the Dragon-Imprisoning Monastery.

He wasn't particular about what he wore, and besides, he didn't have any other clothes. Apart from the undergarment he wore, all his clothes were Daoist robes, so he simply set out wearing one.

After all, he could be considered a "Daoist priest."

Even though he couldn't recite a single proper Daoist scripture by heart, he had still come out of a Daoist temple.

Since he came from a Daoist temple... what else could he be but a Daoist priest?

It was perfectly reasonable to travel in a Daoist robe!

"It seems Prison Dragon County truly clashes with my destiny," Fan Wu mused aloud.

He had left Prison Dragon County late the previous night.

In this World of Gods and Anomalies, traveling at night was extremely dangerous; one could easily run into some unclean things.

But Fan Wu hadn't encountered anything last night.

This brought him great relief.

Following behind Fan Wu was a large Old Green Ox. The man and the ox traveled from the dead of night until noon the next day.

Fan Wu wasn't tired.

However, when he glanced back at the Old Green Ox, he decided to stop and rest. After all, if they kept walking, the ox would probably be exhausted to death!

At this moment.

He found himself on a dirt road overgrown with weeds.

This dirt road didn't seem to be frequented by many people. However, among the weeds, there were some faint tire tracks.

They were already far from Prison Dragon County.

With one step, Fan Wu covered a distance equivalent to two steps for an ordinary person. He had traveled for a hundred li without stopping for a moment all night.

Just as Fan Wu took out some dried rations and was about to take a few bites, his movements paused.

He turned his head, looking towards the other side of the dirt road.

His keen hearing picked up the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground in the distance, as well as the sound of wheels crushing weeds and the road.

Someone was coming.

But Fan Wu didn't pay it much mind; it wasn't unusual to encounter passing carriages and horses on a road like this.

He alternated between bites of his bean cake and dried meat.

In a flash.

He had eaten half of the rations he brought.

"My appetite has grown," Fan Wu remarked. "If I were to add more to my [Strength] attribute, I fear I might eat a whole sheep in one sitting, bones and all, and still not be full."

Fan Wu gave himself a mental pat on the back for the idea of bringing more travel money.

Although the method of acquiring this money was a bit troublesome.

At least it meant he wouldn't starve to death on the road.

After Fan Wu took a few gulps of water, the sound of the approaching carriage became audible even to ordinary ears.

And then...

A convoy of carriages came into view, heading their way.

"Everyone, stay alert! Don't think you're safe just because the night is over. You might encounter demons and monsters at night, but if you run into bandits during the day, it's just as dangerous!"

Many people in the convoy carried weapons.

Some had long sabers strapped to their backs, while others had longbows hanging by their saddles.

A few had swords at their waists.

The middle-aged man leading the group, mounted on a tall horse, held the reins and cautioned the people behind him, "We'll reach Baihe County in at most two more days! The goods we're transporting this time are very special, and we absolutely cannot afford any mishaps!"

"Even though an official from the Imperial Astronomy Bureau is escorting us, we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest. If anything goes wrong, the reputation of our Huwei Escort Agency will be ruined!"

His words immediately put the escorts from the Huwei Escort Agency on high alert.

Especially the mention of the "Imperial Astronomy Bureau"...

It made them unable to afford any slack.

Seeing that the escorts behind him had become serious, the middle-aged man nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he guided his horse to a carriage and respectfully addressed the carriage's interior, "Sir, we will reach Baihe County in at most two days. Please rest assured, our Huwei Escort Agency has cooperated with the Imperial Astronomy Bureau for many years without any incidents."

A curtain on the side of the carriage was pulled open from within, revealing half of a profile.

The person sitting inside the carriage parted their lips slightly.

They responded in a soft tone, "I hope it is as Escort Lin says."

The gentle, soft intonation almost caused Escort Lin to lose control of his tall horse, sending a shiver down his spine!

He clicked his tongue in his mind.

Just as he was about to say something, he heard the other escorts in the caravan suddenly shout in alarm: "Boss! Boss! There's a cow by the road ahead... no, it's a person!!"

"What do you mean, a cow and a person?" Boss Lin was startled awake by the shouts. He looked forward with dissatisfaction and was immediately stunned: "There really is a cow, and there really is a person..."

"Huh? Wait! Halt! Everyone stop! That person has a weapon!" Boss Lin immediately became vigilant: "The other party is very likely a bandit trying to rob us!!"

Boss Lin became tense because he saw a large tree by the roadside ahead, and next to the tree was a green ox carrying a strange wooden box.

A person was leaning under the tree, and next to that person, leaned an exaggeratedly long sword!

Just the length of that sword, Boss Lin felt, was a foot taller than him!

As his words fell.

The caravan immediately stopped.

One by one, the escorts either drew the sabers on their backs or took down the bows and arrows hanging from their saddles.

They all looked nervous and vigilant.

At this moment, all their eyes were fixed on the person by the roadside ahead.

Under their gaze.

That person stood up.

"Hiss!" The person's sturdy physique and towering height made even Boss Lin, who had been in the martial world for many years, gasp. He finally understood why the sword leaning beside him was so long.

With such an astonishing height, if he used an ordinary sword, it would look no different than using a dagger.

"Who are you?!" Boss Lin didn't initiate trouble. Instead, he tentatively asked loudly.

Then, he discovered that the burly man before him had ignored his shout!

The other party, leading the green ox, simply left on his own!

"Boss... are you sure this is a highway robber?" an escort behind him said timidly, "He doesn't seem interested in us? And the clothes he's wearing look like a Daoist robe!"

"A Daoist robe?" Boss Lin was taken aback. He looked at the retreating figure and murmured in surprise, "He's actually a Daoist priest?!"

So this was just a misunderstanding?

"What's wrong? What happened ahead? Do you need me to step in?" A pleasant voice, which Boss Lin found very pleasing to hear, came from inside the horse carriage again.

Boss Lin hurriedly replied, "Reporting to you, sir, there was a Daoist priest ahead just now. I thought he was a highway robber, but now it seems not. Of course, it's also possible this is a trap."

"A Daoist priest?" The person in the carriage spoke with a hint of surprise, "Is he traveling the same way as us?"

"It seems so, for now," Boss Lin answered all questions.

"A Daoist priest? Let's follow and see."

"Huh?" Boss Lin was stunned and hesitated, "Sir, if this is a trap..."

"Let's follow and see."

"...Yes!"