"Hmm?"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"
The man wielding a ring-pommel saber cursed, "Almost every household in our village makes paper. We used to have regular merchants who collected it and settled accounts every ten days, but a caravan was robbed by bandits, and even the owner lost his life."
"Those cowards! Even rabbits don't eat the grass around their own burrows!"
"The poor man lost his life. How could we have the heart to demand payment? But the New Year is almost here, and the other caravans don't dare come either, so we can only deliver it ourselves."
"Alas, poor Liu LaoEr and the others. How are their families supposed to survive...?"
Sha LiFei patted their chests and comforted them. "Don't worry. The road from here to Chang'an is still fairly peaceful. We came all this way without running into any danger."
"Thank you."
The man cupped his fists in thanks, then hesitated before saying awkwardly, "To be honest, we're from Shili Village. Anyone heading over Niubeiliang will definitely pass through Shili Village."
"Our families are waiting for food and money. We have to continue on to Chang'an, so we planned to leave one man behind to drive the cart and take Liu LaoEr and the others' bodies back home."
"We're afraid of encountering wild beasts on the road. Could he travel with you?"
Li Yan pondered briefly, then nodded. "All right."
Bandit troubles around Niubeiliang were severe. They had already planned to stop and rest, gather information, and find a way through. Letting someone accompany them was no trouble.
"Thank you." The man's face filled with gratitude.
"No need. It's just a favor along the way."
Li Yan's expression remained calm, but doubt rose in his heart.
No matter how ruthless bandits were, they rarely attacked