A thin mist shrouded the forest.
At dawn, the Official Road resembles a gray-yellow python, winding its way through the dark Sea of Trees.
The sky was a clear, deep blue, and in the distance, the low growls of tigers and leopards could be heard, along with the long cries of wild deer.
The white convoy moved slowly and steadily along the smooth Official Road.
One after another, the white cows snorted loudly as they drove forward with their heads down.
Just as the convoy reached a bend in the mountain forest, a clear and melodious flute tune drifted from the heights of the forest on the right.
The flute's melody was melodious, like the cry of an eagle or the call of a falcon, faintly carrying the spirit of war and conquest.
Zhang Rongfang paused slightly and looked up in the direction from which the sound was coming.
But the area was shrouded in white mist, and nothing could be seen.
"There's no village or shop in sight here. Who would deliberately play the flute here?" he said in a deep voice.
"Perhaps it was a skilled traveler passing by, taking a break now and then?" Chen Han replied in a low voice.
In recent days, since Zhang Rongfang and he started talking, the two have gradually become acquainted.
He was no longer as boring and aloof as before, and would occasionally say a few words.
"A master?" Zhang Rongfang nodded slightly, guessing that anyone who dared to travel alone in such a desolate place must truly be a master.
Just as he was about to continue his journey.
Suddenly the convoy in front slowed down and stopped.
With a whoosh, the door of the middle carriage belonging to the princess slid open, and a figure leaped out, lightly touching the forest a few times before disappearing into the white mist in the blink of an eye.
Two people immediately followed closely behind the convoy and caught up.
"Halt!" The head guard leading the way raised his hand and shouted loudly.
The entire team came to a complete standstill.
Zhang Rongfang was puzzled and frowned as he looked ahead.
"A Yi, go ahead and ask what happened? Why did you suddenly stop?"
Of the three Daoist priests responsible for guarding the area, Chen Han's name was known. As for the other two, Zhang Rongfang ranked them according to their strength, A Yi and the weaker one A Er.
Of course, both of them were Super Grade Spirit Vein, absolute elites, and it was only in front of him, a Daozi, that they were willing to submit to his orders.
If it were any outsider, the two of them would be formidable experts capable of suppressing a whole area.
Just like the Snake King that the Black Ten Sect sent to Tanyang back then.
It should be said that it is even stronger than the Snake King.
The fact that such a skilled individual was assigned to Zhang Rongfang as one of his guards shows that Chongxuan had truly gone to great lengths to find the right person.
While waiting to be questioned, Zhang Rongfang quietly waited at the back of the line, meditating and practicing his Civilian Skill.
A short while later, A Yi quickly returned, cupped his fists in greeting, and replied.
"Daozi"
"When you're out and about, there's no need for such formalities, lest people overhear your background. Just call me Junior Brother," Zhang Rongfang interrupted him, reminding him.
"Yes." A Yi nodded. "The guards leading the way said that the princess has been invited by a friend to a small gathering and should be back soon."
In addition, the princess left a message asking Daozi to help ensure the safety of the convoy until her return.
"The care is no problem, but, friend?" Zhang Rongfang recalled the flute music from earlier. The voice contained a strong sense of ambition and a very high level of confidence, which did not sound like a female friend.
After all, women are far less competitive and determined than men.
So he found a rock, cleaned and polished it, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
At this height, one can see the entire convoy and rest comfortably while waiting for the princess to return.
Time passed second by second.
As the morning mist gradually dissipated in the forest, the sun shone overhead, and the heat grew stronger.
The air grew increasingly stuffy and hot as moisture evaporated.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Rongfang opened his eyes, looked at the Princess's Caravan still parked on the side of the road ahead, and frowned.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a Shadow flashed past from the woods on the left.
"Who!?"
The head of the caravan shouted, "This person is not Spirit Vein cultivator, but merely an ordinary Ninth Grade!"
Spirit Vein and Spirit Guard require Worship God to achieve their goals, but there is a chance of success in Worship God; failure means certain death.
Therefore, among the many Ninth Grade Masters, there are many who are unwilling to Worship God. Some have never even heard of Worship God.
They lacked the necessary qualifications, and there wasn't even anyone to inform them. They could only wait until they grew old and weak, and their strength declined.
This is the boundary, this is the class.
Zhang Rongfang could see clearly that the Shadow seemed to be some kind of extremely fast animal.
As it flashed by, the head guard in the Princess's Caravan, being Ninth Grade official, naturally reacted.
Two other strong women also reacted.
Clearly, their strength is considerable.
It's unclear whether it's a regular High Grade or Spirit Guard or Spirit Vein formed after Worship God.
Then, recalling the two experts who had just followed the princess away, those two were extremely fast, appearing to ordinary people as if they were just a fleeting shadow, something that no Ninth Grade could possibly do.
They are clearly all at the Super Grade level.
Zhang Rongfang now understood the situation.
After the Shadow flashed by, there was no further movement, and the convoy gradually returned to calm.
Time passed, and the weather grew increasingly hot and humid; soon it was noon.
Under the direct sunlight, everyone sought refuge in the shade of the trees.
There wasn't much commotion in the convoy, but many people started to sweat slightly from the sun.
Not everyone in the caravan was a skilled fighter; apart from the guards, most of the others were servants or maids.
Many of them are either untrained in martial arts or have only practiced at a very low level.
After all, martial arts itself is a very demanding skill that requires training from a young age.
Not everyone has the necessary conditions.
"Why hasn't the princess returned yet?"
Zhang Rongfang was slightly impatient.
The sooner he arrives in Citong, the sooner he can find medicine to refine pills and improve his Golden Toad Skill.
They had only just left Great Capital when they stopped for two hours. If they waited any longer, it would get dark, and they would be even less able to continue their journey. They would have to wait another day before continuing.
A Yi went to inquire again.
The reply was that the princess had many friends and often did this, and her absences could last for quite some time, so there was no need to worry.
Zhang Rongfang frowned slightly, but being of royal blood, he could only suppress his thoughts, calm himself down, take the Grain Avoidance Pill, drink water, and begin meditating again.
Time passed once more.
In the blink of an eye, another two hours had passed.
After four hours, the sun began to set. The temperature gradually cooled down and became less humid.
The servants and maids in the caravan mostly rested and chatted in the carriages, none of them in a hurry.
Some people went out for a walk, chatting and laughing; some took out drinks and sang while boasting; and others started a fire and gathered firewood to prepare food and drinks.
Zhang Rongfang opened his eyes again, looked at the scene, and frowned.
"A Er, could you please go ahead and ask when the princess will be returning?"
"Yes." A Er nodded and stepped forward to ask the caravan guards.
This time, however, A Er returned with a strong woman dressed in leather armor.
"Yongchun greets Daozi." The woman cupped her hands in Daozi know that my princess usually visits friends for a period of one to three days, so there is no need to worry about her safety. You only need to take good care of the caravan."
Three days? One day? Zhang Rongfang was speechless.
They went to Citong to suppress religious unrest, not for sightseeing. What was Princess Yongxiang thinking? "I understand. Thank you for your explanation." Speechless, he could only wait. After all, she was of royal blood.
The strong woman nodded, said nothing more, and turned back to the convoy.
Their mistress is a member of the Ling Ting Imperial Clan, the highest and most noble bloodline in the entire Great Ling. No matter what their status is, everyone else is naturally much lower than them.
I'm used to this attitude.
After all, the princess is beautiful, strong, and has great potential, and is also favored by His Majesty.
Don't try to curry favor with too many people who are pursuing you.
These people are just trying to curry favor with the Imperial Clan and rise to power overnight; there's no need to be nice to them.
So what if he's Daozi the Great Dao Sect? Only by joining the Imperial Clan can one truly be considered to be at the very top of the empire.
Below the Imperial Clan, everything else is merely serving the interests of the top echelons. Take the Eastern Sect, for example, so powerful, yet it was still overthrown and collapsed with a single word from His Majesty.
Therefore, she understood these people's thoughts very well.
A group of people continued to wait in the same spot.
Soon, night fell, and the guards dispersed to patrol and drive away poisonous insects and wild beasts.
One by one, bonfires were lit, and Zhang Rongfang and the other three also lit one. The four of them looked at each other with a sense of helplessness.
The next morning.
Princess Yongxiang still hasn't returned.
The group waited in the same spot for another day.
As evening approached, a skilled warrior from Princess Yongxiang's entourage returned to inform everyone to continue their journey and wait on the Official Road fifty miles ahead.
The princess will go there directly to meet everyone.
The group finally set off, speeding up their journey through the night.
At noon the next day, they arrived at the Official Road fifty li away.
There was an abandoned tea shop by the roadside.
Everyone stopped and continued to wait.
After waiting for another day, Princess Yongxiang returned to the place with another skilled guard at noon on the second day.
Without even meeting Zhang Rongfang, she went straight back to the carriage, said she was tired, and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhang Rongfang requested to come forward for a meeting, but was stopped several times.
The answer was that the princess was resting.
He was dissatisfied, but he could only suppress his anger for the time being.
He had already discerned from the Attribute Panel that Princess Yongxiang was likely extremely powerful.
Generally, only those who are much stronger than him will still be unable to view the Attribute Panel after a period of contact.
Fortunately, the person finally returned, and the convoy was finally able to continue its journey.
Immediately, the group set off again.
Days passed by.
After resupplying in two towns, the convoy gradually approached Yongxi Town.
Just then, Princess Yongxiang ran away again, and this time, she ran away for a full four days!
On the Official Road, more than a hundred miles from the town.
The entire convoy came to a standstill again, and they set up camp and rested in an open space by the roadside.
The night sky was ablaze with stars, and the chirping of insects filled the air.
Zhang Rongfang sat by the fire, his brows furrowed, looking at the few Attribute Points he had just accumulated, feeling disgruntled.
I originally thought it was just a normal trip, but I never expected that such a troublesome thing would happen so soon.
Chen Han, who was standing nearby, was roasting a wild boar that he had just hunted.
The wild boar was skinned, gutted, and sprinkled with spices and salt; it was barely enough to fill one's stomach.
After all, they didn't carry many spices, so it was impossible to apply them in large quantities.
With a quick tear, Chen Han ripped off the two most golden-yellow pig legs and handed them to Zhang Rongfang.
"Daozi, come and eat."
"Thank you." Zhang Rongfang took it and began to eat it with large bites of Mare Milk Wine.
"Continuing like this isn't going to work. I wonder how long the princess intends to stop?" A Yi said helplessly from the side.
After getting to know him better, he gradually stopped being as taciturn as he had been at the beginning.
Protecting Daozi was a mission and a job for him, but he was still human after all.
Humans need to communicate and exchange ideas.
I didn't speak before because I was worried that saying too much would lead to making a mistake and offending others.