Encounter on the Road

Chen Luo left most of the banknotes from this raid in Chen Family Village, carrying only a small portion himself.

With these banknotes as seed money, life in Chen Family Village should no longer be so difficult in the future. Chen Luo believed that Third Uncle, who had clawed and scrambled through the city for many years, could help everyone find a way to put these banknotes to safe use.

Just because the young had grown up did not mean the older generation had become good-for-nothings.

At the very least, Chen Luo did not think so.

Third Uncle was still as cunning as ever. With him around, the people of Chen Family Village would not be swindled. Besides, Boss Cai and the Sha Lake Gang were there to lend a hand, so Chen Luo could finally set his mind at ease.

A rugged little road.

Chen Luo sat on the ox cart, drowsy and half-asleep.

After leaving Chen Family Village, he had rented an ox cart. The old farmer who owned it had initially refused to rent it out, but Chen Luo had simply offered too much money.

The Jade Slip in his arms had been thumbed to tatters. He had memorized every word inside without missing a single one, yet he had no idea what any of it actually meant. It was filled with obscure technical terms. Even with the knowledge of two worlds stacked together, he still could not understand it.

The only benefit was that when he activated the Royal Family Brain, the contents of the slip could offer a slight response. But that was as far as it went. He still had no clue how to make use of it.

The Black Tiger Fist had also been trained to its limit. The improvement it now brought was negligible.

The Prescription was beginning to lose its effect as well. Chen Luo felt as though he had reached the end of the road; even more than a hundred brains stacked together could do nothing about it.

"Owner, Owner?"

The sleeping Chen Luo was called awake.

It was the old man driving the cart. He had stopped the ox cart and was nervously nudging Chen Luo at the side with great care.

"What is it?"

Chen Luo glanced over and saw that it was the old man driving the cart.

Renting the ox cart had been a decision he made after careful consideration. First, it saved trouble and let him study the Jade Slip along the way. Second, it was safer and would not draw the attention of anyone with ulterior motives. After General Fan and the others died, quite a few people in Qingya County had begun to stir. According to the information Chen Luo had gathered over the past three days, several forces were secretly asking about the mine. Among them was Commander Zhu, General Fan's subordinate. That man had inherited General Fan's power and was now one of Qingya County's true powerholders.

"There's a caravan ahead. Should we go over and travel with them? It'd be safer that way," the old man asked awkwardly.

Following the sound, Chen Luo looked over and found that there really was a large caravan ahead. Torches burned brightly in the night, illuminating a stretch of the road.

Seven or eight guards carrying weapons stood watch all around it.

The old man was afraid too.

He did make a living from this business, but he had always traveled by day and rested at night before. There were simply too many dangers after dark. This time, having taken Chen Luo's money, he had no choice but to travel through the night as requested.

But the old man was not Chen Luo. He did not have formidable martial strength to protect himself. Driving alone in the dead of night, he felt unsafe everywhere he looked. In the pitch-black woods beside the road, it seemed as though savage beasts could spring out at any moment.

"Would they take you in?"

Chen Luo was not optimistic.

He did not care who they traveled with, so long as they did not head in the wrong direction. But caravans generally would not allow strangers to join them.

Merchants traveling at night were all highly vigilant. If they went over rashly, they would certainly be driven away, let alone accepted. Even money would not help. When traveling through the mountains, the first thing to watch out for was unfamiliar faces, especially villagers who looked honest and simple. Many of them were scouts for Mountain Bandits. If you softened your heart and took them into the caravan, you could just wait for bandits to come knocking.

"The leader of those guards is my eldest nephew."

The old farmer rubbed his hands awkwardly.

So he had run into someone he knew.

"Fine. You handle it."

Chen Luo waved a hand, then closed his eyes again and continued recalling the contents of the Jade Slip.

His purpose for this trip was simple: Qingya County's mine!

A special mine that could make even Prince Ning's heart move had to be immensely valuable. Perhaps it could even help him cultivate the Jade Slip. This plan had been proposed by General Fan's Brain. Chen Luo thought it sounded reliable, so he adopted it.

Having obtained Chen Luo's agreement, the old farmer immediately hurried over, preparing to cling to the caravan's thigh.

"Who goes there!"

"I'm Tian Danu's fifth uncle. If you don't believe me, ask him." The old farmer had raised his hands early on. Seeing his manner, coupled with the name of someone they knew, the group was no longer quite so tense. Still, they remained on guard. If the old farmer did anything suspicious, they would immediately take action and kill him.

In these desolate mountains and wild ridges, killing someone and dumping the corpse was as commonplace as anything. Even the Imperial Court would not interfere.

"Fifth Uncle? What are you doing at Swallow Ridge? Did something happen at home?"

Before long, the old farmer's nephew came over. Upon seeing him, he asked anxiously, thinking some misfortune had befallen the family.

"Nothing happened at home. Your fifth uncle just took on some extra work."

The old farmer rubbed his hands, somewhat embarrassed.

After all, he was causing trouble for his own nephew. If this trip had not paid so well, he would never have had the face to ask.

"As long as everything's fine."

Tian Danu also let out a sigh of relief. He knew Fifth Uncle often took on extra work to earn money, so he was not surprised. During the exchange, he glanced at Chen Luo, who was lying on the ox cart in a daze. Once he determined that he was a young man who posed no threat, he did not look again. With the sharp eyes he had honed through years in the martial world, he could tell at a glance whether someone was a bandit.

Probably going to seek refuge with relatives, Tian Danu thought.

Something had happened in Qingya County some time ago, and many people had gone elsewhere to seek refuge with relatives. They had encountered several groups like that recently, so it no longer seemed unusual.

"Fifth Uncle, wait here for now. I'll go talk to the owner. Don't worry! With me vouching for you, the owner will definitely agree to let you travel with us." Tian Danu patted his chest in assurance.

Out here in the desolate mountains and wild ridges, he was not at ease leaving fifth uncle to travel alone either.

"Good, good, good."

The old farmer rubbed his hands and promptly took out several copper coins from his pocket, telling Tian Danu to take his brothers for a drink.

Seeing that Tian Danu was so sensible, the others relaxed their guard as well. One after another, they began calling out, "Old Tian," and "Fifth Uncle."

Having an acquaintance vouch for you really was good.

Before long, the boss of the caravan agreed to Old Tian's request. However, they could only follow behind the caravan. They were not allowed into its center, much less near the area where the central carriage was located. Tian Danu naturally agreed without hesitation.

With someone to cling to, he would no longer need to travel the remaining road in fear. The silver he had earned was as good as in hand.

At the thought of what he would gain from this trip, Old Tian's heart blossomed with joy.

Beside the bonfire.

The boss of the caravan cautiously walked to the front of the carriage and reported the matter to The Nobleman inside.

For caravans like theirs, everything was done according to rules and regulations. If The Nobleman inside disagreed, they would not go against The Nobleman's wishes just to earn a favor.

"Must you ask me about the affairs of ants?"

A cold voice came from within the carriage, its words brimming with indifference. It was as though everyone but himself was an ant.

The night wind swept past, lifting the curtain and revealing The Nobleman's face inside.

He was a young man dressed in green, with a stern face and black hair draped over his shoulders. A treasured sword glittering with cold light rested across his crossed legs. If Chen Luo's third uncle, Chen Laosan, had been here, he likely would have recognized the young man at once. This man was none other than the Mysterious Person, the young expert who had taken money with Eunuch Wei that day and massacred the Imperial Clan's party.

"This lowly one was presumptuous."

Seeing that The Nobleman had no objection, the boss of the caravan finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, he had helped Tian Danu with this favor. In the future, Tian Danu could no longer use Xiao Hong from Cui Hua Tower to threaten him.