Inside the Carriage

"Well, our Jinfu Escort Agency has always had a 'hidden escort' service where we don't ask about the contents of the shipment," Yue Zhenqiao replied nervously to Lin Yu's somewhat questioning tone. "The client pays very well, so..."

Who is it?

Lin Yu immediately asked.

Yue Zhenqiao hesitated. "Since the employer requires us to use the 'hidden courier' method, it would be against the rules for me to reveal the employer's information to the Heroine..."

"Qi Mechanism Fool, this carriage is protected from detection, but it has been left open for Yaomo to sense, allowing them to know that what's inside is incredibly tempting," Lin Yu said coldly. "Even if the person who commissioned you didn't intend to feed you to the Yaomo, they were at least somewhat trying to harm you. And now you expect me to recite the rules of the Escort Agency?"

As Lin Yu was speaking, the Deputy Caravan Leader) beside him, who seemed to have a fiery temper, couldn't help but speak up, "Head Yue, Boss Yue, Old Yue, I think what this Heroine said makes sense."

Yue Zhenqiao's expression shifted between light and shadow before he finally spoke, "He's a short, stocky man, dressed like a wealthy old man, with a mole on his left cheek, who claims to be a rich man from Xian Town."

These three large carts were brought to the scene by him personally, along with two drivers.

After saying this, he added with some doubt, "But, Heroine, it's not that I don't believe you... it's just that we've already traveled three or four tenths of the way. If what's inside truly has a fatal attraction for Yaomo, why did it only appear when we reached Fu Yuan Mountain?"

He then looked at the Deputy Caravan Leader): "You participated in planning the route along the way, and we've passed through three places like Fu Yuan Mountain, which are teeming with Yaomo. Why were the first three places unharmed?"

The Deputy Caravan Leader escort) was speechless. "This... this..."

Lin Yu also fell into thought because of Yue Zhenqiao's words.

However, since Lin Yu knew that the Mountain Demon Leader would never lie to him, he did not doubt his own deduction, but only pondered the "reason" for this phenomenon.

"Did you sense the allure of what was inside from the beginning, or did you realize it later?"

Lin Yu asked about Three Suns again.

Three Suns then replied, "Ooh-ga!"

Then, Three Suns added a few more sounds.

The answer is that it was sensed as soon as it entered the range of its own Qi Mechanism perception, and then it could be felt getting closer and closer, and becoming more and more obvious.

Moreover, that temptation is like the most delicious human flesh and blood in the world.

Lin Yu listened, then fell into deep thought.

"Why is that?"

He looked at Yue Zhenqiao: "Biaotou Yue), my suggestion is... it would be best to open the carriage and take a look."

Yue Zhenqiao's expression changed slightly. "How can this be? This is a major taboo that breaks the rules!"

Before Lin Yu could persuade him further, Yue Zhenqiao spoke somewhat excitedly.

"Even if I die, the rules of the Escort Agency must not be broken!"

After Yue Zhenqiao brought up the "rules," even the Deputy Caravan Leader), who had originally sided with Lin Yu, fell silent.

Clearly, he was persuaded by Yue Zhenqiao.

"What a troublesome world."

Lin Yu frowned again.

It's extremely difficult to find living people, especially those you can communicate with, in the wilderness of the Prison Mountain Realm. So, it's best to rely on the guides who were "assigned" to the three of them from the start to lead the way in Willow Town.

Otherwise, Lin Yu could have simply knocked Yue Zhenqiao unconscious and tied him up, then forcibly opened the car himself.

But then, Li Nian's voice rang out.

"Oh dear... there's no need to go through all that trouble of breaking the rules and opening the cargo compartment to inspect the goods."

Lin Yu turned his head and saw Li Nian leaning casually against the carriage wall with one hand, saying something.

"What is the meaning of this Heroine's words?"

Yue Zhenqiao looked at Li Nian warily and said.

Lin Yu then asked directly, "You just 'made a move'?"

What he was asking was, of course, whether Li Nian had stolen anything from inside.

Li Nian shook her head.

"It's good that they didn't lay a hand on us."

Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

"It didn't work."

Li Nian's answer made Lin Yu's breath catch in his throat again before he could even exhale properly.

"What do you mean by 'not successful'?"

Lin Yu looked at Li Nian and asked.

Li Nian calmly explained, "There are living things inside, so my basic abilities have failed."

Although using the [Limit Breaking Jade] in conjunction with those gloves might allow Li Nian to perform operations such as live organ harvesting.

However, Li Nian still couldn't manage to pluck parts from behind obstacles or try to steal the entire "living creature" as a whole.

Is there anything alive inside?

Li Nian nodded. "Yes, that also explains why the Yaomo were unharmed in the first half, but the mountain demons have arrived now—because the thing inside is alive."

"Living creatures are prone to 'changes in state' – they might have been asleep and are now awake, or they might have been awake and now be dizzy from being jostled around in a car and fall asleep. All of these are possible."

Li Nian spoke calmly, and Lin Yu nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense... Could you confirm what's inside further?"

Lin Yu asked, Li Nian shook her head. "I have no clue. I'm just a 'thief,' not a 'Detective.'"

Then, she lowered her voice and said, "How about we force it open?"

Lin Yu shook his head. "No need for that. You don't have a convenient way, but I do, it's just a little roundabout."

Lin Yu responded in a low voice.

Then, she looked at Yue Zhenqiao again. "Biaotou Yue, we didn't open the cargo compartment to inspect it. We just vaguely guessed what was inside based on our observations and a bit of chance. That shouldn't be considered breaking the rules, right?"

As Lin Yu was speaking, Yue Zhenqiao was asked the question.

"This... shouldn't... count..."

He seemed surprised that Lin Yu would ask that question, and answered uncertainly.

"Of course not," the Deputy Caravan Leader) immediately realized and sided with Lin Yu again. "If this is considered breaking the rules, what if an accident happens on the way to deliver 'hidden goods' and the cart overturns and the box opens? Are we supposed to gouge our own eyes out immediately?"

"If the rules are broken accidentally, then they are not considered broken rules!"

Lin Yu looked at the Deputy Caravan Leader escort) and nodded in satisfaction.

That makes sense.

That's exactly what the Deputy Caravan Leader) was waiting to hear.

Then, with a thought, Lin Yu quietly dropped a small jar to the ground.

The Mountain Demon Leader, Three Suns, suddenly took two rapid breaths, then his flesh turned red and bulged, and he roared repeatedly before suddenly going berserk and throwing Lin Yu off him.

Lin Yu collapsed to the ground as if caught off guard, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and spoke in a terrified tone.

"What?! It actually broke free from my restraints?! This beast has some tricks up its sleeve!"

The Mountain Demon Leader charged towards the wagon and overturned its carriage in one fell swoop!

"Clang!"

The metal carriage deformed slightly under the mandrill's immense force. Then, two rough, large hands grabbed the edges of the sealed carriage door and began to tear it apart!

"Snap!"

The sound of metal deforming rang out, and the carriage door was forcibly torn open a crack.

"Not good!"

Yue Zhenqiao roared and drew his sword, slashing at the Mountain Demon Leader.

The Mountain Demon Leader was much larger than him, did not seem to have fully recovered from Lin Yu's heavy blow. His thigh was slashed open by Yue Zhenqiao, leaving a deep gash that exposed the bone. He then lost his balance again and was sent flying by Yue Zhenqiao!