Merchant Caravan Attacked

"Little Bastard, you still remembered to come home?"

"I'd say our Pan'er's soul has been lured away by those vixens at the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion."

"How could he still remember his mother and several concubines at home?"

The moment he entered, Mu Rong grabbed Wang Pan by the ear, while the concubines beside her eagerly fanned the flames.

With no worries about food or clothing and all kinds of Medicinal Herbs to nourish them, it seemed as though time had stopped for Mu Rong and the concubines.

After all these years, they were still as beautiful as ever.

Wang Pan felt his head swelling. He could only put on a pitiful expression and beg for mercy.

But perhaps he was too old now and no longer as adorable as when he was little. Mu Rong and the concubines did not fall for it, lecturing Wang Pan for quite some time before letting him leave.

Still, the way the concubines looked at Wang Pan was somewhat strange.

They had all heard that Wang Pan had single-handedly made all the girls in the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion beg for mercy again and again.

In the days that followed, Wang Pan either practiced swordsmanship within the estate or went out with merchant caravans to find opportunities for real combat.

After several years, his basic swordsmanship had become flawless. He had not neglected his Fist and Foot Techniques either, and his combat strength had risen by a great deal.

During that time, he also found time to visit the sect where Qin Yan was.

The sect did not reject Wang Pan, this disciple they had gained for nothing. They allowed him to browse all sorts of cultivation methods and Martial Skills as he pleased.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Pan was twenty-two!

In the Life Simulation Event, this was the year the Wang family began to decline.

Wang Pan would not allow that to happen.

"Pan'er, your father is going on a long journey. Take good care of your mother at home."

Wang Ji instructed Wang Pan, though the joy in his eyes could not be concealed.

"Father, you're getting old. Let me go in your place."

Wang Pan shook his head and refused.

Wang Ji was already fifty-six. His body was no longer what it used to be.

Without any martial cultivation, he likely did not have much time left to live.

Moreover, traveling in this era was a grueling ordeal.

With Wang Ji's frail body, one long journey might cost him half his life. Wang Pan did not want him to suffer like that.

"Hahaha, I'm still in good health. If not this time, then next time. I'll take you along and introduce you to them. From then on, the Wang family's affairs will be handed over to you."

Wang Ji refused. This trip was for a trade deal with a powerful tribe.

That tribe was highly xenophobic. In order to establish trade with them, the Wang family had given them no small amount of benefits over the years.

This transaction had only been made possible because other tribes had helped mediate between them.

If the other side saw that the Wang family had sent only a young man, the trade opportunity the Wang family had waited years for might disappear.

Yet Wang Pan refused to let the matter go. In the end, he persuaded Wang Ji to take him along.

You Province lay on the border. Other than Baiyang City, whose improper trade had made it prosperous, the other twelve cities were not much better off.

Five hundred li beyond You Province lay the border.

The Wang family had traded for many years and had long since bribed the soldiers stationed along the route, paying considerable sums every trip to smooth things over.

This allowed the Wang family's caravan to travel unimpeded. No one ever stepped forward to inspect what goods the Wang family was transporting.

The Wang family was not the only one doing this. The other families did the same.

Beyond the border lay the territory of another empire.

This time, Wang Ji led more than two thousand people, escorting countless forged Iron Ingots, salt, grain, and Strong Bows across the border into the Great Kang Empire.

Most of the Great Kang Empire was covered in mountains and forests, with very little arable land.

Though it was called an empire, it was actually more like a loose alliance formed by countless tribes scattered throughout the jungles.

After crossing mountains and rivers for half a year, the Wang family caravan finally reached its destination.

The trade went smoothly this time. The Wang family had gained enormously, but the tribe trading with them had not lost out either.

Because the Great Kang Empire was largely covered in mountains and forests, countless rare flowers and strange fruits grew deep within its ancient woods, all of which were highly beneficial to martial cultivation.

The Wang family had exchanged for many Cultivation Resources this time. Only a small portion belonged to the Wang family; most belonged to the sect behind Qin Yan.

The Strong Bows and Iron Ingots involved in this trade had all been supplied by Qin Yan's sect.

The Wang family alone did not have the strength to provide such a large quantity.

But even the small portion of resources belonging to the Wang family was enough to cultivate another dozen or so Muscle and Tendon Changing Stage martial artists!

More importantly, they had reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with this tribe. With a certain foundation of trust between them, future trades would not be so troublesome.

Merchants had the sharpest instincts. Wang Ji could sense that the atmosphere between the Great Martial Empire and the Great Kang Empire had grown increasingly wrong over the past two years.

Therefore, strength was the foundation for preserving one's family. The prospect of adding more than a dozen Muscle and Tendon Changing Stage martial artists to the Wang family made Wang Ji very happy.

But Wang Pan did not lower his guard. He remained vigilant at all times, prepared to take Wang Ji away the moment anything went wrong.

Wang Ji had grown old and had not personally traveled with a merchant caravan for several years.

Yet this time, he had a reason he absolutely had to accompany the caravan.

This indicated that there was a high probability the Wang family had encountered an enemy Border Invasion during this trip, leading to the family's decline.

But what Wang Pan could not understand was that this trade had gone so smoothly, proving that the other side had no intention of robbing them. Furthermore, the Wang family had gotten along extremely well with the border tribes of the Great Kang Empire over the years.

How could they have encountered a Great Kang Empire Border Invasion right after completing the trade, resulting in the loss of their goods and countless casualties among the guards?

Wang Pan felt there was something fishy going on.

On the return journey, with far fewer supplies to carry, their speed increased considerably. In just over two months, the caravan had reached the border.

People from Qin Yan's sect had already been waiting there for a long time.

Seeing the caravan return safely, they breathed a sigh of relief. They also attached great importance to this trade.

But for certain reasons, they could not go personally and could only let the Wang family conduct the trade under the name of commerce.

Qin Yan had also been away from his sect for a long time, so he returned with the sect members this time to take a look.

As for Wang Ji's safety, Qin Yan was not overly concerned. The caravan had more than a thousand people.

Among them were ten Muscle and Tendon Changing Stage martial artists and several hundred at the Body Strengthening Stage. Moreover, they had already entered Great Martial Empire territory. In You Province, no one dared provoke the Wang family.

Another two days passed. The caravan had traveled deep into You Province and was only a day or two away from Baiyang City.

"Strange. Could it not be this time?"

Wang Pan was puzzled.

"Rumble!"

Just as Wang Pan thought this, an unexpected change occurred!

A massive sound of hoofbeats came from ahead of the caravan, a black line spreading toward them from the distance!

A cavalry force of over ten thousand!

The caravan began to stir in panic, but the disturbance quickly settled.

This cavalry had come from within the Great Martial Empire, and judging from their banners, they were troops of the Great Martial Empire.

But Wang Pan grew alert and stared at the cavalry in the distance.

Sure enough, the cavalry had no intention of stopping. They charged straight at the caravan!

Wang Ji also sensed that something was wrong. He sent someone out from the caravan on horseback to approach the cavalry and deliver a message.

"Pfft!"

But in the next moment, the man who had just approached was instantly pierced by an arrow and fell from his horse!

"Everyone, charge forward and stop them!"

"Hold them off for a moment, then flee for your lives! The Wang family will not treat you unfairly!"

Wang Ji's scalp went numb. He first gave orders to the guards, then instructed the Muscle and Tendon Changing Stage guards to take him away.