Half a month later.
Under a bright moon and sparse stars, a group gathered around a campfire, talking loudly and animatedly.
A fat sheep hung over the flames, sizzling with dripping grease and filling the air with its aroma.
Chen Lin sat on a sack atop a carriage, swinging his legs casually as he listened at leisure.
This was a merchant caravan, and he was a bodyguard it had hired.
Half a month earlier, he had escaped from the waters of Maple Leaf Lake and fled all the way to Pingyang City.
He had originally intended to stay in Pingyang City for a while, but after hearing that the Qingyun Sect was still searching for Luo Ziqing's killer and that the Ma Family was also seeking information about Ma Yu, he had joined this caravan for safety, concealing his identity as a bodyguard and leaving Pingyang City.
They were now several hundred li from Pingyang City, well beyond the Qingyun Sect's reach. With no need to worry about his enemies discovering him, his mood naturally brightened.
Just then, the mutton finished roasting. A young caravan hand jogged over with a large chunk of meat and a wine pot, offering both to Chen Lin.
"Hero Lin, eat it while it's hot! It won't taste nearly as good once it cools."
The young man wore an ingratiating expression. He watched Chen Lin take big bites but did not leave.
Chen Lin glanced at him, took a hefty swig from the wine pot, and chided him with a smile. "What, still hoping I'll teach you martial arts?"
He was currently using the alias Lin San, playing the part of a bold wandering martial artist. They had encountered wild beasts and bandits several times along the way, and after he had shown off a