After struggling through a stretch of hills, we finally reached the plains, where the roads became much easier to travel. 😲🏆 ☝🐨
There were several villages nearby that traded with the caravan. We moved between them, stopping to trade goods, and before we knew it, several days had passed.
Traveling with the caravan cost me nothing. The only thing I had to contribute was my labor. The captain said that as long as you were willing to work, you'd never go hungry, so I had no use for the ring I'd gotten from Witt.
But the captain really liked the ring when he saw it, so he bought it from me at a high price. He wanted to give it to Youlan but was afraid she wouldn't accept it, so he had me do it for him.
Beyond the plains lay a forest. I didn't notice anything unusual when we first entered, but as we gradually ventured deeper, I realized the trees here were enormous.
I'd seen plenty of big trees before. Some were so wide it took several people to wrap their arms around them, but compared to the trees here, they were nothing:
"These trees are as tall as mountains. They must be hundreds of years old, right?"
"Perhaps they're as old as Ionia."
Youlan was easygoing and always sounded cheerful when she spoke. Well, I couldn't see her face, so I was judging by her tone.
She looked slender, but she was incredibly strong. She was more capable than anyone else in the caravan at hauling cargo, which earned her everyone's admiration.
Still, I always felt that something was off. If she were merely strong, that would be one thing, but her movements were crisp and decisive. Every gesture gave me the impression that she was trained in martial arts, and today confirmed my suspicions.
It all started when Xiao Li found a little bird on the road. It had only just hatched, and had probably been pushed out of its nest. Fortunately, it hadn't been killed by the fall, and Xiao Li had happened to find it.
Children always liked little animals, and Xiao Li was no exception. She planned to raise the bird after finding it, but she hadn't expected its mother to follow its scent and come after it.
I was chatting with Youlan when I suddenly saw her reach toward the top of Xiao Li's head. A bird appeared in her hand. It had clearly been trying to attack Xiao Li.
Her extraordinary reflexes astonished me. I hadn't even heard a sound, yet Youlan had already caught it.
The bird was bright red all over, even its eyes. It was hideous, the sort of creature you didn't want to look at for long.
Without a second thought, Youlan crushed it and tossed it by the roadside. The captain happened to see this, and looked alarmed as he urged the caravan to hurry:
"Uh-oh! Move! Youlan just crushed a Thousand-Beak Bird..."
The captain explained that the bird was called a Thousand-Beak Bird. It wasn't large, but it was extremely vicious, and its claws were poisonous. They could paralyze a person's nerves.
Worst of all, these birds always traveled in flocks and were extremely vengeful. Now that one had been killed, its flock might come after us to take revenge!
Sure enough, not long after the captain finished speaking, a sea of red appeared behind us!
The wagons couldn't move quickly through the forest, and these birds were incredibly fast. We hadn't gone far before they caught up with us. Everyone hurriedly put on thick protective gear and grabbed the tarps covering the cargo to drive them away.
I glanced secretly at Youlan. She was protecting Xiao Li while fending off the Thousand-Beak Birds, completely unruffled. As I'd thought, she was skilled in martial arts.
The captain had the others cover him while he lit some torches. These birds were terrified of fire, and once everyone was holding a torch, they didn't dare come close. They only circled around us, screeching shrilly.
"We have no choice but to stay here until dark. Once night falls, they'll settle in the trees to rest."
The captain knew these birds' habits well. To keep our fuel from running out too quickly, he suggested that we stay put and leave after dark.
We used the Thousand-Beak Birds' weakness to keep them at bay from noon until dusk. Once they gradually settled in the trees, we slipped away, but all the horses had been injured in the attack and couldn't move. We had no choice but to abandon the cargo and wagons.
After night fell, we picked up the pace and hurried along. It took us the entire night to escape the forest.
Everyone was dejected, especially Youlan. She hadn't known that these birds were so dangerous, and now the whole group had lost everything.
"It's all right. The most important thing is that we're safe. Once we get back, we'll pool our money, buy new wagons and horses, and start over!"
The captain's encouragement lifted everyone's spirits. Xiao Li was still shaken and clung tightly to her mother.
Not far from the forest was a canyon. Once we crossed it, the caravan would be home. Prexian wasn't much farther beyond that.
We quickened our pace, planning to rest once we got home. But as soon as we entered the canyon, a group of people in black, form-fitting clothes blocked our way. Misfortune really never came alone.
They all concealed their faces and had similar builds, as though they'd been cast from the same mold. A faint murderous aura sent a chill through me.
One of them walked straight up to Youlan. "It's been a long time, Senior Sister Alanta."
"Is something the matter, Zed?"
"My longing for you grows stronger by the day, yet you grow colder toward me. That's hardly fair."
"I have nothing to do with the Kinkou Order anymore. I hope you'll leave me alone."
"Leave you alone? I don't know what you mean. And I have nothing to do with the Kinkou Order anymore either. Well, perhaps I still have a little to do with it."
"What exactly do you want?"
"I want you to come with me."
"Come with you? No. I have a life of my own now."
So this person was Zed! I couldn't tell at all from the way he was dressed. That meant these black-clad people were assassins from the Order of Shadow.
Alanta, then—that must be Youlan's real name. I wondered what sort of history the two of them shared.
I'd never heard that Zed had a senior sister. I only knew that he, Kennen, Shen, and Akali had once been fellow students. Could Alanta be Akali?
As I wondered, Zed continued, "You don't want to come with me? Fine. But you'd better be able to stop me!"
His words were full of provocation. I figured they'd start fighting the next moment, and just then, the captain stepped forward:
"I don't know what happened between you, but Youlan is part of our caravan now. I hope you won't force her. If you do, we won't stand by and watch."
"And what can you do?"
Zed's voice turned much colder. Alanta, who was usually gentle, grew stern as well. "Don't get involved. Leave now. This has nothing to do with you!"
"Since my senior sister says you should leave, I'll give you one chance. Get out of my sight!"
After Zed finished speaking, he saw that the people still hadn't moved. Annoyed, he suddenly attacked us, moving so fast that no one could react in time!
Alanta was ready for him. She instantly darted in front of Zed and blocked his attack, and the two of them began fighting.
I didn't know whether I should get involved in their feud. After all, I was just a bystander, and Alanta wasn't in any immediate danger, so there was no need to rush.
Poppy held Xiao Li tightly, afraid someone might attack her by surprise. There were still plenty of Order of Shadow members nearby, so we couldn't let our guard down.
Before you continue