In ancient times, traveling far from home was extremely dangerous!
This was especially true for merchants carrying large sums of money, scholars traveling to take the imperial examinations, and travelers returning to their hometowns. The slightest misstep could see them fall prey to marauders; at best, they'd lose their money, and at worst, their lives.
Scholars and the like might have been a little safer.
They carried little money but plenty of baggage, and the authorities kept a close eye on them. If they were robbed and murdered, there was a good chance the authorities would investigate and seek revenge. So, in most cases, marauders preferred to target wealthy merchants or ordinary travelers from out of town.
After all, when merchants and outsiders died, no one would ask questions. And if the marauders succeeded, they'd make off with a great deal of money. They could bury their victims in the wilderness, or simply wrap them in a tattered mat and dump them in some desolate place. In three to five days, mountain dogs, wolves, and other beasts would devour the bodies. Even if the authorities wanted to investigate afterward, the lack of clues and the difficulty of finding the remains would usually bring the matter to a dead end.
In most cases, marauders weren't all desperate criminals with blood on their hands. They were people of all kinds banding together. Some were destitute refugees or deserters; others were local thugs. Some were professional gangs, such as mounted bandits, river pirates, and mountain brigands. There were even bandits who occupied strategic terrain for years, charging passing merchants "road tolls."
And then there were the so-called "heroes of the martial world."
After all, even great heroes had to eat!
Martial artists might have looked impressive on the surface, but if their purses