Cangqing Mountain Range

Early morning.

Qingshan Town, Stone Gate Tower.

Cheng Buzheng had been waiting here for the caravan to arrive since early on. Even though it was still early compared to the agreed-upon time, he could not afford even a hint of carelessness at this moment.

Half an hour later.

A caravan of carriages slowly drove out from the town. The lead carriage bore a flag with white characters on a black background, embroidered with a large "Qian" character. This flag was the signature mark of the Qian Family caravan.

The streets of the town were sparsely populated. Seeing the flag fluttering in the wind, pedestrians hurriedly dodged to the side. Even the local ruffians dared not cause trouble for the caravan, for they knew this was the caravan of the Qian Family, a powerful clan in the town.

Suddenly.

"Halt!"

A clear, resonant voice rang out from the most luxurious carriage in the middle of the line.

The caravan slowed down in an unhurried, measured manner before coming to a stop. The drivers of the caravan were all experienced veterans; otherwise, bringing the caravan to a sudden stop would have at least caused a state of panic.

Just then, the curtain on one side of the luxurious carriage was lifted, revealing a delicate face—a youth who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.

This person was none other than the eldest young master of the Qian Family, Qian Zhe, who had an appointment with Cheng Buzheng.

"Buzheng... hurry and come up!" Qian Zhe called out to Cheng Buzheng, who was standing below the Stone Gate Tower.

"Many thanks, Brother Qian!" Cheng Buzheng cupped his hands in a salute toward Qian Zhe inside the carriage.

Amidst the envious gazes of the surrounding pedestrians, Cheng Buzheng climbed into the luxurious carriage.

Immediately.

The caravan began to move again, slowly drifting further and further away until it was no longer in sight. The onlookers dispersed once more, each returning to the busyness of their own lives.

Once they were out of the town, the speed of the caravan increased a notch. Cheng Buzheng, sitting inside the carriage, felt this change quite distinctly.

Qian Zhe and Cheng Buzheng shared the carriage. One sat in the center, eating the delicacies on a small table and occasionally taking a sip of fine wine, while the other sat cross-legged to the side, lifting the curtain and gazing out with a face full of curiosity.

"Brother Qian, is that the Cangqing Mountain Range?" Cheng Buzheng asked, pointing his hand out the window.

Hearing this.

Qian Zhe glanced out the window and said with a look of pride, "Yes, that is the Cangqing Mountain Range. Only the Cangqing Mountain Range could be so treacherous! It is infested with bandits and outlaws from various factions. Ordinary caravans must pay a sufficient toll, or they would have to surrender their goods."

"Of course, they wouldn't dare collect a toll from my Qian Family's caravan. Otherwise, they might have the life to collect it, but not the life to spend it!"

Cheng Buzheng was quite surprised to hear this. He had not expected the Qian Family to possess such strength, and he wondered what they relied upon to hold such disdain for the various bandit factions.

"Young Master." Outside the carriage, the old servant of the Qian Family who was driving could not help but offer a reminder.

Qian Zhe stopped his boasting upon hearing this. He cast a casual glance at the old servant outside the carriage, a flicker of resentment crossing his eyes, though it vanished in an instant.

Cheng Buzheng, possessing a keen sense of tact, refrained from asking about this sensitive topic:

"Brother Qian, after passing through the Cangqing Mountain Range, how long will it take to reach Yaoshan Town?"

Qian Zhe calculated silently in his mind and said, "Hmm, about that. We should arrive in another hour!"

"By then, it will be nearly dark. If you aren't in a rush, Brother, why not head to the county seat tomorrow? It's not very convenient to travel when it's getting dark!" Cheng Buzheng said, appearing to be concerned for his 'good brother's' safety.

Qian Zhe replied dismissively:

"Once we reach Yaoshan Town, it's only another half-hour to the county seat. We'll be able to arrive before nightfall, so there is no need to worry, virtuous brother!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Buzheng felt at ease. He now had a rough idea of the distance between the county seat and Yaoshan Town, and he no longer had to fear that there wouldn't be enough time.

Not long after.

The carriage convoy slowed down, moving sluggishly into the canyon passage. This place was the only way to cross the Cangqing Mountain Range, and it was also a stronghold for bandits.

Suddenly, the convoy came to a halt.

Cheng Buzheng lifted the curtain and poked his head out to look. He saw that not far ahead, a small convoy of only three carriages had been blocked by bandits.

"Young Master... the convoy in front didn't pay enough of a toll and is currently using their goods as collateral. Please wait a moment."

The old servant of the Qian Family, who was driving the carriage, spoke from outside.

"Mm!" Qian Zhe responded lightly, then smiled at Cheng Buzheng: "Looks like some newcomers are entering the trade and don't know the rules! Their convoy will be lucky to even break even this time!"

"Every trade has its rules. You really know a lot, Brother Qian!"

Cheng Buzheng flattered him without leaving a trace.

"That's for sure." Qian Zhe's expression was pleasant, his tone quite smug.

Before long, the convoy started moving again. Unsurprisingly, their convoy was not blocked by the bandits; it seemed they knew exactly who the owner of this convoy was.

On a hillside not far away, a newcomer who had just joined the gang saw the convoy with the fluttering 'Qian' flag pass through the canyon unimpeded. He asked the burly, bearded man beside him with great curiosity:

"Boss, that massive convoy clearly has plenty of loot. Why did you let them pass?"

The burly, bearded man slapped the back of the newcomer's head hard and said viciously:

"That is the main family's convoy. If you feel you've lived too long and want to go drink with Yama early, then go ahead! I won't stop you."

The newcomer glanced at the convoy at the foot of the mountain and muttered:

"I wouldn't dare. Even if I had the guts of a bear and the heart of a leopard, I wouldn't dare!"

"I didn't know, did I?"

As they passed through the Cangqing Mountain Range, the wild beasts they encountered along the way became increasingly scarce. Any beast that attempted to approach the caravan was hunted down by the outriders on both flanks before it could even get within ten zhang.

Cheng Buzheng saw those ferocious beasts with his own eyes—wild boars, tigers, leopards. He felt quite fortunate to have hitched a ride with the Qian Family caravan.

Otherwise, he feared he would have been nothing but bones long before reaching the end of the Cangqing Mountain Range.

An hour later.

Inside the carriage, Qian Zhe instructed the old servant driving outside:

"Master Liu, stop the caravan!"

The old servant driving the carriage outside replied upon hearing this, "Yes, Young Master!"

"The Young Master has ordered! Stop the caravan immediately!" The old servant's booming voice echoed across the empty wilderness.

Immediately, the caravan slowed to a halt.

Inside the carriage, Cheng Buzheng bid farewell to Qian Zhe, stepped out of the carriage, and began walking in the direction of Yaoshan Town, following the map in his memory.

Inside the carriage, Qian Zhe lifted the curtain, watched Cheng Buzheng walking away, and said coldly to the old servant outside:

"Master Liu, call Qian Qi over!"

A moment later.

A large man in black, riding a tall steed, arrived outside the luxurious carriage. Qian Zhe lifted the curtain and said to Qian Qi outside with an expressionless face:

"Go and follow that kid who just got off. If he isn't heading to Yaoshan Town and changes his path toward the county seat midway, kill him on the spot. If he is heading to Yaoshan Town, return immediately and do not cause any trouble! Do you understand?"

The large man in black on the tall horse remained expressionless and respectfully cupped his hands:

"Yes, Young Master!"

Not long after.

Cheng Buzheng, who was walking toward Yaoshan Town, suddenly dropped to the ground at a bend in the road. He pressed his ear against the earth and heard the vibrations from the ground. A cold glint flashed through his eyes, then he stood up and silently continued toward Yaoshan Town.

Just as I thought. It's a good thing I kept my guard up, otherwise, I would surely be dead today.

Qian Zhe, I, Cheng Buzheng, will remember this great 'favor' of yours!