Ambush

Wang Min added from the side, "Remember what Head Escort Sun said. This escort job isn't especially dangerous, but the road is long, so stay sharp.

Look out for each other. We'll leave in one piece and come back in one piece."

After speaking, he looked at Li Yuan, who was standing nearby, and beckoned. "Li Yuan, come over here."

Li Yuan stepped forward as asked.

Wang Min introduced Li Yuan to everyone.

Then he turned to Li Yuan and said, "You'll travel with my team this time. Don't panic if anything happens. Stick with everyone else."

Seeing the bow and arrows on Li Yuan's back, he asked in surprise,

"You know how to shoot?"

"Yes, I'm a hunter."

"Haha, excellent. Now we have an archer, too."

At that, everyone turned to look at him, their faces breaking into warm smiles.

"Move out!"

At Sun Tong's shout, the escort team set off, passing through the city gate and onto the official road to Black Water Town.

Among the team, Li Yuan felt a sensation unlike anything he'd experienced while hunting in the mountains.

The team continued along the official road at a slow pace.

It was winter, and a thin layer of snow covered the road.

Li Yuan walked beside Wang Min, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the roadside.

Compared to the area near the county seat, the grasslands on either side here looked much more desolate. Now and then, he spotted abandoned field ridges and collapsed thatched huts.

"Uncle Wang, the official road seems... quieter than I expected," Li Yuan said softly, finding a way to start a conversation.

Blue Stone Village, where he lived, wasn't very far from Wuxi County, but it wasn't near the official road either.

This was Li Yuan's first time traveling along one.

Wang Min sighed, his expression growing more grave. "That's right. Things aren't like they used to be.

"The borderlands have been unsettled these past few years, and there's been one military campaign after another. Taxes have gone up again and again.

"Many families just can't bear it anymore. They've either fled in search of food or..."

He paused, then continued, "Or taken to the mountains."

He lifted his chin toward the mountain range stretching into the distance. "See that? That's Mang Mountain.

"It's full of bandits and brigands. The government used to station soldiers at key points along the roads to keep order.

"Now they've all been sent to the borderlands. Private troops sent by local great clans have taken their place.

"They only keep an eye on the main roads. They can't manage anywhere even a little off the beaten path."

"Private troops from the great clans?" Li Yuan had never heard of that before.

"Mm. The imperial court can't do everything, so it has no choice but to give local strongmen more authority.

"These clans send out men supposedly to help keep order, but in reality, they're just guarding their own estates and trade routes.

"As for ordinary folk and travelers like us, they may not care much about our safety."

There was a trace of helplessness in Wang Min's voice. "It's hard to survive in times like these.

"On Mang Mountain alone, there must be more than a dozen strongholds, big and small.

"Many are just people who can't make ends meet or pay their taxes. They band together, pick someone brave and capable to lead them, and then take up banditry."

As he spoke, Wang Min felt his mouth grow dry. He took a drink from his waterskin, then continued,

"I hear the leader of the Mang Mountain Bandits goes by the nickname Mountain-Crossing Sparrowhawk. He's a master of the quick blade, and he moves like lightning.

"They say he's long been an expert in the Bone Forging Realm. He's gathered over a hundred desperate outlaws under him, making his band the toughest to deal with around Mang Mountain."

At the mention of the name, Head Escort Wang's expression turned more solemn.

"Our route only skirts the outskirts. As long as we don't cross into their core territory, nothing should happen.

"But we still have to be extra careful. There's no telling when some small-time bandits might get it into their heads to make a score."

After traveling for a while, Li Yuan did indeed see a few gaunt, shivering people huddled in the cold.

They crouched by the roadside, watching the escort team and its cargo with numb eyes that still held a trace of greed.

But when they saw the weapons in the escorts' hands, they didn't dare approach.

Fortunately, nothing happened before the sun began to set.

Soon, an open stretch of land came into view. A small stream ran beside it, making it a good place to camp for the night.

"We'll rest here tonight," Sun Tong called. "Same as always: take turns standing watch, and circle the wagons."

This was one of the places the escort agency often chose to stop when traveling this road.

At that, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and got busy.

They unloaded the wagons, fed the horses, fetched water, and lit fires to cook. The whole process was orderly and efficient.

Soon, several bonfires blazed, and steaming food simmered in the pots. The savory aroma of dried meat and wild vegetables filled the air.

After dinner, darkness settled in completely. The bonfires crackled, lighting up everyone's faces.

Someone made a suggestion, and a few young escorts and guards sat together to play a game of "Guess the Pebbles."

The rules were simple. One person shook a few small stones rapidly in their palm, then made a fist and asked the others to guess how many there were.

Anyone who guessed wrong had to imitate an animal's call or tell an amusing story, drawing bursts of laughter from the group and lifting everyone's spirits.

Li Yuan practiced his stance at the edge of the group.

Only after leaving home had he felt how much more chaotic the world had become.

So he had to seize every chance to grow stronger.

Head Escort Wang sat beside him, the firelight glinting as he puffed away on his pipe.

"Young man, it's good to let loose now and then. No need to be tense all the time," Uncle Wang said, exhaling a stream of smoke.

But just as the mood was at its most relaxed—

"Whoosh!"

"Ah!"

A whistling arrow shot from the woods outside the camp, its shrill cry cutting through the air as it struck an escort in the arm.

"Enemies! Grab your weapons!" Sun Tong reacted at once, springing to his feet.

His thunderous shout shattered the easygoing mood of the camp in an instant.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" A gong rang out urgently, warning of enemies.

"Kill them!"

"Take their goods!"

Almost as soon as the arrow pierced the air, shouts of slaughter erupted from the woods. Dozens of dark figures charged out like ghosts.

They wielded steel sabers, wooden clubs, and even farm tools like manure forks and hoes, rushing straight at the camp.

Most were dressed in rags, but their eyes were fierce and their movements swift.

Though caught by surprise, the people in the camp didn't panic.

Clearly, they had faced this sort of situation many times before.

"Form up and protect the cargo!" Wang Min tossed aside his pipe, drew the thick-backed saber from his waist, and spoke in a steady voice.

If they lost too much cargo, the whole escort job would be for nothing.

The experienced escorts grabbed the swords and sabers at hand and formed ranks at once.

Li Yuan also nocked an arrow and swept his sharp gaze across the surroundings.

Amid the chaos, the fastest bandits had already broken through the sparse outer defenses and clashed with the escorts, who were scrambling to fight back.

The clash of weapons and screams rang out all at once.

A burly bandit wielding a rusty woodcutter's hatchet cautiously crept toward Wang Min from behind as he fought.

Li Yuan's gaze turned cold. He took a deep breath, drew his bow, and nocked an arrow in one smooth motion.

The bowstring thrummed. The arrow flew, tracing a streak of cold light in the firelight.

"Pfft!"