Refugees

Luo Zheng put an arm around Li Chuan's shoulder and murmured in comfort:

"Junior Brother Li, don't worry. Uncle knows you have no experience escorting medicinal herbs. The herbs we're delivering this time aren't anything precious. With him, an expert in Dark Force, leading the team, even if the sky falls, you won't be the one holding it up. Besides, the world isn't all that chaotic these days. The Luo Family's name can still scare off plenty of people."

Li Chuan nodded gratefully.

"A-Chuan, let's go," Luo Houping called from a distance.

Li Chuan cupped his fist toward Luo Zheng, then hurried after him.

Outside the gate, more than twenty people were already waiting.

Eight carriages followed behind them. It was a truly imposing procession.

Li Chuan took a quick look. Of the twenty-odd people in the medicinal-herb escort, seven or eight had Bright Force. Even those who didn't were all solidly built, with thick layers of muscle.

Luo Houping introduced the job with a smile:

"Master Jia of Huangshi County also runs a pharmacy. He ordered a batch of Dragon-Snake Grass. It isn't worth much, only a few dozen taels of silver, so we've hired newcomers for this trip. Don't feel pressured. They may not do any better than you."

A few dozen taels of silver... wasn't worth much?

Li Chuan smacked his lips, once again astonished by the Luo Family Pharmacy's sheer wealth.

Luo Houping seemed to see what he was thinking.

"A few dozen taels of silver really isn't much. Huangshi County is about a hundred li away. Just the manpower and supplies for the round trip will cost at least a dozen taels."

Li Chuan nodded in agreement.

This world was clearly different from his previous one. There were no cars or asphalt roads, and with eight carriages in tow, even a hundred li would take three or four days.

After that, Luo Houping introduced him to the others:

"This is Li Chuan from Pine Wind Martial Hall. He only recently entered Bright Force."

Hearing the words Pine Wind Martial Hall and Bright Force, many of the hired hands looked at him with respect.

An expert in Bright Force alone was already beyond the reach of ordinary people.

And he came from Pine Wind Martial Hall, which was far better than some unorthodox school.

Many people immediately came over to greet him warmly.

"Strange..." Li Chuan was a little surprised. No one had put on a show of looking down on him, and he almost felt out of place.

But after thinking it over, it made sense. Those who took temporary work at the Luo Family Pharmacy were all worldly old hands trying to make a living. They weren't like the disciples in a martial hall, who judged people solely by their "potential."

On a medicinal-herb delivery, no one cared whether you had potential. What mattered was whether you could get the job done.

A round-faced man sidled up to him with a grin.

"Brother Li, I'm Wang Youfang from Riding Wind Martial Hall next door. Since we both come from martial halls, we can travel together and watch each other's backs."

Li Chuan eyed his thick, bushy beard warily.

"Have you ever been married?"

Wang Youfang looked baffled, but answered:

"I just got married not long ago."

Li Chuan relaxed a little, laughed awkwardly, and let the subject drop.

"Most of you are delivering medicinal herbs for the first time. Two or three of you have done it once or twice. I'll go over the rules again," Luo Houping said loudly.

"First, don't talk along the way or do anything you shouldn't. Stay alert and keep an eye on your surroundings."

"Second, if anything unexpected happens, follow my instructions. Don't act on your own."

"Third, keep your formation. Travel in pairs and watch out for each other."

Luo Houping went over these three rules in detail, then gave a few more instructions about minor matters. After that, the line of carriages set off in a grand procession.

Li Chuan had never heard of so many rules for delivering medicinal herbs, but after thinking it over, he agreed with them.

Delivering medicinal herbs was essentially the same as escorting a convoy—only this was a medicinal-herb convoy.

The road was full of danger. Wolves, jackals, tigers, and leopards could appear from anywhere, and bands of mountain bandits might gather to attack.

Not talking helped everyone stay as focused as possible and guard against danger.

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone road and headed straight out of the city.

Outside the city, the conditions were nowhere near as good as within its walls.

The road was packed earth, uneven and full of potholes.

"I never understood why people got carsick in period dramas. Now I see—how could anyone not get sick?"

Li Chuan grumbled to himself.

Anyone inside a carriage was jolted up and down almost constantly.

No wonder traveling by land or water was called exhausting.

The group traveled in silence.

They stopped to rest about once every hour.

Li Chuan didn't want to waste the free time. Whenever they stopped, he seized the chance to practice Through-Arm Fist.

Until he reached Minor Mastery in Through-Arm Fist, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't safe.

So, in an open patch of ground, Li Chuan's fists cut through the air in sharp, relentless strokes.

Some people saw him and thought he couldn't tell what mattered. Instead of resting, he was wasting his strength.

But from afar, Luo Houping watched him with admiration.

Hardworking people were always regarded more highly, wherever they went.

"Maybe A-Zheng's judgment wasn't bad this time. He may have no hope of breaking through to Dark Force, but if he studies combat techniques properly, he could still become a capable fighter," Luo Houping thought.

About a quarter of an hour later, Luo Houping called everyone to set off.

Perhaps because they were still close to Anning County, the journey was uneventful.

But as they approached Huangshi County, Li Chuan noticed a few displaced people along the road.

The closer they got to Huangshi County, the more refugees they saw.

Whenever refugees came to beg, Luo Houping had the group stop and hand out some watery porridge.

Sand was mixed into it. Only refugees who were truly starving would drink it, preventing people from begging in bad faith.

Even so, many refugees gulped it down.

Compared to sand, filling their stomachs mattered most.

After they finished, many refugees kowtowed to the group in thanks, loudly praising the Luo Family's benevolence.

Wang Youfang, who was traveling alongside him, had been holding back. He couldn't help whispering:

"I'd heard the Luo Family Pharmacy was benevolent. Every time they leave the city, they bring a carriage full of relief grain to hand out to the refugees wandering outside. Seeing it with my own eyes, I can tell the stories were true!"

Li Chuan remembered that before setting out, he had indeed seen a carriage that was different from the others.

There were only eight carriages in all, yet one had been set aside to help the refugees.

A single carriage could surely bring in several, perhaps even ten, taels of silver in profit.

The Luo Family truly deserved to be called "benevolent" for doing this.

"With such an upright family tradition, it's no wonder they produced someone like Senior Brother Luo," Li Chuan thought, nodding to himself. Then he casually asked, "Why are there so many refugees outside the city?"

At that, Wang Youfang seemed to have found an opening to chatter.

"I heard our dynasty went to war with the Hu Barbarians in the north. The front lines are under pressure, so they've increased the taxes down here. Those who can't pay have their land forcibly taken away and are driven outside the city. That's why there are so many refugees."

"Anning County is still all right. Huangshi County is the worst for squeezing people dry. I hope nothing goes wrong on this trip. I just got married and haven't had many days of happiness yet!"

"By the way, Brother Li, are you married? What kind of woman do you like? I can recommend someone. I heard there's a woman in the south of the city..."

As Wang Youfang went on, he strayed further and further from the topic.

Li Chuan was helpless. He could tell that Wang Youfang was a chatterbox.

Still, he didn't interrupt him. He hadn't been out of the city for a long time and didn't know much about the world outside, so listening to more was a good thing.

"You're from Pine Wind Martial Hall, so you must know Senior Brother Luo Zheng, right? He was the one who recommended me for this job. Senior Brother Luo is truly benevolent. Even though I'm only a part-timer, he was willing to give me a monthly salary of two taels."

"How much?" Li Chuan was stunned.

"Two taels. Don't you get the same?"

"Right. I misheard just now," Li Chuan replied after a moment of silence.

The sky soon grew dark. Wolves howled now and then, and Wang Youfang finally stopped talking and grew serious.

After traveling another five li, the group reached an abandoned house.

The outside was dilapidated, but inside there were braziers for light and even a few water jugs.

Li Chuan understood. This must be a resting place set up by the Luo Family Pharmacy.

They couldn't travel at night, so they needed somewhere relatively safe to rest.

The Luo Family probably had quite a few places like this.

Compared to the medicinal herbs in the carriages, the routes in Luo Houping's head were probably the most valuable thing of all.

After all, this world didn't have Gaode Maps.

Though even if it did, it might not be able to find a good route...

"Eight of you stay outside. Everyone else, make the most of the time to rest. You'll take turns keeping watch," Luo Houping instructed, his brow furrowed.

Li Chuan was assigned the safest and easiest first watch. At that hour, no one had fully gone to sleep yet, and it was still early in the night.

He knew perfectly well that this was the "special attention" Luo Zheng had mentioned.

The night passed safely, without incident.

The second day did, too.

But on the third day, when they were only twenty li from Huangshi County, things changed.