Rebirth in Pure Land

Luo Zheng nodded.

"Gather in front of my family's pharmacy at 5:00 AM tomorrow. My uncle will brief you on the details then."

"Understood."

After seeing Luo Zheng off, Li Chuan practiced in the shop for another hour or so.

It was late into the night before he finally went to bed to rest.

The next day.

Li Chuan arrived at Luo Family Pharmacy right on time.

"Morning, Uncle Luo." Li Chuan stepped forward to greet him.

Luo Houping smiled.

"A-Chuan is here. Zheng should have already told you the general situation, right?"

Li Chuan replied, "He said we are delivering a batch of Tiger Heart Grass and taking a different route than last time, which will be more dangerous."

Luo Houping patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, it won't be that dangerous. In fact, we rarely run into trouble while delivering medicine, and besides, if the sky falls, I'll be the one holding it up."

"Thank you, Uncle Luo," Li Chuan said, cupping his hands in a salute.

A moment later, everyone had arrived.

Standing beside Luo Houping and looking down, Li Chuan noticed that the number of people was significantly higher than last time.

There were fifteen practitioners of Bright Force alone, and the number of other skilled fighters reached thirty.

With nine horse-drawn carriages, the procession looked massive, filling the entire street.

It seems this batch of precious medicine is truly extraordinary; usually, a shipment only requires a few Bright Force practitioners, Li Chuan thought to himself.

"This delivery is of great importance. Everyone is to follow the rules. If anyone disobeys, don't bother coming back next time!" Luo Houping gathered everyone together and gave a stern warning.

This shipment of Tiger Heart Grass was worth four hundred taels; if anything went wrong, it would be no small matter!

After speaking, Luo Houping whispered to Li Chuan:

"A-Chuan, Zheng specifically asked me to give you more time to practice martial arts. I've thought about it—for every two hours you spend on guard outside, you can come onto the carriage to practice for one hour. How does that sound?"

A warmth spread through Li Chuan's heart.

Luo Houping didn't need to consult him, as his wages were based on him being on duty the entire time.

This extra hour was a gift from Luo Zheng.

Therefore, Li Chuan cupped his hands and said, "I will follow whatever arrangements you make, Uncle Luo."

Luo Houping smiled. "Go back to the group; Wang Youfang is there too."

Returning to the ranks, a man with a thick beard and a round face waved at him.

"A-Chuan, over here!"

"You came too?"

Wang Youfang glared at him.

"I'm a veteran at delivering medicine; how could they not bring me? Look around—this isn't like the motley crew from the first time. These are all elites!"

Li Chuan looked around and noticed that everyone appeared calm and composed.

This put him at ease.

After all, the stronger the overall strength of the team, the safer he would be.

"We move fast, not slow. The plan is to reach Huangshi County in three days. Every extra moment we spend on the road adds another layer of danger!"

"You are all experienced in delivering medicine, so I won't say much more. I will emphasize one thing: follow orders, do not act recklessly, and report anything suspicious to me immediately!"

"Move out!"

With a wave of Luo Houping's hand, the group marched out of the city gates in a grand procession.

"A-Chuan, I need to tell you something." Luo Houping called Li Chuan over.

"What is it, Uncle Luo?"

"Regarding those young refugees from last time, I sent people to look for them later and discovered that they were the ones who had driven those starving wolves."

Li Chuan's eyes narrowed as he realized something was wrong.

That group wasn't even composed of martial artists who had passed the threshold, yet they were able to control a pack of starving wolves?

Luo Houping's expression was grave.

"Later, I had my men interrogate them about where they learned such methods, and we only got one name: the Rebirth Sect."

This sect seemed to have emerged only recently, specializing in gathering refugees, teaching them evil arts, and inciting them to plunder everywhere.

"That's all the information for now; just be careful."

Li Chuan looked thoughtful, shifting his gaze to his surroundings.

As they traveled out of the vicinity of Anning County, the number of refugees increased.

Compared to the last time he left the city, there seemed to be even more of them.

The world is truly in turmoil... Li Chuan sighed inwardly.

The Rebirth Sect didn't sound like a legitimate organization at all; it was more like a cult that incited the ignorant, much like the "White Lotus Sect."

Only by becoming strong myself can I stand firm in this world; relying on others is useless!

Li Chuan practiced his stance inside the carriage, returning to the group only after an hour had passed.

It was precisely because of this action that many people began to look at him with strange expressions.

Everyone received the same pay, so why should he be allowed to slack off?

Li Chuan didn't care in the slightest, simply focusing on doing his own job.

Ever since the incident where refugees held them hostage, the Luo family had withdrawn one of the carriages used for refugee relief, converting it to transport medicinal herbs instead.

Perhaps because they were a large, imposing group, the refugees retreated wherever they went.

Even the wild beasts of the mountains and fields would vanish the moment they heard the sound of the carriage wheels.

Thus, the journey was peaceful, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

[Skill: Mountain-Holding Stance (Minor Achievement)]
[Proficiency: 1550/2000]
[Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Minor Achievement)]
[Proficiency: 1452/2000]

Li Chuan shook his head secretly; the progress of his proficiency was indeed very slow when eating donkey meat.

"The Jia Family Pharmacy is just ahead. Keep your eyes peeled and watch out for any suspicious pedestrians!" Luo Houping announced loudly.

The carriage wheels rolled forward and then came to a stop at the Jia Family Pharmacy.

The pharmacy owner called over a dozen skilled men to unload the cargo, and the eight carriages were emptied quickly.

Once the goods were unloaded, a large quantity of medicinal herbs was brought out from inside and packed into the carriages.

"Ah, murder!" a woman suddenly screamed in terror.

A man holding a kitchen knife appeared to be in a state of madness:

"Give me money! I want to enter the city! This place outside is no place for humans to stay!"

The patrol guards arrived quickly and cut him down with a single blade:

"Which refugee snuck in? How can you be allowed to run wild inside the city?"

Blood and gore splattered, frightening many passersby into retreating.

Li Chuan's heart sank.

He hadn't expected refugees to be able to sneak into the city; it seemed the city guards had some problems of their own.

Luo Houping narrowed his eyes and waved his hand:

"The day is still early, hurry up and get out of the city to reach our first resting point!"

Clearly, this incident had made him feel a sense of crisis as well.

The men delivering the medicine this time were all veterans; they left immediately without the slightest delay.

The group led their carriages and quickly exited the city.

"Rebirth to bliss, rebirth to bliss." Many refugees wandered outside the city, chanting incessantly.

They stared at the Luo Family Pharmacy with eerie pupils until the group had moved far away.

After they had walked a distance, Wang Youfang let out a sigh of relief:

"Damn it, did you see those eyes? They were truly chilling, like they were possessed!"

Li Chuan's eyes flickered:

"It's a good thing everything is fine back in Anning County."

Wang Youfang patted his chest:

"If something happened there, it would be a disaster. I can't let my newlywed wife fall into someone else's hands!"

Li Chuan laughed and scolded:

"Can you think about something serious for once?"

Wang Youfang chuckled:

"How is this not serious? By the way, A-Chuan, was that matter at your house resolved?"

Li Chuan said calmly:

"That person has left."

"It's good that he's gone, as long as nothing happened."

After the brief exchange, the caravan returned to silence.

The carriage wheels rolled over the muddy ground, and the wind rustled the leaves.

No one noticed.

Not far away, the bushes swayed in an eerie manner.