Chaos on the Horizon, Delivery of the Goods

Although only half a year had passed, this escort run felt completely different.

The last time he had traveled with an escort, Zhao Ya had merely been an inconspicuous runner. Now, he had become an escort master capable of standing on his own.

Especially while traveling along the official road, passing merchants could not help casting surprised and envious looks at Zhao Ya as he walked at the center of the convoy.

After all, escort masters were a common sight, but ones as young as Zhao Ya were truly rare.

Had it been anyone else, they would inevitably have felt rather smug by now.

Yet Zhao Ya showed not the slightest hint of pride. Instead, he grew ever more cautious.

After all, this was his first time leading an escort run independently. There could be no mistakes.

At the same time, Zhao Ya keenly noticed that there seemed to be more refugees along the official road.

People in ragged clothes were everywhere.

They gathered in groups of three or five, their faces vacant and their bodies gaunt, wandering beside the road like walking corpses.

Zhao Ya's heart tightened. He knew some region must have suffered another disaster; otherwise, there would not be so many refugees.

And only two fates awaited these refugees: either they would end up in the bellies of wild beasts, or starve to death and then be devoured by stray dogs.

Thinking of the descriptions of refugees and famine in the history books his former self had read, Zhao Ya felt his heart grow heavy.

This was a sign that great chaos was about to begin.

From one small glimpse, one could see the whole picture. Great Yan, vast as it was, was clearly like an elderly man in his twilight years, already terminally ill.

Under such circumstances, the only thing Zhao Ya could do was remain cautious and keep a low profile, while also preparing himself to face whatever challenges came.

After all, being cautious did not mean trouble would never find you. Especially with chaos about to descend upon the land, people might suddenly kill over some trivial or even absurd reason—let alone when he was leading an entire escort convoy.

Sure enough.

They had not gone far, perhaps only thirty or forty li from the city, when a disorderly group appeared ahead on the official road.

These people were all dressed in tattered clothes, though they were still in better shape than the refugees. At least they were not skin and bones, and some light remained in their eyes.

The few men leading them were especially sturdy. Holding rusty weapons, they were demanding money from passing small merchants.

At the sight, Zhao Ya immediately became alert and signaled to the people behind him with his eyes.

The runners all readied themselves as well.

Tan Dong's face flushed with excitement. He was simply waiting for Zhao Ya's command to charge over.

But just then, those people noticed Zhao Ya's escort convoy, especially the escort banner hanging from the carts. They froze briefly, then voluntarily moved aside to clear the road.

Zhao Ya relaxed slightly and immediately led the group through.

Once they had gone some distance, Zhao Ya turned back to look at those people, a faint glimmer flashing in his eyes.

If he had not been mistaken, the weapons carried by those leaders were all military issue.

Moreover, their bodies bore obvious signs of training.

That meant they were not farmers who worked the land. They were very likely deserters from the army.

Thinking of the news he had heard some time ago—that fighting had already begun in several commandery cities to the south—Zhao Ya concluded that these deserters had likely come from the south.

That was no good news.

Still, these deserters were not fools. Upon seeing his escort carts, they had not tried to stop them and had instead taken the initiative to make way.

Only then did Zhao Ya truly understand how valuable the Prosperity Escort Agency's name was.

With Meng Lei, a third-realm martial artist, holding the fort, whether they were bandits ruling the mountains or deserters passing through, everyone within a hundred or two hundred li had to show them some respect.

It was clear that strength alone was the foundation for surviving in troubled times.

After passing that obstruction, the sights they encountered grew increasingly shocking the farther they traveled.

Refugees clustered by the roadside. Some stared at passing merchants with the eyes of starving wolves, as though they might choose someone to devour at any moment.

Yet more of them simply sat there numbly, then silently collapsed, never to rise again.

The sight left even these runners, who had originally been full of enthusiasm, somewhat nervous.

Tan Dong could not help stepping forward and asking in a low voice, "Boss, why are there so many refugees?"

After leaving the city, Tan Dong had very consciously changed how he addressed Zhao Ya, from Brother Zhao to Boss.

"What? Are you scared?"

"Not exactly scared. I just feel uneasy."

As he said this, Tan Dong's expression became solemn. His gaze fell upon the people by the roadside. "Especially when I see so many children among them, I feel like there's something stuck in my chest."

Zhao Ya fell silent.

How could he not have seen it too?

But Zhao Ya knew there was nothing he could do at the moment, so he could only pat Tan Dong on the shoulder.

"Don't think about it so much. This isn't something we can control. Let's go."

Everyone was somewhat silent for the rest of the journey. By evening, they smoothly arrived at the inn where they had stayed before the New Year.

The inn was still open, though it had become even more dilapidated and seemed lifeless.

Only after Zhao Ya and his group arrived did the inn finally gain a little vitality.

The waiter eagerly greeted the guests, while the innkeeper came to Zhao Ya's side and said with a broad smile, "You must be Escort Master Zhao. Young and heroic indeed. Please, come in, come in."

Zhao Ya smiled. "No need for such courtesy. First, prepare a small courtyard for us."

"Rest assured, there's no need for you to tell me. I prepared it long ago."

Zhao Ya nodded.

That was the advantage of staying at an inn they knew well. There was no need to give instructions for many things; the other side had already prepared them.

After settling the escort carts and finishing dinner, Zhao Ya assigned the night watch before calling over the innkeeper for a chat.

"I see the inn is rather empty. There aren't many guests."

"Ah." The innkeeper let out a long sigh and said bitterly, "There's war everywhere now. People can barely afford to eat, so who would be willing to spend money staying at an inn?"

"Has the south become even more chaotic now?"

Zhao Ya knew that innkeepers generally had well-informed sources, so he could not help asking.

"Yes. I heard Coastal Commandery and Longevity Commandery are already fighting fiercely. Several nearby commandery cities are also stirring restlessly. Those wealthy and powerful people are all eager to make their moves, while ordinary folk like us are the ones who suffer." The innkeeper sighed.

Zhao Ya chatted with the innkeeper for a little longer before turning in.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, after settling the lodging and meal expenses, Zhao Ya and his group set out again.

The rest of the journey went very smoothly, and by evening they arrived at River Mouth Town.

The last time, Zhao Ya had stayed behind at the inn to care for Wei Yu and had not come. This time, he discovered that River Mouth Town was extremely lively.

Because it bordered Three-Fork River Mouth and merchants constantly passed through, trade here was exceptionally flourishing.

The Hong Family of Dancing Elephant City's inner city had established a bank here.

Zhao Ya and his group arrived at the bank, handed over the escort receipt, and inventoried the goods. Once all the necessary matters had been completed, the bank's manager settled the silver that needed to be transported back with Zhao Ya, loaded it onto the carts, and sealed them.

By the time everything was finished, it was already late at night.

The manager of Hong Family Bank was quite considerate. He arranged several rooms for Zhao Ya and the others and had food brought over.

Though they were still within the bank, Zhao Ya did not dare lower his guard. He still assigned people to stand watch in shifts.

(End of Chapter)