Chapter 24: Chapter 24

A carriage and a group of travelers made their way along the Official Road, trudging through the snow.

There were more than twenty people in the party, though fewer than thirty. Aside from whoever was riding inside the carriage, everyone was mounted on horseback.

The man at the front had dark skin and a long saber scar stretching from his left eye to his lips, almost covering his entire face. He had a hooked nose, thin lips, and a short patch of stiff beard on his chin. Although his eyes were slightly narrowed, a sharp gleam shone within them.

He was lean and not particularly tall, standing a little over five chi but under six. One look was enough to tell that he practiced Martial Arts.

This man was Lin Zheng, the Deputy Escort Chief of the Qingyun Escort Agency in Liangzhou. The group had just completed an escort assignment to Chang’an. On their way back to Liangzhou, they had accepted another job to escort a scholar back to Yunzhou.

The sun was already sinking toward the west. The winter sun provided some light, but almost no warmth.

Lin Zheng, who was riding at the front, stopped his horse and raised a hand, signaling for everyone behind him to halt.

A man urged his horse forward and stopped beside Lin Zheng.

“Escort Chief, why did we suddenly stop?”

“It will be dark soon. The snowfall has not been heavy these past few days, and there is a forest ahead. According to our schedule, we should be approaching Fangtou Mountain. Bandits are common in this area. Take two men and scout the forest.”

Lin Zheng pointed toward the trees ahead.

“All right.”

The man turned and called out, “Old Seven, Little Nine, come with me. Everyone else, wait here.”

With that, the three men urged their horses into the forest. The others immediately spread out and watched their surroundings vigilantly.

Once the three entered the woods, the man in front waved a hand. Old Seven and Little Nine understood at once and headed in different directions.

All three had once served in the army and had been scouts in the same unit. They had long since developed a perfect understanding. There was no need to explain their movements. A simple gesture, or even a glance, was enough for them to understand what the others were thinking.

Less than eight minutes later, the three regrouped.

They exchanged looks and shook their heads. Their meaning was clear.

The leader nodded.

“Continue farther ahead. I will return and report to the Escort Chief.”

He pulled on his reins, turned his horse around, and headed back.

When Lin Zheng saw that only one man had returned, he hurriedly asked, “Old Liu, did you find anything suspicious?”

Old Liu stopped his horse and shook his head.

“No. There were no signs of either people or animals. I sent Old Seven and Little Nine farther ahead. That way, we will have time to react if anything is wrong.”

“Good. We will spend the night in the forest.”

Lin Zheng waved his hand and led the group into the woods.

The travelers gathered dry branches and lit several fires. By the time Lin Zheng and the others began preparing their meal, the sky had become completely dark.

Lin Zheng took a bite from a flatbread. He then turned and handed a steamed bun to the young scholar who had stepped down from the carriage.

“Teacher Lin, we both bear the surname Lin, so we can be considered members of the same extended family. You should remain in Liangzhou longer this time. That brat of mine is still waiting for you to teach him how to read and write.”

“Of course. A willingness to study is always a fine thing. I am no great scholar, but if he is willing to learn, I will teach him with all due care.”

The scholar’s surname was Lin, and his given name was Ziyu. He was one of the few men from Liangzhou to have earned a Jinshi degree.

His expression was gentle. His hair was fastened with a Wooden Hairpin, and he wore a coarse robe over a cotton-padded garment. He carried the refined air of a scholar.

The others also greeted Lin Ziyu one after another, showing that he was indeed somewhat renowned in Liangzhou.

While the group was eating, Old Liu suddenly raised his head and gestured for everyone to remain silent.

He lowered himself to the ground, pressed an ear against it, and listened without moving.

After a while, he slowly lifted his head and looked at the others.

“Someone is coming this way. I can hear only one horse.”

Everyone immediately drew their weapons.

The atmosphere became solemn. The only sound remaining was the crackling and popping of the burning firewood.

In the distant forest, a man slowly approached while leading a horse.

It was Zhao Jiu, who had parted ways with Liu Rouwei.

For more than half a month, Zhao Jiu had been traveling south from Chang’an. He had originally intended to return to Bianzhou, but he had received a message from Six Fingers by carrier pigeon along the way.

In the letter, Six Fingers had explained that Jiangnan was now in complete chaos.

The death of the Imperial Envoy had caused an enormous disturbance. Countless members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and innumerable eunuchs had flooded into Jiangnan.

To distance themselves from the incident, the local officials had practically become obedient dogs. When ordered to close the city gates, they closed them. When told to arrest someone, they made the arrest. When instructed to confiscate an entire family’s property, they did so without hesitation.

It was not merely the assassins who were being hunted. Even officials with the slightest connection to the affair were arrested without question.

The prisons throughout Jiangnan were overflowing. Everyone was terrified, and no one felt safe.

Six Fingers had advised Zhao Jiu to hide for the time being. If he returned to Jiangnan, there was no guarantee that he would escape investigation.

Zhao Jiu understood that he could not return to Bianzhou under such circumstances.

Since he had already traveled south and could not enter Jiangnan, he could only change direction and head toward Shu.

He had merely happened to pass through this area. After spotting the firelight from a distance, he had led his horse toward it.

The members of the escort agency became tense when they saw Zhao Jiu emerge from the forest with his horse.

They did not believe that someone capable of walking across the snow without making a sound could be an ordinary person. Besides, no ordinary traveler would dare approach several dozen armed men alone.

Zhao Jiu said nothing.

He led his horse to a place some distance from the group, sat down, and calmly started his own fire as though none of them existed.

Lin Zheng exchanged a glance with Old Liu, then signaled for everyone to put away their weapons and behave as though nothing had happened.

Although the others remained somewhat suspicious, most of them gradually sheathed their weapons.

Once the group had settled down again, Lin Zheng walked over and asked in a friendly voice, “Young brother, I am Lin Zheng, the Deputy Escort Chief of the Qingyun Escort Agency in Liangzhou. May I ask your name?”

“Zhao Jiu. I hail from Chang’an,” Zhao Jiu replied calmly.

He was not an unreasonable man. The others had put away their weapons first and had shown impeccable courtesy. If he continued refusing to say a word, he would appear rather unfriendly.

Besides, they bore him no ill will. A little conversation could help ease the exhaustion of traveling.

Seeing how readily Zhao Jiu responded, Lin Zheng lowered his guard slightly.

“Where are you headed, Brother Zhao? Why are you traveling alone?”

“Liangzhou. I am traveling to admire the mountains and rivers. As the ancients said, ‘Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books.’”

“Oh? I did not expect Brother Zhao to be a scholar!”

“You misunderstand me, Brother Lin.” Zhao Jiu smiled and repeatedly waved his hands. “I have never even taken the preliminary Imperial Examination, let alone qualified as a student candidate. How could I call myself a scholar?”

He continued, “I have practiced Martial Arts since childhood and know a few basic techniques. That is why I dared to travel alone and see the world.”

“I see. So you practice Martial Arts passed down through your family. No wonder you dare to travel alone.”

Lin Zheng looked surprised before asking, “Forgive my boldness, but may I ask which rank you have reached?”

“I am ashamed to say that after enduring countless hardships, I have only just entered the Fourth Rank. I can hardly be considered an expert.”

Zhao Jiu knew that Lin Zheng had misunderstood him, but he naturally had no intention of explaining.

Only a fool would reveal everything about himself after exchanging a few sentences with a stranger. When traveling far from home, it was always wise to remain cautious.

Lin Zheng fell silent.

He was nearly fifty years old and had only recently entered the Sixth Rank. Yet the young man before him was not much older than his own son and had already reached the Fourth Rank.

Anyone would have been rendered speechless.

Lin Zheng gave an awkward smile, praised Zhao Jiu for being an outstanding young talent, then sat off to one side and sank into gloom.

Zhao Jiu could sense his dejection.

Was it Zhao Jiu’s fault that he had the System?

Was he supposed to announce the existence of the System to everyone he met?

He sat beside the fire, crossed his legs, and silently circulated his cultivation technique.