Zhou Yu watched the Li Dongjia caravan leave until it was out of sight, then raised his hand and smacked Third Yang on the forehead. “Serves you right for showing off.”

Third Yang protested, “Jiefu, I’m not stupid. I really didn’t show off. Li Dongjia saw it when he came to find me.”

He was extremely wronged. Even when Young Master Jiang was with them, he didn’t notice anything special about the bow and arrow!

Yang Xi said in a low voice, “Why do I feel that Li Dongjia isn’t just a simple merchant?”

Which caravan owner could see the difference in the bow and arrow at a glance?

Although she had modified the bow and arrow, it would be difficult for those who didn’t know better to notice, because to most people, bows and arrows all look the same. Only those who are particularly knowledgeable would notice the difference at a glance.

Third Yang quickly chimed in, “I also suspect it. Master Li has calluses on his hands; judging by the position, he must be wielding a broadsword.”

Yang Xi turned her head. “Are you sure?”

Third Yang smugly replied, “My father liked broadswords.”

Zhou Yu snorted. “You need to be even more careful in the future. One careless move and you could be killed. There are too many monsters and demons in this world.”

Who knows when you might encounter a human-faced ghost and not even know how you died?

Third Yang learned his lesson. “Yes, I will definitely be careful in the future.”

The group left Haizhou, and the burden on everyone’s hearts lifted. They didn’t go to Jingzhou but continued south.

Inside the Zhou family carriage, Zhou Xiaodi, breathing out warm air, asked, “We’re heading south, but why don’t we feel warmer?”

Yang Xi replied, “The temperature has been low these past few years, and it’s snowing heavily in the south. The temperature won’t change significantly until we pass through two more states.”

Zhou Xiaodi, clutching a hot water bottle, asked, “Saozi, does it snow in Ruizhou, where we’re settling, in winter?”

Yang Xi answered, “If the temperature remains this low, we can see snow in Ruizhou, but not much. Once the climate returns to normal, it will be difficult to see snow in Ruizhou again.”

Zhou Xiaomei, somewhat worried, asked, “Saozi, will we be able to adapt to life by the sea?”

Yang Xi wasn’t worried. “Yes, we can.”

Human potential was limitless. Although it may take some time to adapt, things will improve. Fortunately, they tried seafood in Haizhou, and no one had an allergic reaction.

Connected to Haizhou was Jizhou, which was much more peaceful than Haizhou, thanks to the conscientious officials of Jizhou. Jizhou had developed well, and its soldiers had been dealing with pirates for many years, possessing considerable fighting strength to protect the state.

Yang Xi and her party had met the soldiers escorting the pirates. One could tell a lot about a group’s morale just by their demeanor. Based on what they’d seen along the way, Yang Xi had a good impression of the prefect of Jizhou.

Their journey within Jizhou was smooth; the road was easy, and they traveled quickly, soon leaving Jizhou. Beyond Jizhou lay Nanzhou.

Nanzhou was rugged, with many dangerous spots suitable for hiding troops, and the Nan River provided a natural barrier.

Nanzhou’s geographical location was crucial; the imperial court had deployed a large army there, with as many as 150,000 military households, demonstrating its importance.

Upon entering Nanzhou, the checks on travel permits and household registrations were extremely strict; the convoy was checked as soon as it entered the territory.

Of course, the heavy military presence had many advantages. Nanzhou had no bandits. Even with its advantageous terrain, bandits wouldn’t dare block the way in Nanzhou; only a fool would stay. If it weren’t for the garrison’s restriction on leaving Nanzhou without imperial decree, the soldiers of Nanzhou could have swept away the bandits of several surrounding prefectures!

There was no other way; the imperial court was harsh on military pay, corrupt officials embezzled funds, and the pay was insufficient. Weapons and equipment were outdated, and the army needed combat power, which required a lot of money. In short, the soldiers and generals of Nanzhou were poor, and they were green with envy at the sight of bandits.

Zhou Yu and his party had only been in Nanzhou for a day when they encountered a group of two hundred soldiers.

They had a deep-seated psychological aversion to soldiers. The constant extortion in Pingzhou only worsened their impression of the soldiers in Bozhou. The carriage stopped, and the soldiers warily eyed the roadblock.

Yang Xi was incredibly nervous. The mountain roads of Nanzhou were treacherous; if they died, no one would even notice!

The soldier leader smiled kindly. “Don’t be afraid; we don’t extort.”

Yang Xi was speechless.

Zhou Yu was also speechless.

The soldier leader’s smile was particularly naive. “Our general said the roads in Nanzhou are difficult to traverse. Without a guide, going to the wrong places will be fatal. Don’t worry, once you enter Nanzhou, someone will ask if you need a guide or escort. That’s what we do.”

Yang Xi understood—bodyguards and navigators.

The man continued smiling. “So, you want to hire us? We’re not expensive; it only costs ten taels to get you out of Nanzhou.”

Zhou Yu thought it was indeed inexpensive. This was a force of two hundred men, but Nanzhou had no bandits and didn’t need protection!

Besides, they only wanted to get on their way and wouldn’t inquire about the military distribution in Nanzhou, so they wouldn’t go to places they shouldn’t; they just needed to follow the official roads.

The Wu family was terrified of the soldiers. Even though the soldier leader opposite them looked simple-minded, they didn’t believe him, let alone the ten taels of silver they were owed!

The soldier leader said in a low voice, “It’s fine if you don’t hire us. We have patrol duties anyway and will be following you for a while.”

Yang Xi, “!!”

A dilapidated donkey cart came up behind them, but Yang Xi watched helplessly as the soldier leader ignored it!

So, they looked like wealthy people because they had money? Were they considered rich by the soldier leader?

Zhou Yu twitched his lips. This guy wasn’t simple-minded at all. After a long silence, he said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you soldiers.”

The soldier leader was pleased. “Don’t worry, you will definitely leave Nanzhou safely. However, we need half food and half money.”

Zhou Yu took a deep breath. Fortunately, he had bought a lot of food in Jizhou. “Okay.”

Yang Xi understood immediately. Nanzhou was mountainous, with little arable land, which meant there wasn’t much food. The Nanzhou garrison urgently needed food!

The soldier leader patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder. “Brother, you’re so tough!”

Zhou Yu staggered from the slap; it wasn’t a human hand, it felt like a tiger’s claw, and his shoulder blade ached terribly!

Yang Xi had been listening inside the carriage, and hearing Zhou Yu’s gasps, she was terribly worried, but she didn’t dare show her face. It was best for the women of their families to remain out of sight.

After a while, Zhou Yu got into the carriage, and Yang Xi asked softly, “What happened just now?”

Zhou Yu pointed to his shoulder. “Help me apply some medicine later.”

The caravan set off again, and Yang Xi noticed that Zhou Yu’s shoulder was a bit swollen. It must have taken a lot of force! She mouthed, “Was it intentional?”

Zhou Yu shook his head, “No.”

He could tell whether it was intentional or unintentional!

Yang Xi and her group were surrounded by two hundred soldiers, the entire group as quiet as chickens. The soldier leader tried to speak several times but kept silent.

During the midday break, Zhou Xiaodi got into the carriage, shook his arm, and said, “These soldiers look at the donkeys like hungry wolves!”

(End of this chapter)

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