The blood on the snow ahead had turned blackish-red. The corpse was mangled, showing signs of being torn apart by wild animals, along with messy hoofprints—bandits had killed and robbed!

The Tóu Biāoshī dismounted to inspect the situation. “The body has been dead for at least a day.”

Zhou Yu remained remarkably calm in the face of the mutilated corpse, even examining the knife marks on it; all were fatal with a single blow. “These aren’t ordinary bandits.”

The Tóu Biāoshī glanced at him. “Aren’t you afraid?”

He was used to such things, having lived a life of danger. This man, who appeared to be a scholar, was surprisingly calm.

Zhou Yu said, “We’ve learned a lot traveling south from the capital.”

The Tóu Biāoshī raised an eyebrow. “You came south before the chaos in Bozhou?”

Zhou Yu smiled. “We were unlucky. When we passed through Bozhou, it was already in complete chaos.”

“Haha, no wonder you said you didn’t need us to protect you. I underestimated you.”

It seemed he hadn’t paid enough attention to this group!

Zhou Yu pointed to the corpses. “There are quite a few corpses.”

The Tóu Biāoshī frowned. “Could the survivors have been captured? It doesn’t seem like it. If they wanted to keep them alive, they wouldn’t have killed them with every blow.”

Third Yang stared at the corpses and coughed. “Jiefu, doesn’t the carriage look familiar?”

Zhou Yu looked at the carriage, then at the corpses of the guards and servants. “Peacock?”

The Tóu Biāoshī was stunned. “What peacock?”

Third Yang explained the noble young master they had encountered, then circled the carriage twice. “Why don’t I see the peacock’s corpse?”

The Tóu Biāoshī didn’t want to stay there any longer. He frowned and said, “Based on what you’ve said, it’s probably a family feud. We should leave this place quickly to avoid getting into trouble.”

The caravan set off again. No one helped bury the corpses by the roadside. They had seen too much of this world; the only thing they could protect was themselves.

Zhou Yu returned and told Yang Xi about what they had found. “What a pity.”

Zhou Yu said, “Still too stupid.”

Didn’t they know to check the road conditions before setting out? Didn’t they know to be careful when there was a fierce family feud?

Yang Xi pulled back the carriage curtain and looked at the mountains on both sides. “The bandits are rampant. I wonder if they’re colluding with the officials.”

Zhou Yu lowered the carriage curtain. “The sheer number of horses says it all.”

Ye Shi’s face was a little pale. “Luckily, we’re traveling with a Biāoháng.”

The biāoháng guards were tall and strong, each one highly skilled. The bandits wouldn’t dare to easily provoke a hundred-strong team. It was her son who had thought things through.

Because Zhou Yu and Third Yang remained calm in the face of the corpses, the Tóu Biāoshī was willing to talk to Zhou Yu during the night’s rest.

Third Yang also took the opportunity to ask for advice on swordsmanship. This young man knew that only by being strong could he gain recognition. The boy was fearless, standing straight with his sword in hand. The firelight shone in the boy’s eyes, which shone brightly. “Please teach me.”

Yang Xi also pulled back the carriage curtain to watch. Third Yang fought two rounds with the biāoháng guards. The boy’s unwillingness to admit defeat won the cheers of the guards.

After the two rounds, Third Yang was already sitting down next to the biāotóu to chat.

Seeing the Tóu Biāoshī withdraw his gaze, Zhou Yu asked, “We’ve traveled south from the capital and know quite a bit. Would you like to know more, Tóu Biāoshī?”

The Tóu Biāoshī, having heard someone address the man as Zhou xiānshēng, hesitated before replying, “Please speak, xiānshēng. “

Zhou Yu recounted how Pingzhou forbade its people from leaving, the uprisings in Bozhou, and the rumors of a plague in Jiaozhou.

The Tóu Biāoshī listened in stunned silence. Their intelligence network was well-established, though their information was less detailed. “How could this be?”

Zhou Yu felt a chill and looked up at the sky; snowflakes were falling. “Biāoháng are well-informed about transporting goods. Have you seen any refugees from the Northwest heading south?”

The Tóu Biāoshī did indeed know some things. “Because of the Northwest plague, I heard the borders of all the Northwest prefectures have been sealed off. Refugees who escaped are being stopped in Fuzhou and not allowed to go south. I’ve even heard they’re being shot at the border.”

Zhou Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He had been wondering why he hadn’t seen any refugees from the Northwest along the way. “Even though nine out of ten houses in the Northwest are empty, there are still quite a few people alive,” the Tóu Biāoshī said, taking a sip of wine. “Jiangnan is prosperous and has a large population.”

The next day, the biāoháng was much more friendly to Zhou Yu and his group, and the Tóu Biāoshī would occasionally look back as they traveled. Once they were out of the bandit’s territory, the biāoháng slowed down. Third Yang had already become familiar with the biāoshī and learned a lot about the rules of the biāoháng.

The Tóu Biāoshī joked, “What, you want to be a biāoshī too?”

Third Yang wiped his sword. “My Jiefu told me to study more.”

He wanted to be the owner of a biāoháng, not a biāoshī.

The Tóu Biāoshī enjoyed chatting with Zhou xiānshēng. Zhou xiānshēng didn’t look down on them, these rough men. He would patiently answer his questions, and he had benefited greatly from it these past few days.

Thinking of this, the Tóu Biāoshī took out a bag from his pocket. “Take this to your Jiefu.”

Third Yang opened it and asked, “The ten taels of silver we gave you?”

The Tóu Biāoshī nodded. “Yes.”

Third Yang asked, “You don’t want it?”

The Tóu Biāoshī chuckled. “Your Jiefu has taught me a lot; it’s already considered payment.”

Third Yang happily accepted it. “You got a good deal.”

The Tóu Biāoshī also felt he had gotten a good deal. The questions he asked were beyond the understanding of ordinary scholars, and the situation Zhou xiānshēng described could be a lifesaver in a chaotic situation. “You’re lucky, kid. Learn your skills from your Jiefu.”

Third Yang nodded. “I know.”

Yang Xi had just finished cooking when Third Yang returned. He took the bag and understood. “Deliver the money to the families.”

Third Yang remained seated, handing the bag to Li Zheng and explaining how much money each family had initially paid. Li Zheng then delivered the money.

That evening, Yang Xi cooked dumplings. The frozen dumplings had been prepared earlier and were very convenient to cook directly.

Third Yang, warming himself by the fire, said, “Jiejie, I’ve noticed a significant temperature change these past two days.”

Yang Xi replied, “Yes, in a few more days, we won’t see any thick snow anymore.”

“We’re getting closer to Ruizhou.”

Zhou Yu walked over and put down the bowls and chopsticks. Yang Xi served dumplings for her mother-in-law and younger sister, and Zhou Xiaodi got up and carried them to the carriage.

The family was eating dumplings when they heard the sound of horses’ hooves. The Tóu Biāoshī had already surrounded the goods, his eyes warily fixed on the group ahead.

Zhou Yu also helped his wife back to the carriage, holding a dagger, alert.

The group ahead consisted of fifteen or sixteen people, each riding a horse, each horse carrying two bags. The clattering sound of the bags was the clinking of silver coins.

Fifteen or sixteen people were facing off against a hundred biāoshī. They dared not provoke the biāoshī, fearing their horses would be robbed if they slowed down, so they were all on guard.

Yang Xi, peeking through a gap, saw the man leading the group and was dumbfounded. Zhou Yu and Third Yang were also stunned.

They thought the arrogant peacock, who had been tricked to death by the family, was not only alive but also, judging by his appearance, the leader?

Yang Xi, “.”

She’d been thinking a lot about melodramatic grudges lately, but it turned out she was wrong about everything?

(End of Chapter)

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