Three days later, Tombstone Military Town, Tea Relay Station.
Theoretically, all official stations of the Qi Kingdom are under strict military control, but after a hundred years since its founding, many systems have long been existent in na only, gradually worn away over the years. Old Li took over the Tea Relay Station ten years ago because his father took his place as a support soldier, following the Celestial Monarch Fengyi on an expedition and never returned, so he inherited the station, essentially making it a private store.
This so-called relay station was actually just a small shop offering tea and fodder where passing travelers could rest outside.
The location of the Tea Relay Station was arguably the most crucial route in the central Qi Kingdom, connecting north to the Nocturnal Heaven, west to Tombstone Town, and south to Puyang City. Regardless of the season, dozens of groups of guests could be accommodated daily. Because nearby county towns could be reached quickly, almost none of the guests would stay overnight at the Tea Relay Station, so they could only earn so tea money. But even just this was enough to make the Li Family a well-known large household in the vicinity.
Their wealth could be sumd up in one sentence—three generations of the Li Family, each generation could afford to buy a basic cultivation technique and beco a Half-ssenger.
However, Old Li couldn’t stop sighing now, sighing until he felt his life was shortened, for obvious reasons—lack of business. Aside from the fierce and vicious Baibao Guards Cavalry passing by the Tea Relay Station these days, Old Li hadn’t seen any trade caravans. Not to ntion, the Baibao Guards Cavalry wouldn’t stop to drink tea, and even if they did, Old Li wouldn’t dare to ask them for money.
If it was just a few days of poor business, that would be one thing, but Old Li had heard tales of people being caught and killed everywhere. Unless there was a reason that not leaving ho would an certain death, during this period, no one dared to travel. The Qi people were not unfamiliar with such circumstances; the world seed to have turned into hell, with evil spirits hunting around the mortal world. Regardless of one’s status or wealth, if you encountered the Baibao Guards Cavalry on the road, you’d already have a foot in the Ghost Gate.
So while Old Li sighed for the lack of guests, he also sneakily observed the only guest at the station. Though she intentionally dirtied her face, judging from her figure, she seed to be a woman and not very old, yet it was unclear why she was traveling alone at such a ti.
Resting while anxiously looking around, as if worried about soone appearing.
Could she be a fugitive?
Suddenly, the guest’s expression beca extrely anxious, and she slamd a spirit fragnt on the table before leaving. At that mont, rapid hoofbeats sounded from the west. Old Li’s heart tightened. He peeked out and found that they weren’t the Baibao Guards Cavalry, but just four or five n on horseback, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"She really escaped in this direction!" The leading man cursed, "That little wench dares to run?"
As he rode up, he whipped her, causing the woman to scream and fall to the ground. The rest quickly dismounted and tied her up. Noticing Old Li’s gaze, they glared back fiercely, "Is she the only one here? She is Miss Dong from the Dong Family; there’s an order above to capture anyone with the surna Dong. If you dare to harbor her, you’ll be treated as guilty. Did you see her with anyone else?"
Old Li hurriedly shook his head and quickly cleaned up the table Miss Dong had used. Even as laughter and Miss Dong’s cries sounded from behind, he dared not look back.
"My family has nothing to do with that Dong Family. My father is just a bamboo craftsman; you can’t capture !"
"Stop your nonsense!" A man slapped her, "Damn it, only you managed to escape this far, making us run around so much. We’ll handle you properly later."
"The girl doesn’t have much flesh; her sister was better, though too feisty."
"Tomorrow, we’ll look over at Dongshan Village. The Mountain Cannon said there are so households nad Liu and Yuan; let’s see which is easier to target."
Old Li, experienced in managing the relay station, knew full well what was going on. Most likely, the Court issued implicating orders to the local areas, who then passed them down. These thuggish soldiers, taking advantage of their authority, raided families, destroying lives, and seizing wives and daughters, just like vultures and filthy dogs feasting on carrion.
Like a few years ago, during the reconstruction of the Nocturnal Heaven County Town, millions of laborers were conscripted, and disasters could be heard all around. With a stroke of a bureaucrat’s brush, a family would have to sell their children and daughters. Even further back, when the Emperor launched the Central Plains war, even Old Li’s father couldn’t escape it.
During chaotic tis, not only did evil spirits roam the land, but these hooligans also took advantage of the chaos. Each upheaval was a deluge of disaster, with the Court, thugs, mountain bandits, and scoundrels...evil would transmit down each layer until it spread chillingly into every corner, squeezing every ounce of value from the good people, until at last, only the wicked survived.
This is the greatest rule of this land—the weak are ant to be preyed upon by the strong. Old Li coexisted peacefully with them not because they were kind, but because Old Li carried a knife at his waist and kept a few big wolves in the store that had tasted at.
Hoofbeats sounded from the east, and when Old Li turned his head, he saw two people riding along the official road. They weren’t Baibao wearing Evil Ghost Masks, but their attire was quite strange. They wore conical hats to cover their faces in broad daylight, clearly not good people.
The n were tying Miss Dong to the horse, and upon seeing this, they imdiately beca alert, drawing out clubs and weapons to intimidate the other party not to ddle. Who knew that after they drew their weapons, the Conical Hat Guest in front not only wasn’t afraid but drew a long saber and charged at them.
"Courting death!" The lead man shouted, "Cut his horse—"
*Swish.*
The Long Saber Guest leaped down with a slash. There was no special technique, it was as crude as a farr plowing the field, but its power was unimaginable—the leading man and his weapon were cut in half together, his body split into a vertical line of blood, cleaving him cleanly in two!
The other three thugs were scared out of their wits. They had killed before, but had never seen such a bloody scene. Moreover, the aura of the Long Saber Guest was so intimidating that they couldn’t muster the courage to resist. Two fell to the ground, and only one managed to turn and flee.
"Big brother, sir, we—"
One, two, three.
The Long Saber Guest didn’t bother to listen to their nonsense. One chop for each head, and after three slashes, only three headless bodies remained. His actions were so decisive and careless, as if killing was as routine for him as squashing cockroaches.
The horses of these n did not run away; instead, they bowed their heads submissively. These beasts were far smarter than their masters, clearly realizing that any resistance would bring about lightning.
A ssenger, definitely a ssenger!
Old Li had hosted many ssengers. The biggest difference between them and ordinary people is their indifferent ruthlessness when killing. Thugs like these often yell and shout to boost their courage, but ssengers have slaughtered demons far more ferocious than humans. Killing was not occasional for them; it was instinct.
Miss Dong was pulled to the ground by the Long Saber Guest, and the ropes on her body were cut with a single slash. As the slaughter happened so quickly and she had been slapped into a daze, she didn’t have ti to grasp what was happening until then. Seeing the four grueso bodies on the ground, her body and mind, already at their limits, caused her to faint directly.
After a brief silence, the Long Saber Guest turned to look at Old Li. Even though his expression was unseen and no words were spoken, Old Li’s hair stood on end. He quivered as he fetched a ladle of cold water, splashing it on Miss Dong’s face, and squatted down to massage her philtrum.
Miss Dong quickly ca to and, before she lost her composure again, Old Li hurriedly reminded her, "You should quickly thank these two benefactors. If it weren’t for them drawing their swords to help when they saw injustice, you would have been taken away by them!"
Miss Dong took quite a while to understand the situation, but even so, her legs still went soft, almost unable to stand up. After all, the sight of bodies bleeding and exposing their innards was too shocking. But unexpectedly, after taking a few deep breaths, she suddenly kicked the head of the man who had slapped her, sending it flying, blood spilling everywhere.
"Thank you benefactors for saving my life; I have nothing to repay you with." Miss Dong’s voice was still trembling, but it was clear she had summoned her courage: "If the benefactors do not disdain, I... I can beco your servant. I can cook, sew, and raise pigs, I should be able to help!"
The initial part of her speech seed learned from dramatic scripts, imitating the speech of a well-bred lady, but towards the end, she revealed her true self—a simple, ordinary farm girl. However, Old Li was still surprised at her decisiveness, seeking refuge with these strangers was indeed a way out, but these ssengers, who kill without blinking and hide their identities, surely carried a lot of trouble, and following them might be more dangerous.
The Long Saber Guest remained silent, but his companion, who had been sitting on horseback, spoke up, "No need, just help us with one thing."
Miss Dong felt complicated upon hearing the response, feeling both relieved and a bit disappointed, as well as fearful. Her cheeks burned as she quickly responded, "I will definitely help!"
"How do we get to Tombstone Military Town?"
Just this little help?
After explaining the specific direction to Tombstone Military Town, seeing they were about to ride off, Miss Dong asked, "Benefactors, won’t you take these horses with you?"
"You take them as travel expenses," the Conical Hat Guest calmly said. "You will face hardships in the future, take care of yourself."
Miss Dong pressed her lips tightly and suddenly rushed over to kneel before the horse, "Benefactor, I, I know I am just an insignificant farm girl, unable to help or repay you, but at least let know the benefactor’s na. I will surely pray to the Bodhisattva daily for your protection and set up a longevity tablet for tribute."
Old Li thought, these two conceal themselves so thoroughly, how could they possibly reveal their nas?
Yet, to Old Li’s surprise, not only did the Conical Hat Guest reveal his na, but he also removed his conical hat.
"No need to pray to the Bodhisattva, I’m not on good terms with the Buddhist Sect." He removed his hat, revealing a face wrapped in bandages: "As for my na, there’s no harm in telling you."
"I am called Yan Shiyi."
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