NP Li Baolu stared intently around him, slowing his pace, but the surroundings were eerily silent, yielding no sign of movement.
His ears twitched, and he suddenly caught a sound ahead—the rhythmic thud of horses' hooves.
Moments later, the official road was filled with the clamor of hooves and the rumble of wagons, flanked by riders, with a pennant flying atop a wagon bearing a single character, a “,” beneath which was depicted a fierce tiger.
Li Baolu let out a breath of relief, turned, and said, “Monk, it’s the Fan Family Escort Service. Nothing to worry about.”
Li Muzhan slowly opened his eyes: “The Fan Family Escort Service?”
Li Baolu chuckled: “The Fan Family Escort Service is the biggest escort agency in Tianlong City. The head, Old Master Fan, is known as Invincible Golden Blade. He’s incredibly formidable.”
Li Muzhan frowned, looking at the approaching convoy, shook his head, and remained silent.
“Is something wrong?” Li Baolu inquired, adding, “I hear Old Master Fan is very close with the Prefect, someone we absolutely cannot afford to offend.”
Li Muzhan frowned deeply and turned his gaze toward him.
Li Baolu pressed on, “Monk, are they truly acting suspiciously?”
Li Muzhan remained pensive. This was not a time of war, and wanton disturbance of the populace was a major taboo. A significant portion of the Prefect of Tianlong City’s responsibility was to keep the military in check. Since the Prefect was friendly with the Fan family, one needed to be even more cautious.
Furthermore, the convoy exuded a dangerous aura—but precisely what kind of danger, he could not ascertain. If it were someone like the formidable Thirteenth Lady in Tianlong City, he would be on guard.
Li Muzhan pondered for a moment, then looked up. The convoy was moving swiftly and was already twenty meters ahead. He beckoned to Li Baolu, signaling him to ride closer.
Li Muzhan whispered, “Li Zi—you turn back now. Tell the Commandant that these people are strange, and let the Commandant deliberate on it!”
Li Baolu looked troubled, “Is that... is that appropriate?”
Li Muzhan stated, “We are mere soldiers; going over there to search would be nothing but self-humiliation, unless we have the Commandant’s express order. Hurry!”
“What if the Commandant scolds me?” Li Baolu still hesitated.
Li Muzhan smiled, “Consider it my fault!”
“Alright then, I’m going. You be careful,” Li Baolu agreed readily, a smile crossing his face. He pulled on his reins, wheeled his horse around, and galloped away.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly. This Li Zi—he looked simple-minded, but possessed a spark of cunning, though his courage was sadly lacking.
Chi Ying, growing impatient, stamped his hooves and snorted repeatedly, eager to give chase, but Li Muzhan held him back. The horse twisted his body, his whinnies persistent.
Li Muzhan gently stroked the animal, watching the Fan family convoy draw near.
At the head of the procession, two middle-aged knights swept their sharp gazes over the scene, lingering briefly on the iron armor Li Muzhan wore before looking away as if nothing mattered.
Li Muzhan gently tugged the reins, and Chi Ying paced a few steps, moving to the roadside to allow the Fan convoy to pass.
Following the two lead knights came four heavy carriages, their wheels digging deep ruts, suggesting great weight, perhaps stone. Each carriage was flanked by two riders, making eight guards for the four wagons.
Twelve more knights followed behind the carriages, looking dusty and weathered by the road.
Li Muzhan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze falling upon a young woman.
She wore a light brown, long gown, shaded by a bamboo hat, clearly dressed as a man—though one look revealed her feminine nature; few men possessed such delicate handsomeness.
She had an oval face, slender eyebrows that swept to her temples, round eyes—stark black and white, remarkably bright and captivating—a small nose, and thin lips that inspired an immediate desire to kiss.
Seated tall on her horse, her posture was upright, proud, and spirited. A gust of wind caught her garments, making them billow, only enhancing her heroic aura.
Seeing Li Muzhan standing by the roadside, gazing steadily in their direction, the young woman’s brow furrowed slightly. She glanced at him quickly, then averted her eyes with an air of utter dismissal.
The official road was wide. As the carriages passed Li Muzhan, the escorting knights spared him a glance before looking away, showing no sign of unusual interest.
Li Muzhan frowned, sizing up the carriages again. They felt peculiar; he sensed danger clearly, yet looking closely at those behind them, there seemed to be no overt threat.
They possessed profound internal energy and considerable martial cultivation—masters in the martial world—yet they were far below his own level. If a real fight broke out, with his Canghai Divine Skill restored, he could defeat them with ease.
Yet, these were the people who triggered his sense of imminent danger. There had to be something subtle at play, which piqued his curiosity. He lightly shook his reins and began following them slowly.
“Miss, perhaps we should...?” A young knight leaned close to the girl, speaking softly with a cold glint in his eyes.
The girl paused in thought, then waved her hand: “Never mind, let him be!”
“This fellow might be from the Flying Cavalry Camp. You should go speak with him,” a middle-aged knight suggested.
The girl glanced at him and nodded: “Thank you, Uncle Xiang.”
The middle-aged knight smiled, reined in his horse, turned back, and rode up alongside Li Muzhan, then pulled his reins tight, matching Li Muzhan’s pace.
He bowed with a cordial smile: “Young friend, are you with the Flying Cavalry Camp? How is Commandant Feng?”
Li Muzhan returned the smile, shaking his head: “I belong to the Galloping Cavalry Camp; I don’t know that Commandant Feng!”
He studied the man: tall and strongly built, a square jaw, and an honest face that inspired immediate trust—the very picture of an upright man, surely not a villain.
The middle-aged knight exclaimed in surprise: “So you are a soldier from the Galloping Cavalry Camp! My apologies, my deepest respects!” Then he added, “Does the soldier have urgent duties?”
Li Muzhan nodded: “Indeed. The main army is returning to Tenglong City; I am the vanguard scout.”
It seemed the friction between the Galloping Cavalry Camp and the Flying Cavalry Camp was an open secret, which the middle-aged knight clearly understood, hence his apology.
“Then the soldier must be elite troops,” the middle-aged knight commented with a smile.
Li Muzhan tugged at the corner of his mouth: “I dare not say such things. I am merely favored by the Commandant’s regard; I do not merit the title of elite.”
The middle-aged knight offered a few more compliments, then stated his purpose: “If the soldier is on official business, perhaps you should ride ahead. Having you trail behind the convoy, eating dust, is something we are deeply ashamed of.”
Li Muzhan laughed: “The official road hasn’t been too safe lately; it’s safer to travel with the group.”
“Oh?” The middle-aged knight’s eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed: “What sort of brigands dare to cause trouble near our Tianlong City?”
Li Muzhan shook his head, smiling: “I am a mere private; how would I know such things?”
“We won’t wait for the soldiers to act; if they cause trouble here, we won’t spare them either!”
Li Muzhan chuckled: “That would be best.”
They bantered back and forth, engaging in polite sparring, while slowly following the convoy. The scenery was pleasant, flat as two carpets spread out, meeting the horizon. The colors varied across the landscape—yellow trees, green grass, interspersed with streaks of gray and white—a perfect autumn tableau.
Li Muzhan was skilled at appreciating beauty; as he spoke, he scanned the surroundings with evident pleasure. The only slight drawback was the dust kicked up by the wagons and hooves. Fortunately, clad in iron armor and helmet, only his nose felt a slight irritation; the rest was protected.
After a while, the middle-aged knight took his leave and returned to the young woman.
The girl glanced sideways at Li Muzhan and asked coolly, “Well, Uncle Xiang?”
Uncle Xiang grimaced: “I ran into a slick old fox. All I got was that he’s from the Galloping Cavalry Camp; nothing else was pried out!”
The girl raised her slender eyebrows slightly, smiled faintly, and said, “Uncle Xiang has met his match!”
Uncle Xiang shook his head, chuckling wryly: “It’s unsettling, truly. This young, yet so seasoned, with every word water-tight—impressive!”
The girl pursed her lips and smiled: “Someone this capable, serving as a simple grunt soldier, is a complete waste, isn’t it? Uncle Xiang, you’re feeling protective of talent again!”
Uncle Xiang laughed heartily: “Miss, regardless of his skill level, he’d be excellent in business—he’s a true talent. Why not ask the Prefect to have him transferred?”
“Uncle Xiang, you’re getting muddled in your old age,” the girl chuckled, shaking her head. “Can the Prefect even command the Divine Martial Camp? Grandfather Zhao wouldn’t dare ask and risk being snubbed!”
“Right, yes, that’s true enough,” Uncle Xiang sighed helplessly, his face etched with regret.
Li Muzhan, though his inner power was not yet profound, possessed the sharp senses honed by Zen meditation—not derived from internal force—and was thus unaffected, hearing their conversation.
His expression remained placid; inwardly, he pondered where this danger truly originated.
Listening to their conversation, they did not sound malicious, yet he persistently felt that something was amiss—but precisely what, he could not pinpoint. This feeling clung to him like maggots to bone; until he resolved it, he would feel unsettled and uneasy.
Li Muzhan followed them for a short while until a distant rumbling sound reached him—a large troop movement, banners fluttering, yellow dust churning high, an imposing and intimidating spectacle.
Suddenly, Li Muzhan urged his horse forward. Chi Ying let out a joyful whinny, finally free to run, shooting out like an arrow, covering the distance to the main force in moments.
He saw the Commandant riding at the front, with Li Baolu trailing beside him, looking dejected. Li Muzhan swiftly approached, pulled his horse to a halt, saluted the Commandant, and glanced at Li Baolu, who quickly signaled him covertly.
The Commandant’s eyes flashed like lightning, piercing Li Muzhan’s as if physically tangible. He spoke in a deep voice, “Little Monk, what is this? You claim there’s an issue with the Fan Family Escort Service?”
Li Muzhan nodded, his expression unchanging: “Yes, Commandant.”
“What did you observe?” The Commandant’s eyes glittered sharply, as if ready to consume him.
Li Muzhan shook his head: “I observed nothing.”
“Nonsense!” The Commandant’s face darkened. “Hmph! What do you mean you observed nothing? Making such claims without proof—do you dare utter such words?!”
Li Muzhan remained silent, lowering his head.
The Commandant grunted: “Do you know that the Fan family are old associates of the Prefect? How could they cause trouble? Stop thinking all sorts of nonsense—don’t wander down crooked or evil paths!”
The Prefect and the military harbored tense relations; between the Commandant and the Prefect, they were near enemies, meeting each other with cold faces and palpable hostility, wishing the other gone. Some individuals used this tension as an opportunity to sling mud at the Prefect to curry favor with the Commandant, a practice he deeply despised. Seeing Li Muzhan showing signs of this, he grew deeply annoyed.
Li Muzhan knew he was misunderstood but refused to elaborate further; with such preconceived notions, saying more would be useless.
“Get out! Go on, do your job properly!” the Commandant waved dismissively.
Li Muzhan lingered reluctantly, unwilling to leave. At that moment, the Fan family convoy slowly approached, changing from two parallel lines of wagons to a single file, clearly intending to occupy less space and not impede the main army’s path.
P I seem to have truly damaged my vital energy; my mind is dull, and my body is weak, my efficiency is quite poor. E