“I’ll place the order,” Chen Yuan said. “But I’d like to see a sample first.”
“Of course. Please wait over there for a moment.”
The blacksmith called the others over, and they all got to work.
About fifteen minutes later, he handed Chen Yuan a sample arrow.
She took out one of her sleeve crossbow bolts and compared the two. Smiling with satisfaction, she nodded.
“That’s right. This is exactly the size I need. Here’s thirty taels as a deposit. I’ll pay the remaining balance when I pick up the arrows tomorrow morning. Is that acceptable?”
“Certainly.”
After leaving the blacksmith’s shop, Chen Yuan continued wandering around the county seat.
She bought more brown rice and coarse black flour, but after making another circuit through the marketplace, she found there was little else worth buying and returned to the inn.
She had wanted to purchase some cooked food, but with the Famine Year in full swing, only a few inns and two restaurants still served meals. Remembering how disappointing the food at the restaurants had been, she decisively gave up on the idea.
The moment Chen Yuan stepped through the inn’s door, the Shi grandfather and grandson followed close behind.
Looking at the pile of bags of every imaginable size they were carrying, she couldn’t help clicking her tongue.
“You bought all this? Can you even finish eating it?”
Old Master Shi chuckled.
“It’s not just grain. Most of it’s medicinal herbs.”
“So much?” Chen Yuan looked even more puzzled. “Will all of that even fit in the carriage?”
“Don’t worry. It’ll all be used up tonight.”
Seeing the surprise on her face, he added mysteriously,
“I’ll give you a surprise tomorrow morning.”
Judging by the smug, secretive expression on the old man’s face, inspiration suddenly struck Chen Yuan.
“You’re planning to make sleeping powder… or poison?”
Old Master Shi had just started climbing the stairs. Hearing that, he nearly missed a step and tumbled backward.
He turned around in astonishment.
“How did you know?”
“I tried buying sleeping powder at a pharmacy before,” Chen Yuan answered. “None of them sold it.”
In reality, she wanted to say:
With that smug grin on your face, plus your profession… anyone with half a brain could figure it out.
But she decided not to tease the old man any further.
“That’s because ordinary physicians really don’t know how to make sleeping powder,” Old Master Shi said proudly, looking even more pleased with himself.
The next morning, Chen Yuan collected the arrows, paid the remaining balance, and left the county with the grandfather and grandson in their two carriages.
Once they had passed through the south gate, Old Master Shi reined in his horse.
“Let’s wait here for a while. I’ve arranged to meet some people.”
He continued,
“The mountain road ahead is notorious for bandits. With only the three of us, we probably wouldn’t make it through safely. So I invited a merchant caravan staying at the inn next door to travel with us. There’ll be strength in numbers, and if anything happens, we’ll be able to look out for one another.”
Then he looked at Chen Yuan apologetically.
“Xiao Chen, I’m sorry. I made the arrangement without asking you first. I hope you don’t mind.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Chen Yuan smiled. “You thought this through far better than I did. I should be thanking you.”
As she spoke, she took out two sleeve crossbows and thirty bolts.
“I had these made at the blacksmith’s yesterday. One for each of you.”
She personally fastened the sleeve crossbows above their wrists, gave each of them fifteen bolts, and showed the grandfather and grandson how to operate the concealed weapons.
Old Master Shi, in turn, divided the sleeping powder he had prepared into three equal portions so that each of them carried one share.
Before long, a merchant caravan approached them.
The caravan consisted of six horse-drawn wagons.
Each wagon had two drivers, while two riders on horseback rode alongside as escorts. Including the middle-aged man leading the group, there were fifteen people in all.
Adding Chen Yuan and the other two brought their total to eighteen.
The leading middle-aged man clasped his fists in greeting.
“Old Master, sorry to have kept you waiting. Something came up just before we set out and delayed us. My apologies.”
Old Master Shi smiled and waved it off.
“No harm done. We haven’t been waiting long. Come, let me introduce someone. This is Xiao Chen. Don’t let the small frame fool you—he’s quite skilled.”
Then he turned to Chen Yuan.
“Xiao Chen, this is Boss Hu, the leader of the merchant caravan.”
Chen Yuan smiled and returned the traditional fist-and-palm salute.
Boss Hu gave her a brief once-over before smiling politely.
“In that case, Brother Chen, we’ll be relying on you during the journey ahead.”
Though his words were courteous, it was obvious from his expression that he didn’t take Chen Yuan seriously.
Chen Yuan didn’t mind in the slightest, but Old Master Shi looked rather embarrassed.
Before he could say anything, Boss Hu raised his voice and shouted,
“Move out!”
Without consulting anyone else, Boss Hu took the lead.
The Shi grandfather and grandson followed behind the merchant caravan, while Chen Yuan brought up the rear.
Around noon, the group finally entered the mountains.
Outside, the drought had already turned the leaves yellow, yet the trees deep within the mountains remained lush and green. The underground water supply here was evidently abundant. The cool, refreshing air lifted everyone’s spirits. Not only the people but even the horses seemed more energetic, their pace noticeably lighter.
That first night, Chen Yuan and Niuniu slept in the carriage.
Aside from a few mosquitoes, the night passed peacefully.
Chen Yuan had her own mosquito repellent, and Old Master Shi also brought over some mosquito-repelling herbs. As a result, neither she nor Niuniu had much trouble, and the Shi grandfather and grandson fared well enough too.
The ones who suffered were the members of the merchant caravan.
Most of them slept directly on the ground. Even with the mosquito-repelling herbs, there was only so much they could do. By morning, every one of them was covered in itchy welts from mosquito bites.
They seemed used to it, however. After casually applying some ointment, they simply continued on their way.
The second day passed uneventfully as well.
Everything changed at noon on the third day.
The caravan had just stopped to rest when twenty-one men suddenly burst out from both sides of the forest.
The one-eyed leader bellowed,
“This mountain was opened by me! These trees were planted by me! If you want to pass through, leave your toll behind!”
Chen Yuan nearly burst out laughing.
Are all bandits mass-produced by the same troupe?
The outfits, the lines… they’re exactly the same.
She had been a little tense when the bandits first appeared, but after hearing that speech, she somehow relaxed completely.
Boss Hu hurried forward, pulled out a pouch of silver, and respectfully handed it over.
“Sir, please accept this humble offering. Use it to buy your brothers some wine. We’re just a small merchant caravan trying to make a living. Please show us mercy and let us pass.”
The one-eyed bandit weighed the pouch in his hand.
“That’s all?”
He sneered.
“Are you looking down on us?”
Boss Hu’s expression darkened slightly.
Silently, he began weighing the odds of winning if it came to a fight.
Seeing that Boss Hu wasn’t responding, the one-eyed bandit snorted.
“So… you really are looking down on us. Then we’ll just have to make sure you learn to respect us.”
He swung his saber forward.
“Men! Kill them!”
The instant he finished speaking, the bandit closest to Chen Yuan charged at her with a roar, raising his blade high before bringing it down.
“Brother Chen, look ou—”
Shi Yu didn’t even get to finish the word “out.”
Chen Yuan casually lashed out with one kick.
The charging bandit shot through the air like a cannonball and slammed straight into a tree.
Everyone froze.
Kicking someone… into a tree?
How much strength does that take?
A burly, dark-skinned bandit was the first to recover.
“You little bastard! You’re courting death!”
He charged straight at Chen Yuan.
The moment he reached her…
Bang!
Another kick.
He flew into the very same tree, ending up as company for his unfortunate companion.
This time, everyone had seen it with perfect clarity.
Shi Yu’s mouth dropped into a perfect “O.”
His eyes sparkled with excitement.
The one-eyed bandit’s confidence wavered.
What the hell… is this monster even human?
He knew they had picked a fight with someone they couldn’t afford to provoke.
Still, unwilling to lose face, he forced himself to act tough.
“Brothers! All together! Kill this brat!”
At his command, every remaining bandit raised their sabers and charged with furious battle cries.
Chen Yuan casually kicked up one of the fallen sabers from the ground, caught it in her hand, and rushed forward.
She weaved left, darted right.
One slash.
One bandit fell.
Another slash.
Another fell.
Within moments, seven or eight bodies were already sprawled across the ground.
The one-eyed bandit’s face went pale.
To hell with saving face.
“Retreat!” he shouted. “Everyone, run!”
He was the first to turn tail and flee.
Seeing their leader escape, the surviving bandits immediately scattered after him.