The next morning.
Because they had rested for a few extra hours, Lu Xuan was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had already reached the sixth level of the Martial Apprentice Realm.
He could not help but sigh inwardly.
Sure enough, sometimes getting a little more rest really was the right choice.
After washing and changing, he ate the food Shen Yuyan had prepared, then made sure he had everything he needed before leaving.
She walked him to the doorway.
When he arrived at the Iron Mountain Escort Agency, the team was already preparing to depart.
Three escort carts stood in the courtyard, their loads secured beneath thick canvas covers. Six escort warriors were checking their equipment, tightening straps, and making sure the wheels and axles were in good condition.
Old Guo sat on a horse near the front of the convoy.
He glanced at Lu Xuan and immediately frowned.
"Why bring a piece of trash along? He’s just going to be a hindrance."
Xiao Lin was chewing on a grass stalk as he looked around. Hearing Old Guo’s muttering, he leaned closer to Lu Xuan and whispered, "Don’t pay him any mind."
Lu Xuan did not respond. He had heard insults like that countless times during his years in the Lu Family. Compared to those people, Old Guo’s words barely stirred his emotions.
He did not ride a horse. Instead, he sat on one of the escort carts, quietly watching the mountains and forests on both sides of the road.
The convoy soon left Azure Sun City behind.
Maple Leaf Town lay north of Azure Sun City, and the route passed through a long mountain road.
At first, the road was still fairly wide. But as they went deeper into the mountains, it gradually narrowed.
Dense trees pressed in from both sides, their branches blocking out much of the sunlight. The cheerful conversation among the warriors dwindled as the terrain became more difficult.
Then even the birdsong disappeared.
The silence settled over the road like a heavy blanket.
Lu Xuan’s expression slowly changed.
Something felt wrong.
At first, he couldn’t identify the source of his unease.
Yet his body had become strangely alert, every movement around him seeming to stand out more clearly than before.
The Deer Form of the Five Animals Transformation Art was not merely a movement technique. Through repeated practice, it had sharpened his awareness of subtle changes in his surroundings.
A deer survived in the wilderness not because it could defeat every predator, but because it learned to notice danger early enough to escape.
Lu Xuan had begun to develop a similar instinct.
And now, every instinct in Lu Xuan’s body was telling him that this silence was unnatural.
There were no birds singing.
No insects chirping.
Not even the faint rustling of small animals moving through the undergrowth.
Lu Xuan frowned and lowered his voice so that only the people near the escort cart could hear him.
"Could there be danger ahead? I’ve heard there are mountain bandits in this area."
Old Guo turned his head and gave him a contemptuous glance before snorting coldly.
"A piece of trash. I knew bringing him along would be troublesome. I don’t know what the boss was thinking."
Lu Xuan’s mouth twitched.
"I’m worr..."
"Shut up!"
Old Guo waved his hand impatiently, clearly having no patience for Lu Xuan’s warning.
"If you keep blabbering, I’ll throw you out to feed the wolves!"
Lu Xuan fell silent. He clenched his fingers slightly, suppressing the urge to punch the man in the face.
Fine. If he doesn’t want to listen, I won’t waste my breath.
He still had to protect himself.
At that moment, Xiao Lin leaned over and whispered, "Brother Xuan, don’t be afraid. I’ve traveled this road more than a dozen times, and nothing has ever happened. This escort trip is very safe."
Lu Xuan glanced at him and curled his lips.
Xiao Lin’s words were meant to reassure him, but Lu Xuan trusted his own instincts more. The feeling in his chest had not faded. If anything, it had grown heavier.
The other escort warriors soon noticed his unease and began laughing among themselves.
"This kid is timid enough."
"Hahaha, maybe he didn’t sleep well last night and had a nightmare."
"Coward. He’d be better off going home and hugging his wife to sleep. Why come out on an escort trip?"
Their laughter echoed through the narrow mountain road, sounding especially harsh against the unnatural silence of the forest.
Ye Qingyi was walking at the back of the group, and she heard every word. She did not join in the laughter, but even she felt that Lu Xuan was being overly cautious.
If someone really intended to rob the escort, she was confident that she would be the first to notice.
The escort team continued forward.
They had gone roughly another hundred paces when Ye Qingyi suddenly pulled on the reins.
Her horse stopped sharply.
Ye Qingyi’s expression changed.
She felt it.
She had not heard anything, but she had sensed the same strange danger Lu Xuan had mentioned.
"Stop."
Her voice was low, but it carried clearly through the group.
Old Guo looked back with irritation. "What is it now?"
Ye Qingyi did not answer. Her hand slowly moved to the hilt of her blade as her sharp gaze swept across the dense forest.
Old Guo curled his lip. The source of this chapter is g.com.
"What is wrong with you two? I’ve been walking this road for twenty years..."
Whoosh—
An arrow suddenly shot out from the forest.
It struck the wooden board of the escort cart with a loud crack, the arrowhead sinking deep into the wood while its tail trembled violently.
Old Guo’s unfinished words died in his throat.
"Ambush!"
The shout had barely left his mouth when dozens of figures burst from the forest. They carried blades and spears, surrounding the escort team from every direction.
At the front was a one-eyed man riding a horse. In his hand was a massive broadsword carved with a terrifying skull pattern.
"Flying Cloud Fortress is borrowing the road. Leave the goods and get lost."
Old Guo’s face turned pale with anger, but he still forced a smile and cupped his fists.
"We are from the Iron Mountain Escort Agency. We are friends of Flying Cloud Fortress. Please..."
"Cut the crap."
The one-eyed man raised his broadsword, his single eye filled with cold killing intent.
"Even if the gods himself came today, these goods must stay."
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand.
The mountain bandits roared and charged forward.
In an instant, the escort warriors clashed with the bandits of Flying Cloud Fortress. Blades struck against blades, shouts rang out, and the quiet mountain road erupted into chaos.
Lu Xuan quickly glanced over the battlefield.
There were roughly twenty-four mountain bandits on the other side, while the escort team had only six escort warriors.
Counting himself, that made seven people.
But Lu Xuan had no intention of revealing his true strength in front of everyone. Once his abilities were exposed, trouble would inevitably follow him back to Azure Sun City.
He lowered his eyes, his mind turning rapidly.
Then, an idea came to him.
Lu Xuan abruptly widened his eyes and let out a terrified cry.
"Mommy!"
Before anyone could react, he threw himself toward the front of the cart, rolled awkwardly across the ground, and kicked the horse hard in the rear.
The startled animal neighed and surged forward.
The cart jolted violently, knocking two mountain bandits off their feet before charging wildly down the mountain road.
Old Guo stared after it, his face turning purple with rage.
"Damn it! That piece of trash! He ran away!"