The caravan slowly rolled out of the town and the lively streets gradually disappeared behind them, replaced by a long dirt road that stretched toward the distant horizon.
On either side, open plains extended as far as the eye could see, with only the occasional tree breaking the endless landscape.
The rhythmic sound of wagon wheels and horses’ hooves filled the quiet journey.
Inside the lead carriage, silence lingered between the three passengers, those being Lei Mei, Lei Shun and Sun Yunso.
All of them were sitting peacefully but the atmosphere was a little awkward; well just for Sun Yunso because the siblings were having a quality time together.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where exactly are we headed?”
Lei Mei looked at Sun Yunso’s direction.
“Oh, we’re on our way to Meizou.” Lei Mei answered with a big smile.
“Meizou,” Sun Yunso whispered the name softly, making sure he remembered it.
“I see, and…
what exactly is it that we’re supposed to be transporting?”
Lei Mei looked over at her big brother before she said anything.
“We’re transporting goods.”
She gestured toward the wagons behind them.
“The goods are mainly food, fabrics, and medicine, along with some valuable items for trade.
These supplies were ordered by several merchants based in Meizou.”
Lei Shun calmly added,
“Nothing illegal, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Sun Yunso gave a small nod.
“I wasn’t.”
His eyes wandered back to the road in front of him, his gaze drifting away from whatever had caught his attention before.
He just wanted to get a handle on the job he’d taken on, that’s all.
I mean, what kind of escort can you be if you don’t even know what you’re supposed to be protecting?
It wasn’t about the cargo itself, but more about understanding his role in all of this.
A swordsman’s got to know what he’s fighting for, right?
Otherwise, he’s just going through the motions
Lei Mei smiled faintly.
“I’m glad you asked.
Most escorts only care about getting paid.
They never bother asking what they’re protecting.”
Sun Yunso remained silent.
Lei Shun glanced at him before speaking.
“Knowing your cargo is part of the job.
If something goes missing, an escort should notice.”
Sun Yunso gave a small nod.
“I understand.”
Outside, the sound of hooves echoed steadily across the open plains.
A guard who was riding alongside the caravan suddenly shouted out with a big smile on his face.
“So far, so good!”
Another laughed.
“It seems like the stories about the Black Fang Bandits are just that – stories, and they might not be based on fact.”
A few of the others chuckled in agreement.
“They probably heard we were coming and ran.”
But Sun Yunso still had his doubts, and he kept his eyes fixed on the road stretching out before him.
“…”
Something felt unusual.
The wind swept across the empty fields, carrying only the rustling of tall grass.
Not a single traveler had passed them since leaving town.
It was as though everyone had chosen to avoid this road.
Lei Shun noticed Yunso staring into the distance.
“Is something bothering you?”
Sun Yunso answered without looking away.
“No, it just feels quiet.”
Lei Shun’s expression became thoughtful.
“It usually is.”
Silence settled over the carriage once again.
The caravan kept moving at a steady pace, slowly fading from sight as it traveled further down the deserted road that led to Meizou.
Sun Yunso finally turned his gaze away from the road stretching out before him.
“…My apologies.”
Lei Mei tilted her head.
“For what?”
He glanced through the carriage window once more.
“This road…it just gives me a bad feeling.”
Lei Mei smiled reassuringly and waved a hand.
We’ve got nothing to worry about, really.
There are six escorts with us, so we’re in good hands.
They’ll keep us safe, no need to stress about it.
She laughed softly.
“We’ve only been on the road for about an hour, so no need to worry, okay?.”
Sun Yunso simply nodded in understanding but his gaze still wandered back to the scenery rolling by outside.The air was thick with tension, and an uneasy feeling lingered.
Lei Shun sat motionless, his eyes fixed intently on the young swordsman, who was seated across from him, surrounded by an unsettling silence.
The silence inside the carriage lingered for a while before Lei Shun suddenly spoke.
Lei Mei blinked.
“…Oh.”
She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“I completely forgot to introduce the two of you.”
She looked at her brother, feeling a little embarrassed, and smiled.
“His name is Sun Yunso.”
“Sun Yunso…”
Lei Shun said the name over and over in his head, a small smile spreading across his face as he did so.
“That’s a fine name.”
Sun Yunso gave a small nod.
“Thank you.”
Lei Shun couldn’t help but stare at him for a bit longer, his mind fixed on something that had been bothering him since their first meeting.
“If you don’t mind me asking.
I noticed the scars over both of your eyes.”
Sun Yunso’s body stiffened ever so slightly.
“You can still see, yet your eyes don’t have the color most people do.”
His eyes had a strange look to them, the color was almost gone from his irises, making them seem really unusual.
“I was wondering, if you are blind?”
Lei Mei glanced back and forth between the two men, her eyes moving from one to the other.
“…Brother…”
She could tell it wasn’t an easy question to answer.
Sun Yunso remained silent for several seconds.
His hand unconsciously drifted toward one of the scars crossing his eye.
“I’d rather not go into details about how I got these scars, let’s just say it’s private.
And about my eyesight, I’m not totally blind, just a bit limited in what I can see.”
“Is that so, then allow me to apologise for asking in the first place.
It was not my right to pry into past events.”
“It’s okay, curiosity does kill the cat as they always say, right?”
“Indeed it does.”
The two young men gave out some laughter as if they were slowly bonding.
Lei Mei felt like the third wheel in the exchange.
As the boys were having their moment, they were interrupted by the driver.
His face turned pale.
“We’ve got company!”
Dozens of figures stepped out from both sides of the road.
The caravans had already been surrounded.