Chapter 80

Around three in the afternoon, the winter sun shone brightly.

On the desolate, snow-covered mountain path, a small carriage moved slowly.

The carriage was not large, looking as if it could only seat two people.

The driver on the carriage pole was a thin old man, wearing thick clothes even in the cold winter, but still appearing frail and small.

The horse pulling the carriage was even thinner than the old man, taking particularly slow steps.

"Old Lu, how far is it to the agreed location with the other party?" The carriage curtain was slightly lifted, revealing a young face.

"About sixty miles, young master."

"Very good, we're almost there, and I can be at ease."

"Those little bandits wouldn't dare to harass you, young master!"

Before the words were finished, a person suddenly jumped out in front, brandishing a spear and shouting loudly.

"Green Forest heroes are here, digging pits and lying in ambush. Travelers, quickly leave your life-saving money, buy early and leave early, no need to see you off."

Old Lu was startled at first and hurriedly stopped the carriage. But looking left and right, he saw that the bandit blocking the road was indeed just one person, which made him feel a bit puzzled.

"Kid, why are you the only bandit here?"

"What, do you think it's too few? Look at you, all bones and barely any meat, you wouldn't last a single strike from me!"

"How do we pay the toll?" Old Lu, seeing that there was only one person, was not particularly anxious and asked with a smile.

"One gold per person, or twenty thousand copper coins."

"Quite fair." Old Lu muttered, then asked, "Why are you blocking the road here?"

"Because this is the only mountain path leading to the three towns of Shen Nong in the west." The bandit was calm and seemed to have a good grasp of the situation, "You people, who are going to the auction, are all wealthy and noble, you wouldn't mind parting with one gold, right?"

"Oh, you even know about the auction, you're not just an ordinary bandit!" Old Lu squinted his eyes and carefully examined the overly young bandit.

The young man just let him look and smiled, "Two gold after you're done looking."

Old Lu pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, two gold it is. But, could you give your name? The old man would like to know which hero has blocked our path."

"My name is Lai Yugua, the third chief of Laojun Mountain. How should I address you, old sir?"

"Ah, it's Lai the hero! I am surnamed Lu." Old Lu flicked his wrist, and two gold coins were casually thrown out.

Lai Yugua caught them with his hand, felt them, and smiled, stepping aside from the road.

"Two gold coins, thank you!"

Old Lu's expression changed slightly, but he didn't say anything more, and the carriage continued on its way.

After a few steps, the carriage suddenly stopped again.

The curtain was pulled back, and a refined young man's face appeared at the side window.

"Little brother, with your skills, it's a pity to be patrolling the mountains and blocking the road."

His eyes were bright, and his words sincere, which made Lai Yugua pause, tucking the gold coins into his chest.

"Big brother, why do you say that?"

"Although I am not good at martial arts, I have a keen eye for people." The young man said, "You have a heroic spirit, upright and not evil, you are not a common bandit. Why are you blocking the road here?"

"Well..." Lai Yugua swallowed, unable to continue the act.

"Who are you, and how did you figure it out?"

Old Lu interjected, "My young master is the legitimate son of a prestigious family, respected in the county, with a keen eye for people."

"Ah, a county magistrate!" Lai Yugua suddenly slapped his thigh, "What a loss! If I had known you were a high official, I should have charged at least one more gold."

"Old Lu, give him another gold." The young master chuckled.

Old Lu agreed and threw out another gold coin.

Lai Yugua weighed it, very satisfied, and thought to himself, "So, my appearance is so extraordinary that even Yan Xiang saw through me, and this young man can see it too."

"You are an official, and I am just a commoner. If I don't become a bandit, what else can I do?"

"Little brother, with your skills, if you join the army, you will have a bright future." The young master looked at Lai Yugua.

Old Lu was secretly surprised. His young master, who was always arrogant and didn't even respect the Emperor, seemed to have a good rapport with this young bandit and was even trying to persuade him.

Lai Yugua said, "Join the army? There are so many officials now, who knows which one can provide enough food?"

The young master laughed, "I have an old acquaintance, General Sun Ce of Kuaiji and Wu Cheng. I can recommend you to him, and you can at least become a military commander or a major."

Lai Yugua clasped his hands and said happily, "Hearing your words, I feel enlightened. But I have little education, don't deceive me!"

The young master laughed heartily, "Little brother, you are truly witty! This is a jade pendant given to me by General Sun Ce. Take it to see him, and he will surely welcome and employ you." He extended his hand, revealing a green jade pendant shaped like a pixiu.

Lai Yugua took it, feeling its warmth, which still carried the young master's body heat.

"May I ask your name, young master?"

"I am Zhou Yu from Lujiang, an old acquaintance of General Sun Ce. He will certainly recognize this jade." Zhou Yu knew Lai Yugua was worried about being unrecognized by Sun Ce, so he introduced himself solemnly to put him at ease.

"Wow, he is the young Zhou Lang of Jiangdong?" Lai Yugua carefully examined Zhou Yu, a young man in his early twenties, with a refined appearance and a generous demeanor, making conversation with him much more pleasant than with people like Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang.

"Thank you, Young Master Zhou!" Lai Yugua, feeling very lucky, stuffed the jade into his chest and stepped aside, watching Zhou Yu's carriage slowly disappear into the distance.

...

"Brother Yu, what are you thinking about?" After a while, Xi Zhilan lightly landed beside Lai Yugua.

Lai Yugua, who was lost in thought, was startled, "Xiao Lan, your lightness skill is getting better and better!"

He prided himself on his senses being on par with top-notch dark realm experts, but he almost didn't hear Xi Zhilan's movements, only noticing her when she was a few meters behind him.

This was not just a matter of his hearing being inadequate.

"Of course, otherwise how could my 'Dance with the Wind' be a heavenly-level secret technique?" Xi Zhilan was delighted by her lover's praise and rarely boasted about herself.

Xi Zhilan smiled and asked, "How was being a bandit?"

"Pretty cool! Especially impersonating someone else's name to rob, it was very satisfying!" Lai Yugua raised his thumb and then looked up at the departing carriage.

"What's wrong, is there something wrong with that carriage?"

"That old man Lu is probably a first-class dark realm expert; I can't gauge his true strength." Lai Yugua shook his head, "But since it's the Zhou family of Jiangdong, having such a bodyguard is to be expected."

"Then what?"

"Then, when you floated over and reminded me, I noticed that the carriage's tracks were very deep, indicating a heavy load. There might be more than just two people in the carriage."

——

I'm conflicted. The last two days, and I should be off the new book list! My heart is a bit sad! Brothers and sisters, can't you give me some comfort votes?

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