As for the accidents that may happen along the way, there are too many.
There may be road landslides and obstructions. You may also encounter monsters and beasts, and the most likely possibility is that you will encounter bandits.
The reason why the chariot and horsemen can be paid to take people along with them is that they are familiar with the road and always have ways to deal with unexpected situations. And there are many people, so it is not easy to be dangerous.
"Bandits? Are they very powerful?" Zhang Yan was curious about the bandits and found them strange. I also want to hear what the bandits look like from the perspective of the driver.
"Hahaha, bandits, some are useful and some are not. Where are they not? Not to mention the distance, we have to pass three levels along the way, and we must meet the bandits face to face. But don't be afraid, little brother. , our big boss at Shunji Car and Horse Shop also has connections on the road, even bandits have to give our boss three points of noodles."
The driver said it nicely, but Zhang Yan understood that the so-called "thin noodles" had nothing to do with face, and tearing away the fig leaf was still a "profit".
Is it true that being a bandit is a business without capital? To feed people! You will inevitably be surrounded and suppressed by the yamen and the military. It is also a job to earn a living with your head in your belt. It's just that the bandits only dare to bully the weak, and they are really low-level evil thieves. This kind of thing would put down his knife and stop doing business just to save face? How can it be!
It's nothing more than that the bandits don't want to risk their lives and cause damage. Their people can't withstand the wear and tear compared to the chariot and horse merchants. The chariot and horse merchants don't want to always fight to pass, which will also affect the sale of goods. So the two parties hit it off and agreed on a price, how much to give at one time, or to give a single payment based on the quantity of goods each time.
It’s just money to buy the road.
"Are all the bandits warriors?" Zhang Yan looked at the ten guards in the convoy. Only three of them were warriors, and the rest probably had only practiced fists, feet, and swords, and were only slightly stronger than ordinary people.
"Hey, how could they all be warriors? It would be good to have two warriors out of ten. But even if they are not warriors, those people are very powerful. Many of them are villains posted by the yamen for rewards. We can't mess with those who are doing business. rise."
That's really something you can't afford to offend. One side is running errands to make money, the other side is risking one's life to make money. No matter who is more ruthless, this is naturally incomparable.
Four days later, the convoy entered the mountains and moved forward in the winding ravines. If nothing else, it would take three days of walking on this mountain road to cross this mountain range and enter the territory of Huaiqing County. By then, it would not be far from Yongde City.
After Zhang Yan entered the mountain, he looked at the relaxed expressions on the faces of the drivers and guards who often used this road. He knew that the so-called "passing three passes" should be on the mountain road in the past few days. .
After walking for about half a day, there was a wide mountain col in front of us. Both sides were bare and covered with large rocks. From a distance, it seemed that there were words written in red paint on a large rock.
"Brother, don't mess around later. The front is the "turtle's foot stone" I told you before. There are men from the Evil Wolf Village guarding it. When the time comes, I will go to negotiate with you. Don't make any noise. It's very dangerous. It'll be over soon." The coachman named Xiong turned to Zhang Yan, who was sitting behind the car, to warn him.
"Okay, Brother Xiong, don't worry, I won't cause trouble for you guys."
The coachman was relatively reassured about Zhang Yan, because during the chat along the way, Zhang Yan told him that he was a soldier who was demobilized from the Yubei Mountain Fortress and returned home. Where is Yubei Mountain? Just think about how brave the soldiers who retreated there were. If you explain it, there should be no trouble.
Zhang Yan didn't think about going there to cause any trouble. He was just a passerby following the car. He didn't need to worry about the relationship between the bandits and the carriage dealer on this road. Just think of this trip as a way to gain some knowledge.
But as he got closer, Zhang Yan could clearly see the three words "turtle's foot stone" on the huge stone, but he didn't feel even a single figure.
Where are the bandits?
His senses also dispersed, and he still didn't sense any ambush from others. This made Zhang Yan feel very strange. Where are the bandits you promised? This first level is out of tune, right?
Zhang Yan was not the only one who found it strange. Everyone in the team looked at him with big eyes.
According to past practice, the bandits who were watching on the mountain could see the convoy coming from a distance, and if they got closer they could see the flag of the convoy, which means they knew it was a "familiar" team. When the time came, six or seven people came down and waited at Turtle Foot Stone. They ordered the goods and paid enough for the trip as agreed, which was considered an explanation. The team can continue moving forward.
But now we have arrived at Turtle Foot Stone, and the bandits in Evil Wolf Village are nowhere to be seen. This is the first time for people in the carriage and horse industry to encounter it.
However, the leader was experienced and after a short stop, he waved the convoy to continue moving forward. However, he stopped the convoy in advance and rested before going very far, saying that he would not leave today. Then the guard leader who summoned the convoy was muttering to the side and seemed to be discussing something.
Zhang Yan was very curious, so he quietly lit an ear talisman for himself, then used spiritual energy to gather his ears, and listened to all the words of the commander of the distant convoy and the leader of the guard, word for word.
"Boss, do you mean something happened to the people in the Evil Wolf Village?" The leader of the guard was speaking, with a serious expression, but it was obvious that he did not understand what the other party said clearly.
The leader of the convoy was in his fifties, with dark skin and some gray hair. His face was gloomy at this time. He nodded and continued: "Wilang Village was a new village five years ago. Including Heidao Village and Huanshan Village behind it. It's the same. But the bandits in this mountain five years ago were actually a different group of people."
"Boss, I know everything you said, but what does it have to do with whether something happened to the Evil Wolf Village?"
"Whether something happens to those dogs in the Evil Wolf Village is not the point. The point is that if something happens to them, it means that the forces in this mountain are now in chaos. If the same is true for the Black Blade Village behind, then our trip will not be easy. ”
The guard leader was silent for a while, as if he finally figured it out, so he asked in surprise: "Are you saying that we are likely to be affected by the chaotic situation here, and that they will not recognize the previous agreement with us?"
"Recognize? I'm afraid that something will happen to Black Blade Village and Huanshan Village just like the previous Evil Wolf Village. Why should the new mountaintop recognize the previous agreement? Would you recognize it if it were you?"
"Then...what will happen if it is true as you said?"
"What else can you do? Either ask for a ridiculous price, or eat both the people and the goods. Five years ago, Evil Wolf Village and the others chose the latter when they overthrew the previous forces. The purpose was to show their ferocity so that they could do it later. Negotiate price with us.”
This statement startled the leader of the guard. He thought of facing hundreds of thieves who were disorganized. He only had ten people in his hands and only three warriors. It was a situation where death was inevitable!
"Head, shall we go back?"
"It's not possible to retreat now. If we just run away when something happens to the Evil Wolf Village, do you think my boss will tear you and me apart due to the losses?"
"Then what do you want to do, Big Head? You're not really going to force your way in, are you?"
"Tomorrow, we will send someone to check on the situation in Black Blade Village behind us. If something goes wrong, we will go back. Then we will have something to say in front of our boss. Either we are afraid of the wind or the rain is too timid to scare ourselves."
