Chapter 67: Human Hearts Are Full of Cunning

Bai Bufan's eyes now showed envy to the extreme.

Li Lin could imagine the pain in their hearts at this moment, but did not want to experience it, never wanting to.

Su Huafang walked toward He Yumao, his face flushed as he said, "Having already made offerings to Taowu Zhenjun, there should be no major problems from here on."

He Yumao instinctively stepped back half a pace and said somewhat awkwardly, "Trouble you, Li Xunshou Su."

"No need for courtesy."

After a brief exchange, Su Huafang returned to Li Lin's side.

Looking at Su Huafang's appearance, Li Lin seemed to feel that the 'senior's filter' of reliability and steadiness he had for the other person had shattered quite a bit.

Small groups like this exist at all times.

The martial artists of the escort agency sat near the entrance; they had the responsibility of guarding against external enemies and keeping watch at night.

The four Soul Hunters sat at the very back, not far from the altar.

About two hundred ordinary people huddled in the very center of the temple; some lay down openly to sleep, while others leaned on each other to doze off.

Li Lin ate his dry rations, observing these ordinary people, and found that indeed many of them dared not sleep.

As long as there was a slight sound around, they would open their eyes, look left and right, and only then close them again.

Su Huafang arranged for four people to take turns on night watch, and soon the entire night passed.

The next day, after everyone had a simple breakfast, they set off under the morning sun.

The crowd was noisy, with children crying from time to time, but overall, it did not affect the speed of the caravan's movement.

Li Lin remained with Su Huafang at the rear, observing the surroundings while chatting idly.

Time slowly passed.

According to the plan, they would reach the first rest stop at noon, and it was at this moment that the caravan stopped.

Li Lin and Su Huafang exchanged a glance, then immediately ran from the rear to the front of the caravan.

Then they saw that ahead was a three-way intersection; from the left, another caravan had arrived. Both sides stopped, watching each other warily.

He Yumao led several escort masters forward, clasping his fists from a distance and saying, "I am He Yumao of Changfeng Escort Agency in Yulin County, known in the Jianghu as the Life-Taking Sword. May I ask which expert is in charge on the opposite side!"

Soon, a middle-aged man walked out from the opposite side, looking quite amiable: "Long heard, long heard. I am Lin Qiyu of Shunfu Escort Agency in Jincheng, known in the Jianghu as the Thousand-Mile Wind Chaser. I greet Escort Master He."

He Yumao's expression was no longer so tense; the two sides drew closer and began to talk.

Seeing that there seemed to be no danger, everyone in the caravan breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Lin turned his head and asked, "Senior Su, Senior Bai, do you two have any nicknames?"

Bai Liwei shook his head: "I spend most of my time in Yulin County and do not travel much, so I have no nickname. However, I have heard that Li Xunshou Su traveled north and south in his youth and once had a nickname."

Su Huafang touched his beard somewhat shamefacedly: "In my youth I was arrogant and ignorant; those are all things of the past."

"Then what was that nickname?" Bai Bufan asked curiously from the side.

Su Huafang, however, refused to say.

Seeing this, Bai Bufan did not press further.

At this moment, the middle-aged man on the opposite side looked over, and upon seeing Su Huafang, could not help but pause in surprise, exclaiming, "Could the one ahead be Senior Su, the 'Stealing Fragrance Gentleman'?"

The expressions of Li Lin and the other two were surprised.

Su Huafang's cheeks twitched twice; helplessly clasping his fists, he said, "Indeed, it is this Su, but I have long ceased walking the Jianghu. Please do not call me by that nickname anymore; just call me Li Xunshou Su."

He did not even need to turn his head to know how Li Lin and the Bai uncle and nephew would look.

They were surely secretly laughing.

He guessed correctly; Li Lin was struggling to hold back his laughter at this moment, his eyebrows twitching.

Through the conversation between He Yumao and Lin Qiyu, it was learned that the other caravan was also heading to Jincheng, so the two caravans immediately moved together.

After all, with more people, the vital energy is stronger, making it less likely to be attacked by Wild Spirits.

In fact, this was indeed the case; the two caravans combined exceeded four hundred people, with more than thirty martial artists and seven Soul Hunters.

With such a lineup, except for a Spirit of Taowu Zhenjun level, it would be almost impossible to be attacked by Wild Spirits again.

In fact, this was indeed so; by nightfall, even while resting in the wilderness, the white jade token on Li Lin did not light up with any red light.

Thus, five days passed very quickly.

The magnificent and towering city gates of Jincheng were now close at hand.

More than four hundred ordinary people cried and shouted, then queued to enter the city; for them, these five days had been almost a constant companion of death.

Upon entering the city, Li Lin's first impression was of carriages and horses in a stream and a clamor of human voices.

Bai Bufan's eyes sparkled as he looked left and right, seemingly searching for some target.

Seeing his nephew's appearance, Bai Liwei helplessly shook his head.

At this moment, Su Huafang walked over and placed a money bag in each person's hand.

"The agreed payment is all here. Gather at the South City Gate at noon in two days; the four of us will return together, which will be safer."

Bai Bufan asked, "What about the people from Changfeng Escort Agency?"

"They will stay here for a few more days, gather more people, and then bring them back to Yulin County City; they want to earn a bit more."

Bai Bufan continued to ask, "Without us Soul Hunters following, can they manage?"

"Rest assured, they have their own ways," Su Huafang smiled.

Bai Liwei patted Bai Bufan's head: "Do not underestimate people under heaven."

Bai Bufan touched his head, then walked over to Li Lin's side, hooking Li Lin's neck and saying with a grin, "Li Xunshou, I heard you are still a virgin; do you want me to take you to a brothel for a stroll?"

Before Li Lin could speak, Bai Liwei came over and struck Bai Bufan's head heavily again, angrily saying, "If you want to indulge yourself, do not corrupt others."

Bai Bufan immediately dared not speak.

Li Lin smiled... although he was now a virgin again, if it came to knowledge and practical experience, he was far richer than anyone present.

Including the two seniors who had already borne children.

Afterwards, Li Lin took his leave of the three men, immediately found a cheap inn to stay in, and took a bath first.

After all, he had not bathed for five days, which was extremely uncomfortable for someone who loved cleanliness as much as he did.

Then he slept for a while, only getting up in the evening to go to the market and find something to eat.

Jincheng was very large, with an area at least six times that of Yulin County Town, and its population density was far higher as well.

As Li Lin walked along the street, he looked up and could faintly see a human-shaped magical image in the sky.

Taowu Zhenjun!

Afterwards, he felt as though a gaze was sweeping down from the sky; Li Lin dared not look again and kept his head down as he walked.

After strolling around the market and buying a sesame cake to eat while walking, he intended to purchase a small alchemy furnace. After asking a local for directions, he arrived in an alley.

Here, the sound of blacksmithing never ceased, and the air was filled with the smell of burning charcoal.

He searched for a while but could not find an alchemy furnace. A blacksmith told him that such items could only be custom-ordered at the Artisan and Tool Bureau.

So he headed toward the Artisan and Tool Bureau, but as he passed a street corner, he saw two groups of people engaged in a conflict ahead.

The surrounding pedestrians all kept their distance.

More than a dozen men in white tight-fitting clothes blocked the entrance to a residence.

Li Lin looked over and saw four large characters written on the plaque above the residence's gate: 'Shunfu Escort Agency'.

Among them was a 'familiar face' confronting the men in white tight-fitting clothes with several others.

Lin Qiyu.

At this moment, the other side also saw him.

Lin Qiyu's eyes lit up as he shouted, "Li Xunshou, thank you for coming to assist! The Tianyi Sect is being overly oppressive; quickly join us and drive them away."

Upon hearing this, several men in white tight-fitting clothes immediately rushed out, forming a semi-circle to block Li Lin's path.

(End of this chapter)