Chapter 87: Heading Out, Encounter on the Road, Robbery

The number one person in the Jin Dynasty?

Hearing these words, everyone present except Xi Beichen was shaken.

The Jin Dynasty has a population of hundreds of millions, and there are tens of millions of people practicing Martial Arts in the world.

However, at the beginning of the Jin Dynasty's founding, they destroyed mountains and temples, wiped out the various major sects among the people, and confiscated and destroyed Martial Arts classics, which led to the severance of many folk traditions and dealt a heavy blow to the development of martial arts;

Compared to this, the Jin Dynasty, by confiscating the classics of the hundred schools, cultivated a continuous stream of top-tier experts, far surpassing those among the people.

Under such circumstances, to be called the number one person in the Jin Dynasty, what kind of strength must one possess?

It would be no exaggeration to even call them the number one expert in the world!

Completely unexpected that the Undead Demon Empress possessed such terrifying cultivation, Li Junxian asked urgently:

"And then? How did your master escape?"

Xi Beichen nodded and said heavily:

"Among my master's group, there was no lack of those who would sacrifice their lives for righteousness; they fearlessly and briefly held back that old demoness, and one even ignited the explosives strapped to their body, though it is a pity that the demoness was alert and did not die on the spot.

However, this explosion gave my master and the others a chance to catch their breath. In order to bring out this news, my master seized the opportunity and, while severely wounded, escaped the sleeping quarters and issued a warning to the companions outside.

Later, other righteous men used the explosives on their bodies to break the stalemate, and most of the other Grandmasters and experts who were entangled with the Shamanism experts outside the sleeping quarters were able to escape. Among them, one had a life-and-death friendship with my master and, disregarding their own safety, took my master away from the palace and successfully escaped alive.

But even though my master escaped, he was already severely wounded; not only did he lose an arm, but he also suffered irreparable internal injuries and does not have long to live. He knows his time is short, and his only remaining wish now is to see you one last time."

Li Junxian immediately asked:

"Where is your master now, Tianjing or Jinjin?"

Xi Beichen sighed softly:

"A few days ago, after the heat died down, my master and his group seized an opportunity to return to Jinjin from Tianjing via the Steam Train, and had me come here to notify you. It is just that we had a doctor with superb medical skills in our party who asserted that my master's life would last only about a month; I do not know how his condition is now after the arduous journey."

Steam Train

Lu Yuan's heart stirred upon hearing this.

Railways and even the Steam Train were naturally things that only came into existence in the Jin Dynasty after the two wars of invasion by the Holy Roman Powers.

The first railway was a short line built by the Holy Roman Powers in Modu; to facilitate the transport of goods from the port, it ran from the Concession to the port and was only forty-odd miles long, which caused a great sensation in the Jin Dynasty at the time.

Having never seen such a steel beast, the Jin Dynasty went from fear to acceptance, and subsequently, in the Shiyi Reform launched from the top down, they comprehensively learned from the Holy Roman Powers to develop industry and spent a great price to invite engineers from the Holy Roman Powers to design and build their own railways.

One line is from Tianjing to Hebei, and the other is from Tianjing to Jinjin; these can be considered the only two long-distance railways within the Jin Dynasty.

Upon learning of this situation, Li Junxian did not hesitate:

"Good, Beichen, you rest here for a while. I will arrange the affairs in the garden and then return with you. I hope we can make it in time!"

Lu Yuan's gaze rippled slightly, and he thought to himself that it was quite a coincidence.

He understood that Li Junxian was so urgent not just to see Lin Xingchao one last time.

Li Junxian had only taken one of the Healing Bait Return Pills he had given him, which had basically cured his old illness, but the other one had not yet been used. If it were given to Lin Xingchao to take, it might just save his life!

Of course, the premise was to reach Jinjin as quickly as possible before Lin Xingchao failed, otherwise, everything would be in vain.

"So urgent?"

Fengyang Prefecture is more than two thousand miles away from Jinjin, and even at a fast gallop, it would take at least six or seven days. Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu spoke in unison:

"Master, we will go with you!"

"No need. You two, one has to manage the Boxiyuan and the other has to manage the North Hall branch; you cannot leave for too long. Just let A Yuan come with me."

Li Junxian said quickly:

"It is just that Lei Huating's whereabouts are unknown, which is truly a hidden danger. I will go find Pang Qinglong and ask him to look after the Boxiyuan during this time, then we will leave secretly through the secret passage. You tell the outside world that I am in seclusion practicing Martial Arts; do not let news of my departure leak out, lest Lei Huating find an opportunity."

"Understood, Master, don't worry."

Xu Dahu patted his chest:

"I will have my men equip more gear. If that dog really dares to harbor evil intentions, I will definitely make him pay!"

Backed by the Qinglong Gang, he could completely obtain quite a few Firearms through the black market, and relying on the advantage of firearms, it would, to a certain extent, be enough to make Lei Huating wary.

"Good, then that is settled."

After all, the Boxiyuan is the treasure bowl of the Qinglong Gang, and Pang Qinglong, as the gang leader, would not sit idly by and watch Lei Huating act recklessly. Li Junxian turned his head and instructed:

"A Yuan, you pack your things here first. We will set off after I return from Gang Leader Pang!"

Lu Yuan naturally nodded in agreement.

Although he had originally planned to find an opportunity to leave the Boxiyuan after Li Junxian's injuries healed.

However, among the few places he had selected for his grand plan, Jinjin, such an important Coastal city, was also among them. Following them there this time would be a good chance to see the situation there and whether it could serve as a place to start his uprising.

After giving instructions to the three disciples, Li Junxian immediately left the Boxiyuan and headed to the Qinglong Gang to find Pang Qinglong.

Lu Yuan went to pack his luggage, Xu Erhu went to prepare food for Xi Beichen, who had traveled a long way, and Xu Dahu prepared horses, dry rations, and money for the trip.

And after just half an hour, Li Junxian, who had gone out, returned.

Then, the four master and disciples, plus Xi Beichen, ate lunch in this small courtyard. Lu Yuan and Xi Beichen followed Li Junxian to simply change their attire, passed through the secret passage to another secret house, then led out the horses that Xu Dahu had already prepared, and rode out of the city.

A few days later.

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter...

The sun slanted to the west, dusk fell, and amidst the desolate mountains and wild ridges, horse hooves hurried.

Led by Xi Beichen, with the master and disciple Li Junxian and Lu Yuan following closely behind, the three galloped along the dilapidated official road.

The long journey from Fengyang Prefecture to Jinjin is vast, and the horses have limited stamina and need to eat and recover their strength. Traveling at most three hundred miles a day, the fastest route takes at least six or seven days one way.

Not to mention that the world is in chaos now, and ordinary people have mostly never left the land where they were born, with their range of activity not exceeding a hundred miles from home. Going on a long journey is even more difficult, and those without experience might get lost even with a map and route.

Fortunately, the three of them were traveling light, and with Xi Beichen, an old hand who had traveled back and forth with Lin Xingchao, Lu Yuan's group traveled smoothly for four or five consecutive days, and the route did not deviate.

"Whoa—!"

Seeing the sun slanting to the west and the sky growing darker, Xi Beichen, who was leading the way, pulled the reins, slowed down, and turned his head to say:

"Martial Uncle."

"The nearest county seat is still fifty miles away, and the city gates will close at nightfall; we won't be able to get in even if we arrive. However, there is an abandoned post station about ten miles ahead. Let's stop and rest there for the night."

They were all people who practiced Martial Arts, so sleeping in the open was nothing to them. Li Junxian nodded indifferently and said:

"Fine."

Afterwards.

The sun gradually set, and the light grew dimmer and dimmer.

After the group of three whipped their horses to travel another ten-plus miles, they finally saw a small cluster of buildings sitting alone at the end of the wilderness road in the distance as the sky began to darken.

It was, unexpectedly, an abandoned post station.

They galloped all the way and arrived at the entrance of the post station.

Lu Yuan swept his gaze over it and discovered that the place was surrounded by a half-collapsed earthen wall, inside was a ruin of weathered and fallen structures, and behind the ruins stood a dilapidated, drafty earthen building.

Xi Beichen, experienced, dismounted first to enter. Only after confirming it was empty did he beckon to signal them.

Lu Yuan and Li Junxian entered. It was clear that people often stopped here to rest, as many campfire remains were left inside.

They cleaned up a corner of the main hall, sat on the ground, and took out their own dry rations and water.

The group ate while chatting idly.

But not long after, a faint sound of human voices suddenly drifted in from outside, and it grew clearer, as if others were approaching.

Hm?

At this, Lu Yuan's expression shifted slightly. He walked out quickly with Xi Beichen to peer over the dilapidated wall, and saw a horse troop rapidly approaching from under the gloomy sky.

The troop consisted of seven or eight people and over ten horses. Several of the unridden horses carried cargo, appearing to be a merchant caravan.

These people soon arrived near the post station and clearly discovered Lu Yuan and Xi Beichen by the wall.

On a tall horse at the lead, a bearded man with a large saber on his back waved his hand vigilantly, causing the entire troop to stop, then he stepped forward and shouted in a low voice:

"Which group of friends is inside the post station?"

Li Junxian also walked out to check. Xi Beichen, having traveled far and wide with Lin Xingchao, was more experienced and immediately responded in a loud voice:

"Just passing through to rest; the road is wide, let's each go our own way!"

The man on horseback did not relax his vigilance: "We are escort Martial Masters from the Zhen'an Escort Agency of Wuhua Prefecture. We are returning from a business trip and are also stopping to rest. May I enter to take a look?"

"Horse bandits and robbers are rampant in this area. This person is likely worried that we are trouble, so he wants to confirm."

Xi Beichen explained to Lu Yuan, then looked at the big man:

"This is not private property; please do as you wish."

The man on horseback rode forward alone, circling the post station quite cautiously.

This man was tall and sturdy, powerful, with slightly bulging temples; his expression and bearing all revealed him to be a Martial Arts expert, at least at the Bone Forging realm.

After he discovered through the broken and weathered gate and walls that there was no ambush inside, he first cupped his hands to Xi Beichen, then turned his head and said:

"You all come over."

Subsequently, the people from the horse troop behind stepped forward, dismounted in unison, held their sabers and led their horses, and followed the bearded man into the post station one after another.

This group of people all wore identical black short-sleeved outfits, carried fine weapons, and had a fierce temperament; none of them appeared to be below the Muscle Training level.

However.

Just as these people had finished tethering their horses, unloading their cargo, and settling their mounts under the gaze of Lu Yuan and Xi Beichen.

Outside the post station, a burst of rapid hoofbeats suddenly drifted in.

The leading escort Martial Master was startled and walked quickly to the edge of the wall, seeing a large group of people and horses galloping toward them under the gloomy sky, emitting malicious, ghost-like howls.

"Oh no!"

His face changed drastically:

"It's horse bandits! They've been following us from behind!"

Once these words were spoken, the other seven escort Martial Masters faced a great enemy, drawing their weapons one after another. Two of them even pulled out two Firearms from somewhere and stood by the wall, ready for battle.

Separated by several yards, Li Junxian vaguely saw that many of the horse bandits galloping toward them also held long and short guns, and were firing blank shots in succession as a show of force, causing him to knit his brows:

"So many Firearms? I haven't traveled far in many years; have the horse bandits become this rampant now?"

Xi Beichen sighed:

"Uncle-Master, you don't know. Nowadays, the world is not just about collusion between officials and merchants, but collusion between officials and bandits. Whether in Jinjin or other places, as long as it is a trade route, there must be traces of horse bandits. These people occupy the mountains as kings, plundering and committing atrocities. Local officials either turn a blind eye or are bought off, keeping one eye open and one eye shut. By comparison, what does it matter if they get a dozen or so guns?"

While the two were talking.

The people and horses in the distance had already pressed right up to the post station amidst the thunderous sound of hooves.

This group of horse bandits totaled about twenty people. Under the light of torches, more than half of them had fierce expressions and held long and short Firearms pointed at the people behind the wall.

The leader was a one-eyed man wearing an eye patch. He rode his horse out from the crowd amidst the ghost-like howls of his subordinates and said unhurriedly:

"Friends inside, don't hide. I, Duyan Jiao, have personally brought people out to forage; did you really think you could hide from us?"

Lu Yuan and the other two naturally knew nothing of the name Duyan Jiao, but the escort Martial Masters of the Zhen'an Escort Agency clearly knew it well. The leading bearded man appeared from behind the dilapidated wall and managed a stiff, cupped-hand smile:

"So it is Brother Duyan Jiao. We are Martial Masters from the Zhen'an Escort Agency. Our agency has dealt with you once before; I didn't expect to meet you here tonight."

Duyan Jiao was a group of horse bandits that had recently emerged in this area.

He was highly skilled in Martial Arts, rumored to have reached the Fourth Realm Thunder Sound realm, and could be called a crane among chickens among the horse bandits.

Especially, unlike other horse bandits who only had a few men and sporadic Firearms, this person had somehow obtained over ten Firearms and raised a horse bandit troop, stirring up trouble in the Wuhua Prefecture area and causing countless merchants great headaches.

Fortunately, this person still followed the rules; generally, he only sought wealth and did not take lives. If they met, they would only take half of the goods, and if a merchant caravan was unlucky enough to encounter them, they could only consider themselves unlucky.

"So we have already dealt with each other? Then you should know the rules, right?"

Duyan Jiao toyed with a Box Cannon in his hand, his single eye full of playfulness and threat:

"I only seek wealth, not lives. Let my men inspect, and I will only take half of all the goods. Otherwise..."

Neither Duyan Jiao himself nor his troop of over ten guns was something they could handle. The bearded man from the Zhen'an Escort Agency could only grit his teeth and agree:

"Fine!"

Duyan Jiao waved his hand casually, and then several subordinates took the order, vaulted off their horses, and with chuckles climbed over the perimeter wall to enter the post station, where they began to search and take inventory of the goods escorted by the bearded man and the others.

And at the same time.

Duyan Jiao discovered Li Junxian, Lu Yuan, and the others on the other side of the perimeter wall, and could not help but ask the bearded man:

"These three people don't look like they are with you?"

The bearded man replied blankly: "I don't know them."

Duyan Jiao gave a dark chuckle and immediately waved his hand, saying:

"Very good, even a mosquito's leg is meat; two more brothers go over and search them, see if there is anything valuable!"

As his voice fell, two unremarkable horse bandits immediately took the order and, chuckling, dismounted and walked toward Li Junxian and the others.

(End of chapter)