Chapter 712: Chance Encounter with an Armed Caravan, Both Sides in a Tense Standoff

Jier felt that this thing might be helpful for him to understand the local environment of the battle.

Therefore, he carefully closed the book and stuffed it into the small leather bag on his belt. He checked the remaining books and found that most were poetry and the autobiography of a playwright. There was also a book introducing the White Stone City Wall. Jier flipped through it and found that most of its length was dedicated to introducing the ornamental manors of various noble families on the west side of the White Stone City Wall, containing quite a lot of flowery praise.

It was quite boring.

Jier stopped caring about these books and looked at the things in the other boxes.

A small bundle wrapped in a napkin; when opened, it contained a set of exquisite silver tableware.

Jier raised his eyebrows: "Where did you get this thing?"

Ms. Feiniya lowered her head: "It was given to me by that damned man two years ago, as a sort of gift."

Jier curled his lips: "Probably snatched from a caravan's cargo. Let me see."

He examined the tableware carefully and, sure enough, found the crest of a certain noble family on the silver platter and the handles of the knives, forks, and spoons. Jier did not know much about this, so he could not recognize which noble family it was. This was not something an ordinary person could use; if it were not for these chaotic times, misusing noble utensils would be a violation of the law and punishable by severe penalties.

"It could be sold somewhere; there are definitely some guys with too much money who would be willing to buy a set to take home and use in secret."

Jier muttered this, and Ms. Feiniya looked at him in surprise after hearing it: "I didn't expect you to have such a view, Sir Knight."

Shrugging, Jier said indifferently: "At a time like this, money is more practical. Besides, the original owner of this tableware has nothing to do with me, right? I don't need to rush over to return the things to them."

Throwing the tableware in his hand back into the bundle, Jier tied it up.

There was also a pack of IOUs in the box. After Jier opened it, he found they were all small-amount debt notes written by gamblers after losing. These were of no use to him; most of these IOUs were written by the same person, with the only differences being the amount, the date, and the name and thumbprint of the debtor.

"What kind of people are these debtors?"

Facing the Knight's question, Ms. Feiniya's eyes drifted, and she said hesitantly: "Most are merchants who regularly travel this Shanglu, and the rest are those guys nearby."

"Hmph, bandits, right? I did hear from the captured bandits that every inn on the Shanglu was a place for them to relax after they finished robbing. Forget it, this has nothing to do with me either. Anyway, no one travels the Shanglu anymore, and these inns have all been abandoned and destroyed."

Speaking of this, Jier tore up all the IOUs in these bags, shredded them into pieces, and threw them into the dug-out earth pit.

This scene made Ms. Feiniya feel quite pained; after all, it was not a small sum of money. Even if there was no possibility of collecting those funds from most of them, if there were a chance to track down the Merchant Guilds where the minority of traveling merchants belonged, it might have been possible to demand the money.

But these had nothing to do with Jier, who was destined to just pass through this place in a hurry. Tearing these things up was just for the sake of feeling refreshed.

"Finally, let me see what else is left."

Jier bent down and took out the last small box, finding that the things inside were very miscellaneous, mostly bits and pieces of gold and silver that looked like they came from everywhere. There were small gold and silver coins from other countries, and just by looking at their size, one knew their value was far inferior to the standard coins of the Saint Hors Kingdom that imitated the Empire.

There were also gold and silver earrings and rings. Most of these things were crude, and one could tell at a glance they were used by men; the earrings were notably heavy, and the rings were thick and monotonous in style.

They were ornaments that merchants who had some money but very average status and taste liked to wear often.

Other things that looked valuable were very miscellaneous, including even dentures made of precious metal, cloak clasps, decorative buttons for cuffs, and badges and belt buckles inlaid with cheap reflective crystals.

"Are these things also obtained through gambling?"

Facing Jier's teasing, Ms. Feiniya held her forehead and said embarrassedly: "Yes, and they aren't very easy to deal with, so they just accumulated year after year. There are many similar things like people's clothes and smelly boots. Most of these were sold at low prices to other passing merchants and travelers. The young people in those caravans mostly like to dress like the Caravan Steward, thinking that their status will be about the same."

Jier smiled: "One can comfort oneself mentally, even if it's useless and a waste of money."

After checking these things, Jier put most of them back into the wooden box, closed the lid, tied it securely with a rope, and carried it away.

The group returned to the ruins of the inn in high spirits, and everyone talked proudly about the recent discovery, not expecting that the seemingly beautiful Ms. Feiniya would have so much wealth.

This was what the other gossiping young people thought.

Jier knew that the so-called gambling winnings were mostly just a cover; many of those items were likely stolen goods stained with blood, and the real reason was that they were hard to dispose of locally at a low price.

Because disposing of stolen goods by having them taken away locally at a low price versus selling them at a fair price in a slightly more distant place were two different prices.

The relationship between Feiniya and Shanlang Bani was not just that of lovers; the deeper relationship of plundering and fencing stolen goods was not something that could be said at this time.

After all, he said he would spare her life, so these matters could be set aside.

Besides, it had nothing to do with him personally; he was an outsider and not really here to uphold justice.

The group continued on their way, moving eastward along the deserted Shanglu.

That afternoon, this group of several hundred people surprisingly encountered an armed caravan.

This caravan consisted entirely of carriages and riders. The caravan drivers and Shop Assistants driving the carriages all had Throwing Spears and wooden Shields on their backs, and the caravan guards were even better equipped. All twenty or so were equipped with bows, arrows, and Leather Armor. In addition to wearing traditional swords, some strong guys carried steel greatswords, looking fierce enough to fight more than a dozen people alone.

When the two parties saw each other at a bend in the Shanglu, they were less than four hundred meters apart. The young Refugee men walking at the front of the team looked at the large number of carriages and horses in the distance, feeling at a loss and panicked.

And the caravan, seeing the Refugee Team on Jier's side, was even more panicked, because as soon as they looked up, they discovered that a team of at least several hundred people was blocking the Shanglu.

The convoy stopped immediately, and Wooden Whistles and panicked shouts rang out continuously. If it hadn't been difficult to turn around, the caravan's carriages would definitely have turned around and run away on the spot.

What worried the caravan guards even more was not just the hundreds of 'Bandits' in front, but whether there were more people ambushed in the wasteland and grass on their left and right sides?

Therefore, following the command of the guard leader, Arrows were continuously shot toward the places on both sides where people might be ambushed. But what puzzled them was that after several rounds of arrows, they didn't hear a single scream?

Jier's team also stopped in a panic, causing the carriages and ordinary young Refugees carrying things following behind to become slowly crowded on the road.

Only after there was no more room for people did some walk away toward the grass on both sides.

Fortunately, the young Refugees had seen similar armed caravans at the Baishi Chengqiang Guanka before. After the initial panic, they immediately sent someone to the back of the team to invite Jier the Knight and Bata'er Jiaoshi to come over.

When Jier was notified by the young man who ran over at the back of the team, Bata'er Jiaoshi had already gone ahead.

"It's just a caravan, what's the big deal. Send someone up to communicate; either they clear the way, or we clear the way. Someone has to clear the road so the other party can pass through the Shanglu."

Jier complained, but the young man who ran over to notify him said loudly: "Sir, but the other side is shooting arrows at us. They started shooting from far away, and they aren't just shooting at us; they are also shooting at the grass and Shulin on both sides of the road. Are they crazy?"

Jier laughed when he heard this: "Don't talk nonsense. They are probably just scared. After all, no one would expect to suddenly run into so many people here. It's normal for the other side to be a little careful."

The young man didn't quite understand, so he had to nod and try his best to run beside Jier's horse, trying to keep up.

Tianxuecao didn't run much either; with small steps swinging its four legs, it was already keeping up with the speed of the young man running beside it.

Jier's team was not very long, and soon he ran from the end of the team to the front. Looking up, it was indeed an armed caravan that could still trade during a period of poor situation.

The other side's scale was neither large nor small, with about ten carriages and roughly twenty mounted guards.

This was already a considerable force, because they were all riding horses and pulling carriages, so their movement speed and mobility far exceeded those of people walking on two legs.

The Shanglu sandwiched between the mountains that Jier and his group would take three or four days to walk through, the other side could pass through in half the time, or even less.

This was something Jier envied very much.

It was already afternoon, and the sky was getting dark; in a while, they would have to prepare to find a place to spend the night.

At this moment, when the two sides met, they both felt nervous and suspicious.

However, Jier's side was better off, because he knew that these people of his were just armed refugee migrants, not bandits.

But the caravan side did not think so, because before passing through here, they already knew that they might be subjected to potential attacks by bandits, so their spirits and vigilance were very high.

Now that they had discovered Jier's group, it confirmed the "bandit attack." It was just unexpected that there would be so many people.

How could there be so many people?

Absurd!

Can a single Shanglu support so many bandits?

"What should we do? Captain, you must quickly come up with a plan!"

The Merchant Guild Steward stood on a carriage and shouted loudly toward the Caravan Guard Captain. The Steward was not worried that the guards would join forces with the bandits to swallow the caravan's goods, because they were professional caravan guards; before leaving, they had all deposited hostages within the Merchant Guild. If nothing went wrong, the hostages would just do odd jobs in the Merchant Guild like ordinary Shop Assistants, but once something happened, unless these well-known caravan guards did not want their families, those hostages were very likely to be taken by the Merchant Guild to an uninhabited place and killed to vent their anger.

The Caravan Guard Captain was also a bit confused. It wasn't as if they hadn't walked this Shanglu before; before things became chaotic last year, this place was quite lively. Although there were bandits, they wouldn't say they would wantonly kill people and rob goods. In many situations, they just wanted money, or the caravan would leave behind a batch of goods for the bandits to pick up and rob, while the other carriages passed through quickly.

It was always done like that.

But nowadays, it was actually absurd to the point that so many bandits appeared, blocking the road.

"Could these bandits be going to attack Dorn Town? To burn, kill, and loot the town?"

After guessing casually, the Caravan Guard Captain immediately shouted loudly: "Quickly turn the carriages around! This scale of convoy cannot force its way through. We are retreating; the other side is all on foot and cannot keep up with our speed!"

After shouting to the people of the caravan, he continued to shout to his subordinates or cooperating companions: "Everyone assemble! Assemble! We will go up and repel the bandits' charge to buy time for the caravan carriages to turn around!"

This was a life-risking job, and immediately there were people who dared not risk their lives and wanted to flee along the way they came.

But the Caravan Guard Captain directly sent people to sandwich the horses of those fleeing, had them tied up with ropes, and brought them back.

The Caravan Guard Captain shouted sternly: "Run! Is running useful at this time? If you run, what will happen to your brothers at home? Are you not going to live? Untie the ropes, return his weapon, everyone charge together, listen to me, we can live, we won't necessarily die! Go!"

After speaking, twenty-one guard riders gathered together, one after another preparing their long-range Arrows, and at the same time, their swords for close-quarters combat.

They exerted force together and approached the "bandit" group in front at a constant speed.

But before they could get close enough to shoot arrows to obstruct the enemy, an armored Warrior riding a tall grassland horse rushed out from the messy "bandit" group, and along with him was a Priest holding a glowing long staff.

Hmm? A Priest?

Separated by one or two hundred meters, the leading Caravan Guard Captain saw this scene, and his brain immediately failed to process it.

He was still puzzled as to how bandits could have a Church Priest assisting them; wasn't this helping bandits do evil?

But immediately, that armored Warrior rushed over.

As soon as Jier saw the other side assemble more than twenty riders and charge over together, he felt something was wrong. He swapped his perspective to the other side's and immediately understood what they were going to do.

"Everyone retreat, pay attention to dodging the Arrows!"

Jier shouted, then kicked the horse's belly hard, letting Tianxuecao gallop out.

His right hand hesitated for a moment, still not gripping a weapon, but his left hand took the Elven Metal Shield from his back to prevent any accidents.

Behind Jier, the Priest Bataer, riding a grassland horse, also saw that the other side was coming with ill intent, and immediately followed him out, hoping to prevent a misunderstanding between the two sides that would cause death or injury.

"We are not bandits!"

"Be careful not to attack!"

Jier shouted loudly, and the Priest Bataer also hurriedly used a short Prayer to cast a Divine Art that amplified his own voice. His voice was much louder than the voice Jier shouted in an emergency.

"Yes, we are not bandits! Caravan guards in front, we are not bandits! Do not attack! Do not have a misunderstanding!"

The voice rolled out, allowing even the riders surrounded by the noise of a large number of horses galloping to hear it.

"Not bandits?"

"Is it true? Captain?"

"I don't know either! Take out the bows and arrows, be careful!"

Although he said that, he still slowed down, and the other riders following behind also slowed down accordingly. He hurriedly added a sentence: "Be careful of potential traps from the bandits! Everyone pay attention!"

The two sides approached quickly on horseback. Jier's equipment, wearing Metal Armor, made the riders extra nervous: "Captain! Can't let them get close! Otherwise, it will be hard to deal with! Very dangerous!"

The Caravan Guard Captain certainly knew that although they also had armor on their bodies, they were all simple Leather Armor. If they were poked by the cavalry lances on the backs of the opposing riders' horses, it would be a hole through the front and back of the body, and they would immediately lose their lives.

But at this time, not only was the opposing Priest emitting a rolling voice of dissuasion, but the approaching armored rider was also shouting, and the content was about the same.

Taking a deep breath, the Caravan Guard Captain hurriedly shouted: "Stop! Don't get closer! People on the opposite side, stop!"

His voice was not loud enough, but fortunately, there were other companions and subordinates around him. Twenty-one people shouted together, and the sound was not small: "Stop! Don't get closer! People in front, stop!"

Saying to stop, at the same time, the bows and arrows in their hands were also notched, ready to draw and shoot at any time.

If the other side didn't stop, they would shoot arrows and then go up to fight. If the other side stopped, then there would be communication.

The desolate and uninhabited wilderness Shanglu was like this, not to mention places where bandits often appeared.

Jier narrowed his eyes. His eyesight was good, so he naturally saw the other side's plan and their guarded bows and arrows.

Hesitating for a moment, Jier still stopped. Even though he stopped the horse fifty or sixty meters away from the other side, he was completely within the accurate range of the twenty-plus people's bows and arrows, which was very dangerous.

At least if the other side set a trap like this, his Tianxuecao would definitely not be saved.

Jier pulled the Jiansheng, letting Tianxuecao slow down, while vigorously stroking the mane on the horse's neck: "If they play tricks and let you die, little guy, I will make them pay with all their lives to avenge you!"

Tianxuecao gradually stopped and neighed in response.

Stopping at the other side's request, the other side's twenty-plus riders also stopped at a distance. Half of them drew their swords and weapons, and half of them raised their bows and arrows, pointing them at this side from afar.

The Priest Bataer also arrived at this time. Seeing Jier stop, he also stopped.

"So, what is the situation now?"

The Priest was panting; shouting loudly just now made him a bit dizzy, and accelerating the horse so quickly also made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

Jier raised his finger and pointed at the other side: "There was no misunderstanding or conflict, you go up and communicate. You are a Church Priest, your words should be enough to gain the trust of strangers."

Patting his flushed cheeks brought on by nervousness, the Priest Bataer responded, then threw his Amber Metal Long Staff to the warrior Jier, while he himself lightly kicked his horse's belly and, with both hands raised high, slowly approached.

The other side did not recklessly shoot arrows either, clearly having seen the Church Robe on the Priest Bataer. Regardless of whether this clothing was real or fake, they could not act rashly before judging clearly.

"Everyone be careful, don't be nervous. Listen to my orders, don't make any moves yourself!"

Warning his subordinates and companions, the leading Caravan Guard Captain put away his Round Shield and Battle Knife, and also carefully approached forward.