Chapter 59: Cousin!

As Wen Gu and the others approached Xinzhou City, the temperature dropped a little further, and it even began to snow.

Along the way, besides picking up a batch of survivors from hidden villages, there were also scattered refugees who had gone out to gather firewood only to return empty-handed, who surprisingly began to follow them secretly and spontaneously.

Sure enough, as long as you pull in enough people, there will naturally be others who follow.

At a rough glance, by the time they were about to arrive at Xinzhou City, there were nearly five hundred people in the group!

The cold weather and snowfall accelerated the decisions these people had to make.

"Once we cross this mountain, we should be there!"

Lin Biao was riding a horse, his face covered with a cloth scarf to ward off the cold.

The mountain ahead was neither tall nor steep, and the mountain path had clearly been maintained and was frequently traveled, easily accommodating the passage of horse-drawn carriages.

There were also relatively clear cart tracks from those who had traveled back and forth.

All of this made everyone in the group happy.

Even those who were sick from the cold gained a bit of spirit.

Some villagers ran ahead to take a look, then ran back to one of the carriages in the group to report respectfully.

As supplies were consumed, two carriages became empty. One of them was converted into a private carriage for Qingyi Daozhang.

Every day, those villagers vied to perform in front of the Daoist Priest, serving tea, bringing water, and running errands for him; the Daoist Priest spent most of his time in the carriage, and someone would pass the news from outside to him.

To gain the reverence of these people, Qingyi Daozhang only needed to use a few methods, a little Daoist Technique combined with some rhetoric, and he would have followers.

Among the supplies in the group, there was a share for Qingyi Daozhang, and the Daoist Priest was willing to spend it to decorate the carriage to be luxurious and comfortable.

Occasionally, when he stepped out of the carriage, Qingyi Daozhang's posture was even more...

Zhou Shan did not know how to describe it; when he reminded Wen Gu in private, Wen Gu smiled and said, "He is indeed getting a bit carried away."

Zhou Shan pondered this description.

Right, it was very vivid; he didn't know if it was because he had been flattered too much, but recently Qingyi Daozhang had indeed been acting a bit conceited.

Even though everyone knew that coming here this time was only possible because of the convenience of Wen Gu seeking out his relatives, Qingyi Daozhang seemed to believe that his own abilities could surpass Wen Gu's and that he could win more benefits for everyone.

No matter what others thought, Qingyi Daozhang felt that he was more like a master this way.

A master, after all, must have pride!

An immortal master must have the bearing of an immortal!

Qingyi Daozhang was in high spirits.

The Daoist, whose mindset had already become somewhat inflated, looked into the distance: he hoped that Wen Gu's uncle would not be unappreciative!

Previously, Gou Shusheng had written a letter; if the letter had been delivered, and if his uncle were truly in a high and powerful position, it would be impossible for him not to send someone to meet them.

Yet the fact was, up until now, there was no one...

Clatter, clatter, clatter—

The sound of horse hooves could be heard.

A troop of cavalry approached rapidly from the distance, their cloaks flapping loudly, and snowflakes were stirred up into a frenzy.

Lin Biao and Zhou Shan immediately assumed a defensive posture.

The horses neighed, and the cavalry stopped not far ahead; the white mist sprayed from the horses' nostrils carried heat, but it was quickly blown away by the wind.

The armored soldier leading the cavalry swept his gaze over the group of nearly five hundred people in front of him.

He could analyze the general composition at a single glance.

His gaze swept past the people from the escort agency and Zhou the County Lieutenant, bypassed that Daoist, and finally landed on Wen Gu, who was looking out from the carriage with the curtain lifted. The originally sharp gaze softened slightly.

Wen Gu's eyebrows twitched, and he got down from the carriage.

The leading armored soldier also dismounted; without looking at Lin Biao and the others in front, he stared at Wen Gu, cupped his hands in a salute, and asked in a loud voice:

"Are you Wen Gu?"

Wen Gu returned a scholar's salute.

"This humble student is indeed Wen Gu."

"Do you have a token as proof?" the other party asked again.

Wen Gu took out the token.

After the leading armored soldier checked it carefully, his stern face showed a bit more of a smile, and he became a bit more polite:

"Finally waited for you; we have been waiting for a long time!"

"Oh?" Wen Gu looked over with a puzzled expression.

"Your... your cousin specifically entrusted people to keep an eye on your movements; if they encountered you, they were to protect you into the city. If you had gone to Shuo City, there would also have been people to receive you, but unfortunately, you missed them."

As the other party spoke, he introduced himself:

"My surname is Yang, a Patrol Lieutenant of the Xinzhou City Patrol Guard Division."

Patrol Guard Division?

It sounded like a newly established military organization.

Wen Gu returned the salute: "Patrol Lieutenant Yang."

Patrol Lieutenant Yang glanced at the people behind Wen Gu and said, "It is getting late; you may follow me to the camp. Rest for the night first, and head to Xinzhou City tomorrow. I have already had people prepare ginger soup to ward off the cold."

Medicinal herbs were currently in short supply and too precious to be provided to so many people, and the price of ginger was also high now, but in times like these, ginger soup could still be produced. Anyway, someone else was footing the bill.

Wen Gu thanked him and returned to the carriage, telling everyone to follow Patrol Lieutenant Yang and his men to the nearby military camp.

Seeing this, the Daoist Priest's eyelids twitched violently.

This situation was not right!!

Emotions surged in his heart, and the arrogance he had recently built up gradually shrank back.

The camp was not far away, and the ginger soup had indeed been prepared; there were several large pots, and people were successively distributing soup to everyone in the group.

The treatment of the two Wen Gu brothers was different; their soup bowls were clearly much more refined.

Tietou couldn't tell, so he picked up the soup bowl and gulped it down.

Wen Gu, however, took a few extra looks at the soup bowl in his hand.

They put some thought into this; this is a precious item!

Resting at the campsite, Wen Gu asked Patrol Lieutenant Yang some things about Xinzhou City; he wanted to know what kind of model Xinzhou City currently operated under.

"Is it divided into an inner and outer city here too?" he asked.

"It is indeed divided into an inner and outer city, but the outer city has only just begun to be built," Patrol Lieutenant Yang said.

Wen Gu was even more curious.

Why is the outer city only starting to be built now?

Patrol Lieutenant Yang explained: "Xinzhou City is a border city. In the past, wars occurred frequently, and even when there were no major battles, there were many disturbances; it was never peaceful. Therefore, Xinzhou City still retains a portion of the ward system from several hundred years ago."

"After the world fell into chaos, the Zhao Family took control of this place and further strengthened the ward system."

Wen Gu praised in his heart: A wise choice!

The others in the group didn't quite understand what a ward system was; the main point they heard was that since they were arriving early, they could live in the "Neicheng"!

The Neicheng!

Sure enough, arriving first is good!

While chatting with Patrol Lieutenant Yang, Wen Gu discovered cart tracks on the ground from cargo vehicles, as well as some black particles.

Coal?

As Patrol Lieutenant Yang was speaking, he turned his head to look at Wen Gu and saw the smile on his face.

Wen Gu noticed the other's gaze and said, "After traveling all this way, we have finally arrived. Thinking that I will soon see my aunt, uncle, and cousin, I couldn't help but be happy!"

Patrol Lieutenant Yang then said, "I can understand that!"

He felt that this young cousin would be even happier tomorrow!

This group of people, with their complex composition, rested at the campsite for one night as they migrated north.

Wen Gu was even able to wash up at the campsite.

Of course, the only ones in the entire group who could enjoy such treatment were the two Wen brothers.

The next day, new, warm clothing was sent over for them to change into.

It had even been scented with incense that carried a refined medicinal fragrance. Such incense is not easy to obtain nowadays; without sufficient status, one couldn't get it.

Wen Gu's inner suspicions were also confirmed.

After changing into a clean robe, the fabric looked inconspicuous, but it belonged to a low-key luxury that was far beyond what ordinary commoners could buy.

Perhaps seeing that Wen Gu was physically frail, they even sent over a warm cloak.

After only one night, the people in the group saw Wen Gu again and didn't dare to recognize him.

Having washed away the dust of the long journey and changed into this attire, he looked just like a young nobleman one could not hope to climb up to.

Qingyi Daozhang was exceptionally silent today and did not even let anyone serve him personally.

After the group rested, they set off again, heading toward Xinzhou City.

This time, everyone had uncontrollable smiles and anticipation on their faces; there was no need to fear attacks from evil entities or bandits anymore, as there was an army escorting them on the side!

A night had passed, and the snow had long since stopped, but the ground was still covered with a thin layer of snow.

Wen Gu's carriage had also been changed; Patrol Lieutenant Yang had arranged it specifically.

Seeing the silhouette of Xinzhou City from afar, everyone quickened their pace.

As they got closer and closer, Patrol Lieutenant Yang had the group pause.

"I ask that you all dismount; for the next stretch of the road, you may not ride horses." As he said this, Patrol Lieutenant Yang looked at Wen Gu, "The carriage is fine."

The guards in the group couldn't understand; there was still such a long distance to the city, why couldn't they ride horses there?

However, since they were on someone else's turf and the Zhao Clan was the biggest here, if they weren't allowed to ride, then they wouldn't.

One after another, they dismounted and led their horses forward.

But soon, they heard a series of hoofbeats.

Weren't they not allowed to ride horses?

What were those people in front riding?

Looking from afar, it seemed like there were hundreds of cavalrymen.

What happened?

Continuing to walk forward, they realized that a particularly large carriage was coming from the front, and there were even three horses pulling it!!

Two squads of fully armed cavalry guarded the sides, looking exceptionally spirited!

"A noble is traveling? Are we not going to yield the way?" someone asked nervously.

At this moment, Patrol Lieutenant Yang walked over to Wen Gu's carriage and made a "please" gesture.

Wen Gu said nothing more, called for Tietou, and got out of the carriage to walk forward.

Behind him, Head Guard Lin and Zhou Shan wanted to follow, but were blocked.

Wen Gu raised his hand to signal to them, "It's nothing."

The two squads of cavalry approaching from the front had armor that reflected the cold light of winter, looking heroic and extraordinary.

However, Wen Gu's attention was not on them, but on the carriage that was getting closer and closer.

"What is that?" Zhou Shan asked.

"The Young Master's honor guard," Patrol Lieutenant Yang said.

"What... what Young Master?" Zhou Shan's teeth chattered.

"The Zhao Clan Young Master!"

Head Guard Lin almost dropped the horse lance in his hand in shock.

No, this... is it really okay to run into a person of such status right off the bat?

But he quickly came to his senses.

He widened his eyes, looking at Wen Gu's back in front of him.

Beside Tietou, the back that looked frail even while draped in a cloak, at this moment in his eyes, gradually towered!

His pupils shook.

Holy crap!!!

The two cavalry squads in front, after approaching, also dismounted and waited quietly.

A young man dressed in a satin robe with auspicious cloud patterns stepped down from the carriage.

The cavalry on both sides saluted in unison.

Patrol Lieutenant Yang naturally followed suit and saluted. Having just observed, he didn't know if it was because he was directly projecting the result, but he could actually see a two-part resemblance between Wen Gu and the Young Master.

The Young Master's mother and Wen Gu's mother were sisters, so they must have looked very much alike.

Looking somewhat alike, being close blood relatives, and having ability—this person Wen Gu, in the future, within this Xinzhou City...

Regardless of what thoughts the others present had at this moment.

Wen Gu walked forward at this time, his gaze clear and upright, the expression on his face carrying a touch of excitement at seeing a relative amidst his respect.

He bowed with a scholarly air:

"Cousin!"

(End of this chapter)