Chapter 545: Unable to Proceed

Gan Xing's footsteps halted.

He turned around and saw the leading young man already dismounted, striding toward him.

The smile on that person's face had faded completely, leaving only a chill.

"You just said, it was 'relaying someone else's words'?" The young man walked up to Gan Xing, staring into his eyes:

"Wouldn't it be better, Gan County Magistrate, to tell me who said these words?"

He paused, then curled the corner of his mouth with a meaningful smile.

"We've come all this way; we need to know who looks down on us."

"Could it actually be the Gan County Magistrate himself......"

The youth hadn't finished speaking, but his gaze already said what he wanted to say.

No matter how good Gan Xing's temper is, he can't bear it now.

He let out a cold snort, cutting off the other's words:

"I'm merely advising you."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the several young faces before him, his tone turning cold:

"If you insist on moving forward, I can't stop you. Good words can't persuade the damned."

As his words fell, he turned and headed back toward his carriage.

Behind him, the youth's complexion changed in an instant.

The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a chill.

He suddenly raised his hand, grabbing at Gan Xing's shoulder, his voice ringing in Gan Xing's ear:

"Who let you leave?"

Gan Xing's footsteps did not stop.

"A mere county magistrate dares to give us a cold face?" the youth's voice grew colder, "Do you really think you're some high-ranking official?"

His hand was about to land on Gan Xing's shoulder——

Just then.

A sharp bird cry came from the heavens!

That cry pierced the sky, drilling straight into the ears, shaking everyone present until their eardrums hurt, as they instinctively raised hands to cover their ears!

The youth was in such pain his face twisted, forcing him to stop his motion and look up at the sky.

Then he froze.

Above the sky, a huge flying bird had appeared.

Its wings spanned several zhang, its feathers gleaming with a dark sheen in the sunlight, its eyes coldly gazing downwards.

And upon that giant bird's back stood a figure.

The person wore a large black robe, its sleeves fluttering in the wind, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood, but that lofty, overbearing aura had already left everyone present without the will to resist.

Shaman.

Able to communicate with spirits, command strange beasts, perform witchcraft to reach the heavens——the Shaman!

The Shaman spoke.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly into everyone's ears, bearing an indifferent tone.

"Your actions are not the propriety of a gentleman."

His gaze swept over the several youths, as if looking at a few ignorant ants.

"To say your learning is insufficient is not wrong."

"Then return and devote yourselves to study."

His words fell.

The giant bird suddenly flapped its wings once.

A fierce wind rose suddenly!

That wind was not an ordinary wind; it carried an irresistible force, lifting dust from the ground into a visible whirlwind that swept straight toward the group of youths and their carriage!

"Ah——!"

Amidst the cries, the group of youths and their carriage were pushed by the gale, forced to retreat several hundred meters.

Some rolled out of the carriage, some struck the roadside trees, some fell face-first in dirt, wails filling the air.

But no one lost their life——the Shaman showed mercy.

Having done all that, the giant bird let out a long cry, turned its body, and flew toward Qu Ren Li.

In the blink of an eye it vanished into the horizon.

It left only a mess and the few youths scrambling to their feet.

"Pah! Pah pah pah!"

Someone spat out a mouthful of sand, cursing as they climbed up from the ground.

"What the hell is this?! Too much bullying!"

"Exactly! Just a shaman, what's so great about it!"

"My father also has a shaman as a good friend......"

They cursed, but no one dared to pursue the shaman anymore.

They helped each other up, cursing as they climbed onto the carriage.

But the carriage had barely gone a short distance——

"Roar——!"

An earth-shaking tiger's roar rang out from the woods beside the road.

The horses were startled, neighing and rearing up, almost overturning the carriage.

Several coachmen desperately pulled the reins, finally managing to steady the horses, but the animals simply refused to take another step forward, no matter how hard they were whipped, just turning in place.

"Dismount! On foot!" someone gritted out.

They got off the carriage, tidied their disheveled clothes, and set off on foot toward Qu Ren Li.

They had barely taken a few steps—

Hiss—

From the grass, a swarm of poisonous snakes had somehow emerged.

Red, green, patterned, big and small, they packed the road, heads raised, tongues flickering, coldly staring at them.

Some were so frightened their legs went weak.

"What… what do we do?"

"Detour!"

They detoured around the grass patch and went from the other side.

Then—

Buzz—

A swarm of poisonous bees flew in from nowhere, stinging them as they chased.

"Ah—!"

Amid the screams, some covered their faces and ran, some clutched their heads and fled, others were stung so badly they rolled on the ground.

After a grueling ordeal, they finally gave up.

One by one, they sat on the ground, grimy and dirt‑streaked, their bodies bruised purple and blue, faces swollen like pig's heads, all their earlier arrogance gone.

"We're not going… we're not going…"

"Let's go back… let's go back…"

Gan Xing stood where he was, watching the sorry state of the crowd, then glanced toward the direction the giant bird had vanished in the sky, remaining silent for a long time.

Then he laughed.

He finally understood what Yu Lin meant by "You only need to relay my words."

That's how it is.

He turned and gestured to his subordinates.

"Go, fetch a wooden plaque."

His subordinates were puzzled, but they did as told.

Gan Xing took the wooden plaque, had someone bring brush and ink, and wrote a line on it, stroke by stroke:

【Only those with abundant knowledge may proceed】

After finishing, he set the wooden plaque upright on the essential path to Qu Ren Li, making sure it was steady and wouldn't be toppled by the wind.

Then he brushed off the dust on his hands, turned, and climbed onto the carriage.

"Let's go."

The wheels turned, and the carriage gradually drifted away.

Only that wooden plaque remained, standing quietly by the roadside, waiting for the next traveler.