A pair of thunder bulls rumbled along under a grey sheet of an overcast sky, the chilly winds howled and swirled in a unpredictable pattern, buffeting the beautifully crafted dark carriage making its way along the clay packed main road north of the Calabar province.
They were now about a week's travel away from the Pembroke province. The surroundings now morphed from flat green grasslands into overgrown brown trees ten or eleven meters high.
The occasional fierce-beast could be seen roaming through the twisty maze of trees but didn't venture down to the main road to cause trouble.
The Pembroke province was an under developed place. The roads grew rougher the farther away they went from the Calabar province.
The closer they got to the Pembroke province, the more the signs of ambushes and running battles became evident. The broken trees, dark scorch marks and scattered splotches of bloodstains that decorated the pothole riddled street, told its own story about the brutality of this area.
While gathering information back in the Calabar province, Qin Li had learned from the stable boy that the road to the Pembroke province was considered very dangerous by the locals. The dirt stained stable boy was very puzzled why nobles with no military escorts would dare set foot on the long road to the Pembroke province, they would only prove to be a juicy dinner for the merciless bandits rumored to operate in the area.
After traveling for a while the carriage came to a sudden and complete stop.
"Hartley come and have a look at this"
Qin Li's voice entered the cabin of the carriage as Hartley was sat motionlessly beside Zhi Ruo, both in deep concentrating while cultivating.
Hartley's eyes opened and a visible blue glow illuminated the entire cabin, this was the brightest it had ever been and was made even more vivid by the grey overcast day. Hartley had made great progress in these last days and would soon approach the thin line between sub-realms.
He exited the cabin walked around to the front of the carriage and hopped up to sit beside Qin Li.
"Whats going on?" Hartley questioned.
Qin Li pointed to spot about 20 meters ahead, two dead men were rotting in the middle of the street, arrows sticking out of their mangled flesh like needles in a pin cushion.
A black swarm of flies were lazily crawling over the corpses buzzing noisily, while others just flew in idle circles around the two gruesome bodies.
"Do you think its a trap?" asked Qin Li.
"I don't know, I can't detect anyone within 300 meters of us." Hartley responded.
"Move forward carefully and be prepared to defend the carriage on your side, I will take this side"
Hartley said as he concentrated on his surroundings. They moved forward while enduring the almighty stench, the smell of the half rotted bodies hammered into their nostrils threatening to make them empty the entire contents of their stomach.
Qin Li somewhat unskillfully maneuvered the carriage and beasts around the dead bodies, he inadvertently ran a wheel over one of the bodies laying prone on the left.
The flies scattered in all directions with a loud chorus of buzzing. More innards spilled out of the body making the unholy stench multiply at least three folds.
Then the loud sounds of Zhi Ruo vomiting out her guts came from the cabin, after hearing the retching sounds Hartley could no longer hold down the contents of his stomach either, he cocked his head to the side and puked up everything in his stomach with water running out of his eyes.
Qin Li shook the reigns vigorously and commanded the beast to move forward at a faster pace, in the end he too involuntarily retched up his lunch before they had completed their escape from the swirling flies and awful smell.
The carriage rumbled and bumped up and down as they made their escape from the range of the stench.
After another hundred meters Qin Li slowed the carriage down to normal speed again and let out an audible sigh..Hartley looked back in the direction of the bodies and said,
"I hope you find peace in your next life."
Zhi Ruo poked her head out of the carriage and gulped in the fresh air as if she was suffocating, her face was ghostly-pale, she couldn't even find the words to complain.
Their speed slowed as the journey continued on the bumpy road. After roughly half a day's travel, Hartley picked up the rumble of horse's hoofs coming their direction.
Six silhouettes mounted on horses appeared off in the distant leaving a dust cloud in their wake as they headed in Hartley's direction, as soon as the riders noticed the carriage they eagerly headed over with glee as if they had hit the jackpot.
The riders came to stop spread across the width of the road.
"Stop!" shouted a tall slim suave looking black haired man who took his position at the front.
"Ruo stay in the carriage"
Hartley turned his chin towards the cabin and instructed.
"OK" came Zhi Ruo's response.
"Well, well, well. What have we got here boys?" the suave man's voice echoed as the carriage pulled to a stop.
"Stay calm these are probably just the scouting squad, when I make my move you make yours"
Hartley whispered to Qin LI.
"Those arrows stuck in those two bodies back there are probably from these guys, they intend to kill us no matter what demands we negotiate with them keep that in mind."
Hartley quickly relayed his deductions to Qin Li.
"I am surprised to see nobles brave enough to travel around these parts" the suave man exclaimed with a chuckle.
"Boys today we have the honor of meeting these esteemed lords, hopefully your manners are up to par, don't not leave a bad impression, we would surely lose face."
The five mounted men exploded in raucous laughter at the man's latest statement.
"Who's in the carriage? come on out and meet the boys" shouted the man.
A thick heavy cloud passed over the sky making the overcast day a little darker. Hartley's eyes bore into the suave man's eyes unrelenting
"Who is in the carriage is none of your business, if you got no more matters then be on your way." Hartley snarled.
The suave man laughed,
"Look you little snot nose punk, he spread both his arms wide apart while turning his head subtly pointing out the surroundings.
"This not the lord's manor where you can prance around all high and mighty, this...."
the man paused before continuing, "is the real world. Around here we chew and spit out your type."
Hartley smiled "There are always consequences when you least expect it, that's the way of the world isn't it?"
The man burst out in loud laughter as he looked at the determined look on the youth's face.
"You truly have some balls young man." He smiled at Hartley and said, "I can spare one of your little lives, but that person has to join our Crimson bandit gang."
He then turned his attention to Qin Li and spoke.
"Hey bodyguard I can see you are a 2nd layer expert, if you kill your young master and the people in the carriage then hand over their riches, I promise you I can find a lucrative spot in the gang for you.
We are always on the look out for experts. What do you say? No longer would you have to grovel like a dog at the whims of this pampered young master."
He smiled as he offered Qin LI a life saving deal
Now it was Qin Li's turn to burst out in loud raucous laughter.
"No thank you, I'll take my chances with the," Qin Li scrunched up his brows then completed his statement,
"Young master."
Hartley ignored Qin Li's jibe and then without regards for the six people at his front he said to Qin Li loud enough that everyone could hear.
"This 3rd layer wind element expert should be great practice for you, lets see how quick you can take him down."