Without a doubt, Cao Xingzhi's team was the largest amongst all the teams, and not just in terms of the wealth they carried, but also their formidable strength. They didn't have to worry even if they encountered looters.
Most people chose to stay away — to be precise, there weren't many people leaving Dingtai Town.
Because many of the townsfolk who couldn't escape chose to stay in Dingtai Town.
With their individual strength, they couldn't withstand the bone-piercing cold.
Moreover, aside from the severe cold, they might encounter hunting beasts on the road, or highway robbers.
These threats were beyond their ability to fight against.
And even if they reached their destination, they would still have to worry about surviving the winter.
Adding all this together, it broke their will to escape.
A sparse crowd relied on each other to move forward. Their destinations were not the same, but for now, they were all marching on the same path.
