A few people burst out of the grass.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Xuan, anticipating the ambush, flashed to the side of the carriage to use it as cover, ready to draw his bow for archery.
On the other hand, Xu Feng was completely dumbfounded.
Although his mother was a barbarian, he was born to luxury and had never experienced such a scene.
Xu Xuan's swift reaction also greatly surprised Li Hu.
The next moment he stepped in front of everyone and said,
"Don't act rashly; it's a misunderstanding; I know your second in command."
With that, Li Hu took out a wooden token, which had some patterns on it, along with ten taels of silver, saying, "The usual rules."
The leader took the token and silver, waved his hand with impatience, signaling everyone to pass.
After leaving the forest, Li Hu spoke to the two of them,
"There's a Wupo Stockade here, home to a large band of bandits, but it's fine; we've dealt with them many times; pay the money, and you can go."
The larger mountain strongholds tend to abide by certain rules.
For merchants from afar, who might not pass by for years, they would usually just rob them directly, since they don't expect a return visit anyway.
If the merchant is local, they can usually pass by paying, as it is better to have a steady and long-lasting income; if they scare the merchants away, they wouldn't know where else to get their food from.
"I understand," Xu Xuan said.
Xu Feng remained silent, his performance had been far worse than Xu Xuan's, which made it hard for him to save face.
They passed through Mei Shan City without stop, as Li Hu repeatedly cautioned everyone not to resupply or linger in Mei Shan County City.
"Why?" asked Xu Xuan.
This time it was Xu Feng who answered, "Chen Zhou, Four Counties, are divided among three powers."
"The strongest is Governor Wu Lan of Chenzhou, who has been defending the Chenzhou Residence for generations, with jurisdiction over Chenxi and Crane City counties. Next is our grandfather, the Three Mountains Barbarian Guard; followed by Prefect Wei Clan of Mei Shan County and Prefect Wei Clan of Pu Shui County. The two Weis are one."
"The Wei Clan has always had conflicts with us, so we don't travel through Mei Mountain."
The other two powers each control two counties, while Xu Feng's grandfather, seeming unimposing holed up in the mountains, is actually the opposite in reality.
The other families have become clans, turning to commerce and officialdom, focusing on the interests of smaller households.
Meanwhile, Li Ming took over the barbarian tribes in the mountains and as the leader of the Mountain Barbarians around Chenzhou, he holds a significant military advantage.
Both families covet Li Ming's military strength, while Li Ming covets their land and wealth.
The hundred thousand population of Chenzhou is thus divided amongst these three families.
"The young master is right, so when we get to Mei Mountain, we must be extremely vigilant," Li Hu added.
"I see."
With a smooth journey, they finally left the domain of Chenzhou and arrived at Yiyang Nanzhou County.
At night, they reached this forest where nine corpses shed their long robes to reveal oil-paper packages bound to their bodies, which contained salt priced at three hundred wen per catty.
Xu Xuan and the others unloaded coffins from the carriage, opening them to reveal they were filled with coarse salt.
The others were a group of robust men wearing armor.
"Officer Wang, the goods have been delivered," Li Hu said with a smile.
"Hmm."
Officer Wang checked the goods briefly, then glanced at everyone, nodded slightly, and someone from behind handed him a bag of silver.
"Thank you, Officer!"
Without further ado, once the amount was confirmed, both parties departed.
The nine who had posed as corpses all got into the carriage.
Three carriages hurried back to Chenzhou City.
"Let me drive," Xu Xuan volunteered to take on the task.
Along the way, he kept his eyes unblinking, practicing the steady gaze required by Divine Archery Skills.
Archery requires not only strength but also eyesight; victory often occurs in the blink of an eye, and a strong archer can maintain constant focus on the target without blinking.
The mirror won't add points, but reflects one's cultivation progress.
However, watching the percentage of one's practice increase gives a sense of accomplishment that few can understand.
At the same time, he contemplated upcoming matters.
This world was clearly in the final years of a dynasty, with foreign invasions imminent.
Unprecedented turmoil was destined to happen.
As a businessman's family, the dynastic soldiers, warlord militia, refugees, and foreigners would all want a piece of you.
Warriors count for little amid chaos; it is spells that can ensure one's safety.
"Perhaps I should also establish my own forces," he thought.
No matter how skilled in martial arts, one is still vulnerable to crossbows and ambushes.
But spells are different; in this Magicless World, the might of a spell doesn't need to be very powerful; merely conjuring a fireball could attract many to join one.
While building forces, it's also important to collect a massive amount of cultivation materials; although there's no Spiritual Energy in this world, there is still an abundance of medicinal herbs.
Xu Xuan thought to himself.
Without realizing it, half an hour had passed without blinking.
His proficiency had also increased by one percent.
At that moment, something glinted in the corner of his eye from up ahead.
...
A group of black-cloaked, masked individuals were waiting in ambush among the grass and trees, holding cold, gleaming swords, with the two leaders each wielding a Strong Crossbow.
"The Family Head said to cut off the Xu Family's financial resources and teach them a lesson; kill all of them," they said.
The leader lowered his voice and whispered.
"Stop!!"
On the carriage, Xu Xuan suddenly spoke up.
The three carriages came to a halt.
"What's going on?" Li Hu stuck his head out.
"There seems to be an ambush ahead," said Xu Xuan, his expression grave.
"Come on, big brother, are you really that timid? If you're scared because we're out in the wilds, just say so. Ah Meng, let's go!"
Xu Feng, dissatisfied, urged the guard to get moving quickly.
Three days and nights without a bath had made him very uncomfortable; he now just wanted to return to the warm embrace of his maid's bedding.
"It's better to be careful."
"Then you stay here!"
Xu Feng mocked, then the carriage moved ahead.
Li Hu came out to mediate, saying, "Let's go, it's always better to be cautious... "
Before he finished speaking, a group of people leaped out from the bushes ahead.
Thud!
The tall guard was pierced through the throat by a crossbow bolt, splattering Xu Feng's face with blood; the man was so frightened that he stood dumbfounded.
Another bolt struck Li Hu in the abdomen.
Swoosh!
Another arrow was loosed, this time by the prepared Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan drew his bow and in two breaths fired two arrows accurately hitting the throats of the crossbowmen.
As the ranged attack ended, the opponents with swords charged toward them.
"Kill! Slaughter them!!"
Li Hu shakily stood and began to command everyone.
Soon, nine people inside the carriage, along with two other coachmen, drew their swords, jumped down from the carriage, and engaged in close combat.
Xu Feng sat dazed at the front of the carriage, as if he had turned into a fool from fear.
"Kill!!"
The two sides clashed.
Although the enemy leader did not understand why the people from the Xu Family reacted so quickly, there was no turning back once the fight had started.
Xu Xuan grabbed the carriage's side, flipped himself onto the roof, and from that higher position he started to pick off the enemies with his Ox Horn Bow.
Whether moving or engaged in battle with his own men, Xu Xuan could hit the enemies with precise shots.
The whistling sound of arrows tearing through the air was a death knell for the enemies, and a potent tonic boosting the morale of his own side.
The martial arts of a more advanced world were a whole level higher than this one; Li Qingshi of the Mirror Realm would be considered a top expert if he came here.
After all, he could consecutively shoot arrows and kill tigers and leopards.
But in the Mirror Realm, he would at most be considered a good hunter.
Xu Xuan stood high above; the crossbowmen had been killed early on, making him the focus of the battlefield.
Li Hu looked on with amazement, as if he was seeing this side of Xu Xuan for the first time.
Xu Feng had a complex expression, filled with both jealousy and resentment.
Xu Xuan's outstanding performance made it easy for people to reflect on their own inadequacies...
"Why! Why can the son of a Han woman have such good martial arts!"
The mountain clans are replete with martial virtue, yet the son of a mere Han woman...
At that moment, the enemy leader, under the cover of his last two men, reached the base of the carriage.
"Die, damn you!!"
The leader hurled a long sword at Xu Xuan's head.
Xu Xuan dropped his short bow, drew his long sword from his waist, deflected the thrown sword, and then jumped down from the carriage roof.
Mountain Splitter!
With one strike, he split the leader's head in two, and the blood-soaked blade got stuck in the chest cavity.
This move shocked all onlookers.
"Well done!"
Li Hu, dragging his wounded body along with a few guards, killed the last two men.
They removed the cloth covering the leader's face.
"The Wei Family's people! It was indeed these bastards!"
Li Hu, looking at the seven survivors, said, "It's not safe to stay here for long; we must leave quickly!"
Ignoring the dead bodies, they hurried on their way through the night.
At the head of the caravan, Xu Xuan was calm, his sweat already soaking his back.
Killing someone for the first time, he didn't experience the vomiting described in literary works.
Blood and brain matter were indeed disgusting, but not to the extent of causing nausea.
At most, there was a feeling of exhaustion following the excitement and an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
"If I don't kill, others will kill me. This is the first time, but it won't be the last."
That night, Xu Xuan officially transformed, no longer the out-of-place modern man.