While they were talking, they saw a group of horsemen charging from a distance. The dust cloud billowing behind them signaled that they weren't the most pleasant company. Gu Shi Yi, adhering to her principle of avoiding trouble, steered the carriage to the side, planning to wait for the others to pass before proceeding.
So Gu Shi Yi sat in the driver's seat watching the group dressed in uniform blue garments and caps, with their short outfits speeding past, led by a handsome young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an overwhelming aura of arrogance. As the young man raced past the carriage, he glanced at Gu Shi Yi and the carriage and then immediately turned away. Gu Shi Yi, having gotten a good look at him, whistled to herself,
"Not bad! Although a bit too pale and quick-tempered for my taste, this man, if he went to the Yin Family, could win over most with just his looks, standing there. Those two old men wouldn't even be fit to carry his shoes!"
Thinking of this, her heart couldn't help but sour,
"She's a young lady, I'm a young lady, too. Her life as a young lady is in full bloom with men at her disposal, while I, at thirty, haven't even known the touch of a man!"
It is indeed upsetting to compare oneself with others, the more she thought about it, the sadder she became!
Lost in her thoughts, the group of horsemen had already ridden far away, and Gu Shi Yi drove the carriage on. She was unaware that right after the group had passed by, the leading young man, when almost reaching the city gate, suddenly pulled the reins,
"Whoa!"
The young man's steed reared up, forelegs lifting in the air, pawing for a few moments before coming back down hard. As he stopped, the dozen men following him all came to a halt,
"Young Master, why have we stopped?"
The young man sat upright on his horse, looking back and suddenly raising his eyebrows,
"Send two men to check on the carriage we just passed."
The servant behind him looked puzzled,
"Young Master, what do you mean? Is there something wrong with that carriage?"
The young man's gaze was stern,
"Fools, didn't you notice? That carriage greatly resembles the ones from our residence. Even the scent that wafted subtly as we passed it is distinctive to our household. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed amiss... send two people back to check!"
The servants exchanged glances, and two of them headed back,
"Yes, Young Master!"
They rode off at once, while the young man waited by the side of the road with the others.
At that moment, Gu Shi Yi still had no idea that disaster was soon to befall her and continued to leisurely drive the carriage. She hadn't gone two miles before she heard the rapid clopping of hooves from behind. Glancing back, Gu Shi Yi noticed it was two men from the group that had previously passed by, and she curiously observed them, wondering,
"What's happening... They are running back. Did they drop something?"
While she speculated, she saw the two men blocking the path in front of her carriage. Gu Shi Yi looked at them cluelessly, but inside, she had an inkling that something was wrong. One of the men bowed from atop his horse, asking in a stern tone,
"Brother, may I ask where you acquired this carriage?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Shi Yi felt a sudden pang of anxiety, thinking,
"Oh, my goodness! This... is this... the true owner looking for the carriage?"
How could she be so unlucky? Out of all the people in the world, she had to encounter the rightful owner?
Although she felt panicked inside, she maintained her composure. After all, after spending so much time in the Itinerant World with the Old Taoist Priest, she had learned how to keep her calm. She continued to feign innocence, saying,
"I bought it, sirs. You're asking about this... is there an issue?"
The two men exchanged glances. One of them rode around the carriage, inspecting it for a whole loop before calling out to the other,
"It is indeed one from our residence... Although the outer curtain has been changed, the materials and the style, even the paint smell... they're unmistakably ours!"
Gu Shi Yi inwardly groaned but put on an innocent face,
"What's wrong with the smell? When I bought it, the seller told me the wood for the carriage was brushed with grease, and the scent comes from that grease..."
The two men snorted in unison, and one of them reached for the long sword at his waist. Gu Shi Yi jumped in alarm,
"You... what are you doing? Let's talk this out!"
The man looked at her with contempt, moved to the side of the carriage, and with a flick of his hand, he pulled back the outer curtain, exposing the wooden frame underneath. He pointed to a spot that had been scratched,
"This is where our family's Mark was originally engraved, but it's been scraped off!"
As the two men looked back at Gu Shi Yi, their eyes turned hostile. Gu Shi Yi was on alert, but she pretended to be a law-abiding citizen who had unwittingly purchased stolen goods. She feigned shock and fear, waving her hands as she stammered,