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墨書 Inktalez
A barrel of gunpowder, two fuses ignited, one of them is bound to ignite.
After hearing Yuan Zheng's explanation, Lu Chen nodded in agreement and said, "Since you won't leave, I won't force you. After all, time is long; we will still be able to meet. I hope you take care of yourself."
Yuan Zheng nodded and smiled knowingly. Lu Chen's understanding brought her great comfort; nothing excites a person more than encountering someone who understands them.
The two continued to chat in the carriage for a long time until the carriage came to a stop. Lu Chen lifted the curtain, and Yuan Zheng slipped out like a well-behaved kitten.
Outside, the Prairie Strongman responsible for protecting Yuan Zheng was already prepared and on high alert. Yuan Zheng's life was their life; if anything happened to her, they would face execution by the Prairie King.
On the other side, Princess Zhulan and her companions were also ready, waiting to enter the Central Plains, pass through Qi Kingdom's territory, and then head towards Yushan Kingdom's Naval Base.
Before them stood a tall city gate tower with the words "Yan Nan Pass" inscribed on its plaque in bold strokes, strong and powerful.
On top of the gate tower, rows of soldiers armed with rifles were gazing out, curious about the unusual scene before them. Especially with the Prairie King's army approaching the city, they felt a sense of nervousness and unease.
The armor they wore was authentic Black Iron Armor, distinct from the Leather Armor worn by the prairie soldiers; the difference was significant and easily recognizable.
Once they entered Yan Nan Pass, Yuan Zheng would no longer be able to assist them. The journey was long and arduous; they could only rely on Lu Chen and his companions from here on.
Finally, the long caravan set off, slowly moving into Yan Nan Pass under Yuan Zheng's watchful gaze, officially entering the heart of the Central Plains.
Yan Nan Pass was the first major pass coming down from the northwest; it held great significance, just like Qingtian Pass in the southwest that led into the Central Plains. Both were vital chokepoints.
After entering Yan Nan Pass, Lu Chen and his group did not linger but directly traversed through the city and rushed out towards the northeast without stopping.
Originally, carrying such a large amount of treasure would make it difficult for Lu Chen and his companions to pass through easily due to strict laws in Da Zhou. They could face severe inspections and interrogations.
Upon seeing four or five large boxes piled up on the carriage, all nailed shut with copper nails and sealed tightly, it was clear that what lay inside was not ordinary.
However, Lu Chen and his companions were able to easily enter the pass without encountering any obstacles.
On the surface, Lu Chen and his companions were just a group of ordinary merchants, with their boxes filled with precious spices and decorative items brought from outside the pass. Of course, this was merely a facade.
The successful passage through the checkpoint was largely due to Sun Zizhao's secret arrangements. He had already made preparations along the way, and all levels of military officers stationed at the Great Zhou Dynasty's checkpoint had received orders to let them pass as usual.
Although Sun Zizhao did not participate in politics, he could only be considered an ordinary merchant in the eyes of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a noble scion. More deeply speaking, Sun Zizhao was also a rebel and a remnant of the previous dynasty.
However, the Sun Family's business was vast, spanning the entire Great Zhou Dynasty and even overseas countries. The Sun Family had numerous acquaintances in the court, with countless friends interconnected.
For instance, Great Zhou Fortune King Huangfu Qi had a father-in-law who was the current Imperial Historian Zhang Yan. The Imperial Historian was responsible for overseeing officials; although he held little real power, he still had significant connections.
Huangfu Qi's defection from the Great Zhou Dynasty was treated as an accidental death, so his affairs did not implicate his father-in-law.
Moreover, Huangfu Qi lived in seclusion beside Sun Zizhao in Fishing Yang Province, making it unlikely for ordinary people to know whether he was truly dead or alive.
It was precisely because of this that Imperial Historian Zhang Yan could retain his official position and his life. Otherwise, merely having a son-in-law who strayed from loyalty would have been enough for him to face confiscation of property and extermination of his family.
Huangfu Qi's defection from the Great Zhou Dynasty was unavoidable; if he had delayed any longer, his fate would have been to become a stepping stone for other princes and grandsons.
Thus, with Huangfu Qi's arrangements, Lu Chen and his companions faced no real danger on their journey. Although formal inspections were inevitable, actual obstruction was impossible.
Additionally, Sun Zizhao had sent people to escort Lu Chen and his group. On the surface, there were about fifty or sixty Qi Masters, experts in the Body Refinement Explosive Qi Realm, providing a considerable combat force.
However, this was merely the visible protective force; there were certainly more hidden forces involved, though their exact number remained confidential—something even Lu Chen and his companions would not know for now.
They were responsible for ensuring protection along the way without any mistakes!
Furthermore, according to intelligence received by Princess Zhulan, additional forces were on their way to meet them and would arrive shortly.
Regarding Sun Zizhao, someone else was also sent over, and Lu Chen and Princess Zhulan were curious about who it might be.
However, it was unlikely to be an ordinary person; it could be a master from the Sun Family, otherwise, there would be no need to send a special message.
Although the Sun Family is a merchant family, there are also individuals within the family who practice Qigong and martial arts, so there are certainly skilled fighters among them. It's just that their business reputation overshadows their martial arts fame.
The carriage sped quickly along the official road, heading east after passing Yan Nan Pass, which leads toward Yushan Kingdom. To the south lies the direction of the Central Plains and Nine Provinces.
Lu Chen and the others were heading east, planning to gradually change their route toward Yushan Kingdom, following the same path they took on their way here.
When they came, it was safe, and not many people paid attention to them; after all, they were empty-handed and did not look like individuals carrying treasures.
When Lu Chen arrived, he was pursued by Sang Tuling and the Three Great Masters. However, this was not a significant concern for him; compared to his return journey, the two situations were entirely different.
Firstly, on their way back, the large Caravan itself was quite eye-catching. The boxes were tightly sealed, suggesting they were guarding valuable treasures; otherwise, why would they hide them so securely?
However, this was unavoidable; if the boxes weren't sealed tightly enough, they wouldn't withstand the bumps along the way.
In addition to that, there would definitely be many highway robbers and mountain bandits along the route. While these forces were not terrifying, they could still cause trouble.
Moreover, there were also enemies pursuing Lu Chen. He had far too many enemies, each one formidable and not to be underestimated.
Compared to these issues, the inspections at various cities and passes along the way seemed trivial.
The long Caravan slowly moved forward. At this point, in addition to Lu Chen and other core figures, there were already sixty Qi Gong Masters added to their ranks.
All of them wore black martial attire with their hair tied up in buns and held long knives. They surrounded the caravan at regular intervals.
They all walked on foot at a somewhat slow pace but maintained stability and strength. Each of them had a cautious expression and did not smile easily, exuding a considerable presence.
These individuals are the Qi Gong Masters sent by Sun Zizhao, responsible for escorting the Treasure and ensuring the safety of Lu Chen and others.
Since entering Yan Nan Pass, the terrain has changed significantly within a short distance; it is no longer flat but rather undulating, with many lush mountains along the way.
This type of terrain is the most complex and difficult to navigate. Although there are official roads, they are still bumpy and uneven, making it hard even for horses when going uphill.
In response, Lu Chen and the others took the initiative to unload the carts, leading by example to help push the carts and even using their own mounts to replace the horses pulling the carts.
The carts are quite heavy, weighing around five to six thousand pounds each, leaving deep ruts on the road that are quite noticeable.
Naturally, Lu Chen's actions inspired those who came to assist, prompting them to come and help as well.
As a result, their travel speed increased significantly, making it possible to cover two hundred miles in a day.
After traveling for a while, the cart in front suddenly stopped, and the horses refused to move.
Lu Chen released his Divine Sense to investigate and discovered something unusual; it was possible that enemies had come to confront them.
Sixty Qi Masters sprang into action, raising their long knives and surrounding the convoy while remaining vigilant of their surroundings.
Lu Chen and other core members moved to the front of the convoy and saw that everything appeared calm in the distance, as if nothing had happened.
However, the more quiet it was, the more dangerous it could be. An unusual calm often indicates trouble; horses are highly perceptive animals that typically stop or take a detour when faced with an irresistible force.
At this moment, Lu Chen and other core members stood in a line, with Lu Chen at the forefront, gazing ahead.
This was an open official road flanked by farmland, but at the end of this road stood a mountain range of moderate height, covered with lush trees and dense grass.
Using his Yin Spirit to look out, Lu Chen discovered that behind the grass and within the forest were at least a hundred people hiding, all armed with long knives and spears. There were even archers prepared with strong bows and crossbows.
They crouched on the ground like intense flames, very obvious, among them were even a few Qi Gong Masters.
These were definitely not ordinary Mountain Bandits or outlaws; the strength they gathered indicated that they were a unique group of bandits.
Lu Chen coldly smiled and summoned a Bear Demon Death Warrior, saying a couple of words to him.
Immediately, the Bear Demon Death Warrior drew his bow and shot an arrow in a specified direction.
The Bear Demon Death Warrior had not cultivated Yin Spirit, so he could not see the person hiding behind the bushes, but Lu Chen could. He designated the target for him to shoot at.
The arrow flew out and accurately landed in a patch of grass, but then there was no further reaction.
"Friend, why not come out openly and speak? What’s the point of hiding?" Lu Chen shouted towards the bushes.
Then, a person jumped out from the bushes, moving with great agility, like a monkey.
It was clear that this person was somewhat angry and very annoyed, but also shocked.
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