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墨書 Inktalez
The morning in Huangshi Village was very quiet, with early risers already starting to produce smoke from their cooking. In the distance, the vast mountains were shrouded in a light mist, appearing white and hazy.
Occasionally, a few faint roars from wild beasts could be heard, as if declaring their presence.
"Let's go. We need to reach Huangshi Town, over a hundred miles away, before dark. We have to join the Merchant Guild caravan there tomorrow morning; it's safer that way," Ren Xingkong waved to his son and mounted his horse, heading off into the distance.
"Okay, Father, I'm coming." After taking one last look at the quiet village, Ren Pingsheng also mounted his horse and galloped along the road.
Once they left, it was uncertain when they would return.
About an hour later, the two had left the confines of Huangshi Village and gradually entered the official road. The path widened on both sides, and more travelers began to appear.
Huangshi Village was quite remote, located in the southeastern corner of Snow State, about thirty miles from the nearest official road. There was only a narrow path leading out; anyone who hadn't been there wouldn't necessarily know about such a small village.
Along the way, father and son spoke little.
By evening, they finally arrived at their first destination, Huangshi Town. This was the most prosperous place Ren Pingsheng had ever seen; of course, he didn't quite consider it a city yet, but that was how he perceived it.
"Father, this Huangshi Town is really bustling! These buildings are beautiful; that city gate must be over fifty feet high! Just like what’s written in books! This is practically a city!"
Dismounting his horse, Ren Pingsheng stared in awe at the city gate, clearly astonished.
It was no wonder he was so amazed; growing up in such a poor and remote area, he rarely saw sights beyond Huangshi Village.
"There's nothing to be surprised about. This is just a small town with a population of less than twenty thousand. There are towns with fifty or sixty thousand people that are much larger! As for cities, they need at least a hundred thousand residents to qualify as one. Let's head inside; I fear they might have been waiting too long."
Hearing this, Ren Pingsheng momentarily couldn't process it all and dazedly followed his father into the town.
"Mr. Ren, you’ve finally arrived! I thought something had delayed you on your journey," greeted a stout-looking elder as soon as they entered Huangshi Town. He appeared to be around sixty years old, with graying hair, smiling eyes, and a rosy complexion—he looked quite healthy.
"Brother Liu, I’m really sorry; we’re not too late, are we?" Ren Xingkong cupped his hands in greeting and smiled.
"Ha ha, it's not too late, Mr. Ren, follow me. We are staying at the Huangshi Inn, everything is ready, and we will set off early tomorrow morning."
After a night without conversation, the next morning, after breakfast, the flag of the Wanbao Merchant Guild was raised. It was the convoy that Ren Xingkong and his son were going to follow.
"Mr. Ren, why don't you and your son sit in the carriage? Three hundred miles is quite a long journey," an elderly man with the surname Liu rode over.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Liu, but sitting in the carriage is too dull. Besides, this kid Lifelong is out for the first time; he probably doesn't want to miss the scenery along the way."
"Thank you, Uncle Liu, I'm fine like this. You should sit in the carriage instead; don't wear yourself out," Ren Pingsheng advised in return. This old man was named Liu Hong and was a steward of the Wanbao Merchant Guild.
"Ha ha, this little guy is quite interesting; Uncle isn't afraid of getting tired," Liu Hong laughed for some unknown reason.
"It seems that Brother Liu's goods this time are quite special; there are quite a few people here!"
"Not really; mainly we have collected a few precious medicinal materials this time. They are hard to come by, so they sent more people over from above, hoping that this journey will be a bit safer."
"The flag of the Wanbao Merchant Guild is not something ordinary bandits dare to touch; there's nothing to worry about!"
Ren Xingkong clearly had no worries at all. It should be known that the Wanbao Merchant Guild was rumored to have the support of the Canglan Sword Sect behind them. Speaking of the Canglan Sword Sect, their strength should not be underestimated as they are one of the three most powerful sects within thousands of miles.
According to the timeline, it would take about five days to reach Huangshi City, and the first day passed quickly.
A new day had already passed halfway; it was expected to be an easy day, but things did not go as planned. Just after leaving the boundaries of Huangshi Town, they encountered robbers.
To be precise, it was a group of horse bandits. Unlike mountain bandits who have fixed territories, these groups move from place to place after firing a shot between towns. This makes them difficult to catch; they have fewer concerns and are not afraid of offending any forces.
However, their disadvantage is that due to a lack of information, they can easily run into tough opponents; otherwise, they wouldn't foolishly attempt to rob goods from the Wanbao Merchant Guild. Those mountain bandits know very well that they cannot touch items from the three major sects. Even if you manage to take them, you won't live long enough to enjoy them.
"A bunch of small-time bandits daring to target our Wanbao Merchant Guild; they really don't know how to die. Go and deal with them," Liu Hong said with a smile, clearly not taking them seriously.
Ten guards were all strong and agile; it was clear they were skilled fighters. When they engaged in battle with fifteen horse bandits, they quickly gained the upper hand. In just a blink of an eye, several horse bandits were injured and fell down, blood spilling everywhere.
One unfortunate person had their throat cut, blood spraying three feet high! Seeing this, Ren Xingkong felt a chill run down his spine and cold sweat trickle down his back.
"Did you all see clearly? This is the outside world, the world you will have to navigate in the future. How does it feel?" Ren Xingkong asked leisurely.
"I see it clearly, and it feels... it feels very bad."
"Very bad? Come with me." Dismounting, Ren Xingkong walked over to where the battle had taken place, picked up a sword, and handed it to Ren Pingsheng. "Go, there's still an injured bandit left with little fighting strength. Kill him."
"Ah! Kill... kill him? But father, we have no grievances or enmity; how can I..." Ren Pingsheng was clearly frightened, his expression anxious, and his hand trembled as he almost dropped the sword.
"Grievances? Child, you are too naive. In this world, people are not killed just because of grievances. Think about those who died at the hands of these bandits; what grievances did they have with them? This is the outside world. Since you have chosen this path, you must walk it."
"But father, I..." Looking at his father's expressionless face, Ren Pingsheng swallowed back his desire to escape. He gripped the sword and walked over. Although he still couldn't accept it in his heart, he steeled himself out of trust in his father.
Around him lay more than a dozen corpses, sprawled haphazardly on the ground. The bright red blood soaked into the earth, and the acrid smell constantly stimulated his nerves.
"Hero, spare my life! I am forced by circumstances; please show mercy! I will definitely become a good person in the future." The bloodied bandit looked at Ren Pingsheng, who was approaching with a sword, and immediately bowed down to plead for mercy.
This made Ren Pingsheng, who was already feeling anxious inside, hesitate and unsure of what to do. This moment of distraction was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the bandits fighting for their lives.
The bandit's eyes flashed with ferocity as he grabbed a nearby sword and pushed off the ground with his back foot, lunging towards Ren Pingsheng.
Fortunately, Ren Pingsheng was not weak himself; he often practiced sparring with Wang the Blacksmith. Realizing the danger in an instant, he cast aside his worries and leaned back, rolling to the side. Although it was somewhat awkward, he managed to evade. The bandit was momentarily stunned, not expecting to miss.
Without hesitation, Ren Pingsheng executed a swift movement and sprang up like a carp leaping from water. He turned around and thrust the sword directly into the bandit's back. His movements were fluid and swift; at that moment, he showed no mercy.
As a result, that moment of hesitation cost the bandit his life as Ren Pingsheng pierced him from behind. Due to the force used, the sword sank deep into the hilt, and with his body leaning forward, he was almost pressed against the bandit's back.
Looking down at the wound where blood gushed out like a crimson snake coiling around him as it slithered away. Cold eyes stared at him, sending a chill through him.
At this moment, he was on edge, with only the sound of his heart rapidly beating in his ears. Thump, thump, thump, like thunder, the frequency was so fast that it felt as if his heart would burst at any moment.
"I..." The bandit struggled to turn around, reaching out as if to say something.
"Ah..." In Ren Pingsheng's eyes, that hand instantly transformed into a blood-red giant snake, raising its head high and cruelly lunging at him. The long, sharp fangs, reeking of blood, seemed to magnify in his vision. In the next instant, it was about to bite his neck.
"Kill, kill, kill." His already taut nerves snapped under the stimulation, his pupils dilating and even taking on a layer of crimson. As if driven mad, he drew the sword in his hand and slashed at the lifeless body of the bandit; in an instant, Flesh flew everywhere.
"Fool, wake up." Without any grand gestures from Ren Xingkong, he simply placed a hand gently on Ren Pingsheng's shoulder. The once frenzied Ren Pingsheng suddenly regained clarity.
Before he could make any move, he felt his body go limp and collapsed onto the ground.
Looking at the fearful and evasive gazes of those around him, Ren Pingsheng was momentarily stunned. His gaze fell on the blood-soaked sword in his hand and then shifted to the nearby bandit, whose face was unrecognizable and half of his body had turned into a bloody pulp.
"Wow..." He felt a spasm in his stomach and immediately turned his head to vomit uncontrollably.
His mind was filled with the horrific image of the corpse, as if his entire stomach had been emptied. Finally, he lay exhausted on the ground, a look of bewilderment on his face, lacking even the strength to move a finger.
"Isn't Mr. Ren's method a bit extreme? After all, he's still just a child. In a few years, he'll gradually learn these lessons himself; there's no need to rush," said the elderly Liu with a somewhat complicated expression as he watched Ren Pingsheng being carried into the carriage to rest.
"Perhaps. But since he's chosen this path, he'll have to confront these things sooner or later. I'd rather he learn it early. Who knows what he'll be like in a few years? In this world, people die every moment."
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