Chapter 43: First Arrival at the Alliance

The scenery on this side of the Heavenly Ridge Mountain Range was quite different from the Northern Kingdom on the other side of the mountains. Although it was considered early spring now, in the Tianlan Empire, especially at the Heavenly Ridge Plateau, it should still be covered in snow, with accumulated snow lasting year after year?

But the vast Heavenly Ridge Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains, which lay like a coiling dragon, acted like a giant barrier. They blocked most of the cold wind from the frozen continent of the extreme north on the other side. This made the climate on the side of the Free Alliance much more humid and warm.

Early spring.

Here, one could hardly feel any chill. Looking around, there was lush greenery everywhere, dotted with various flowers. The sprouts of grass and flowers were growing vigorously. A youthful vitality rushed to their faces.

That caravan moved forward cautiously along the slightly rugged and steep mountain path. Because the horses were carrying goods, they were being led on foot. Those not-very-expensive horses were good at carrying loads. Each of the short, sturdy, mixed-color horses could carry at least two or three hundred catties. They walked forward at a steady pace with small steps.

That carriage was also very old. The goods covered with felt were piled high, making the wheels creak under the weight.

“Hey, brothers over there. We mean no harm. We just want to ask for directions.” Lei Qing and Zuo Qianqian appeared out of nowhere on the left side of the caravan. To show that they were not robbers, Lei Qing raised his hands high and smiled.

Sword sounds rang out in response. A series of drawing swords and daggers was heard. The other party, more than ten people, immediately went into a combat stance. They protected the horses and goods behind them, forming a semicircular arc facing Lei Qing and the others. At the back of the team, there were also three or four archers.

Those horses seemed well-trained. At such a time, not a single horse neighed or cried out in panic.

A large man with a yellow face, wearing coarse linen clothes, stepped out from the group. He stared at Lei Qing, Zuo Qianqian, and the dog with an unfriendly look, as if sizing them up. He held his geese-feather blade warily and said in a deep voice, “Friend, tell us where you come from. We are the caravan of the Li Chamber of Commerce. Don’t open your eyes and look for trouble.”

Lei Qing looked at him and felt that this person’s aura could only be considered mediocre, somewhere between High-stage Black Iron and the peak, not even reaching the Bronze-rank. However, even so, it did not mean this team was weak.

In fact, a Black Iron-rank person was already considered a pretty good minor powerhouse. And some people who reached the Bronze-rank had better choices. For example, joining the regular army, having a proper background, and promoting step by step in the future. They might even become generals. Once opportunities arose, being ennobled was not completely impossible.

Just like the Lei Family, which established its merit through martial arts. Most family members would join the army to temper themselves and grow. And Lei Qing himself, if that accident had not happened, might have been sent to the army to suffer hardship by now.

Of course, the situation in the Free Alliance was different from that in the Tianlan Empire. Tianlan was a strong empire. The biggest power in the country was the royal family, the only legitimate authority. But the Free Alliance was a super-power formed by the union of dozens or even hundreds of different factions. Among them, the top eighteen powers controlled the highest authority of the Free Alliance. Under those eighteen big powers, there were many medium-sized factions attached. Under the medium-sized factions, there were batches of small factions clustered together.

These big and small factions made up the territory of the Free Alliance. But the Free Alliance was a semi-loose super-power. If nothing big happened, everyone managed their own affairs in daily life. The interlocking and complex relationships between these factions also caused complexity and chaos inside the Free Alliance.

Purely in terms of the internal environment, the Free Alliance was many times more complex and chaotic than the Tianlan Empire, which had centralized monarchical power. At the same time, this was also the best place for people who liked to roam. As long as one had strength and was willing to fight hard, joining those large powers was a positive and upward path.

This yellow-faced man at the front claimed to be part of the Li Chamber of Commerce caravan. And the Li Chamber of Commerce was one of the eighteen big powers that controlled the Alliance. This caravan was likely just a vassal of a vassal of the Li Chamber of Commerce.

Lei Qing did not care about these things. Instead, he smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, “So this brother is from the famous Li Chamber of Commerce? My respects. My name is Zuo Qing. This is my younger sister, Zuo Qianqian. We both come from the other side.” Saying this, he pointed to the majestic and continuous Hengduan Mountains. Through bit by bit of tempering, Lei Qing had now learned how to gradually restrain his aura to appear more low-key and return to simplicity. This was a necessary path for human experts and also a sign that his control over his Fighting Qi and body had reached a meticulous level.

In the past, Lei Qing had controlled some of his aura, causing Ouyang Ba, the Soul-Slaughtering Hand, to misjudge his strength. This led to Ouyang Ba being counter-killed by Lei Qing.

The yellow-faced man finally became serious. He stared at Lei Qing with slight surprise, saying, “So you are an expert. You can bring your sister across the Heavenly Ridge Mountain Range. That is remarkable, very remarkable.” Seeing the dust-covered and weary appearance of the two, the yellow-faced man believed them by about seventy or eighty percent.

“Just luck. We offended our enemies and were forced to risk crossing in secret.” Lei Qing said calmly and humbly, “Brother, we just want to ask where the nearest supply town is? My sister and I need a place to stay and rest.”

After feeling that Lei Qing’s strength was not bad and that he did not intend to rob their caravan, the yellow-faced man became enthusiastic all of a sudden. He waved his subordinates away and said with a smile, “Who does not have difficulties when traveling? Luckily, our caravan is also going to Qingshi Town, more than a hundred li away, to get supplies. Meeting is fate. Why not travel together? Also, my name is Jiang Yu. Thanks to the trust of my brothers, I lead them to collect mountain goods in villages around, earning some small money to support my family. If you look up to me, Left Brother, call me Old Jiang.”

“So it is Brother Jiang.” Lei Qing was also famous for his sweet words. He smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, “Since Brother Jiang is so enthusiastic, we siblings are strangers here. We will follow you, Brother Jiang.”

“No need to be polite. In this wild and desolate place, traveling together provides some mutual support.” Jiang Yu smiled frankly, “Come, make room for a horse. Let the young girl rest her legs and take a ride.”

Jiang Yu seemed to have quite a bit of prestige in the caravan. Although it was difficult to spare a horse due to the heavy cargo, someone still cleanly freed a mixed-color packhorse and led it in front of everyone.

Lei Qing did not decline. Relying on his thick Fighting Qi, although he had been weary all the way, he could endure hardship and persist. But Zuo Qianqian was not only young but also weak in Fighting Qi. Although she had never complained, Lei Qing knew how hard it was for her to walk.

Treating her like his own sister, Lei Qing affectionately lifted her onto the horse. He clasped his hands in greeting to Jiang Yu. Everything was understood without words.

With two more people added to the caravan, they set off again. After walking through a section of rugged mountain road, they gradually reached the flat plains, and the journey became much smoother. Due to the heavy load, the caravan did not move fast. It could only travel twenty or thirty li in one hour. Therefore, Lei Qing and the enthusiastic and frank Jiang Yu chatted casually.

Lei Qing gradually had a clearer understanding of the Free Alliance, which existed only in his concept. The Free Alliance, named for freedom, was perhaps too free. The factions were too complex, and the level of public security was far inferior to that of the Tianlan Empire under unified monarchical rule. The territory was filled with various corps, chambers of commerce, organizations, and families of all sizes. Especially in this remote area, thieves and bandits were as numerous as hairs on an ox.

Therefore, although Jiang Yu organized the caravan to collect mountain goods, it seemed to be quite profitable. In fact, it required trembling with fear and making connections everywhere. Moreover, hanging the Li Chamber of Commerce’s banner required paying a considerable fee. In the end, the amount that fell into everyone’s hands was much reduced.

Just as they were talking, a small group of cavalry appeared on the horizon several li away. They charged straight toward the caravan in an almost straight line. Even from far away, the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground could already be heard.

Jiang Yu’s face changed slightly. He immediately shouted hoarsely, “Unload the cargo, get on the horses.”

……