Chapter 8: Encounter on the Road

The ox cart continued its journey south.

As the sun gradually climbed higher, evaporating the morning dew, the chirping of insects rose and fell in the roadside grass.

Shen Qingci sat under the cart's awning. Her gaze occasionally drifted to the back of the figure sitting at the front, though she would quickly avert her eyes the moment they landed on him. The events of the previous night were still fresh in her memory. That incredibly embarrassing incident of relieving herself, in particular, had made her lose her usual composure.

"Mr. Lin."

"Mm?"

"We'll arrive in about half a day, right? Do you want to stay in Qingzhou City for a few more days once we get there?"

Lin Yan didn't turn around. His voice was carried back into the awning by the wind. "We'll see when we get there."

After a moment of thought, Shen Qingci couldn't hold back the words in her heart. "Mr. Lin, if you're willing, I can speak to my father once we arrive in Qingzhou City and have you stay with the Shen family as a retainer. You'll receive ten taels of silver a month and be given a courtyard residence of your own. With your skills, you shouldn't waste your talents driving a broken-down cart."

Ten taels of silver.

For an ordinary commoner, this was a massive sum. If one were frugal, they could save nearly a hundred taels of silver a year—enough to buy a decent-sized house in the city. Before he had acquired the system, Lin Yan might have actually considered it. But things were different now. If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to continuously take on tasks. Every escort mission was an opportunity, and the rewards provided by the system were more precious than anything else in the world. Staying with the Shen family as a retainer would certainly provide stability, but it also meant it would be difficult for him to accept new missions.

"Thank you for the kind offer," Lin Yan replied, his voice as calm as ever. "But I'm used to being free. I can't stand being tied down."

Shen Qingci fell silent for a moment. A flash of disappointment crossed her eyes, accompanied by a tinge of indignation. "Do you look down on my humble Shen family?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Sure enough, Lin Yan merely said in a flat tone, "The Shen family is a prominent and wealthy house. I am the one who is unworthy."

"That's not what I meant..." Feeling utterly frustrated, Shen Qingci lowered her gaze to look at the baby in her arms.

The infant stared back at her with round, dark eyes, a trace of milk still lingering at the corner of its mouth, completely oblivious to its mother's inner turmoil.

A heavy silence settled over them. A short while later, Shen Qingci suddenly asked, "Aren't you curious?"

"Curious about what?"

"About why those people went to such great lengths to target a weak woman like me?" She blurted it all out in one breath, looking up to glare at Lin Yan's back.

Lin Yan still didn't turn around. "No."

"Why not?"

"I do what I'm paid to do. My job is to deliver you safely to your destination. Anything else is none of my business."

Biting her lower lip, Shen Qingci glared fiercely at the back of his head, wishing she could throw something at it. This man was practically a stone—cold, hard, and impossibly dense. Turning her face away, she refused to speak another word.

Lin Yan didn't have any desire to converse either. Gripping the reins, he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Rolling hills lined both sides of the path, covered in a mix of wild trees whose leaves had already begun to turn yellow. Whenever the autumn wind swept through, the leaves would fall with a soft RUSTLE.

At noon, they stopped to rest by a mountain stream. After leading the ox to the water to drink, Lin Yan took out some dry rations and flatbread, offering half to Shen Qingci. She accepted the flatbread and silently took a bite. It was tough, and she had to chew for a long time before she could swallow.

Just then, the baby woke up, wailing for milk. Turning to the side, she unfastened her collar. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lin Yan stand up and walk downstream, turning his back to her as he crouched down to wash his hands.

A trace of irritation welled up in Shen Qingci's heart. Looking down at the infant in her arms, she muttered softly, "You're just like him, incredibly stubborn."

The baby, focused solely on nursing, paid no mind to its mother's petty grievances.

After resting for an hour, the ox cart resumed its journey. Neither of them felt like talking. There was only the CLOP-CLOP of the ox's hooves, the CREAK of the wheels, the howling of the wind, and the chirping of insects. There were no human voices.

They traveled like this for an unknown amount of time. As the sun began to dip toward the west, the mountains grew deeper and the forests denser. Crumbling stone steles and broken walls occasionally appeared by the roadside, suggesting that people had lived here long ago.

Shen Qingci, who had been silent the whole time, looked at these ruins and suddenly remembered something. Her expression grew tense.

"Wait!" she cried out abruptly.

Lin Yan glanced back. Though he didn't say a word, the confusion in his eyes made his question clear.

"We're nearing the territory of Black Wind Mountain," Shen Qingci said solemnly. "There's a band of bandits there led by a man named Duan Laoqi. He's a ruthless killer who wouldn't bat an eye at taking a life. We'd better take a detour."

"How much longer will a detour take?"

"Half a day," Shen Qingci answered quickly. "It'll add half a day to the journey, but it's much safer."

Lin Yan didn't hesitate and immediately turned the ox around. While he had the Golden Bell Shield, Shen Qingci did not. If she were injured in any way and the mission failed, it would be a disaster.

Just as the ox cart turned, Lin Yan suddenly froze. At some point, a figure had appeared on the road ahead—a young man with a sword on his back.

He wore a faded, washed-out cyan cloth robe, the collar slightly open to reveal the bronze skin underneath. A sword was slung diagonally across his back. The scabbard was black, and so was the hilt, tightly wrapped in thin hemp rope.

However, the most striking thing about him was his eyes. They were incredibly bright, so bright it seemed as if a sword were hidden within them. Merely by standing there, he exuded a sharp aura that made people afraid to look directly at him.

With a single, discreet glance, Lin Yan knew this man was an expert. A true expert. The sharpness and confidence radiating from his very bones could never be faked.

Lin Yan disliked trouble, especially during an escort mission. Thus, he remained silent and continued to turn the ox cart, preparing to bypass the stranger.

However, the young man approached them on his own initiative.

"Young brother," he called out. His voice wasn't loud, yet it possessed a strange, penetrating quality. "Is Black Wind Mountain up ahead?"

"That's right," Lin Yan replied with a slight nod.

Upon receiving a confirmed answer, the young man cupped his fists in a salute. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Just as the two parties were about to pass each other, Shen Qingci in the cart seemed to realize something, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Excuse me, sir, but might you be an elite disciple of the Celestial Sword Sect in Qing Province?"

The young man paused, a trace of surprise flashing across his eyes. "You have a good eye, Madam." He had no intention of hiding his identity and answered forthrightly, "I am Xie Yun, a third-generation disciple of the Celestial Sword Sect. May I ask who you are...?"

"My surname is Shen. I'm from the Shen family in Qing Province." Shen Qingci offered a slight smile. "Years ago, my father took me to your esteemed sect to attend a ceremony, where I witnessed the swordsmanship of your members. Just now, seeing your extraordinary bearing, I took the liberty to ask."

"Oh," Xie Yun murmured. His expression relaxed slightly, though the sharpness in his eyes remained undiminished. "So it is Miss Shen. Forgive my lack of manners."

His gaze shifted from Shen Qingci to Lin Yan and the ox cart. "Miss Shen, are you... returning to Qing Province?"

"Exactly," Shen Qingci nodded. "Young Hero Xie, are you heading to Black Wind Mountain to wipe out that band of bandits?"