Chapter 1 The Cold Mist

The morning sun peeked out only a sliver of its face, and the rooster hadn't yet crowed. Tiger Head City was still shrouded in a layer of cold mist.

The steps were icy cold.

Blinded Bei knelt on one knee in front.

Behind him were Liang Cheng, A Ming, Xue San, and Fan Li, in that order.

The five of them knelt there in neat unison.

At that moment,

Zheng Fan, who had been sleeping in the room, groggily opened his eyes. Sensing something, he didn't ring the bell. Instead, he got out of bed and walked to the door.

"My lord, we're setting off this morning so we won't disturb your rest. But we must observe the proper courtesies."

Blinded Bei's voice was soft.

After he spoke,

Blinded Bei and the four kneeling behind him on the steps lowered their heads together.

"May my lord be well!"

With the ceremony completed,

everyone got up and left together.

From beginning to end, Zheng Fan stood behind the door, not opening it to say goodbye.

Only after hearing their departing footsteps did Zheng Fan return to bed, pull up the covers, and go back to sleep.

Blinded Bei and the other four had just left the inner courtyard when they encountered Si Niang standing there.

Si Niang leaned against the railing, smiling, and asked,

"So, you've said goodbye to the master?"

Xue San looked at Blinded Bei with some confusion and asked,

"Blinded one, didn't you say you were confident you could wake the master naturally?

I was waiting for the master to push open the door and say goodbye to us. I had so many sentimental words prepared."

They had all prepared their speeches, waiting for Zheng Fan to open the door so they could "pour out their hearts" to him.

Blinded Bei shook his head and said,

"My lord was awake."

"Awake?" Xue San was puzzled.

"But my lord didn't open the door," Blinded Bei continued.

"Why? Afraid of being overwhelmed by the emotion? Well, we're all grown men, so it's embarrassing to get sentimental. It's just a pity. I prepared for so long, and A Li even memorized lines all last night."

Si Niang chuckled a few times,

and said,

"My lord has been working hard at cultivation these past few days and is very tired. He sleeps until late morning before going to the yamen to sign in and then coming back to continue cultivating.

Do you think my lord is stupid? To wake up so early for no reason and then happen to find you kneeling at the door saying goodbye softly?"

Blinded Bei nodded and said,

"True."

"Hey, that's really awkward," Xue San scratched his head. "We got found out by my lord for trying to scheme and manipulate him."

Alas, I was originally planning to lick him one last time before leaving.

Blinded Bei didn't take it seriously and said, "It's okay. As a superior, he'll feel good knowing that he sees through his subordinates' little thoughts, as if everything is in his control."

"Hmm, what you said makes a lot of sense. So, does that mean we still licked him deeply?"

"Alright, it's really time to go. A Ming, A Li, Liang Cheng, you three be careful. Remember not to be reckless. Even if you find the target, wait a little longer. You must wait until the master enters the ranks."

A Ming nodded and said, "Understood."

"Si Niang, I'm counting on you for the matters at home."

Si Niang "tch"ed in disdain.

Hesitating for a moment, Blinded Bei still didn't tell Si Niang and the others about the Demonic Pill's homicidal intent that had erupted.

Because whether everyone knew about this matter would not have the slightest impact on the situation.

First of all, the relationship between my lord and the Demonic Pill was not something they could interfere with.

Secondly, with the Demonic Pill's abilities, if he really intended to become the orphanage director that he planned to create after this trip,

who could stop him?

It was like a game. Even though you knew there was a bug that could crash the entire game,

you still had to do what you had to do before it crashed.

"Let's go, hit the road!"

Blinded Bei waved his arm. Outside the residence, the carters were ready, with more than twenty large carts lined up in a row.

The current leader of the carters, the filial son Xiao Yibo, was already standing beside an exquisite carriage, waiting.

When Blinded Bei walked over,

Xiao Yibo knelt directly under the carriage, using himself as a human stool.

A smile appeared on the corner of Blinded Bei's mouth. Without any pretense of politeness, he stepped on Xiao Yibo's back and got into the carriage.

Kneeling on the ground, Xiao Yibo turned his head to look at Xue San, waiting for Xue San to also get into the carriage.

"I'm riding a horse," Xue San said.

Xiao Yibo immediately got up, brought his horse over, and presented it to Xue San.

"Haha."

Xue San laughed and leaped onto the horse.

Sitting in the carriage, Blinded Bei reached out and lifted the curtain, saying,

"Let's go. We'll rest at Mei Family Stronghold tonight."

After speaking,

Blinded Bei lowered the curtain and sat back in the carriage.

Inside the carriage sat two women, one dressed as a married woman, but not very old, like a young wife.

The other looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face and a slightly shy demeanor.

There was a small stove in the carriage,

and the younger one was warming wine,

while the older one took the initiative to help Blinded Bei take off his coat and began to massage his back.

"You?"

Blinded Bei asked.

"Replying to Master, I am Xiao Lang's legal wife."

"This servant is Xiao Lang's concubine."

"Xiao Lang was afraid that Master would be tired on the road, so he asked us to serve Master's daily life on the journey."

Blinded Bei nodded upon hearing this.

Without saying anything,

he calmly reached out and took the wine cup,

while,

enjoying the massage.

...

Tiger Head City was not far from Tu Man City. If you rode a horse, it would only take a day, but the speed of an entire convoy was definitely much slower than riding a horse.

In addition, this time the goods were all bottles and jars, so it was impossible to speed up.

Therefore, it was impossible to reach Tu Man City in one day.

However, between Tiger Head City and Tu Man City, there was a Mei Family Stronghold, which was very famous on this route.

There were many Wubao (walled village) in Beifeng County, densely packed. The so-called Wubao was equivalent to a small fortress.

Although there hadn't been a large-scale conflict between the Desert Barbarians and the Yan Kingdom for nearly a hundred years, small skirmishes had never stopped.

Therefore, the people along the border of Beifeng County naturally began to gather together and build their own village defenses. Once they encountered the Desert Tribe cavalry raiding south, they would rely on their fortifications to resist and wait for the court to send troops to rescue them.

Smaller Wubao might only have a few hundred people, while larger ones might have tens of thousands, but their scale was naturally not comparable to that of cities. They were densely distributed in Beifeng County, like iron thorns stuck upside down there. Unless the Desert Barbarians gathered a large-scale force, they would only be pricked until their heads were bleeding, because these Wubao all had their own armed forces.

And once the barbarians gathered their strength, or had this tendency, the Zhenbei Army would naturally have a target.

Mei Family Stronghold was not considered a large Wubao, with a population of just over a thousand, but less than two hundred able-bodied men with weapons.

However, because of its good location and the current lord of Mei Family Stronghold's good business acumen, he simply transformed his Wubao into a highway service station on the official road from Tu Man City to Tiger Head City.

As a result, the Mei Family Stronghold was doing quite well.

At dusk, the caravan finally arrived at Mei Family Stronghold.

People from Mei Family Stronghold came to take over, providing food and lodging for people and fodder for mules and horses. As long as you paid, you could enjoy any service here.

Even, Mei Family Stronghold also had Si Niang's old business.

Xiao Yibo took the initiative to once again act as Blinded Bei's human stool in full view of everyone, allowing Blinded Bei to step on his back and get out of the carriage.

If the age difference wasn't so big, people around might have thought he was serving his blind old father.

"Master Bei, I have arranged a superior guest room in Mei Family Stronghold. Please rest, sir."

Blinded Bei nodded, indicating that he understood.

Xiao Yibo immediately turned his head and said to his wives and concubines,

"Hurry up and serve Master back to his room to rest."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Xue San stood on the side, twirling his dagger, silently watching Blinded Bei enjoy the blessings of two women.

Xiao Yibo walked up to Xue San and respectfully said,

"I have reserved the top courtesan in Mei Family Stronghold, please enjoy her, Third Master."

Xue San nodded,

jumped up,

and patted Xiao Yibo on the shoulder.

He was very satisfied.

Damn,

finally someone discovered my specialty.

After Blinded Bei and Xue San went in,

Xiao Yibo turned around and began to instruct his subordinates to settle the goods and arrange matters.

...

The guest room was naturally excellent. In this wilderness Wubao, there was actually a small building with a Jiangnan water town style, and the layout of the room was also full of scholarly charm.

Blinded Bei sat down by the bed, and Xiao Yibo's wife and concubine looked at each other. Just as the two of them gritted their teeth, one preparing to close the door and the other preparing to make the bed, they found a short figure had already rushed in first.

"Yo, are you getting ready to sleep?"

Xue San tilted his head and teased.

"Let's eat together," Blinded Bei said.

"Okay."

People from Mei Family Stronghold happened to bring food, which was good and exquisite.

At noon, everyone had barely eaten some dry food, so they ate a particularly delicious dinner.

The wife and concubine served from the side, pouring wine and picking up dishes.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content,

Xue San yawned,

pointed to the two women, and said,

"Blinded one, you can't be selfish. Are you choosing the older one or the younger one?"

Blinded Bei said calmly,

"Only children make choices."

"Damn, you can't be so greedy, are you trying to force me to fight you?"

"Don't you have a top prostitute waiting for you in your room?"

"Prostitutes aren't as interesting as this, hehe."

"I'm impressed by you."

Saying that, Blinded Bei turned to the two women and said,

"Go wash up and come back later."

Hearing the previous conversation, the two women's faces were a little pale, but they still nodded and left the room together.

"Hurry up, don't dawdle, I can't wait."

From inside the room behind them came Xue San's urging, mixed with his dissolute laughter.

"Mieh heh heh!"

...

"Creak..."

The door of the hall was pushed open, and a servant from Mei Family Stronghold walked in.

At this time, in the hall, the hundreds of people who were dining all stopped their movements.

Some of these people were wearing armor, while others were bare-chested. All had weapons placed beside them, and none were unskilled.

At the main table,

Xiao Yibo and a richly dressed old man sat together.

The servant who had just entered walked to the old man's side, bent down, and whispered,

"Master, they've all eaten, and they're now calling the two young ladies to bathe and serve them, and they're planning to, to play together."

When saying these words,

the servant's gaze also deliberately glanced at Xiao Yibo, who was sitting beside his master.

The men at the surrounding dining tables also sized up Xiao Yibo, with many people wearing smiles on their faces.

Hehe...

The old man put down the bottle in his hand,

leaned back slightly,

and then,

slowly opened his eyes,

and said with emotion,

"So this is perfume. It's really a good thing. What's in this bottle isn't water at all. It's clearly gold."

Hearing this,

Xiao Yibo

immediately got up from the table,

and knelt down in front of the old man,

"Please, Uncle, avenge my father. As long as Uncle can help this nephew kill these two thieves, not to mention this batch of goods is yours, Uncle, the perfume formula is also yours!"

The old man reached out to help Xiao Yibo up,

"Hey, hey, Nephew, why is this necessary? Our two families have been friends for generations. Your father was harmed by treacherous people. Helping you avenge him is what my Mei Family Stronghold should do. What are you taking me, Mei Wannian, for!"

"This junior dare not. This junior now only seeks revenge and truly relies on Uncle for everything."

"This, naturally, is as it should be. Such thieves should be punished by everyone!"

After speaking,

Mei Wannian couldn't help but reach out and touch the bottle containing the perfume.

Xiao Yibo then said, "Uncle must be careful. These two, don't let their one-eyed and short stature fool you, they are not easy to deal with. Otherwise, my father, he, my father he wouldn't... wuwuwu..."

"Nephew, rest assured. Didn't you just hear? They have already eaten the food I prepared for them. Hehe, in a short while, even if they are both experts who have entered the ranks, even if they are both seventh or eighth-rank powerhouses, they will die!

It's just, it's a pity for Nephew's two beauties."

Hearing this, Xiao Yibo immediately shook his head and said,

"Two cheap women who have already been tainted. Their deaths are clean, and they are not worth regretting.

A real man doesn't have to worry about not having a wife."

"That's the reasoning. It's best that Nephew can think it through himself. The hatred of killing one's father is irreconcilable. Nephew, watch carefully, I will have my subordinates help you avenge!"

"Pa!"

Mei Wannian reached out and slapped the table in front of him,

and in his capacity as the master of the Wubao, he shouted in a low voice:

"Have you all eaten well!"

"We've eaten well."

"We're just waiting for the master to give the order!"

"Yes."

"We're waiting!"

Mei Wannian nodded and said,

"Good, a lion uses all its strength to catch a rabbit, even though they are poisoned, we must not be careless here.

Everyone,

tonight,

follow me to kill the thieves!"

Xiao Yibo seemed to be infected by the atmosphere,

got up,

drew out the saber at his waist and roared:

"Kill the thieves!"