The cold winter has passed and early spring has arrived. In fact, there are more and more traders entering and leaving the capital. After a year that cannot be said to be a good year, the days have to pass, so everything that needs to be done must be done. Chen Chao went all the way south, and in the official
We met many caravans on the road. Seeing Chen Chao alone, many merchants even took the initiative to ask Chen Chao where he was going to see if he was on the way. It was also a way to rely on him. After all, after leaving the Shendu, this Liang Dynasty was not the Shendu.
As it is here, at first glance, it is all prosperous. Those monsters that can be seen everywhere in Daliang Kingdom may appear at some point and bring death to them.
There were also some merchants who had hired monks and warriors to escort them south, but after seeing Chen Chao, they still stopped to talk to him. These merchants traveled all over the country and developed a pair of giant eyes in the world of mortals, which allowed them to see people very accurately. Although Chen Chao still had some
I was young, but seeing the knife in his waist and the pace he was walking on the road, I felt that this man was extraordinary. If I made some friends, it would be best to go all the way south. Maybe something would happen and there would be an unexpected surprise.
It's just that Chen Chao was determined to go all the way south this time, so he declined all these invitations.
After stopping and stopping, Chen Chao was actually not in a hurry to go to Jianqi Mountain, at least not that urgently. Therefore, after a few days, he still had not left Changping Prefecture where the divine capital was located. However, along the way, he was really
Encountering a few blind little monsters, they tried to see if they could eat Chen Chao in the dead of night. The final result was obvious. Although they had left Tianqing County for a long time, they still had the ability to kill monsters.
If the demon wants to cause trouble for him, the only thing he can do is die himself.
One evening in the evening, Chen Chao passed by a county town. It was getting late now, and the city gate there was closed. But in fact, if Chen Chao wanted to enter the city, it would not be difficult. He would have to either take the initiative to reveal his identity, or else climb up the city.
, but Chen Chao didn't want to choose between the two roads, so he chose to continue moving forward. Before he left the city, although Xie Nandu didn't see him off, he actually prepared a lot of things for him, including a lantern made of sea water.
The wick of shark oil is used as a wick, so it does not need to be replaced after a period of time like ordinary candles. Moreover, this wick also has the advantage that it is difficult to blow out in the wind, so Chen Chao does not have to worry about it going out.
Holding a lantern and walking in the night, it didn't take long for Chen Chao to feel some evil spirits ahead. In fact, it is normal for monsters to appear at night, especially now that we are getting further and further away from the capital of gods.
Chen Chao held his breath and gathered his aura, hoping to get closer to those little demons who didn't know how to live or die. However, after walking a mile, Chen Chao saw a ball of fire not far away in front of him. It was obvious that someone was there at night.
Stay outdoors.
Chen Chao sensed it. There was only a breath there, very weak. It should be a martial artist in the Lichen realm. Facing these few little demons that Chen Chao considered insignificant, he was afraid that he couldn't cope with it. Chen Chao sighed and finally
Still choosing to spread the aura, sure enough, after the last few little demons felt Chen Chao's aura, they fled in all directions.
When Chen Chao came to the fire with a lantern, he saw an old man holding an old long knife. Looking at Chen Chao holding the lantern, he immediately became nervous.
Chen Chao took the initiative and said, "It's a human being."
The old man's wrinkled face looked a little surprised, and the hand holding the knife became tighter.
Chen Chao was not in a hurry. He just stood there and stopped moving forward. He said calmly: "If it is really a monster, can you handle it?"
A monster that can take the form of a human is no ordinary monster. Let alone an old man, even a hundred more will not help.
The old man sheathed his sword and smiled apologetically.
When Chen Chao came here, he saw a mother and daughter beside the fire. The woman was quite pretty and could be said to still have charm, while the little girl had two braids and was very cute.
But he looks to be only five or six years old.
Before Chen Chao could say anything, the woman stood up and said, "Young Master is on his way too? Come and sit down, it's hot here."
Chen Chao didn't see much panic in the woman's eyes. Even the little girl just stared at Chen Chao curiously.
Chen Chao did not refuse and came to the fire and sat opposite the mother and daughter.
The old man also came to the mother and daughter and sat down, but not too far or too close, maintaining a subtle distance.
Chen Chao took the initiative and asked: "Since you are going out, why don't you hire some guards? There are really monsters out there that eat people."
Hearing this, the old man lowered his head in shame, while the woman smiled bitterly. If possible, she would have known to hire a guard, but she was short of money and had only one old servant to guard her.
When the woman didn't say anything, Chen Chao thought to himself and said, "Where are we going? If the road is still long, you won't be able to last more than a few days."
The woman thought for a while and then said: "Bailu Prefecture."
Bailu Prefecture is about a month or two away from here. Neither mother and daughter are monks, so they can't walk very fast. The journey of one or two months is definitely not a good thing for them.
Chen Chao said matter-of-factly: "That means you have to die."
After hearing this, the old servant was a little angry, but the woman didn't care. After hearing this, she looked at the knife on Chen Chao's waist and asked softly: "Is the young master a monk?"
Chen Chao revealed the woman's thoughts, "Want to hire me? It depends on whether you can afford the money. If you don't have the money, don't say anything."
The woman opened her mouth and hesitated, but after a moment, she took out a jade pendant from her arms and said softly: "This jade pendant is an ancestral item in the family. If the young master likes it..."
Chen Chao frowned, and then sneered: "Let's not talk about whether this jade pendant of yours can impress me. I just want your jade pendant and I'll just grab it. Why should I do this favor for you?"
When the woman was told this, she wasn't too scared. She just said softly: "Young Master doesn't look like a bad person."
Chen Chao asked curiously: "Do you still have the skills to read faces?"
It was said casually at first, but the woman nodded seriously and said, "When I was young, I learned from the elders at home, but I just scratched the surface, not too deep."
It was Chen Chao's turn to be speechless.
After a moment of silence, Chen Chao said, "You and I are on different paths. We can only go together for a few days at most. You have to ask for your own blessings."
The woman didn't force it, she just said, "It would be a good thing if you are willing to go with me for a few days."
Chen Chao nodded and said nothing more, but quickly closed his eyes to rest his mind. However, he did not forget to spread his breath, otherwise there might be many more eyeless monsters coming this night.
The old servant had been silent until now. After seeing Chen Chao enter trance, he looked at the woman. After a moment of silence, he whispered: "It's the old servant who has no ability and made the young lady suffer."
The woman shook her head and whispered in the same low voice: "Uncle Fu, don't say that. Without you, we, mother and daughter, would have died long ago."
The old servant was about to speak when he suddenly covered his mouth with his hand. His chest and abdomen kept shaking. He coughed several times. When he opened his palm, he saw a ball of dirty blood.
The old servant sighed. He was not a talented martial artist in the first place. In the early years when he was still in his prime, he had reached the realm of imperial law. However, as he became old and frail, and suffered a serious injury, his realm was reduced.
Falling, now he only has the combat power of the Lichen realm, and it is not the same as the ordinary Lichen realm. It can only be said to be a little stronger than the average martial artist.
The woman glanced at Uncle Fu with some worry.
The latter shook his head and said softly: "This is an old problem. Miss, don't worry. It's just that I don't know if I can go home with you."
The woman didn't say anything, but she was also concerned.
After that, the night passed, and the four people continued to set off in the early morning. Chen Chao was not in a hurry, nor did he deliberately protect the three people. He just encountered them, and that was it. They had been together for a few days, even if it was some of his responsibilities as the military attache of Daliang.
.
In the next few days, Chen Chao didn't talk much to the three of them, and most of the time they walked in silence. Different from before, those traders who were going south might have some intentions of going with them when they saw Chen Chao, but this plus a pair of mothers
Everyone knew that the woman and an old man who was about to die of old age were a burden, so no one asked if they wanted to go together.
On this day, we came to a small county town again, and the four of them entered the town. However, after entering the town, the woman asked a little nervously: "Can you ask the young master to take care of the little girl for a while, while Uncle Fu and I go buy some dry food so that we can continue on our journey."
Chen Chao asked doubtfully: "Aren't you afraid that I will abduct your daughter?"
The woman smiled and said, "If the young master wants to do this, why don't you do it now?"
Chen Chao was silent. Over the past few days, he had almost determined that the woman in front of him was from a high background, at least not from a small family. But why was she reduced to traveling with an old servant?
He took the initiative to mention it, but Chen Chao didn't ask.
Chen Chao thought for a while and nodded. Then he saw the woman said something in the little girl's ear. The little girl glanced at Chen Chao and then nodded reluctantly.
The woman said softly: "Sir, how about we meet at the city gate in an hour?"
Chen Chao agreed, and the woman walked away with the old servant, and then Chen Chao and the little girl were left staring at each other.
Although it was not the first day that the two met, they had not actually spoken to each other in the past few days. Now that there were only two of them left, Chen Chao didn't know what to say for a while.
The little girl just stood obediently beside Chen Chao, looking at the vendors on the street. After a while, the little girl looked somewhere and concentrated.
Chen Chao followed the little girl's gaze curiously. It turned out that there was a candy seller not far away. A group of children were pestering his adults over there. The candy seller was also very handy, and a piece of hot candy was placed in front of him.
He quickly formed various small animal shapes in his hands, which looked lifelike and very appetizing.
The little girl couldn't take her eyes away, and the corners of her mouth were already glistening.
She shouldn't be too greedy, maybe because she was born in a wealthy family and has never seen this kind of food before. She is 70% curious and the remaining 30% greedy.
For no reason, Chen Chao remembered the girl who saw roasted sweet potatoes for the first time.
He was in a daze and asked, "Want to eat?"
The little girl turned her head, looked at the young man who had never spoken, hesitated for a moment, and shook her head.
Chen Chao said thoughtfully, "I want to eat, can you please join me?"
The little girl's face was a little tangled, but she finally said softly: "Mom said that if you eat too much candy, your teeth will be broken."