Chapter 299: Chapter 261: Repairing the Gloves, Thousand Mile Mountain Ambush_3

A familiar sound rang out from outside the courtyard.

Immediately after, two armored men walked in.

One was Commander Meng Zhen, the other was Jiang Zhan, the Commander of the Eighth Tiger Camp.

The one calling out was naturally Jiang Zhan.

"Old Meng, why have you come?" Shen Yu rose to greet Meng Zhen upon seeing him.

"Wow, I haven’t had breakfast yet, are these edible?"

Jiang Zhan made himself at home, sitting directly at the table, staring at the spread of breakfast.

"Commander Jiang is here, feel free to eat." Chu Ming said with a smile.

"Then I won’t be polite." Jiang Zhan grabbed two pieces of pastry and tossed them to Meng Zhen before devouring his meal.

"Old Meng, why did you...?" Shen Yu looked towards Meng Zhen.

First, Meng Zhen gave a salute to Shen Yu and Chu Ming, then said, "Commander Jiang and I plan to make a trip to Qin Capital."

"On behalf of Commander Xiang?"

"Yes, we just visited the Commandery Mansion, and County Magistrate Xiao said that Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu was also going to Qin Capital, so Commander Jiang and I decided to come along."

"..."

...

At the east gate of Xirong County.

Chu Ming, Jiang Zhan, and Meng Zhen each sat astride a tall horse, dressed in Knight attire.

This outfit is most convenient for wandering the martial world, avoiding many troubles.

At the gate, Shen Yu, Xiao He, and Ye Hong came to see them off.

"Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu, originally I wanted Ye Hong to accompany you on this trip, but with Commander Jiang and Commander Meng accompanying, and Ye Hong not fully recovered from his injuries..." Xiao He expressed concern.

"County Magistrate Xiao, with Commander Meng and I here, there’s no need for you to worry." Jiang Zhan gently patted the horse’s mane, "I guarantee we’ll safely escort Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu to Qin Capital."

"Then I’ll rely on you, Commander Jiang and Commander Meng."

Subsequently, Shen Yu and Xiao He turned to Chu Ming: "Take care."

"I will." Chu Ming nodded.

"It’s about time, Commander Meng, Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu, let’s go."

"Get up!"

"..."

Dust rolled as the three figures gradually shrank until they disappeared.

...

Inside the territory of Pingzhong County, Thousand Mile Mountain.

Thousand Mile Mountain is a very well-known mountain range in Pingzhong County, stretching endlessly.

To get to Qin Capital, crossing Thousand Mile Mountain is inevitable.

Before Thousand Mile Mountain, there’s a town named Qianli Town.

Due to its geographical location, this town is bustling, and travelers and merchants passing through, heading east over the mountains, all stop here to rest.

Not only to rest, these people also wait for others, wait until there’s enough people to safely cross the mountain.

However, the name Thousand Mile Mountain does not just refer to the mountain range nor is it just an inevitable route east, but because of the mountain itself.

The mountain is prone to bandits and brigands, especially in a mountain range like Thousand Mile Mountain.

Merchants and travelers rest at Qianli Town to form groups, partly to deter mountain bandits.

Most bandits are bullies who fear strong opposition; if one travels alone or in groups of a dozen, encountering bandits is inevitable.

But if it’s a group of dozens or even hundreds, the chance of meeting bandits is much smaller.

Nevertheless, even with a hundred men, people in Qianli Town will still wait one or two more days, because there are not only bandits but also exotic beasts in Thousand Mile Mountain, man-eating exotic beasts.

"Doesn’t it seem like there are more people heading east through the mountains lately?" a traveler mused while drinking and chatting at an inn.

"Of course there are more, haven’t you heard? The Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition in Qin Capital is being held earlier this year."

"Really? No wonder there are more people."

"If it weren’t for having to feed my family, I would want to go take a look too."

"Give it up, have you earned enough from your escort jobs this month? If not, getting a deduction on the monthly salary is what people like us should worry about."

"Sigh... If it weren’t for encountering bandits on the last escort job, I would’ve met my target."

"It’s good you made it out alive, why didn’t you all wait to gather more people before entering the mountains?"

"Didn’t you know there are bandits and exotic beasts in the mountains? If it was ten years ago, you might even have encountered the evil at the temple in Thousand Mile Mountain!"

"Can’t do it like that next time."

"..."

Chu Ming spread his Sword Gourd Spirit to listen, while Jiang Zhan and Meng Zhen sat opposite him.

The three had traveled two days east from Xirong County to reach here, arriving just as night fell, so they decided to take a break in the town.

"This brother, you mentioned there’s evil in Thousand Mile Mountain?" Jiang Zhan raised his bowl of wine in salute to the adjacent table.

He had no fear of bandits, but encountering evil would be troublesome.

"Sir, you’re not from around here, are you? There is a mountain temple in Thousand Mile Mountain. Ten years ago, it was thriving with incense offerings, but later evil emerged and consumed everyone in the temple and those entering the mountain."

"And then what happened?"

"Then, experts from the Commandery Mansion intervened and exterminated the evil."

"So, the evil in Thousand Mile Mountain is a matter from ten years ago?"

"Indeed."

"Much obliged."

"Haha, when you’re traveling, there’s no need to be so polite. I’m Linn Yong, a Chief Escort Master from Celestial Treasure Escort Agency in Pingzhong County, and this is my son Linn Xing."

Linn Yong saluted Jiang Zhan and the others, as did the young man in his early twenties beside him, with sharp eyes.

"Escort Master Linn Yong." Jiang Zhan saluted.

"Are you also heading east? Judging by your attire, you’re Martial World Knights?"

"Escort Master Linn Yong, you have keen eyes. I am Jiang Shan." Jiang Zhan used an alias.

"Haha, in the martial world, one must have a keen eye."

"Come, let’s toast to fate, drink up."

"Linn Xing, offer your Brother Jiang a drink."

"Alright, Brother Jiang, cheers." Like Linn Yong, Linn Xing was also straightforward.

"Cheers."

"..."

...

Night fell.

"Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu, let’s make do here for tonight, and continue our journey tomorrow."

"Certainly, much appreciated, Commander Jiang." Chu Ming saluted.

During these past two days on the road, Jiang Zhan took the initiative to handle most matters, large and small.

In Jiang Zhan’s eyes, Chu Ming was just a frail scholar, and moreover, a young scholar only in his teens.