My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 856 - 519: Her? (Quadruple Release)

Sun Gao thought he was going to carry a bookcase, but upon receiving it, he realized it was a large black cloth bundle, wrapped very thickly, about half a meter high, and very heavy on the back, as if constantly slipping to the ground.

Without some effort, it was hard to carry on the back. Fortunately, Sun Gao had been doing this job for a long time; otherwise, he wouldn't earn this hard-earned money.

"What's inside?"

"Just some books and a few paperweights and inkstones from my collection. It's normal for them to be heavy," the scholar explained.

Sun Gao weighed it and found that although it felt heavy, it wasn't as heavy as it seemed. However, it kept sinking down when carried, as if the center of gravity was uneven, which matched the scholar's explanation.

"What should I call you?"

"My surname is Su."

"Then I shall call you Young Master Su."

They traveled day and night for several days without delay. From the moment Sun Gao opened his eyes each day, he panted heavily and only stopped to rest when they lodged, falling asleep in exhaustion.

Money is hard to earn, and life is hard to bear. These three taels of silver are earned with the labor of a beast.

But the scholar Su was still anxious, thinking they weren't traveling fast enough, and used the excuse of "fearing trouble in the south and missing family" to urge Sun Gao to quicken his pace.

Early in the morning, the scholar Su woke Sun Gao up with a pale face.

"From today onwards, to avoid delays, you'll sleep with the baggage on your back," he instructed.

"Wearing it? Is it necessary to save that bit of time?"

"I'll pay you extra," the scholar said, taking out a tael of silver and placing it directly in Sun Gao's hand.

Sun Gao's eyes widened, and he swallowed his words with a gulp of saliva.

"After delivery, I'll give you two more taels for travel expenses, understood?"

"Understood, understood!"

Sun Gao carefully pocketed the silver and quickly shouldered the scholar's baggage like a precious burden.

A round trip would earn him six taels of silver!

If he saved for another two or three years, he could marry a wife and understand what it's like to eat meat.

...

The road the scholar wanted to take became more and more remote.

The narrow path was scattered with loose stones, and lumps of mud rolled down the slope at their feet, with trees rising on both sides, weaving a bleak and solitary space.

Though the south was said to be chaotic, and fearing the White Lotus Sect would storm the official road made sense, Sun Gao felt uneasy seeing the dense treetops eclipsing the sky.

The baggage was pressed tightly against his back. Sun Gao didn't know if it was his imagination, but it felt lighter than before.

The center of gravity had also shifted upward; initially, it kept dragging downward, but now it weighed on his waist, reminiscent of carrying his elderly mother.

And for the past few days, the scholar's complexion had improved significantly.

The mountain path was silent, only the crisp snap of dry branches and leaves underfoot as evening gradually set in. Sun Gao, having crossed the hillside, caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to look closely, his face turned pale.

"There's a person hanging there!"

A person was hanging by the neck, standing on a distant hillside; Sun Gao shivered in fear.

The scholar collected himself, squinted, and then, displaying a very cautious demeanor, said, "That's a bandit's lair. Let's keep our voices down and proceed slowly."

Sun Gao, panic-stricken, didn't have time to discern and nodded vigorously.

The two proceeded slowly down the mountain; every few steps, the scholar would stop, leaning against a tree for reasons unclear, regularly.

Sun Gao walked cautiously, fearing to provoke the mountain bandits, while the deep forest remained silent, with shadows extending claw-like silhouettes, and a faint rotten smell wafting from an unknown source, filling his nostrils.

Sun Gao's heart pounded faster, more urgently, yet he dared not speak. Looking ahead, the scholar in the lead remained silent, blending into the darkness.

As night fell and they passed the foothill, nearing the mountain's edge, Sun Gao exhaled in relief and glanced back, his heart racing.

On the mountain path, two shadowy figures had suddenly appeared, walking slowly on the path they'd taken.

Sun Gao froze in his tracks, not daring to breathe heavily.

However, the scholar beside him reacted, drawing his sword and shouting, "Who goes there?!"

The two figures, a man and a woman, seemed to emerge from another world, drawing closer. Their features were indistinct, as if faceless, appearing in such a gloomy place, making one's hair stand on end.

As the man approached, he spoke, "Just passersby."

"How do I know you're not bandits?" The scholar pointed his sword at them, undaunted and unyielding, lingering a half-step behind Sun Gao.

The man suddenly laughed, "We are bandits."

Sun Gao's heart jumped to his throat.

In an instant, without seeing the man's movements, the scholar's face turned pale with terror. He pulled Sun Gao forward as a shield, then, suddenly, a breeze swept by, and Sun Gao heard a dull thud, watching the scholar topple backward stiffly.

Trembling, he looked down to see a small hole in the scholar's head, his eyes wide open and lifeless.

Sun Gao screamed, falling to his knees, his mind blank. As the man who killed approached, he crawled backwards on the ground.

"Put that thing down," the man said.

Sun Gao gasped for breath, unable to respond, feeling hot between his legs, screaming "ah ah" uncontrollably.

Thump thump thump!

Rapid footsteps echoed in the forest.

The man paused, glanced into the woods, then quickly retreated several steps. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, scattering leaves, and the man and woman disappeared without a trace.

Barely catching his breath, Sun Gao saw a cold gleam rise,

From the thicket emerged several bright blades, followed by faces filled with hostility, their clothing disordered and ragged — a mix of silk and cloth, with the leaders clad in mismatched armor.