Chapter 73: Chapter 73: A Mage’s Deterrent Power Is Quite Strong

Taoist Yan Song looked at the group across from them. The guards were all strong and well-built, with sharp glints in their eyes. Another man sat on horseback, his temples slightly bulging and his breathing steady. He was surely a Martial Arts Expert of this world.

’As expected of a world brimming with Spiritual Qi. Even Martial Arts Training is much easier here than back home,’ Taoist Yan Song sighed inwardly. Then, he cupped his hands toward the young man. "Thank you for the warning, Young Master. We will be careful. Could you please ask your men to let us pass?"

The young man’s eyebrow twitched. "Have your young mistress speak to me," he said, displeased.

Gu Zhao had been reclining inside the carriage, so the young man had only seen Zhuo Qingyan and the Silk Embroideress. He assumed there were only two people inside, a young mistress traveling with her maid and an old servant.

Taoist Yan Song froze for a moment. Then, the carriage curtain behind him was pulled aside, and Gu Zhao stuck his head out to repeat the exact same words. "Thank you for the warning, Young Master. We will be careful. Could you please ask your men to let us pass?"

The Silk Embroideress chuckled softly. "How very perfunctory of you, Young Master."

The corners of Zhuo Qingyan’s eyes crinkled in amusement as she raised her teacup for a delicate sip.

The young man was stunned to see Gu Zhao appear. He hadn’t expected another person in the carriage, let alone a man. Thinking of the two beauties inside, a pang of jealousy shot through him.

"Greetings, Young Master. I am Liu Qingfeng of the Liu Family from Changping Prefecture. May I ask for your esteemed name and where you are from?" Liu Qingfeng said after a moment’s thought, a smug look on his face as he offered a slight bow with his hands cupped.

"Gu." Gu Zhao nodded, saying just one word, before speaking again. "I’m in a hurry. Could you please let us pass, Young Master?"

Seeing Gu Zhao’s indifferent expression, Liu Qingfeng knew his earlier behavior had been too forward. He quickly put on a smile. "Young Master Gu, you must not be from around Changping Prefecture. You seem unaware that bandits run rampant in these parts.

I misspoke earlier and caused offense. But you are traveling with family, so you should be especially mindful of your safety. If you really were to run into bandits, it would be too late for regrets, wouldn’t it?"

Liu Qingfeng pointed ahead, his tone earnest. "The nearest town is still dozens of miles away. The road is deserted and crawling with mountain bandits. Why don’t you travel with my group, Young Master? We can head to a more populated area first, just to be safe."

Gu Zhao’s eyes narrowed. "A group of bandits tried to rob us," he said flatly. "So we killed them all."

Liu Qingfeng froze. "Huh?"

"If bandits block our path, they just become our playthings," Gu Zhao said, his voice chilling. "I especially love running into those vicious, lawless thugs. They’re the only kind of people I get a thrill out of killing."

Liu Qingfeng instinctively took a step back, nearly losing his footing. The Guard Leader rushed over and steadied him.

The Guard Leader glanced at Gu Zhao, observed him carefully for another moment, then hurried to Liu Qingfeng’s side to whisper, "Their carriage is no ordinary vehicle. For them to travel alone with such composure... they’re either Martial Artists or Mages!"

Liu Qingfeng swallowed hard and asked instinctively, "Mages?"

"It’s possible!" The Guard Leader waved his hand, and the two guards blocking the road immediately stepped aside.

Taoist Yan Song chuckled, cracked his whip, and urged the carriage forward. As they moved, he laughed quietly and said, "Don’t young people these days love to play the part of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? That’s how it always goes in those short video dramas. Why didn’t you play the part?"

Gu Zhao gave a dry laugh as he settled back into the carriage. "I’m a Daoist, not some overbearing CEO from a novel. Daoists only know how to act profound and mysterious. When have we ever bothered with playing the weakling to crush the strong?"

Taoist Yan Song roared with laughter. ’Treasures choose their masters,’ he thought. ’There was definitely a reason the Five Thunders Order chose Gu Zhao as its host.’

***

As he watched the carriage depart, a flash of greed crossed Liu Qingfeng’s eyes. Still unwilling to let it go, he quietly asked the Guard Leader, "Do you think they were bluffing? How could there be so many Mages in the world?"

The Guard Leader frowned discreetly, then thoughtfully advised, "These days, the lands south of the Wanling River are in turmoil. Demons and Ghosts are cropping up everywhere. Commoners have no choice but to risk their lives to make a living, but wealthy families cherish their safety and wouldn’t be so reckless.

That man has an extraordinary bearing, and the women with him are stunning. If they didn’t have the means to protect themselves, I doubt they would have survived long enough to even cross our path. You are a man of high status, Young Master. There’s no need to make an enemy of them and invite unnecessary trouble."

Liu Qingfeng nodded, feeling agitated. He glanced at the sky, then returned to his carriage. "Let’s get a move on. The sky doesn’t look good. We need to reach Anlin Town as quickly as possible today. I need to blow off some steam."

***

Inside the carriage, Gu Zhao leaned back comfortably, feeling both amused and a little puzzled. "I thought that would take a lot more persuasion," he said. "I didn’t expect him to cave so easily after one little threat. Are Mages really that terrifying?"

The Silk Embroideress said earnestly, "Mages are incredibly powerful! My grandfather heard lots of stories back in Xiuyue County, but he’d only ever seen a handful of Mages in his life!"

Bai Ke flicked its tail. "Demons and Ghosts rarely reveal themselves to humans. To mortals, Mages are already beings beyond their reach. Even a Junior Mage could kill them without breaking a sweat. How could they not be afraid?"

Gu Zhao remained silent, but he was beginning to understand.

’It’s true that as soon as I arrived, I ran into the Golden Wind Divine Maiden. After that, I defeated several Golden Wind Guardians, a Divine General of the Sub-temple, a Painter Demon, a Corpse Ghost Ape Demon, and the Meat Shop Butcher. I even took down a Golden Wind Divine Consort.’

’But all of that was predicated on the fact that I’m a Thunder Mage myself. I could not only sense auras and Evil Qi but was also deeply involved in all those incidents. That’s why it felt like I was constantly surrounded by powerful and extraordinary individuals.’

’Thinking back on my time in Xiuyue County, even in the brazenly public Golden Wind Hall, there were only a few actual Ghosts inside. The only other truly strange places were the meat shop, the teahouse, and the Zhuo Family Mansion.’

’Even if there were other Demons, Ghosts, and Mages in the county concealing their auras and hiding their identities, their numbers were insignificant compared to the tens of thousands of people living in Xiuyue County.’

’This world, after all, was mostly made up of ordinary people.’

’No wonder the people of Cui Mountain Village were so respectful—even fearful—of me after they found out I was a Grand Mage.’

Just then, Taoist Yan Song called from outside, "It’s raining!"

Gu Zhao didn’t even need to pull back the curtain to hear the patter of rain on the leaves outside, a sound that was steadily growing louder.

He lifted the curtain and heard Taoist Yan Song say, "The road will be treacherous in this rain. We need to find a place to take shelter."

The road to Wuhe County, though an official route, was still just a dirt path. It was relatively compact and fine on a normal day, but rain would turn it into a slippery, pitted mess. While the carriage itself would be fine, it was easy for a horse to have an accident on such terrain.

Bai Ke hopped onto the Silk Embroideress’s shoulder. "There should be an abandoned River God Temple up ahead, not far from the road. We can take shelter there."

"I see it," Taoist Yan Song said. He channeled his Power into his eyes and could faintly make out the corner of a building in the woods ahead. Cracking the whip to urge the horse onward, he said, "Then let’s head there to wait out the rain."