Chapter 476

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Chapter 476: Laughing in an Unscrupulous Manner

A bountiful harvest is heralded by the auspicious snow.

For farmers, heavy snow is a good sign. They can sleep soundly and sweetly. If there is enough food, the only entertainment in winter is making babies, as entertainment is often lacking. This is also the reason why the population in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is high.

But for merchants, heavy snow means trouble. Travel becomes difficult, and there are no twenty-four-hour snowplows. The snow covers the roads, making them uncomfortable to travel on. When it snows, the roads become muddy and filled with potholes. Snowfall is not cold, but the melting snow is.

Ba State is located entirely in the northern region. In winter, even with thick quilts, traveling can still freeze one’s feet. The merchants who travel on foot often end up with frostbite.

For escorts, walking is not too much of a problem. The bigger issue is the presence of bandits and dangers along the way.

Most bodyguards rely on reputation for their livelihood. The bodyguards in Ba State are a bit fierce and have a dangerous job.

Unlike the industry ecology in Liu State, where you can be robbed multiple times on a single trip and it’s better to join in, the bodyguards in Ba State have a high casualty rate but also make more money. At least there is a government to maintain order, although there is serious bribery and corruption. But at least they can earn money and make ends meet. Just like the common people, as long as they have food to eat, they won’t think about overthrowing the emperor.

The bodyguards in Ba State are mostly strong and skilled, including some who come from notorious gangs. Wei Zu, an aging nobody, is a true local of Ba State, born and raised in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. He is human, his parents are human, and his ancestors for several generations are also human. It is said that more than three hundred years ago, there was a big incident involving his ancestors that could have led to the extermination of their entire family. That’s why they fled to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom for safety. Over several generations, the family fortune was depleted, and Wei Zu grew up in poverty. Luckily, he inherited his family’s skill in wielding a sword, which caught the attention of the biaojuyuan (bodyguard organization). He started working as a bodyguard, relying on the camaraderie of the martial world to gain favor from the old head of the bodyguard agency and receive true teachings. He gradually climbed to a good position and this time, he was also going out on a mission with them.

It was said to be a mission, but mainly it was guarding people, not just goods. Although they would occasionally guard the large amount of merchandise in the merchant caravan, their main duty was protecting important individuals. It was not worth risking their lives by staying behind if they encountered a large group of enemies.

Wei Zu paid attention to the other group of people in the merchant caravan. He invited them along when they met at the inn stop. There was a lightly armed four-wheeled carriage, with a total of four people including the coachman. They were not particularly quiet and occasionally he could hear cheerful voices and laughter like "I win three times!" or "Can’t afford it!" He also saw them getting off the carriage to stretch during breaks, but each time it was only one person and he couldn’t see their faces clearly.

Wei Zu was not attracted to their beauty but remained vigilant. This group of people in the carriage had an unknown background and seemed mysterious. Moreover, each of these women on the carriages didn’t look human, although they appeared ordinary.

There are many monsters in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, but there is always one law that applies.

The more human-like a monster is, the more powerful, frightening, and cannibalistic it becomes.

Scary monsters may only want money, but beautiful fairies can take lives.

Wei Zu also tried to talk to the coachman, but he was always brushed off after a few words, or a sudden remark would leave him speechless. In terms of cultural level, he was completely defeated, and after thinking it over, he decided not to provoke anymore.

He returned to the other side of the team and asked several senior escorts to keep an eye on the carriage. Then, he approached the manager of the caravan and tried to make him suspicious or get rid of the carriage altogether. However, the manager shook his head and said he couldn’t make such a decision on his own. The actual decision-maker of the caravan was not the manager, but the young owner of the Dayun Trading House. The Dayun Trading House was an old trading firm in the Ba State, with deep connections to the royal court and local military commanders. They faced fewer difficulties and their business grew larger and larger.

No matter what the manager said, the young owner remained silent and advised Wei Zu not to worry about it.

After thinking it over, Wei Zu decided not to worry about it anymore. If something really happened, the caravan itself would suffer the most.

The heavy snowfall continued, making the road to Hujia Grave increasingly difficult to traverse. The terrain was already constantly rising, and the higher they went, the colder it became with lower air pressure. They had to shovel snow while walking and even after a whole day, they could only cover a few miles.

Under the faint sun above his head, Wei Zu saw a mountain foot ahead and his face showed a hint of joy. "That’s Tigerhead Village up ahead."

Tigerhead Village used to be a gathering place for mountain bandits where no one dared to provoke. However, after the bandits were dispersed, it became vulnerable to attacks from anyone, and unfortunately, they targeted a fierce character on the top ten black list, Murong Nu… and that was the end of that story.

From then on, Tigerhead Village became a place where merchants and traders rested. The name "Tigerhead" originated from the rock formations here, which resembled a tiger’s head with its teeth holding up half a bone. It was a naturally sheltered place from wind and snow, so people gradually started making a living here.

The caravan decided to rest here for a while. The road ahead would be even more difficult, so they needed to change to anti-skid tracks and add foot guards to the animals pulling the carts. Some mechanical equipment was also used in the caravan, but they needed to add anti-freeze oil. Otherwise, the engines would freeze in the heavy snow, and it would take at least a few hours of heating before they could start, causing serious damage to their lifespan.

Wei Zu came to Tiger Head Village and saw unfamiliar faces. He greeted the martial artists with a hand behind his back, and upon seeing his gesture, the other martial artists pretended to help tidy up the group and communicated with each other to put their weapons away.

The head of the escorts hurriedly approached with a smile on his face. He first sat down in a non-threatening manner and then asked with a smile, "Why haven’t you seen Old Nine?"

Tiger Head Village has been in business for several years. There are usually several businesses in other seasons, but during winter, there are usually only one or two open. Today, one is missing.

The approaching man was thin and looked like a shop assistant. He smiled naturally and said, "He’s sick, so he asked someone to take his shift."

As the man put down his chopsticks and poured hot tea, Wei Zu noticed calluses on his hands, which indicated that he had practiced martial arts. However, this couldn’t prove anything.

They each had their calculations in mind, but they had planned in advance to rotate rest periods so that only one-third of them would rest at a time while the others were on guard.

The shop assistant shouted, "Boss, there are too many customers coming and we don’t have enough staff!"

The boss heard this and came out from the kitchen. He had a familiar face, which slightly put Wei Zu at ease. If he really was a substitute, they wouldn’t need to be so cautious.

"Sorry, but we really can’t find enough staff," said the boss with clasped hands. "Please take a break, we will prepare food and drinks for you all."

The old leader said, "We need some food, so let’s prepare like we did before."

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "Understood."

Wei Zu put down the hand holding the sword from his sleeve and said, "Boss, it seems like there’s no problem."

The old leader had traveled to many places, but still hesitated, "Last time when I visited the old man, he seemed to be in good health. And why is it only the shopkeeper here, where is his wife? We have quite a few people coming with us, but not too many. Even if there are dozens of us, they can still handle it. Why are they suddenly short-handed?"

While they were still suspicious, they suddenly saw a faint figure walking towards the inn.

Wei Zu furrowed his brows, thinking, "Who would break the rules and not keep an eye on the caravan like they were supposed to?"

He turned and saw a little girl walking through the snowy ground, wearing a green dress even in the cold winter. Everywhere she stepped, the ice and snow melted away.

She looked very beautiful, stunningly beautiful at a glance. Her beauty was different from the usual cuteness of dolls. Her features were delicate, with a slight baby fat, but it didn’t affect her signature oval-shaped face.

It was from inside that carriage…

Wei Zu saw the other person’s face for the first time, and he was amazed by how beautiful they were, but also cautious because they seemed like a bewitching creature.

Being beautiful can be deadly! His previous brother thought he was lucky in love, but he ended up becoming fertilizer for flowers. When they dug him up, his whole body had rotted away. What’s even more sad is that he died a virgin. This monster, she can’t be trusted.

The girl in the green dress walked up to the counter but since she was a bit short, she had to slightly lift her chin.

The shopkeeper politely asked, "Little girl, what would you like to order?"

The girl in the green dress placed a green jade pendant on the counter and said, "Do you recognize this?"

The shopkeeper glanced at it and said, "This is a treasure. Someone like me could never have seen something like this before."

"Is that so… it seems you’re not, even though the resemblance is uncanny," said the girl in the green dress.

The shopkeeper’s expression became slightly rigid and he asked, "What do you mean?"

The girl in the green dress said calmly, "Do you need me to expose you?"

The girl put away her jade pendant and started walking back. After walking ten steps, she said, "Wearing someone else’s skin to disguise oneself is not difficult at all."

As soon as the words were spoken, the old leader and Wei Zu’s faces changed at the same time. They drew their swords and shouted, "It’s a trap!"

The shopkeeper raised his hand and tore off his face, revealing a hairy face with a wide mouth. He cursed, "What bad luck… Being found out! Let’s attack!"

At the same time as the shopkeeper shouted, Wei Zu saw a cold light shining. The shop’s servant, who was not far away, tore his clothes and turned into a shadow, rushing towards them.

It happened in the blink of an eye, too fast to react. The old leader bumped into Wei Zu and was hit by something, crashing out and falling into the snow, staining it red with blood.

Wei Zu’s eyes were filled with anger. He swung his sword and attacked, but the opponent avoided the blade and kicked him. He quickly changed his attack, using a tricky angle to swing his backhand sword that he had been practicing for over thirty years. However, the sword only managed to cut off a small amount of hair. His shoulder was in excruciating pain, and a piece of flesh was sliced off. Realizing he was no match, he quickly kicked the table and chairs, retreating towards the direction of the merchant convoy, relying on his brothers to support him.

Just as he had taken less than ten steps, he turned back and noticed that the merchant convoy had already been surrounded. There were more than twenty guards, but there were even more bandits, over forty of them. They were hiding in the snow, covered in white cloth. Suddenly, they attacked, blocking their way.

Ordinary mountain bandits wouldn’t have such strength. The guards were all experienced, and Wei Zu’s backhand sword had been fast enough. It shouldn’t have missed, but it did. It’s possible that these demons have already surpassed the century mark in terms of their cultivation.

"Who exactly are you people?!" Wei Zu shouted loudly, trying to boost his confidence through his voice. He glanced at the guards, who formed groups of three to five, holding their swords.

Two monkey demons, who had taken off their human skin masks, walked out. One was strong like a young bull, while the other was thin like a poplar tree. They had a terrifying aura.

The monkey demons grinned menacingly, saying, "Haven’t you heard of the infamous Bloodthirsty Apes? Today, we’ll use your live brains as wine chasers!"

Some people enjoy eating monkey brains, and some monkeys enjoy eating human and demon brains.

The Bloodthirsty Apes were also notorious in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. Wherever they went, they left behind countless corpses with their skulls opened.

The bodyguards and members of the merchant caravan turned pale at the mention of it. No one wanted their brains to be opened as appetizers, unless they were Hannibal, who had that particular taste.

The carriage driver inside the carriage smiled in relief instead.

"What are you laughing at?" Chao Lu asked, puzzled.

"I just remembered something happy…" Bai Wei rested his hands behind his head and chuckled mischievously. "You and Yubing have nothing to worry about."

"Why?" asked the little snake girl.

"Big chest."

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