Chapter 476
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Chapter 476: Laughing in an Unscrupulous Manner
A bountiful harvest is heralded by auspicious snow.
For farmers, heavy snow is a blessing. It promises rest and nourishment for the soil. They sleep soundly, knowing the land will reward them in spring. With enough food in storage, their winter entertainment is often… limited. This scarcity of amusement has its consequences, evident in the booming population of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.
For merchants, however, snow is a harbinger of hardship. Roads become impassable, buried beneath an unrelenting white blanket. The absence of modern snowplows means travel halts as pathways turn treacherous. Though snowfall itself may seem gentle, the slush it leaves behind chills to the bone.
In Ba State, nestled entirely in the north, winter is ruthless. Even thick quilts fail to fend off the biting cold, and frostbite is a constant threat for those journeying on foot. For escorts, the terrain is only part of their struggle—the real danger lies in ambushes, bandits, and perilous encounters.
Unlike the chaotic, corruption-ridden trade routes of Liu State, Ba State maintains a semblance of order. Here, bodyguards face high risks but reap higher rewards. The government, though flawed, enforces enough discipline to keep revolts at bay, as long as the people have food on their plates.
The escorts of Ba State are a hardy breed. Many come from notorious gangs, using their skills to carve out a living. Among them is Wei Zu, a middle-aged man of unremarkable origins but considerable experience. A true native of Ba State, Wei Zu’s family had sought refuge in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom generations ago after a calamity that nearly wiped them out.
Raised in poverty, Wei Zu inherited his ancestors’ martial prowess. Luck and determination brought him under the wing of an esteemed escort leader. Years of loyalty and hard training earned him a solid position within the bodyguard agency.
This time, Wei Zu’s mission wasn’t just to safeguard goods—it was to protect people. Merchants often carried valuable cargo, but their lives were deemed the most precious. If the caravan faced overwhelming enemies, survival meant prioritizing the living over the loot.
Wei Zu’s attention was drawn to an unusual group traveling alongside the caravan. They rode in a modest four-wheeled carriage, their identities obscured. From within came bursts of laughter—voices playing games and sharing jokes. Yet, no more than one person ever stepped out at a time, their faces veiled in mystery.
Wei Zu’s instincts bristled. These individuals didn’t seem human, despite their outward appearances. In the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, monsters blended with mortals, but one rule always applied: the more human-like a creature appeared, the deadlier it often was.
He tried probing the coachman for details, but his attempts were met with cryptic responses that left him disoriented. Frustrated, Wei Zu warned his fellow escorts to stay vigilant around the enigmatic passengers. Even so, his concerns were dismissed by the caravan’s manager, whose hands were tied by decisions from the young owner of the Dayun Trading House.
Heavy snow continued to blanket their path as they trudged toward Hujia Grave. The rising terrain and biting cold slowed their progress to a crawl. When they finally reached Tigerhead Village, the caravan stopped to rest.
Tigerhead Village, once a den of bandits, had transformed into a sanctuary for traders. Its rocky formations shielded it from the wind and snow, making it an ideal stopover. The caravan needed to re-equip—switching to anti-skid tracks, adding guards to the animals’ hooves, and applying anti-freeze oil to mechanical parts.
As Wei Zu approached the village, he noticed a new face manning the inn. The old leader of the escorts, suspicious by nature, questioned the shopkeeper’s sudden absence. The replacement, though polite, couldn’t mask the practiced hands of a martial artist.
Their unease grew when a young girl stepped out from the mysterious carriage. She wore a green dress, her footsteps melting the snow beneath her. Her delicate beauty was mesmerizing, yet Wei Zu’s wariness deepened.
“Beauty can be lethal,” he thought grimly, recalling a comrade who had fallen victim to a siren-like demon.
The girl placed a jade pendant on the inn’s counter. Her voice, though soft, carried a weight that made the shopkeeper falter. “Do you recognize this?” she asked.
Feigning ignorance, the man
denied it, but his rigid
demeanor betrayed him. The
girl’s parting words struck like
a blade:
“Wearing someone else’s skin
is not difficult.”
Wei Zu’s instincts roared to
life. Swords were drawn as the
innkeeper revealed his true
form—a hairy-faced demon
with a wide grin. The shop
assistant followed suit, tearing
off his disguise to join the
fray.
Chaos erupted. Bandits
swarmed the caravan, their
ambush meticulously planned.
The Bloodthirsty Apes,
notorious for feasting on
brains, led the attack.
The escorts fought valiantly
but were outnumbered and
outmatched. As Wei Zu swung
his blade, the realization hit
him: they had been lured into a
trap.
Amid the chaos, laughter rang
out from the mysterious
carriage. Bai Wei, the
coachman, seemed unfazed.
When questioned by his
companions, he simply
smirked.
“Why aren’t you worried?”
asked Chao Lu.
“Because,” Bai Wei chuckled,
“this will be fun.”
