Chapter 481

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Chapter 481: Pulling and Tugging

The convoy set off on the road, moving neither too fast nor too slow.

The heavy snow blocked the roads and slowed them down. The caravan was long and the horses were no longer lively. They all looked tired.

Bai Wei remembered reading an article, maybe in a textbook or a book outside of class. It seemed like a biography or maybe a novel.

It was about two teams competing for the honor of being the first to reach the North or South Pole. They led their teams into the treacherous wilderness.

One of the teams was not experienced enough and chose small horses that could withstand the cold to pull their carts. Unfortunately, many of the horses froze to death.

The other team chose dogs that were more resistant to the cold to pull their sleds. They were faster and ultimately won the victory.

Horses, as a species, have well-developed muscles but not much body fat, so they naturally struggle in the cold.

Even special horse breeds with mixed bloodlines from mythical creatures are still vulnerable. Every living thing has weaknesses, and that’s why mechanical power eventually replaces animal power.

The horse was afraid of the cold, so it walked slower. It was fine when it was lightly snowing, but if it started to snow heavily, it would become a forbidden area where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face and it was impossible to walk. At the same time, the horse wished for the sun to come out early, but also wished for it to come out slowly. The sun would make it warmer, but if it came out too strong, it would melt the snow and make the surroundings even colder.

The caravan seemed no different from before, but it was obvious that many people didn’t have the same nervous expressions as before.

Wei Zu even received a few pointers from Bai Wei when he was bored, and he spent the whole morning daydreaming, staring at the sword in his hand.

It was clear how relaxed the mercenaries were.

There was nothing they could do, the roasted thigh was so delicious.

The essence of human nature, or rather, the essence of intelligent beings, is truly enjoyable. The more resolute and disgusted they appeared on the surface, the more straightforward and honest they became when they changed sides.

Once they chose to break free from their past constraints, the speed of their moral decline was unimaginably fast.

Just like gaining weight.

The caravan solved the unpleasantness through negotiations. If money can solve the problem, then it won’t be a big issue at least.

Along the way, the caravan became faster and more efficient, reaching a hundred and fifty percent efficiency. This happened because Bai Wei mentioned "hurry up" and everyone silently sped up, without any objections.

The King of Chu has a very slim waist, and many in the palace starved to death. Bai Wei said to speed up, and the horse said, "Thank you for your help."

Halfway through the journey, they encountered a ragged woman sitting on a stone by the road, with a twisted foot. It looked very painful.

Even though wounds don’t easily decay in the winter, the recovery speed is slower.

The caravan decided to bring the female herbalist with them. She claimed to have fallen from the mountainside and didn’t look suspicious.

Some bodyguards doubted why the herbalist was gathering herbs in the winter, while others argued that winter is the best time for gathering herbs, otherwise how would they survive?

Bai Wei didn’t pay much attention to this matter. He casually set the herbalist’s bone in place and sent her off to rest.

The people in the caravan took good care of the woman, perhaps because they saw Bai Wei’s approval. They even made space for her in the carriage.

However, not long after the herbalist got on the carriage, about half an hour later, a group of bandits surrounded the caravan and demanded to search it thoroughly.

It looks just like a rude bandit, and the picture in their hand is of a woman who collects herbs.

The woman who collects herbs had a sad face and said that she actually escaped from a disaster. These bandits want to capture her and take her back. She got separated from her family and also broke her leg. She’s afraid that no one will help her, so she has to tell these lies.

There’s a group of bandits, but there are no more than ten of them.

Little Green rushed out and ended up getting killed. They lost all their skills and it was over.

The soldiers were all killed by sparks. There wasn’t even a body left. It was completely clean. They were as weak as clay chickens and mud dogs.

Nalan Qingshu still wanted to be proud for a while.

Bai Wei immediately criticized, "Why do you have such a strong desire to kill? Don’t you know that killing doesn’t bring any benefits?"

Little Green said, "You’re wrong in a noble way. These people should be killed…"

"Why kill them? Let’s keep them to clear the snow ahead and use them until they are of no more value. These people have strong and healthy bodies, so we can use them for live experiments or donate their organs. We can even give their bodies to medical students. Isn’t that great?" Bai Wei sighed softly from the perspective of an ultimate chaotic evil faction, "The human body is so precious, but you burned it all with just one fire. What a pity, such a waste."

Nalan Qingshu remained silent for a while and took a deep look, maybe her stereotypical impression of Bai Wei the capitalist was once again shattered.

"Are you really from the Ming Country?"

"Actually, I identify more with the Allied Country mentally, and you saw through that."

"People from the Allied Country aren’t like you… They like to say things like ‘You betrayed the XX class,’ you should be hanged for behaving like that."

Bai Wei thought that idea was great. "Next time, if I have the chance, I’ll go to the Allied Country and pretend to be a capitalist under a street lamp."

The caravan was affected by heavy snow and had to deviate slightly from its original route, finding a roadside inn to rest.

The inn was already empty, like some abandoned houses along the budget travel route.

At least there was shelter from the wind and snow. A group of men slept on the ground floor.

Bai Wei sat by the door of his room on the second floor of the inn, motionless like a statue.

In a room specifically for the female herb gatherer to rest, she sat by the fireplace with a half-smiling expression.

She spread her hand open, revealing a tiny emerald green spider in her palm.

"What story should we weave next?" she murmured to the spider, "What do you think, sister?"

"You went too far when searching for rare herbs and healing ingredients," the small green spider made a delicate, crisp sound.

"Hey, isn’t it interesting? I tricked those bandits during the day, one by one falling into the trap of my spider venom. They had no choice but to obey my commands. I planned on having some fun before sending them off to Sister to complete their mission, but they all got burned by a fire." The female herb gatherer squinted her eyes, "It’s quite terrifying, the Bi Fang fire, my small frame cannot handle it."

"How much longer do you want to play?"

"It’s not just playing, Sister… There are many people in this trading caravan, and if I bring them all to Master, he will surely be pleased."

"Aren’t you afraid of getting burned?"

"Why would I be? This little Bi Fang looks too young and doesn’t seem capable of such things. It’s just a perfect gift for Master’s birthday, isn’t it?"

"Top bloodline is good, but are you not afraid of breaking the rules?"

"We, evil practitioners, don’t have any rules. Rules are dead, spiders are alive, right, sister?" The female herb gatherer pokes the green spider.

"Do you really think you can handle it?"

"Give it a try. The other people and monsters in the caravan are not very capable. The only one with hundreds of years of experience is an old manager. Only a few of them are unpredictable and haven’t done anything on the way, but their words are effective." The female herb gatherer squints her eyes. "I can’t move, but this clone can go and try it for me. Just gently bite it. The spider’s venom can soften bones and flesh. At worst, it can make him immobile."

"Why should I…"

"Sister, let’s take down these caravans and offer them as a gift to our master at Hujia Grave. We’re good sisters, so we’ll split the benefits in half. Three-sevenths, twenty-seven."

"Why only seven-tenths?!"

"Seven-tenths belong to them~ Sister, put in a little effort and take three-tenths securely. As for the ordinary people below, you can use them slowly when we arrive. Yang energy, flesh, and human insects… don’t you like those?"

The green spider doesn’t speak, but it’s obviously shaken and persuaded.

"Is one clone enough?" she said. "Either don’t do it, or do it big!"

"Let me think. Just testing the waters is definitely enough," said the woman who gathers herbs with a light smile. "What I’m afraid of is startling the snake while clearing the grass. It would be a shame if the little bird flies away before the trap is set."

The green spider said, "Alright, I’ll go give him a taste."

"Don’t go too deep with your words~"

The woman who gathers herbs watched the spider clone leave, and softly muttered to herself, "My senior sister really knows how to trick people. She gave up watching over me so easily. These are just small gains. The little Bi Fang is valuable, but the real treasure is the Bai Ze Woman. It’s worth more than gold. With this money, I can leave the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom and live a good life anywhere else. Who would want to stay here, diligently cultivate, and live a life that’s neither human nor demon?"

"Go ahead and test the waters, raise the guard of this gatekeeper, make the other side remember your scent. When your true form arrives, I can quietly slip away, taking the corpse of the Bai Ze Woman as a reward."

Her lips curved upward, unable to contain her excitement, when suddenly a glowing green figure appeared before her eyes.

"That thirty percent is not enough."

Upon hearing these words, the woman who gathers herbs’ smile froze. "You… why haven’t you left?"

"Junior sister, it’s not a good habit of yours to always unconsciously say what’s on your mind."

"Senior sister, please listen to my explanation."

"I can listen, but… I’ll take seventy percent."

"Half and half."

"Deal!"

Thump, thump, thump… There came the sound of knocking on the door.

The female herb gatherer’s expression slightly changed, immediately putting on a pitiful and charming face. Her face was delicate, and the act of pretending to be pitiful came effortlessly to her.

"Who is it?" she pretended in a tired tone, "I was just about to rest."

"On such a cold day, I’ve come to bring warmth."

"The fire pit is ready."

"It’s not a fire pit, but an initiative to help socially marginalized people find employment, called poverty alleviation."