Chapter 292 Chenzhou City

In the next few days, Fang Yue gradually became familiar with the members of the caravan.

He was not eager to show his abilities and purpose, but chose to keep a low profile, observe and learn silently.

During the caravan's journey, Fang Yue found that although the team seemed loose, it actually had a strict set of disciplines and division of labor.

The team leader, Brother Li, not only had rich experience and keen observation, but also made the right decisions at critical moments.

The escorts were agile and good at martial arts, and were responsible for protecting the safety of the caravan.

The guys were responsible for taking care of horses, carrying goods and other trivial matters. Although they were not as powerful as the escorts, they were equally indispensable.

Fang Yue also actively participated in various tasks of the caravan. Whether it was helping to carry goods or taking care of horses, he did his best.

His diligence and steadfastness won the recognition and respect of the caravan members.

However, Fang Yue did not forget his mission. He always remained vigilant, observing the movements around him, and guarding against the attacks of bandits. He knew that although the caravan had strict discipline and division of labor, it was inevitable to encounter various dangers and difficulties during this long journey.

One evening, the caravan camped at the edge of a dense forest to rest. Fang Yue patrolled the periphery of the camp, observing the surroundings vigilantly.

Suddenly, he heard a slight noise, as if someone was quietly approaching the camp. He immediately raised his vigilance and quietly approached the source of the sound.

Sure enough, he found several suspicious figures who were sneaking around the caravan's camp.

Fang Yue's heart moved, knowing that these people might be spies of bandits.

However, Fang Yue did not act rashly. His current identity was just a trader. Being too aggressive might expose his true purpose. Who knows if there are spies from the Blood Dragon Platform in this caravan.

He quietly retreated to the camp, pretending to be indifferent, and continued to chat with other traders, while secretly keeping an eye on those suspicious figures.

~~~~~~~~~

As night fell, the campfire flickered in the night, and the members of the caravan had fallen asleep one after another.

Fang Yue was lying in a simple tent, but his eyes were slightly open, and he was always paying attention to the movements around him.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the silence of the night.

The bandits really came.

In the distance, dust was flying, and a group of ferocious bandits were riding their horses towards the caravan. They shouted arrogant slogans, waved their weapons with cold light, and were aggressive.

"The bandits are coming! Wake up and get ready to fight!" The leader, Brother Li, shouted loudly, and his voice echoed in the night sky.

The members of the caravan were awakened and panicked.

However, under the command of the leader, Brother Li, everyone quickly calmed down and quickly took their positions according to the previous training.

The escorts drew their weapons and formed a circle to protect the goods and personnel in the camp.

They had firm eyes and swift movements, and they were obviously warriors who had experienced many battles.

The guys were busy leading horses and preparing supplies to prepare for the battle.

Although they were not as powerful as the escorts, their diligence and simplicity provided a solid backing for the caravan.

The bandits quickly rushed to the front of the camp, waving their weapons and trying to break through the escorts' defense line.

However, the escorts were experienced and cooperated well, and soon repelled the bandits.

Seeing that the hard attack failed, the bandits began to set fire and shoot arrows, trying to create chaos. The fire flickered in the night sky, and the arrows fell like raindrops.

However, the members of the caravan were well prepared. They covered their mouths and noses with wet cloth to avoid arrows and flames.

When the bandits launched a fierce attack, several agile figures suddenly rushed out of the bandit team and rushed straight to the caravan's defense line.

These people had a steady breath and firm steps. They were obviously masters of the martial arts level.

These martial arts masters were the elite in the bandit team. Their appearance undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the caravan's defense.

The escorts were obviously aware of this. They quickly adjusted their formation and concentrated stronger forces on the front.

However, despite the heroic resistance of the escorts, the strength of the bandits' martial artists was beyond their imagination.

These bandits' martial artists were not only flexible, but also fierce, and each attack was aimed at the vital points of the caravan.

Although the escorts tried their best, they gradually began to feel powerless, and loopholes gradually appeared in the defense line.

Finally, the bandits rushed into the defense circle.

"Hehe, there is a little girl, you can go back to the mountain village with me tonight to enjoy the good life!" A bandit martial artist found a young woman in the caravan, and a lustful light flashed in his eyes. He rushed towards the woman with a steel knife in his hand.

The woman was pale and retreated in panic.

She was just an ordinary person, where had she seen such a scene, and her heart was filled with fear and helplessness at this moment.

At this moment, a figure suddenly flashed in front of the woman, and it was actually an old man. He had a cold look in his eyes and held a long sword in his hand, blocking the attack of the bandit martial artist.

Fang Yue remembered this man. He had spoken to him on the day he entered the caravan. If he remembered correctly, this old man was the grandfather of the girl, and his surname seemed to be Cheng.

"Looking for death!" The bandit martial artist roared and swung his knife at Fang Yue.

Old man Cheng moved and easily dodged the attack. He stabbed the bandit martial artist in the chest with a backhanded sword.

Although the bandit martial artist was powerful, he seemed vulnerable in front of Fang Yue. He only felt a pain in his chest and fell to the ground, losing his life.

This scene stunned everyone present. They didn't expect that this seemingly ordinary old man actually had such high martial arts.

"Good job!" The team leader Brother Li couldn't help cheering.

Other escorts and guys also cast approving eyes at Old Man Cheng. They knew that with Fang Yue's joining, the caravan's defense line would be more stable.

However, the battle did not end there. Seeing their companions being killed, the bandits attacked more frantically. They waved their weapons and slashed at the people and goods of the caravan.

Old Man Cheng fought side by side with the escorts. They cooperated tacitly and repelled the bandits one by one.

In the fierce battle, Old Man Cheng showed amazing strength.

He was flexible and sharp in swordsmanship. Every time he made a move, he could accurately hit the bandits' vital points.

Under his leadership, the caravan's defense line gradually stabilized. Although the bandits were numerous, they could not break through their defense.

Finally, with the joint efforts of Old Man Cheng and the escorts, the bandits were completely repelled. Seeing that they were defeated, the remaining bandits fled the scene in a panic, leaving behind corpses and messes all over the ground.

"Thank you, old senior, for your help!" Brother Li, the leader of the caravan, bowed to Old Man Cheng and thanked him with gratitude in his eyes.

Old Man Cheng smiled slightly and waved his hand: "No need to be polite, we are in the same boat, this is the way it should be."

"I neglected you before, old senior, please come this way!"

The two walked side by side to the center of the camp. Brother Li warmly invited Old Man Cheng to sit by the campfire and signaled his men to bring hot tea and food.

"Old senior, we were sorry for neglecting you before." Brother Li said sincerely, "I didn't expect you to be so skilled. It really opened our eyes."

Old man Cheng smiled calmly and said, "It's just a little trick, not worth mentioning. I helped because I saw that these bandits were really hateful."

"Anyway, we will remember your kindness in our hearts." Brother Li said solemnly, "If there is a need in the future, our caravan will definitely help with all our strength."

Old man Cheng nodded to express his gratitude. If it weren't for the bandits wanting to attack his granddaughter, he might not have exposed his skills.

After all, he is now 'killing bandits and rebelling, and is wanted by the rebels! '

At the same time.

Beside the campfire in the camp, the conversation between old man Cheng and brother Li continued, but Fang Yue's attention was drawn to another thing.

He recalled the brief exchange with old man Cheng before, and a trace of doubt rose in his heart. Old Man Cheng's martial arts are so powerful, why did he keep it hidden until now? Moreover, how could such a skilled person be willing to follow an ordinary caravan in obscurity?

A thought flashed through Fang Yue's mind-whether Old Man Cheng also has unknown purposes and identities like himself?

However, this person does not look like a member of the Blood Dragon Platform or the rebels. So Fang Yue did not investigate further.

The next morning, the sun shone through the sparse clouds to the earth, and the caravan set off again in a peaceful atmosphere, heading towards Xiahe County.

Unlike yesterday, Old Man Cheng and his granddaughter were warmly invited by the team leader Brother Li to a luxurious carriage in the caravan.

This carriage was originally used by the team leader Brother Li himself, but at this moment he took the initiative to give up his seat to express his respect and gratitude to Old Man Cheng.

Old Man Cheng and his grandson refused at first, but finally accepted this kindness.

~~~~~

Three days later, the caravan gradually approached Chenzhou City.

As the caravan gradually approached Chenzhou City, this was the first time Fang Yue had come to a large town since he joined the caravan, which also meant that he was one step closer to his destination.

Before arriving at Xiahe County, the caravan first rested on a wide grassland to allow the horses and personnel to get enough rest.

Fang Yue also used this time to carefully observe the surrounding environment and terrain to ensure that there were no potential dangers.

After resting, the caravan continued to move forward and soon arrived at the gate of Xiahe County.

The gate was tall and majestic, with soldiers guarding on both sides, looking solemn and dignified.

After entering the city, a scene of depression came into view. Although the shops on both sides of the street were still there, many of them were closed and looked dilapidated. There were also few pedestrians, and occasionally a few people hurried by with sad faces.

Fang Yue couldn't help wondering in his heart that this was far from the prosperous town he imagined. Sure enough, the rebels have not recovered yet.

He asked the leader of the caravan beside him and learned that Shanyang Prefecture has suffered from war in recent years, the people are living in poverty, and most towns are becoming increasingly depressed.

The caravan stopped in front of an inn that seemed to be intact, and the leader, Brother Li, arranged for everyone to stay.

Although the inn was not as prosperous as before, it could still provide food and accommodation.

Fang Yue and the members of the caravan stayed in the inn together. Although the environment was simple, everyone understood that in such a chaotic world, it was a blessing to have a place to stay.

After Fang Yue settled down in the room, he went to the lobby of the inn and planned to have further conversations with Brother Li, the leader of the caravan, to learn more about Xiahe County and the next trip.

Brother Li was discussing something with several escorts in a corner of the lobby. Seeing Fang Yue coming over, he warmly invited him to sit down.

"Brother Fang, you are here." Brother Li smiled, "You have worked hard these days. I didn't expect that you are not only good at fighting, but also so diligent."

Fang Yue waved his hand, indicating that this was what he should do. He then asked: "Brother Li, what are our plans next? When can we arrive in Xiahe County?"

Brother Li sighed, his expression a little solemn: "The situation in Xiahe County is much worse than we thought. According to the information we have received, it is now under strict control, and entering the city may require strict inspection."

"Oh?"

Fang Yue frowned slightly. He knew that strict inspection was not surprising under the current situation.

But he was more concerned about whether such inspection would expose his identity.

The next morning, the caravan was ready to set off for Xiahe County.

Fang Yue and Old Man Cheng changed into ordinary clothes in advance to hide their identities.

However, just as the caravan was about to leave Chenzhou City, it was stopped by a group of bandits outside the city gate. They held weapons and ferociously demanded to check everyone's identity and goods.

Fang Yue and Old Man Cheng observed the situation nervously and secretly prepared to deal with it.

At this moment, a bandit suddenly found the granddaughter of old man Cheng. He walked towards her with a lustful light in his eyes.

"Oh, this little girl is so pretty!" The bandit smiled obscenely, "Come back to the village with us, I promise you will live a good life!"

As he said that, he reached out to pull the granddaughter of old man Cheng.

The granddaughter of old man Cheng was frightened and retreated repeatedly. Fang Yue and old man Cheng were furious when they saw this.

Fang Yue moved and appeared in front of the bandit in an instant. He grabbed the bandit's wrist and twisted it hard, and subdued him to the ground.

"How dare you rob a woman in broad daylight!"

Seeing this, other bandits surrounded him one after another, with weapons flashing coldly in their hands.

Old man Cheng also quickly stood beside Fang Yue, holding a long sword in his hand, staring at the bandits around him with cold eyes.

"I don't know who dares to touch my granddaughter!" Old Man Cheng shouted angrily.

The leader of the caravan, Brother Li, and other escorts quickly surrounded them. Although they didn't want to cause trouble, they also understood that if they didn't resist, the whole caravan would be bullied by the bandits.

"Let them go!"

The two sides confronted each other for a while. Finally, the bandits saw that Fang Yue and Old Man Cheng were very skilled, and the caravan had a large number of people. They didn't want to waste too much time here, so they let the caravan go.

After a quarter of an hour, the caravan was almost ten miles away from Chenzhou City.