Chapter 388: Chapter 224: The Passing Peddler
The leaderâs words were sharp, expressing his dissatisfaction with Li Siâs overconfidence.
Li Si is nothing but a muscle-bound fool, only capable of brute force without any thinking.
Li Si was reprimanded by his superior, though annoyed, he kept silent.
On Gu Chengyuâs side, they hadnât figured out a plan yet. The convoy stopped suddenly halfway, and the prolonged halt would surely arouse banditsâ suspicion.
The dart masters from the escort agency were skeptical about the matter, while Ming Mo continued to explain.
Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses came from the other side of the road. Gu Chengyu turned his head to see three horses galloping towards them from the canyon.
Gu Chengyu and Ming Mo tensed up, wary that these people might be bandits given their untimely appearance.
The horses came closer, and before reaching Gu Chengyu, the lead horse slowed down until it stopped completely.
Gu Chengyu glanced at the riders. They were dressed in silk clothes with jade pendants at their waists, appearing quite wealthy.
Chief Wu discreetly placed a hand on the knife hanging from his waist, keeping a steady eye on the three men.
"Gentlemen, Iâm passing through with goods, might I ask if this road leads to Tong County?"
The three men were burly, the leader cupped his hand towards Chief Wu, ignoring Gu Chengyu and his group standing aside.
Chief Wu scrutinized the three men before nodding, "Indeed, are you returning after selling your goods, gentlemen?"
The man chuckled and replied, "The goods sold well this time, planning to visit my uncleâs house on the way. Since the road is clear, weâll part here."
After another gesture, the man addressed his companions, "Letâs go!"
Gu Chengyu watched the three and found the lead manâs words peculiar. If he truly sold goods, why speak of it to strangers? Arenât they afraid of tempting greed?
The three were richly dressed, likely carrying a lot of silver after selling goods, yet they behaved nonchalantly, which was improbable.
Moreover, the two behind remained silent, supposedly followers but dressed equally well as the leader, subtly giving precedence to him.
Gu Chengyu studied closely, noticing that one of them wore a common cotton robe beneath the silk garments.
Gu Chengyu signaled Ming Mo and others while stepping out of the carriage without the treasure sword, wary of any sudden threat from the three.
After conversing with Chief Wu, the three rode their horses in the opposite direction of Gu Chengyu and his group.
Chief Wu watched their silhouette fading away before relaxing his grip on the knife.
"Hey? I wonder, why would the bandits ignore someone seemingly wealthy like them? Hoping for us instead? I donât believe it."
Ma Er spoke, now totally unconvinced about the situation Gu Chengyu mentioned earlier.
Chief Wu hesitated too, finding Ma Erâs reasoning credible.
"Those three might be bandits."
Gu Chengyu gazed at the now unseen trio, his words uncertain but spoken with great conviction.
He believed the bandits were targeting the escort agency, even disguising themselves as merchants to lure them into a trap.
If they were ordinary bandits, they would have charged long ago.
"Sir! Why havenât they come? Our people are all ready."
The leader, growing impatient, wondered what the escort agency was dithering about.
He took a deep breath, "They are a bit far from us, letâs wait for them to get closer before we charge. Donât call me âSirâ later, to avoid complications."
"With no witnesses left, even if known, it wouldnât matter," a bandit casually remarked.
"Mr. Gu! Bandits wouldnât use such tricks; if they really wanted to intercept the escort, theyâd charge directly."
Chief Wu hesitated, questioning why the bandits hadnât attacked despite the convoy stopping for nearly an hour. Had it been bandits, they would have rushed already.
Moreover, he trusted the escort agencyâs scout, Shi Hou, who had never failed.
However, Mr. Guâs followers possessed martial arts and claimed to have investigated already. He was puzzled, torn between whom to trust.
Gu Chengyu noticed Chief Wuâs doubt, feeling heavy-hearted. At this point, even departing from the convoy wouldnât spare them from the bandits. He chose not to waste breath and decided to prepare promptly.
Utilizing inner strength, he flew to Gu Wanâs carriage, "Brother Sun!"
Chief Wu and others were surprised by Gu Chengyuâs skill, realizing not only were his followers skilled, but Mr. Gu was also adept.
Gu Chengyu pulled aside the curtain of Gu Wanâs carriage and entered.
"Xiao Bao! Is something up? Why arenât we moving?" Gu Wan questioned the entering Gu Chengyu, puzzled.
"Second Sister! Listen, there might be bandits ahead. Here are two daggers for your protection. Whatever happens, donât come out. With me here, no one will harm you."
After speaking, Gu Chengyu pretended to pull out two daggers from his sleeve and handed them to Sun Xian sitting beside.
Gu Chengyu then proceeded to Ye Zhiqiuâs carriage, planning to gather everyone to Gu Wanâs carriage since he couldnât protect both if separated.
After explaining the situation to Ye Zhiqiu and his group, he disregarded their surprise and ushered them into Gu Wanâs carriage.
Meanwhile, seeing Gu Chengyuâs skills, Chief Wu decided to halt for preparations, refraining from progressing further. However, lacking any strategy against the enemyâs archers.
Just then, a fat-faced man descended from a carriage, frowning as he shouted to Chief Wu, "Chief Wu, why havenât we moved yet? Itâs been almost half an hour."
Initially, he thought someone needed a restroom break, causing the stop. Whether to have the escort agency accompany Gu Chengyuâs group was his reluctance. But he later considered having more cover would be advantageous; this shipment of silver couldnât afford any mistake.
Already delayed due to ladies, he grew impatient. Escorting ladies is troublesome, needing lodging before dark due to carrying silver, always on edge, fearing any unforeseen events.
Though aware of the masterâs sent companions, he dared not complain, since taking Mr. Gu and his group to the Capital wasnât his decision.
"Mr. Han, there may be bandits ahead plotting an ambush; we need a plan!" Chief Wu said worriedly to Mr. Han.
"What?" Mr. Han quickly scanned his surroundings before briskly boarding the central carriage.
"Sir! They havenât come!" Bandits were impatient by now, frustrated by the convoyâs delay.
The leader grit his teeth, lamenting wasting such an advantageous terrain.
"Advance! Theyâve surely spotted us by now."