Chapter 114: Cavalry

Silver! Carts and carts of silver!

Lu Zhuangyuan had already noticed the deeply sunken wheel tracks, immediately knowing the carts must be carrying something heavy. Yet, he never imagined it was all silver!

"How much silver is this? Just a fraction of it would be enough to open several opera houses, wouldn't it?"

As Lu Zhuangyuan stared, wide-eyed, the curtain, lifted by the wind, dropped back down.

The nuns had clearly noticed the unusual reactions of those around them. Yet, they paid no attention, remaining seated on the ground and continuing to eat, as unperturbed as if they were massive weights.

"Stop staring, everyone! Eat, quickly eat. Once we're full, we must leave immediately. So much silver, it's likely to cause trouble."

Forming a semicircle with the two carts, Lu's Troupe resumed their meal.

Naturally, Zhao Wu, as a distinguished guest, received ample provisions: white steamed buns and salted duck eggs were supplied generously.

Even when Zhao Wu said he didn't want them, it was no use.

As they ate, a foul smell gradually grew stronger.

A relatively thinner nun, for some reason, approached them, staring at the salted duck egg in Zhao Wu's hand, drooling.

"How much for your egg?"

"Aren't nuns forbidden to eat—" Lu Xiucai's words were cut short by his father, who tapped him with a tobacco pipe.

"What kind of talk is that, Master? They're just a few eggs, take them, take them."

Lu Zhuangyuan said this, reaching into the jar, pulling out two salted duck eggs, and offering them.

The nun glanced guiltily at her companions by the cart. She reached out, grabbed a duck egg, and, not bothering to peel the shell, tossed it directly into her mouth and began chewing.

"I'll pay for it." A half-string of copper coins, smelling from being clutched tightly, was tossed onto the cart.

Feeling the oily salted yolk burst in her mouth, the plump nun's eyes narrowed in pleasure.

With such a large appetite, Lu Zhuangyuan's two duck eggs didn't last long at all. Her plump hand reached directly into the jar of salted duck eggs.

Like eating grapes, she opened her mouth, popping them in one by one, eating with great relish.

Zhao Wu, watching from the side, had only one question in his mind: "Isn't it too salty for this nun to eat like this?"

Clattering hooves, like a sudden storm, echoed through the air. Everyone looked up, discovering cavalry appearing at the end of the road in the distance!

"Soldiers are here! Run!"

Someone shouted this, and other travelers immediately stood up, picked up their luggage, and scrambled into the surrounding woods.

Lu Zhuangyuan naturally wanted to run too, but he had a horse-drawn cart.

When the cavalry arrived, the only people left besides Lu's Troupe were the nuns.

Lu Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, then offered Zhao Wu a bewildered smile, gently pushing him forward.

"Young Master Zhao, I've noticed for a while now that with such a formidable senior martial brother, you must also possess extraordinary abilities. Now is not the time to hold back."

"I... I'm not... I..."

Before he could explain, the cavalrymen in black iron armor charged past them, causing Zhao Wu, who had just opened his mouth to speak, to get a mouthful of sand.

Amidst the thunder of hooves, the clanking of weapons could be heard. This was no ordinary cavalry; it was a highly trained force. Zhao Wu glimpsed the military banner among them, bearing a massive character: 'Four'.

"Halt!" A low thunderous roar made everyone flinch.

Immediately, this contingent of cavalry surprisingly stopped with astonishing speed.

They stood in a dark, formidable line, resembling a black city wall, as white, steamy breath forcefully snorted from the horses' nostrils.

They truly moved like the wind and stood like a pine tree.

Zhao Wu's eyes widened in surprise as he saw an officer among the cavalry with four long sabers strapped to his back. The officer stomped his feet hard on the horse's back.

With a single leap, he landed more than ten meters away, directly in front of the nuns, his feet creating two large craters in the ground.

"To the residents of An Ci Temple! The border is in urgent crisis! Our camp urgently needs military provisions. We are requisitioning this silver. I will issue a promissory note, which you can take to the Ministry of Revenue to collect the money."

Others heard this too, naturally including Lu Xiucai. "Father, what's happening? Why is there fighting here in Si Qi too?"

"Good heavens! Can't you keep quiet?"

Lu Zhuangyuan, his voice hushed, covered his young son's mouth. He hunched his body as much as possible behind the cart, fearing to draw the attention of these soldiers.

You Zixiong completely ignored the opera troupe nearby, his attention entirely focused on the plump nuns in front of him.

When he saw that the nuns were still sitting there, eating heartily, completely disregarding his words as nonsense, You Zixiong's brow slowly furrowed.

"Did you not hear me?!" After speaking, his right hand gripped the hilt of a black-tasseled saber at his waist.

In an instant, the air filled with the scent of battle, as if, at that very moment, the place had become the heart of a life-or-death battlefield.

The atmosphere infected the surrounding cavalry; their eyes gradually became bloodshot, and their bodies began to grow hot. Even the horses beneath them continuously pawed the ground.

"'No, we won't give it. We're too lazy to go that far,' several nuns said simultaneously."

"If you dare, make a move. But think carefully before you do."

This refusal pushed the tension to its peak; some cavalrymen immediately began drawing their bows.

Just as Lu Zhuangyuan was preparing to ride off with the others to escape, the murderous aura vanished instantly.

With a solemn expression, You Zixiong grabbed the black-tasseled longsword from his waist and threw it directly over.

"This is my, You Zixiong's, sword! Take this sword to the Ministry of Revenue to collect the silver! You will receive more, not less!"

Watching the black-clad nuns gather around, their eyes filled with greed, touching his weapon with their dirty, plump hands, You Zixiong felt a surge of anger.

But he also understood that the entire Si Qi Kingdom was currently in turmoil. He could not afford to make enemies indiscriminately, especially not these nuns before him.

"Black Yue Riders, heed my command! Distribute the silver! The silver on the carts is to be evenly divided, one share per rider! Military orders are absolute! We must reach Kuncheng in three days!"

"As you command!"

"As you command!"

"As you command!"

All the cavalrymen dismounted, rushed to the carts, and began quickly and orderly transporting the silver.

As the sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance, Lu Zhuangyuan and the others suddenly awoke as if from a dream. They gasped for air, their bodies drenched in sweat.

"Father, I... I peed my pants."

"Aren't you ashamed?! And you have the nerve to say it! Go change your pants at once!"

Although he spoke with full confidence to his young son, Lu Zhuangyuan's legs were also weak at that moment. His heart was filled with lingering fear.

"Oh dear, it seems Si Qi is also heading for chaos. No, this area is too dangerous. I must find that young Daoist priest as soon as possible and leave this dreadful place with him."