Shao Xuan bade Ji Ju farewell then left with Guang Yi, bringing the seeds Ji Ju gave.
Not sure what Ji Ju was doing in the house, he just popped out once and then went back into hibernation. The butler prepared a bull carriage for Shao Xuan. There were few horses but many bulls here used for transport in the fields.
This bull was usually used to transport grains.
“No driver?” asked Shao Xuan in surprise.
There was just a carriage with the bull. There was no driver.
“We don’t need a driver,” said the butler with a smile. “After sending you both, it’ll come back on its own.”
“Aren’t you afraid someone would bring it away?”
“Who dares do such a thing?” The butler was confident. “It has the mark of the Golden Grain fields. Even if it got lost, there will be many people fighting to send it back here. No one would even take the carriage, let alone the bull!
As if in reply to the butler, the bull let out a ‘moo’.
“Alright, thank you.”
After that, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi sat in the carriage and the bull went off. On the dirt road, there was no one so they sped up.
Even if there was someone, after seeing the mark on the bull, anyone would avoid them.
Guang Yi was admiring the bull. “It would be great if our tribe could get something like this.”
“We will.” Shao Xuan thought about the animals pulling carriages on the other side of the ocean.
This was not the time to reminisce. Shao Xuan turned to Guang Yi. “Be careful, this journey might not be smooth.”
Guang Yi’s heart clenched. “Didn’t he say no one would dare touch this carriage?”
“That’s just under normal circumstances, it’s not the absolute truth.”
Since Shao Xuan said so, Guang Yi pulled his sword out and occasionally looked out through the gaps of the curtains.
The bull had been galloping happily but it suddenly slowed down. The rhythm was lost and sounded frustrated.
After going through many brushes with death hunting in the forest, Guang Yi’s senses were sharp. The moment something was off, he shifted into battle mode and watched outside cautiously.
There was a bull carriage filled with grains in front. That was a regular bull from other farms and nothing special. However, usually, farms would brand their bull. This bull was not branded. Plus, it did not avoid their carriage– instead accelerated and was charging directly at them.
The bull’s gone mad?!
The other bull was going to hit them now. Shao Xuan’s bull cried in anger and lowered its head. Both its sharp horns pointed directly ahead and its hoove scraped the ground furiously.
Bang!
Perhaps because the Golden GRain fields fed their bulls top-grade food, it didn’t matter if the other bull was much larger- after both pairs of horns collided, the other bull was hit out of the path along with its carriage.
However, this was not the end.
Before the carriage flipped over, the carriage driver tossed his whip. “Go!”
Every sack in the carriage tore apart to reveal people with glares as deadly as a tiger. They wielded weapons with no signatures or brands, rushing at Sao Xuan.
At this point, they both realised they were robbers!
With glinting weapons and swift movements, they slashed mercilessly at the carriage. The fabric around the carriage was sliced open, along with sounds of hacking in different parts of the carriage. This robbery went as swift as a storm, decisive and powerful. There was no time to breathe.
Bang! Snap!
The carriage could not hold up against so many people, shattering into pieces of rubble on the ground. Only the metal parts of the wheel rolled into a ditch nearby.
The bull, frightened, cried in fear after knocking their bull into the ditch.
“Mooo—-”
In other places, such a noisy bull would be killed immediately. However, here, not a single robber touched the bull. Their target was clear– only the people on the carriage.
The moment the robbers attacked, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi leapt out of the carriage in two directions, the carriage crumbling into pulp under their feet.
An arc of light formed as he swung his sword, bringing with it the whistle of a beast’s claws and hacked it at the other person’s blade.
Clang!
The other person’s knife snapped, the broken half flying in the air. Although this sword wasn’t as good as the other one, this was still something Gongjia Heng gave him. It was made by the other Gongjia blacksmiths and must be better than regular knives. Plus, he was powerful enough to snap the sword.
The sword on his hand was chipped a little though. He did not stop to look, instead bringing his arm diagonally down to slit the throat of another robber, who’d been planning to ambush from the back. Fresh blood sprayed unto other robbers but they did not hesitate just because of one death. They showed no remorse or grief, no emotion.
Guang Yi’s face was as solemn as still waters, his attacks also merciless. He did not care who sent these people– if you try to rob me, don’t blame me for killing you. This was the principle used for leading a troop for trade, plus the robbers were trying to kill them with every move.
He parried one robber away with one slash. Before the robber could make another move, Guang Yi’s second slash had landed to cut off his shoulder. He had intended to cut this person in half but there were too many people around and his slash did not achieve the effect he wanted. He did a backflip to kick a person creeping up behind him into the air, privately worried. First, he was worried about Shao Xuan’s safety. Second, the seeds Shao Xuan was carrying. Those were good seeds given by Ji Ju, they were rare. Did these people want the seeds? ! Or did they want the Thousand Grain Gold?!
Eleven robbers. Just within minutes of their encounter, two were incapacitated, one was dead. Eight now surrounded Shao Xuan and Guang Yi. Out of the four around Guang Yi, one suddenly charged at Shao Xuan.
A flash passed his waist. If Shao Xuan hadn’t dodged quick enough, the sword would have pierced right through him. However, while Shao Xuan dodged it, the bag he carried was cut.
Before Shao Xuan caught the bag flying in the air, several silhouettes rushed forward to block him, another used his sword to knock the bag away. It landed in one of their hands.
Nearby, there was another bull carriage approaching. It was a carriage heading towards King City with guards escorting it. There were many guards like this now. If they saw that a carriage from the Golden GRain fields was being robbed, they’d definitely come help.
“Go!!”
Seeing someone approach, these people did not hesitate to leave their fake carriage and the half-dead bull, disappearing like lightning. In a blink, they’d already run off in a distance. When the other carriage arrived, they were gone.
Guang Yi panicked and chased after the bag but Shao Xuan pulled him back.
“They can take it. Don’t chase after them.”
“But, inside…”
“There are no seeds inside, no Thousand Grain Gold,” said Shao Xuan.
“Isn’t that the bag you’re always carrying around?” asked Guang Yi.
“Yes but it’s just a bag. I’ve switched out the things inside.”
When he heard this, he finally calmed down. “Then what’s inside?”
“I got some good stuff from the butler before we left.”
At the Golden Grains fields, when it heard the other bull’s cry, Ji Ju’s ‘Yellow Earth’ wanted to sprint out immediately. Its brother was bullied, as the boss of this area, of course it had to come protect its brother.
If it wasn’t for Ji Ju, who was out for a meal, standing at the gate, the field’s gates would have been bashed open by the bull.
Ji Ju did not let Yellow Earn out but let his butler send their men over. This was ridiculous! Who dared rob a carriage owned by the Golden Grain fields?!
The butler was furious too. He had just guaranteed Shao Xuan’s safety and this happened. This was a slap to his face!
However, when their men arrived, the robbers had already sensed this and left. If it wasn’t for the rubble on the floor and the cries of their bull (who sounded like it was telling on the robbers), they would’ve thought nothing happened.
There were no clues on the dead robber.
In an inconspicuous yard within King City, two guards hurried into the house.
“Young Master, Master Yuan…”
Before the guard finished, there were hurried footsteps approaching. The doors burst open with a kick.
“Ji Yuan, what the hell are you trying to do?!” roared Ji Jing, seeing the newcomer.
Several people stepped forward to protect Ji Jing.
Ji Yuan looked at the men around Ji Jing, then glared at her. “The roads had already been blocked off, yet you dare send your men to rob Shao Xuan?!”
Panic flashed in her eyes but she suppressed her fears. “What nonsense is that? I did not send anyone. “
“You did not send your men, you borrowed someone else’s authority!”
“Shut up, weren’t you thinking of getting the bag too? Or how would you know what happened”
Both of them argued but another person rushed in, panting.
Ji Jing’s eyes shone with excitement when she saw the person. Before she spoke, Ji Yuan acted first to snatch the bag hidden in the other person’s clothing.
“Ji Yuan, you dare take my stuff!” Ji Jing snatched the bag over with her guards.
They fought for the bag. Somehow, someone tugged on a string peeking out of the bag.
Poof!
Like a cannon, everything inside exploded.
The house was not large. In a second, the pungent smell of organic fertiliser filled the room, powder splattered on every person.
There was a heavy smell of manure and farm in the house.
Ji Yuan, holding the bag: “...”
Ji Jing, splattered with manure: “...”
Everyone else, face turning green: “...”
Where was the treasure?