"Good!" Shang Jingchuan nodded, then turned to look at his daughter.
"Luoluo, it’s getting late, we should set off!"
"Hmm, then let’s go!"
Shang Luoluo replied softly, then followed her father to the door.
The carriage was already prepared, and as she got on, Shang Luoluo took one last look at the distant street.
The long street was empty, aside from a few early risers, the figure she hoped to see was nowhere in sight.
Of course.
She hadn’t told him the exact date, so how would he know she was leaving today?
Shang Luoluo laughed at herself, then boarded the carriage somewhat dejectedly.
In the distance, Shang Jingchuan saw this and couldn’t help but sigh silently.
He had already guessed what was on his daughter’s mind.
Otherwise, why would Luoluo, who was always decisive, drag her feet this time?
It was clear she was waiting for someone.
But knowing is knowing, he said nothing, just cleared his throat and then spoke to the commander of the escort team.
"Let’s go!"
"Yes!"
With the sound of the whip, the caravan began to move slowly towards the East City Gate.
Sitting inside the carriage, though not lifting the curtain, Shang Luoluo could clearly discern her current position based on the speed and direction of the turns.
They must have turned off Lion Street and onto the street leading to the East City Gate, as the ride became noticeably bumpier and the scent of fried dough sticks and pan-fried buns wafted in from outside.
There was a morning market here, and when she had time, Shang Luoluo often came here for breakfast, so she was very familiar with this place.
After passing here, it would take about the time of an incense stick to reach the city gates.
The timing was quite precise, and when they reached the gate, it should be just opening, without hindering their passage at all.
She knew well that her father must have sensed something, but chose not to speak.
In any case, not seeing him was for the best, as meeting would only add to the sadness without serving any purpose.
Yet, somehow, as the carriage moved steadily forward, Shang Luoluo felt an increasing desire to see Zhao Ya.
Even if it was just a glance from afar.
This irrational urge burned in her mind like a flame.
Shang Luoluo took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried her best not to think about it.
Just then, the carriage suddenly shook and came to a slow stop.
What was going on?
They shouldn’t have reached the city gates yet?
Confused, Shang Luoluo opened her eyes and lifted the curtain to look ahead.
And then she froze.
For there stood two people in front of the caravan, one tall, one short, a man and a woman.
The man was tall and heroic, the woman petite and graceful.
Who else could it be but Zhao Ya and Zui’Er?
Seeing Shang Luoluo, Zhao Ya gave her a slight smile.
"Miss Shang, leaving without a word, isn’t that a bit unfriendly?"
Somehow, seeing Zhao Ya’s smile filled Shang Luoluo’s heart with warmth, sweeping away her previous anxiety.
She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled gently, "I just didn’t want to disturb you. But what about you two?"
Noticing the packs on Zhao Ya and Zui’Er’s backs, she had a vague idea but dared not confirm it, so she asked cautiously.
"I happen to have some business in the capital, so Miss Shang... may we hitch a ride?" Zhao Ya said with a smile.
Shang Luoluo finally understood what it meant to be pleasantly surprised, she was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
"Good!"
Watching from afar, Shang Jingchuan saw the radiant smile on his daughter’s face and couldn’t help but express a father’s bittersweet sentiment.
"Alas... a daughter never stays home."
His words were tinged with obvious jealousy, as if the flower he had so carefully nurtured was being taken away with its pot.
The guards didn’t dare make a sound.
But they wholeheartedly supported Zhao Ya joining them.
After all, in Yunxiao County now, who didn’t know the prowess of Young Hero Zhao Ya?
With him joining, the trip to the capital would surely be much safer.
After exiting the East City Gate, the caravan turned onto the official road and continued toward the capital.
Zui’Er looked back at the commandery with eyes full of longing.
This city held many beautiful memories for her, and now leaving suddenly, she naturally felt a bit reluctant.
Shang Luoluo also looked back, but she wasn’t looking at the commandery; she was looking at the young man riding his horse alongside the caravan.
Any remaining sorrow from leaving was dispelled by the young man’s sudden appearance.
At this moment, Shang Luoluo felt her heart was filled with nothing but sheer happiness.
Zhao Ya hadn’t noticed any of this, for he was busy chatting with Shang Jingchuan.
"Young Hero Zhao, what brings you to the capital?" Shang Jingchuan asked.
"Uncle, just call me Ya. I’m planning to broaden my horizons since my Martial Dao has hit a bottleneck that’s not easy to break through," Zhao Ya replied.
Though Shang Jingchuan suspected Zhao Ya’s intentions weren’t as simple as he claimed, since Zhao Ya had said so, it wasn’t appropriate to probe further.
"Well, Great Yan Capital is filled with hidden talents. While your achievements are remarkable, Ya, you must still be cautious and avoid acting recklessly when you arrive."
Shang Jingchuan gave some instructions with a worried expression.
What he feared the most was that after Zhao Ya arrived at the Capital City, he might act impulsively. If something were to go wrong, wouldn’t his daughter’s entire life be ruined?
As Shang Luoluo’s father, he knew his daughter very well.
She was undoubtedly smart, but her character was extremely stubborn. Once she made up her mind about someone or something, it was nearly impossible to change it.
So even if he had any opinions about Zhao Ya, he didn’t dare say anything, instead opting to cautiously remind him.
Zhao Ya nodded with a smile, "Uncle, rest assured. I have always been very mature and prudent and will never act rashly."
Just as he finished speaking, Zui’Er stuck her head out from the carriage ahead and shouted, "Ya, Luoluo wants you to come over for a moment!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya clasped his hands towards Shang Jingchuan and said, "I’ll go see."
Then he spurred his horse forward.
Watching his back, Shang Jingchuan mumbled under his breath, "Mature and prudent, my foot. How is nearly turning the entire Commandery upside down considered mature and prudent?"
Shang Jingchuan vividly remembered what Zhao Ya had done before, so he thought Zhao Ya’s words were utter nonsense.
At this moment, Zhao Ya arrived beside Shang Luoluo’s carriage, and Shang Luoluo opened the curtain and smiled at him.
"What did my father just say to you?"
"Nothing much, just advised me to not be impulsive and to be cautious when we reach the Capital City."
"Hmph, I knew he would say that. Just ignore him. He’s just like that. Sometimes, he’s so cautious that he’s afraid a falling leaf will hit his head." Shang Luoluo said.
Zhao Ya chuckled softly, "Is that really how you talk about your father?"
"What I said is the truth, after all. Isn’t it okay for me to speak my mind?" Shang Luoluo said with a smile.
"Alright, I’ll go take a look ahead!"
Zhao Ya felt as though Shang Jingchuan’s gaze could almost set him on fire, so he quickly found an excuse to leave.
"Yeah, when it’s time to eat, come eat with us. The food I brought is way better than anyone else’s," Shang Luoluo reminded him with concern.
Zhao Ya nodded and spurred his horse forward.
Thus, the caravan continued toward the Capital City at a slow pace of seventy to eighty li per day.
This was mainly because the official road leading to the Capital City was relatively new; otherwise, the pace would have been slower.
However, Shang Luoluo wasn’t in a hurry at all; sometimes she even felt the further the journey was, the better—ideally, it would take a year or so.
Ten days later.
The group had left the territory of Yunxiao County and entered the borders of Phoenix Tail County.
This Phoenix Tail County was once renowned for its commerce and was one of the wealthiest places among the Commanderies of Great Yan.
But when Zhao Ya’s group entered Phoenix Tail County, they could distinctly feel the pervasive atmosphere of decline.
Whether it was the neglected official roads or the abandoned and collapsed post stations by the roadside, all showed evidence of the region’s deterioration.
Moreover, Zhao Ya noticed that there were often bones and signs of skirmishes along the roadside.
Sometimes, they even saw burned carriages.
All this proved that Phoenix Tail County was far from peaceful.
"Stay vigilant, especially watch for any suspicious people approaching." Zhao Ya said sternly.
By now, he had replaced the commanding position of the guard leader and had become the leader of these escorts.
The former guard leader not only had no complaints but was thoroughly convinced.
Because along the journey, Zhao Ya’s abilities had deeply impressed these people.
Upon hearing his instructions, the escorts realized the gravity of the situation and made preparations accordingly.
The carriage continued forward, and the further they went, the more alarming the sights became.
The villages and towns they passed through were mostly abandoned, some even bore marks of arson.
Even in the villages where people still lived, life was extremely hard.
Zhao Ya personally saw seven or eight-year-old children without even a pair of pants, working bare-bodied in the cold weather of early spring.
Whenever the caravan passed by, these children would scatter like startled birds and then watch Zhao Ya and the others from a distance with wary eyes.
Under such circumstances, there wasn’t even a single inn, nor any place to rest or eat.
They could only rely on the dry food they carried with them.
On this particular day, while everyone was journeying, a strong wind suddenly blew in.
The gale swept up dust and sand, obscuring the sky and sun. Although it was only early afternoon, it suddenly became as dark as night.
Moreover, trees by the roadside were uprooted, and branches flew everywhere.
Under such extreme weather conditions, it was impossible to continue traveling, as the horses could easily be startled.
They had to quickly find a place to take shelter from the wind; otherwise, there was a risk of catastrophe.
Zhao Ya calmed the frightened horses while shouting commands to the group.
At the same time, his eyes constantly scanned the distance, trying to find a suitable location.
Before long,
he noticed an abandoned post station by the official road.
Though it had been in disrepair for years, with many parts collapsed,
most of the walls were still intact, making it a suitable windbreak.
So he shouted, "Quick, everyone into that post station!"
With that, he took the lead and charged forward, with everyone else closely following, finally making it into the station.
The wind was somewhat weakened by the wall’s shelter.
Zhao Ya had the carriages gathered closely to prevent the horses from being startled while he inspected the post station.
The post station had been abandoned for a long time, and most of the buildings were uninhabitable, but a few rooms were still intact, so Zhao Ya let Shang Luoluo and Zui’Er shelter inside from the wind.
After completing all these tasks, Zhao Ya still felt uneasy, so he climbed to a high spot outside to carefully observe the surroundings.