"It's because there's another zombie incident in Southern Tang."
A thin man with a deer-headed and rat-like eyes came over and muttered to Li Xuan, "In the past year or so, the checkpoint has been closed seven or eight times, each time lasting about a week."
"Zombies?"
Li Xuan frowned.
Zombies have rotting bodies, sharp teeth and claws, and viruses all over their bodies. They are simply a nightmare for humans.
There are some powerful zombies that feed on humans and are omnipotent by flying into the sky and hiding on the earth. Li Rui had dealt with them too much when he was in the Youran Realm, and he knew how powerful these dead creatures were.
However, this was the first time he heard about zombies in the Great Qianxian Realm.
Seeing Li Xuan's disgusted expression, the thin man came closer and said, "Are you in a hurry to cross the border?"
Li Xuan nodded: "Of course, do you have any idea?"
The thin man laughed: "Two gold ingots per person, I will take you across the border through the mountain path, and you will only pay when you arrive in Southern Tang Dynasty. How about that?"
There was a bit of cunning hidden in his smile. Li Xuan saw it in his eyes and felt that the thin man had evil intentions.
"This guy is either a liar or an accomplice of a horse thief..." Li Xuan thought to himself.
Seeing that Li Xuan remained silent, the thin man added: "The zombies are making trouble to no end. If you wait for the checkpoint to open, you will have to wait.
Besides, it will cost money to stay here, so why not cross the border as soon as possible."
Li Xuan smiled: "I will give you an answer after discussing it with other companions."
The thin man was not impatient and patted Li Xuan's shoulder gently: "My name is Chen Laowu. If you want to find me, go over there."
As he spoke, he ducked into the crowd and didn't know who he was selling to.
As soon as Chen Laowu left, Zhao Rui came back. Seeing how sweaty he was, Li Xuan knew that the front must be packed, otherwise why would it be so difficult for the horse thief to escape.
"The checkpoint is closed, and we don't know how many days it will be closed at the moment.
It is said that the zombies in Southern Tang were very violent, and a town was massacred last night..." Zhao Rui said to Li Xuan.
Everyone became nervous, especially Yao Lin and Bai Ziwei. Their faces turned pale from the moment they heard the name of the zombie.
"So, we won't be able to leave for a while?"
Li Xuan pondered.
"By the way, I also saw a few people wearing Jixia College uniforms."
Zhao Rui provided another important piece of information, "It seems like they are looking for someone."
Sima De trembled, hid behind Li Xuan, and whispered: "I knew they must have sent someone to intercept me."
Li Xuan shrugged: "It seems that we can only ask that Chen Laowu to lead the way. I hope he won't take us to the den of horse thieves."
When everyone found Chen Laowu, he was instigating another caravan with all kinds of extravagance. This guy was so boastful that there were actually people willing to pay him to be their guide.
Soon, Chen Laowu gathered three caravans, including the Kuanghu Squadron. He led the group down a fork in the road and wandered around in the wilderness for a while before walking into the mountains.
"Everyone, the entrance to the path is just ahead. Only I, Chen Laowu, know this path. It is safe and convenient. Every copper you spend is definitely worth it."
Along the way, Chen Laowu never had a moment to spare, bragging about his familiarity with the border terrain.
Behind Chen Laowu were more than twenty people from three caravans.
Everyone lined up in a long line and followed Chen Laowu into the mountains. After climbing over two undulating hillsides, they came to the entrance of a canyon.
"Is there really a road leading to Southern Tang from here?"
a businessman asked doubtfully.
Chen Laowu said displeasedly: "I, Chen Laowu, am a well-known guide. If you don't trust me, I will refund your deposit. You go back and wait for the checkpoint to open."
"I don't distrust you."
The businessman kept saying, "It's just that this road looks very dangerous. I'm afraid the horses won't be able to pass it."
"Don't worry, this road is very good."
Chen Laowu pointed far away, "Everyone, hurry up and hurry up. We will arrive at Shanbei Town in the evening."
Shanbei Town is the town on the Southern Tang side, and arriving there is equivalent to arriving in the Southern Tang Dynasty.
There is a carriage and horse post in the town leading to the Southern Tang Dynasty, the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty. It is the only way to reach the Southern Tang Dynasty from the Spring and Autumn Empire.
Sima De's destination is also Shanbei Town. As long as he is sent there, Li Xuan will have completed the escort mission along the way.
After hearing Chen Laowu's eloquent words, the merchants also gathered their energy. Everyone led their horses and pushed their carts, and filed into the valley.
As expected, there was a trail covered with wild smoke and vines in the valley. Although it was much narrower than the main road, it was relatively gentle and the team progressed smoothly.
"Li Xuan, this guy named Chen Laowu is not simple.
If you look at his steps, they may seem very frivolous, but in fact every step is very steady."
Zhao Rui came to Li Xuan's side at some point and reminded him in a low voice.
"I've seen it a long time ago. He must be a horse thief."
Li Xuan sneered, "This guy is leading us somewhere. I suspect there are his accomplices ahead who want to rob us all."
"Do you want to strike first?"
Zhao Rui asked.
Li Xuan shook his head: "We are not familiar with the geographical environment here, so we should not act rashly.
It would be best if he brought us safely to Shanbei Town.
If he wants to play any tricks, he is seeking death."
Seeing the devilish smile on Li Xuan's face, Zhao Rui shuddered and retreated to the middle of the team.
He thought to himself: If you dare to take advantage of Li Xuan, this horse thief will be in trouble.
While Li Xuan and his party were trekking in the mountains, twenty heavily armed horse thieves were choosing the best place to ambush in a mountain in the Southern Tang Dynasty.
"Hey, are the stones ready?
After a while, be sure to spot the right opportunity before the rocks fall, and don’t let anyone go.”
There is only a rugged and steep narrow road between the two mountain peaks. If you stand in the middle of the road and look up, the sky will look like a long, thin blue line.
This is a favorite ambush location for horse thieves. As long as they prepare for falling rocks in advance and block the road front and rear, the business travelers will become a turtle in a urn, allowing them to plunder.
"We're ready here."
A few horse thieves secured a pile of gravel wrapped in a net and waved their arms to greet their companions on the opposite side.
The horse thieves were ready, waiting for Chen Laowu to lead the merchants into an ambush.
They lie down leisurely and wait quietly for their prey to come.
As time passed by, the sun gradually went to the west and the sky became darker and darker.
The horse thieves waited impatiently and began to chat quietly.
"It's getting dark, and I don't know if those zombies will make trouble again."