...... Heavy rain drowned out the noise. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The sound of horses' hooves approaching in the distance didn't reach my ears.

At this moment, I was alone in a secluded cave.

I found a drier place inside.

Then, I sat down and started eating the steamed buns that my aunt and aunt had put in my baggage.

After I finished eating a steamed bun, I rearranged the baggage.

After thinking about it, I decided to go to the mouth of the cave to see the rain outside.

I got up and walked a few steps before I suddenly stopped.

This voice doesn't seem quite right...... I chuckled in my heart and immediately crouched down.

Then I lay on the ground, my ears close to the ground, listening to the movement outside.

In the distance, there was indeed a voice, and my face changed suddenly......

The direction of the sound was from the location of the cave where I was now.

Although the sound of rain is still there, the sound of horses' hooves can still be heard if you listen carefully.

As far as I can tell, it's still a bit of a distance, but it won't take long to get to the cave.

Should...... There are only a few people.

Judging by the sound, the conclusion is that it is definitely not a large number of teams.

That's for sure!

You must know that I am walking on the shortcut revealed to me by the mountain people, and on the mountain road outside, because of the rain, there are no people or chariots and horses passing by on the originally deserted mountain road.

It's not like I've never been in a similar situation before!

Right now, I'm a little unsure if they're going to stop by this cave.

At the same time, I'm not sure if the caller is benevolent or malicious.

If it's just a stranger passing by, everyone is just trying to hide from the rain or take a temporary break...... In that case, there will be no conflict at all.

The cave is more than enough to accommodate a few people.

You can have your own place.

But what about the latter? If the visitor is not good, then how do I deal with it...... For a moment, I was nervous, but I didn't know if I should go out or not.

If someone is just passing by, if I go to the entrance of the cave and they happen to see it, will I get into trouble for myself?

Sometimes inadvertent actions can indeed have bad consequences.

After thinking about it, the sound of the horse's hooves came closer, so I had to stay where I was and wait and see.

As I said, the weather in the mountains makes it impossible to know what will happen in the next second.

When you go out and walk, you don't know what kind of person you will meet in the next moment!

I sat cross-legged on a rock in the cave, waiting for the sound of horses' hooves to come closer, for strangers to pass by.

My gaze was fixed on the direction leading to the outside of the cave.

I didn't want to show off the dagger I was carrying, and I even used someone else to give me a makeshift hand to treat the wounded.

I'm hoping to keep a low profile and hide something.

But if it really happened that I had to fight hard, the dagger wouldn't have done much.

If there is a practitioner in the opponent's team, I will not have a strength advantage for me.

This cave is still a cave with only one side exit.

In the event of danger, there is no chance to even leave the passageway.

...... In the anxious waiting, time passed minute by minute.

I finally heard the sound of horses' hooves getting louder and louder down the trail, and then slowly moving away.

The other party obviously has no intention of stopping.

Just like I guessed the previous possibility, a few strangers passing by!

It wasn't until I couldn't hear the horse's hooves that I breathed a sigh of relief, and I walked out of the cave.

The cold air in the mountains after the rain, and the mountain breeze is still cold.

However, the rain is almost stopping.

I tidied up and started walking.

I had to follow the shortcut told by the mountain people to get to where I planned to go as soon as possible.

The mountains and forests have been washed by the rain, and the scenery is very pleasant.

However, the road conditions were worse than what I saw when I came out of the ruined temple!

No way, as soon as the rain arrives, the road will be more difficult to walk, potholes, and there is no second way to choose.

...... I came out of the cave and walked a little bit on the extremely muddy road in the mountains.

The rainy road is weak, and it is more slippery than the mountain road near the eldest mother's house.

Suddenly, I remembered the stranger on horseback who had passed by.

They are also very good people who can ride horses on such a bad road!

If you are distracted, it is easy to get into trouble.

Didn't there be a mountain man driving and overturning before?

I focused on the road under my feet and walked a little further, gradually becoming a little calmer.

It looks like a downhill mountain road.

When the mountain people showed me the way, they reminded me of the shortcuts in the area of the nearby river.

I heard that walking along the river beach is the closest route to the place you want to go.

I thought about it, and with the clues I had been told by the mountain people, I finally got to the area where I had planned to go, and where he had shown me.

As soon as I saw the clear water, I immediately walked over and squatted on the beach to clean myself.

My clothes and shoes were stained with a lot of mud from the mountain trails.

It's really hard for me.

I straightened up from the water's edge and looked around the beach.

Last night's heavy rain was also a rain just now, and the large and small stones distributed on the river beach were washed away by the rain, and they looked like a warm luster.

I don't know when the clouds cleared and the light became a lot brighter.

I stopped and looked ahead, where the river meandered in front of me, and then looked around.

I could see that the river beach not far away stretched into the forest, connecting to a path that I could see from my position.

The path runs through the woods.

I'm sure that's where I'm going next.

While staying in the ruined temple, I asked the mountain people about it, and he told me that there was a path next to the river.

After seeing the river beach, it has been extending all the way.

He also said he was going to walk through a forest!

At the moment, it also has the advantage that I don't carry too much baggage with me.

When I used to travel alone, I was so preoccupied with putting things in order that I had left a lot of things I wanted to take with me.

At that time, I thought I could have reduced as much as I could, but now I don't need to be so difficult.

Because I can count all the things I put together.

When I'm packing alone, I often have a lot of worries, worrying that I'm missing this and missing that...... I felt that I needed to deal with all kinds of emergencies on the road.

From the herbs to the clothes and even the food I carry with me, I try to be as safe as possible.

There's going to be a big baggage that follows me.

But this time, someone else helped me "tidy" up the things I wanted to bring, so I only had such a small burden to carry with me.

Thinking of this, I can't help but feel a little emotional.

The same thing, different people handle it and it becomes completely different.

...... I walked along the riverbank to the path in the woods.

The winding road passes through the lush mountain forests that do not wither in winter.

It is the same as the Northland where the king of Sealand is stationed.

There are many evergreen trees growing in this area, and even in winter they look lush.

If it snows, the snow here will be even better.

After the rain, the sun shining through the branches and leaves was shining on me.

My pace picked up a bit.

Considering that it is very unsafe to stay in the mountains and forests at night, it is best to find a way to get to the town before nightfall.

Look for an opportunity to follow others into town.

...... There was a mountain road in front of me, and there were more and more passers-by walking in the mountains.

Some of them are in the opposite direction from me.

In my judgment, it was the mountain people who had returned from the town.

The place I'm going to is actually a place in the mountains outside the town that the people I met at the Broken Temple mentioned earlier.

It's like a cargo distribution center outside the town, and it's also close to the wharf near the river.

However, it is not open to navigation at this time.

The moment I heard the noise, I almost thought it was my own delusion.

I didn't want to turn around another mountain road, and sure enough, I saw a large open space near the river not far away.

The people who came and went in the clearing were almost as good as the small town markets that I had seen before.

It's no wonder that when the mountain people talked about this topic, I was very interested in seeing them.

If I had known that there was such a place not far from the town, I would have been willing to try my luck earlier.

According to the mountain people, some of the things were traded here before they were sent to the town.

I took a deep breath, perked up, and slowly approached.

All around were busy people, some dressed in the usual clothes of mountain people, others looking like they should be caravans.

I was amazed by the mix of accents from all over the world.

I know this place is not far from the Northland battlefield, but there is still a deal of trade in the face of such tension.

Thinking back to the news I heard in the past, I was indeed told by the shopkeeper along the way.

He said that the princess had been assigned a territory of great wealth in Sealand.

I think it's still the season of closure, if we wait until the spring and summer are hotter, will this area be more lively?

In a trance, I had the illusion that the place I came to at this moment was the town I wanted to go to.

But it is lively, and it is still different from the market in Nanhua Town, where almost all of them are bulk goods.

My eyes lingered on the main road on the other side of the clearing, with horse-drawn carriages carrying things to the town.

Some deals are completed and about to begin.

I stood quietly on the side and watched carefully for a while, because this area is lively, and it will also bring other business opportunities.

I saw the makeshift stalls set up one after another at the edge of the market, with canopies erected and snacks sold underneath.

I looked at the wagons on the road to town and thought I might find the opportunity I was looking forward to.

Until then, though, I'm feeding myself first.

You must know that eating those cold steamed buns is really ......

I felt exhausted all my physical strength along the way, and I had to replenish some calories as soon as possible!

I circled around and stopped at one of the stalls.

They sold small dumplings that I was familiar with, but they were boiled in steaming soup.

I took a closer look and found it very fascinating.

I think about the little money that the eldest lady gave me in my baggage, and I think it's always okay to eat a bowl.

I'm not going to think about what to do when the money is spent, I'll fix it for now.

With my mind set up, I sat down and asked for a bowl of snacks.

Sit down at a makeshift table and eat.

...... After a while, several other people came around me.

One of them looked particularly eye-catching, and the man looked rugged, with a thick beard covering half of his face.

The man was in a strong shape, and at first glance, he still had a bit of a fierce aura.

However, it was not surprising that there were all the people who came to the market, and that I was used to walking outside.

As soon as the man arrived, the voice of the next table was soft.

Strangely, that guy actually chose the table I was sitting at and sat down.

Because that person's temperament is the kind that makes strangers afraid after seeing it, no third person at the small table I sat with him dared to sit down.

Sensing that the man was watching me all the time, I put down my spoon and looked up to meet his gaze.

Seeing him staring at me, I subconsciously reached out and touched my face, then looked at him and asked politely, "I'm sorry, I've been on a long journey before, and it's still raining in the mountains, take a look...... Is it because of the mud on my face? ”

I can't think of a reason why this man should stare at me.

Thinking of how embarrassed I was before, I thought to myself, maybe it is!

He shook his head and looked at me in amazement, not saying a word.

"Oh, it's good if you don't, thank you for answering!"

I smiled faintly at him, lowered my head and continued to deal with the food in the bowl.

He just stared if he wanted.

However, his eyes give me the feeling of being quite open, not the kind of thief eyebrows and mouse eyes that are very obscene.

Since he looks generous, and I am now a man in men's clothing, let him see it generously!

After drinking the hot soup, I felt that my whole body warmed up, and my mood suddenly improved a lot.

When the rest of the matter comes, I'll have to inquire about my chance to get into town.

Actually, I would like to go to the barracks, but unfortunately it's not something that ordinary people can go to casually.

...... A flash of confusion flashed through my mind, and I frowned slightly and glanced at the bearded man sitting across from me.

Anyway, he looked at me for a long time, and he didn't order anything to eat.

Isn't that guy hungry?

He sat here, and even the owner of the food stall didn't dare to come forward and ask him questions.

I want to be someone else, sitting here temporarily and resting without ordering anything to eat, the stall owner must have something to say.

It's also very good to have a fierce temperament, and most people are afraid of him!

When I finished eating, it was time to pay and leave, and I untied the baggage I had been carrying all along.

When I arrived at the market, I saw that the people were too busy, for fear that I would accidentally lose this poor belongings, so I never dared to untie the burden on my shoulders!