At the north gate of Suzaku Castle, the blue-black stone bricks have built a six-zhang high city wall, and there are traces left by the rain over the years on its wall, silently telling the history under the moss and its own indestructibility.

As the first city to guard the southern frontier of the imperial dynasty, the soldiers guarding the city gate are all wearing armor and strict discipline. These soldiers are wearing armor with the characteristic patterns of southern Xinjiang, although the blackened and withered blood stains attached to the clothes make them look slightly old, but the weapons firmly held by the soldiers in their hands have been wiped by their own masters to wipe the blades white and bright, just a gust of wind blows, and the red tassels hanging under the blades flutter to tell the people who have passed by how many people's blood they have been stained.

At this time, the people outside the city who were carrying fresh vegetables to catch the morning market and the caravan that was about to leave the city staggered by.

Mu Qing, who looked like a merchant in his thirties, rode a big brown-red horse and embellished the back of the caravan. He looked back at this scene, because of the years of training in the bloody environment, he clearly felt the cold and bloody aura coming from the garrison of the city.

When Mu Qing was in the Hidden Valley, he had heard that the strength of the soldiers guarding the gate of Vermilion Bird City had reached at least the seventh rank in the rivers and lakes, and the internal strength and mental method they had learned were firmly controlled by the Bai clan of the Muhibiscus Dynasty, and their name was Iron Bone Mountain Moving Strength.

This is a practice supplemented by the main heart method of refining the body, and the ninefold iron bone refining body and the ninefold heart method of moving mountains complement each other, and when the formation is combined, it has the effect of crossing the level against the enemy. A single seven-rank soldier may not be very powerful and invincible, but if you encounter a military formation of hundreds or even thousands of seven-rank soldiers on the battlefield, then the first-rank master may not be able to leave.

And this is the reason why the Hibiscus Dynasty was able to rule for one hundred and seventy-three years, despite the constant rebellion and rebellion, because it had the strongest army in the entire continent. Only the royal family would have the most perfect exercises and materials for upgrading, and there was nothing more tempting for those in the military who craved power.

Mu Qing's current strength is around the four grades of the rivers and lakes, and there is nothing strange about the mental method he has learned, which is called Shura Jue, which is a pure internal strength mental method that all assassins in the Hidden Valley can learn. It can be said that with Mu Qing's current level of internal strength, if he encounters a hundred seventh-grade military monks who have learned the strength of moving mountains with iron bones, he can still retreat with his whole body.

The strength rating level given on the rivers and lakes has always been only an approximation, because the exercises or physical skills they have learned are different, and there are even the existence of nirvana and life-saving means, so the strength of the four grades between people is like two leaves in the Tiannan Swamp forest, and it will never be the same.

As long as Mu Qing didn't let him run into a guy who was good at poisoning, he was confident that he could safely escort the entire caravan back to Jinguan City in Qingchuan Prefecture. Of course, after communicating with Liu Weirui yesterday afternoon, he only agreed to protect her alone, and the entire caravan was guaranteed depending on the situation.

......

The peaks in the distance, in the sunlight, made the lines of the mountains much clearer, and they swayed backward as the caravan moved forward.

Some of the mountain flowers on both sides of the road are already in full bloom, and the dew left on the petals in the early morning is thinning, but it smells like a fine wine.

On the road ahead, because of the previous rain, light grass had grown, and the horse's hooves stepped on it, as if they had stepped on a fluffy pastry.

In the middle of the day, the warm breeze did not intoxicate the pedestrians on the road.

Mu Qing's caravan was busy changing its formation. The caravan, with fifty-two loaded wagons and one hundred and thirty-one men, had left the wide official road and was coming to the narrow trade road. In the past, there was room for two carriages to run side by side, but now the road has become much narrower, and one can only follow the other.

The whole team is like beads strung on a scattered silk thread, sprinkled among the green and daisy mountains.

After another distance on the road, the people who had not eaten and were busy because they had just changed their formations were basking in the noon sun and the warm breeze blowing, and they already felt the fatigue of their limbs slightly.

Mu Qing had already come to the middle of the team at this time, barely parallel to a carriage, and he had discovered the hidden danger as early as when the team changed formation.

It's funny to say that there are one hundred and thirty-one people in the entire caravan, but excluding the one hundred and four coachmen who take turns driving the carriage, there are only twenty-seven people left, and this is also excluding Liu Weirui and her maid cicada in front, which means that twenty-five people, including Mu Qing, have to escort this caravan that is dragging into a line and not moving fast.

If there were a gang of robbers buried in the valley in front of them, it would only take a dozen men to cut the caravan in half, leaving them untouchable, and at best half of the caravan would be saved.

"You can't just come out. Mu Qing thought in his heart. Seeing that he was still a few miles away from the mouth of the valley ahead, he dismounted, handed the reins to the idle coachman, and walked forward.

The others were still more than ten feet away and did not approach, but because of Sipin's ear, they just heard the conversation between the two in front of him.

"Miss, that person named Mu Qing has been following the back of the convoy, this kind of lazy ruffian who gives money and can't make a good effort, what are you looking for him for. A young man who had been following Liu Weirui on horseback complained to her.

After Liu Weirui heard the complaints of Li Niu's apprentice Li Si, she pulled the green silk that escaped from the corner of her forehead with her hand, and shook her head with a smile.

Because Li Niu's departure was relatively sudden, she and Li Niu went to Liuye Bookstore yesterday, except for the parties concerned, the rest of the entire caravan did not know the reason. All the guards, including Li Niu's apprentice, only said that because of Li Niu's departure, the young lady hired a good hand to accompany her in the city.

They thought so in their hearts, especially Li Si, who was Li Niu's apprentice whose strength had reached the seventh grade, it was obvious that his own young lady did not recognize his strength, so he vaguely regarded Mu Qing as an opponent, but he didn't know that it was his master who did not recognize his strength, because it was his master who personally made arrangements for Liu Weirui.

If it weren't for Li Si mentioning this person, Liu Weirui would probably have forgotten that there was such a person in his team.

Liu Weirui actually didn't take Li Niu's arrangement to leave very seriously.

First, because of the trade route from Jinguancheng to Suzaku City, she has to go several times a year, and since she became a deacon, there have only been a few times of chaos on so many business routes in the past few years, and they have all been easily resolved, so she is very relieved about this route chosen by many business travelers.

The second is because Mu Qing gave him the impression that he was more like a shrewd and capable bargaining businessman, rather than a high-strength martial artist, so after Mu Qing talked to her yesterday, she agreed to Mu Qing's request to change the conditions.

In her eyes, Mu Qing is just equivalent to the four gold that has been used, and she is ready to waste the four gold to buy a lesson in the rivers and lakes, but Mu Qing came to the door again, so she has no reason to use it.

"Little four, I believe you can lead a good team, that person was recommended by your master, you have to get along well and don't make conflicts. Liu Weirui knew that Li Sihui was wrong, and she didn't want the current guard leader to make something awkward in her heart, so she immediately explained. It's just that the reason for this didn't go into detail with Li Si.

"Rui Gongzi. Hearing the end of their conversation more than a dozen feet away, Mu Qing stepped forward and said.

"Mr. Mu Qing, why are you here? Liu Weirui was surprised by Mu Qing's sudden appearance, sat on the horse and leaned over slightly and asked.

"Uh, keep you safe. Mu Qing tilted his head slightly, glanced at Li Si, who had just said bad things about himself, and said in a flat tone.

"Hmph, with me in the small, next to the childe, don't bother to drive, you better go back to the back of the line and be lazy." Li Si, who was sitting on the horse, was wearing a dark blue suit, with a bronze complexion, and his spirit was outward, he glanced at Mu Qing standing under the horse, and said angrily.

"Little four, don't be so rude. ”

Lu Weirui has always been dressed in men's clothes when she goes out, today she wore a set of teeth-white jersey brocade shirt, three thousand green silk with a red rope half tied back, the hair that naturally fell on her forehead covered the blue waves in the clear pupils, she just stopped Li Si who almost missed her mouth with her eyes, and her tone was slightly harsh.

With Mu Qing's eyesight, when he met in front of Liuye Bookstore, he saw through Liu Weirui's daughter, but these were all trivial things, so he never said it.

At this time, he stood alone under the horse, looking up, the noon sun forced him to squint his eyes, and Lu Weirui, who was sitting on the horse against the light, was really a picture of a beautiful son in the turbid world.

"Mr. Mu Qing, but I found something wrong. In the past few years, Liu Weirui has developed a good habit of treating people, she stopped the horses under her crotch, and only after getting off the horse did she politely ask Mu Qing, and expressed her apologies to Mu Qing with her eyes for Li Si's words just now.

"Well, when crossing the canyon in front, our formation is easy to be cut off by the waist, and we can't see each other. Mu Qing saw that Liu Weirui, as an employer, had a good attitude, and he was not angry because of Li Si's words, and told him about the possible problems he found.

"Cut~" Hearing what Mu Qing said, Li Si shook his head directly on the horse.

The corners of Liu Weirui's eyebrows, which were originally furrowed because of confusion, gradually flattened.

Mu Qing noticed the subtle change in the expressions of the two, but frowned.

"Mr. Mu Qing, the question you said, when I first followed the caravan, I also mentioned it to the master of the fourth child. Liu Weirui saw the puzzlement on Mu Qing's face, and motioned for the two to talk while walking.

"Grandpa said that the merchants of the dynasty traveled all over Kyushu, and there would be big or small troubles on every business road, but as long as you understand the two most important things, you can be worry-free: one is to be strong yourself, as long as the businessmen can do the level of the ten families, the heroes and strongmen of all parties will compete to be the guest of the family, and even the royal family will give face when they go out, so they are naturally not afraid of any trouble; 。 ”

Mu Qing will remember the light in Liu Weirui's eyes when he said this to him many years later.

Li Si, the martial artists who belonged to the Liu family, heard the words of their eldest lady, and looked at their own young lady with the emotion of death as a confidant.

"Little four. Lu Weirui signaled with her eyes what Li Si should do next.

"Mmmm, then I'll order you to go down. Li Si didn't say much, and after getting Liu Weirui's eyes, he led his subordinates to order in turn.

I saw that in less than half an hour, the horsemen in the first half of the caravan were gathered in the middle and rear, leaving only the martial artist in the convoy with a few carriages separated by one person to control the direction of the carriage. In this way, the vast majority of the horsemen in the convoy who were not armed were gathered in the rear, and even if they encountered danger, they were only led by the armed guards, and if they were still defeated, they could only consider themselves unlucky.

"Childe, you better go to the middle of the horse team, there are more guards there, since the master is gone, then it is natural that I should lead the leading horse. Li Si seemed to have experienced this a long time ago, and ordered his subordinates to do things without delay, and even because the master was not there, he was a little hotter than usual.

"Well, it's hard work, if you really encounter danger, you can't be beaten, return to the middle section as soon as possible to join us, as long as you are still there, you won't lose it." "After Liu Weirui took over the burden of the Liu family's main lineage from her father three years ago, she gradually took everything into account.

"Childe, don't worry, if you encounter three or five thieves, it will only be their misfortune. Li Si tilted his chin and smiled slightly.

He is very confident in his seven-rank strength, ordinary mountain thieves are not vulnerable in front of him at all, even if it is some well-known village leaders and other characters in the road, but martial arts have just entered the product, from the experience of following the master and the caravan in the past few years, he can indeed not worry about the possible troubles on the business road.

"Hmph, do you think you feel invincible in the world because you have a little three-legged cat kung fu?" A sarcastic sentence suddenly came out from behind Liu Weirui's side, but the maid Xiaochan, who had been following her silently, opened her mouth.

It was only at this time that Mu Qing moved his gaze from Liu Weirui to the delicate and capable maid in a brown shirt, who also noticed Mu Qing's eyes, with a tall posture and a slight momentum, it turned out that he was also a figure with martial arts.

"Sister, you better protect your son, outsiders can't be trusted after all. Li Si said helplessly to his sister Li Chan, but he transferred the firepower to Mu Qing again.

"Rui Gongzi, then let's go to the back. ”

Mu Qing didn't have the mood to step on Li Si with the strength of the four grades at all, only the weak would bully people who were weaker than themselves, just if he was a mosquito that would buzz when he was a pathfinder.

If Li Si, a mosquito, still wants to make noise in front of him, he can't say that he will have a sore throat for a few days without knowing it, you must know that his pharmacist talent has been recognized by Chen Xun.