The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 254 The Monster Blocking the Way (3k)

The power structure among the various schools of thought, the three religions, and numerous other large and small factions, as well as various deities, was extremely complex.

Sometimes, it's difficult to describe something clearly in just a few words.

However, it is important to know that, in most cases, the three religions and the hundred schools of thought cannot be simply regarded as 'one'.

Each of them is more like a tightly knit yet dispersed 'monster'.

So in some ways, it's actually more convenient for them, especially those living in big mountains.

At least, it can easily integrate things on paper.

Unlike the conflicting views among the three religions and a hundred schools of thought, this one will not be filled with contradictions.

Leaving aside the distant past, wasn't the first Buddha who defied the will of Heaven called—Little Western Paradise?
Therefore, everyone is speculating that this Buddha might have some differences with the Buddhist lineage.
On the other side, the young master, whom Gao Cheng had deliberately avoided, was riding a fine horse along the official road.

He glanced at the sky and said:

"Approximately how long will it take?"

A man standing nearby, whose skills were clearly exceptional, immediately replied:

"In reply to your question, young master, it will take at least five days!"

If you look closely, you'll also find that beneath this person's tight-fitting clothes, he's actually wearing a suit of iron armor.

Although it's not heavy armor used in the military, this thing is definitely a violation of the law!
But the other party not only had it, but only symbolically put on a piece of clothing to cover it up.

In addition, the fact that he rode the Hedong Daqu horse, which was exclusive to the Imperial Guards, clearly shows that this person must belong to the highest level of nobility!
The young man frowned and said:
"So long? My uncle specifically asked me to come back immediately!"

Normally, a distinguished person like him would not have only this many people on his trip.

It was only because the matter was so urgent that he abandoned the burden of a large group of people and traveled light with only a few skilled men.

The other party said helplessly:
"Young master, this is after traveling day and night!"

The young master also understood this principle, because he had carefully examined the map and estimated that it was indeed the expected number of days.

But my uncle's situation is really urgent.
After hesitating for a moment, he said:

“When I was looking at the map yesterday, I noticed that there was a small road not far ahead that leads directly to the Xihua River ferry. Although it involves walking along a mountain path, once we get to the Xihua River ferry, I think we can save at least two days of travel time!”

"What do you think?"

He is a nobleman, the master of these warriors, but he will not take advantage of this status to set his own itinerary.

Because he was not stupid, he knew that he had never traveled far, and in terms of planning his journey and avoiding danger, he was far inferior to these warriors.

But these words immediately put the warriors at a loss for words:

“Young master, we’ve also looked at the road you mentioned. It’s feasible, but it’s not an official road. None of us have traveled it before, so it might not be appropriate!”

The young man frowned and asked:

What risks do you foresee on the road?

The other party considered carefully and said:
"Most of the roads are rugged and dangerous, and wild animals roam freely, so it's unlikely that any strongmen would survive. Right now, apart from the southwest, the rest of the country is quite peaceful. Besides, this road is too far from the main road; even if there were strongmen, they probably wouldn't be able to make a living."

Only then did the young master speak:

"The mountain path is treacherous, so please be careful. Wild animals roam freely. We're carrying crossbows, and you're all wearing inner armor. This is the only way!"

Seeing this, the others naturally didn't refute, but simply said:
"Then please, young master, take the middle position."

"Alright, let's hurry on our way!"

After saying that, the group rode off in a cloud of dust.

But the young man on the road asked out of curiosity:

"When we passed through Hexi County just now, why were so many people heading towards the same place?"

A warrior said:
"I overheard them on the road saying that some kind of literary star had appeared? Perhaps there is a talented scholar among them."

The other person laughed:
“Young master, there’s no need to take it to heart. Hexi is just a small county. Even if some talented person has emerged from there, it’s just that the waters here are shallow. Not to mention compared to you, even compared to those ‘talented people’ who are trying to curry favor with our Langya Wang clan, they are far inferior.”

Unexpectedly, these words struck a nerve with the horse, as the young master resolutely shook his head and said:

"That's not right. Although Hexi is a medium-sized county, it is actually richer than most of the upper-level counties. It's just that some filth has kept it that way."

"Furthermore, when Gao Cheng served here, the atmosphere changed dramatically, and the local youths began to value learning. If someone can truly inspire the people to do so, they must be exceptionally talented. It's just a pity that my uncle is in such a hurry, otherwise I would definitely go back to pay him a proper visit."

This surprised the people nearby:
"Young master, you are a noble person of the Wang family. If you act like this, you are lowering yourself. If you really want to find him, just send a few of us!"

These words made the other person shake their head even more, saying:

"If the Wang family wishes to prosper, it must cultivate both a strong family tradition of learning and a wide-ranging pool of talented individuals. If someone is truly exceptional, why should they lower themselves? To miss out would be a grave mistake. Enough said, let's get going!"

These words made the warriors praise him even more, saying that he truly deserved to be a renowned nobleman.

Such demeanor and insight are truly unmatched. It's just a pity that the young master isn't a direct descendant.
Thinking of this, they couldn't help but think of the eldest son of the direct line.

He was a notorious spoiled brat, not only was he ignorant and incompetent, but he also liked to make trouble unreasonably.

I even heard not long ago that he ran away somewhere after arguing with the head of the family.

'Very well, let him disappear forever, paving the way for our young master. In this way, he can be considered to have done a service to the Wang family!'
-
Not long after they set off along the mountain path, they saw two woodcutters walking excitedly on the same road. Along the way, they could hear the two woodcutters talking:

"Old Huang, did you get it?"

"Of course I got it!"

Upon hearing this, the woodcutter, known as Old Huang, beamed and patted his chest, making a loud thud as he slapped a wooden sign.

"I knew you old bastard had gotten your hands on it too. Tell me, was it copied and re-copied, or did you get it directly from the young master?"

"I was guarding the restaurant at the time, so what do you think it was?"

The other person was so envious they couldn't express it:
"You old bastard, you're so lucky. No wonder you've been a bachelor for half your life, all your good fortune has been saved up here."

Whether this was an insult or a compliment was unclear, it only prompted the other party to kick him in response.
"How dare you talk like that, you little brat!"

The other person wasn't annoyed; they simply chuckled and dodged aside, then pulled out their own wooden sign and said:
"I'm on good terms with that guy. As soon as the master made the rubbing and carved it, he got one for me. I thought I was pretty good, and I wanted to show off to you, but who would have thought you, you little bastard, would be so lucky!"

After saying that, he glanced around at the surrounding mountains and fields, eager to speak, and said:

"In the past, I only hoped to encounter a rabbit so I could hunt some game to take back. Now, I'm hoping a monster will come along so I can be like that Li Laosan and have a moment of glory!"

"Oh, so impressive! You'd probably wet your pants if you saw a monster!"

The two woodcutters walked on, chatting and laughing.
-
The young master and his party, riding their magnificent steeds, were truly outstanding, covering several miles in a short time.

On the way, the young master and several warriors were all sighing:

"I thought the mountain road would be difficult to travel, but it turned out to be quite manageable!"

The young gentleman echoed:

“In that case, I will be able to get back on time. I just don’t know why Uncle is in such a hurry.”

They were all chatting to pass the time.

Suddenly, the warrior at the front pointed ahead and exclaimed in surprise:

"what is that?!"

The sound was absolutely terrifying, so much so that the horse riding it reared up and neighed.

The men behind him also hurriedly reined in their horses and looked ahead.

The next moment, everyone gasped in shock:
"Where did this bear come from?"

"Wait, is that really a bear?!"

They were all handpicked soldiers, each with the blood of at least a dozen lives on their hands.

Coupled with their superior weaponry, under normal circumstances, they would not even give a bear spotted early on, let alone a dozen or so bandits blocking their way.

But this thing is beyond their comprehension.

Ordinary bears, even the largest ones, are no bigger than the Hedong Daqu they ride.

There's no need to fight; as long as your crossbow is slightly accurate, you can guarantee it will be served up as a delicious bear paw meal.

But the one they encountered today was as big as a thatched hut! Just standing there, it blocked the entire mountain road!
So this really isn't a monster?

What's even more dangerous is that the other side has obviously discovered them, and now their blood-red eyes are staring directly at them.

After a moment of stunned silence, it looked at the young master as if it had discovered some delicacy, with saliva dripping from its mouth.

Seeing this, the leading warrior immediately knew things were going badly and took out his crossbow, saying:

"Shoot it in the heart!"

He still felt somewhat confident here, because he wasn't carrying ordinary crossbows, but siege crossbows.

It's a fierce machine with a winch!

Years ago, on the northern frontier, I remember that the commander-in-chief, after listening to a Taoist priest's divination, actually believed that the barbarians would not attack, and got himself completely drunk.

As a result, when the enemy attacked, the commander was absent, which nearly caused the entire front to collapse.

Fortunately, one of the soldiers managed to kill the vanguard Hu chieftain with a lance, buying them time to react.

He also took the opportunity to use the siege crossbow to kill another Hu (non-Han) centurion who came to provide support.

At that moment, he shot an arrow, and the armored barbarian centurion fell straight to the ground!
Not only did he help them break up the support that could have given the attacking Hu people a chance to breathe, but he also became a disciple of the Langya Wang clan!
In the past, he was able to carve out a bright future for himself with the powerful crossbow in his hand, and he can do it again today!

The winch whirred, and the iron arrow was nocked.

With a crisp snap, several crossbow bolts flew toward the bear's heart.

The opponent neither dodged nor avoided the situation, and their speed was not even particularly fast.

Therefore, these arrows are absolutely guaranteed to hit the target!

Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, a scene that terrified them so much it nearly tore their hearts apart came into view—the crossbow bolt not only failed to penetrate, but it also flew backwards and broke off after sending out several sparks!
In a state of extreme fear, the leading warrior hurriedly patted the young master's horse and said:
"Young master, run! We must stop this wicked creature!"

Before he could react, the young master was carried away by his steed, disappearing into the distance.

(End of this chapter)