The story begins with a power struggle among nine princes, but the protagonist doesn't vie for

In the 37th year of Xuankang, in the middle of the tenth month.

The autumn air was crisp and clear, perfect for a journey. Along the official road, the trees were a patchwork of yellow and green, and in the distance, the mountains were ablaze with color. Under a clear blue sky, a group of five riders were traveling south at a leisurely pace.

The lead rider was none other than the eleventh prince, Luo Zhaoheng, who was leaving the capital. He did not ride in the carriage prescribed for princes, nor did he wear any conspicuous clothing. Instead, he wore a neat indigo-blue riding outfit with arrow-sleeved sleeves, covered by a cloak of the same color. His dark hair was tied up on top of his head with an ebony hairpin, revealing his smooth forehead and handsome eyebrows.

Despite traveling for days and being covered in dust, Luo Zhaoheng's complexion remained fair, showing little sign of fatigue. However, his calm eyes occasionally flashed with a hint of curiosity when gazing at the unfamiliar scenery along the way.

Behind Luo Zhaoheng were four men dressed as ordinary guards in tight-fitting clothes. The four were all between thirty and forty years old, with ordinary faces and restrained auras, but sharp eyes, steady figures, and skillful horse handling. As they rode, they subtly protected Luo Zhaoheng in the center.

These were the four imperial guards "personally appointed" by Emperor Xuanxi and personally selected by Cao Jin. They were all highly skilled and experienced, ostensibly for protection, but also secretly responsible for "keeping an eye on" the palace.

The leader was a stern-faced man with a slight beard, surnamed Han. The other three were surnamed Zhao, Qian, and Sun, respectively.

Five people and five horses, with nothing more than necessary luggage and personal weapons, truly traveling light and simply.

This marks the seventh day that no one has left Beijing.

For the first two days, Luo Zhaoheng found it all quite novel, after all, it was his "first" real journey to ancient times, and he found everything interesting.

But after a few days, the novelty wore off, leaving only the tedium of the long journey and... a slight, indescribable sense of suffocation.

Luo Zhaoheng had been secretly hoping that, like in the martial arts novels and period dramas he had read in his previous life, he could encounter a few short-sighted bandits or highway robbers on the road, which would be a good opportunity for him to test how his nearly ten years of hard training would perform in actual combat.

Luo Zhaoheng even secretly fantasized about whether he would encounter classic scenarios such as "martial arts feuds," "robbery of a caravan," or "beauty in danger," so that he could act as a chivalrous hero and experience the flavor of the "martial arts world" in advance.

However, reality is harsh.

Perhaps it was because Emperor Xuanxi and Cao Jin made proper arrangements, choosing routes that were all official roads with dense prefectures and counties along the way, where the security was relatively good.

Perhaps it was the sheer intimidating combination of these five men—the four guards, though dressed in ordinary clothes, exuded a sharp and capable air, carried swords at their waists, carried powerful bows beside their saddles, and occasionally cast hawk-like, vigilant glances at passersby, all of which suggested they were "not to be trifled with."

The young man at the head of the group, though young and handsome, possessed a composure beyond his years, and the exceptionally swift black horse he rode was far beyond the reach of ordinary wealthy young men.

In short, for seven days in a row, not only did they not encounter any bandits who robbed them, but they also did not encounter a single thug who tried to chat them up or cause trouble!

They did encounter several caravans and travelers on the road, but upon seeing their demeanor, most of them would give way from a distance or nod and hurry past without giving them a second glance, let alone coming up to provoke them.

This left Luo Zhaoheng, who was eager to "test his skills," feeling rather frustrated, like someone who was "wearing fine clothes in the dark" or "hiding his precious sword in its sheath."

"Guard Han," Luo Zhaoheng couldn't help but speak up as the group rested at a roadside tea stall at midday, his tone slightly probing, "Our journey has been... quite peaceful."

The guard captain, surnamed Han, was inspecting the horseshoes when he heard this. He looked up, and a barely perceptible twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth on his otherwise expressionless face.

"Young Master, peace is a blessing." He addressed Luo Zhaoheng as "Young Master," a practice established before leaving the capital to avoid suspicion.

"That's a blessing, of course." Luo Zhaoheng took a sip of coarse tea, his gaze sweeping over the sparse pedestrians on the official road. "It just feels like... this official road is much more peaceful than I imagined."

On the other side, Guard Zhao chimed in, his voice a bit rougher: "Young master, you may not know this, but the road we're taking is the official road that leads directly to Luoyang and Kaifeng. There are many post stations and patrol offices along the way. It's also the season when autumn grain is being stored and merchants are busy. The government patrols are tight, so ordinary thieves don't dare to cause trouble on this road."

If you take some secluded paths, or go further south across the river, the situation might be different.

Luo Zhaoheng listened without commenting. Of course, he knew that the security situation varied, but he was just a little annoyed that his expectations for his "first experience in the martial arts world" had been dashed.

But he couldn't very well let his guards take him into the mountains and bandits' dens just to "experience life," could he? That would be too much of a fuss.

Guard Qian was a meticulous man. Seeing Luo Zhaoheng's expression, he guessed at the boy's youthful nature and said with a smile, "Does the young master find the journey boring? Actually, traveling peacefully like this is the best."

Even if we are not afraid of trouble, it would still delay our journey and add to the risks. The young master is going to Qingcheng Mountain for quiet meditation; his safe arrival is the most important thing.

Guard Sun nodded in agreement: "Yes, young master, we're on a fast pace. In another ten days or so, we'll be able to enter Sichuan. Although the road to Sichuan is difficult, Mount Qingcheng is a famous Taoist mountain with flourishing incense offerings, and there's no danger along the way."

Luo Zhaoheng knew they were right. His desire to "seek thrills" was probably considered somewhat naive by the real guards and seasoned veterans.

Luo Zhaoheng suppressed his eagerness and smiled, "You are all right, safety is the best. I was just young and made some assumptions."

After that, Luo Zhaoheng stopped dwelling on it and instead focused his attention on observing the local customs and culture along the way.

The fields and villages along the official road, the diverse travelers in the post stations, the teahouse owners' accented calls, even the earthy and grassy scents in the air, so different from those in the capital...

All of this was a completely new and vivid experience for him. Like a giant sponge, he greedily absorbed all the information about this real world, corroborating and supplementing it with his memories of his past life and what he had learned from books.

After resting, the group continued their journey. The horses' hooves clattered, kicking up a light cloud of dust.

As Luo Zhaoheng rode on his horse, he felt the autumn wind brushing his face. The internal energy of the Crane Standing in the Nine Heavens Divine Skill flowed slowly within his body, dispelling fatigue and nourishing his muscles and bones.

"Young master, we're almost at Weinan. Shall we stay in the city tonight?" Guard Han asked as he rode closer.

Luo Zhaoheng snapped out of his thoughts and nodded: "Alright, let's find a clean inn."

Just as the group was preparing to speed up towards Weinan City, a series of rapid and chaotic hoofbeats suddenly came from the bend in the official road ahead, accompanied by shouts and cries!

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way now!"

"My goods! My goods!"

"Stop it! Quickly!"

A mule cart loaded with goods appeared to be startled, and the two mules pulling it were neighing and charging wildly toward Luo Zhaoheng and his group!

The driver struggled to pull on the reins from behind, but was dragged and stumbled. The burlap sacks tied on the cart came undone, revealing the white rice inside, which was scattered all the way.

To make matters worse, behind the mule cart, several young men on horseback, dressed in fine silk and looking panicked and disheveled, were chasing after it, shouting and trying to control the frightened mules, but they were doing nothing and only made the situation more chaotic.

The startled mule charged straight at them, about to collide with Luo Zhaoheng and his group!