The tree was covered in snow, and strings of icicles hung under the thick trunk like a harp.
Lu Sheng sat in the carriage, a small charcoal stove in front of him. The heat from the stove warmed the small space in the carriage.
He wore a loose black robe. His hair was tied up with a black ribbon, and a string of dark gold beads hung from his wrist.
Umbrella girl sat in front of him, sipping from a cup of hot milk tea.
She was currently in Yingying mode. Or rather, for a long time, she had been under Yingying's control. Hongfang Bai seemed to have given up on communicating with Lu Sheng, and did not appear at all. If there was anything, she would pass it on to him through Yingying.
Lu Sheng picked up the cup of milk tea and took a sip. Then, he turned his head to look out of the carriage window.
Through the curtains, he could see the snowflakes fluttering in the wind. The wheels of the carriage and human boots made a crisp sound as they stepped on the snow.
"It's been five days since we left the Northern Lands. This snow disaster seems to be worsening, "Lu Sheng said mildly.
Other than umbrella girl, he had only brought Ning San and Xu Chui with him when he left the Central Plains. These two trusted subordinates were easy to use, and it was convenient for him to give them instructions.
As for the rest, they were mostly servants, guards, and maidservants. There were more than a dozen of them. Four carriages and several horses. For the title of the Number One Expert of the Northern Lands, this was a small show.
He decided not to inform Shangyang Jiuli, but to wander the Central Plains alone.
"How big is the difference between the Central Plains and the Northern Lands? Yingying, do you know? "Lu Sheng asked softly.
Yingying took out a pen and paper, and started writing.
"The Central Plains is the Great Lake, and the Northern Lands is the Pond. Be it in terms of resources, numbers, experts, or cities, the difference is huge. "
"So huge?" Lu Sheng raised his eyebrows. "That means there are many experts? How many are at Hongfang Bai's level? Do you understand? "
Yingying shook her head slightly, but quickly wiped it away and wrote new words.
"But Big Sister is very strong. Even in the Central Plains, compared to the Nine Great Families of the Central Plains, she's a slightly weaker successor to the family. However, the foundations of the Nine Great Clans of the Central Plains are very strong, and the Clan Masters are far from being the strongest. They are merely managers. "
"Is that so …" Lu Sheng had a rough understanding. Compared to Hongfang Bai back then, his strength was still a notch higher, but not by much. He was probably still in the lower three grades or middle three grades. The nine levels of the Snake realm were very wide. The difference in strength between the upper, middle, and lower levels was also huge.
It was hard to say if there was a higher level above the Hydra level.
"Looks like I have to hide it carefully …" Lu Sheng frowned slightly.
Clang … Clang … Clang …
Suddenly, the faint sound of metal striking could be heard from the distant snowstorm.
Lu Sheng lifted the curtain and looked forward. Through the wind and snow, they could vaguely see a group of carriages parked on the right side of the road. The people inside were striking the gong with all their might.
"What's going on?" Xu Chui's question came from outside the carriage. Then, a guard went up to ask.
The oxcart rumbled as it passed by the caravan.
Soon, the guard returned and reported the situation to Xu Chui and Ning San in a low voice. When Ning San received the news, he alighted from the carriage and came to the oxcart Lu Sheng was in.
"Young Master, there's a group of carriages heading to the Central Plains as well. Their wheels broke on the way and they're hoping to borrow our team to head to the nearest city. They say they're from Silver City and are willing to pay for the journey. "
"Oh?" Lu Sheng glanced at the group of carriages. A few horses were pulling two carriages. Around them were a dozen or so people carrying bags and weapons, protecting a few women and children holding umbrellas in the middle.
"Let them board the empty oxcart." On this trip to the Central Plains, Lu Sheng had disguised himself as a young master of a rich family heading there to study. It could be considered his true colors and he wasn't worried about being seen through.
When he wasn't fighting, Lu Sheng was actually quite gentle. If he could help others without affecting himself, he was quite happy to do so.
"Many thanks, master." From afar, Lu Sheng saw a burly man in the group of carriages cupping his fists at him.
He nodded slightly and let down the curtain. These chores were all handled by Xu Chui and Ning San. With their strength, it was more than enough to deal with them.
The group of carriages continued to move forward. That group also merged into Lu Sheng's group and followed at the back at a moderate speed.
By noon, the wind and snow had lessened significantly. Puddles of different sizes could be seen on the ground, and the surface was covered with a thin layer of ice. It was no longer a white snowy field.
The servants began to build a bonfire. The place they chose to set up camp was behind a small hill near the edge of the forest. It was just enough to block the cold wind from one side.
The two groups of carriages started a fire and cooked by the roadside in the middle of the snowy forest.
Lu Sheng alighted from the carriage and sat by the bonfire. Xu Chui was in charge of patrolling outside, while Ning San was in charge of arranging chores.
The main figure in the group of carriages, a noblewoman, sat down with two girls, one big and one small. Beside them was the captain of their guards, the burly man who had cupped his fists earlier.
The noblewoman's makeup was exquisite. She seemed to be married not long ago. She was no more than thirty years old. She wore a light purple coat that wrapped her body tightly. Her eyebrows, big eyes, and small mouth made her the most standard of a water village woman.
She had two daughters with her. The older one was thirteen or fourteen years old, and the younger one was only seven or eight years old. They were all wrapped in snow-white coats and stared at Lu Sheng curiously.
The little girl had a fair complexion and was quite cute. Moreover, she was not afraid of strangers at all. She was held by her mother in front of her, quietly warming herself by the fire.
"Thank you for your help, young master. I am Madame Zhang Rong. I happened to come out to pay my respects to the elders in my family, but I didn't expect the wheel of my carriage to break on the way. Fortunately, young master was passing by. Otherwise, I don't know when I would meet another person in this wilderness." The noblewoman thanked Lu Sheng gently and earnestly.
"You're welcome. This road has always been safe, and it's a trade route specially maintained by professionals. Every once in a while, there will be a patrol team passing by. Even if you don't meet me, you will soon meet others. Moreover, you've paid, so you're welcome," Lu Sheng said with a smile.
Coincidentally, the meat soup on the fire was ready. The servants hurriedly added seasonings, chopped green onions, and soaked dried bamboo shoots. Then, they took out vegetable pancakes that had been prepared beforehand, cut them into small pieces, and threw them into the soup. It became a big pot of delicious meat stew.
Lu Sheng glanced at the meat pancake in the hands of the little girl beside him. "If you don't mind, would you like to have a bowl together?" He invited with a smile.
Coincidentally, these people were all from the Central Plains. Perhaps he could learn some things about the Central Plains from them. Although he had asked some things from the members of the sect who had been to the Central Plains, it was not comprehensive.
"Thank you, thank you. There's no need, we've already eaten … "Madame Zhang Rong waved her hands. But before she could finish speaking, the little girl had already taken a bowl of stew and started eating with chopsticks.
Seeing this, Madame Zhang Rong felt a little awkward and could only sigh helplessly.
Speaking of which, the Zhang Family that she had married into was also a well-known brand in the textile industry in Silver City. The family had a large business, and some of the members of the family had entered officialdom, while others had wandered the pugilistic world. It could be said that they were flourishing everywhere.
As the Eldest Young Mistress, she had originally lived a comfortable and worry-free life. But something that had happened recently had given her a headache.
The Zhang Family's textile industry had been suppressed by their competitors in the outer city and had fallen into a bottleneck. The family had tried everything they could, but in the end, they had no choice but to think of a marriage alliance.
As for marriage alliances, Madame Zhang Rong's own marriage was a product of this. She had long detested it, and so, in the name of paying respects to her ancestors, she had left the family and taken her eldest daughter to relax.
Her eldest daughter, Zhang Ruoning, was born when she was a teenager. She was fourteen years old now, and had a pure and beautiful appearance. She had a slender waist and round buttocks, and at a young age, she already had a seductive charm. Her legs were slender, and when she closed them tightly, there was not a single gap.
Madame Zhang Rong had previously heard rumors that her eldest daughter, Ruoning, had been fancied by the elders of the family. They planned to use her as a key partner in a marriage alliance.
When she learned of this, she immediately paid attention to her daughter's marriage. She had to let her daughter decide on her own happiness before the family began to implement the marriage alliance. She had to prevent her daughter from repeating her own tragedy.
Thus, this trip to the northern lands had been made.
But she hadn't expected that when Lu Sheng returned to pay his respects, there would be a problem with his wheels.
At this time, sitting by the bonfire, Madame Zhang Rong carefully sized up Lu Sheng. This gentle and handsome young man seemed to have an extraordinary background. Looking at the carriages and servants, they all had quite an imposing manner, and didn't seem to be from an ordinary family.
She felt a little tentative in her heart.
While her daughter was drinking the meat soup, Madame Zhang Rong pretended to ask casually, "Young Master, on this trip to the Central Plains, are you planning to study or visit relatives? The journey alone will take at least half a month. It's not an easy task. "
"I'm here to study," Lu Sheng answered frankly. "What's the situation in the Central Plains now? I'm going to White Bell City. "
"White Bell City? That's a coincidence. My family is from White Bell City. Among the hundred cities in the Central Plains, White Bell City is ranked tenth. Young Master, are you planning to study at White Bell Academy? "Madame Zhang Rong smiled.
"That's right. But I'm not familiar with this place, so I'm a little uneasy," Lu Sheng smiled. "Why don't you tell me more about White Bell City?"
"Of course," Madame Zhang Rong agreed readily.
Just like that, the two of them got to know each other as they rested. From Madame Zhang Rong, Lu Sheng had a rough idea of what the ordinary cities in the Central Plains were like.
Unlike what he had imagined, the Central Plains was extremely prosperous. For example, White Bell City was about the same as Mountain-Edge City, and there were many other even more prosperous cities.
The Imperial Court's Spirit Tiger Army of 100,000 guarded the hundred cities, and the various cities were ruled by extremely large Noble Families.
This was completely different from the Northern Lands. In the Central Plains, the Noble Families all had their own spokespeople, and their influence was immense.
Lu Sheng easily found out about the Shangyang Family. In the eyes of mortals, the Shangyang Family was also a member of an ancient Noble Family, but there was nothing special about it. It was more or less the same as an ordinary merchant family.
Madame Zhang Rong was also happy to build a good relationship with Lu Sheng to kill time. Just like that, the two of them exchanged questions and answers, and soon, a few days had passed.
After passing through a large patch of snow forest, the forest gradually darkened, and the scattered snow powder hung in the forest like pieces of white cloth.
The journey was uneventful, and the caravan finally arrived at the first pass, Rong Xin Pass.
Here, Madame Zhang Rong didn't need Lu Sheng's escort anymore. She found the Zhang Family's shop, spent money to hire a new ox cart, and left alone.
But before she left, she left an address for Lu Sheng. It was a way to contact him, and he could be contacted by mail.
Although she found out that Lu Sheng was already married, Madame Zhang Rong didn't seem to mind. She completely treated Lu Sheng as a potential partner for her daughter.
After parting ways with Madame Zhang Rong, Lu Sheng passed through Rong Xin Pass. The road behind him was much wider and more comfortable, and the speed was much faster.
In just five days, the caravan arrived at their destination, White Bell City.
The people arranged by Shangyang Jiuli had been waiting here for a long time.
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