No one seemed to be too worried, especially the family of four. The old and the young, the only one in her prime was a woman wearing a veil.
That child never seemed to cry! It was always quiet! It was so quiet that Lou Xiaoyi wanted nothing more than to open the swaddling cloth and see what was inside.
He was rarely curious and knew that this thing would harm others, but he still couldn't figure it out. Perhaps the child was mute?
The group stopped in front of them. According to a guard, a mountain bear had attacked the donkey group and dragged away a straw donkey along with the goods on its back. The mountain bear's scientific name was King Kong Bear. It had a large body and was the king of the Cong Mountains' food chain. When it stood up, it was three meters tall and had thick skin. When it swung its paws, it was impossible for humans to resist. Normally, it wouldn't directly bite its prey to death. Instead, it would bite its prey's throat and drag it back. The prey couldn't scream and couldn't resist its brute force, so it was dragged away and disappeared into the boundless forest.
There was nothing that could be done about it. The merchant could only accept his bad luck. No one would risk hunting a bear for his goods, not even the brave mountain people.
Soon, the reorganized group continued on their journey. This kind of thing happened every time they went on a trade route. Fortunately, King Kong Bears were solitary animals and didn't gather in groups. Otherwise, it wouldn't be difficult for a group of mountain bears to destroy the entire group.
When they passed by the site of the incident, the straw donkey Little White felt uneasy. It was probably because it smelled something that annoyed it. Lou Xiaoyi could also smell it. His six senses as a Foundation Establishment cultivator were much sharper than ordinary people.
He patted Little White's head. Although it didn't give him any intelligence, it still made the straw donkey feel at ease. Mountain donkeys were very smart animals and had an innate sense of safety. Just like Little White, it felt very safe when its master sat next to it. Therefore, even when it was sleeping at night, it wouldn't stay with the donkeys. Instead, it would stand next to its master's low tent.
The group continued on. For the guide and the guards, they couldn't waste too much time on a one-way trip because they still had to take another trip to the Cong Mountains. It was currently winter, so it was the best time to go on a trade trip!
Many people believed that a trade route like this should avoid the cold of winter and instead choose to cross during the summer or autumn. This was incorrect, because in the Cong Mountains, the problems caused by the melting snow in the summer were far more dangerous than the cold of winter! Moreover, in winter, the ground was a lot harder. Mountain donkeys were not afraid of the cold, but they were afraid of mud. It would make it difficult for them to move!
They had also encountered two groups of bandits, both of which were sent off with money. They also had some supplies, all of which had been prepared beforehand. The wool came from the sheep's back, and they had all come from the high fees of merchants and travelers. Most likely, this was an ancient rule of the Cong Mountains, and it would not change just because Lou Xiaoyi was among them. Then, in the middle of a battle, he would stumble into a cave and obtain some sort of opportunity.
He was thinking too much!
On the other hand, human nature showed itself when faced with danger.
The journey became more and more difficult. The lack of oxygen in the mountains tested the physical fitness of the mortals. What surprised Lou Xiaoyi was that the travelers were all fine. Whether it was the middle-aged official, the two elders, or the infant in the swaddling clothes, he didn't even think about it. For it to not cry or make a fuss for several weeks straight, even an idiot would know that something was hidden in the swaddling clothes.
However, the rest of the caravan remained silent, so why should he bother to get to the bottom of it?
The bandits would appear not far from the Cong Mountains, and they would not take root in the depths of the Cong Mountains. They were also humans, and they needed to survive. Those who could live in the depths of the Cong Mountains were not bandits, but mountain spirits!
A month passed, and they had already crossed the most difficult part of the journey. As a whole, their route began to descend further and further. Only then did the merchants relax, and smiles appeared on their faces. Overall, this was a successful journey. They had only lost a few dozen mountain donkeys. Some had been led away by the Vajra Bears, while others had fallen down the mountain streams. For a caravan of more than two hundred donkeys, this loss was truly not that great.
As they crossed a glacier, a long line of people appeared in front of them. Just like them, it was also a caravan. However, to Lou Xiaoyi's surprise, the guides and guards immediately became nervous. Even the Vajra Bears had not made them this nervous, and the bandits had also treated them as if nothing had happened. However, when facing a similar caravan …
A guard urged his donkey to gallop past, shouting, "Everyone gather together! Quick, quick!"
The guides, guards, merchants, and their entourage moved very quickly, quickly gathering together. Lou Xiaoyi found this very strange, so he shouted at the guard.
"What's going on? Do you want to fight? I'm just a traveler. This has nothing to do with me, right? "
The middle-aged official passed by him. "Nothing to do with you? You're in this caravan, so everything has to do with you! Don't you see that the caravan is from the Kingdom of Liang? The Kingdom of Liang and Great Yue have been enemies for generations. Although this has nothing to do with the merchants, every time they meet in Cong Ridge, they still have to see who's better. The loser can only blame his bad luck, and the winner can get an extra batch of goods … "
Lou Xiaoyi laughed heartlessly. "I don't have any goods …"
The middle-aged man looked at him with disdain. "Young man, don't be so impudent. You have money, so do you think you can stay out of this?
If you don't stand with everyone, when they find you, no one will help you! "
In the end, Lou Xiaoyi did not stand with the caravan. It was not that he did not want to take responsibility, but that he really did not know how to fight back if he was attacked. He did not want to get involved in matters that had nothing to do with him, especially when it came to a group of people who were using the banner of opposing countries as an excuse to swallow the other's goods.
The Cong Ridge was vast and covered in ravines and forests. Every guide had their own route, so the chances of running into each other in Cong Ridge were very small. This time, if it were not for the fact that both sides had appeared on the same glacier and were separated by the same distance, it would have been impossible for them to run into each other in the forest.
What surprised Lou Xiaoyi was that there were others who chose to watch from the sidelines like him. It was the family of four. However, their choice to watch from the sidelines was understandable. There were two old people, a woman, and a child. There was no reason for them to get involved in the fighting.
Both sides were consciously approaching each other. Lou Xiaoyi really could not understand why they were doing this. You could either become a bandit and rob without any regard for the rules, or you could just do your business honestly. This way, you would not have an advantage in terms of numbers. Who could guarantee that you would be able to take advantage of the situation?
However, it was very difficult to understand the affairs of the mountain people. Some of the grudges left behind by their ancestors had slowly been magnified over time through countless conflicts, until it was unmanageable. Perhaps this was their way of doing business, and outsiders could not change it.
The two groups of people fought fiercely. When Lou Xiaoyi saw this, he could not help but laugh involuntarily. Neither side used any weapons and were only fighting with their bare hands. However, every punch landed on flesh, and they were putting in a lot of effort. It seemed that neither side was stupid. If someone really died, how could it be good to go to the other country to do business?
Soon, the Yue side could not hold on any longer. Their numbers dwindled until all the people who had participated in the fight were lying on the ground, groaning and groaning, unable to get up. There were still about twenty people on the other side standing.
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