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

Chapter 111 Warning
The lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort) dismounted and grabbed the Taoist's wrist, saying:
"You wild Taoist priest, what a big mouth you have! Don't want to get involved? I'll get involved anyway! What are you going to do about it?"

He was about to pull the Taoist away when, as soon as he touched him, he raised an eyebrow.

Then he said:

"Oh ho, so you're a trained fighter?"

His lower body is extremely stable, and his hand strength is immense.

This level of hard work and dedication is something he himself claims would have been hard to achieve even at the same age as the other person.

Unfortunately, he was young and strong, and his companions were all skilled fighters.

Therefore, they still didn't take this Taoist priest seriously.

He simply smiled and asked:
"On their joyous occasion, I don't want to cause too much trouble. So, are you going to leave now and we'll pretend nothing happened? Or would you like us brothers to teach this quack a lesson later?"

The Taoist priest said helplessly:
"So, you lot are really going to get involved?"

His years of experience in the underworld made him uneasy; it seemed that this was not just a case of making trouble for no reason.

So he gestured behind him with his eyes, and the other person immediately followed him to where he dismounted.

They'll still block the way here, so the bride and her entourage won't hear them.

"Little Taoist priest, can you speak now?"

Several of their companions did not dismount, but leaned forward slightly in their saddles, wanting to hear what was going on.

The other party immediately spoke:
"They were possessed by an evil spirit, so I deliberately stopped them earlier to help them avoid it. But I never expected that the thing would not only avoid them, but also come back to haunt them."

"So I blocked it again, just to see if that thing was aimed at people but not roads, or if it just wandered around this area."

“Your kindness is commendable, and you are not yet tainted by karma. You really shouldn’t get involved in such a dangerous matter! As for the bride, I alone can keep an eye on her!”

Upon hearing this, the bodyguards froze, their faces instantly turning extremely ugly.

After a long while, they looked at each other in bewilderment, and then flew into a rage!
The lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort) suddenly grabbed the Taoist's wrist again, with three times the force of before, and shouted sharply:
"He really is just a charlatan! What? He thinks he can fool you, Master Biao, with a few spouted ghost stories?"

This kind of rhetoric might fool some people, but what's the point of fooling a group of well-traveled bodyguards?
Do they really think their decades of experience in the underworld are just a joke?
"Let me tell you, your bodyguard master has slept in countless mortuaries full of dead people, and cooking over a fire in the wilderness is commonplace for me."

He pounded his chest hard, the blows making a loud thud.
"Which hair on my body looks like it's been possessed by an evil spirit? This body of mine is so powerful that even little devils would be scared away when they see it!"

To everyone's surprise, the Taoist priest nodded earnestly:
"Indeed, with your heroic courage and unwavering bravery, ordinary evil spirits dare not approach you. But this one today is truly different!"

This answer caught the bodyguard off guard. It felt like punching cotton – utterly powerless.

After his lips twitched for a moment, he could only change his mind and say:
"Listen up, you wicked Taoist! The goods we brothers have already delivered have been exchanged. If you continue to cause trouble, we won't mind accompanying the bride and her entourage to the wedding banquet!"

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he snorted:

"Every time I see you along the way, I'll beat you up!"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest was not afraid at all; instead, he smiled with satisfaction and said:

"I was not mistaken, you truly possess the courage of a hero! If everyone in the world were like this, how could these demons and monsters wreak havoc on people's hearts?"

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky and said:
"We've pretty much avoided this round, so I'll make way."

The previous compliment, "heroic courage," made the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) slightly suspicious. He wondered if he had really misunderstood the person, because this reaction was indeed quite strange.

But when he heard the next sentence, "Make way," he immediately understood and cursed inwardly. "He really chickened out! All talk and no action."

He immediately shook off the Taoist's hand and said irritably:
"Fine! You're shameless and unreasonable. We guys better keep a close eye on you!"

Unexpectedly, the other party grabbed his wrist instead, with such force that it reminded him of the time seven years ago when a bear held him down.

Back then, he felt a chill run down his spine, his soul nearly leaving his body, fearing he would die at any moment. But now, he felt inexplicably at peace?
"you?!"

Yet this sense of security, mixed with immense power, still sends chills down one's spine!
Instinctively, he gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist tightly, instead of the short stick he usually used to scare away idlers.

The imperial court prohibited civilians from possessing weapons, but this did not apply to aristocratic families and security escort agencies. After all, the former were favored by the emperor, while the latter were truly needed by the common people.

The other person didn't make a move, but simply patted his hand and said:

“My friend, since you want to get involved in this matter, I will not stop you. After all, in this world, you will inevitably encounter something truly powerful as you travel through mountains and rivers.”

"It's a good thing to have witnessed the danger ahead of time. However, I must offer a few words of advice. If you encounter evil spirits, you must not lose your courage, and you must not extinguish your flames. If the other party still dares to act violently, then let your blade flash and your voice proclaim the righteous law, and you may injure them!"

After saying that, she casually released her hand, causing him to take a half step back before regaining his balance.

The Taoist's actions and words left the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) bewildered and he blurted out:

"The true Dharma? What is the true Dharma?"

The Taoist priest smiled calmly:

"The names of gods and Buddhas fill the sky, the titles uttered by monks and Taoists—all those who possess a righteous spirit are followers of the true Dharma!"

Could it be that we've truly encountered a master today?

The thought had barely crossed the镖师's mind when he heard his companion's undisguised sneer behind him:

"Hey! I'm telling you, Taoist priest, didn't you just say you'd encountered a 'different' and ferocious creature today? How come you've suddenly become someone you can deal with with 'a few flashes of light and a couple of shouts'?"

His companion, sprawled on horseback, glanced sideways at the Taoist priest, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Let me guess, is it that once night falls, you'll arrange for people to put on a show and extort money from us men for our hard-earned wages?"

These words all touched upon their years of experience in the underworld.

Hearing this, the head镖师's lips twitched, and he cursed himself for being foolish: He had traveled all over the country and seen many storms over the years, so how could he have almost fallen for the tricks of this wild Taoist priest?
The other party showed no embarrassment or anger at being exposed, but simply chuckled:

"As I just said, I am still unsure whether that thing is trapped here or has other plans. Therefore, these details must not be revealed to the bride and her party, lest it cause unnecessary panic."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone carrying an indescribable certainty:

"But if they really do target people but not the road, then rest assured, because I am observing their backgrounds, and they are also trying to figure out my origins."

"So even if you encounter them, you won't encounter the thing I'm talking about. They'll just be some scouts. They might have some power, but as long as you remember what I said, they're nothing to fear."

"Remember, remember!"

After speaking, the Taoist priest stepped aside and retreated to the side of the road.

The bodyguards stared at him with suspicion for a few moments. In the end, they rode forward and, steeling themselves, explained their decision to escort the bride and her entourage.

(End of this chapter)