Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Brother Jing, let's get a divorce.

The next day, as soon as the rooster crowed for the first time, the three packed their bags and set off.

After Lu Wushuang's leg recovered, his leg strength increased, and he hopped and skipped ahead to clear the way, occasionally slashing at the roadside weeds with his willow-leaf scimitar.

Cheng Ying followed Yang Guo, her steps still a little unsteady. She had been up most of the night and her back was still sore.

Less than two hours later, Lu Wushuang suddenly darted back, grabbed Yang Guo's sleeve, and crouched down in the grass, not daring to show her face.

"There's movement ahead! Lots of people in leather armor, and horses!"

Yang Guo covered her mouth and peered ahead.

A large group of Mongol soldiers marched along the official road. I counted at least three hundred of them, each carrying a sword. Behind them were more than twenty wooden carts, the wheels of which made the dirt road shake.

Cheng Ying also came over and glanced at the line.

"It's a Mongolian grain transport team, with two centurions holding the line. We definitely can't win a direct confrontation."

Yang Guo released his hand from Lu Wushuang's and flicked her forehead.

"I'm not stupid. There are over three hundred men. We could kill them all by tomorrow."

"Let's follow them and see what they're carrying. If it's good stuff, we'll grab some."

Lu Wushuang rubbed her forehead and rolled her eyes.

"You're so greedy. In this chaos of war, what good stuff could you possibly find? It's probably all just stinky dried mutton."

The three of them squatted in the waist-high weeds and followed the group for about half an hour.

Lu Wushuang's legs went numb from squatting, so she poked Cheng Ying's arm.

"Cousin, these people are moving slower than snails. How long are we going to have to keep up?"

Cheng Ying slapped her hand away and stared at the large truck in front of her.

"Don't make a sound. Look at the third vehicle. The seal is black, while all the other grain trucks have yellow seals. That vehicle is definitely not the right one."

Yang Guo also noticed that there were four soldiers standing next to that car, while other cars had at most two.

"You two wait here, I'll go check the back to see if anyone's been left behind."

Yang Guo crouched down and went around to the back of the earthen slope behind the group, where he saw three Mongol soldiers squatting in the grass smoking, their backs to the road.

He tiptoed over, raised his hand, and struck one of the soldiers on the back of the neck. The three soldiers fell down without uttering a sound.

Yang Guo waved and called the two women over.

Lu Wushuang ran over and kicked the soldiers on the ground, then smelled their odor and frowned.

"Why did you knock them out? This smell is too strong, it's all muttony."

"Change your clothes, otherwise how can you get in and check the things in the car?"

Yang Guo picked up a soldier's leather armor and threw it to Cheng Ying.

"Hurry up and change, we'll blend in once we're dressed."

Cheng Ying took half a step back, her face long and drawn.

"I won't wear it, this clothes stink."

"It's okay if you don't wear it."

Yang Guo squatted down and shook the leather armor.

"You stay here and keep watch. If the patrolling Mongol soldiers see you and drag you back to be a military prostitute, I won't come to rescue you."

Lu Wushuang also joined in the commotion from the side.

"That's right, cousin, just wear it. It's better than getting arrested. Besides, your husband won't mind if you smell bad."

Cheng Ying gritted her teeth, glared at the two men for a long time, and finally accepted the leather armor.

The three quickly changed their clothes, tied up the three unconscious soldiers, threw them into a deep grass pit nearby, and weighed them down with two large stones.

Yang Guo wrapped the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword tightly in a thick cloth and tied it to the bottom of the last car.

Then the three of them lowered their heads and blended into the pile of soldiers at the very back of the column.

Not long after they walked, a Mongol soldier handed them two hard wheat cakes, muttering something under his breath.

Yang Guo didn't understand, but he still reached out and took one, handing one to Lu Wushuang.

Lu Wushuang took a bite, then immediately spat it out with a "pui" sound, keeping her voice very low.

"What kind of rubbish is this? It's even worse than the snake jerky from the Sword Tomb. It's so hard it hurts my teeth."

Yang Guo raised his hand and patted the back of her head, his voice even lower than hers.

"Keep your voice down, you idiot! Trying to kill yourself by speaking Chinese? If you don't want it, just put it in your pocket. You might need it tonight."

Lu Wushuang quickly covered her mouth and stuffed the remaining half of the pancake into her bosom.

Cheng Ying nudged Yang Guo's waist with her arm, her gaze drifting towards the third large cart.

"I just counted. The soldiers next to that vehicle change shifts every fifteen minutes. There's a half-incense stick's time between shift changes when no one is on guard."

Yang Guo nodded.

"Okay, we'll sneak over and check it out after we set up camp tonight. Don't move around too much now, or we'll give ourselves away."

As the sun was about to set, the team found an open space to set up camp and start a fire to cook.

The Mongol soldiers were making a ruckus, some starting fires, others feeding the horses, and no one noticed the three newcomers.

Yang Guo pulled Lu Wushuang along, pretending to go to the side to pick up firewood, and deliberately went around to the third large cart.

They had just walked three steps away from the vehicle when a Mongolian logistics soldier in a gray cloth shirt suddenly called out to them and rattled off a long string of words.

Yang Guo couldn't understand, so he could only stand there and nod.

The soldier tossed over two wooden buckets, pointed to the water trough next to him, and then to the stable.

Yang Guo immediately understood that they were to feed the horses.

He carried two wooden buckets and pulled Lu Wushuang toward the water trough.

"Damn, I almost got caught."

Lu Wushuang was so frightened that her chest pounded, and she patted her chest as she spoke.

"It startled me; I thought I'd been recognized."

After feeding the horses, the two returned home. Cheng Ying had already found a sheltered corner to squat in and was munching on a hard biscuit.

Yang Guo squatted down next to her and whispered.

"There was almost an accident just now. I don't understand Mongolian, do you?"

"I only know a few everyday phrases; I don't know anything too profound."

Cheng Ying chewed on a biscuit and said, "My father used to do business with Mongolian merchants, and he taught me a few things."

"That's fine then."

Yang Guo pointed to the third cart and instructed, "Later, you pretend to deliver some cakes to the person watching the cart, and take the opportunity to sneak over and see what's in the box."

"You speak Mongolian, so it's not easy for you to give yourself away."

Cheng Ying nodded, took two hard biscuits, and walked towards the third car.

The two Mongolian soldiers watching the car saw her handing out flatbread, smiled, took it, and started chatting with her in their native tongue.

Cheng Ying lowered her head and mumbled a few words in response. While the two soldiers turned to talk, she slipped a dagger from her sleeve and quietly pried open the seam of the box.

She only glanced at it, and her face turned pale instantly.

Cheng Ying didn't dare linger. She turned around and quickly walked back, squatting down next to Yang Guo and Lu Wushuang, her back covered in cold sweat.

"How is it? What's inside?"

Lu Wushuang leaned closer and asked.

"It's gunpowder."

Cheng Ying's voice trembled slightly.

"It was all dark and murky, and the box was packed full, weighing at least several hundred pounds."

Yang Guo frowned.

"Damn it, what are these bastards doing transporting so much gunpowder? Are they going to blow up Xiangyang?"

"It's definitely a trap set for Master Guo!"

Lu Wushuang also panicked: "Didn't Shen Buyan say before that he was going to ambush in Black Wind Valley? He was definitely going to lure Master Guo there and blow him up with gunpowder!"

"What's the rush?"

Yang Guo pressed down on her shoulders and said in a deep voice, "If we leave now, who knows where they'll take the gunpowder?"

"Follow them for now, and figure out their destination first. If all else fails, we can set off the gunpowder halfway there."

Just then, a Mongol centurion wearing animal skin armor walked over carrying a knife.

He stood in front of the three men, his face grim, and rattled off a long string of Mongolian.

As he spoke, he pulled out half of the knife, the tip pointing directly at Yang Guo.

Yang Guo couldn't understand what he was saying, and he didn't dare to move.

Lu Wushuang and Cheng Ying froze on the spot, even their breathing became soft.