You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

Then he added, "These are all priced differently."

It was perfectly normal for these caravans to travel all over the country and give some passengers along the way.

It not only earns you a little extra money from your hard work, but also brings you more customers on the road. As long as your source is clean, most of the managers are happy to give you a ride.

Qi Fei considered it for a moment and then said, "Bring your own dry rations and walk."

Manager Zhou nodded: "The southern border of Great Yan is a long way off, it will take at least three or four months to travel there. Give me ten taels of silver and you can go with the caravan."

"But let me make this clear from the start! Whether we can reach southern Xinjiang safely depends on our own fate."

What he said was very true.

A journey of a thousand miles is full of uncertainties.

If they encountered a torrential rain, flash flood, monsters blocking the road, or bandits robbing the road, even these seasoned veterans couldn't guarantee the safety of everyone, let alone Qi Fei, who had joined them halfway through the journey.

If Qi Fei hadn't been somewhat famous in Tianlan City, a familiar face among storytellers, and had a clean background, Steward Zhou really wouldn't have been willing to bring him along. A person of unknown origin was far too risky for the caravan.

Qi Fei, knowing the situation, clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "When will we depart?"

"Three days from now," Steward Zhou said. "Meet under the old locust tree in the south of the city at four-quarters past dawn. Don't be late, we won't wait for you."

"I understand."

After returning home, Qi Fei gathered up all the items in his house that could be sold and exchanged them for some money. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the deed to the courtyard house, so he couldn't sell it and it would have to remain empty for the time being.

For the next three days, he stayed at the tea stall from morning till night telling stories, hoping to earn as much as he could.

Money is never enough when you need it.

The three-day period passed in the blink of an eye.

As dawn broke, Qi Fei, carrying a bag, arrived at the old locust tree in the south of the city as agreed.

The Zhou family caravan is already busy.

There were about twenty or thirty people and more than thirty mules and horses, all of them plump and strong, with bulging stacks of goods on their backs.

Those are specialties of Tianlan City, all furs and mountain products produced in Tianlan Mountain to the north.

The Tianlan Mountains stretch northwards to an endless distance. The mountains are rich in resources, and animal hides and mountain goods are gathered in Tianlan City, where they are then sold to all corners of the world by caravans.

Two other people traveled with Qi Fei.

A man wearing a straw hat with the brim pulled low, obscuring his face, stood at a distance, not speaking to anyone, exuding an aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

The other was a red-faced man who kept staring at Qi Fei as soon as he arrived, but whenever Qi Fei turned around to look at him, he would hurriedly turn his face away and pretend that nothing had happened.

Qi Fei kept a close eye on things, but his expression remained unchanged.

When Steward Zhou saw him arrive, he nodded, then mounted the lead chestnut horse, raised the whip, and shouted:

"May the Marshal of the Mystic Altar protect you, bringing you a safe journey and abundant wealth! Loading the goods! Let's go!"

With the neighing of mules and the rolling of carts, a caravan took advantage of the city gates opening and marched out of Tianlan City, heading towards the vast road to the south.

Once outside Tianlan City and walking along the official road, Qi Fei found everything new and exciting.

Having been in this world for several years, he has never actually left Tianlan City.

At first, everything seemed strange and wonderful, but after a few days, the scenery became repetitive and monotonous, and I got used to it.

The caravan traveled slowly, covering only thirty to fifty li a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Upon reaching a lodging, Steward Zhou would arrange for food and lodging, never rushing the journey.

He was familiar with the owners of the inns along the way, and as soon as he entered, they would serve him hot water and food, so no one else had to worry about him.

At night, while others crowded into the large communal sleeping area, Qi Fei would always find a corner to sit cross-legged in meditation.

One of the workers noticed and joked, "Brother Qi, what are you doing?"

Qi Fei grinned and replied, "I'm cultivating immortality!"

This caused everyone in the room to burst into laughter.

How could someone who cultivates immortality mingle with commoners like them?

They already knew Qi Fei was a storyteller from Tianlan City, and assuming he was just making up stories again, they all chimed in, "Since you're a cultivator, tell us a story about immortals!"

Qi Fei didn't refuse, clearing his throat: "Alright, today I'll tell you a story from the heavens. Legend has it that above the nine heavens, there is a Jade Emperor who governs the Milky Way. He has twenty sons, one of whom is named He Lusi..."

Everyone in the room listened intently, even Steward Zhou came over and listened with great interest.

They continued like this day after day for seventeen or eighteen days, and things were peaceful enough.

Seventeen or eighteen days had passed, and there were neither bandits nor any demons or monsters. Qi Fei felt that this long journey might be going more smoothly than he had imagined.

The man in the straw hat didn't sleep with them at night, but would suddenly appear during the day to follow the caravan. As for the red-faced man, he would suddenly disappear as they walked, which puzzled Qi Fei greatly.

That day, they stayed at an inn at the foot of the mountain.

I was sound asleep when suddenly a loud rumbling sound came from afar, like thousands of horses galloping and rolling.

Manager Zhou reacted extremely quickly, jumping out of bed and running barefoot outside. When he reached the courtyard, he saw Qi Fei already standing there, ahead of him.

The two exchanged a glance and looked toward the source of the sound.

In the dark, indistinct mountains in the distance, a rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, lingered for a long time.

The other guests in the inn were also awakened. They put on their clothes and gathered around. After listening for a while, one of them said, "Is this a flash flood?"

The innkeeper shook his head: "That's strange. It hasn't rained for over ten days. Where did this flash flood come from?"

Qi Fei's heart skipped a beat.

Indeed, it hadn't rained much along the way; the road was dry and dusty, and the streams were shallow. Where could a flash flood have come from in the dead of night?

When dawn broke, the caravan continued its journey. When they reached that section of the road, everyone was stunned.

The once smooth official road was completely blocked. A mudslide that poured down from the mountain cut the entire road in half, and the turbid water gathered to form a small barrier lake.

Manager Zhou's face immediately turned very ugly.

"Go back!"

When everyone returned to the inn, Manager Zhou remained silent with a sullen face.

He instructed his men to unload the goods, feed the horses, and let them rest, but he didn't mention the journey.

Qi Fei leaned closer and asked, "Manager Zhou, are we not leaving?"

Manager Zhou glanced at him and said, "Leave? Where do you want to go? Demons are blocking our way, are you still going to leave?"

Demons blocking the way?

Qi Fei, you suddenly understand. The flash flood last night was caused by demons deliberately tampering with the mountain roads, blocking the main road and forcing travelers to take detours through remote paths.

Once they enter the mountains, that becomes their domain; the disappearance of a few people is nothing out of the ordinary.

Manager Zhou, on the other hand, was waiting.

They waited for other caravans to leave first, and for others to scout out the true nature of that path. Experienced travelers know that in situations like this, whoever steps forward first is the one testing the waters.